Photos by Joseph DiCristofalo
“There’s no place like home.” That was Hernando’s motto for homecoming, and it sure felt that way on Friday night.
As the clock struck zero, the Leopards celebrated their 28-24 victory over the Lecanto Panthers at Tom Fisher Stadium. A last-second goal line stand of QB JT Tipton capped off a much-needed night of levity for Hernando following a tumultuous month of Florida weather.
The home team played largely mistake-free football and capitalized on Lecanto’s miscues to claim not only the upset but their fourth straight victory in the process. Friday night’s atmosphere was exactly what Head Coach John Scargle has been working towards since being tasked with rebuilding the Leopards over two years ago.
“We told them that was the sound we were looking for,” Coach Scargle said. “This is the result that we’ve been looking for from the fans, from the players, from the scoreboard. This is what we’ve been working for the last 30 months here when I took over the program. So, it’s finally coming to where we like it.”
While there were many twists and turns during the ebb and flow of battle, the night ultimately came down to a key statistic and a few crucial moments for the Leopards. The statistic: Hernando converted all three Lecanto turnovers into touchdowns. The moments?
With the Panthers driving midway through the first quarter, Junior SS Stevontae Hasberry made a heads up play to jump on a backwards pass by Tipton that fell to the ground. Six plays later, facing a 3rd and 3 at Lecanto’s 42 yard line, Leopards QB Michael Saltsman found WR Kamoni Dotson down the field. The sophomore wide then receiver cut across to the left and raced past defenders to the endzone.
Late in the second period, the defense stepped up again. The very next play following Saltsman’s lone interception, Senior OLB Sam Jackson put his head on the ball and forced WR Josh Patrick to fumble it right back to the home team.
Then, on 4th and goal with 22 seconds left in the same frame, Saltsman called his own number and plowed into a defender for the score. He would convert the two-point attempt with a pass to Jackson moments later to knot the score at 14. Time and again, the junior quarterback answered the call and was named the Glory Days Player of the Game as a result.
“He kind of got a slow start, but he’s really come into his own the last four games,” said Coach Scargle. “We’re on a four-game win streak and a lot has to do with his leadership, his play, his accuracy, and his consistency. He was very accurate and very consistent tonight. Then, his running game – when he runs with the ball, he’s a big dude and he’s pretty powerful.”
With Hernando leading 21-17 midway through the final frame, Lecanto delivered another counter punch on a short touchdown run by WR Kwauntace Joseph. Fortunately, that would not be the knockout punch as the speedy Dotson would have something to say about that. On the ensuing kickoff, the lightning-fast Leopards receiver split the defenders and bolted down the left sideline for his second score of the evening.
“He’s definitely the fastest guy on our team and he’s very elusive,” said the Leopards’ head coach. “He’s only a sophomore. So, we only have him for two more years, but that was huge. He got some good blocks, he made a couple guys miss, and then he just outran a couple of other guys. That really set the tone and pulled the momentum in our favor.”
The game was not over yet, though. With 5:22 left on the clock, there was still more than enough time for the Panthers to throw together a scoring drive, and they nearly did. They would even convert a 4th down at Hernando’s one yard line with 34 seconds left in regulation.
Three more runs ensued, and Hernando stuffed the visitors every time. Then the last of these saw Tipton keep the ball, as he had all night, but this time Hernando was ready for it. Fittingly Jackson made the stop as he had so many times that night to deliver the momentous win for Scargle and company.
