LAND O’ LAKES – Over the past two weeks, Nature Coast’s boys soccer team has cleared several hurdles. But on Saturday night, the Sharks finally stumbled, and a successful season came to a close.
Traveling to Sunlake for a Class 3A, Region 2 semifinal, Nature Coast pushed the host Seahawks almost literally until the final whistle before succumbing in a 3-2 defeat.
BROOKSVILLE – Nature Coast’s boys soccer team had three goals coming into the season. Now, the Sharks have three days to come up with a fourth.
On Wednesday, they made team history, as Gilbert Delgado’s header found the back of the net with 2:30 left in overtime, and the host Sharks pulled out a 1-0 victory over River Ridge in a Class 3A, Region 2 quarterfinal.
DADE CITY – On Wednesday night, Nature Coast boys soccer coach Ian Wald talked about his team’s three goals for the season.
There was winning a district championship, earning the first-ever regional victory and one he refused to mention. Two nights later, he admitted that third goal was to defeat Pasco for the first time ever.
He could make that reveal following Friday’s Class 3A, District 7 final on the Pirates’ home field, when his squad dominated from start to finish in a 3-0 triumph.
DADE CITY – It took a decade for the Nature Coast boys soccer program to find success. Now, the Sharks have made it a habit.
For the fourth consecutive season, they’re headed to the regional playoffs. That much was assured on Wednesday with a victory over Weeki Wachee in the Class 3A, District 7 semifinals at Pasco, 4-2.
Nature Coast’s girl weightlifting team continued its march toward the state meet on Saturday, at the Class 1A, Region 5 Meet hosted by Belleview.
The Lady Sharks, hoping to compete for a state crown after finishing as the runners-up a year ago, took second in this meet to Ocala-Lake Weir, 38-42.
The fourth annual Coaches Cup, Hernando County’s boys soccer tournament, certainly had a familiar feel in Friday night’s final.
For the Nature Coast boys basketball team, and the Hernando Christian Academy girls, it has been a happy holiday season indeed. Both are sporting perfect slates as they near the halfway point of their seasons.
The Sharks (7-0) dusted two Class 6A, District 7 opponents this past week, knocking off Lecanto on Tuesday, 76-28, and Hernando on Friday, 72-33. That moved their record to 6-0 within the district.
As for HCA’s girls (12-0 overall, 5-0 2A-4), they cruised to wins over Ocala-Meadowbrook on Monday, 46-10, and Tampa-Citrus Park Christian on Tuesday, 59-17.
It was a busy week for the Weeki Wachee girls basketball teams, with four games on the slate. But in the process, the Lady Hornets picked up a big victory over a county rival.
WEEKI WACHEE – Both Nature Coast and Weeki Wachee had 40 minutes to be happy with on Wednesday night.
Problem for both teams was the Class 3A, District 7 boys soccer match lasted 80, and as a result it concluded in a 1-1 tie.
“We never play for a tie, but it was good to get the tie,” said Nature Coast sophomore Hunter Reid. “We let them control the first half. Came back in the second half, switched our formation and really, we showed them up. We possessed. We played the ball. We held the ball in the second half.”
