By Michael Bielecki
SEBASTIAN — Fort Pierce Central will visit Shark Stadium Friday night to square off against Sebastian River High School in a District 14-4A battle of two teams with 2-2 records that are going in opposite directions.
The Cobras come to Sebastian hoping to pick up a win against a tough Sharks team after losing its last two contests. The Sharks are looking for their third straight win, after losing the opening two games of the season.
The Sharks and Cobras both have great defenses, and the winner – as any coach will tell you — will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes. The Sharks are looking for another commanding performance from QB Wesley Wilson, who is coming off his best game of the year against Jensen Beach. The Cobras have a stable of defensive studs, and are led by junior LB Brian Lenhart and his 49 tackles.
SRHS Coach Randy Bethel is anticipating an intense game.
“The Cobras are tough on both sides of the ball,” said Bethel. “Their entire defense is tough, and we have to game plan for an entire defense and not just one playmaker.”
While the Sharks don’t have the stats so far to prove it, they also have a tough defense that is filled with playmakers. It’s hard to single anybody out on this talented unit, but LB Daniel Lee is the leading tackler with 33.
Central employs the spread offense, and will look to take what Sebastian gives them. For the Cobras, QB Trevor Banks is 31-50 passing with 350 yards and 2 TDs (against 4 interceptions) on the year. Running back Louis Mathieu leads their rushing attack with 250 yards and 3 TDs. The Sharks should have more than enough athleticism to limit the Cobras on offense.
The status of injured running back Fred Macon will be determined at game time, and beyond that, Bethel declined to comment on his status. To be sure, the coach will need solid games from two juniors, wide receiver Stephon Clark and running back Jevonte Pierce.
A great game will be expected, as usual, from senior do-it-all player Cortez Ash on both sides of the ball.”We really have to pick our spots with Cortez because we don’t want to tire him out,” said Bethel. “He’s so important to our team, and opposing coaching staffs game plan for him. He still makes big plays for us in spite of that.”
This should be a great contest against two hungry football teams. The Sharks have home field advantage, and the momentum of coming off consecutive wins to make them slight favorites.
