By Andy Villamarzo
Hernando Sun sports writer
Week 7 of the regular season for prep football in the state of Florida is set to begin this week and we here at the Hernando Sun want to give you the Hernando County reader all the insight you can get during the 2021 campaign. We will be doing a periodic Top 5 ranking poll of the five teams within Hernando County. We now take a look at the Hernando Sun Top 5 Prep Football Poll heading into Week 7 of the regular season.
No. 1 Hernando (3-2): The Leopards have been kinda a weird team this year. They opened with a 43-2 loss to Zephyrhills and then reel off three straight wins, including a big one over rival Nature Coast. But then this past Friday ended up losing 42-15 to The Villages. We are not saying the Buffaloes are not a good team. They are a good team, but the Leopards are as well or so we think. This week they have Springstead in the Glory Days Burger Bowl game and that should be another tough task.
Up next: at Springstead
Pick: Hernando
No. 2 Nature Coast (4-2): Well, well, well. The Sharks started off the season with four straight wins, ranging from impressive to bordering letdown and then the last two weeks have come and brought down the Sharks to ground level. Losses to rival Hernando and district foe Wesley Chapel now have the Sharks in must-win mode the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs. They still have games against Zephyrhills and Hudson, who are both currently undefeated. Yikes.
Up next: No game this week
Pick: N/A
No. 3 Springstead (4-2): Can’t say the Eagles haven’t improved this season. No matter what happens from this point to the end of the 2021 campaign, Springstead absolutely took a step forward when it comes to last year to this season. The offense has looked more fluid, the defense has played stout. Now though the Eagles are coming off a surprising 41-21 shellacking by Belleview, that doesn’t mean Springstead is totally out of the district picture. They still have a big game against Ocala Vanguard coming up. But for now, the focus is on Hernando.
Up next: Hernando
Pick: Hernando
No. 4 Weeki Wachee (0-6): The Hornets are currently winless and none of that has the bright prospects of changing in the final four games of the season. The rest of the slate for the Hornets is Wesley Chapel, Cypress Creek, Nature Coast, and Belleview. That’s a tough final four for any team, including Chris Cook’s bunch. Weeki Wachee has played inspired football but not well enough to pick up a win. It would’ve been nice to seeWeeki Wachee and Central play this season.
Up next: No game this week
Pick: N/A
No. 5 Central (0-6): This game against New Port Richey Gulf on Friday might be the Bears’ best chance of winning a game all season long so all hands on deck for this one. The other three games are against Umatilla, Springstead, and Citrus, who all are better than Gulf per state rankings. Now the Bears will need to pull out every trick in the book when it comes to beating the Buccaneers, who are looking to win two games in a row for the first time since 2014.
Up next: At home versus Gulf
Pick: Gulf
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
