Week 8 of the regular prep season for football in the state of Florida is set to begin this week and we here at the Hernando Sun want to give you all the insight that you can get during the 2021 campaign. We will be periodically running a Top 5 ranking poll of the Hernando County teams. Let’s now take a look at this week 8 regular season Hernando Sun Top 5 Prep Football Poll.
No. 1 Hernando (4-2): It’s been a weird season when it comes to Hernando County football, but the Leopards have navigated their way through everything just fine. The big matchup against Springstead in the Glory Days Burger Bowl was expected to be a close one as it’s always been and it didn’t disappoint when it came down to how tight the game actually was. If you were looking for scoring, you might’ve needed to get in your car and drive elsewhere. The Leopards pulled off the narrow (7-3) win and now have to welcome a very tough Lakeland Kathleen team into town. Ouch.
Up next: Kathleen
Pick: Kathleen
No. 2 Nature Coast (4-2): No team faces a tougher district than what Nature Coast has to go through when it comes to Class 5A, District 9. The Sharks had a hiccup when they faced Wesley Chapel and now they face a Hudson team fuming after a (51-14) blowout loss to Trinity Mitchell. The Sharks’ team certainly has the talent to compete with most teams in the area, but untimely penalties and turnovers have really hindered this club and the chances of being a great team. The chance to turn around the season is right in front of them and beating Hudson would put the Sharks right back in the driver’s seat.
Up next: at Hudson
Pick: Hudson
No. 3 Springstead (4-3): When you lose a highly competitive game as Springstead did to Hernando, you can’t help but wonder if the offensive woes that plagued the team last year are starting to creep up again. The Eagles’ defense has been lights out against most teams, but the offense has started to slip a bit. They scored just three points against Hernando, who does have a good defense, and that won’t be enough to beat most teams. The Eagles will have a chance to bounce back when they face a winless Central this week.
Up next: Central
Pick: Springstead
No. 4 Weeki Wachee (0-6): There are no “gimmes ” on Weeki Wachee’s schedule and the last four games will be challenging to say the least when talking about the Hornets trying to pick up their first win. They will host Wesley Chapel and then Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek before finishing off with Nature Coast and Belleview. That’s a tough stretch of games for any team, especially one that’s going through a winless campaign. Maybe Head Coach Chris Cook has some tricks up his sleeve to pull off the upset?
Up next: Wesley Chapel
Pick: Wesley Chapel
No. 5 Central (0-7): Not winning a game this season is becoming more and more of a realistic possibility unfortunately for the Central Bears, but Head Coach Jim Pusateri’s group isn’t giving up whatsoever. The Bears have had a tough time as of late putting points on the board and that was evident in the latest loss to New Port Richey Gulf. The Bears lost (32-0) and yielded over 400 yards of offense versus Gulf. Things don’t get easier this week when they face a Springstead club itching to score some points.
Up next: at Springstead
Pick: Springstead
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
