Parsons: Florida Tech kept faith, worked for this win

It is just one win but in so many ways it was so much more.

After hearing week after week that they are so close and teams talk about not wanting to play them after a hard-fought win, the Florida Tech football team got over the hump.

And they did it in a big way, defeating the No. 5 team in the country in Delta State on national television. While it was arguably the biggest win in the team’s history, head coach Steve Englehart was not ready to say it Saturday night.

“I don’t know – it was a really good win,” Englehart said. “Every win is a good win, some feel a little better than others and tonight, this one felt good.”

Especially after the team started the season so slow, coming into the game still banged up and 1-3. A lot of teams would start questioning things. Wondering what is happening.

“We worked hard this week and never pointed any fingers. I have seen a lot of teams that start pointing fingers and second guessing everything they are doing,” Englehart said. “That has not happened one time. This team believes in each other and believes in the process. Every week is a new week for them and they worked so hard this week. I told them Friday night I was so proud of the way they have continued to fight back and come back.”

And Saturday night he told them they deserved this win.

Florida Tech upsets No. 5 Delta State

“You got what you deserved. A win,” Englehart said. “You prepared well all week and you fought for the victory. We have to continue to do that all year.”

If they continue to play the way they did Saturday night, they will be celebrating a lot more wins. The Panthers defense held a Delta State offense that averaged 47.5 points to 27 points as the Statesmen scored one touchdown on defense.

Trevor Sand looked much closer to the old Trevor Sand as he works his way back from some injuries, carrying the ball 17 times for 135 yards and the team had two big plays on special teams – Gary Holmes’ 100-yard kickoff return and Josh Denton’s fumble recovery for a touchdown.

There was a lot to feel good about but maybe as much as anything was the fact that the Panthers put themselves in the middle of the Gulf South Conference standings as well.

An 0-2 start would have really made the road tough. Now at 1-1 they have the season ahead of them. It begins Saturday night when a 4-1 West Alabama comes to town.