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News & Notes
By DAVID MURPHY and VINCENT THOMAS
Published January 3, 2006
WHAT TO WATCH
BOYS: Central at Hernando, Wednesday, 7:30.
This HCAC matchup was moved up a day to enable Central to attend Thursday's game between West Virginia and South Florida at the Sun Dome, which will serve as a homecoming of sorts for former Bears star and current Mountaineers freshman Alex Ruoff. The timing is mildly appropriate. Central has struggled to replace Ruoff this season, while Hernando has yet to fill the void left when its own Division I player - James Madison freshman Kyle Swanston - graduated two years ago. Neither team has won a conference game this season, and both are coming off 1-2 showings in their respective holiday tournaments. Central has four players who can lead the team in scoring on any given night, while Hernando has been led primarily by the perimeter play of guards Blake Vanderford and Jacob Bess. Both teams have a golden opportunity to start the second half of the season with a bang.
GIRLS : Hernando at Central, Thursday, 7.
Four of Central's final seven regular-season games are against county opponents, including two games against the Leopards. Though Nature Coast has all but wrapped up another county title, second place is up for grabs down the home stretch.
LAY-UP DRILL
Hernando's Jacob Bess was impressive in last week's Father Lopez Christmas Tournament. Coach Jeff Laing said the part-time runner, part-time baller played "three solid games" in Daytona Beach. Bess was rewarded with an all-tournament selection. The Leopards went 1-2 in the tournament, dropping games to Keystone and Seabreeze and defeating New Smyrna Beach.
Laing said the Leopards had a chance to win each game, though "all three teams we played were athletically superior."
The trip also served as a time for the squad to bond, as they spent three days together away from home. The team hung out on the boardwalk and went to a UCF basketball game Thursday in Orlando. The Golden Knights beat North Florida 69-57.
Monday's girls basketball game against Foundation Academy was the first official Springstead sporting event to take place on the newly-painted floor. You would have thought the Eagles colors were dull blue and hardwood brown with all the chips in the worn-out paint.
Nature Coast girls beat Wayne County (Ky.) in a nail-biter in Friday's Florida Gulf Coast Holiday Classic finale, but Wayne County still was tournament champion.
How so?
Dr. Krop, which beat the Sharks in the semifinals, withdrew from the tournament to tend to an injured player. So Nature Coast played Wayne County in a theoretical championship, only after awarding Wayne County the tournament trophy due to a Dr. Krop forfeit. The Sharks officially finished third.
COMING UP
WEDNESDAY : Boys: Central at Hernando, 7:30.
THURSDAY : Boys: Hernando Christian at Shores Christian, 7:30. Girls: Hernando at Central, 7; South Lake at Nature Coast, 7:30.
FRIDAY: Boys: Hernando at Pasco, 7:30; Cedar Key at Hernando Christian, 7; Nature Coast at Hudson, 7:30; Springstead at Gulf, 7:30 . Girls: Cedar Key at Hernando Christian, 5:30; Hudson at Nature Coast, 7; Gulf at Springstead, 7:30.
SATURDAY: Boys: Citrus at Springstead, 5:30.
[Last modified January 3, 2006, 01:57:16]
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