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STEVE LEEThere could be four county co-champions in middle school play.
NEW PORT RICHEY - Four champions could be crowned in the Pasco County Middle School Athletic Conference.
Hudson and Seven Springs won their season finales last week to tie at 5-1 for the West Division title. With one game left for East teams, Pasco and Weightman are deadlocked at 4-1. If they finish tied, both divisions would have co-champions.
The county split into two divisions before last season with Bayonet Point and Centennial winning West and East titles, respectively.
The county record for co-champions is three, set when Pine View, River Ridge and Weightman shared the title in 1996 and equaled in 2000 with Hudson, Pasco and Weightman.
"We'd love to play it off and settle it on the field, but the precedent already has been established," Seven Springs coach Tim Boggess said.
Added Hudson coach Tony Qualtiere, "We'd like to get that extra game, but it's not a priority. We treat it as we won a championship."
A playoff format was approved by middle school athletic directors and principals in 1997, but school officials disallowed what would have been a Chasco-Weightman championship game in 2002.
In last week's 14-0 defeat of Gulf, which had been tied with Seven Springs and Hudson, Seven Springs got two scoring runs from Travis Madonna and posted its first shutout this season.
Anthony Salerno forced a fumble recovered by teammate Chad Masters and Jordan Williamson had a late interception to clinch it for Seven Springs, which avenged its opening loss to Gulf.
In Hudson's 45-20 win over River Ridge, JoJo Cimino ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns to set a school season record with 886 rushing yards.
Jarrod Branco added two scoring runs for Hudson and Zach Wynn threw a touchdown to Austin Havasy.
Havasy set two school records. His seven catches are the most in a game and his 16 are a season mark.
JUNIOR VARSITY: Gulf had its best offensive day of the season against Zephyrhills.
The Buccaneers (5-1) gained a season-high 406 yards in a 37-20 win. Julian Ford rushed for a game-high 97 yards and a touchdown.
Kyle Coluzzi ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for another. Kurt Holt threw a touchdown to A.J. Lowther and kicker Cameron Smith made 4 of 5 extra points and hit a 30-yard field goal.