Boys Basketball 302039998
Hernando County’s teams will divide into three separate district tournaments this weekend, within different classifications and counties.
But one common thread seems to exist. None of these events appears to have a clear-cut favorite, at least according to local coaches.
Nature Coast and Hernando will make long journeys to Eustis for the Class 5A, District 7 Tournament. Weeki Wachee heads to South Sumter for the 4A-6 Tourney.
Closer to home, Central hosts 6A-6, which will also include Springstead.
The Sharks (21-3) are seeking their third district championship in four years, and their fourth regional berth over that span.
They would certainly be the most likely to advance, considering they are the top seed in 5A-7, undefeated in district play.
Despite considerable losses from a team that went to the Final Four last season, Nature Coast surely looks the part of a favorite.
Head coach Dave Pisarcik, however, isn’t ready to embrace that label.
“This district is probably one of the toughest we’ve seen the last couple of years. There’s so many teams I feel can win it,” Pisarcik said. “There’s really not a true number one seed. Any team on any given night can win.
“Nobody has beaten us, but it hasn’t been an easy run. There’s no easy path to the final.”
Fourth-seeded Tavares plays No. 5 Dunnellon on Tuesday at 6 p.m., followed by No. 3 Hernando facing No. 6 Crystal River at 7:30 p.m.
Nature Coast and Eustis have byes into the semifinals by virtue of being the top two seeds in the six-team district.
The obvious challenger for the Sharks is the host Panthers, seeded second in the tournament. Those two teams finished 1-2 in 5A-7 a year ago.
Nature Coast is the only district opponent the Panthers couldn’t solve, losing 46-24 back in December and 38-36 Jan. 15 on their own floor. Those represent Eustis’ two lowest point outputs of the season.
Pisarcik, though, isn’t exactly looking that far ahead. He has immediate concerns about the Sharks’ potential opponent in Wednesday’s 6 p.m. semifinal, Tavares.
Despite their middle-of-the-pack seeding, the Bulldogs are a dangerous club. Three recent transfers from Leesburg, Pisarcik said, have “changed the whole dynamic of their team.”
The results bare that out. In the past month, Tavares has defeated Hernando (74-54), and dropped tight contest to Eustis (52-47) and Nature Coast (66-60).
But the Sharks have plenty of reason to feel good. They’ve won 12 in a row entering postseason play.
Junior forward Rohan Blackwood has led the way averaging 15.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Senior center Yamil Marrero is also averaging a double-double, 10.4 points and 10.8 rebounds, plus 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals.
Junior guard Carlos Clemente is scoring at an 11.9 points per game clip, having knocked down 45 3-pointers.
“Our season starts in the playoffs,” Pisarcik said. “We’ve had a great season and I’m proud of our seniors, what they’ve accomplished. But our season starts Wednesday.
“I’ll be happy and satisfied if we’re in the district championship game (Friday at 7 p.m.). From there, our goal will be to win a district championship.”
For the first time in a long while, Hernando (17-7) can realistically believe it has a shot at its first regional appearance since 2004.
The Leopards downed Crystal River twice already – 81-65 and 70-65 – but haven’t figured out Eustis, losing 59-42 and 70-57.
Hernando head coach Mark Latsko wasn’t overlooking the Pirates, noting it’s tough to beat a team three times, but hopes that same logic works in his team’s favor if it makes it to Wednesday’s late semifinal at 7:30 p.m.
“We’ve seen their trap three times,” Latsko said of the Panthers. “Hopefully we put enough points on the board to compete with those guys. And we’d love to see Nature Coast again in the final.”
Offense hasn’t been much of an issue for the Leopards. They’re averaging 64.2 points per game, paced by senior guards Jeffrey Velasquez (18.6 points per contest) and Giovanni Perez (14.1).
Another member of the Hernando backcourt and an All-County selection last season, sophomore Mark Wilson, returned on a limited basis in Thursday’s 81-69 win over Citrus.
He had been out since December with a broken collarbone, but had been averaging 13.2 points, 3.3 assists and 3.7 steals.
While Latsko understood Pisarcik’s view of the district picture, he still sees the Sharks as the team to beat.
“With them not losing any games in the district, I feel they’ve got to be pretty confident sitting at one,” Latsko said.
Central and Springstead will clash in the 6A-6 opener, Monday at 7 p.m. The Bears (7-16) are seeded fourth and the Eagles (4-16) fifth.
The survivor takes on top-seeded Ocala-West Port in a semifinal Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Second seed Citrus plays third seed Lecanto beforehand at 6 p.m.
Whoever lands in Friday’s 7 p.m. final isn’t easy to predict.
“I still think the district is pretty wide open,” Springstead head coach Tim Plumadore said. “Whatever team makes less mistakes is the team that’s going to win.
“I think the most dangerous team is Citrus. I don’t know why, but they’ve got some weapons. They gave us fits both times we played them. If I have to pick a favorite, even though West Port is the one seed, I’d pick Citrus.”
The Eagles split their two meetings with the Bears, winning 48-39 on Jan. 11 and losing 48-41 last week.
“I think (Springstead) is playing better lately and they match up well with us,” Central head coach Matt Zandecki said. “That’s going to be a war. But I think our district is wide open.
“We have no choice but to play our best ball of the season. We’ve struggled, but I think lately we’ve been playing better.
“I feel we’re better than our record indicates. We can definitely play with anybody in our district. We just need to be consistent for four quarters.”
Zandecki believes West Port deserves favorite status, though he feels Citrus has the district’s best player in junior point guard Devin Pryor.
“With a kid like that, they’re capable of beating anyone in the area,” Zandecki said. “But West Port is a tough team. They’ve got three tough guards, a good big man and they’re very well-coached.
“Lecanto is by far the biggest team in our district. But us or Springstead, we can give West Port a run for their money.”
Finally, second-year Weeki Wachee (4-19), seeded fifth in 4A-6, tangles with fourth-seeded South Sumter Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The semifinals of this tournament won’t take place until Friday, with Mount Dora and Ocala-Trinity Catholic going at 6 p.m. and Tuesday’s victor squaring off with top seed Umatilla at 7:30 p.m. The final is Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Hornets fell twice to the Red Raiders from Bushnell, 70-56 and 61-47. But behind high-scoring junior guard Tyler Wiley, they can feel they have a puncher’s chance.
“We’re just hoping to keep improving,” Weeki Wachee head coach Bob Croyle said. “But our problems are the same. We’ve got seven guys and depth is an issue. We can’t touch anybody. Every foul hurts us.
“None of the teams in our district are very good, so maybe we could get hot and make the district final. There’s no reason why if we play and shoot well, we can’t win two games, and there’s no reason if South Sumter plays well and shoots well, they can’t win two games. And the other three teams are about the same.”
