Football Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Citrus Hurricanes + Official Tickets

The Hernando Leopards are taking a road trip to challenge the Citrus Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hernando will be strutting in after a victory while Citrus will be coming in after a loss.

On Friday, Hernando earned a 27-18 win over Pasco. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Leopards.

Michael Saltsman

Passing Yards

10/03/25 vs Pasco	158
09/26/25 vs Central	95
09/19/25 @ Springstead	69
09/12/25 @ Crystal River	154
08/29/25 @ Hollins	152
+ 5 more games

Hernando relied on the efforts of Jerry Brown, who rushed for 125 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, and Michael Saltsman, who rushed for 41 yards and one score. What's more, Saltsman racked up 158 passing yards, the most he's had since back in October of 2024.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Hernando proved: they limited Pasco to a paltry 1.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Mason Pauliot for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hernando is a perfect 3-0 when they shut down the run game so well.

Hernando's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for 6.5 sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Pauliot, Vincent Pittman, and Anthony Gaynor, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Pasco's side was Pauliot, who picked up a sack and made 16 total tackles.

Meanwhile, Citrus was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their ninth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a blow against Lecanto, falling 47-0. While losing is never fun, the Hurricanes can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 543rd, while the Panthers are ranked 223rd).

Hernando's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Citrus, their loss dropped their record down to 0-7.

Everything came up roses for Hernando against Citrus in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 42-8 win. In that game, the Leopards amassed a halftime lead of 21-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.