Leopards seek to reverse the curse

For the 33rd time the county's two oldest prep football programs clash Friday night at Tom Fisher Memorial Stadium.

Hernando, which leads the lifetime series 19-13, hosts Springstead beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The 18-time Hernando County champion Leopards once owned this series, capturing the initial 15 clashes.

But it's been a different story lately. Over the past 17 years, SHS has claimed 13 wins.

Most importantly, the Eagles have captured the last seven meetings or since 2002's 28-22 nod in Brooksville.

Leopards: Defense dominates exhibition game

Unlike Springstead, Hernando High not only played in an exhibition game last weekend but tussled against one of the area's finest programs, Pasco High.

The Pirates, who have reached the state playoffs each of the past three seasons under Tom McHugh, sputtered in a 14-3 win over the Purple and Gold.

The East Pasco County team, which features 25 seniors, didn't exactly dominate the affair totaling 118 yards total offense on 39 plays.

The bulk of Pasco's success arrived on 6-foot-4 junior quarterback's Jacob Guy's 8-of-14 effort through the air for a game-high 131 yards. He completed passes to six different receivers including a 41-yard scoring aerial to junior Trey Dudley-Giles.

The Pirate rushing attack, which feasted on Zephyrhills in a spring classic, struggled against the physical Hernando High 4-4 defensive scheme.

The Pirates finished with minus-13 yards rushing on 25 attempts. Four of their six runners went for negative yardage.

And though Guy had an above average night throwing the pill, he was harassed all night by Mark Latsko's defensive scheme. HHS recorded five sacks on Guy including three by first-year starting defensive end Robert Hill Bronson.

HHS' DT Malcolm Hudson and LB O'Mar Hawkins each recovered Pasco fumbles.

On the flip side, behind a revamped offensive line, the Purple and Gold rushed for a game-high 163 yards on 42 attempts (3.79 yards per play).

Pasco did a terrific job on concentrating on Hernando County Player of the Year Alvin Delaine III limiting him to 10 carries and 18 yards.

Fullback Zach Sullivan, who played in place of injured Marlin Smith (dislocated shoulder), rushed for a game-high 60 yards on 11 carries. Scooter Maner added 40 yards on five carries while Quintin Adams added 33 yards on three carries.

Passing-wise, quarterbacks Tyrail Hawkins and Cleve Pope went a combined 2-of-9 through the air for a paltry seven yards.

Turnover-wise, Hawkins lost one center snap exchange and Pope was intercepted on a desperation pass with 65 seconds left in the game.

The Leopards enter the game minus two starters.

Senior tight end Johnny Millaway suffered a high ankle sprain and will not play against Springstead. Marqui Redding, who split time with Millaway, will start against the Eagles and will be spelled by Zach Pritz and Thomas Bronson.

Last year's starting outside linebacker C.J. Clark suffered a severe ankle injury in the spring and has yet to be cleared for practice.

According to HHS' Head Coach John Palmer, Smith was cleared the practice this week and is expected to see limited duty. Smith and Delaine each rushed for 91 yards in last year's gut-wrenching 26-25 overtime loss at Booster Stadium.

The heavily-favored Leopards hurt their own cause with a game-high 12 penalties for 107 yards. HHS, which led the county in turnover margin with a plus-13 last season, played fast and loose against the Eagles fumbling five times, losing two bobbles.

HHS suffered from several special team gaffes in Spring Hill. Eventually HHS utilized three centers against Springstead and a poor snap from punt formation resulted in a key 14-yard loss with 2:02 left in the game, allowing SHS to convert a 34-yard field goal in regulation (with no time outs) with seven seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

"Last year we learned a hard lesson (about finishing a game)," explained Coach Palmer on the last encounter against Springstead. "In the long run, many of the mistakes we committed we eventually corrected."

Coach Palmer explained the keys to the 33rd clash against SHS.

"We definitely have to win the offensive line of scrimmage," Palmer noted. "Usually Springstead is very sound against the run. It's a huge challenge for us Friday.

"Also, we have to defend against the option," he added. "We had trouble with carrying out our assignments on defense this week in practice. And I think we have to win the kicking game. Coach Vonada isn't about to kick the ball to our deep guys, so we're preparing for everything."

Springstead: Run, run, run

For the second consecutive year the Eagles did not participate in an exhibition game prior to facing Hernando.

The Eagles enter the season opener with seven returning starters on offense including their entire triple-option offensive backfield (QB Brian Beeker, FB Devean Huff, SB Tim Furchak), receivers (Taylor Minter, David Stevens and TE Mitch Fischbach) and three-year RG Jon McCloskey.

Defensively, DE Lou Wendelstedt and ILB Josh Santana are both three-year starters. The most intrigue revolves around heralded freshman DT Mike Miara and 6-foot-4, 285-pound NG Atangel "A.J." Hernandez.

On special teams, SHS will break in a new place kicker, Mike D'Acunto, and a critical long snapper, Zach Kinderman.

Vonada realizes his team does not match up speed-wise against Hernando.

His team, however, finished second in the turnover margin behind a plus-1 ranking in 2009. Ironically, both SHS and Hernando each lost eight fumbles in 10 games - tied for the county's best.

"There will be some opening-game butterflies," said Vonada, who enters the fray 8-4 lifetime against the Purple and Gold. "We have to adjust to their (Hernando's) speed quickly because we can run a play a 1,000 times, but we can't simulate their speed with our scout team offense."

Keys for the Eagles?

"We've got to play Springstead football," stressed Vonada. "That's hold on to the football, minimize our mistakes and play good, fundamental ball. If we do that going into the fourth quarter, then we'll see what happens."

By the Numbers: Springstead vs. Hernando Series
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

Leopards lead 19-13-0
Year Site Result
1978 Away L 0-7
1979 Away L 0-49
1980 Home L 7-40
1981 Away L 0-51
1982 Home L 7-55
1983 Away L 0-14
1984 Home L 12-17
1985 Away L 12-31
1986 Home L 6-20
1987 Away L 7-45
1988 Home L 3-6
1989 Away L 0-16
1990 Home L 6-30
1991 Away L 15-48
1992 Home L 13-14
1993 Away W 31-7
1994 Home W 27-21
1995 Away W 30-6
1996 Home W 33-14
1997 Away W 19-14
1998 Home L 13-21
1999 Away L 0-55
2000 Home L 6-23
2001 Away W 26-7
2002 Home L 22-28
2003 Away W 10-7
2004 Home W 44-12
2005 Away W 28-21
2006 Home W 17-16
2007 Away W 13-6
2008 Home W 21-0
2009 Away W 26-25 (OT)