Pasco: Briscoe's back, but are Gators?

Briscoe's back, but are Gators?

By LINDA ROTHSTEIN

2A-8 BOYS

ZEPHYRHILLS -- If he had been healthy, there's no telling how many goals Zephyrhills forward John Briscoe would have scored this season.

But despite being sick or injured for much of the season, Briscoe still leads Pasco County with 29 goals.

The Bulldogs hope to follow Briscoe's lead as the Class 2A, District 8 tournament begins Monday at Central. Fourth-seeded Zephyrhills faces fifth-seeded Pasco on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The teams tied twice during the regular season, but with Briscoe healthy and with a strong supporting cast, Zephyrhills coach Phil Castro hopes the Bulldogs have enough punch to make it out of the first round.

"I figure we will score against them this time," Castro said. "It's just keeping them from scoring. We have such a rivalry with them, the records are out the door. A lot of our kids know their kids. It's just a pride match."

In addition to Briscoe, Zephyrhills will also need help from Chris Hinkle and Justin Chauncey. "He's (Briscoe) our scorer and he's scored a lot already and he's been marked," Castro said. "That one guy can't do it all. It has to be a team effort. We try not to put pressure on him when we're down because we realize sometimes he can't do it all."

To reach the final, Zephyrhills will have to go through top-seed Hudson, which has a bye in the first round. If the Bulldogs win against Pasco, they'll face the Cobras in the semifinals Wednesday. Hudson won its district two years ago but lost in the final last year in overtime. It will likely have to go through Pasco and Springstead, which tied and beat Hudson, respectively, to win the district. But Hudson also garnered wins against the two teams.

"My goal is to win the district and move on," Hudson coach Ron Ladimir said. "Unfortunately, the last two years, the No. 1 seed has lost in the finals to the No. 2 seed. The kids know what's at stake and they're not going to take anything for granted."