INVERNESS — Nothing washes away the bad taste of a lingering loss quicker than a convincing victory. And that's exactly what Nature Coast accomplished on Friday night with a 47-0 thrashing of Citrus. The victory erased any bitter taste that remained after the Sharks' 27-23 loss to Dunnellon last week.
The Sharks (5-2, 3-2) scored on their opening possession when quarterback C.J. Baker capped a nine-play drive with a 25-yard touchdown run. Following a Citrus six-play drive that stalled, Nature Coast took over on its own 7-yard line.
But the Sharks needed just nine plays to negotiate 93 yards, and Antwan Story cleaned up the next 3 with their second score.
Citrus (2-6, 0-4) was knocking on the door at the Nature Coast 6-yard line when a fumble stopped the drive in its tracks.
Two plays later Baker found Ja'Juan Story at midfield and Story used every bit of his 6-4 frame to wrestle the ball away from a Citrus defender. Following the catch Story was off for the team's third touchdown, giving Nature Coast a 21-0 lead with 7:52 left in the first half.
"That was a critical juncture in the football game," Nature Coast coach Mark Lee said. "They're down on our goal line getting ready to cut the lead in half and our defense comes up with the big turnover. And then we answer with a touchdown."
The 14-point swing removed any air that remained in the Hurricanes sails.