Friday night rewind

After a night of preseason games Friday, here's what we learned about the teams and players in Hernando and Pasco counties

By DAVID MURPHY, Times Staff Writer
Published August 26, 2007

As Ridgewood coach Chris Taylor stood on a rain-soaked football field following a 23-14 preseason victory over East Lake on Friday night, he was asked how close he came to canceling the scrimmage due to heavy rain and lightning that moved through the area. ¶ The answer? ¶ Not very close. ¶ "We were going to play," Taylor said, "even if we had to start at 10:30." ¶ In the end, the game started at about 8:30, and Ridgewood proceeded to establish itself as the team to beat on the North Suncoast, shutting down future Division I running back Micah Powell while watching its own senior rusher go wild. ¶ The lesson? Ridgewood is for real. ¶ Here's what else we learned from a full slate of preseason games:

Five storylines we're watching:

1 The maturation of Land O'Lakes: The Gators certainly have some rebuilding to do, but trust us: There's more talent there than you might think. It'll be interesting to see how LOL eases freshman quarterback Stephen Weatherford into the fold.

2 The balance of power in Hernando County: On paper, Nature Coast probably has the most talent. Central, which went 8-2 and won the Class 4A, District 8 crown last year, has as much right to call itself the county favorite as anyone. And then we have Hernando, which opened some eyes with its strong performance against perennial powerhouse South Sumter. It should be an interesting year in the Hernando County Athletic Conference.

3 Byronell Arline's foot: Arline said after the game that his bruised left foot, which caused him to miss two weeks of practice, will likely nag him throughout the year. The running back doesn't seem too concerned about it. In fact, he laughed at all the attention the injury has received. And Taylor felt confident enough to give him 18 carries and keep him in the game after the rest of the starters were pulled. But if the Rams are going to live up to their potential, they'll need their star healthy.

4 The development of Gulf's defense

The Bucs allowed Tarpon Springs to score 51 points in their preseason classic, allowing touchdown runs of 74 and 59 yards. Gulf is extremely young on defense - only two starters return from last year's squad, one of whom is playing a different position. And the Bucs have some talent on offense. How fast can the defense jell?

5 The Class 4A, District 8 race: This just might be the most even district, top to bottom, in the entire bay area. We've tabbed Ridgewood as the preseason favorite, but the Rams didn't even go to the playoffs last season. Central went 8-2 last year to claim the title and has a lot of talent back. Tarpon Springs looks loaded, particularly after its thrashing of Gulf. And Land O'Lakes, which enters its first year in the district, is a perennial team to beat. How tough is this district? We didn't even mention Springstead, which has two playoff berths in the last three years.

Five teams we're watching:

1 Ridgewood: With the size, the experience and the running back, the Rams control their own destiny.

2 Nature Coast: Sharks were rained out at Eustis, but with star sophomore running back Tevin Drake and a big defense, their prospects look bright.

3 Central: Senior leadership, running back Duane Marks and quarterback Chase Walker have the Bears hoping for a repeat of 2006.

4 Land O'Lakes: One thing we've learned over the years: Never count out the Gators.

5 Mitchell: There's some cause for optimism of Little Road.

Five players we're watching:

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Lamon Neal Hernando	The senior quarterback was something of an afterthought heading into the Leopards' preseason tilt against South Sumter. But Neal propelled himself into a competition for the starting job, rushing for 55 yards and completing 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards. After the game, Hernando coach Rodney Byrd declared the position open and suggested that he might rotate quarterbacks (senior Jason Davies is the incumbent; sophomore Calvin Haygood is an athletic option-style quarterback) during the season.
Adidas Tolliver Ridgewood	The senior wide receiver didn't play any offense last season, but this year he should add another dimension to the Rams' attack. Though he caught just two passes against East Lake, he might be the top deep threat in Pasco and Hernando counties. Long, fast and smooth, he slipped behind the Eagles' secondary on a number of occasions, and also broke a 47-yard kickoff return.
Tyrone Hendrix Mitchell	A two-year starter for the Mustangs, Hendrix was outstanding throughout summer workouts. In a 27-16 win over the Gators, he caught four passes for 141 yards.
Heath Heroux Central	Heroux transferred into Central from Armwood last season and immediately established himself as one of the biggest hitters in the area. In a 35-7 preseason loss to Dunedin on Friday, he laid a Falcon runner out with a hit that looked straight out of Madden '08.
Zack Wynn Hudson	The sophomore quarterback was already drawing raves as a freshman, and he just might take the next step this season. In a 14-6 preseason win over Springstead, he completed 12 of 24 passes for 171 yards.