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JOHN SCHWARBFor Nature Coast, a first-year varsity team, tonight's game vs. Central transcends all others.
BROOKSVILLE - Nature Coast Tech's Robert Fleming said the talking started at volleyball matches between his teammates and Central, both sides jawing in advance of tonight's game.
But this one almost transcends yapping.
For Nature Coast, the second-year school with the first-year varsity team, this game transcends all others on its independent schedule. Forget the Frostproofs, North Ports and other schools on the Sharks' MapQuest tour of Florida. Central is right in the backyard, right on the forefront of the minds of everyone in light blue.
"When this game was scheduled in the spring, you circled it," NCT coach Jamie Joynder said. "You can't downplay this game with the kids. You wouldn't try."
For Central, this game does not have to be big, but it is. The Bears have Hernando left on a rival-heavy schedule, and even an outside shot at the playoffs, yet it is recognized that a school seven miles away cannot be anything but a rival.
"Definitely. Any time that they've got a couple good kids from Hernando, a couple good kids from Springstead, a couple good kids from Central, that turns into a rivalry," Central coach John Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson remembers his first rivalry games at Central. The Bears played Hernando and Springstead in back-to-back weeks in 2002, losing to the Leopards but rebounding to beat the Eagles. The coach said he was struck by the players' split opinions on which game was bigger, as one-quarter of the team thought Hernando was the big rival and three-quarters thought Springstead.
Now, Wilkinson said the Bears are split evenly between Hernando, Springstead and Nature Coast. Makes sense considering it doesn't take long to find a Central player gunning for a Shark this week.
"I've got one thing on my mind, to shut down No. 4, Rian Williams," Bears linebacker Daniel Harris said. "I've heard a lot of stuff about him. I don't want him to get a yard."
The two grew up near each other and remain tight.
"Mmm-hmm, that's my friend," Williams said. "But I'm ready, though."
Three prominent NCT starters attended Central: quarterback Billy Hughes, lineman Matt Brostrom and defensive end Fleming, who says he'll have something to prove. Moving to NCT midway through his sophomore year, Fleming said Central's program was not a good fit.
"When I didn't come out, they were like, "Oh, he can't play,"' Fleming said. "I'll be proving something to them too."
Hughes earlier in the week called the game the "biggest rivalry ever," a bit of hyperbole to be sure but, then again, NCT hasn't known anything bigger yet.
"I don't know how much football he's watched, but if that's the way they take it, fine," Wilkinson said. "It doesn't bother me in the least bit. It just adds to the game."
- John Schwarb can be reached at 800 333-7505, ext. 1407. Send e-mail to schwarb@sptimes.com