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COACH: Gary Morton.
RETURNEES: Grey Gonzalez, Sr.; Ryan Brewer, Sr.; Jimmy Hutchinson, Sr.; Austin Grey, Jr.; Alex Coogan, So.
THE SKINNY: The defending conference champions and region qualifiers lost some talent, but the returning players match up well with anyone's best five. Gonzalez and Grey were Times All-Citrus/Hernando first-teamers last year and probably lay the best claims to being the Bears' No. 1, but the remaining three veterans can put up 9-hole scores in the 30s. SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - CITRUS; 7 - at Crystal River; 9 - SPRINGSTEAD; 14 - at Hernando; 16 - LECANTO; 21 - at Nature Coast; 23 - at Belleview; 28 - Belleview; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 5 - at Saddlebrook; 12 - Hernando, Nature Coast, Springstead at Hernando Oaks.
HERNANDO
COACH: Nathaniel Brown.
RETURNEES: Ryan Armstrong, Sr.; Eric Anderson, Jr.; James Futrell, Jr.; Zach Koch, So.; Derek Pebler, So.; Michael Busacca, Sr.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Seth Rumbarger, Jr.; Clint Grubbs, Jr.; Seth Spencer, So.; Ford Manuel, So.
THE SKINNY: The Leopards, second in the conference last year, have the biggest hole to fill in the county with 2003 GCAC medalist Ledford gone, and may not fill it with one player. Instead, Anderson, Armstrong, Pebler or Koch could be on top any given day. "Any of those guys can bounce around from one to four," Brown said. "We're sticking pretty close, and anytime you can get guys to stick together, it shows for some good scores and good potential." SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - LECANTO; 7 - at Nature Coast; 9 - CITRUS; 14 - CENTRAL; 16 - at Crystal River; 21 - South Sumter and South Lake at Shady Brook; 23 - at Springstead; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 5 - at Lecanto; 7 - at Seven Rivers Chr.; 12 - Central, Springstead, Nature Coast at Hernando Oaks; 14 - CRYSTAL RIVER.
HERNANDO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
COACH: Jim Bird.
RETURNEES: Mike Bird, So.; Philip Murray, So.; Chris Reagan, So.; William Wing, So.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Andrew Holtzhouse, Sr.; Jason Runion, Jr.; Dayne Dukes, 7th.
THE SKINNY: The first-year Lions football team had an effect on the golf roster, taking one player away (Damron) but allowing another to join. Holtzhouse also plays soccer and can golf as the soccer team moved to winter to accommodate football. The nucleus of the team is the four experienced sophomores, three of which played in North Suncoast Junior Golf Association events in the summer. "They all made some pretty good improvement," Bird said. SCHEDULE: AUGUST: 30 - at Bayshore Chr. SEPTEMBER: 2 - at Nature Coast; 7 - OLDSMAR CHR.; 9 - at Seven Rivers Chr.; 14 - WILDWOOD; 16 - Umatilla and Villages at The Villages; 21 - SEVEN RIVERS CHR.; 23 - PINELLAS CHR. HOME SCHOOL; 28 - at Wildwood; 30 - BAYSHORE CHR. OCTOBER: 5 - NATURE COAST; 7 - at Oldsmar Chr.; 12 - VILLAGES; 14 - at Pinellas Chr. Home School.
NATURE COAST
COACH: Travis Priddy.
RETURNEE: Kyle Staton, Sr.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Kyle Kinderman, Sr.; Mike King, Fr.; Drew Meder, So.
THE SKINNY: First-year coach Priddy got a shock at the start of the year when more than 20 students showed an interest in playing. After tryouts, he whittled the team down to 13, which is still a lot considering only six can play in matches. The top four are set with Staton, Kinderman, King and Meder, but Priddy said the final two spots (especially in home matches, where the entire 13 will be available) will likely rotate among the rest of the squad.
SCHEDULE: AUGUST: 31 - at Crystal River. SEPTEMBER: 2 - HERNANDO CHR.; 7 - HERNANDO; 9 - at Lecanto; 14 - at Springstead; 16 - at Citrus; 21 - CENTRAL; 23 - CRYSTAL RIVER; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 5 - at Hernando Chr.; 7 - at Hernando; 12 - Central, Hernando, Springstead at Hernando Oaks.
SPRINGSTEAD
COACH: Mike Lannon.
THE SKINNY: Lannon, the new boys basketball coach, takes over for Craig Swartout as the coach in what will likely be a rebuilding year. SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - CRYSTAL RIVER; 7 - at Citrus; 9 - at Central; 14 - NATURE COAST; 21 - HERNANDO; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 12 - Hernando, Central, Nature Coast at Hernando Oaks.
GIRLS
CENTRAL
COACH: Larry Vander Bie.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Stephanie Lisk, Jr.; Danielle Lanigan, Jr.; Tina Larose, Fr.; Meagan Lincoln, Fr.; Devyn Reynolds, Fr.; Ashley Kramlich, Fr.
THE SKINNY: The Bears are in a rebuilding mode, but they've got the right leader for it in first-year coach Vander Bie, a 20-year prep golf coach in Michigan. SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - at Citrus; 7 - CRYSTAL RIVER; 9 - at Springstead; 14 - HERNANDO; 16 - at Lecanto; 21 - NATURE COAST; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 5 - at Crystal River.
HERNANDO
COACH: Brent Gaustad.
RETURNEES: Tara Allen, Sr.; Brittany Smith, Sr.; Jennifer Dampman, Jr.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Brittany Walker, Jr.; Megan Bedford, Jr.; Monica Morrill, Jr.; Casey Ramsey, Fr.
THE SKINNY: Gaustad has taken a long road back to coaching golf at Hernando, having coached the boys in 1996 before leaving to work at Bushnell South Sumter and ultimately returning to Brooksville. Now in his first season with the girls team, he inherits the two-time Times Citrus/Hernando player of the year (Allen) and a number of rookies. SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - at Lecanto; 7 - NATURE COAST; 9 - at Citrus; 14 - at Central; 16 - CRYSTAL RIVER; 23 - SPRINGSTEAD; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn.
NATURE COAST
COACH: Haley Gilmore.
RETURNEES: Mallory Freeman, Sr.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Aspen Dukes, Jr.; Olivia Murray, Sr.; Cara Cagan, Sr.; Erin Cagan, So.
THE SKINNY: Freeman advanced to the region tournament last year and is the clear No. 1 for the Sharks while Dukes is a No. 2 who can "hit the long ball" according to Gilmore. The first-year coach recruited a few of her basketball players, Murray and the Cagan sisters, to round out the squad. SCHEDULE: AUGUST: 31 - CRYSTAL RIVER. SEPTEMBER: 7 - at Hernando; 9 - LECANTO; 14 - SPRINGSTEAD; 16 - CITRUS; 21 - at Central; 23 - at Crystal River; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 7 - HERNANDO.
SPRINGSTEAD
COACH: Craig Swartout.
RETURNEES: Jen Banducci, Jr.; Cassidy Zablocki, Sr.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Michelle Bowles, So.; Desiree Dipiano, Fr.; Jennifer Ramsey, Sr.
THE SKINNY: Mike Lannon asked to coach boys golf along with basketball, so Swartout moved over to the girls team. He appears to have arrived at just the right time, as he has a single-digit handicapper in Bowles, a native of Mexico. SCHEDULE: SEPTEMBER: 2 - at Crystal River; 7 - CITRUS; 9 - CENTRAL; 14 - at Nature Coast; 21 - LECANTO; 23 - at Hernando; 28 - HUDSON; 30 - GCAC tournament at Plantation Inn. OCTOBER: 5 - HUDSON; 7 - CRYSTAL RIVER; 14 - HERNANDO.
- Compiled by John Schwarb.