Leopards on the prowl in first week of play

By DEREK J. LaRIVIERE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 14, 2007

Football season is like a fever in the South, and Hernando County is no exception. While the Cougars serve Spring Hill and the western side of the county, the Hernando Youth League does the same for Brooksville.

The HYL Leopards play a schedule full of teams north of the area while the Cougars play teams mainly south of this area.

The Midget division is the highest level among the five divisions of competition for the Leopards. In the first week of play, the team, led by coach Darren McKethan, defeated the Inverness Storm, 7-0. The Pee Wee division Leopards, the second level of competition, also won their Week 1 game against Inverness, 30-14. In fact, the only Leopards squad to lose in the first week was the Junior Pee Wees (34-6).

Other teams on the Leopards schedule include the Belleview Panthers, Villages Buffaloes, Marion County Raiders, Crystal River Sharks and Dunnellon Jaguars. The Leopards play home games at Tom Fisher Stadium at Hernando High School. Each team has an eight-game schedule with four home games.

CHEERLEADING:As with the West Hernando Cougars football program, the Cougars cheerleading program is separated into age groups and talent levels. Headed by Debbie McFarland, the girls have had their own success.

Competing against the other cheerleading squads in the Pasco Police Athletic League, the Cougars have shown their spirit well. The varsity program was named the best in the league during last season's cheer-off and all five divisions placed in the top three.

"We are doing skills that most girls can't do at this age," McFarland said. "Right now, we just do routines at halftime to get the girls used to working in front of a crowd, but once we start competing toward the end of the season and beyond, it will all pay off."

Once the regular season ends, the cheerleaders go around the state competing against top-notch independent cheerleading programs. The Cougars hope that this experience makes them that much better once they cheer and compete in high school.

[Last modified September 13, 2007, 19:35:48]