(Brooksville)- It has taken a full five seasons, but Hernando is finally back in the postseason.
The last time the Leopards qualified for the FHSAA state playoffs was in 2012 under then coach Dwayne Mobley. The end result ended up being Hernando being ousted in the opening round 60-3 by Gainesville. Hernando isn’t looking to have a similar result occur when they welcome Green Cove Springs Clay into town Friday night for a Class 5A, Region 2 quarterfinal matchup.
Leopards coach Bill Vonada admits that his team hasn’t seen anyone quite like Clay this season and his club will have to play a perfect game if they want to upend the Blue Devils at home.
“They’re a very good quality program,” Vonada said. “They lost to Baker County by a touchdown and it was a very close game. Clay has been over the past four or five years has been a quality opponent. They’re a great program and a lot of quality athletes. We are going to have to play our best game of the year.”
Controlling time of possession could be the key for Hernando if they want to slow down Clay’s fast moving offense. The Blue Devils are currently averaging 291 yards rushing, led by 223-pound tailback Aundre Carter. Carter has rushed for 1,613 yards and scored 16 touchdowns this season.
Clay doesn’t just get it done on the ground, however, as it’s quarterback has gotten the job done, too. Senior Caleb Eason has thrown for 1,418 yards, 24 touchdowns to just one interception on the season. Vonada knows slowing down the game and playing in front of the home crowd are a couple advantages for the Leopards if they can gain some momentum.
“We think if we’re healthy and we can move the ball on offense, we can eat the clock up,” Vonada said. “We’re looking to contain their athletes on the edges.”
“I think we would much certainly rather be playing at home than getting on a bus and traveling. This is an old thing for (Clay). We pretty much knew Friday night who we were matching up with. It was completely set for us by Friday. That’s always the plan coming in is making the playoffs and winning a district title. Now we’ve got to put our best foot forward.”
Hernando has seen its slew of different opponents throughout the regular season, from facing local rival Nature Coast Technical to seeing neighboring Seven Rivers Christian and Fivay to the south in Pasco County. Though the Leopards have faced teams from three different counties this 2017 season, they haven’t faced a juggernaut like Clay. It will take a total team effort to stop one of the Jacksonville area’s top offenses from getting going.
“It’s gonna have to be a total team effort without a doubt,” Vonada added. “They’re very multi-faceted on offense. We’ve got to be able to sustain drives. I don’t know that there’s anyone that we’ve played that they’re similar to. They’re a lot faster and more physical than anyone we’ve seen this season. We’ve gotten plenty of input from coaches that have played them this entire season. A team like Clay doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses.”
Class 5A, Region 2 Quarterfinal
Clay High School at Hernando High School
7:30 p.m. kickoff
700 Bell Ave.
Brooksville, FL 34601