Venice took care of business in their home opener on Friday (and then some). They were the clear victor by a 63-40 margin over the Tampa Bay Tech Titans. The score was close at the half, but the Indians pulled away in the second half with 35 points.
Venice's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jamarice (GATA) Wilder, who rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Another pass catcher making a difference was Winston Watkins Jr., who picked up 157 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Venice's defensive line and their 5.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Asharri Charles and Kane Judson who racked up 4.5 sacks between them. Venice got some further help from Landon Marsters: he made 21 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Venice was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 243 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 204 rushing yards in four consecutive contests dating back to last season.
When it comes to explaining why Tampa Bay Tech lost, one person who can't be blamed is Darryon Jones. Despite the final result, he threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 94 yards. Jones was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 52 yards. Javari Barnett was another key player, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Venice will welcome Northwestern at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given how much these teams ran up and down the field in their prior games. As for Tampa Bay Tech, they will look to take advantage of their home-field for the first time this season as they take on Wharton at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
