BRADENTON — The band played and the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs raised their helmets to the night sky and saluted their fans who had made the trip across the county Friday night to see them win.
The Mustangs had just finished off the Bayshore Bruins, 35-14, for their fourth victory of the season.
Lakewood Ranch (4-2) needs to beat either Punta Gorda Charlotte or Palmetto to advance to the regional playoffs. Not a bad deal, considering the Mustangs won once last fall.
“We went from worst to first,” defensive lineman Steven Birakis said, noting the Mustangs’ current position in the district standings, where they sit tied with Charlotte, both 1-0.
What is the biggest difference between the two seasons?
Coach Shawn Trent said he doesn’t think the Mustangs were as bad as the record looked in 2008, that injuries played a big role in 1-9. He also pointed to the development of quarterback Reggie Lindsey and receivers Octavious Washington, Jake Carlton and Daniel Clifford, the emergence of running backs Taryn Laws and Mike Myers and the growth of offensive line of Cory Pope, Josh Nauman, Alec Jones, Shane Blair and Austin Reiter.
“We can do some things we weren’t able to do last year,” Trent said.
Behind that line, Lindsey passed for three touchdowns and ran for another score against Bayshore (3-4).
Touchdown runs by Alex Jackson and Dominic Everett helped Bayshore forge a 14-14 tie in the second quarter, but a 1-yard run by Lindsey with 4:12 to play in the half gave Ranch the lead for good.
Laws rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown. Washington caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Carlton finished the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 22-yard touchdown grab.
“We got that pass/run game going,” defensive back Jared Brinton said.
“That’s helped tremendously,” defensive back Danny Zarrella said. “Last year we’d come off the field and it was like we had to go back on.”
Having a defense that can control the ball and score points means less time on the field for the defense, and that means better defense.
What’s the difference between 2009 and 2008?
“Motivation,” Brinton said. “We didn’t want to go 1-9 again.”
Ranch’s nine-game losing streak to start 2008 meant long, silent, depressing bus rides back to school.
This year?
“They’re always good on the way back,” Zarrella said. “It’s actually an enjoyable ride back to school.”
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