On Thursday, Justin Worden and his coaches will enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. On Friday, they hope to celebrate the biggest win in county history. Less than two years removed for his hiring as Nature Coast’s head football coach, Worden leads the Sharks into the Class 5A, Region II final at Green Cove Springs-Clay, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. At 12-0, already owning the county record for victories, Nature Coast has a chance to become the first Hernando County squad to ever reach the state semifinals. That’s not bad for a team that went 4-6 two seasons ago and hadn’t advanced to the playoffs since 2009. Moreover, when Worden arrived it was part of the first near complete coaching overhaul in the program’s history.
“Once everyone bought in on the coaching staff, it was a matter of how quick and fully the kids will buy into what you’re doing,” Worden said. “For us to do it in two years, I feel like that’s impressive. You don’t usually see the buy-in as quickly as we have. “You talk to other coaches, in Year 3 or 4 is when you have big years because that’s when everybody has bought in. I think it’s a credit to the kids.” Not that Worden and his four assistants – Dustin Adkins, Justin Early, Rudy Story and Kyle Worden – had to start from scratch. Counting Tommy Keeler, who was head coach in Nature Coast’s inaugural JV-only season of 2003, the Sharks endured four head coaching changes prior to Worden. However, the staff as a whole stayed mostly intact.
Under the guidance of those coaches, the Sharks quickly rose to prominence, winning their first district championship in their third varsity campaign of 2006 and earning a playoff spot over four straight seasons. Nature Coast has had only one losing season over the past 10. After Charles Liggett, the defensive coordinator since 2004, stepped down after a three-year stint as headman in 2013, Story was the only assistant that remained.
“One of the biggest things is the kids had the right mentality that if you run the ball and play defense, you can win football games,” Worden said. “They work hard all summer, which is a credit to the last staff. All we do is set the bar and they try to exceed our expectations. We set the bar ridiculously high last summer and they’ve done everything they can to exceed it. That work ethic is a credit to the last staff.” Some may also say that any coach can look like a genius when he has DeShawn Smith carrying the football. For the senior running back it’s no longer just about his place in county or even state history. Quite simply he’s having one of the finest seasons any high school running back has ever put together.
He has amassed 3,555 rushing yards and 63 total touchdowns this year. Already the state record-holder for touchdowns, he’s five away from the national mark. His yardage also ranks amongst the highest ever.
Certainly, there are things Smith does with the pigskin in his hands attributable to God-given ability. Still, Smith has been the Sharks’ starting tailback for three seasons, rushing for 719 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns as a sophomore before posting 1,498 yards and 15 scores in 2014. While those are assuredly good numbers, his production has jumped exponentially this year. For perspective, over the past two games, both postseason contests, Smith has run for 766 yards and notched 11 touchdowns. “He’s really just running a little more aggressive this year,” Worden said. “He had opportunities last year to extend a run or try to gain a few more yards where he’d go down, and he’s not doing that stuff this year. This year every time he’s got a chance to hit a home run, he’s smashed it. “He trusts what we’re doing. He understood it last year, but this year he’s flat-out trusting it.”
Prior to Smith, Nature Coast had Matt Breida as its featured back. Breida, now a star at Georgia Southern, rushed for 3,012 yards and had 38 touchdowns over his final two prep seasons. The Sharks also had Christian Pellage at left tackle until his graduation and signing with South Carolina last school year. So Nature Coast hasn’t necessarily benefitted from an influx of talent, nor has it suddenly established a more balanced attack. As a team the Sharks have thrown for only 564 yards and five touchdowns, including one by Smith, who often takes the snaps out of a “Wildcat” formation.
While the offensive style hasn’t changed, there have been schematic alterations. A big key has been putting the quarterback in the shotgun. Sometimes it’s Smith, or his backup Willie Coffey or true quarterback Brian Haygood. Regardless, it has resulted in prime running opportunities. Coffey and Haygood have combined for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Bottom line, while Smith has impacted games at a level not often seen in these parts or anywhere else, there’s evidence to suggest that his teammates and coaches have also made significant contributions.
Now the team will be tested by a long road trip and Clay running back Bilal Ally, a senior who set a state playoff record with 496 rushing yards in last week’s 65-58 win against Citra-North Marion. “They run a lot of stuff similar to how we run it. We’ve been able to give the defense a good look,” Worden said. “They’ve got their own version of DeShawn Smith. We’re going to have our hands full.”
