SPRING HILL – T.J. Owens couldn’t deny that Friday’s game had a little extra meaning. He was returning to the field he had previously called home throughout his prep career, but in the opponent’s uniform.
The senior running back produced a standout performance for Nature Coast as it paid a visit to county-rival Springstead, rushing 21 times for 169 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a 28-7 victory.
“I was excited, cause this is my old team. I had to show off. I had to make sure the team came out and just have fun, play ball,” Owens said. “Yeah I had to, I played with a chip (on his shoulder). I was mad. They treated me pretty bad last year.
“It’s our county rival. We want to win. We’re trying to be county champs.”
For most of the first half, the two run-oriented offenses exchanged grinding drives that produced little on the scoreboard.
The Sharks (2-0) did find the end zone on their lengthy first possession, one that lasted 16 plays and covered 77 yards. They were initially headed for a three-and-out when punter Gilbert Delgado, facing an oncoming rush, opted to tuck the ball away, running for seven yards and a first down.
After that play, Owens ran the ball six times for 62 yards before Michael Weston toted the pigskin twice for a combined 16 yards, punctuating the drive with a 5-yard score at the 3:16 mark of the first quarter.
Midway through the second, the Eagles (1-1) tied it up on a 3-yard touchdown by Demetrius Barry, and that score carried into halftime.
A 35-yard scamper to the end zone by Owens put Nature Coast back in front with 2:54 to go in the third, and he added a 3-yarder at the 1:29 mark of the quarter.
He nearly had a third touchdown, bringing the ball down to the Eagles 2-yard line, setting up a quarterback keeper into the end zone by Brian Haygood with 10:09 to play.
The Sharks significantly outgained the Eagles on the ground, 322-121, despite losing offensive guard Jesus Torres early in the game to an apparent knee injury.
“We had a couple people get banged up that we’re going to have to check up on,” Nature Coast head coach Justin Worden said. “So we had some guys that had to step up that weren’t used to having to be in that position. I thought the first half was a little bit of a wash on that and I thought the second half we responded pretty well. I think we did some things with the pace and just what we put in work-wise this summer kind of helped us grind a little bit in that second half.
“I think it was just a mentality thing. We stayed after them on blocks a little better. I think our backs ran a lot harder. I think first half they were playing fired up and I think our kids were a little shell-shocked maybe because they didn’t expect to be in a ballgame like that. And then once we settled in and we got a few adjustments made, I think we really played well. We started playing physical and I think we can play physical with anybody.”
Last season, Owens ran for 409 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns for Springstead, and added three more receiving scores.
“He’s been like a wildfire all week in practice and it’s spread to the rest of the kids. He’s done a great job with his enthusiasm, his willingness to prepare,” Worden said. “Any time you get a kid come over, all you hear is negative. Coach ain’t going tell you the positive stuff about a kid. The community is going to say stuff. But you don’t want to lose a kid.
“So we definitely heard some dings on his character per se, but he’s been stellar for us. Every bit of summer, all fall. He works hard. When he’s here, he’s one of the hardest workers we’ve got. He’s a football-smart guy. He’s surprisingly football smart, I thought. He fits in with what we’ve got and his mentality fits in with ours.”
Transferring across the county, Owens became one the primary replacements for graduated DeShawn Smith, who led the nation in rushing and scoring for Nature Coast in 2015. Owens had a modest five carries for 46 yards in the season opener against Bradenton-Southeast two weeks ago, though he did tally one touchdown.
“I think he’s got that stick a foot in the ground and go that DeShawn had a little bit,” Worden said. “He’s a different runner for sure, but I think his acceleration adds another level to what we do offensively.”
So far, Owens seems to be making a smooth transition to his new school and team, and credited offseason work for his current success.
“I came to Nature Coast and put in that work,” Owens said. “Springstead, they said I was lazy and all that. When I came to the Coast, I had to up the level. I’m a senior, it’s my last year. I had to do what I could.
“I like them (at Nature Coast). They’re my family. They made me like football even more. I liked it, but I like it even more now.”
Springstead quarterback Jordan Wright absorbed a hard hit from behind while scrambling in the final minute, and lay on the sideline with several people huddled around him for a long time even after the game ended. Head coach Mike Garofano felt the senior would be all right, but said precautions were taken in case of a head injury.
“We just wore down in the second half,” Garofano said. “They wore us down. Their offensive line wore our defensive line down and their D-line just overpowered our O-line.
“We’ll watch the film, we’ll evaluate, and we’ll see where we need to correct and where we need to get better.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.