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Dunedin High Headed To State Playoffs

Dunedin Quick To Grab Grid Playoffs Spot

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST

Dunedin High captured their second straight Class 5A District 9 crown last Friday while on a bye.

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: November 1, 2007

Updated: 11/04/2007 08:05 pm

DUNEDIN - DUNEDIN - For the second straight year, the Dunedin High Falcons and Head Football Coach Mark Everett have won the Class 5A District 9 title and a spot in the state championship series beginning mid-November.

It is also the third year in a row Dunedin has qualified for the tournament.

What's different in 2007 though, is the way they are heading into postseason play.

The Falcons clinched the district crown last week with two games of regular season play remaining. They are one of only five teams in west-central Florida to have done so at such an early juncture in the season when most top teams are prepping for Week 9 and 10 do-or-die battles.

"It's huge because there's no pressure on the games now," Everett said in a Tuesday afternoon phone interview about his team's early clinch of a spot in the postseason. "We still want to play well the next two weeks, though, so we're not be backing into the playoffs."

Looking forward to the playoffs in this fashion is certainly a luxury for any team regarding preparation – not to mention gaining the home-field edge in the first round.

The coaching staff can now give needed rest to those players who may be nursing the lingering bumps and bruises that come along throughout any football season.

If all goes as planned, star running back Adaris Bellamy, receiver John Totson and much of his offensive line will see limited playing time so they are running full steam ahead into the postseason, Everett said.

Being able to tinker with and fine tune individual aspects of the team is another advantage for the Falcons heading into their last two games with Palm Harbor University and St. Petersburg's Dixie Hollins High School.

"A lot of things," Everett said when asked what parts of the Falcons' game could use improvement. "There's mistakes we make every game."

Improving special-teams play, the offensive passing game and pass defense, and shoring up certain aspects of the run attack are high on Everett's to-do list.

While there is always room for progression with any team, Dunedin's game has looked plenty solid of late on both sides of the ball.

Their 294 total points scored on offense is ranked fourth behind only three other area teams and the Falcon defense has been stingy as usual, surrendering only 121 points.

After beginning the season on a sour note, losing at Boca Ciega 23-13, Dunedin rebounded nicely and has come up big when they needed it most – in district match-ups.

They have dismantled all three 5A-9 teams they have faced so far by a combined score of 127-41.

Week Nine's meeting with Palm Harbor is their final district game – one that would have been for the title outright had East Lake not taken care of the Hurricanes last week.

That East Lake win on its own gave Dunedin the championship without even being on the field last Friday. Week Eight was their bye.

Everett said he joked before last week's games that he may be out with his wife for dinner and need to have someone tap him on the shoulder to tell him Dunedin was district champs.

"It's really been awesome around here," he said of the area and school's response, with administrators and teachers giving their congratulations. "I don't want the kids getting too caught up, but they're enjoying it."

The players have plenty of reason to be proud in their early accomplishment. The title is the first time in 20 years – since 1986 and 1987 – a Dunedin football team has snared back-to-back district championships.

Both of those earlier seasons – before any Falcon player was even born – saw Dunedin march on to the state championship game.

It's the 20th anniversary of the program's last appearance in Florida prep football's Big Dance.
If history does in fact repeat itself, as it's said, 2007 may be a very good year to be a Falcon.

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