Football Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Nature Coast Tech Sharks

The Hernando Leopards will head out to take on the Nature Coast Tech Sharks at 7:15 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Hernando: 11.5, Nature Coast Tech: 0) so any points scored will be well earned.

Hernando will bounce into Monday's match after beating Springstead, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. Hernando managed a 33-27 win over Springstead on Wednesday. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Leopards were down 21-7 in the third quarter.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hernando to victory, but perhaps none more so than Carlie Grant, who threw for 153 yards and five touchdowns while completing 77.8% of her passes, and also rushed for 32 yards. Another pass catcher making a difference was Alexis Sway, who picked up 53 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Hernando didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Aajyrah Adams, Ayana Kincade, and Kenderlyn Hart picked up one apiece.

Meanwhile, Nature Coast Tech put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. Their defense stepped up to hand River Ridge a 34-0 shutout. Give the Sharks' defense some credit: that's the team's fifth straight shutout.

Nature Coast Tech pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Hernando, their record is now 3-1.

Hernando took a serious blow against Nature Coast Tech when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 34-6. Can Hernando avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.