Sports Notebook: Short-handed Sharks Fall to Booker in Sweet 16

The last thing the Sharks needed was to be without their quarterback and a few other offensive playmakers in visiting Booker for a Region 3A-3 semifinal. Yet that was the situation they faced in what ultimately was a season-ending 43-7 loss.

“We had some really long, time-consuming drives,” Nature Coast head coach Robert Kazmier said. “We wanted to go in and control the ball because they’re very explosive and very athletic. Obviously if you look at their last few games, the amount of points they put up.

“They put up 58 last game in the first round of the playoffs. And their previous two opponents, they put 83 and 85 on. In their last three games, they had scored over 210 points. Obviously, they’re clicking on all cylinders.”

The Sharks (6-6) had the distinction of being the only Hernando County team to reach the second round of postseason play, but they weren’t exactly the same squad as in previous weeks. Quarterback Jackson Hoyt sat out due to a hip injury.

Hoyt, a senior, had completed 89 of 156 passes for 1,586 yards this season, with 15 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher with 594 yards to go with running in four touchdowns.

Prior to Friday’s action, Hoyt had taken every snap this year, which was important considering that his backup, Leo Baltyk, tore his ACL in an August practice before the season began. That forced junior Cashis Williams into emergency duty against Booker, and he completed 6 of 10 passes for 56 yards and also ran 10 times for 57 yards.

Additionally absent was leading rusher Jasir Harvin, who ran for 595 yards and nine touchdowns this season thanks to an injured ankle. Senior Jacorrian Owens, the team’s top receiver with 21 catches for 495 yards and five touchdowns, wasn’t feeling well and didn’t play either, Kazmier said.

“Well, it kind of simplified the game plan,” Kazmier said. “They’re very big and very athletic. They have a great combination of talent. They got a bunch of transfers. They had some issues early in the season that led to a couple losses. Their defense is very fast, so running the ball was probably the best bet for us anyway.”

Senior L.J. Elwin accounted for the only scoring for Nature Coast on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He finished with 14 carries for 66 yards, while Tim Gaynor had 12 carries for 64 yards.
Kazmier also praised the defense, led by a strong effort from freshman outside linebacker Rodney Jones, and an offensive line featuring two freshmen.

“We only started three seniors against a team that’s absolutely loaded with 21 seniors and a handful of D-I guys,” Kazmier said. “It was definitely an encouraging performance. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted.
“We drove down two other times and got right on the doorstep, inside the 10 (yard line) once and then we had a negative play that backed us up. Another time we got down there around the 20 and tried for a field goal but missed. If we finish those two drives, you’re looking at a 21-17, 21-21 game possibly late in the third quarter.”

This marked the official end of the fall sports season in Hernando County, as winter sports are just starting to get into full swing.

In the opening week for boys basketball, Hernando went 2-1, including a 61-46 victory over Weeki Wachee on Friday. Senior Sam Jackson led the Leopards with 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Idris Abudl had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Blake Williams added 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

Central is also 2-1 with close wins over Spring Hill Christian (48-46) on Nov. 18 and Crystal River (61-60) on Friday. Springstead is 1-1 after winning at Citrus on Friday, 51-45, behind 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals from Zion McKenzie.

The Springstead girls got off to a 2-1 start thanks to back-to-back victories against Citrus County foes, first winning at Crystal River on Thursday (53-24) and beating Citrus on Friday (57-15). Freshman Ariana Willoughby had 16 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals against the Pirates.

Junior J’Ziyah Munford tallied 12 points, four assists and four steals versus the Hurricanes. Also in that game, Michelle Ramirez-Hoyos had 11 points and three steals, Addisson Osborne added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Willoughby chipped eight points, five rebounds and eight assists.

Springstead had a good week in girls soccer, as well, going 3-0 to improve to 4-2 overall with wins over Belleview on Nov. 18 (6-2), Crystal River on Nov. 19 (2-1) and Citrus on Friday (3-0). Lily Isaken had two goals and an assist against Belleview, while Chrisandra Rogers and Gianna Bryan had the two goals versus Crystal River.

Nature Coast’s girls moved to 6-1 on the season with victories over Citrus on Nov. 19 (1-0) and at Crystal River on Friday (8-0). Hayden Bleser scored four goals against the Pirates and added an assist, and Giada Chechile had two goals and three assists in that one. Kennedy Rasmussen has allowed just one goal while making a combined 24 saves across the Sharks’ six-game winning streak.

Hernando defeated Central 8-0 on Friday to move to 4-2 on the season, while Central dropped to 0-6. Also this week, the Leopards celebrated Skyla McCorts and Annabelle Chamberlain signing letters of intent to play soccer at Pasco-Hernando State College.

Springstead’s boys soccer team remained undefeated, now 5-0 following wins over Crystal River on Nov. 19 (8-0) and Citrus on Friday (4-1). Christian Gies had two goals and two assists against the Pirates, and Raul Maldonado also had two goals and one assist.

Central collected a pair of county victories, 8-1 over Weeki Wachee on Nov. 19 and 7-0 against Hernando on Friday. The Bears improved to 3-2 overall.