Hernando: News and Notes

By TIMES STAFF
Published January 22, 2008

On the web: Dandy dozen

Berkeley Prep takes over the top spot in our ranking of the best bay area boys basketball teams; St. Petersburg Catholic remains No. 1 for the girls. Sound off on the lists athighschool.tampabay.com.

Set your DVR

Nature Coast travels south across the county line to visit an improved Wiregrass Ranch in boys basketball tonight at 6. The Sharks 15-7, 9-5 enter having won seven of their past nine with the biggest a 59-47 victory against rival Springstead on Jan. 11. Nature Coast has leaned all season on scoring leader Joe Silvestri (16.7 ppg), above.

The Sharks won the first meeting 61-35. The Sharks were led by Mike Adams (17 points) and Mike Fields (15 points). The Bulls (7-15, 7-8) have dropped nine of 10 but have played closer games recently. The Bulls are led by Sean Cooper (14.4 ppg) and Eric Williams (11.2 ppg).

Foul shooting

Hernando's girls basketball team came within a late shot of completing a season sweep of Gulf, losing 38-36 on Nicole Adams's layup with 13 seconds left. But after the game, Leopards coach Josandra Maner was focused on just one number: 12.

That's the number of free throws Hernando missed during the game, going 8-for-20 from the line.

"That determined the game right there," Maner said.

Some solace: The Leopards (14-5) are in line to snag the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A, District 8 tournament, meaning a rematch with No. 2 Gulf could be in order.

Reed ready for Ivy

Gulf right tackle Steve Reed will take his game to the Ivy League next season, Bucs coach Jay Fulmer said. Reed, the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder who helped running back David Williams make all-state this season, has committed to play at Brown next season, the coach said.

Speaking of Williams, Fulmer hopes to get the senior, who rushed for 2,087 yards this season, into a junior college.

"I don't want him to fall in the cracks," Fulmer said. "I want him to go somewhere that's competitive."

Correction

Land O'Lakes' Arianna Azzopardi was misidentified in a girls soccer photo that ran in Saturday's Times.

Compiled by Times staff writers Izzy Gould and David Murphy.

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Contact us

Izzy Gould can be reached at izzygould@gmail.com or (813) 909-4612. David Murphy can be reached at dmurphy@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1407.

[Last modified January 22, 2008, 01:07:35]