Crystal River football faces second straight stiff test
CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (BVM) — The Crystal River Pirates don’t have to wait long to find out how they stack up against some of the top teams in their region for the 2021 high school football season.
After a 44-31 season-opening loss to South Sumter, a longtime perennial power, Crystal River will face its second straight challenging road test Friday at The Villages Charter. The Buffalo, who are coming off a 42-7 Week 1 blowout of Lecanto, went 6-0 during last year’s shortened regular season and have become consistent postseason contenders with a 24-2 record over the past three regular seasons combined.
The Pirates have gone 7-10 over the past two seasons and are shooting for their first winning campaign since 2018 when they went 8-3 and reached the playoffs. Their success this season could hinge on the skills of standout sophomore Joel Velazquez. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound running back made an immediate impact as a freshman last year, leading the team in rushing with 623 yards (an average of 103.8) and five touchdowns in six games. Velazquez racked up 91 yards on 11 carries in last week’s loss to South Sumter, and will likely need to produce even more to give the Pirates a good shot at knocking off The Villages on the road in Week 2.
