Tate riding high into playoffs raw get off

After last week's win against Milton, the Aggies secured a playoff berth.


On Friday night, after beating a tough Mosley team, 31-25, Tate coach Ed Rigby felt as if they just played in one.

"This game couldn't have been any more nerve-wracking, that's for sure," said Rigby. "We knew they were good with that power running game, we expected a tough fight."

The Dolphins' running attack was exactly what Rigby had anticipated. Mosley running back Triston McCathern carried the Dolphins' offense scoring all three of their touch downs (two rushing, one receiving). McCathern ran for 107 yards on just 11 carries but made a crucial fumble before halftime that swung the momentum in Tate's favor.

After Tate quarterback Edwin Richburg hooked up with running back Luchez Purifoy for a 62-yard touchdown to give the Aggies a 21-17 lead, McCathern fumbled on Tate's 39 yard line. Four plays later Purifoy punched in his second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run as time expired to give the Aggies a 28-17 halftime lead.

After giving up 17 points in the first half, Tate's defense has done what it has done all year, bend but not break.

Giving up a touchdown after Mosley recovered an on side kick to begin the second half, the Aggies did not give up another point and took the Dolphins out of their running game plan.

"We came out strong the first two quarters," said Richburg, who spread the ball to eight receivers in the game. "In the second half, we knew they were going to be fired up, but we expected that, and we came out fired up too."

Tate's junior quarterback has found his rhythm the past two weeks and has the Aggies' offense on a roll going into next weeks playoff match against the No. 1 seed in District 2-4A Fort Walton Beach.

Richburg, after throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns in the playoff clinching game against Milton, went 11 for 20 with 195 yards passing with a touchdown Friday night. He also showed off his scrambling abilities, running for 81 yards on nine carries and a touchdown.

More impressive than the yards and the touchdowns, is the zero turnovers Richburg had. With Mosley blitzing linebackers and bringing pressure the entire night, Richburg looked calm and made plays when Tate needed it.

He knows the mental mistakes are a big reason why Tate (4-6) lost close games earlier in the year.

"Our confidence is real good right now (after winning two in a row)," Richburg said. "We feel like nobody can beat us unless we (beat) ourselves."

Rigby couldn't have asked for a better way to go into the postseason.

"We could have layed down after the Catholic loss, after Gulf Breeze, after Pine Forest and on down the line," said Rigby. "But the one thing about these kids is they kept showing up.

"They got themselves a home coming win against a quality opponent and they got themselves in the playoffs for the first time in seven years."

Tate 31, Lynn Haven Mosley 25

FIRST QUARTER

Mosely 7 10 8 0—25

Tate 7 21 0 3—31

M—Triston McCathern 17 run (Trevor Hiller) 5:22

T—Edwin Richburg 44 run (Blake Cicheskie kick), 3:16

SECOND QUARTER

T—Q Ford 2 run (Cicheskie kick) 11:56

M—Triston McCathern 1 run (Graham Ball kick) 9:14

M—Trevor Hiller 25 FG 3:27

T—Luchez Purifoy 63 pass from Edwin Richburg (Cicheskie kick) 21:17

T—Purifoy 1 run (Cicheskie kick) 0:00

THIRD QUARTER

M- McCathern 10 pass from Chase Graves (McCathern run) 9:14

FOURTH QUARTER

T—Cicheskie 36 FG 6:42