Supposedly, the first high school football playoff games of the season will occur on Nov. 18. Just don't tell that to Sunlake's Bill Browning or any of the Seahawks.
Since the 2011 schedule came out, Sunlake knew how important tonight's game against Land O' Lakes would be. The Seahawks not only expected to be in a position to solidify their playoff chances on this date, but they expected the Gators to be in the same position. And that is exactly what has happened.
Sunlake and Land O' Lakes are tied for second in Class 6A-District 6 with 3-1 district records. The winner of this game will have sole possession of second-place, with leader Brooksville Hernando holding separate tiebreakers by virtue of beating each team head-to-head. That means the winner controls its own playoff destiny, while the loser will need help in order to get into the postseason.
Those stakes means this game will have all the feelings and emotions of a playoff for both squads.
"I don't think there's any doubt about that," said Browning, when asked if tonight's game felt like a playoff game. "The players know the importance of this game, and of this rivalry. It's been one-sided up to this point."
Land O' Lakes, which has made the playoffs for 14 consecutive years, has never lost to Sunlake. A defeat tonight would put that historic playoff appearance streak in jeopardy. Coach Brian Wachtel did not want to pin the Gators' playoff future entirely on the Sunlake game.
"We'll see how it plays out," Wachtel said, referring to the Gators having district games against Brooksville Central and River Ridge after tonight. Sunlake will play the same two opponents in reverse order, with River Ridge next week and Central in the finale.
Both squads found themselves in a similar situation last season when they met at Sunlake. The Gators had already lost to Pasco and a second loss would have put them out of the playoffs. But they won 29-21 and beat Mitchell the next week to preserve their streak. Sunlake went on to lose to Pasco and miss the postseason.
"If anything, I would say this year has been a little tougher road than last year, because we've had Nature Coast, Hernando and Land O' Lakes three weeks in a row," Browning said. "So there hasn't been any so-called breathing room.
"From an experience standpoint, I think that will help them. They've been in this situation before, whereas last year they hadn't played in any games of this magnitude before."
As far as personnel, the biggest difference for both squads since last year is new quarterbacks. Ryan Bird (Land O' Lakes) and Cameron Stoltz (Sunlake) are firmly entrenched as starters, but only Bird, who filled in for the suspended Stephen Weatherford for the Gators' playoff game against Jefferson last year, has competed in a playoff atmosphere before. Nevertheless, they have engineered the two best passing offenses in the district.
Bird has thrown for 597 yards, five TDs and no interceptions in his last three games, all victories. He has gone a county-best 82 attempts since his last interception, which occurred in the third quarter against Pasco more than a month ago.
Stoltz, meanwhile, is second in the county with 15 touchdown passes, including 13 without an interception in the first four games. But his toughest two games have been the last two, a win against Nature Coast and a loss to Hernando, where he has thrown four interceptions against two TDs.
Despite those struggles, Browning believes he is ready.
"I think he will handle it just fine," Browning said.
Correspondent Bart O'Connell can be reached at tampasport@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @BartOTrib.
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