Last week marked the end of the regular season for boys and girls soccer. The Springstead boys, who went undefeated in the conference to win the GC8 crown, wrapped up their regular season with a 4-1 loss to Land O’ Lakes. However, the Eagles (12-3-1) entered the week ranked first in District 5A-5 and should remain in good position heading into postseason play.
Nature Coast boys blanked Fivay on Friday 6-0 to end the regular season 6-6-1, making the Sharks the only county team outside of Springstead to not have a losing record.
The Nature Coast girls’ soccer team just missed a chance to claim the Gulf Coast 8 conference title. The Sharks fell 1-0 at Lecanto on Thursday night.
The Sharks lost both meetings with the Panthers, including a 2-1 loss on Dec. 10, for their only defeats against fellow GC8 teams this season. In this more recent meeting, Kennedy Rasmussen made 10 saves but the offense couldn’t cover for the one goal by Gabriella Malmberg in the 29th minute.
However, the week started off well for the Sharks, who are 10-5-2 overall, with a 2-1 victory over Springstead on Jan. 13. Giada Chechile scored twice on penalty kicks and Rasmussen had nine saves. Amanda Soult scored for the Eagles, who moved to 9-8.
Then the Sharks won 7-0 over Mitchell on Friday, behind three goals and three assists from Chechile. Reese Monroe scored two goals, while Shantal Schotborgh and Sydney Gilbert had the other goals. Hayden Bleser had two assists.
Also in girls soccer, Hernando won 4-0 over South Sumter Jan. 14, and 7-0 against Fivay on Friday to finish the regular season 8-10-1.
The county’s top two girls basketball squads clashed on Friday, with host Springstead ending Weeki Wachee’s five-game winning streak with a 52-38 victory. Briana Coleman scored 14 points and added eight rebounds for the Eagles (15-4), while Ariana Willoughby chipped in with 13 points, four rebounds and a steal, knocking down three 3-pointers. Addison Osborne had 11 points and two steals.
On Jan. 14, Springstead defeated Lecanto 34-23, as Coleman paced a balanced team effort with eight points, six rebounds and two steals.
The Hornets (15-5) also lost to the Eagles 49-42 back on Dec. 3. Friday’s game was their fourth played last week, starting with a 58-18 victory over South Sumter on Jan. 13, featuring 18 points by Genesis Beal, 10 points from Aubrey Eastin, and nine points, 10 assists and eight steals from Joelys Rodriguez.
The next day Weeki Wachee defeated Central 62-22 and downed Hudson on Thursday 73-37, with Reese Halter registering a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds. Beal had nine points and nine rebounds, Rayana Coleman added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Rodriguez had nine points, five assists and five steals.
Hernando finished the week 9-8, having beaten Hudson on Jan. 13 52-22, as Ayana Kincade scored 15 points and had three steals, Keyasia Gaines had 10 points and three steals, and Aislin Ruppe totaled seven points, 11 assists and three steals.
Kincade scored 24 points and pulled down six rebounds in a 44-43 win at Crystal River on Jan. 14, but the Leopards fell against Citrus on Friday 49-33.
In boys basketball, Springstead won 72-66 in overtime at Weeki Wachee on Friday night. Ryan Sayre was the leading scorer for the Eagles (11-7) with 16 points along with seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Alejandro Arenas had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamin Pond also compiled a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds as Springstead avoided what would have been a massive upset against the Hornets (2-17).
Pond had another double-double earlier in the week, with 11 points and 12 rebounds in a 53-43 loss on Jan. 14 against a 16-1 Lecanto team ranked first in its region. The Eagles bounced back the next day with a 52-37 victory over Gulf behind 14 points and seven rebounds from Sayre, as well as 11 points from Zion McKenzie.
Hernando (14-5) beat Angeline Academy of Innovation 77-29 on Jan. 13, led by Daniel Merizalde with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and 11 points apiece by Blake Williams and Nate Blomberg. The next day the Leopards downed Crystal River 67-53 with Merizalde scoring 17 points with five assists, Micheal Brown notching a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds plus four blocks, Sam Jackson chipping in 15 points and eight rebounds, and Blake Williams adding 14 points and six rebounds.
Williams had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in Friday’s 70-57 win at Citrus. Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Merizalde contributed 14 points.
Central (11-6) knocked off Hernando Christian Academy 72-62 on Jan. 13 and Weeki Wachee 49-37 on Jan. 14, but fell to powerhouse Lecanto 76-36 on Friday.
The Nature Coast wrestling team captured first place on Saturday in the Rob Hermann Cup duals tournament hosted by Citrus High.
