NCT again battles to the end

For the fourth straight season, Nature Coast Technical's football program achieved what no other Hernando County grid program has ever achieved - the state playoffs.
The stay, however, was short-lived.
On Friday, in front of a vocal crowd at Stan Toole Memorial Stadium in Citra, the state's No. 4-ranked North Marion Colts rolled to their 10th-straight win, eliminating 7-4 NCT in the Class 3A, Region II quarterfinal, 34-22.
Déjà vu?
The final score is deceiving.
In 2007 at Citra, NCT trailed 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter and was driving. But two late turnovers led to a pair of 11th-hour Colt scores, 34-13.
On Friday night for the second time in three seasons, the visiting Sharks were within a touchdown, 20-15, before turning the ball over on downs with 8:15 left.
Eight plays later, the NCT defense led by Justin Murray, Brandon Cullen and John Carbone forced the Colts into their game-high fifth punt of the evening. But this time, punter/placekicker Julian Orsono boomed a clutch 44-yarder that rolled out of bounds pinning the visitors at their own 5-yard line.
Two plays later, disaster struck as NCT senior quarterback C.J. Baker lost the handle on a pitch. An alert North Marion defender, junior Devon Brant, scooped up the loose football and waltzed into the end zone.
The Marion County crowd erupted into jubilation. Following Orsono's third point-after boot with 6:01 left, the hosts stretched the lead to 27-15. Sound familiar?
Four plays later, Baker, who finished 2-of-10 passing for 47 yards and one touchdown (he was victimized by three drops), was intercepted for the second time in the game. This time the theft by Colt junior Evan Davis led directly to the knockout punch.
Tenth-year Head Coach Craig Damon's squad needed five runs to cover 22 yards as senior fullback B.J. Franklin scored from a yard out with 2:47 remaining, 34-15 Colts. Déjà vu.
This time, NCT countered with a courageous 6-play, 80-yard drive capped by perhaps the finest running back to ever play here.
Shark senior tailback Tevin Drake, who was hounded every time he touched the ball, made his last prep carry a special one. Drake's final carry off left tackle was a weaving 55-yard touchdown run that closed the scoring with 21 seconds left.
Drake finished with a hard-earned 23 carries for 111 yards, including his 18th touchdown of the season to slice the final score to 34-22.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Drake leaves the Hernando County prep scene as its all-time leader in rushing yards (5,103), points scored (458 points), most 100-point seasons (3), most touchdowns (71), and most rushing touchdowns (71).
Shark reaction
Murray enjoyed a monster game, too. He collected two sacks against North Marion quarterback Chuckie Looney, was in on several tackles, returned a kickoff 35 yards and blocked for Drake from the fullback position in the second half.
He remained calm and collected afterward.
What about the Sharks' final drive?
"That last touchdown was big for all of us," explained the 17-year-old Murray. "It showed we never quit. We talked before the game that we needed to score 22 points and we got it."
How well did Murray think the Sharks played overall?
"I think me and everybody else could have done a lot better," he said. "It's hard right now. Sure, I'm disappointed in a way. But tonight is not the end of my life."
Cullen, a junior defensive tackle, realized the Sharks were torched for 230 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including 180 yards and two scores by Colt sophomore tailback Jamie Gilmore.
"I thought we played a great game," countered the 16-year-old Cullen. "We knew we were the underdogs coming in here. But if this (loss) does anything it'll make us all want to come back stronger for next year by hitting the weight room."
What was the difference?
"It's hard to say," replied Cullen. "Our coaches did a great job in preparing us for this game. North Marion hit a couple big plays on us. But overall, we really held our own. Big props go to our seniors, they've been the backbone of this program. They all deserve a lot of credit for how we played tonight."
"This turned out to be my last high-school game," said Carbone, the team's leading tackler. "I'm very proud of how we came from nothing to something in four years. I'm looking forward to playing college ball."
Perhaps Baker summed up his team's efforts the best.
"Everybody, I mean everybody gave 100 percent effort," declared the 18-year-old Baker. "We could have easily given up in the fourth quarter. That last touchdown drive was something. It kinda defines Shark football."
What does Baker take from this experience?
"It's been a great chapter in my life," he said with tears welling up. "It makes me realize how much I really love to play this game, especially with these guys. It's an understatement to say we've been through a lot together."