HERNANDO COUNTY SPORTS

Isn’t it odd that the last week of winter served as the first full week of sports county-wide?
OK, Wednesday’s late afternoon showers spoiled some outdoor activities.
Here’s a recap.

Boys tennis: NCT flexes its muscles

The county’s hottest team is 9-2 Nature Coast Technical.
Since dropping Feb. 26’s match against perennial power Tampa-Jesuit at Hunter’s Green, 5-2, the Sharks have reeled off six straight wins.
This week, Head Coach Tom Brown’s netters solved improving Springstead (6-1), scuttled 2A-5 foe Crystal River in Citrus County (6-1) and followed with a clutch 4-3 nod Thursday afternoon over archrival Hernando at the Brooksville City Courts.
The win over the Purple and Gold was significant. It meant a regular-season sweep for the Sharks, who completed their 2A-5 portion of its schedule unblemished at 7-0.
NCT sophomore Zenon Kouts, who played at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 3 singles this week, stretched his current win skein to six in a row. Kouts leads all the county players with a 9-1 won-lost slate.
Junior Tyler Schwefringhaus went 3-0 climbing to 8-2 overall.
Hernando (3-3 overall), which had a two-week layoff since March 4’s 4-3 loss at NCT, fell by the same score to the Sharks on Thursday.
Hernando County’s two-time Player of the Year, HHS senior Chris Nyholm, remained unbeaten at 6-0 with a 6-4, 6-1 nod over NCT’s David Cross at No. 1 singles.
In No. 1 doubles, Nyholm and classmate Jordin Williams also remained unbeaten behind a 9-8 (10-8 tiebreaker) pro set nod over Hernando’s Schwefringhaus/Cross.
At HCA, junior Adrian Kussmaul (6-1 overall) dropped his first match of the season Tuesday at the demanding No. 1 singles against Pasco High’s James Drewes, 8-8 (7-5 tiebreaker).
On Thursday, Kussmaul bounced back by toppling Leesburg First Academy’s Brad Boston via an 8-4 pro set.
In the breakthrough department, Central High (1-5) earned its first win of the season Thursday after a 4 1/2-hour match at Delta Woods Park against Springstead (4-5), 4-3.
The disappointing news of the week was the Hernando County Boys Tennis Tournament being canceled. NCT Head Coach Tom Brown, who spearheaded the drive to hold the event for the boys, indicated that three schools, NCT, Central and Springstead, were committed to play. But because of the proposed date, March 20, Hernando High could not play because it had some players who would be out of town, including Nyholm.
“Had we had three weeks or a month’s notice, we probably could have played,” said first-year HHS skipper Mark Latsko. “Everything was done kinda at the last minute. Hopefully with a little more notice we’ll get together next year.”

Girls tennis: County Tourney canceled

Late Wednesday evening Central Head Coach Sonya Burns contacted the area schools that the annual Hernando County Girls Tennis Tournament would not be held March 20 at Delta Woods Park as previously announced.
According to Burns, “Hernando recently suffered a rash of injuries and could not commit a full team…Springstead’s coach (Patti Belmont) has been wavering on her team’s participation.”
On the courts, Central (3-4 overall) split a pair of home matches, losing to NCT, 5-2, while sweeping winless Springstead (0-6), 7-0.
At HCA, the Lady Lions (2-5) dropped a pair of matches to Hernando, 4-3, and Pasco, 6-0.
HCA sophomore Elizabeth Zayas left Dade City with a team-best 5-2 slate after falling to Pasco’s Shelby Mander, 6-1, 6-2.
Hernando (3-3) edged HCA, 4-3, lost at Crystal River, 5-2, and postponed Thursday’s match at NCT until March 25.
Leopard freshman Shelby Marrero climbed to 5-0 overall behind Monday’s 6-0, 6-0 nod over HCA’s Courtney Birkins.
At NCT, Head Coach Louise Downey rushed out of town when her husband’s mother fell critically ill. The Lady Sharks postponed last Monday’s match against Springstead to April 1 and canceled Tuesday’s match against Belleview, as well as Thursday’s match versus Hernando.
NCT Athletic Director Kristin Peeples filled in on Wednesday as the Lady Sharks tamed Central, 5-2. Junior Kaitlyn Bugden improved to 5-0 behind a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Victoria Easler.
Downey, in her seventh year, was saddened that the Hernando County Tournament was canceled.
“I’m disappointed about Hernando and Springstead not doing the tournament,” said Coach Downey from Ohio. “It’s kinda sad.”

Softball: Whose up, who’s down?

After a 1-3 start, F.W. Springstead has quietly extended its current win streak entering Friday night’s pivotal game at Ocala-Forest to six straight games.
Sophomore right-hander Alexis Adams made it back-to-back shutouts by blanking Ridgewood (10-0) and West Port (6-0). On Thursday, Adams surrendered four hits in a crucial 5-1 win over 5A-7 rival Central.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Markidis is beginning to cook for the Lady Eagles. She went 3-for-4 against West Port and followed with a 2-for-4 effort against Central.
With a win on Friday night, SHS and Forest would complete their district schedules with identical 5-1 records. Should that occur, a coin flip would most likely decide the top seed in the April 20-22 tourney at Springstead.
Central (4-7) began the week by clobbering Ridgewood, 12-7. CHS collected a season-high 20 hits.
Megan Baker went 4-for-5 with two doubles. Keeria McKenzie went 4-for-4 with a triple. McKenzie Burns went 4-for-5 while Sam Berberette went 3-for-5 and Kim Paino had two hits.
On Wednesday, CHS fell for the second time this season to The Villages, 9-7, before losing to Springstead on Thursday, 5-1.
Hernando High (4-8) enjoyed a colossal win Tuesday by derailing host NCT, 6-4. The Leopards cracked a season-high 17 hits against one of the area’s premier hurlers, Ashley Antczak, who was touched for six earned runs.
But since that huge 4A-8 upset, HHS dropped three in a row including Wednesday night’s bitter 2-1 loss at Zephyrhills followed by Thursday’s 10-0, 13-0 doubleheader sweep at the hands of district leader River Ridge.
Hailey Royal, who cracked four hits against Antczak, enjoyed two more in the second game of the twin bill Thursday at Tom Varn Park.
By contrast, HCA began the week allowing four runs in the seventh inning, losing to Hudson, 6-3.
The Lions bounced back Tuesday with a 10-0 nod over 1A-8 rival Bayshore Christian and Thursday’s 6-3 1A-8 win over Seffner Christian. Against Bayshore Christian, Alicia Field earned the win while Courtney Riddle fanned eight against Seffner Christian.
Despite three college signees, NCT dipped to 6-5 overall after falling to archrival Hernando, 6-4, and dropping a 7-4 verdict Thursday at Zephyrhills. The loss at Z’hills served as the Lady Sharks’ season-high third in a row.

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at 352-544-5278 or online at [email protected].