Football Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Pasco Pirates

The Hernando Leopards will face off against the Pasco Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many points in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Hernando took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They never let Central get on the board and left with a 13-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Leopards in their matchups with the Bears: they've now won six in a row.

Michael Saltsman

Rushing Touchdowns

09/26/25 vs Central	2
08/29/25 @ Hollins	0
10/18/24 vs Lecanto	1
10/14/24 vs Citrus	1
10/04/24 @ Pasco	3

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hernando to victory, but perhaps none more so than Michael Saltsman, who rushed for eight yards and two touchdowns. That's the most rushing touchdowns Saltsman has posted since back in October of 2024. Jerry Brown helped out on the ground, rushing for 86 yards.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Hernando proved: they limited Central to a paltry zero yards per carry. The team can thank Mason Pauliot for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hernando didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.2.

Hernando's defense also made the game a nightmare for Niko Demos, racking up 7.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Michael Brown and Caleb Williams, who racked up seven sacks between them.

Meanwhile, Pasco scored the most points they've had this season on Friday, but it wasn't enough. They were dealt a 49-12 loss at the hands of Zephyrhills. The defeat continues a trend for the Pirates in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost six in a row.

Hernando now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Pasco, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.

Hernando strolled past Pasco in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 28-13. Do the Leopards have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.