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Midweek football report
By KEITH NIEBUHR, KRISTEN LEIGH PORTER Citrus (3-0)LAST WEEK: Beat Lecanto 17-0. THIS WEEK: Home vs. Wildwood. WHO'S HOT? Senior utility man Isaiah Webb. He scored a touchdown, rushed for 72 yards, intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles against Lecanto. Has any county player been more valuable in 2002? WHO'S NOT? Nobody. The Hurricanes shined on offense, defense and special teams last week. THE BUZZ: One thing Citrus isn't fighting is overconfidence. Hurricanes coach Larry Bishop said the team is focused on Wildwood and nothing else. Wildwood (1-2) upset previously unbeaten Eustis, a playoff team in 2001, 23-20 in overtime last week. ... Citrus, 3-0 for the first time since 1994, has no major injuries. ... Players to watch -- Senior linebacker Chris Albrecht, senior kicker Keith Zigler and junior quarterback Casey Snyder. Albrecht has come up with big plays all season. Zigler punted for a 47.8 average last week and nailed a 30-yard field goal. Snyder has done all the little things to make the Citrus offense go, such as calling audibles at the right time and running for crucial first downs. QUOTABLE: "Wildwood is much-improved," Bishop said. "(The Wildcats) have a lot more team speed, are a lot more physical, and they're playing under a new coach and a new system. They beat Eustis (last week), and Eustis was 2-0." * * * Crystal River (1-2)LAST WEEK: Lost to Dunnellon 29-15. THIS WEEK: At Dixie County. WHO'S HOT? Quarterback Chris Bunch posted a career-high five completions for 40 yards and rushed for 23 yards. WHO'S NOT? The Pirates' grip on the ball. Without six fumbles for loss against Dunnellon, the game might have had a different outcome. Veteran backs such as Chianta Smith and Ryan McNally turned it over, and William Bunch fumbled a punt. THE BUZZ: Dixie County is 3-0, but the Bears played their worst game of the season last week when they squeaked by winless Ocala West Port 15-13. West Port lost its first two games by a combined 88-44. Nevertheless, Cross City Dixie County is ranked fifth in this week's Class 2A poll. Crystal River beat Dixie County 17-14 last season. ... Other than the fumbles and game-opening kickoff return for a touchdown allowed by his team, Crystal River coach Jere DeFoor thought the Pirates played well in the loss to Dunnellon. The squad is going about its normal practice schedule in recognition for the next opponent. "That's what we've stressed each week -- that you can't get too high or too low and stress one at a time and concentrate on that opponent," DeFoor said. ... Crystal River is 1-2 for the first time in 10 years. The last time the Pirates started a season 1-3 was in 1990, when they finished 6-4. QUOTABLE: "Some of them aren't accustomed to getting beat like that, and we just talked about how you've got to keep your head up, you keep going," DeFoor said. "The program through the years has earned a lot of respect, and we've got to keep going to work and battling each week." * * * Lecanto (2-1)LAST WEEK: Lost to Citrus 17-0. THIS WEEK: Home vs. Springstead. WHO'S HOT? The offensive line. Despite losing quarterback Phil Reed to injury against Citrus, the Panthers rushed for 262 yards on 47 carries, a 5.6 average. Reed and running back Jarvis Patterson get the notoriety, but the line has played all season. WHO'S NOT? The injury bug. The Panthers are pretty banged up. Seven starters visited the doctor last week. Then Reed, among the area's top players, dislocated his shoulder in the first quarter. His status this week is uncertain. Lecanto isn't a one-person team, but the Panthers need Reed's skills and leadership. THE BUZZ: Will Reed play this week? The Panthers will have a better idea today or tomorrow, after he visits doctors in Gainesville. Even if he can't go, Lecanto has a good chance to improve to 3-1. Springstead is 0-3 and was humbled by Land O'Lakes 60-10 last week. ... In defeat, Patterson produced more big numbers. The senior back finished with 176 yards on 21 attempts against Citrus, boosting his season total to 565 yards on 91 carries. ... A Lecanto win and the Panthers would match the best start in their history. QUOTABLE: "It's a team sport," Lecanto coach Dick Slack said. "One player isn't going to make or break any team. But at the same time, we're definitely a lot better with Phil Reed on the field."
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