By Tamas Mondovics
For Armwood High School football head coach, Sean Callahan, and his team, the early season non-district home game at Lyle Flagg Stadium against Bloomingdale, was business as usual. As for the guests, it was a much different story.
While, the game, was more about measuring up skills and talent, it began with the need for several members of the home team to adjust their gear to meet FHSAA regulation.
The small distraction did not amount to much as the Hawks offensive line led by junior quarterback Devin Black, quickly set the stage for what was to be a rough night for the Bulls.
Black, a former Lennard High School quarterback is one of two new players snatched up by the Hawks. The other key player to join the Hawks this fall is former Jefferson defensive end Jabreel Stephens, a Seffner resident zoned for Armwood.
With 12 in the first and 21 in the second quarter, the Hawks amassed 33 points by half time.
While Bloomingdale struggled to keep up or just stand their ground, the Hawks offense seemed to get better and better.
Black collected 253 yards, and three touchdowns for the night, courtesy of a half a dozen receivers to choose from.
Armwood’s defense led by junior lineman Malcolm Lamar, also showed its strength by keeping the Bulls at bay with less then 20 yards of offense in the first half.
Confident of another great year, Callahan said that he was looking forward to playing the Bulls, but that his eyes are already on the post season, all the way to the end.
Armwood walked away with a 47-0 win and, one step closer to the Class 6A state title game, which it had lost to Miami Central for the last three times in a row.
This year, Bloomingdale is led by former offensive coordinator for Hillsborough High School (2011-2014), Max Warner, and for a good reason.
The Bulls managed to win just one game all last year and, while the loss to the Hawks is not uncommon, it came on the heels of a pair of wins against Newsome and Gaither and ahead of the program’s first district bout against Tampa Bay Tech, a program that pummeled Wharton 53-0 the same night.
For more information about Hillsborough County area high school football, please visit www.maxpreps.com.
