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Bears roll, title might be theirs

LECANTO -- Central coach John Andruss could have taken his team and simply walked off the soaked field Friday, because not playing against Lecanto would guarantee his team a piece of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship.

But Andruss and the Bears weren't going out like that.

With five seniors playing in their final regular-season game -- including David Pointec and Sean O'Sullivan -- Andruss wanted to settle it on the field.

Good thing he did.

With three minutes remaining in a waterlogged mess of a game, Pointec and O'Sullivan came through on a well-executed corner kick to salvage a 1-0 victory that -- for now -- gives the Bears (14-3-2, 8-0-2 GCAC) sole possession of the conference lead.

"I was definitely hoping we'd score. ... I was praying," O'Sullivan said. "I knew a corner would be our best shot because dribbling and shooting was just not happening."

Crystal River and GCAC co-leader Springstead (14-2-2, 7-0-2) decided to call off their game Friday a little more than an hour before Central took the field.

The principals of both schools agreed that field conditions at Crystal River were unplayable -- the field was under 2 inches of water -- and called the game 10 minutes into the first half.

That decision leaves the Bears and Eagles in a quandary. Does Central, which leads by a half game, win the title outright? And will Springstead be punished for not playing its final game by being denied a share of the crown?

"I wanted the seniors to have a chance to win it on the field," Andruss said.

"I wouldn't think (Springstead would be punished). It's the weather and you can't do anything about it."

O'Sullivan and Pointec did something about it against the Panthers (10-9-2).

In the 77th minute, O'Sullivan placed a corner kick in front of the Lecanto goal and Pointec ran on and headed it into the top, right-hand corner.

"Pointec has had a few this year," O'Sullivan said. "I looked for him and it happened tonight."

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