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DAWN REISSThe Raiders scored at will as they stayed atop the district standings with a 56-14 victory.
INVERNESS - South Sumter took control of Class 3, District 8 with a 56-14 pummeling of Citrus Friday.
South Sumter and Citrus entered the game in a first-place district tie at 2-0, but South Sumter made it clear who owns the district.
South Sumter's Fabian Wilson intercepted a Citrus pass, leading to a Richard Kelly 25-yard touchdown three plays later.
After the kickoff, Citrus quarterback Walter Howard ran for 4 yards. He was sacked, the first of four times, on the next play and lost 4 yards, then threw an incomplete pass. The drive ended with a bad snap that left Howard scrambling. He was tackled on his own 11-yard line and South Sumter took over on downs. Four plays later, South Sumter scored again on a Carlos Everett 4-yard run.
The Raiders then recovered a bad punt and scored on a 1-yard run by Kendall Smith to make it 21-0.
Howard was sacked two more times. South Sumter scored again in the second quarter when Richard Kelly ran a punt back 62-yards.
On the Hurricanes next possession, Howard again was sacked for loss of 6 yards. Then he connected with Donnie Ross for a 36-yard pass completion to put the Hurricanes on South Sumter's 40-yard line. R.J. Cobb then scored on a 40-yard run at 5:55 left in the first half, making the score 28-7.
Raiders quarterback Jarrod Fleming was intercepted by Cobb, who ran it back 65 yards to South Sumter's 5-yard line. Howard ran for a yard, then two plays later, Cobb ran scored on a 4-yard run, but a holding call cost Citrus the touchdown.
A 31-yard field goal try by Citrus' Brian Tobin failed and then the Hurricanes didn't capitalize on a fumble as Tobin missed another field goal attempt.
But South Sumter knocked the wind out of Citrus when Richard Kelly intercepted and ran back it 62 yards for a touchdown.
South Sumter was finished yet as Nick Southall scored on a 1-yard run for a South Sumter 35-7 halftime lead.
South Sumter never relented, as quarterback Fleming threw for two more touchdowns and Wilson intercepted a Citrus pass and ran it back for the final score.