Coach of the Week John Davis (second from left) was joined by Countryside assistant coaches Charles Spellman, Mark Feldman and Ray Schroeder as he accepted his award from Buccaneers Head Coach Raheem Morris
The Countryside High Cougars used big plays to thwart East Lake High's tough defense, running their record to 8-1 with a 35-21 road victory and earning their head coach the Buccaneers High School Coach of the Week award…The school will receive $1,000 to apply to their football program
Before the Countryside High School Cougars traveled to East Lake last Friday, Head Coach John Davis prepared his team to face one of the toughest defenses in the area. Davis' groundwork obviously paid off.
Scoring on their first four possessions, the Cougars defeated the host Eagles 35-21, clinching the Class 5A-District 8 title for the first time since 2005. Countryside piled up 367 yards of offense in the first half and capitalized on big plays throughout the game, including runs of 45 and 56 yards and a 60-yard touchdown pass from running back Alton Taylor to wide receiver Todd Shorter. Countryside's defense was stout as well, holding the Eagles to 91 passing yards in the second half. Countryside (8-1) will wrap up the regular season on November 6 when it travels to Largo (7-1) as they gear up for postseason play.
As a result of the big win over East Lake, Davis was named the Tampa Bay Buccaneers High School Coach of the Week for Week Nine of the 2009 season. Along with assistant coaches Mark Feldman, Ray Schroeder and Charles Spellman and Team President John Schroeder, Davis visited One Buccaneer Place Wednesday morning for a tour of the team's training facility and an opportunity to watch the Buccaneers practice. Following the team's morning session, Head Coach Raheem Morris greeted the group and congratulated the Cougars on their impressive victory.
"Coach Davis definitely deserves it, especially with the amount of time he puts in working with the kids," Feldman said. "Coming from a guy who played for him and is now coaching for him, he's definitely deserving of this award."
Along with a signed certificate, Buccaneers hat and personalized football, Davis received $1,000 to be put towards the Cougars' football program.
"It's an honor to come over here and for these guys to take the time for high school athletics is absolutely superb," Davis said following practice. "We're honored to be an award winner and the $1,000 certainly helps our entire program. We'll get some things for our kids that we don't have, so it's just a great experience."
The Buccaneers will honor 10 high school coaches from West Central and Central Florida during this year's prep football season. A Coach of the Year, who receives an additional $1,000 for his football program, will be selected from the ten weekly winners at the end of the season. The Buccaneers and National Football League's Coach of the Week program aids in the development of youth football, which has a positive influence on young athletes and the communities in which they live.
