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JOHN SCHWARBQuarterback Shane Collard is back from an injury-plagued 2003 to lead the Bears.
BROOKSVILLE - Shane Collard was the picture of exhaustion and grit Monday, slowly trudging off the practice field with dried blood from a small cut on his upper arm.
And delighted.
"This is the first year I can say I'm actually looking forward to practice," the Central quarterback said. "Normally I used to dread going to practice, all the hot days ... Now it's fun. I enjoy it."
Collard got a long taste of life without football last season, when he missed seven games after sustaining a broken left (nonthrowing) arm during the team's season opener at Citrus.
Now, as a rising senior going through the prep football routine for the final time, and claiming the arm to be in perfect shape, Collard relishes every moment.
"I feel a lot better than I did last year when I was healthy," he said. "I'm looking forward to this season; we've got a lot of expectations coming in."
Central has a number of questions during this month's spring practice, from who will block to who will kick. But there's no question who will be under center, nor is there a question of how crucial Collard will be to the team's success.
With Collard back in the lineup for the final two games last season, the Bears pulled out two inspired wins to put a positive spin on what had been a lost season.
At Leesburg in Week 9, Collard played three series at quarterback and threw a touchdown. Against Hernando in the season finale, he had a 102-yard receiving night that included a 24-yard scoring catch.
With Collard out from Weeks 2 through 8, Central was a 2-5 team.
"We became so one-
dimensional for the first two, three games after he was gone," coach John Wilkinson said. "We ran the ball almost every down."Jeremy Flowers took over at quarterback, where he had played at Jefferson. By season's end he had become re-acclimated to the position, even leading the county in passing yards, but entering spring camp there was no brewing quarterback controversy.
Flowers longed to be a full-time receiver and happily gave up quarterback. Collard belonged there.
"We'll be a little bit more the way I want to be, which is more wide open," Wilkinson said. "Now I think we can get back to the 60-40 (rushing/passing) mix that I want."
Collard, one of several Central skill players with speed, will get a chance to run out of the option as well as try to hit receivers such as Flowers deep downfield.
Ironically, a chance to show those skills is May 21 in a spring game at Citrus, the site where he broke his arm eight months ago. But with the way he feels now, it may as well be eight years ago.
The soon-to-be senior can't wait for another full regular season. Perhaps more.
"Oh, it'll be longer than 10 games," Collard said. "I promise you, it'll be more than 10."