Armwood Football: Hawks Face Sickles Gryphons at Lyle Flagg Field

The Armwood Hawks, following last week's come-from-behind win against  Jefferson (35-21), take to the field tonight, Oct. 5, at home against the Sickles High School Gryphons. (Meanwhile, the Brandon Eagles travel to Newsome.)

Armwood faces the Gryphons (1-0 in league play, 3-1 overall), ranked nationally and in the state at 1,319 and 101, respectively, according to MaxPreps.com.

Sickles beat Brandon (37-14) on Sept. 28, King (42-12) on Sept. 21 and Steinbrenner (34-10) on Aug. 31. The Gryphons lost to Wharton (27-29) on Sept. 7.

Meanwhile, the Hawks (4-1 overall. 2-0 in league play) are ranked 145 in the nation and 12 in the state, according to MaxPreps.com. The Hawks this season beat Brandon, Tampa Bay Tech, Leto and Jefferson; they lost to the American Heritage (Plantation) Stallions (see chart below).

The Oct. 5 contest kicks off at 7:30 p.m., at 12000 East U.S. Highway 92 in Seffner.

Going into tonight's game, the Hawks in 2012 have amassed 232 points, including 28 in its Sept. 7 loss to the Stallions (28-36). The Hawks shut out the Leto Falcons (49-0) on Sept. 21, the Tampa Bay Tech Titans (30-0) on Sept. 14 and the Brandon Eagles (55-0) on Sept. 1. The Hawks scored a two-quarter preseason victory (35-0) against Gibbs on Aug. 31.

That game was held to two quarters because rain-soaked fields caused two games to be played at the Lyle Flagg Field in one night. In the first game that night, Tampa Bay Tech defeated Jefferson (27-7).

The Leto win for Sean Callahan marked his 200th victory as head coach of the Armwood High School football team. As noted in a Tampa Bay Times report, the "milestone victory comes on technical terms rather than official." The Florida High School Athletic Association in June held the program accountable for using ineligible players and then stripped the team of its 2011 Class 6A state championship. The Hawks' 2010 state runner-up status was negated as well.

According to a Forbes sports & leisure report, the school had to "send back the trophies associated with those appearances" and the FHSAA "also fine the school $12,743, and made it forfeit 26 wins."

The Hillsborough County School Board on Sept. 11 officially adopted a new policy affecting student-athletes who transfer to new schools. (See, Armwood Sanctions Lead to New Hillsborough Student-Athlete Policy.)

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RELATED COVERAGE:

• Armwood Blasts Back Against Jefferson for Conference Win
• Armwood Shuts Out Leto for Callahan's Milestone 200th Victory
• Callahan in Huddle Tells Hawks To Learn From Loss to Stallions (Video)

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ARMWOOD HAWKS 2012 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE / SCORES

Date Opponent Field Score / Time Sept. 1 Brandon  Armwood  Win (55-0) Sept. 7 American Heritage Armwood  Loss (36-28) Sept. 14 Tampa Bay Tech TBT Win (30-0) Sept. 21 Leto Leto Win (49-0) Sept. 28 Jefferson Armwood  Win (35-21) Oct. 5 Sickles Armwood  7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 Strawberry Crest S. Crest 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 Hillsborough  Hillsborough  7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 Plant Plant 7:30 p.m. (Armwood in two-quarter preseason play beat Gibbs (35-0).