![Hernando High, 2, Gabriel Sansone runs around end for a gain versus Central High. [Photo by Joe DiCristofalo]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_8745-Enhanced-NR.jpg "DSC_8745-Enhanced-NR")
DADE CITY — When it mattered most Friday night, the Hernando High defense rose to the occasion — twice.
Hernando’s defense made two crucial goal-line stands in the fourth quarter on the way to a 28-13 victory against Pasco High at W.F. Edwards Stadium. After Hernando’s defense allowed two first-half touchdowns by a winless Pasco team that had scored only one touchdown in its first five games, the Leopards got stronger as the game went on.
Trailing 28-13, Pasco moved down the field late in the third quarter behind some big runs by Amerh Norris. Only inches from the goal line, the Pirates ran Aidan Colman on a quarterback keeper on the first play of the fourth quarter. But Hernando’s defense was ready for it and stopped Colman just short of the end zone.
The situation was similar a few minutes later as Pasco again moved the ball inside the Hernando 10-yard line. On a fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line, the Leopards stopped Norris two yards shy of the goal line with 3:40 left in the game.
“Our goal-line defense had been struggling this season,” Hernando coach John Scargle said. “So we made some adjustments. We took some of our offensive linemen and put them in the middle of the defensive line to kind of beef things up a bit, and we had our linebackers shooting.”
That formula worked perfectly as the Leopards won their second game in a very unusual week. They were scheduled to play Central on Sept. 27, but Hurricane Helene forced a postponement until Monday. The Leopards responded with a 41-7 victory against the Bears, but that left Hernando (3-3) with little time to get ready for the Pirates, who hadn’t scored a point since the season opener in August. But Pasco jumped out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead in a game that was delayed one hour and 15 minutes by lightning in the Dade City area.
“I think it was a much tougher week for the kids than it was for the coaches,” Scargle said. “The Central game was a big win for us, but it was physically and emotionally draining because we were playing a rival. We kind of gave them Tuesday off to try to recover. But we had to jump right back into it and get ready for this one and that’s a lot to take care of in only two days of practice.”
While Hernando’s defense had some early ups and downs, the offense and the special teams were smooth all night long. Junior quarterback Michael Saltsman had perhaps the most efficient game of his career. Saltsman ran for three touchdowns and completed seven of 10 passes for 91 yards. He was intercepted once, but that came in the fourth quarter on a play where his intended receiver got tripped up.
Saltsman gave Hernando its first points when he scored on a 5-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. Senior kicker Ernest Gay tied the game as he kicked the first of his four extra points on the night. Hernando’s special teams followed that up with a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff and good field position became great field position as Pasco was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Starting off at Pasco’s 15-yard line, the Leopards needed only two plays to get back in the end zone. Senior running back Gabriel Sansone put the Leopards ahead to stay with a 2-yard touchdown run with 10:58 left in the second quarter. Pasco responded with a 14-yard touchdown run by Norris to cut Hernando’s lead to 14-13. Sansone was a workhorse for the Hernando offense, carrying 15 times for 90 yards and catching two passes for 33 yards.
Hernando took control of the game for good in the final minutes of the first half. Saltsman scored his second touchdown on a 5-yard run with 4:46 left in the second quarter. But the Leopards weren’t done. The defense then forced a Pasco punt and that’s when Hernando got its second big special-teams play of the game.
Junior Michael Brown returned the punt 49 yards to give Hernando the ball at the Pasco 1-yard line. It took only one play for Saltsman to score his third touchdown on a quarterback keeper that put he Leopards ahead 28-13 with 1:09 remaining in the first half.
The game was scoreless the rest of the way and that’s mainly because Hernando’s defense was so strong in goal-line situations. While it was nice to get two victories in the same week, Scargle said he’s looking forward to getting his team back on a normal schedule. Hernando will host Citrus (0-6 after Friday night’s 62-0 loss to Lecanto) on Friday night on Senior Night at Tom Fisher Stadium.
