By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

While they both took lopsided losses in their Kickoff Classics, either Poinciana or Gateway is going to start the regular season 1-0 when the two meet at the Ridenour Athletic Complex at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Panthers fell 48-7 to Satellite Beach, while the Eagles lost to First Academy, 34-6, in a game that was called in the third quarter due to lightning.

Both head coaches said their offenses must improve on Friday for any hope of victory.

“Our kids kept fighting, but the execution wasn’t at the right level,” PHS Coach Michael Timpson said. “We were playing in practice speed too much. But, we had some bright spots.”

Mike Cirino returned a kickoff 70 yards for Poinciana’s score.

The Panthers got a 35-yard touchdown pass from Roger Allen to Alonzo Law for their points at Satellite.

“They did a number on us, they had a big Tim Tebow-type guy at quarterback,” GHS Coach Marlin Roberts said. “Roger made a few mistakes, but he was one of our few bright spots. We got behind two scores and the attitudes we’ve been trying to fight came back out.”

But, he said, a Saturday weightlifting session showed a glimmer of hope.

“We haven’t been in on Saturday since Coach (Karl) Schroeder was here, and we had every kid but one here. The kids want a change, and I saw it in their eyes.”

Allen was 8-of-18 passing for 80 yards and gained 50 yards on 14 rushes, but Roberts said everyone needs to play that well to repeat last year’s come-from-behind, 28-26 win at Poinciana.

“We need a better effort, four quarters, from everyone,” he said. “We need a win so bad because we’ve got a real tough stretch later on and our guys need confidence to go into that.”

Timpson didn’t mean to talk in cliches about Friday’s game at Gateway, but he said the one about, “the team making the fewest mistakes will win,” applies.

“They are a very similar team to us and we do a lot of the same things, so it should be a good game,” he said. “Gateway’s a scrappy bunch, we have to match that intensity to stop what they do.”

Neither coach reported any injuries. Gateway leads the all-time series, 10-5.

Celebration also is trying to get off the mat after a tough Kickoff Classic. The defense played well, snaring three interceptions, but the offense showed little consistency in a 12-0 loss to Lake Howell.

“We just couldn’t get everybody on the same page every play,” CHS Coach Ben Aarestad said. “We’ll change up a few things this week and try to fine-tune it a little better. It’s a good scheme, some of our guys just showed they weren’t ready.”

The Storm will play Mountain View, Colo. at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13.

Aarestad said the defense will have to play just as well as it did last week to win on Friday.

“We held (Lake Howell) at a couple of key spots, and Zach Brown could have taken one of the interceptions all the way back but he slipped,” he said. “These guys Friday will be big and physical, they’re an outstanding program. I just hope they have a tough trip from Colorado and we can get them in the humidity.

“If everybody can get going in the right direction every play on offense, we’ll be all right.”