Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Friday night rewind

By DAVE MURPHY, DAWN REISS, BRIAN SUMERS and VINCE THOMAS
Published November 6, 2005

Citrus 33, The Villages 30

Springstead 35, Lecanto 0

West Port 32, Crystal River 7

Central 40, Nature Coast 21

Pasco 42, Hernando 28

"In every game, bad things happen, but the true measure of a team is how they battle back from those bad incidences. I think we did."

- WALT HOWARD, Citrus quarterback, on how the Hurricanes won after trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter.

"You can never rest on a previous performance. It's like a great race. If you're resting, then someone is catching up."

- BILL VONADA, Springstead coach, on why the Eagles can't let Friday's win lull them into thinking they can rest on their laurels for next week's playoff game against New Smyrna Beach.

"We had to pull together. We had some freshmen in some new positions, and they all played great."

- BRYAN NUTTER, Central running back, on the Bears' lineup-juggling the past couple of weeks.

ANDREW ORTIZ, SPRINGSTEAD: With under a minute left in the second quarter and up 21-0, Springstead had the ball with about three quarters of the field left to drive. Quarterback John Hogeland tried a lob to Ortiz on the first play, but it was to high and Ortiz landed on his tailbone. As he gingerly walked back to the huddle, Vonada asked Ortiz if he was okay, then called another play for him - a reverse. Ortiz took it all the way for a score. He was so tired afterward that he could barely jump for his signature post-touchdown high-five with Kenny Beeker.

WALT HOWARD, CITRUS: Forget the homecoming dance, the senior quarterback had his own party on the gridiron. Howard threw for three touchdowns and connected on 13 of 20 passes for 245 yards. His completion rate would have been even better had the rockets he fired to receivers didn't slip through their hands.

DUSTIN WATERS, CRYSTAL RIVER: It was senior night at Pirate Stadium, and Waters came to play despite injurying his right rotator cuff last week against Lecanto. The tight end routinely risked his body to make catches, finishing with five for 68 yards and a touchdown.

BRYAN NUTTER, CENTRAL: In his final high school game, the running back scored three touchdowns and rushed for 127 yards on just eight carries.

ANTOIN SCRIVEN, CITRUS: The freshman back saved the day for the 'Canes. Scriven rushed for 156 yards on 29 carries to bolster his season total to 1,250 yards. He produced two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score.

Crystal River coach Craig Frederick started senior lineman Matt Sims, who rarely played this season, for the Pirate's first competitive football. Sims made a tackle on the first series, then addressed his teammates in the locker room after the game. He thanked them for making him feel welcome, and received a rousing round of applause.

All season, running backs Carlos Becaria, DuJuan Harris and Bryan Nutter have carried Central's offense. Last week against Nature Coast, they combined for five touchdowns and more than 250 yards on the ground. But even more impressive has been their play on defense. Harris is among the county's best cornerbacks, and against the Sharks he had a couple of deflections along with a big tackle for a loss on the goal line. Nutter has been solid as a speed rusher from outside linebacker, and Becaria has stepped up from inside linebacker late in the season. "Carlos has really been playing well lately," Central coach Greg Bigham said. The best news? Becaria and Harris will be back next season.

Citrus' line came up big in the Hurricanes' victory over the Villages. Three sacks, including one by Justin Budd and another by Jeremy Welfel, helped keep the Buffaloes to less than 100 yards of offense. Antoin Scriven said he was "shocked for a second" when he realized Citrus was trailing 30-20 late in the third quarter. But "our linemen finally got it together, and we were alright," he said. Quarterback Walter Howard gave the O-line props, saying it provided Scriven some "good holes."

[Last modified November 6, 2005, 01:59:22]