Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Different views, same goals

Central senior DuJuan Harris, Nature Coast freshman Tevin Drake just want a playoff win.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published November 10, 2006

BROOKSVILLE - The mindset of the young is drastically different than the mindset of the old, even when the age gap in question is a mere four years. This was evident Wednesday as Tevin Drake and DuJuan Harris discussed their respective teams' places in the postseason.

Drake is a kid who acts every bit his 14 years, and as he sat in the football office at Nature Coast he did so with a goofy grin plastered on his face. For a freshman in high school, there isn't much to life other than trips to the movies and girls houses on weekends.

Sure, he has rushed for more than 700 yards in his first five games as a varsity player, but really, what do the playoffs mean to a kid who hasn't yet begun to shave?

"I'm just going to go out there and do me," said Drake, whose Sharks host Williston tonight in the region quarterfinals. "It (not) different to me. I'm real excited."

Harris is a little quieter, a little more self-aware. Before the season started, he stood in the same hallway and talked about what it was like to be a senior, that underclassmen still have another chance to do it all over, but for a senior, the season is all that remains.

Now, though, he has gained even more perspective.

"Even for the underclassmen, this could be their last shot," said Harris, whose Bears host Dayton Beach Seabreeze tonight. "You never know what is going to happen tomorrow."

Tonight, both players, and both teams, have a chance to make history. Central has never won a postseason game. Nature Coast has never even appeared in one.

If Las Vegas were putting out a betting line, both teams would be heavy underdogs. Hernando County schools must earn the right to be called postseason favorites, and thus far they have not done it. Williston is from one of the tougher districts on the West Coast of Florida. Seabreeze is from the vaunted East Coast.

Yet both coaches say their games are winnable, and it appears they actually believe it, too.

For Drake and Harris and all of their teammates, tonight marks the first postseason appearance of their careers.

It is up to all of them to make sure that it is not their last.

SCOUTING REPORT | Central

Seabreeze coach Marc Beach played at Valdosta State under coach Hal Mumme, who once coached Tim Couch at Kentucky and is famous for his spread offense. Beach's single-back, spread attack is based on Mumme's scheme, but features a lot more running out of the quarterback position. Junior signal-caller Troy Dannehower is dangerous on the ground (664 yards, seven TDs on 129 carries) and through the air (83-of-132 for 1,147, 11 TDs, 5 INTs). The play of Dannehower opens up the middle for running back Leroy Houston, who has 637 yards on 127 carries this season.

If there is one unknown in the game, it is how Central, which hasn't faced a similar offense all season, will match up. Springstead had some success throwing against the Bears, and the Eagles are a lot less talented than Seabreeze.

For Central, the key will be finding ways to get running back DuJuan Harris the ball in space. The senior has 1,473 yards and 18 touchdowns this year, and is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Central's offense has become more diverse as the season has progressed, but Harris is still the key. When playing a high-powered offense, the best defense often is a rushing offense.

Central coach Cliff Lohrey isn't afraid to take chances with his play-calling. In fact, he sometimes feels as if he is playing a video game instead of coaching a high school football team. This season, the Bears have called fake punts, fake field goals, fake extra points, hook-and-ladders, halfback options and more.

Beach said his team has spent time preparing for such things.

"It just makes you put more time in," he said. "They didn't punt once last week, they faked it every time."

Actually, Central punted once, but his point remains the same.

The breakdown

Head to head

Seabreeze - Central

Coach Marc Beach  - Cliff Lohrey

Years 6 - 1

District 4A-7 - 4A-8

2006 Record 8-2 - 8-2

PPG 24.3 - 24.3

PPG allowed 14.6 - 16.4

A History of Absence

Though much older than Nature Coast, Central hasn't established a solid football tradition since opening its doors in 1989. The Bears had some success under coach Steve Crognale, now an assistant principal at Springstead, and John Wilkinson, now coach at state power Cocoa High, but have never won a postseason football game. In fact, Central has been outscored 247-31 in its five playoff games.

Playoff History

1995 (4A): Lost to Alachua Santa Fe 60-0.

1996 (4A): Lost to Alachua Santa Fe 45-13.

1998 (4A): Lost to Crystal River 27-9.

2000 (3A): Lost to Jefferson 35-3.

2001 (4A): Lost to New Smyrna Beach 40-6.

Best Seasons in School History

(made playoffs in bold)

2006 8-2 Cliff Lohrey

2004 8-2 John Wilkinson

1998 8-3 Steve Crognale

2001 7-3 Steve Crognale

1990 7-4 Barry Gardner

2006 Results

8/25 at Hernando L, 25-3

9/1 vs. Sarasota Booker L, 41-0

9/8 at Crystal River W, 46-0

9/15 vs. Tarpon Springs 21-9

9/22 vs. Lecanto W, 48-17

9/29 at Ridgewood W, 23-20

10/13 vs. Springstead W, 18-17

10/20 at South Lake W, 27-7

10/27 at River Ridge W, 25-14

11/3 vs. Nature Coast W, 32-14

SCOUTING REPORT | Nature Coast

Part of the appeal of the option offense Nature Coast runs is the difficulty it gives opposing defenses when it comes to their assignments. This week, the Sharks will know first hand as Williston brings a powerful triple-option offense to town. The Red Devils' attack features quarterback Devin Timmons and fullback Marquis Minor, who combined to rush for 249 yards against North Marion two weeks ago. Though Minor has developed into a go-to threat, Williston spreads the ball around to four other running backs: Deonte White, Travis Evans, Mario Brown and Shavonte Johnson.

Timmons also is capable of throwing. Against North Marion, he was 6-of-12 for 207 yards and three touchdowns.

The best athlete on Williston's team is Jarvis James, a 6-foot-4 player who was named all-state last year at defensive back. In fact, James was named all-state in three sports: football, basketball and baseball. He has committed to play baseball at the University of Florida. James also is a talented receiver. Against North Marion, he caught five passes for 149 yards.

Nature Coast will be helped by the return of senior running back Mike Haslam, who brings an added dimension to the Sharks' option attack.

Quarterback Josh Ortiz, who has more than 800 yards rushing this season, struggled last week against Central. Freshman running back Tevin Drake is the big, every-down back. Haslam provides hard running up the middle.

The breakdown

Head to head

Williston - Nature Coast

Coach Jamie Baker - Jamie Joyner

Years 3 - 3

District 3A-5 - 3A-6

2006 Record 7-3 - 8-2

PPG 30.0 - 24.4

PPG allowed 18.1 - 16.3

The Formative Years

It isn't hard to trace the history of this Nature Coast program. After the school opened in 2003, it made the leap to varsity in 2004. In 2004 and 2005, Nature Coast combined to win just five games. The Sharks allowed an average of 31.2 points per game those first two years and were 0-4 in the county and 0-4 in the district. This year, that all changed. Nature Coast notched an emotional victory over Springstead to jump-start an eight-game win streak that featured two county wins and four district wins. The streak was snapped last week in a regular season-ending loss to Central.

Nature Coast Year-by-Year

Year Overall County District Coach

2004 3-7 0-1 0-0 Jamie Joyner

2005 2-8 0-3 0-3 Jamie Joyner

2006 8-2 2-1 4-0 Jamie Joyner

2006 Results

08/25 at Frostproof L, 27-10

09/01 vs. Springstead W, 15-10

09/08 vs. The Villages W, 15-14

09/15 at Crystal River W, 14-10

09/29 vs. Lecanto W, 61-0

10/06 vs. Poinciana W, 40-7

10/13 at Citrus W, 29-28

10/20 vs. Hernando W, 13-7

10/27 at Mulberry W, 33-28

11/03 at Central L, 32-14

[Last modified November 10, 2006, 07:09:06]