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Jan 9,
2001 - 06:28 PM Land O' Lakes earns respect LAND O' LAKES - Mark
Pearson has established Land O' Lakes as a soccer power in the state of
Florida. The air bristled with two
screams of a whistle. Shoulders shrugged, heads dropped. The coach made the
slow walk to congratulate his opponent. His face showed fatigue from 80
minutes of prodding his drained squad. Although the temperature
rose from the night before, this
night was much cooler for Land O' Lakes soccer. Mark Pearson's boys had just
been beaten in every facet of the game by Bloomingdale. The Gators left the
field Friday night with a weekend of frustration in the foreground and missed
opportunity behind them. Five years ago, losing
2-0 to the 15th-ranked team in the country would have seen a coach carried
off the field and earned the players a week off from practice. Today, it
brings about renewed determination and harder work. Pearson's program has
come a long way in its fourth season. Land O' Lakes has played
in two consecutive final fours. It has gone 43-8-4 during those seasons. This
year's 16-2-1 mark includes a 3-1 record at the Puma Classic, one of the
nation's most prestigious holiday tournaments. Still, the Gators were just a
good Pasco County team. Thursday night, Land O'
Lakes arrived. Playing Gaither, the nation's third- ranked team in the latest
Fox Sports Fab 50 poll, the Gators overcame a slow start, wearing down the
Cowboys and dominating the final 15 minutes in a 2-1 victory. Beating Gaither on its
field wasn't important because it is ranked in a nationwide poll. It was
because a Pasco County team whipped a Hillsborough County team. Pearson no
longer has a good team. He has a good program. ``A lot of times people
say because we're in Pasco County we don't play good teams, but I think we
proved ourselves over Christmas break, playing teams ranked not only in the
state but the nation,'' Pearson said. ``I think, three or four years into it,
we're garnering respect.'' Entering Monday night's
match at Zephyrhills, Land O' Lakes was 71-20-7 under Pearson. In the decade
prior, the Gators won one district championship. Pearson's looking for his
third consecutive. ``He runs a good
program,'' said Gaither coach Adrian Bush, friends with Pearson for almost 20
years. ``He doesn't have the greatest level of players. He does a very good
job of dealing with the hand he has. Success comes with playing a poor hand
well and he's done that.'' Man for man, the Gators'
talent level is down from a year ago. Pearson's preseason conditioning
program and strict off-the-field guidelines create team unity and work ethic
responsible for continuous success. ``Coach gets us ready for
every match,'' senior midfielder Kyle Crawford said. ``He gets players ready
to play his style of ball. He gets us up for every game.'' For six weeks before they
touched a soccer ball, the Gators went through a conditioning and
weight-training program similar to that of a college team. Pearson, who
helped coach the University of Tampa to the Division II national championship
in 1994, attributes much of the Gators' success to the off-season program. ``There have been a few
games this year when we came out very slowly,'' he said. ``Gaither is a
perfect example. I thought Gaither wore down the other night, especially the
last 10 to 15 minutes.'' Any player receiving an
out-of-school suspension or two in-school suspensions isn't allowed to play a
match the rest of the season. Pearson keeps up with teachers and requires
study hall or tutoring sessions for any player bordering on academic
ineligibility. Players are penalized for being late to or missing practice
without a valid excuse. There's one more rule: No
smack. ``I strictly forbid any
type of trash-talking,'' Pearson said. ``Whether it's before the game, during
the game or after the game. You handle it with respect and classiness after
the game. If they don't, they're dealt with.'' Along with Gaither, the
Gators have beaten state-ranked Jacksonville Bolles, Flagler Palm Coast and
Winter Park. Those wins are nice for recognition, but no more important to
Pearson than beating River Ridge or Gulf. Winning the Class 3A-District 8
title is the team goal from the start. Pearson never stops pointing out you
can't win a state title without first advancing to the district final. ``He's one of the best
coaches I've ever had,'' goalkeeper Greg Kline said. ``He knows what we need
to succeed and gets us to do it. ``He knows exactly what
we need to do to succeed in district and conference. He knows what players to
play at what positions, and which players are ready for varsity.'' Whether the Gators
experience another chilly night in the playoffs, Pearson has proven he knows
how to build a program. ``I think we're being
recognized around the state as a team that needs to be contended with,'' he
said. ``Hopefully, that continues.'' |