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Spoto Clinches Playoff Spot

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: November 8, 2008

Updated: 11/08/2008 12:23 am

TAMPA - Spoto starting center Orlando Hernandez's eyes filled with tears as his coach gathered the team at midfield after their game against Robinson on Friday.

Hernandez, overcome with emotion because of what the Spartans did, couldn't help but cry. Not only did Spoto come from behind to defeat Robinson, 27-19, but the Spartans also secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time in the 3-year-old school's history.

"I'm a senior so this means everything to me," Hernandez said. "We came out and did the job."

Spoto quickly went up 13-0, but Robinson responded by scoring 16 unanswered points to take the lead with a little more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

The second half belonged to Spoto's bruising fullback/linebacker Rodney Williams (77 rushing yards and one touchdown) and the Spartans defense.

Williams picked up key first downs and kept the Knights offense on the sideline by controlling the clock, while the defense came up big in the second half, holding the Knights to just three points, and forcing a key turnover in the third quarter. Spoto capitalized on a Robinson fumble with a nine-play drive capped off by J.B. Burgess' 8-yard touchdown run to put the Spartans up by three.

But the Knights fought back and were aided by back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Spoto senior wide receiver/safety Alex Byers. The calls helped set up Robinson kicker Javier Ramirez's 40-yard field goal to tie the game. Byers, who had three receptions for 99 yards, was ejected from the game.

Spoto went ahead with a 15-play drive that ended in Burgess' second rushing touchdown of the night. The Spartans, Class 3A-District 11 runners-up, will face District 12 champion DeSoto County in the playoffs' first round.

"I think this means everything in the world to these kids," first-year Spoto coach Dale Caparaso said. "The fashion in which we got it today, I'm not so sure they would come back in the way that they did. Things got rattled a little bit and they're so young, so I'm pretty surprised. That they came from behind speaks more volumes than the fact that we won."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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