As the prep football season approaches the stretch run, the Class 5A, District 7 postseason picture continued to gain some clarity Friday night. Nature Coast hosted Lecanto in a meeting of the last two unbeaten teams in district play, and maintained its perfect overall slate with a 43-24 victory. Though they did not officially clinch their first playoff berth since 2009, the Sharks (7-0 overall, 4-0 5A-7) can lock up the district championship with a win over Citrus this coming Friday. “It’s (the playoffs) like right in our face,” running back DeShawn Smith said. “It’s like right there. We’re going to get there. We want it bad. We’re hungry.”
Once again, the 5-foot-8 Smith was a statistical giant for Nature Coast. On this night the senior carried the ball 23 times for 318 yards and scored five touchdowns, four on the ground and one on a 65-yard screen pass. Incredibly, such performances have become commonplace for Smith this year. It’s the third time he surpassed the 300-yard mark, and that doesn’t count his 296 yards against Springstead. He has scored no less than three times in any game, and this was the fourth time he has had at least five touchdowns.
In total, he has rushed for 1,903 yards and 32 touchdowns, with an additional two receiving scores. That’s with three games still remaining on the schedule, and at least a fourth barring a stunning collapse by the Sharks. “Credit to him. Last week he ran for 186, it’s not concerning to him,” Nature Coast head coach Justin Worden said. He continued, “He’s worried about winning. And if winning means he’s scoring 13 times, he’s going to score 13 times. If winning means he scores once and everyone else scores 13 times, he’s cool with that… We’ve got goals we laid out from day one, and playoffs and winning the first playoff game in school history is there. And that’s something that we’re slowly starting to put within our reach. So that’s what we’re really working toward.”
Considering the final three teams the Sharks will face – Citrus, Hernando and Groveland-South Lake – have four wins combined, the odds are strong that Nature Coast will finish with a 10-0 regular season. While strength of schedule has been a major question mark, Worden has stressed to his team that it can only deal with the opponent at hand. “We can kind of smell it. We’re not tasting it yet,” Worden said of the postseason. “We’re trying to hammer away the next nail and the next nail’s going to be Citrus.”
Had Hernando lost at Weeki Wachee on Friday, the Sharks would have already clinched a playoff spot. Instead the Leopards kept their own postseason hopes alive while delivering a serious blow to the Hornets’ chances, coming up with a 31-21 triumph. Christian Dowdell, David Hale Bronson and Jacob Valentino all ran for a touchdown for Hernando (2-6 overall, 2-2 5A-7), and Tyler Quigley caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Scott Bierwiler on the final play of the first half.
Weeki Wachee (3-4 overall, 2-2 5A-7) scored on a trio of Alec Cromie touchdown passes, and now faces a must-win contest at Lecanto (5-2 overall, 3-1 5A-7) this week.
Central may be out of the district race, but still managed to shake things up with a 27-14 win over Crystal River. Junior De’Vonta Smith ran for 259 yards on 35 carries, and scored four times. The Bears’ (3-5 overall, 1-4 5A-7) Smith has 1,762 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing this year. Meanwhile Central already has its highest win total since 2008.
Springstead built a 15-0 lead but ultimately lost at home to Land O’ Lakes, 19-17. The Eagles are now 1-5 overall, 0-3 in 6A-6.
While neither Weeki Wachee nor Hernando played volleyball this past week in preparation for the 5A-7 Tournament starting Monday at the Lady Hornets’ gym, Springstead recorded a pair of wins to close out the regular season.
The Lady Eagles (11-9) defeated Bishop McLaughlin on Tuesday, 25-11, 25-15, 25-15. Jennifer Aten had nine kills and three aces. Celeste Veenstra added four aces.
On Wednesday, Springstead beat Central, 25-11, 25-21, 25-17. Veenstra and Jordan McIntyre notched 10 kills apiece. Veenstra also had five aces, while McIntyre and Alexis Sunderland each had four.
Nature Coast won a pair of 2A-13 golf championships on Monday, as both the boys and girls claimed first-place honors. The Lady Sharks were led by individual champ Skylar Muscianese, with the sophomore shooting 45-41—86 at Hernando Oaks Golf and Country Club. Alexis Dross added a 98, Haley Neuhausen a 104 and Dawn Posey a 113.
With a team score of 401, Nature Coast bested Fivay (516) and Hernando (524), though all three advanced to regionals this Tuesday at Heritage Springs Country Club in Trinity. Weeki Wachee’s Jasmine O’Connell (109), Lexus Raghunanadan (142) and Robin Riecss (145) also qualified as individuals. “We worked for this moment right here,” Nature Coast girls golf coach Dave Pisarcik said. “Regular season counts and we’re excited about winning those matches, but we want to show up and win the big tournaments. I’m really proud of how hard the girls worked and they knew the big picture. They wanted to win this one.”
Nature Coast’s boys scored 342 at Silverthorn Country Club, ahead of Hernando (389) and Springstead (392). Those three teams will play in Monday’s regional tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club in Wesley Chapel. Sophomore Tyler Bismarck shot the district’s lowest individual score, a 42-39—81 for the Sharks. Teammate Mickey Dono had a 42-40—82. Glenn Richard chipped in a 43-46—89 and Eric Forrest had a 47-43—90. “A lot of consistency. We played really well. Obviously it was our home course, so that helped out,” Nature Coast boys golf coach Tom Brown said. “Hit a lot of greens, and every one of my players played well.” Central’s Austin McKinney (42-43—85) and Weeki Wachee’s Jeff Misener (50-55—105) qualified for regionals, as well.
Hernando sophomore Trevor Foley ran a 15:56.79 on Thursday at McKethan Lake Park to win the Hernando-Citrus Classic for Cross Country. The Leopards (48) finished second to Lecanto (40).
Central senior Kylyn Burbine ran the fastest time for the county girls, a fourth-place 21:38.01. Nature Coast finished fourth with a 83, the top performance among Hernando County squads.
