BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando Leopards (3-1) came back against the Springstead Eagles (4-1) to take the 33-27 victory in double overtime on Wednesday night.
Originally planned to be a home game for the previously undefeated Eagles, a field issue forced a late change in venue to Hernando’s Tom Fisher Stadium. After falling behind by double digits early, Coach Tyson Ellis and the Leopards clawed their way back to tie the game late before emerging victorious in extra frames.
“We kind of got on our heels a little bit the first quarter,” said Coach Ellis. “Went down 14-0, kind of got taken back a little bit, and our girls’ backs were against the walls. A little adversity, and their character and heart showed through […] They stayed even keel. It is about making plays in situations, and they make great plays in great situations.”
The Eagles showed early why they are one of the top teams in the state when Junior Addisson Osborne and Senior Alisha Soults logged the game’s opening scores to give the Red, White, and Blue the two-score lead. It would not be until late in the second frame that Hernando would put points on the board and begin the climb back.
With 1:18 left until halftime, the home team utilized one of their go-to plays when they handed the ball off to Sophomore Carlie Grant (5 touchdowns) who tossed the ball into the endzone to the waiting arms of Kenderlyn Hart (102 yards receiving, 1 touchdown, 1 interception).
Two plays into Springstead’s next drive, Hart logged her lone interception. Great field position would give the Leopards the chance to suddenly tie the game seconds before the half, but they simply ran out of time deep in the red zone.
Coming out of the intermission, the home team would also get possession of the ball, but they would be unable to capitalize. The visitors would then rattle off a 50-yard, seven-play drive that ended with a pass to the right side of the end zone from the athletic Junior J’Ziyah Munford to Osborne.
Trailing 21-7 late in the third quarter, the comeback was starting to look less likely. Then, the Leopards put together a long, 12-play, quarter-spanning possession to answer right back.
On a critical 4th and goal from the 3-yard line, Grant fired a pass under pressure to Sophomore Alexis Sway (4 receiving touchdowns) in the front corner of the end zone. Despite the pass being significantly behind Sway, the sophomore caught the ball falling backwards to give her team shot at pulling off the upset. It was these sorts of plays that led to her being named Maxpreps player of the game.
With the Eagles driving late in the fourth and attempting salt the game away, Sophomore Ayana Kincade logged the second, and arguably most critical, interception of the night for the home team. Hernando’s head coach named the pick, along with big sacks and a key punt from Annabelle Chamblerlain, as moments that helped to sway the game in their favor.
Following the interception, the Leopards started the possession at their own 34. They then picked up chunk yardage on four plays before Grant rifled a 16-yard touchdown pass to Sway to tie the game at 21-all with seconds remaining.
Then came overtime. After receiving the ball to start, Grant tossed another touchdown pass to Sway three plays into the extra period. They would fail to score the point after attempt, but so would the Eagles. So, after the visitors re-tied the game on a 4th down pass to Osborne in the back of the endzone, it was time for the second overtime.
Three plays into the Eagles’ next possession, Sophomore Aajyrah Adams logged the Leopards’ third and final pick. Four plays later, it would all come down to one final fourth down at the one yard line. Who else would it go to but Sway who took the ball on a pass at the goal line and muscled into the endzone for the game winning touchdown.
With the game being a hair’s breadth away from being a very different outcome, Hernando’s head coach gave the visitors kudos after the victory. “Very good team,” he said. “They have a lot of good players. They are very quick. They are very athletic. They are well coached, and it was a battle.”
The Purple and Gold have several more games on the docket in the coming week with Nature Coast up next on Monday. The Eagles will prepare to bounce back from their first loss of the season with a tilt versus Weeki Wachee on Wednesday.
Coach Ellis was happy with his squad’s performance and will look to see them show the same resilience when they face three teams in four days next week.
“They came out tonight ready to play,” said Coach Ellis. “We can be really good, but it is back to work tomorrow […] It is fun to be around them. They are a great bunch of girls. They are enthusiastic, and when our team is here, we are very hard to stop.”
