Not every team in Hernando County was in action in Week 1, as Nature Coast was idle. This week marks one of the biggest games of the season. That’s the Hernando and Nature Coast clash, which always brings the best out of both teams. The Sharks had the edge last year until the Leopards snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Now the two teams meet under slightly different circumstances than in 2021. The rest of the county will also be in action, with Springstead aiming to go 2-0 when they head north to take on Inverness Citrus. Enough of the small talk here, let’s get to the game previews for Week 2 action in Hernando County.
Week 2 game schedule
Hernando (0-1) at Nature Coast (0-0): I mean, it doesn’t get any more intense when it comes to an in-county matchup like this one between the Sharks and the Leopards. Nature Coast head coach Cory Johns goes as far as to hate Hernando’s school colors . The Leopards are heading in with a new head coach in John Scargle. It’s been a tough transition already for Scargle, as the Leopards were shutout in the preseason against Hudson Fivay and shut out last week in a 26-0 loss to Hudson. Watch out for Sharks’ running back Christian Cromer to have a big game.
Springstead (1-0) at Inverness Citrus (1-0): New look offense and lots of points scored. That’s what the Springstead Eagles were able to display last week when they played Tavares and defeated them 51-0. Yeah, a 50-spot is hard to do in any season but especially transitioning to a new offensive philosophy. There’s a myriad of players that have been making plays for the Eagles, but keep an eye on quarterback Ayden Ferguson to make big throws against the Hurricanes. Citrus’ run game was hot last week versus Central, with running back Delonzo Washington breaking off 270 yards on 17 attempts.
Williston (0-0) at Weeki Wachee (0-1): It’s been a learning process for Jon Maladrucco in year No. 1 at Weeki Wachee and figuring out which players would be the ones to step up. Running back Carlito McLaughlin followed up his big preseason performance versus New Port Richey Gulf with a solid 65-yard game in the loss to Citrus. The Hornets are a young squad trying to find its way, with a lot of sophomores dotted along the roster. The Red Devils didn’t play in Week 1, so the game versus the Hornets will be the first of the season.
Lake Weir (0-1) at Central (0-1): Improvement has continued to show in this Central Bears team that had trouble scoring points just over a year ago. That’s something Central head coach Jim Pusateri has worked hard on and though the Bears lost 45-27 to Inverness Citrus last week, the offensive output is a welcomed sight. Now work needs to be done on limiting the total scored by the opposition, and look for the Bears to snap a 24-game losing streak that’s dated back to the 2019 season. Could Friday night be when Central ends ‘The Streak?’
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.
