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Hernando Today

Dealing With Change

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Springstead High’s fourth-year Head Coach Polo Furlong graduated most of his defense and his goalkeeper (Jennifer DeFrancesco) from last winter’s county-best 17-4-4 squad. The Lady Eagles, who tied for the county championship with nature Coast Technical, finished runner-up in 4A-8 to Hudson.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: November 10, 2008

A scan of the four Hernando County teams, who all began play last week, revealed one common thread: change.

Sure, change is a constant at the prep level. It can come in the form of inevitable graduations, occasional transfers or athletes and coaches deciding to go in a different direction.

But this season, the quartet of local programs all have some significant holes to fill, whether it's defending county champion Springstead replacing its leading scorer (Taylor McKinney) and record-setting goalkeeper (Jennifer DeFrancesco) or Hernando re-breaking in new (old) coach Rick Ahrens.

New faces

The county conversation has to start with the Lady Eagles, coming off a 17-4-4 campaign and off to a 2-0 start this season under fourth-year Head Coach Polo Furlong.

Springstead was the only county team to advance to regionals last season, finishing as the runner-up in Class 4A, District 8 and losing in the regional quarterfinals at Orlando-Bishop Moore.

McKinney graduated after recording team-highs of 18 goals and 40 points, as did DeFrancesco following a senior campaign in which she tied a county record with 17 shutouts.

In order to return to regionals, where the Lady Eagles are 0-7 all-time, they'll lean on junior Cristina Passafaro (29 points last season) and sophomore Ashley Walker (34 points last season).

Sophomore Monica Vega has the unenviable task of replacing DeFrancesco in goal, while sophomores Brittany Delgado and Kaitlyn Duke, along with junior Ashley Southall, will key the defense.

"We have a lot of new people in the fold and you just want them to play together as a team," Furlong said. "So far, so good. I think we have a good defense, just like last year, if not better. We'll try to do the best we can this year."

Defending 4A-8 champion Hudson returns almost everyone, and Furlong figures the Lady Cobras and Gulf will compete with his team for the district's top spots. He also noted Nature Coast as a dark horse.

However, the Lady Sharks (12-7-4 in 2007-08) took a significant hit when 21-point scorer Cassandra Freeman moved to Alaska.

To make matters worse, the county's defending scoring champ, junior Taylor Agricola, is out indefinitely because of surgery on a damaged anterior cruciate ligament. Agricola tallied county-highs of 19 goals and 41 points as a sophomore.

"We're going to say wait and see," said sixth-year Nature Coast Head Coach Phil Bennett. "I don't really know. I don't know which way we're going to go. We're going to be defensively strong, but we don't know.

"By the time the end of the season comes around (when Agricola returns), we'll be good. We'll see how long it takes to get there."

Central probably has the least amount of rebuilding to do, though the Lady Bears (5-9-5 in 2007-08) lost Danielle Still and Giovina DeSantis from their defense.

Fourth-year Head Coach Amy Ellis believes her senior leadership can help Central compete in Class 5A, District 7 with the likes of River Ridge and Land O' Lakes. The Lady Bears can also count on sophomore Alyx McKinney, their leading scorer last season with 13 points.

"I'm a little hesitant because we lost so much defensively," Ellis said. "It looks like we're tougher. It'll take some time. There's so many being moved around into new positions. But I think we're going to surprise some people."

No local program has struggled in recent seasons like Hernando (4-17-2 in 2007-08). Ahrens, the man who started the program and coached the Lady Leopards from 1993-2002, has returned to the sideline.

"The key is consistent improvement," said Ahrens, Hernando's sixth head coach in as many seasons. "It's a very young team. There's going to be some growing pains. The key is cut down on mental mistakes and work with them to gain better understanding of the game as a whole."

CENTRAL LADY BEARS

Head coach: Amy Ellis (4th year)

District: 5A-7

2007-08 record: 5-9-5 (2-3-3 5A-7, lost in district semifinals)

Key losses: Danielle Still, Giovina DeSantis.

Key returnees: Ashley Custodio (Sr., MF), Taylor Kupcik (Sr., Stopper), Kady McCandless (Sr., GK), Andrea Kelliher (Sr., MF/DEF), Carlie Puglia (Sr., MF/F), Alyx McKinney (So., Sweeper), Angela Wooster (Sr., MF).

Key newcomers: Brittany Wert (Fr. MF), Brooke Wardlow (So., GK).

Coach's outlook: "I'm a little hesitant because we lost so much defensively. It looks like we're tougher. It'll take some time. There's so many being moved around into new positions. But I think we're going to surprise some people."

HERNANDO LADY LEOPARDS

Head coach: Rick Ahrens (1st year, 10th overall)

District: 4A-8

2007-08 record: 4-17-2 (1-14-1 4A-8, lost in district quarterfinals)

Key returnees: Megan Platt (So., GK), Nicole Antonini (Sr., DEF), Whitney Sims (So., MF/Striker), Brittany Parker (Jr., MF), Hailey Royal (So., Striker).

Coach's outlook: "The key is consistent improvement. It's a very young team. There's going to be some growing pains. The key is cut down on mental mistakes and work with them to gain better understanding of the game as a whole."

NATURE COAST LADY SHARKS

Head coach: Phil Bennett (6th year)

District: 4A-8

2007-08 record: 12-7-4 (7-6-3 4A-8, lost in district quarterfinals)

Key losses: Cassandra Freeman, Brittany Allen.

Key returnees: Taylor Agricola (Sr., F), Brittany McDonald (Sr., MF), Megan Jacobson (Sr., DEF), Taylor Reiss (Sr., DEF), Sarah Berberian (Sr., GK).

Key newcomers: Nicole Brennan (Fr., MF), Mallorie Pickersgill (Fr., MF), Jeri Loffler (Fr., F).

Coach's outlook: "We're going to say wait and see. I don't really know. I don't know which way we're going to go. We're going to be defensively strong, but we don't know. By the time the end of the season comes around, we'll be good. We'll see how long it takes to get there."

SPRINGSTEAD LADY EAGLES

Head coach: Polo Furlong (4th year)

District: 4A-8

2007 record: 17-4-4 (11-1-4 4A-8, runners-up in district, lost in regional quarterfinals)

Key losses: Jennifer DeFrancesco, Taylor McKinney, Brittany Duke, Jackie Holtje.

Key returnees: Cristina Passafaro (Jr., MF), Brittany Delgado (So., DEF), Kaitlyn Duke (So, DEF), Ashley Southall (Jr., DEF), Alyson Brady (So., MF), Ashley Walker (So., F), Lisa Truncale (Sr., MF).

Key newcomers: Paige Kuhn (Fr., MF), Kimberly Smith (Fr., F), Presley Pritchard (So., F), Monica Vega (So., GK).

Coach's outlook: "We have a lot of new people in the fold and you just want them to play together as a team. So far, so good. I think we have a good defense, just like last year, if not better. We'll try to do the best we can this year."

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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