By Andy Villamarzo
Hernando Sun sports staff writer
Oct. 8, 2020 — All Hernando County teams except for Springstead High School were back on the football field once again last Friday and it was a fast start for most clubs and they never looked back. Nature Coast Technical made quick work of district rival Inverness Citrus in a 50-7 blowout, while Hernando made it look easy again when they rolled past Weeki Wachee 35-0 and Central has had its troubles this season and fell 67-0 against Lecanto. Now we head into the Week 3 portion of the season for Hernando teams, with some enticing matchups on the slate. We bring to you the matchups, the top 5 poll, and the picks to click.
Hernando (2-0) at Nature Coast (2-0): The matchup of the year in Hernando County, as Hernando travels over to face Nature Coast. The Leopards upended the Sharks last year and it could happen again under a resurgence of Hernando. Earl Garcia III makes his debut in this series and his defense has been impressive. Can’t overlook Cory Johns’ crew at all, as the Sharks have only allowed seven points this season. Something has to give, right?
Weeki Wachee (1-1) at Springstead (0-0): Another interesting matchup, as Springstead makes its long-awaited debut when they step onto the field this Friday night. The Eagles face a Hornets club that looks to be on the rise, being very competitive in both games they’ve played. Could an upset be in the making? Stay tuned.
Inverness Citrus (0-2) at Central (0-2): No Hernando County team has had a tougher go of it this 2020 campaign than the Central Bears. The Bears have been out-scored 127-0 and finding ways to produce offense has been very tough, which could be an understatement. They do face a Hurricanes team that hasn’t had a much better season, losing 50-7 last week to Nature Coast.
Top 5 Poll
1. Nature Coast (2-0): Two games, two blowouts. Same can be said for their adversaries over at Hernando, but we very much expected Nature Coast to be a powerhouse again this season.
2. Hernando (2-0): Two games, two dominant performances for the Leopards. Now comes the test for Earl Garcia III’s program when they take on the vaunted Sharks. Are they ready for the test?
3. Weeki Wachee (1-1): Can’t say this Hornets team doesn’t play until the very end because that would be an incorrect statement. Weeki Wachee plays hard and should be much more competitive against Springstead.
4. Springstead (0-0): The Eagles have yet to play a game this season and the Hornets are playing some good football. Is there a recipe for a possible upset? We will see if the Eagles can come out firing in game No. 1.
5. Central (0-2): It’s been beyond tough for the Bears in their first couple of games. They have been outscored 127-0 this season and it doesn’t get any easier when they face Inverness Citrus.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
