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Nature Coast-Springstead rivalry stays on the court

By DAVID MURPHY
Published December 14, 2006

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Maurice Rivenbark] Springstead center Ethan Selph hit a driving layup with 26 seconds remaining in the game to help give the Eagles an edge over Nature Coast on Thursday night, finishing with 15 points.

Outside of the building, Craig Swartout stood by a bus, students milling around him, sweat soaking through his polo shirt, a Springstead administrator cutting short his postgame interview session so the Eagles could get the heck out of Dodge.

Inside, Travis Priddy leaned silently against a cement wall, his button-down shirt untucked, his tie loose, his shoulders slumped.

One man was victorious, the other vanquished.

But listen to both, and they'll tell you the same thing: Tuesday night was an example of why high school basketball games are played.

Though Springstead and Nature Coast may be the Hatfields and McCoys of Hernando County, though every interaction between the two schools may be accompanied by an undercurrent of mutual resentment, the Eagles' thrilling 61-57 overtime victory was athletic drama at its finest.

Were there tense moments?

Sure.

Did the powder keg stay unlit?

No.

But both teams handled themselves with as much class as one can muster when hundreds of screaming fans pack a gym the size of a dorm room.

In the first half, it was Swartout turning around from the Eagles' bench and admonishing his team's fans for taunting Nature Coast. In the second half, it was Priddy sending volatile forward Josh Ortiz to the locker room after he had fouled out and appeared to be on the brink of getting into a verbal altercation with the Springstead faithful.

The atmosphere was raucous - quite possibly the loudest environment for a county game over the past two seasons. But unlike last January, when the two schools engaged in an ugly postgame brawl that resulted in the suspensions of several players, the intensity stayed on the court.

Were the sheriff's deputies who facilitated fans' postgame departure necessary?

Probably.

Did Springstead really need to act as if it were fleeing the Pharoah's army while loading its bus and heading across the county?

Probably not.

After it was over - after Springstead center Ethan Selph hit a driving layup with 26 seconds left, Springstead forward Jeff Haynes blocked a shot with 10 seconds left and Springstead guard Nehemiah Mason hit two free throws with seven seconds left - we were left to marvel at the basketball game. Not the extracurricular afterward.

And that's how it should be.

Because it'd be a shame to focus on something other than the emergence of Selph, who scored 15 points and used his 6-foot-7 frame to alter more attempted shots than White House spokesman Tony Snow.

Or the play of Nature Coast guard Joe Silvestri, who took to heart his coach's pregame lecture about a lack of confidence and drilled six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points.

To detract attention from anything other than the game would be a disservice to both teams.

We can only hope the situation is the same on Jan. 23: Nature Coast vs. Springstead, Part II.

Bring your vocal chords.

Leave your flak jacket at home.

David Murphy can be reached at dmurphy@sptimes.com or 352 848-1407.

Breaking down the game

Staff writer David Murphy offers his analysis of Springstead's 61-57 win over Nature Coast on Tuesday night.

1. It is impossible to tell which of these teams is better. But before all you Springstead fans force me to spend 30 minutes wading through angry voicemails tomorrow, remember that the game was tied at the end of regulation. And remember that if Eagles reserve forward Ben Noury hadn't hit a desperation 3-pointer from a step inside the halfcourt line at the end of the first quarter, the game could have gone the other way. That's not to say Nature Coast is the better team. But even after Tuesday's game, you really can't separate the two.

2. Is that a solar eclipse? No it's just Ethan Selph. The Springstead center registered six blocks against Nature Coast and altered several other shots. Selph was a probably a big reason why the Sharks were hesitant to penetrate. At 6 feet 7, he has such long arms that it is nearly impossible to get a shot off over him. That said, he needs to continue to improve on offense - it still doesn't flow through him as much as it could if he was a little more seasoned. It will be interesting to see what kind of player the senior is - and what kind of team Springstead is - by the end of the season.

3. Joe Silvestri is legit. He's an old-school player with a sweet jump shot and every fundamental you could ask for. Nature Coast coach Travis Priddy wants him to be more aggressive. Like Selph, if Silvestri can introduce an aggressive tenacity to his scoring, he could be a dominant player by the end of the year.

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[Last modified December 13, 2006, 21:03:05]