Colleges already taking notice of Austin

The college coaches started to pour into the Hillsborough football fieldhouse early Friday afternoon to watch the Terriers scrimmage.

The Terriers, coming off a 9-3 season that took them to the regional semifinals, have a breadth of speed at their skill positions. Garcia calls this group the best offensive collection of athletes he's had since he's been at Hillsborough.

And even though he is only a rising junior, quarterback Tarean Austin has already made college coaches take notice. He's already been offered scholarships by USF, Richmond, Wake Forest and Duke, Garcia said.

"He's going to be special," Garcia said.

As a sophomore, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Austin completed 60 of 131 passes for 857 yards and six touchdowns.

For more on Hillsborough, click HERE to read the Times' spring football capsule on the Terriers.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

LOL's Fuglesang bound for juco

Land O'Lakes pitcher/first baseman Matt Fuglesang, who finished 8-2 on the mound and hit a team-best six home runs, has signed with South Florida Community College in Avon Park, Gators coach Calvin Baisley said.

A 6-foot-2 right-hander, Fuglesang posted a 1.71 ERA, his only two defeats coming against local power Tampa Catholic. Offensively, he over-achieved, Baisley said, hitting .362 with 26 RBI. Baisley hinted SFCC coach Rick Hitt may initially give Fuglesang a look at first base.

"I think Coach Hitt, the way he put it was, 'Your bat intrigues me,'" Baisley said. "He really hits the breaking ball good, and when you get to college, you start seeing more and more breaking balls. He's not a slouch at first base. He's an above-average defensive player.

"I can tell you this," Baisley added, "Matt's going to be better in two years."

Miller gets state semifinal nod

Cambridge baseball coach Rick Shears says he keeps a folder in his desk drawer of "boo-boos." And as the Lancers prepare for their Class 1A state semifinal game Monday in Sarasota, he's not about to duplicate past mistakes.

So Shears won't be saving his best pitcher Monday. Shears said Thursday that he will start ace Michael Miller against Deltona Trinity Christian. Miller, a senior, is 10-1 with a 0.99 ERA in 14 appearances this season. He has won four straight start, including three in the region tournament. Miller threw a complete-game three-hit shutout in the region semifinal against Seffner Christian and tossed another complete-game four-hitter in Lancers' region final sweep of Bradenton Christian.

"I've looked through that list of boo-boos and one of them says, 'Worry about tomorrow tomorrow,'" Shears said. "We're going to go with our ace. We're not going to have innings saved over the summer to say, 'What if?' We're going to go with our best."

Shears said all of his pitchers would be avaiable Monday, but if Cambridge wins the state semi, that would leave sophomore Matt Fishman as the likely title game starter against the winner between Jacksonville Eagle's View and Miami Brito Private in the state championship game.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Lions star drawing Ivy League interest

King's intrasquad scrimmage early Friday afternoon drew not only most of the student body, but at least one Ivy League recruiter homing in on senior International Baccalaureate student Donovan Celerin.

A tailback with a 5.4 weighted GPA, Celerin scored the scrimmage's first touchdown of the day on a short run, lined up on the return teams and served as kick holder. New coach Al Davis, trying to resurrect a moribund program on its third coach in as many seasons, said Columbia also has visited.

"He's probably one of the best athletes I think that King High has had in the past or the future," Davis said. "He's just a super student-athlete."

Look for Celerin to spearhead a Lions offensive backfield that will include diminutive sophomore quarterback Reese Sturgis. Davis appears to be employing a spread-style attack that will utilize the running abilities of Celerin and Sturgis.

"I'm still the type of person that loves the run-and-shoot type of offense," said Davis, a former longtime Gibbs coach who emerged from a brief retirement to take over King's program.

"We're going to throw the ball, but we're not going to do it in the spring because the kids are just learning the system. But in the fall, you're going to see a lot of flying balls and there are going to be long ball games."

Dziagwa headed to Ave Maria University

Former Tampa Catholic basketball standout Matt Dziagwa is transferring from North Carolina Wesleyan to Ave Maria University, which is located in Naples. At TC, Dziagwa, who is the son of Crusaders coach Don Dziagwa, was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter as a point guard. He scored 1,175 career points. Matt Dziagwa played one season at North Carolina Wesleyan. Ave Maria will be a first-year program that competes at the NAIA level.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Armwood QB gets two big offers

The scholarship offers landed by Armwood quarterback Mywan Jackson, who helped lead the Hawks to a 13-1 record last fall, are starting to pile up. And he might have just received his biggest two to date ...

One came from Illinois.

One came from Michigan.

Jackson (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) previously received scholarship offers from the likes of Louisville, Nebraska, North Carolina and South Carolina. You can find video of the dual-threat signal caller HERE.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Lamar gets two new offers

Hillsborough's Lindsey Lamar, who plays running back and is a top-flight sprinter, has received two new scholarship offers -- one in football (Wake Forest) and one in track (UCLA). The question isn't just where he'll go, but in what sport will he participate?

"I've got to do both," said Lamar, a rising senior.

Got to?

"If one doesn't work out, I'll have the other to fall back on," Lamar said. "I won't go to a school if they won't let me do both."

That's bad news for UCLA. Lamar said Friday the Bruins have told him they want him to concentrate solely on track in college. Unless they reconsider, he says he'll probably look elsewhere.

The good news? He has plenty of options. For football, USF, Boston College and Richmond also have offered, while Duke, Iowa State and Michigan have said offers are likely to come. In track, the Georgia Bulldogs have pulled the trigger.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

St. Pete soccer coach to switch teams

St. Petersburg High girls soccer coach Rui Farias will be stepping down to take over as head coach of the Green Devils' boys team next season, according to a news release.

In 10 seasons as girls coach, Farias had a 176-39-13 record, including five district championships, three PCAC titles and one state semifinal appearance.

''It’s been an honor to coach such a hard-working, talented group of players over the years that built the girls program here at St. Pete High'' Farias said in the release. ''I look forward to the challenge of taking over the boy’s team.''

The school is now accepting applications for the girls coaching job. Contact Barry Brown at 893-1842 or email brownb@pcsb.org.

Ridgewood's Lawrence commits

Ridgewood guard Mike Lawrence will sign a letter of intent next week with King College in Bristol, Tenn.
Lawrence, who leaves Ridgewood as the all-time assist leader, averaged 12 points and 9.6 per game and helped guide the Rams to a 24-4 record and a Class 4A region semifinal berth.
--IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Saladino family continues baseball cycle

When Tony Saladino III looked upon Red Berry's Baseball World in Miami, he saw kids learning the fundamentals of the game while learning about life.

He also saw a way to extend the lifelong marriage between baseball and his family.

Tony Saladino Jr.'s name has been synonymous with high school baseball for decades. Along with his wife, Bertha, the couple annually stages a nationally renowned tournament for Hillsborough County schools, and also recognizes the county's top player in a special ceremony at their home.

Although it has been more than a decade since Tony III spent two years at Red Berry's, he never let go of the dream of having a similar school in Brandon.

Now, he says, the timing is right for the Saladino Baseball Academy.

"My dad found his niche in baseball and I've always wanted to find a way to follow in his footsteps," Tony III said. "This may be my way."

The younger Saladino will join Donny Scolaro, a former Brandon High standout and 1990 Saladino Tournament MVP, to launch the academy in June. The organization will begin with 10 summer sessions at South Brandon Little League.

To read more, click HERE.

-- ERNEST HOOPER

Six Hawks make college choices

Six more members of the Armwood football program will be playing in college, Hawks coach Sean Callahan announced today. Each of these seniors played a key role in the team's 13-1 finish last year, which ended with a state semifinal loss to Miami Booker T. Washington. The players are:

-Eric August, OL, to Midland Lutheran (Neb.)

-Devin Core, DL, to Mount Union (Ohio)

-Juan Gorostiaga, OL, to Suny-Maritime (N.Y.)

-Jarad Green, DB, to Quincy (Ill.)

-Chris Greene, LB, to Quincy (Ill.)

-Justin Williams, DB, to Southwest Baptist (Missouri)

"They all did a good job making visits," Callahan said. "They all had a number of choices. It's really a reflection of the program. We're sending a lot of kids to college. These kids are going to do well. We're excited about them going away."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Last baseball post of the year?

Let's relive Dunedin's state title just one more time, shall we?

The game story.

Alex Norris makes one heckuva pitch. But just one.

Photo gallery.

Oh, and cast your vote in the comments. Who was the MVP of the state finals for Dunedin. I think the top four candidates would have to be:

Max Kreuter: Homered and was winning pitcher in semifinal with complete game. Went 3-for-6 and drove in winning run with a 10th inning single in the championship game.
Clay Kollenbaum: Had five RBI, and a homer, in semifinals. Had two more hits in final, and pitched six strong innings and struck out eight.
Jake Rogers: Homered in semifinal and made a nice over-the-shoulder catch that was overlooked. In the final, came in and was awesome on the hill, getting the win with 3.2 innings of dominant pitching.
Tom Hilbert: I think his calm and cool went a long way to making this Dunedin team as good as it turned out to be. And he was pretty good with his pitching staff too, making the right moves by bringing in Norris for a huge out in the final and then Rogers (and then sticking with Rogers for the rest of the game). The guy can coach, and before anyone says "but anyone can win at Dunedin", he took Dixie Hollins to the playoffs five straight years. 'Nuff said.

(My vote goes to Kreuter, who had the game-winning RBI in each game and beat a team with a 16-game winning streak with a masterful and gutsy pitching performance.)

5A baseball final: Dunedin 3, South Fork 2 (Open Thread)

For the first time since 1964, Dunedin has won a state baseball title. But it didn't come easy. The Falcons needed 10 innings to pull it out. In the seventh, South Fork had the bases loaded and nobody out with the scored tied 2-all. Dunedin somehow worked out of that jam, and in the top of the 10th Max Kreuter's single to center plated the go-ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, Jake Rogers retired the side in order. When the final out was recorded, he was mobbed on the mound.

You can find the official box score HERE.

Feel free to discus the game here.

LIVE FROM SARASOTA: Dunedin vs. South Fork

Stay tuned to tampabay.com for live updates from tonight's Class 5A final between Dunedin and South Fork from Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Check in the comments section for updates. Times staff writers John C. Cotey and Bob Putnam will keep you posted.

Update: 6:42

Here are starting lineups for each team (South Fork will be the visitors).

Dunedin

CF Max Kreuter

2B Casey Turgeon

SS Jake Rogers

3B Jamison Sweat

P Clay Kollenbaum

C Ryan Schneider

RF Cam Fisher

LF Max Priest

DH Mike Kumbat (for Alex Norris)

South Fork

C Ryan Breen

SS Spencer Dickinson

DH Will Claunch (for Kyle Hunter)

P Dan Harper

RF Nick Zaharion

2B Blake Cilwick

3B Robert Bednar

LF Mike Beck

1B Tyson Young

Heels offer McAllister

At some point, we'll probably tire of writing about all of Demonte McAllister's scholarship offers. But to be honest, we haven't hit that wall just yet. This week, the Alonso defensive tackle got one from North Carolina, which in case you hadn't heard is coached by Butch Davis, who previously had great success rebuilding the Miami Hurricanes. Another offer might be on the way: Notre Dame was scheduled to visit the week. That's the alma mater of Alonso coach Mike Heldt.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Dunedin-South Fork, tonight, 7 p.m.

Here's some notes about tonight's game to keep you busy until then:

   * South Fork will be gunning for its first-ever state championship; Dunedin is looking for its second, but that first one came in 1964, probably before even some of the Falcons parents were born.
   Coming  into this season, the Bulldogs were only  2-6 in the postseason.  They are now 7-6 after this current 5-game run to the state title game.
   Dunedin has the richer history, unsuccessfully playing for the state title in 1963 and 1997.

   * The Bulldogs beat Niceville 3-0 Wednesday, as Tyson Young outpitched Brett DeVall, who is only a University of Georgia signee who had a 13-1 record and 0.53 ERA.
   Dunedin mashed three home runs in a park (Ed White Stadium in Sarasota) not usually prone to surrendering them in beating Brandon 16-3. The 16 runs is a postseason record for the Falcons, who had scored in double figures just three times in 43 postseason games entering this season. They've now done it twice in five games this season.

   * South Fork's website is here, if you want to take a gander. It's pretty sweet, and you can even listen to radio broadcasts of past games. Why we don't have something similar around these parts is a mystery to me. Maybe it's the whole big town versus small town thing.

   * According to the Palm Beach Post, South Fork coach Mike Harper will start his kid, senior lefty Dan Harper, tonight. Harper is 6-1 with a 1.40 ERA.
   Dunedin will start right-hander Clay Kollenbaum, who dominated Plant and South Fork in his previous regional starts after a so-so season. He's now 8-2 with a 2.87 ERA, actually the highest on the team. But he might be the guy you want out there they way he's going.

   * The Bulldogs have five effective left-handed pitchers, so if Harper gets in any trouble look for Kyle Hunter (who is 8-0, 1.17 ERA) or Brandon Cowan (1.00 ERA, four saves).
   The Dunedin lineup is loaded with left-handed batters -- Max Kreuter, Casey Turgeon, Jake Rogers, Max Priest and Kollenbaum. Then again, Brandon threw a lefty and three of those guys (Kreuter, Rogers and Kollenbaum) hit homers off him.

Joyer picks up more offers

Wesley Chapel lineman Kamran Joyer spent two hours with USF coach Jim Leavitt on Wednesday where he received another scholarship offer. In fact, he loved what he heard so much he now lists USF as his top choice followed by Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Miami.
Illinois also offered Joyer this week. He also has offers from Tennessee and South Carolina with Miami coming to visit next week.

Williams' Ole Miss offer comes through

As was expected, high-rising Chamberlain wideout Anthony Williams received a scholarship offer from Ole Miss Wednesday night, his second SEC offer in the past week.

Williams, a Jefferson transfer who made 38 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns during his junior season with the Dragons, has also received offers from Marshall and Georgia, both within the past two weeks.

Ohio State, Kansas, Auburn and Troy have also expressed interest.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Clearwater twins sign; will separate

Kristi and Kaitlin Posnak, 6-foot twin volleyball standouts at Clearwater, have signed to play college ball and may play against each other next season.

Kristi signed with Hillsborough Community College, while Kaitlin signed with Polk Community College. Both HCC and PCC are in the same conference and will meet for the first time in September.

The Posnaks played big roles for the Tornadoes this past season, stepping in for departed Player of the Year Kristin Fisher and leading Clearwater to a 25-5 mark and the conference title. Kristi earned the team's Most Improved Player award and led the team in blocks, and both players were honorable mention on the All-County team.

Wharton's Jones gets Nebraska offer

Wharton safety Jairus Jones (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) has received his first two scholarship offers. One came from Florida Atlantic; the second from Nebraska. According to Wildcats assistant Craig Rainey, this might just be the start. "He's getting a ton of interest," Rainey said.

With respect to FAU, the Nebraska offer is the more significant of the two. That's partly because of the program's prestige, but also because first-year 'Huskers coach Bo Pelini is considered one of college football's brightest defensive minds.

The FAU offer comes with a twist.

Owls coach Howard Schnellenberger knows Jones' father, former NFL fullback James Jones, well. In the late 1970s, he tried to recruit the elder Jones to play for the Miami Hurricanes, whom he coached at the time. James Jones instead signed with Florida and in 1982 helped the Gators beat Miami with a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch in the northeast corner of the endzone at Florida Field. The following week, the grab was shown in Sports Illustrated (this issue). In Gator lore, the play to many is known simply as "the catch."

--KEITH NIEBUHR