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Friday night rewind

By DAWN REISS, BRIAN SUMERS and DAVID MURPHY
Published September 17, 2006

SCORES

Nature Coast 14, Crystal River 10

Central 21, Tarpon Springs 9

South Lake 21, Springstead 0

Zephyrhills 36, Hernando 9

Temple Christian 35, Hernando Christian 19

Citrus 38, Lecanto 0

QUOTABLE

"Let's hold onto the football and get out of here."

- JAMIE JOYNER, Nature Coast coach on his thoughts during the second half of Friday's game, when the Sharks did not score in the fourth quarter but won 14-10.

"If he keeps running like that, he's going to find a college that really wants him."

- CARLOS BECARIA, Central fullback on teammate DuJuan Harris' back-to-back 100-plus yard performances.

"If we had wanted to run it up, we would have thrown it."

- RIK HAINES, Citrus coach, whose team scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and had more than 180 yards in penalties, including five 15-yard infractions.

"I walked out there, and I thought, 'That's a long way to go.' "

- ANTHONY PARADISO, Crystal River coach on his team's 95-yard pass completion in the third quarter.

GAME BALLS

Josh Ortiz, Nature Coast: He did not consider Friday night his best effort, but the senior quarterback did score on a 74-yard run. Ortiz finished with 16 carries for 128 yards. And don't forget, he plays both ways as a defensive back.

DUJUAN HARRIS, CENTRAL: You are going to be tired of hearing his name by the end of the season. Even on a night in which he was held relatively in check, the running back managed to score two rushing touchdowns, break a 74-yard kickoff for another touchdown, and finish with 100 yards on 30 carries. Oh, yeah, his fourth-quarter interception iced the game, too.

CARLOS BECARIA, CENTRAL: He was all over the field on offense and on defense, sacking the quarterback, gaining tough yards and sparking the team. Too bad his 24-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown was called back because of a penalty. He deserved it.

CENTRAL DEFENSE: They all deserve it. Tarpon Springs had weapons. And they occasionally hurt the Bears. But future Division I player Marquis Gamble was held in check, and so was halfback Calvin Wood.

OBSERVATIONS

IMPERFECT PERFECTION: Nobody would have thought it would have been Cliff Lohrey staring at the scoreboard at Central and saying, "We could have beat them by more" But the Bears definitely could have. They fumbled twice, had a touchdown called back because of a penalty, missed two point-after attempts and had a number of crucial penalties. Still, something tells us they'll take the victory anyway.

LOW CLASS: Running up the score and showing class are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. The 'Canes were called for five 15-yard infractions in their 186 yards of penalties that included roughing the passer, kicker, two chop blocks and a sideline warning. Citrus certainly showed no restraint, racking up 28 points in the fourth quarter and sacking Lecanto's Mike Scales multiple times. When asked after the game why Citrus scored so many touchdowns in the final minutes - in particular a five-play, 69-yard drive that ended in the final seconds with Patrick Kruis scoring his second touchdown - Haines simply shrugged and said "the kids wanted Patrick to score. What was I supposed to do?"

SMALL STEPS: The score doesn't show it, but Lecanto has made some small improvements. Citrus' former defensive coordinator, Rick Keeran, who now coaches at Lecanto after Haines said he cut him, has helped improved the defense. After Citrus fumbled on a reverse, Lecanto returned it 42 yards to set it up on the 17, but was able to capitalize on that opportunity in the red zone. Lecanto quarterback Mike Scales came back from a sack to connect on a 12-yard pass. He went 4-for-17, but on the passes that were caught, he racked up decent yardage including 33- and 25- yard throws.

SO CLOSE ...: Friday night marked the best game - by far - for Crystal River, and it showed coach Anthony Paradiso is making progress. The Pirates won't win next week at Trinity Catholic, a perennial state championship contender, but they could surprise some opponents in the second half of the season. So watch out, Citrus, Lecanto and Hernando: You'll face an improved Pirates squad.

L LADIES: Lecanto's step team, "L girls," which started last year, added some pre-game pep with their choreographed routine. "I wanted an alternative for the girls because not everybody is a cheerleader," Lecanto advisor Twila Haeser said. The team of 16 averages a 3.5 grade point average and has one and a half hours of study hall after school, then practices their routines from 3:45-5 p.m.

[Last modified September 17, 2006, 07:08:51]