![Nature Coast Tech, 2, Timothy “T3” Gaynor breaks lose for a big gain versus visiting Tavares High Friday in Brooksville. Photo by [Joseph DiCristofalo]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_9435-Enhanced-NR.jpg "DSC_9435-Enhanced-NR")
By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.
[email protected]
The football season has reached the postseason stage, and just one round into the FHSAA state playoffs, only one Hernando County team remains standing. Nature Coast advanced to the Sweet 16 on Friday night with a 14-0 victory at Mulberry in a Region 3A-3
quarterfinal.
“This season has really been a rollercoaster for us, but winning a playoff game on the road in a hostile environment definitely makes up for a lot of the low points we’ve battled through,” Nature Coast head coach Robert Kazmier said. “The fact that we shut them out makes it even sweeter.”
It was a grinding, defensive battle for the Sharks (6-5), facing the host Panthers who had scored 54 points the previous week and entered the postseason averaging 32.6 points per game. The Sharks recorded 10 tackles for loss and held them to 20 yards of total offense (15 rushing, five passing).
Sophomore Tyrae Jackson had an interception in the second half and Kazmier credited defensive assistant coaches Charles Liggett and Allyn Williamson for having “those guys ready to go.”
Mulberry enjoyed its best regular season in decades and was playing its first home playoff game in 40 years but experienced turmoil in the days leading into that contest when head coach Brad Metheny was placed on administrative leave.
A 28-yard run by Jasir Harvin set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Hoyt to Grant Lanning to make it 7-0 in the first quarter. That score stood until the fourth quarter when Timothy Gaynor followed Xavier McCullough’s 53-yard run with a 5-yard touchdown rush.
The Sharks managed to pile up 206 yards on the ground, spread out amongst McCullough (61 yards), L.J. Elwin (60), Harvin (60) and Gaynor (25), as well as Hoyt and Cashis Williams. R.J. Jones paced the defensive effort with 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery. Brayden Hogan forced and recovered a fumble, and also blocked a punt.
Nature Coast travels to Sarasota to take on Booker (8-3) this coming Friday for a semifinal matchup. “Overall, we have a lot of young guys making plays and contributing which bodes well for the future,” Kazmier said. “We even have a couple of big freshmen (Pryce Meyer and Sean Bedford) contributing on the offensive line.”
Springstead, the only other county team to reach the playoffs, did not fare so well. The Eagles lost 42-0 at Gaither in a Region 5A-2 quarterfinal on Friday. After beginning the season 8-1, Springstead lost to Gaither on Nov. 7 at Booster Stadium, 34-19, in a game that decided the District 5A-7 title. That set up a rematch eight days later in Tampa and the Eagles had no answers for the Cowboys.
This week also featured National Signing Day on Nov. 13 for sports outside of football and basketball. Two Hernando County athletes signed Division I scholarships. Nature Coast’s Hoyt signed to play baseball at the University of Florida. The senior left-handed pitcher is coming off a junior season in which he went 4-1 with a 0.54 ERA across seven appearances, five of them starts.
In 38.2 innings, he struck out 67 batters while giving up 15 hits and walking 15. He yielded just three earned runs on the season and held opponents to a miniscule .118 batting average. He also had offers from USF, Florida State, Miami, Auburn and Vanderbilt.
![Nature Coast Tech pitcher, Jackson Hoyt pitched six scoreless innings against visiting Hernando High in the 4A District 6 title game. Photo by [Joseph Dicristofalo]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_2975.jpg)
Hernando senior Kaiya Ward signed to play beach volleyball with Eastern Kentucky University. In traditional volleyball, she just led the Leopards to a district title while tallying 350 kills on the season.
On Saturday, the county’s lone cross-country runner to qualify for states took part in the boys 2A race at the FHSAA State Championships held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. The sophomore came in 51st with a time of 17:12.90.
In boys soccer, Springstead improved to 3-0 with a pair of county wins, 8-0 over Weeki Wachee on Nov. 12 and 1-0 against Nature Coast on Nov. 14. Sebastian Franco had three goals against the Hornets and Tyler Siebe had the lone goal versus the Sharks.
The Nature Coast girls moved to 4-1 by defeating Hernando on Nov. 13, 8-0, and Springstead on Nov. 15, 3-1. Giada Chechile tallied four goals and two assists in the win over the Leopards. Peyton Cheze scored two goals against the Eagles.
