The Wharton Wildcats started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against the Tampa Bay Tech Titans. They fell just short of the Titans by a score of 23-20. It was the first time this season that Wharton let down their fans at home.
Wharton's lost on Friday despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Jackson Jensen, who threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground.
Tampa Bay Tech's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Rod Gainey jr, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown. Gainey jr was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 62 yards. Another player making a difference was Dallas Wilson, who picked up 108 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Wharton now has a losing record at 3-4. As for Tampa Bay Tech, the win for they keeps them at an undefeated 8-0.
Wharton will head out on the road to face off against Bloomingdale at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Bloomingdale will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Florida Rankings (they are ranked 330th, while Wharton is ranked 108th). As for Tampa Bay Tech, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Jesuit at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Jesuit's favor is that they have now posted big point totals in their last three contests.
