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Pirates' rusher stays a puzzle for Lecanto
By KEITH NIEBUHR
© St. Petersburg Times, LECANTO -- Had Ryan McNally's night ended after his first carry against Lecanto, he probably would have been satisfied. He did, after all, go 55 yards for a touchdown. Turns out, he was only getting started. McNally, the county's top rusher, ran for a season-high 217 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns in leading the Pirates to a 56-18 win over Lecanto, their 14th consecutive victory in the series. "He was excellent," Crystal River coach Jere DeFoor said. Yeah, you could say that. McNally had four carries of 20 or more yards and seven of 10 or more. His output not only improved his five-game total to 759 yards, but outdid the entire Lecanto team by 18 yards. McNally's only miscue, a fumble late in the first half, proved to be harmless. "He was hitting the holes pretty quick," DeFoor said. "And he was making some good cuts." McNally's first play might have been his biggest. On Lecanto's opening possession, the Panthers went 80 yards on 13 carries to take a surprising 6-0 lead. In need of momentum, Crystal River went to one of its bread and butter plays -- 33 trap. On the play, McNally took a handoff from quarterback Clayton Trenary, darted through a gaping hole up the middle, then got a key block from tight end Will Bleakley that sent him on a clear path to the end zone. Bleakley's PAT gave Crystal River a 7-6 lead and the Pirates never trailed again. "That was big," DeFoor said. "Bleakley made a nice block," McNally said. "Right when I saw him block that last man, I knew it was over." McNally benefitted from great blocks the entire game. On practically every carry, he found a comfortable running lane. From there, he did the rest. "The holes were there all day long," McNally said. "The line was pumped. I told them to lead me to the promised land." They did. McNally also scored on runs of 4 and 17 yards. As a team, Crystal River rushed for 367 yards on 38 attempts, an average of 9.7 yards per carry. Nearly two-thirds of the Pirates' yardage came in the second half, when they scored 35 points. "I knew I could do anything behind this line," McNally said. "When you run behind them, you can do a lot. The line was ready to go." So was McNally, who rushed for 177 yards and four touchdowns on eight attempts against the Panthers last season. "I had a good feeling (Friday)," McNally said. "I love playing Lecanto."
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