Preps

Hernando: News and notes

By IZZY GOULD and DAVID MURPHY, Times Staff Writers
Published October 31, 2007

On the Web: Fallout Friday

Listen to Ridgewood's T.J. Haab, Hudson's Zack Wynn, Brandon's Samir Baker and East Lake's Micah Powell and get the scoop on this week's biggest games in our PrepCast audio report at highschool.tampabay.com.

Set your DVR

South Lake at Nature Coast, volleyball, 7 p.m.

The unprecedented success of the fledgling Nature Coast athletic program dates to 2004, when the volleyball team secured a playoff berth in its first year of competition.

The Sharks have advanced to the postseason in every year since, but have yet to win a match. They'll look to change that tonight against South Lake, which finished the regular season 21-3 and ranked No. 3 in the Class 4A state poll.

Senior middle blocker Monica Carney was named third-team all-state last season when South Lake advanced to the region finals before losing to Ponte Vedra Beach Nease in four games.

A shutout story

When Mitchell and Hudson beat Clearwater Central Catholic and Sunlake, respectively, by a combined score of 100-0 on Friday night, it marked the first time either school had blanked a football opponent in nearly two full seasons.

Mitchell, which knocked off CCC 27-0, last earned a shutout Nov.4, 2005, against River Ridge. Hudson, which beat Sunlake 73-0, previously shut out Lecanto on Oct.21, 2005.

Only one other area public school besides first-year programs Wiregrass and Sunlake had gone longer without blanking an opponent: Zephyrhills, which last shut out River Ridge in a 19-0 win Sept.24, 2004.

Recent shutouts

Mitchell - CCC, 27-0, Oct. 26, 2007

Hudson - Sunlake, 73-0, Oct. 26, 2007

Pasco - Wiregrass Ranch, 33-0, Oct. 26, 2007

Land O'Lakes - River Ridge, 31-0, Oct. 26, 2007

Nature Coast - Lecanto, 23-0, Oct. 5, 2007

Ridgewood - Wiregrass Ranch, 49-0, Sept. 7, 2007

River Ridge - Sunlake, 50-0, Aug. 31, 2007

Wesley Chapel - Mitchell, 38-0, Oct. 27, 2006

Hernando - Lecanto, 27-0, Oct. 13, 2006

Gulf - Ridgewood, 21-0, Oct. 6, 2006

Central - Crystal River, 46-0, Sept. 8, 2006

Springstead - Lecanto, 35-0, Nov. 4, 2005

Zephyrhills - River Ridge, 19-0, Sept. 24, 2004

With a 51-0 win over Gainesville St. Francis Catholic on Friday, Hernando Christian guaranteed it would finish with the best winning percentage in the program's four-year history. The Lions' lone winning season came in 2005, when a team led by Corey Drummond and Stephen Johnson finished 5-4.

This year, the Lions have won five of their first six games and, with two remaining, will finish with a winning percentage of at least .625. One more win would break the school record for victories in a season. Both of the Lions' remaining games are at home: vs. Winter Haven All Saints' 3-4 this week, and vs. St. John Lutheran (0-7) the week after.

HCA year-by-year

2004: 1-8

2005: 5-4

2006: 5-5

2007: 5-3

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 23:24:39]