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Eagles grounded for a bit

Injuries and the graduation of key players meant a so-so season for Springstead.

By DEREK LARIVIERE
Published November 8, 2006

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Maurice Rivenbark] John Hogeland graduates this school year, meaning the Springstead Eagles will deal with some inexperience at quarterback for next season.

Each time Hernando County's two playoff teams (Central and Nature Coast) played Springstead and walked away with a hard-fought victory this season, the opposing team mentioned how important a win over the county's premier program was.

The question remains whether Springstead can still be called the premier local program. After finishing 5-5 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Eagles won only one county game, against a hapless Hernando team.

Most agree Springstead entered this season with less talent than any other county school. For two straight seasons, the Eagles lost the most talented player in the county to graduation.

Last season, they lost starting quarterback Ian Wald, and this season, Springstead was without 2005 Times Hernando/Citrus County Player of the Year Seth Metz, the team's top linebacker and running back.

Despite the losses and a lack of big-play talent to fill the gap, coach Bill Vonada continued to plug away without excuses. He had confidence the superior work ethic of his team would give Springstead the edge on the field.

"We've done nothing but overcome things all season," Vonada said. "I am so proud of the way these kids have fought back along the way."

Seniors John Hogeland and Victor Schick were primed to be the top offensive weapons coming into the 2006 season.

Schick injured a knee against South Lake on Sept. 15 and was never the same the rest of the season. He showed signs of life in his final game at Lecanto with 10 carries for 108 yards and a score.

While not as athletic as Wald, Hogeland worked hard as one of the keys to the 2005 playoff berth. He was relied on far more this season without the major weapons in the running game. He played well most of the season before injuring a knee against River Ridge on Oct. 20.

Despite the knee injury, Hogeland's determination showed in his prep finale with Lecanto. While splitting snaps to keep fresh, he went 4-of-7 for 121 yards and two touchdown passes.

The road back to a district title looks longer than anticipated, but Vonada is positioning the program for such a bounceback effort in 2007.

Knowing he again is about to lose both his top running back and quarterback to graduation, the ninth-year coach started playing sophomores James Mahla and Mike Greco more as the season wound down.

Mahla, a strong-armed quarterback with less mobility than Hogeland, likely will be under center for Springstead next season. In limited time, his best game came against Lecanto when he went 4-of-10 for 113 yards and a touchdown strike.

Greco is a shifty back who likely will take over as the feature back. He ran for 61 yards on nine carries with a 55-yard scamper to pay dirt against Lecanto. In the same game, he had a 65-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass.

"(The underclassmen) have so much potential," Hogeland said. "(The seniors) never treated them like they were less important to the team because we know what they are capable of in the long run."

This season looked to be a transition period at best for Springstead. Vonada pushed all the right buttons, and despite young, inexperienced players and a lack of overall talent, the program fought hard to finish at .500.

[Last modified November 8, 2006, 06:27:53]