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Hernando Today

Can Anyone Stop Springstead?

BOYS BASKETBALL

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: February 6, 2009

When Springstead High takes the floor for the first time in the Class 4A, District 8 Tournament at Land O' Lakes-Sunlake High, the Eagles will carry in a 24-0 mark from the regular season.
In Tuesday's quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m., Springstead will face either eighth-seeded Hernando or ninth-seeded Pasco, who play the tournament's first game Monday at 7 p.m.
The Eagles defeated those two teams by a combined 288-85 across four games. In fact, in going 16-0 in 4A-8 play, Springstead won by an average of 29.8 points, with no one coming closer than 13.
Quite simply, the Eagles did not just go undefeated in the regular season. They mostly went untouched, with only four games decided by single-digits.
So without a shadow of a doubt, Springstead, ranked 12th in the 4A state poll last week, goes into this first leg of postseason play as the clear favorite.
"When you face them you have to play a perfect game," Nature Coast Head Coach Dave Pisarcik said. "And have some things go your way.
"They're tough to beat. They've got three players that can take over a game. Some teams have zero, some have one. Defensively they're fantastic. The team that beats them has to play the perfect game and so far no one has."

Staying grounded

Despite the Eagles' superlative record and those three stars Pisarcik mentioned – seniors Isaiah Mason, Dante Valentine and Domnique Roberson – Head Coach Pat Kelly refuses to look even beyond Tuesday.
"The pressure isn't on other folks," Kelly said. "Obviously we don't play for a whole lot of advantage during the season. We don't play in our gym. The brackets are iffy because people get (missing) people back.
"We don't worry about what the media puts on you or what people put on you. It's about going into a battle and dealing with whatever is on your plate."
To stay humble Springstead needs only look back to last year, when it came into the tournament as the top seed and two-time defending champion, yet got upset by Hudson in the semifinals.
However, at that point Valentine was out with a dislocated elbow and Mason had only played a handful of games after missing most of the season because of ineligibility.
The team was also a year younger and in its first season under Kelly, a veteran coach from Delaware who recorded his 400th career win last week.
Mason (20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game), Valentine (18.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.5 steals) and Roberson (9.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.8 steals) are certainly a big reason for the team's gaudy statistics.
But ask around, and it's the defense that stands out most, and perhaps ranks as the biggest difference from last season.
While the Eagles average 68.3 points, opponents have scored just 44 per game. It's all a product of Springstead's combination of speed and athleticism, evidenced by their 16 steals per contest.
"We're trying to work on things still," Kelly said. "We're trying to see improvement one day to the next. That's what we're focused on right now.
"…We've got to play tough defense and stay poised."

Tough road

Though Nature Coast tied Zephyrhills for the third best district record behind Springstead and Hudson, the Sharks fell to the fourth seed via tiebreaker.
That has left Nature Coast (15-8) with the unenviable task of taking on fifth-seed and host Sunlake, a red-hot team that won 31-28 over the Sharks on Jan. 23.  Nature Coast won the first meeting, 52-25.
"We didn't really get our goal," Pisarcik said. "We wanted to be the second or third seed, but we've got to deal with the cards we're dealt."
If the Sharks can get past Sunlake, they almost assuredly will face Springstead in the semifinal, marking the fourth meeting between those county rivals on the season.
Pisarcik put the onus on his three leading scorers, seniors Mike Adams, Michael Fields and Jake Meier.
"If those three guys play well, we'll win it," Pisarcik said. "If not, we struggle at times.
"We've had a great year. We're one game off the pace we were on last year. We've had a successful year; just hopefully we can make a run in the district."
For Hernando (6-19) to get a shot at Springstead, it must get past Pasco in what amounts to a play-in game. The Pirates are the defending district champions, making their low seeding highly unusual.
Pasco never fully recovered from its dismal start, when most of its players were helping the football team advance to the state semifinals. Hernando won the first meeting (42-27), then dropped the second (81-55).
"Right now our focus is to win a district tournament game," Hernando Head Coach Mark Latsko said. "With a young team, that's something we can build on. Springstead is a juggernaut right now. We're looking forward to the opportunity to play them.
"…We've got to rebound the basketball and make open shots, hit free throws, play good defense. Just fundamental basketball. When we play well, that's what we do."

Moving on up

At the Class 5A, District 7 Tournament, third-seeded Central (7-17) finally has a realistic shot at a playoff berth. Just one problem, the tournament is at Land O' Lakes.
The Bears must face the second-seeded Gators in Friday's 7:45 p.m. semifinal that will determine a regional bid and mostly likely who will face powerhouse and top seed Ridgewood in the final.
These two teams had a bizarre season series, with Central getting trounced in Land O' Lakes, 62-29, before bouncing back for a 65-53 home victory.
"Land O' Lakes, they're a very good team," Central Head Coach Eric Hayes said. "They're a shooting team. They have a good mix; they get up and down the floor. They play tough man-to-man defense.
"I think when we played well against them, we didn't make careless mistakes. That's something we have to eliminate.
"On the defensive end they're tough. On the offensive end they have a few weapons. I know we beat them, but it'll be tough to go out and duplicate that effort, especially at their place with their fans behind them. But it can be done."

Shorthanded champs

Hernando Christian Academy is the defending Class 1A, District 6 champ, but the Lions are in a world of hurt entering this year's tournament at Ocala-St. John Lutheran.
HCA (10-11) is the fourth seed in the six-team tournament, squaring off with fifth-seeded Cedar Key Tuesday at 6 p.m. The winner faces top seed Lecanto-Seven Rivers Christian Friday at 6 p.m.
With leading scorer Ian Townsend likely shelved with a tendon injury in his foot and second-leading scorer Brett Eastin suspended indefinitely, HCA comes in severely shorthanded.
Head Coach Bill Brooks anticipates only having six healthy players, with Garrett Mikkola limited by back and knee issues.
"Right now I'm just trying to keep the confidence level up so we go into the tournament with the expectation that we can go into the second round," Brooks said.
"Right now we've got to take care of the ball and not turn it over. With the personnel we have, we've got to make sure we don't make too many mistakes because we can't afford it."

AT A GLANCE

WHAT - Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A, District 8 Boys Basketball Tournament.
WHO - Nine-team, single-elimination format including: defending champion Pasco, defending runner-up Hudson, Springstead, Hernando, Nature Coast, Gulf, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel-Wiregrass Ranch and Land O' Lakes-Sunlake.
WHERE - Sunlake High gym.
WHEN - Monday, Feb. 9, through Saturday, Feb. 14.
AT STAKE - Top two teams advance to Thursday, Feb. 19's Class 4A, Region II quarterfinals.

WHAT - Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 5A, District 7 Boys Basketball Tournament.
WHO - Five-team, single-elimination format including: defending champion Ridgewood, defending runner-up Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey-River Ridge, and Central.
WHERE - Land O' Lakes High gym.
WHEN - Tuesday, Feb. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 14.
AT STAKE - Top two teams advance to Thursday, Feb. 19's Class 5A, Region II quarterfinals.

WHAT - Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 1A, District 6 Boys Basketball Tournament.
WHO - Six-team, single-elimination format including: defending champion Hernando Christian Academy, defending runner-up Lecanto-Seven Rivers Christian, Ocala-St. John Lutheran, Cedar Key, First Academy-Leesburg and Ocala-Meadowbrook Academy.
WHERE - St. John Lutheran gym.
WHEN - Tuesday, Feb. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 14.
AT STAKE - Top two teams advance to Thursday, Feb. 19's Class 1A, Region II quarterfinals.

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

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