During Friday night's season-opening game, Cypress Bay coach Mark Guandolo and his special teams unit noticed a hole in Dillard's punting unit.

The Lightning routinely rushed punter Junior Fredrick to no avail through three quarters.

Then, clinging to just a one-point lead, Cypress Bay linebacker Phil Walker Jr. burst through the line, blocked Fredrick's punt and watched teammate Josh Smith scoop up the loose ball and run 23 yards into the end zone.

After another Dillard miscue, the host Lightning added another late score to secure a 38-23 victory.

''That was big,'' Guandolo said of the blocked punt. ``We needed some momentum. It was a hard, tough fight. I think that helped us get over the hump.''

Dillard coach Keith Franklin said his team ''only had 10 guys on the field'' on the punt and Cypress Bay ``took advantage of it.''

Walker said the Lightning routinely practices the play.

''We have a period where we do special teams punt block,'' he said. ``We watch film together, all of us. We watched the film, we [saw] where they were sitting, we [saw] where the gaps [were]. We just got in there, got a great block, got a great rush. That changed the momentum of the game.''

The special teams miscue was part of a disastrous minute for Dillard. On the Panthers' next possession, quarterback Craig Weaver was sacked, and the ball was knocked loose.

Walker recovered the fumble, and Craig Dee scored on an 18-yard run on the next play to give the Lightning (1-0) a 15-point lead.

''They just played hard over there,'' Franklin said. ``Coach G does a good job. They just played hard. We'll be all right.''

Cypress Bay struck on the first play after Austin Gamble recovered a fumble by Ward on the Panthers' opening series when Green found McCabe in the left flat for a 30-yard touchdown.

The Panthers answered on their next drive. Ward gained 48 yards on his first carry after the fumble, and Dillard scored three plays later. Otis Wright took the handoff, burst through the left side of the line and fumbled. Receiver Marlon Gillis scooped up the loose ball and dove across the goal line. Joshua Shannon scored on a two-point conversion to give the Panthers a 8-7 lead.

Cypress bay recaptured the lead early in the second quarter when linebacker/fullback Shane Gordon scored on a 5-yard run up the middle. The Lightning added to its lead with 5:05 to play in the first half when Green again connected with McCabe for a touchdown, this time from 36 yards out.

The Panthers cut the deficit to six with 12 seconds remaining when Ward -- who lost 2 yards on two runs from the 5, scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Craig Weaver on third-and-goal.

Ward finished the first half with 95 yards rushing on 15 carries.

''I didn't think we played hard enough and disciplined,'' Guandolo said. ``I don't think we tackled well the first half. The second half, we came out, coach Dutton made some adjustments, and they played much better in the second half.''

• Pine Crest 58, Pope John Paul 20: Traveon Henry rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns for Pine Crest (1-0). Henry caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Nick Becker and returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, and teammate Lawrence Taylor had two interceptions , returning one 19 yards for a touchdown.

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