Brandon wrestling film: Your thoughts?

The Streak is history. So, too, is its world premiere.

Now that you've had a chance to view (perhaps more than once) The Streak, ESPN's documentary about the Brandon wrestling team, we'd love to get your thoughts. Compelling? Poignant? Contrived? Anything that bothered you? Anything omitted from the program's history that you would've liked to have seen?

Let us know. In the meantime...

Our top five favorite scenes from the film:

5. The opening credits, displayed over footage of the Eagles going through their nausea-inducing early-season workouts. How can one watch that and not come away with a newfound appreciation for wrestling?

4. The prepubescent members of the Brandon Kids Wrestling Club crying after the Eagles' loss to Homestead South Dade that snapped the program's 34-year win streak. With a snap-out-of-it tone, Coach Russ Cozart tells the youngsters, "You'll be part of my next win streak." This brief scene conveyed the significance of The Streak to the Brandon community, young and old.

3. Senior 285-pounder Aaron Fullenwider pinning Bradenton Manatee's Richie Cunningham, who had earlier thrown him out of bounds, in the semifinals of the Graves Invitational. Fullenwider's win completely swung the momentum in favor of the Eagles, who went on to win 37-22. What the cameras didn't show: Earlier in the match, Cunningham needed a time-out to vomit.

2. Junior 135-pounder Kevin Timothy, who suffered the defeat that clinched the Eagles' team loss to South Dade, earning atonement with a victory in the state finals in Lakeland. Minutes before in the film, Timothy had openly questioned whether he wanted to keep wrestling after the loss.

1. The aftermath of the loss to South Dade. There's Russ Cozart, arm draped around the shoulders of son Joey, as they walk in a dark parking lot to their cars after the loss to South Dade. In the night's final match, after South Dade had clinched the team victory, Joey pinned his 140-pound opponent in the first quarter. When Russ recalls his son's on-mat display of pride and fortitude in the wake of the historic defeat, he clearly wells up. This is the most poignant sequence of the film.

East Lake senior reconsiders; continues soccer career at Warner Southern

Entering her senior season at East Lake, Danielle Ciglar figured it would be her last playing organized soccer. The midfielder/forward had little interest continuing her soccer career in college.

That is, until the Eagles run through the playoffs that saw the team advance to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. The resulting camaraderie that developed between the players made Ciglar rethink her post-East Lake playing options, and last Wednesday, she signed a letter-of-intent to play for Warner Southern College, a NAIA school in Lake Wales.

"After our high school team and how close we all became, I really wanted to continue playing," said Ciglar, who scored three goals and recorded seven assists in her senior year. "(Warner Southern) is real cozy. It's a small school. The girls on the team are all real nice. I think I will fit in well."

Ciglar took a visit to Warner Southern over spring break and came away impressed, particularly with the current members of the Royals soccer team. An athletic scholarship along with a Bright Futures scholarship will pay for the full cost of tuition.

Ciglar says she plans to compete for playing time right away.

-- BRYAN BURNS

Pilot program two steps from becoming law

A Senate bill that would allow private school students to participate in public school athletics won House approval Wednesday after heated debate. House members amended the bill so only three counties would launch a two-year pilot program, to begin this fall.

The bill would allow private school students to participate in public school sports at the middle and high school levels, as long as their schools do not offer those programs or are not members of the Florida High School Athletic Association. The pilot program would be held in Duval, Bradford and Nassau counties and still requires final approval by the Senate and Gov. Charlie Crist.
-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Hernando athletics faces overhaul (updated: 4:09 p.m.)

The buzz in Hernando County on Wednesday morning was whether Hernando football coach Rodney Byrd was out. The school had posted his job Tuesday on the Florida High School Athletic Association's Web site.

A new administration at Hernando has started the process of overhauling its athletic department. Hernando principal Ken Pritz won't officially take over until July 1, but already is making decisions that will restructure athletics. He'll replace current principal Betty Harper, who is moving to Deltona Elementary next fall as part of district-wide restructuring.

Pritz already spoke with Byrd, who remains the coach and will lead the Leopards through the spring to finish his 2007-08 supplement. Byrd, who led the Leopards to a 2-8 mark in his only season, could return next fall though it will be left to a committee to decide. Byrd declined to comment and referred all questions to Pritz.

Falcons advance to state quarterfinals

Dunedin’s girls flag football team beat Northeast 32-7 in Tuesday's region final to advance to the state tournament. The Falcons will play Plant City in the quarterfinals at West Boca Raton High on Friday.

In the region final, Auna Gould was 17-of-23 and threw for three touchdowns to lead Dunedin. Gould’s favorite targets were Vladanna Petricevic (nine receptions, 195 yards, one touchdown) and Felicia Postell (three receptions, 65 yards, two touchdowns).

On defense, Emily Overby had 16 tackles, Cara Trudell had two interceptions and Erica Ramos had six sacks.

Bob Putnam, Times staff writer

A future with football in it at Seffner Christian?

It won’t happen this year, and it might not happen in 2009 either, but sometime down the road Seffner Christian hopes to add football. “It will happen eventually,” Crusaders athletic director Andy Holmes told the Times Wednesday. “We’re trying to expand our program.”

Right now, financing of the sport is the school’s primary hurdle because there would be significant start-up costs. Seffner Christian is still paying off its gymnasium and currently owes several hundred thousand dollars, Holmes said. “We don’t want to do it when the timing is wrong,” Holmes said. “Some of the schools that recently have started football maybe have done it too soon. We want it to be the right time.”

Fall soccer -- and its success -- is another consideration. Because the school has a small enrollment, many of its athletes compete in multiple sports. Seffner Christian plays fall soccer rather than winter soccer largely because several soccer players also play basketball. Football would compete head to head with fall soccer, and the school would prefer not to spread itself too thin.

Seffner Christian, which has produced numerous successful teams this academic year, opened in 1983. The school, now in its fifth year of Florida High School Athletic Association membership, never has fielded a football team. “A lot of our parents are constantly asking about it,” Holmes said. “We realize there is a need for it. It’s in our future.”

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

The Tide and Troy join the hunt for Demonte

Alonso star Demonte McAllister can add two colleges to his ever-growing list of schools to have offered him a scholarship -- Alabama and Troy. 'Bama, which is coached by former LSU and Miami Dolphins head honcho Nick Saban, produced one of the country's top recruiting classes in February. McAllister, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive tackle, is a Rivals.com 250 prospect for the Class of 2009. Southern Cal offered him last week.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Durant star back for another title try

The way Kelsey Horton sees it, she has a little unfinished business to take care of next week. After starting for a Durant volleyball team that was the Class 6A state runnerup, Horton is now two wins away from being part of a state championship softball squad. And, well, she's more than a little pumped.

"It's one game at a time right now," Horton said. "But if we get past that first game, it will be so exciting."

The Cougars advanced to the final four with a 3-1 win Tuesday over West Orange, ending the Warriors' 15-game winning streak. They face Palm Beach Gardens in one state semifinal May 9 at Plant City Stadium.

Horton, a junior, plays shortstop for Durant and is hitting a team-best .431. She's a Florida Gator commit, but won't be an infielder in Gainesville. In college, Horton plans to play catcher.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Brandon-Newsome, Part IV start time rescheduled

The Class 5A region semifinal game between Brandon and Newsome has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. instead of 7 on Friday at Brandon

The winner of the game, pitting two Class 5A, District 6 rivals, will advance to the region final against the winner of Winter Haven-George Jenkins.

Brandon, winner of 13 straight, has won two of the three matchups this season, including a 10-3 win over the Wolves in last weeks district tournament championship game. The teams also met in the first game of the season, a 7-6 Brandon win and again on March 10, a game Newsome won 4-3.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Genovesi out as Robinson baseball coach, teacher

Not only will embattled Robinson baseball coach Brandon Genovesi not be back to coach the Knights, but he will not be able to be a teacher in Hillsborough County Public Schools, a district spokesman said Wednesday.

Robinson principal Laura Savatkay has told Genovesi he will not return as head baseball coach and will no longer be able to teach in the district, district spokesperson Linda Cobbe said. The moves come after the district launched a professional standards investigation into the coach after Genovesi was suspended for allegedly having a physical confrontation with a student in a classroom about a month ago.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

The Times' Nifty Nine

Want to meet a coach from a big-time college football program? Stop by practice at a local high school this spring and you’re bound to bump into one. ¶ The Tampa Bay area has produced its share of gifted players, but you could argue that the Class of 2009 will be among our most talented to date. It includes an elite quarterback, a defensive tackle coveted by Southern California, two SEC-caliber running backs and perhaps the state’s premier defensive end. ¶ With spring practice to begin Thursday, here’s our list of the area’s nine best prospects:

Adaris Bellamy, Dunedin
Position: RB
Height/weight: 5-10, 215
Vital stats from 2007: Averaged more than 9 yards per carry and produced nearly 2,000 yards.
Top offers: Clemson, Mississippi, USF; USF commit
Scouting report: A back with breakaway speed who can go the distance any play, Bellamy also has the power to run over would-be tacklers. He typically inflicts more pain than he takes.

Orson Charles, Plant
Position: TE
Height/weight: 6-2, 220
Vital stats from 2007: 16 catches, 398 yards, three TDs.
Top offers: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami
Scouting report: Charles has wide receiver athleticism and a tight end body. He’s strong enough to protect his quarterback and create openings for a running back. And with his hands, he’s a threat to score on any play.

Ryne Giddins, Armwood
Position: DE
Height/weight: 6-4, 235
Vital stats from 2007: School-record 21 sacks, including three each against Freedom and Wharton.
Top offers: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, USF.
Scouting report: Giddins has a great combination of size, strength (he had the second-highest bench press on the team last year) and speed (4.6 seconds in the 40). He overpowers some opponents, and goes right around others.

Jarvis Giles, Gaither
Position: RB
Height/weight: 5-11, 178
Vital stats from 2007: Rushed for nearly 1,500 yards.
Top offers: Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, USF
Scouting report: Giles isn’t big, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for with speed. Giles was fourth at the 2007 state track  meet in the 100-meter dash (10.86 seconds).

Kamran Joyer, Wesley Chapel
Position: OL
Height/weight: 6-3, 315
Vital stats from 2007: First-team All-North Suncoast.
Top offers: South Carolina, Tennessee
Scouting report: An exceptionally strong interior lineman (he has a school-record discus throw) who possesses a massive upper body. He’d be ideal for a run-oriented team.

Mike Marry, Largo
Position: LB
Height/weight: 6-3, 210
Vital stats from 2007: Team-high 144 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six INTs.
Top offers: Arkansas, Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, USF
Scouting report: Marry has the ideal frame for a linebacker, and the football instincts to go with it. Simply put, he’s a playmaker. When you find the ball, you’re likely to see him near it.

Demonte McAllister, Alonso
Position: DT
Height/weight: 6-3, 250
Vital stats from 2007: Led Ravens in tackles for loss.
Top offers: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Southern California
Scouting report: McAllister truly has it all. He’s big, strong and explosive off the ball (sometimes he comes close to taking away handoffs). He’s also persistent, and will chase a play 20 yards downfield.

Aaron Murray, Plant
Position: QB
Height/weight: 6-1, 198
Vital stats from 2007: 4,012 yards passing and state-record 51 TD tosses.
Top offers: Florida, Georgia, UCLA, Notre Dame; Georgia commit.
Scouting report: Strong arm, beautiful touch, great feet, tremendous football IQ and ridiculous poise. Arguably the top QB in the South, he doesn’t seem to have a weakness.

Petey Smith, Armwood
Position: LB
Height/weight: 6-0, 230
Vital stats from 2007: 80 tackles, three sacks for the area’s top defense.
Top offers: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State
Scouting report: A hard-nosed, gritty player who has been a starter since the ninth grade. Smith has great football instincts and arguably is the region’s hardest hitter.

(Times photos -- Joseph Garnett Jr. (Bellamy), Lance Aram Rothstein (Giles), Times files (Murray). Click to enlarge.)

-- KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer

Harrison to sign with Brevard Community College

Land O'Lakes sharpshooter Jerome Harrison will sign a letter of intent with Brevard Community College on Thursday morning, Gators coach Dave Puhalski said. Harrison was the catalyst for the Gators with a well-rounded game in terms of shooting, defense and leadership. He led Land O'Lakes averaging 18.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 41 3-pointers en route to the Class 5A region quarterfinal and a 21-8 record.
Harrison considered Eckerd College and the prep school route, but as a partial qualifier he will have the option of transferring to a Division I program if that becomes an option. Harrison visited Brevard a few weeks ago and meshed well with the players and coaches.
"He was one of the most explosive players in the county," Puhalski said. "He was just able to put up big numbers quickly."

--IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Random baseball playoff thoughts

   * Friday will pit two teams with the choke label firmly plastered across their foreheads: Plant, for it's struggles to get out of districts the past few years, and Dunedin, for it's inability to win a state title with all that talent as well as some regional quarterfinal heartbreak in recent years. Should be a good one, probably going to be live on Catch-47, someone may just lose an unwanted (unfair?) label. I thought both teams played their opponents Tuesday closer than many expected, and it looks like it'll be Mychal Givens v. Clay Kollenbaum.
   * Brandon escaped with a win over Wesley Chapel. And I mean escaped, needing a dramatic 7th inning homer from shortstop Spencer Haynes to force extra innings. After Wesley Chapel scored in the top of the eighth, Brandon put up two in the bottom half to win. Watch out for Wesley Chapel in the future, as Chuck Yingling is going to turn that program into a Pasco County power.
   * Speaking of Pasco County powers, the Pirates of Dade City win again. With longtime nemesis Bishop Moore out of the playoffs, I think the Pirates are headed to the state semifinals. They'll have to beat Nature Coast a 4th time on Friday. Heck, I'll say it -- I think Pasco goes to the state championship game and meets Bishop Kenny.
   * Land O'Lakes. Ugh. That's five straight first-round losses and 9 in its last 11 trips to the postseason.
   * Sarasota Christian owns Canterbury: 2006, 2007 and now 2008. Just the way it is.
   * Pasco/Hernando went 2-3 tonight, and are guaranteed to have one team (Pasco or Nature Coast) going to the region final.
   * Hillsborough went 5-5, with two teams (Cambridge/Seffner Xian and Brandon/Newsome) going to region final.
   * Pinellas went 3-7, and have three very tough match-ups Friday. Is it possible summer vacation is a few days away?
   * And I have to say it one more time: North Port?

For Durant, the picture says it all

In the fifth inning of its 3-1 win Tuesday night against West Orange in the Class 6A region finals, the wheels appeared to be coming off for Durant. The Cougars, after committing back-to-back errors, saw a 2-0 lead quickly become 2-1. With no outs in the inning and a runner on second, Durant ace Sara Demuth struck out a Warriors batter for out No. 1. Moments later, she induced a grounder to the mound. Demuth snagged the ball and tossed it to first, where second baseman Brittany Harwell, who was covering the bag, caught it and alertly threw home. There, catcher Kristen Jones nailed a West Orange baserunner to complete the double play. End of inning. Thirty minutes later, the game was over and Durant was headed to the final four. "I saw (the runner) rounding third, and I figured I had to fire the ball home," Harwell said. This terrific photo, provided by Steve Jones, captured the end of the dramatic game-turning play.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Shocker: Seminole is done. Well done.

Ranked in the USA Today national poll and No. 1 in Class 5A by the Florida Sports Writers Association, the Seminole Warhawks are one-and-done in the postseason, dropping a stunning 4-2 decision to North Port.

North Port? That 16-11 team?
Really?

Here's the down-and-dirty-quickly-before-I-file-my-story rundown:
* North Port pitcher Henry Manna was brilliant. Just brilliant. Threw his curve ball whenever he wanted, threw his slider whenever he wanted, and the Warhawk hitters just never could figure him out. All in all, 90 pitches, 65 for strikes.
* Seminole had four hits Two never left the infield. A third was a high chopper over the 3B's head. The Warhawks hammered pitch after pitch into the ground all night. I counted three balls hit out of the infield, one of which was a pop-up that the SS dropped in shallow left.
* Patrick Eckelbarger pitched well for Seminole, but not well enough. He gave up a two-out double to No. 8 hitter Richie Clune in the second inning on a 1-2 pitch, scoring two runs. Clune was hitting a whopping .197 with three extra base hits in over 80 plate appearances this season. Both runs, by the way, we're unearned.
* North Port added back-to-back doubles in the third inning
to take a 3-0 lead.
* Manna was perfect through four innings and retired the first 13 batters he faced, seven on grounders.
* Seminole scored one in the fifth (on an error) and one in the sixth  (on a Chris Calhoon single).
* Calhoon had two of Seminole's four hits, scored one of the two runs and drove in a run as well.
* Seminole's 1-4 hitters were 1-for-12, with six ground outs and three pop outs.
* Manna was brilliant. Did I say that already? Kept the ball down, hit all his spots, completely baffled the Warhawks and needed 35 pitches to get through the first four innings.
* Wow.

Panther softball star makes commitment

Plant outfielder Grace Slone Collins, one of the county's leading hitters this spring, has committed to Barry University. Before Tuesday night's game at Venice, Collins was hitting .538 with seven doubles, six triples and 19 RBIs. She chose Barry, a Division II program, over Division I Samford. "It's just a great team," Collins said. "I love the coaches and the whole atmosphere there." Barry is located in Miami Shores. -- KEITH NIEBUHR

Castellanos out of Wolves lineup, won't play Friday

Newsome ace pitcher Kris Castellanos was suspended from school today, according to a Newsome assistant, and did not make the trip to Land 0'Lakes for the Wolves' region quarterfinal game against the Gators.

Castellanos, an FSU signee and Hillsborough County's strikeout leader, did not appear on the team' lineup card. Castellanos is also the Wolves' cleanup hitter.

Bryan Skonicki, who stepped in when lefty Kyle Parker missed about a month with a broken hand, is starting in Castellanos' place, and held his own against Gators ace Trey Dahl.

After Newsome's 4-1 win over Land O'Lakes, Wolves coach Zach Walker, who said Castellanos' absence was due to a violation of team policy, said Castellanos is still a member of the team, but would not be available for Friday's region semifinal game at Brandon.

-- JOEY KNIGHT and EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Chiefs overcoming flu bug

Despite a flu bug that's hit the team over the past few days, Chamberlain will play tonight's Class 5A region quarterfinal game at Dunedin at full strength, coach Dick Rohrberg said.

Rohrberg said the team was hit by a bug after Friday's district championship game loss to Plant, and even had starting shortstop/pitcher Anthony Padron and reserve T.J. Mouse serving lunch in reverse all day yesterday.

"Today we're going to have everyone though," Rohrberg said.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Hayford steps down

Shorecrest’s Phil Hayford has decided to step down as athletic director after 23 years.

“I wanted to do this to spend more time with my family,” Hayford said.

Hayford will continue to be the head coach in football and teach physical education. When Hayford took over as athletic director, the school had 24 sports teams and 36 coaching positions. Shorecrest’s athletic program now has 42 teams and 64 coaching positions. 

The Chargers also have been ranked in the top 10 overall in their classification by the Florida High School Athletic Association 15 of the past 23 seasons.

Mark Heiser will take over as athletic director. Heiser is a former baseball player at Coastal Carolina who is currently the director of athletics at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis.

Bob Putnam, Times staff writer

Strunk to join Plant City, kinda, over the weekend

Newly hired Plant City football coach Jason Strunk is planning to introduce himself to players and coaches Friday and stay throughout the weekend, but his existing assistants will conduct spring practice, Strunk told the Times.

Strunk (right), a college assistant at D-III Muhlenberg, was hired last week for his first head coaching job, but it turned out he will have to finish out the school year in Pennsylvania, where he is a special education teacher in the Lehigh Valley.

Still, Strunk, a lifelong Pennsylvanian, is looking forward to meeting his new players this weekend.

"I'm really excited," he said. "I'm going to tell them that a new era is about to begin. I want to let them know what I'm all about. I think they are going to see a lot of energy from me. They're going to be excited to play because they're going to see that I'm excited to coach."

For five interesting things about Strunk, keep reading.

Five East Lake players sign

East Lake had five football players sign letters of intent. Justin Kresz, a tight end, is going to MIT. Running back Richie Bailey, linebacker Jerry Boarland and wide receiver Kevin Sadgepour are headed to Quincy. And placekicker Drew Petzold is off to Weber. The Eagles have eight players from their graduating class who will be playing in college.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Brandon hires boys basketball coach

Brandon athletic director Johnny Bush announced Tuesday morning that the Eagles have hired Allie Turley to be the new boys basketball coach. Turley, an assistant with the program, replaces Mark Hermann, who led the Eagles to two state final fours and seven district titles in his 13 years as head coach before stepping down in March.

"It's a great choice," Hermann said. "He's been in our program, knows our style and brings a great work ethic."

Turley was chosen over four other finalists -- Joe Willis (currently at Lennard), Decarlo Deveaux (currently helping out at the University of Tampa), Jeremy Schiller (a former Brandon Player who currently is an assistant at Eckerd) and Michael Murray (currently an assistant at Kissimmee St. Cloud).

"Coach Turley was selected from a field of excellent candidates," Bush said via email. "We look forward to supporting his efforts both on and off the courts."

The position is considered one of the county's most appealing regardless of sport. Brandon has had great success in basketball through the years. The Eagles have been to the final four seven times.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Four locals named to FHSAA Academic All-State Team

They had game. Not only in the athletic arena, but in the class. And because of it, four locals have been named to the 14th Annual FHSAA Academic All-State Team. They are:

-Alison Burnham, East Lake: Burnham has a 4.0 GPA and is ranked fifth in a senior class of 539 students. She earned a varsity letter in soccer all four years, and also earned three letters each in flag football and golf. She plans to attend the University of Florida and study engineering.

-Cameron Porter, Osceola: Reynolds has a 3.96 GPA and ranks fifth in a senior class of 362 students. He earned a varsity letter in track and field all four years, as well as three letters in wrestling and one in football. He plans to attend the University of South Florida and study pre-medicine.

-Okeefe Simmons, Tampa Bay Tech: Simmons has a 3.9 GPA and ranks second in a senior class of 149 students. He earned varsity letters in cross country, soccer and track and field all four years of high school, as well as one letter in tennis. He will attend the University of Florida and study athletic training and pre-medicine.

-Stephanie Socias, Academy of the Holy Names: Socias has a 3.99 GPA and ranks second in a senior class of 87 students. She earned two varsity letters each in basketball, cross country and track and field. She plans to attend Notre Dame and study pre-medicine.

BC latest to offer Hillsborough RB

Boston College extended a scholarship offer to Hillsborough running back Lindsey Lamar on Monday, joining USF and Toledo. On Tuesday, Lamar called USF the favorite, but said not to count out Georgia. The Bulldogs are recruiting him in two sports -- football and track. As a sprinter, Lamar (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) is one of the state's best. He won regional titles last week in the 100 and 200 meters. In the process, he posted a career-best time of 10.35 seconds in the 100. Lamar is a standout tailback for the Terriers, but given his size and athleticism it wouldn't be a stretch for him to get a look at cornerback in college. "I can play anything," Lamar said. "I'm an athlete."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Reunited and it feels so good

Bobby Wilson, one of the stars on Seminole's great 2001 national champions and the Times Player of the Year that season, was called up to the Anaheim Angels and is now a major league teammate of former Warhawk teammate Casey Kotchman.

Two guys from the same high school team as major league teammates. Pretty darned phenomenal.

Wilson was hitting .339 with six doubles and 12 RBI in 16 games at Triple A Salt Lake City.

Tom Kotchman, Casey's dad and an Angels scout, told me the Halos have been hit by the flu recently, especially catcher Jeff Mathis, creating an opening for Wilson. Kotchman, who signed Wilson, also pointed out that including Ricky Nolan, who was a freshman in 2001, that Seminole team ended up producing 10 players who signed pro contracts.

Chances are, that's a national record, and one that will be tough to break.

Seminole back on top

Seminole reclaimed the top spot in Class 5A in the most recent and final FSWA state baseball poll while local 5A teams Land O' Lakes (Fourth to third), Plant (Fifth to fourth), Brandon (eighth to seventh) and Dunedin (10th to eighth) each made a step up in the poll.

For the complete list, keep reading.

Spoto football coach steps down

Scott Palmer loved the Spoto football family. But because he felt a need to spend more time with his family at home, he has resigned his position as Spartans head coach.

"I have a 2-year old and a 5-year old at home," Palmer said. "I could not give (Spoto) the time that was needed for them to be successful. I needed to step down for the betterment of my family."

Palmer, 38, coached Spoto two seasons. In 2006, the Spartans, then a first-year program, played a junior varsity schedule. Last fall, Spoto's first against varsity competition, the Spartans went 3-7. The team's biggest win was a midseason upset over then-unbeaten Tampa Bay Tech.

Palmer has informed Spoto administrators that he will coach the team through spring practice, which should lesson the blow of his departure. Practice starts Thursday. Palmer said he hopes to coach somewhere in the fall, but as an assistant.

"I appreciated the opportunity (at Spoto)," Palmer said. "I liked the kids. They're good kids. I think that's going to be a hotbed in the future."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Plant's Van Pelt to ink with Western Carolina

Plant track and field standout Jamie Van Pelt will sign a letter-of-intent with Western Carolina on Wednesday. Van Pelt, who will compete in the Class 3A state meet later this week in Winter Park, is the county's top discus performer. A year ago, he was fourth at state. This spring, he produced a career-best throw of 168 feet, 8 inches to win districts. He also was first at regionals. Van Pelt also considered Coast Carolina.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Sickles swimmer to sign with Gardner-Webb

Veronica Case, a standout swimmer for Sickles, will sign with Gardner-Webb in a ceremony Tuesday at her school. Case was a member of the Sickles 200 free relay squad that was fifth at state. She also competed in the 400 free relay. The Times named both relay teams the best in Hillsborough County.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Freedom golfer pitches, putts and drives his way to finals

Freedom golfer Matthew Camara is headed to the Golf Channel's Pitch, Putt and Drive finals on a roll. The freshman recently took third in a sectional event at Falcon's Fire Golf Club near Orlando, then captured the regional competition on the same course to reach the championship round, which is Aug. 28 in Celebration.

"He's completely stoked," said his father, Frank Camara. "It was amazing."

At sectionals, the top three advanced. At regionals, only the winner moved on.

Matthew Camara, 14, beat the competition in the regional round by placing first in driving, second in putting and third in pitching. His winning drive went 288 yards.

Fourteen players reached the finals, which will be televised by the Golf Channel.

"He's really looking forward to it and to meeting kids from across the country," Frank Camara said." It's an opportunity to play with some of the best talent."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Snakovsky makes her pick

The Times' Hillsborough County Player of the Year, Shawnta Snakovsky, has signed with Seminole Community College, Sickles coach Mark Key said Monday. Snakovsky, who also was the Class 6A Player of the Year, averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 steals and 4.8 rebounds a game last season for one of the area's top teams. She also considered St. Petersburg College.

"I think she'll do well," Key said. "I really do. She has a commitment to do that. If she stays focused, she'll be fine."

In 28 games as a senior, the 5-foot-7 guard totaled 173 steals. That included a 14-steal effort against rival Wharton. You can read more about Snakovsky's final season HERE.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Tampa Bay Juniors U-15 Black team qualifies for Junior Olympics

The Tampa Bay Juniors Under-15 Black club volleyball team, a squad made up nearly entirely of Hillsborough County players, earned a bid to this year's Junior Olympic National Championships with its showing in a qualifier tournament this weekend in Minneapolis.

The team's fifth-place finish in the Northern Lights National Qualifier earned it one of the event's two bids to nationals, which will take place from June 30 to July 3 in Dallas. Just 28 teams in each age division qualify for nationals. It was the third qualfying tournament the team had played in -- the others were in Atlanta and Houston -- and both previous times, the team fell one spot short of qualifying for nationals.

"We finally got over the hump," said coach Randy Dagostino, who is also the volleyball coach at Berkeley Prep.

The Tampa Bay Juniors is the only club team in the state of Florida to have two teams compete in the open division and earn berths to nationals, Dagostino said. The Tampa Bay Juniors Under-16 Black has also qualified.

To see the team's roster, click here.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Film review: Brandon wrestling documentary

They're driven, obsessive, mildy mischievous and occasionally profane.

But in the end, the 2007-08 Brandon High wrestlers, subject of a documentary airing Tuesday night at 9 on ESPN2, likely will elicity your sympathy and cheers.

The Streak (92 minutes, 54 seconds) follows the team's season, marked by the historic loss to Miami South Dade that snapped the program's national-record dual match win streak at 459. ESPN's cameras had unabridged access to the program as well as the Brandon Kids' Wrestling Club, home of Coach Russ Cozart, and even the homes of several wrestlers.

What results are mini-character sketches of several wrestlers, most of whom seem driven by the desire to not only preserve the streak but live up to legacies forged by dads or older siblings.

That pursuit, at times, borders on the disturbing.

The opening credits appear over shots of the Eagles going through a nausea-inducing sequence of preseason workouts, and footage taken in the school cafeteria shows some wrestlers bypassing lunch to ensure they'll "make weight" for the upcoming matches. At a dinnertime scene in state champion Eric Grajales' home, the family partakes of what appears to be a meal of steak or pork chops while Grajales picks at a plain baked potato.

"Halfway through the season," state champ Joey Cozart (the coach's son) says at one point, "it's not even fun anymore. It's like hell."

Naturally, great attention is given to the Eagles' historic loss, in the finals of the Jim Graves "Beat the Streak" Invitational, and the emotions spawned by it. Director John Hock, however, does a delicate balancing act, conveying the significance of the defeat without exploiting anyone.

And it doesn't end there. After struggling to regain focus and, in some cases, questioning their desire to continue, the Eagles find a degree of redemption at the state tournament.

Ironically, that poignant finish makes The Streak, filmed in the very year in which the streak ended, a tale of triumph.

 

Spoto's first state qualifier places sixth

A week ago, Shakea Kindred was the first track and field athlete from Spoto -- boys and girls -- to qualify for the state championships after placing first in the girls shot put at regional.

Today at the Class 2A state finals, Kindred's final throw of 36-06.50 was good enough for a sixth-place finish. The throw was a personal best for the Spoto junior.

"I'm happy, very happy," Kindred said. "I'll be back next year, and I'll place even higher."

Kindred has been competing in the shot put on-and-off since the sixth grade. She also throws the discuss and placed at the regional meet but not high enough to qualify for states.

-- BRYAN BURNS

Jesuit takes first in 4x800 relay

Jesuit's boys 4x800 meter relay team placed first in a time of 7:56.30 at the Class 2A state track and field meet in Winter Park (Showalter Field).

Jesuit was running third after the third leg before Connor Revord, the Tigers' anchor, closed the gap on his first lap and, with 220 meters to go, pushed ahead of the pack to runaway with the victory. Revord opened up a 15-20 meter lead by the finish line. Belen Jesuit came in second (7:59.61) and Bolles placed third (7:59.65).

The time was a personal best for the Jesuit quartet of Michael McEnany (1st leg), Logan Trimble (2nd), Carson Holton (3rd) and Revord. Revord estimated that the championship time was around 15 seconds faster than the Tigers' previous best this season.

The Robinson team of Matt Altimari, Terril Gibson, Adrian Vella and Darrin Gibson placed fifth in the event in a time of 8:04.61.

-- BRYAN BURNS

Rivals.com editor takes on the Zooker

If you follow recruiting, you'll love this story ...

In a recent article, Illinois coach Ron Zook (yeah, that guy) complained about a new rule that banned Division I-A head football coaches from recruiting during the current open period. But then he took things a step further by saying that recruiting websites work with the schools they cover to sway recruits. "Well, you know what a lot of them are saying," Zook told the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Ill.). "They're selling their school to these kids, and we're not able to talk to them. To me, we're losing this thing, in my opinion."

Rivals.com editor-in-chief Bobby Burton was quick to respond. And in doing so, he fired back at Zook -- and college coaches in general. He wrote: "Is the media or an Internet site such as Rivals.com perfect? No, we're not. But our eight-year record of following rules and acting judiciously is far better than that of several NCAA member institutions and the NCAA coaching fraternity as a whole." (You can read Burton's entire response to the Zooker HERE)

So tell me, who's right in this debate -- Zook or Burton?

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Grajales fifth at U.S. Nationals; qualifies for U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Brandon wrestler Eric Grajales continues to impress -- and add to his growing legacy as one of the best grapplers this area has ever produced. On Friday in Las Vegas, the high school junior placed fifth in the 121-pound Senior Men's Greco-Roman division at the U.S. Nationals, and by doing so qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The top seven in each category moved on. You can find Grajales' bracket from the event HERE.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials take place June 12-15 in Las Vegas and will determine what athletes will travel to compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Grajales won his first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals, then lost to eventual champion Spenser Mango, forcing him into the consolation bracket, where he won three of four matches to earn a spot at the trials. His technical fall win over Jimmy Chase clinched the fifth-place finish.

Grajales' success at the national level surprises few. This past season at Brandon, he won his third state championship (at 130 pounds), finished 58-0 and set a state record for pins in a season with 53 (the old record was 43). For his efforts, Grajales was named the Times' Wrestler of the Year (story HERE). Most of the top college wrestling programs are recruiting him.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA & KEITH NIEBUHR

Two champions from Class A state track

Admiral Farragut Academy's Josh Burch and Calvary Christian's Joe Cathey each won state titles at the Class A meet in Winter Park.

Burch, a sophomore, won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 8 1/4 inches on his second to last attempt. He also took second in the triple jump 44-9 1/2 on his last attempt.

Cathey capped off his career with his first state title in the 3,200 meters. The senior surged ahead in the final 150 meters to win in 9 minutes, 26 seconds.

Tampa Prep's boys 4x800 relay was second in a school record 8:13. Shorecrest's Samantha Specht was second in the triple jump (36-1 1/2) and 400 (58.65). She also was fourth in the 200 (26.39) and fifth in the long jump (16-10). 

-- BOB PUTNAM

Softball Scoop: Two nationally ranked teams fall

When the day began, the state had three teams ranked in USA Today's top 20.

Now, only one is left.

Chamberlain, which lost to Plant 5-1, was one of the teams to fall. The Chiefs were ranked 20th.

The other to lose was No. 6 Melbourne Eau Gallie, which was beaten by West Orange 4-3. Why is that result important? Because Eau Gallie is in Durant's region of the Class 6A bracket. Had Eau Gallie won, it would have hosted Durant, which beat Countryside tonight, in the region finals. Instead, the Cougars will host West Orange on Tuesday night at 7. To read more about Eau Gallie's loss -- and the team Durant will face next -- go HERE. By the way, West Orange has won 15 straight games and is 25-4.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Southern Cal offers Alonso football star

What arguably is the biggest scholarship offer to a local football player in the Class of 2009 to date came today when national power Southern Cal extended one to Alonso star Demonte McAllister, the standout defensive tackle told the Times. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound McAllister already had offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State and Miami, but this has added significance because USC typically has its pick of players on the West Coast.

Rivals.com rates McAllister as the country's 131st best prospect. As a junior, he earned Times All-County honorable mention honors. Ravens coach Mike Heldt said last week McAllister would name his five finalists sometime shortly after the conclusion of spring practice, which ends in late May.

Florida State was the first to offer, and in February McAllister told the Times he was "leaning" toward the Seminoles. But according to Heldt, McAllister has an open mind and plans to take several official visits in the fall.

Southern Cal already has 10 commitments from players in the Class of 2009, including quarterback Matt Barkley, the country's consensus No. 1 recruit. Every player currently committed to the Trojans is from California.

"We're obviously excited," Alonso coach Mike Heldt said. "It's an honor that they think that highly of them. Demonte is a pretty good football player, so I'm not all that amazed he got an offer from Southern Cal. He can play for them."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Seminole debuts, CCC falls, Plant disappears in USA Today poll

Seminole debuted at No. 23 in the most recent USA Today national baseball poll released this week.

The Warhawks still couldn't jump Clearwater Central Catholic, which dropped six spots from 16th to 22nd.

The paper wasn't kind to Plant, which fell from 14th to out of the poll following back-to-back losses to Brandon and Sickles.

Sarasota jumped a spot from third to second, one spot behind new No. 1 Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, which jumped to up from the fifth spot.

To see the complete poll, click here.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Title is extra sweet for Wharton’s Bartholomew

The state championship claimed by the Wharton boys tennis squad Thursday in Altamonte Springs was the school's second-ever team title. Alex Bartholomew has the distinct honor of being the lone member of both championship teams.

The senior, who plays No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles for the Wildcats, also started for the Wharton boys soccer team that won state two months ago. "Honestly," he said Thursday, "I feel that so much of it is luck to be on two teams that were good enough to win. It's great to save it for my senior year."

It gets better.

In addition to his team championships, Bartholomew, the school's valedictorian, also will graduate with four individual titles. Two came in doubles play (including one Thursday); two others came in singles.

"I'm ecstatic," Bartholomew said.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Brandon wresting chronicled by ESPN

An ESPN documentary following Brandon's prestigious wrestling program will air on ESPN2 on Tuesday night from 9 to 11.

The Eagles, who were undefeated for 34 season until their 458-match winning streak was ended by South Dade in the annual "Beat the Streak" Tournament, had their season filmed by ESPN.

The ESPN crew followed Brandon for about a year and a half, from the end of the '06-'07 season to the end of this past season, which ended with Brandon's 18th state championship.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Jobs for everyone!

Gibbs finally posted the boys basketball opening, so expect the resumes to start flowing in (Gibbs AD Kyle Johnson says he already has about five and has received a dozen or so calls just from word of mouth).

Gibbs is also now looking for a girls basketball and baseball coach.

Johnson said girls hoops coach Ed Jackson has left the building , though he wouldn't say whose decision that was.  "It was...ummm...I'm not at liberty to say,''  Johnson said.

And George Lehr, who was winless in two seasons as head coach of the baseball team but had received plaudits from a few other county coaches on the improvement in a Gibbs team that really was lacking in talent and players, resigned.

That's the official announcement -- Lehr did say he submitted his resignation letter -- but it was highly likely he was not going to be asked to return next year. "There was an internal personnel problem and he knew it,'' Johnson said.

He and Johnson (and the administration in general, most likely) had a number of disagreements this year. The blue tarp that lined the OF fence was stripped away (except for centerfield) because it was needed elsewhere "for security reasons,'' Johnson said. That's probably code for "the football team needed it." There was also a dispute over the fact that Gibbs took batting practice against a flat 4x6 screen instead of, you know, a real batting cage, and a number of other issues that can be boiled down to this: Lehr was hoping to turn Gibbs into a bonafide baseball program with all the accroutements, but there was either not enough money, not enough support, not enough faith between coach and administration to pull that off.

Johnson, who came to Gibbs from Dunedin, admitted "This is a tough place to be a baseball coach.''

. 

Chamberlain doubles team wins state

Jamie Mera and Jen Miller were getting lunch Friday in Altamonte Springs when they received a phone call came from the tournament desk. Their opponent in the Class 3A state doubles final had defaulted because of an injury, meaning the championship belonged belonged to them. "They said, 'Come and get your medals," Chiefs coach Mike Zanatian said. "They ran out of Quiznos jumping up and down."

The Chamberlain duo reached the finals with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win earlier in the day over a team from Naples Gulf Coast. In that match, Mera, a senior who is headed to Missouri, and Miller, a junior, trailed 5-6 in the second set. "They came back and then blew them out (in the tiebreaker)," Zanatian said.

To reach the championship match, Mera and Miller also had to win two matches Thursday. And both came after Mera already had played -- and won -- two singles matches. "They played fantastic," Zanatian said. "Both of them."

The moment was particularly sweet for Mera. Friday morning, she lost in the overall singles final. She also was beaten in the singles final as a ninth-grader.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Samaha stopped short of championship

Plant's Joel Samaha, bidding to win the Class 3A overall boys singles title in tennis, was topped Friday in Altamonte Springs by Ponte Vedra Beach Nease's Yannick Yoshizawa 6-3, 6-2 in the final. A USF recruit, Yoshizawa rode a big serve to the championship.

"He was really good," Samaha said. "Looking around, he was by far the best player that I saw here. His serve was like 125 (mph). It was ridiculous. I knew I couldn't just hit it back to him, and that put a lot of pressure on me to hit a pretty good return."

That said, Samaha, a senior who will play for Yale, had his chances.

"I had a few opportunities I shouldn't have let get away," he said. "I had a few break points to get back into the match. The score is kind of deceiving. There were a bunch of really long games in the second set."

Despite the loss, Samaha heads home reasonably happy.

"I had a really good time," Samaha said. "Obviously, I would have liked to have my teammates here, but it was nice to get to the final."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Mera falls short in championship match

Chamberlain tennis star Jamie Mera played hard, and she played well. But in Friday's overall singles final at the Class 3A state tournament in Altamonte Springs, it wasn't enough. Her opponent, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas standout Courtney Clayton, was simply too good. Just moments ago, Mera lost to the Stanford recruit, who is one of the country's top-rated juniors, 6-4, 6-2.

"She played fantastic," Chamberlain coach Mike Zanatian said. "The other girl was just good. Jamie had her chances in the first set. Then when she got down in the second set, it kind of got to her. But she played some of her best tennis of the year."

At 10 a.m., Mera will team with Jen Miller in doubles. They duo is two matches away from being called state champions.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Jefferson catcher headed to Webber

Jefferson senior catcher Ryan Regidor has signed to play at Webber International, Jefferson head coach Pop Cuesta said Thursday evening. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Regidor hit .255 for the Dragons and led the team with 11 runs scored.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Northeast's Delmontagne headed for Anderson

With coaches, teammates, friends and family looking on, Northeast senior wrestler Josh Delmontagne signed a letter-of-intent at his home Sunday to wrestle this year at Anderson University in South Carolina, a Division II school.

Delmontagne, who wrestles in the 145-pound weight division, finished fourth at the state tournament this year after winning districts. He has over 100 career wins and was selected to the Times all-county first team as a senior.

"I was real impressed with how they ran the school," Delmontagne said of his college choice. "The student population is small, and I was looking for a smaller school. I connected real well with the team and the coach. That was probably the biggest factor in my decision."

Plant's "other" Bulldog-to-be has big day

Aaron Murray wasn't the only future Bulldog from Plant to have a memorable day.

Panthers tennis star Joel Samaha, a senior who will play for the Yale Bulldogs in college, posted two big wins at the Class 3A state tennis tournament in Altamonte Springs on Thursday. The second, a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Newsome standout Andy Hersh gave Samaha the title in the individual singles bracket. Friday morning at 8, he will play Yannick Yoshizawa of Ponte Vedra Beach Nease for the right to be called the state's overall singles champion.

Samaha, who is 11-2 this season, came to state with one goal: to have fun. Because he puts much of his focus into USTA events, he said he didn't fully appreciate this event -- until he started winning. Now, he has gotten into the spirit and would like nothing more than to finish things off Friday with a "W."

"I want to win for myself, but also for Plant," Samaha said. "We've won a lot of state championships and it would be nice to have a tennis one in there."

To Hersh's credit, he gave Samaha everything he had. And he did so despite playing through a good bit of pain. At one point, Hersh had an ankle taped. Later, he was treated for severe cramps. Still, he battled all the way to help produce one of the day's most entertaining matches.

"He definitely played well," Samaha said.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Murray commits ... but where will our other stars go?

If you haven't heard (your laugh here), Plant QB Aaron Murray will be a Georgia Bulldog. And now that that's out of the way, we can finally talk about something else ... like the recruitment of our county's other top football players.

In February, I named my top-five Hillsborough County recruits for the Class of 2009. Murray, as you might expect, was one of them. Now that he has committed, I'm curious to see which colleges the general public thinks the remaining players on that list will ultimately attend. Here's the list, and a few words about each player ...

1. Ryne Giddins, DE, Armwood (6-4, 230): Quiet and humble off the field, Giddins is an absolute beast on it. There is no better pass rusher in the area (and maybe the state). As a junior, he had a school-record 21 sacks. Who’s offered him a scholarship thus far? Oh, only Florida, Florida State, Auburn and just about everyone else east of the Mississippi. My pick: Florida.

2. Aaron Murray, QB, Plant (6-0, 210): Committed to Georgia

3. Petey Smith, LB, Armwood (6-0, 240): An All-American candidate, Smith will have the opportunity to play wherever he wants. He’s quick. He’s strong. He has terrific football instincts. And when he hits you, you feel it the next day. Smith is working hard right now to drop some pounds. If he gets down into the 220-pound range, look out. Everyone wants this guy. And I mean everyone. My pick: Florida State.

Plant girls tennis team: "We'll be back"

The Plant girls tennis team couldn't pull out the Class 3A state championship Thursday in Altamonte Springs, but the Panthers didn't go home empty-handed. By finishing with nine points, Plant was the state runnerup behind perennial power Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, which had 18. And that's not bad for a team many didn't think would even get here.

"We're really, really excited," Panthers coach Lynn Vu said. "It was an experience we will never forget