On April 2, at Tom Fisher Memorial Stadium in Brooksville, the Nature Coast flag football team defeated Hernando 25-13 to win the District 2A-8 Tournament final. This victory marks the first district championship in program history for the Sharks.
The Hernando Leopards, top-seeded in the district and ranked second in Region 2A-2, were favored to win. However, the Sharks, seeded second in the district and ranked fourth in the region, came up with clutch plays to secure the win. Nature Coast head coach Ian Wald said the team worked hard in the offseason and was prepared for the game. “We knew we weren’t that team,” Wald said, referring to the season opener on February 18 when Nature Coast lost to Hernando 34-6. “We took our licks, went 3-4 to start the year. But we knew we could pick up momentum as the season went on and we knew we were prepared tonight.”
The Leopards forced a three-and-out and then marched down the field on their opening drive. Carlie Grant hit Ayana Kincade on a slant over the middle for a 9-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with four minutes left in the first quarter. Grant hooked up with Kenderlyn Hart on the extra point to make it 7-0. Nature Coast responded on the next play when a pass by Madelyn DePetrillo tipped off the hands of a defender and into the arms of a Sharks player.
The Sharks’ victory was a rematch of last year’s district final, when Hernando defeated Nature Coast and went on to the Final Four. This year, the Sharks were able to avenge that loss and bring home their first district title.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
