Pace Spartans off to good start

By Lynn Ramsey - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | When most teams lose a lot of players to graduation and transfers, they tend to suffer a bit. Msgr. Edward Pace High just reloaded.

The Spartans started off 3-0 for the first time since 2013, despite playing a schedule laden with bigger schools. Pace coach Joe Zaccheo said hard work and team unity has carried the Spartans thus far.

That unity will be tested tonight when the now 3-1 Pace plays at 4-0 Fort Lauderdale University School at 7 p.m. The Sharks beat pace twice last year, including the playoffs. [Editor's note: The final score of the Sept. 21 game was Sharks 49, Spartans 0, dropping Pace to a 3-2 record.]

 

RIVALRY CLASH

Both teams look a little different this year, especially the University team that beat Pace 27-22 midseason and 42-39 in the second round of the playoffs. When Zaccheo was asked what his team needed to do to beat University, his first word was, “Pray.”

That’s because the Sharks have added a passing game to the Kenny McIntosh-led running attack. The 5-star running back has 439 yards and six touchdowns. Nick Vattiato has thrown for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Zay Flowers and Brandon Inniss have each caught three touchdown passes.

“Their quarterback and corps of receivers are as good as anyone in South Florida,” Zaccheo said. “They’re now a two-headed dragon. We’re big underdogs this week, but it’s time to be the upset of the week.”

Running back Tyrone Douglas said the memory of the Sharks stopping Pace on fourth-and-12 late in the playoff game still burns. “That one play stopped us from getting to that goal,” he said. “They got the ball back, and the game was over.”

The Spartans counter with the dual-threat running attack of running back Tyrone Douglas and fullback Thomas Willis. Running out of the Wing-T, Douglas has 442 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Willis has 365 rushing yards and four touchdowns in three games.

Senior quarterback William Ferreira keeps the defenses honest with the occasional pass. He has thrown for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Zaccheo complimented Ferreira’s grasp of game management.

“Willie has been with us since beginning. I’ve seen his development every year,” Zaccheo said. “With the quarterback position, there are so many things going around. It’s the hardest position on the field to get relaxed in.”

 

FLU, INJURIES 

The Spartans are looking to rebound from a 42-7 loss to Delray Beach American Heritage. Zaccheo said half the team was out with the flu bug and injuries. That included Pace’s leading tackler, senior linebacker Thomas Willis, who had 44 tackles entering that game. Willis told Zaccheo he wanted to play after losing 10 pounds in three days, but the coach said he didn’t want to risk it.

Douglas ran for 102 yards and one touchdown against American Heritage, but the Spartans also gave up 267 yards to quarterback Zach Bohannon.

The American Heritage loss prevented the Spartans from becoming the first Pace team since 2010 to start 4-0. That team ended up going 10-0 before losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Pace last year started 1-2 but ended up riding a 7-game winning streak into the playoffs. Alas, 22 seniors graduated, and another 14 transferred from that team, which went 8-3. That left several gaps. Zaccheo credits starting summer practices with a retreat for getting his players zoned in.

Camp Zaccheo is a 3-4-day retreat that helps the Spartans focus on God, family and the team. He instills a sense of family in the team, that they need to rely on each other through the coming season. This was especially important considering the losses the Spartans had last year.

“The ones who are there buy into the hard work and discipline,” Zaccheo said. “We make them understand that education is first and foremost: God, family, education. When they understand that, everything else falls into place. Wins are secondary. They’ll come when you take care of everything else.”

Douglas said that family link paid dividends in Week 1 against Boyd Anderson, a 20-13 victory. “No one else has our back on the field except for the people with you. When we were down in the fourth quarter, we came back and tied the game. We picked each other up. We had a clutch play on defense and ended up winning the game.”

 

TOUGHENED UP

Willis, who is getting recruited by the Air Force Academy among other schools, said that the camp toughened up the team. He said last year’s team had a lot of experience. While this year’s team also has a lot of seniors, many are taking leadership for the first time.

“We’re like a new team, but with some people who have been there from the start,” Willis said. “It works in our favor with the few numbers we have. Everyone contributes.”

Willis guides a defense that benefits from senior defensive tackle Fabio Desir and cornerback Jaheem Joseph. Desir had 11 tackles in a 30-10 victory earlier against Clewiston. Zaccheo said that Joseph is getting interest from Syracuse, Northwestern and other Division I colleges.

The team also has proven they’ll take on all comers. Pace plays several schools that are much bigger. They also play several perennial playoff teams.

The schedule plays well not only for building character. The Florida High Schools Athletic Association recently revamped its playoff system, moving away from awarding all berths by district in lieu of a points system that rewards schedule strength. In Class 4A, where Monsignor Pace resides, and below, all the regional berths are awarded via the point system.

Zaccheo figures that experimentation is good for the sport and his team.

“Anyone who knows me knows that if you look at the end of the year and go to the state championships, 1A through 8A, any one of those teams could beat any other,” he said. “If you want to compete at that level, you better compete during the year against the best. We seek out better teams. We want to be challenged.”