Friday started with a major award ceremony on the Nature Coast Technical campus and ended with a pair of victories over county rivals. Senior running back DeShawn Smith, having led the nation with 3,715 rushing yards and a state-record 66 touchdowns, was named Florida’s Mr. Florida earlier in the week, and presented with a trophy commemorating the honor by the Florida Dairy Farmers on Friday morning. Smith, nominated for the award by virtue of being named Class 5A Player of the Year, received 15 of 21 first-place votes and 188 points overall from a panel of coaches and media members from around the state.
“It felt pretty good,” said Smith, the first player from Hernando County to ever receive this award that was initially given out in 1992. “I didn’t know all the big-time players who had won that award. It’s pretty crazy. Words can’t describe how I was feeling. “It meant a lot. I didn’t know I could win an award. I was just playing ball.”
On Friday evening, the Nature Coast boys basketball team bounced Springstead, 64-52, while over at the football stadium the boys soccer squad dusted Central, 8-0.
High School Basketball
In boys hoops, the Sharks improved to 9-1 overall and 5-0 against the other county schools. Kaine McColley paced the team with 24 points, while Nick Crima had 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Austin Rivera scored 16 points with four made 3-pointers. Michael Flores had 16 points for the Eagles (4-4).
“Getting Jamison (Carnegie) back, we’re trying to find our identity right now because he’s back on the floor,” said Nature Coast head coach Dave Pisarcik, referring to his senior guard who recently returned from a hand injury. “Jamison’s been with us for three years on varsity. He’s a great defender, he’s a point guard for us.
“We’re just trying to get acclimated to having, not a different point guard, but a new face out there bringing the ball up for us. [Because] usually in the beginning it was Crima, Crima, Crima. Now I’m thinking, if Jamison can take some of the ball-handling load off, Crima can get some more open shots.”
Also, the Nature Coast girls basketball team had a good week, avenging a couple of losses to two county rivals earlier in the season by beating Weeki Wachee on Tuesday, 50-36, and Springstead on Thursday, 52-42.
For the Lady Sharks (4-8), freshman Kayla Langley tallied 13 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks and two steals versus the Lady Eagles. Springstead (9-3) was led by Reagan Huden with 15 points and three steals.
Weeki Wachee, enjoying by far its best season to date, bounced back to earn its first-ever victory over Hernando on Friday, 32-27. The Lady Hornets are now 9-7, though only 3-6 in 5A-7.
Hernando Christian Academy improved to 9-2 behind a Monday win over Ocala-St. John Lutheran, 35-19, and aThursday triumph against Clearwater-Lakeside Christian, 47-18. The Lady Lions are also 4-0 in 2A-4 action.
Cayla Phillips posted 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals in the first game, while Milly Jackson pulled down 10 rebounds to go with seven steals. Mary Jackson notched 16 points and five steals in the second contest, and Milly Jackson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 boards plus five steals.
Hernando (5-7 overall, 3-5 5A-7) also lost to Crystal River on Tuesday, 48-39, despite 18 points and 12 rebounds from Taylor Neblock, plus 10 rebounds, four steals and three blocks from Ali Bronson.
The Hernando boys lost at Crystal River on Tuesday, 51-50, with Joel Wilson scoring 25 points and Donta Manuel adding 14 to go with eight rebounds and two blocks. On Friday, the Leopards (5-4 overall, 5-3 5A-7) rebounded with a 57-25 win over Weeki Wachee.
Central (8-4 overall, 4-3 5A-7) endured an 0-3 week, with losses to Citrus on Tuesday, 68-67 in overtime, Wildwood on Wednesday, 63-54, and Crystal River on Friday, 46-43.
High School Soccer
The Sharks moved to 12-2-1 in boys soccer with that win over Central, and 9-2-1 in Class 3A, District 7 when it defeated Wesley Chapel on Wednesday, 5-1.
Central had a better go of it in girls soccer, tying South Sumter on Wednesday, 1-1, and beating Weeki Wachee on Friday, 4-0, to improve to 11-2-3.
Springstead lost at Pasco on Monday, 3-0, but after a Wednesday win over Hernando, 8-1, knocked off the Lady Pirates in a rematch on Friday, 4-3. The Lady Eagles are now 9-4 overall, 9-3 in 3A-7.
Nature Coast (10-8-1 overall, 6-6 3A-7) was shut out by Wesley Chapel on Wednesday, 4-0, and Land O’ Lakes on Friday, 8-0.
A busy week for the Springstead boys (10-7-1 overall, 8-3-1 3A-7) saw them lose to Pasco on Monday, 5-2, beat Hernando on Wednesday, 5-0, and Central on Thursday, 6-1, before falling to Tampa Catholic on Friday, 4-0.
Weeki Wachee (7-4-3 overall, 5-4-3 3A-7) won 2-1 over Wesley Chapel on Monday, with goals by Harry Flanagan and Bailey Hypes, and 2-0 over Central on Wednesday, as Flanagan and Nick Mullen scored, both assisted by Hypes.