Springstead Survives Stormy Sharks Showdown

On Friday night, the Springstead Eagles (6-0) survived the Nature Coast Tech Sharks (4-3) on a rainy, mistake-filled evening at Booster Stadium. The Red, White, and Blue remained undefeated as they held off a late drive by the Sharks to win 19-13. Springstead Head Coach Michael Garofano was relieved to escape with the victory, but he was not pleased with his team’s lack of ball security.

“We tried to give them the win at the end,” said Coach Garofano. “We had three fumbles [on] three consecutive drives, two on back-to-back plays. I understand it’s wet. I don’t make any excuses. It’s two hands on the ball. Ball security’s always at a premium. This is the most upset I’ve been after a win probably ever because I know we’re better than that […] At least we played this poorly and still won.”

The inclement weather certainly had an effect on the game if for no other reason than lightning forcing a delay towards the end of the first quarter. It seemed to cool the home team off a bit after a hot start, too.

Inversely, the visitors had a disastrous start to the matchup before the premature intermission. They lost a total of 17 yards and nearly fumbled the ball away before a shanked punt failed to reach the original line of scrimmage.

This gave the home a team a short field deep in enemy territory. A 4 play, 26-yard drive was capped off by a pitch from QB Gio Martinez to RB Connor Mccazzio as he went 9 yards down the right sideline for the score. Other than a failed two-point conversion, the Eagles were nearly flawless in the early going.

Then Head Coach Robert Kazmier’s Sharks did the best thing they could do to stymie Springstead’s usually incendiary offense: keep them off the field. Nature Coast would hold the ball for the next 12:27 of game time. This was thanks in part to a ground heavy, 19-play drive in which they converted two fourth downs and capped it off with a Donovan Neal touchdown run.

They then surprised the Eagles with an onside kick that fell through the hands of OL/DL Lucas Bridges and recovered the ball in the process. Their stolen drive would not result in any points, though, as Garofano’s defense bowed up for a stop. Smack in the middle of this stretch, the lightning delay would grind the game to a halt.

All in all, Springstead’s offense did not touch the ball for nearly an hour of real time. This, along with a drenched field, likely served to take the Eagles out of their rhythm. Springstead’s next possession would see them march deep into Sharks’ territory, but they would stall and turn the ball over on downs as the half neared.

Coming out of the break, Garofano and company found a little mojo as the Columbia Blue’s squib kick gave them a short field near the 50. Five plays later, Martinez found Senior WR/DB Xylus Pastrana over the middle for the play of the game on a 4^th and 9. Pastrana hauled the ball in with his fingertips and cut down the left sideline 37 yards to pay dirt. After the matchup, the senior wide receiver was named the Glory Days Player of the Game.

“He’s great,” Coach Garofano said. “He doesn’t complain. He just goes in there. He works hard. Sometimes the ball comes his way. Sometimes it doesn’t, but last week we got him a couple catches and a touchdown, and he got involved in the offense […] He had one interception, and he had the touchdown. He’s got speed. He’s got hands. He’s got athleticism. He’s got good football IQ. He probably saved us tonight.”

Pastrana’s interception in the fourth would be squandered by a fumbled backwards pass by Martinez, but the Eagles would capitalize on another Sharks’ mistake. Following a botched punt by the visitors, Martinez would punch it in on the ground from six yards out on the first play of the final frame.

Springstead and Nature Coast would proceed to spend much of the fourth trading turnovers and other miscues. It would all come down to a final drive with Coach Kazmier’s squad trailing 19-13. They executed their two-minute offense and methodically moved down the field before lining up for one last pass to the endzone with 4.3 seconds left.

“That was bang-bang as well,” said Coach Garofano. “I saw the ball go up, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ The air in my lungs – I was panicking.”

With the ball sailing into the endzone, Senior Safety Dalton Williams went up and batted it away as time expired. Springstead would survive a wild game in which the Sharks gave them everything they could handle. Coach Garofano is proud of his defense for clamping down and only really being at fault for one touchdown on the night.

Both squads will hope to be able to get back to their regular schedules after a grueling two-game week thanks to Hurricane Helene. The Eagles will work on ball security and look to remain undefeated when they host the Gaither Cowboys on Friday. Nature Coast will hope to leave this rough four game stretch in the past and build some momentum against the Dunedin Falcons next week.