Fears confirmed; Brandon's Ramsay and Shoulders done for the year

BRANDON - Soon after Brandon fought off pesky Newsome in an 8-6 win Friday night, Eagles coach Matt Sallbaumer confirmed the news.

After a pair of MRIs, James Ramsay and Roderick Shoulders will undergo season-ending surgery. Ramsay has a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Shoulders a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Ramsay's recovery is expected to take between six-to-nine months, Shoulders could rehab within three months and is expected to have surgery as early as Thursday.

"For me not to put their name on the lineup card was a first in two and a half years," Stallbaumer said. "Even tonight both are in uniform, one's walking around with an arm brace and the other one's hobbling around with a knee brace. I imagine they're still a big part of this team."

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Both boys and girls FHSAA hoops final four games to be broadcast on Sun Sports

Replays of the FHSAA boys and girls basketball state finals from the Lakeland Center can be seen on Sun Sports next month.

The boys basketball games will run March 16-21 and  girls basketball games will run March 21-27. Exact dates and times are still being determined, but check out sunsportstv.com for further updates.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Crusaders face tough test tonight

After narrowly falling to nationally-ranked Jesuit and then to Bishop McLaughlin in its first two games this season, Tampa Catholic faces another tough test tonight against Gulliver Prep at 7 p.m. at USF.

The Crusaders (1-2) will face Gulliver Prep's 6-foot-2 senior lefthander Steven Rodgriguez, an Under Armour All-American who is also a Florida recruit.

Senior 6-foot-4 righthanded pitcher Trent Stoker (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will head to the mound for the Crusaders.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Boys Hoops All-Conference All-Stars

This season’s All-Western Conference boys basketball team, which recognizes the top talent in Hillsborough County, has been announced. Here are the honorees:
American Division
MVP: John Henson (Sickles)
First team: John Henson (Sickles), Sheldon Cooley (Plant), Andre Smith (Blake), Michael McFarland (Blake), Jordan Davis (Sickles)
Second team: Chris Williams (Alonso), Reggie Sweatman (Robinson), Nico Cora (Sickles), Montrey Pride (Blake), Ryan Coulter (Plant)
Coach of the Year: Winston Davis (Blake)
Federal Division
MVP: Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (King)
First team: Toarlyn Fitzpatrick (King), Matt Kendrick (Chamberlain), Juan Washington (Hillsborough), Fredrick Drayton (Tampa Bay Tech), Rashad Davis (Armwood)
Second team: Geric Leath (Middleton), Rethell Oliver (King), Michael Jimerson (Hillsborough), LaCarlton Nelson (Tampa Bay Tech), Brandon Bertorello (Freedom)
Coach of the Year: Sam Lanier (King)
National Division
MVP: Samal Shepherd (Newsome)
First team: Samal Shepherd (Newsome), Joe Raga (Bloomingdale), Jeffrey Thomas (Durant), Aaron Garden (Durant), Karl Beasley (Spoto)
Second team: Andre Nation (Durant), Charles Murphy (Newsome), Sean Hayes (Bloomingdale), Fred Porter (East Bay), Evan Locke (Lennard)
Coach of the Year: Jeff Shotwell (Durant)

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Girls Hoops Western Conference All-Stars

This season’s All-Western Conference girls basketball team, which honors the top talent in Hillsborough County, has been announced. Here are the honorees:
American Division
MVP: Amber Henson (Sickles)
First team: Amber Henson (Sickles), Jade Givens (Jefferson), Michelle Taylor (Plant), Shayla Wilson (Jefferson), Laurie Beaty (Jefferson)
Second team: Shanel Sweet (Gaither), Antoinette Wilson (Plant), Zhanea Charles (Robinson), Bre Crum (Sickles), Rachel Reid (Leto)
Coach of the Year: Tom Mosca (Jefferson)
Federal Division
MVP: DeAndra Davis (Armwood)
First team: DeAndra Davis (Armwood), Jasmine Rodriguez (Tampa Bay Tech), Jasmine Hammond (Hillsborough), Abby Alger (Freedom), Leria Jenrette (Tampa Bay Tech)
Second team: Courtney Jenkins (Tampa Bay Tech), Chante Lumpkin (Armwood), Stasha Sharpe (Wharton), Gwen Fernandez (Chamberlain), Corlissa Pope (Armwood)
Coach of the Year: Heather Glezen (Tampa Bay Tech)
National Division
MVP: Shytina Harley (East Bay)
First team: Shytina Harley (East Bay), Dana Williams (Newsome), Janae Lancaster (Durant), Brianna Thomas (Spoto), Quet Shaw (Plant City)
Second team: Mary Allen (Riverview), Ashley Favors (Bloomingdale), Jade Forte (Plant City), Dasia Daniels (East Bay), Taylor Broadnax (Durant)
Coach of the Year: Terry Varvil (East Bay)

Check back later in the day for the Western Conference Boys Basketball All-Star Team.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Two big Brandon bats out indefinitely

If the Brandon baseball team is going to duplicate its success of last year, which included a trip to the Class 5A state semifinals, they might have to do it without two of their top run producers.

Centerfielder James Ramsay has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and first baseman Roderick Shoulders, left, suffered a torn labrum in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. Both players were scheduled to have MRIs to gauge the severity, but it appeared both would need surgery.

Brandon coach Matt Stallbaumer said he is prepared to be without both players for the remainder of the high school season. Depending on the results of the MRIs, the duo -- both players are juniors -- will have to make a difficult decision whether to get immediate surgery in hopes to be back in time for an important summer of showcases and summer ball.

"I think we just got our (bulletin-board) headline to motivate us all season," Stallbaumer said. "Every other team is going to be foaming at the mouth to get us and maybe more so now. Right now, we have to prepare to move on without them. But those are two guys who have such a passion for the game. A coach loves to have guys like those two, and they don't come along all that often."

Ramsay, last year's Times Hillsborough County Player of the Year, led the Eagles with a .467 average, 35 runs and nine doubles. He also added three homers and 30 RBIs. He has already committed to USF. Stallbaumer said Ramsay's knee got stuck in the turf chasing a ball in centerfield in the preseason, but he kept playing until Stallbaumer suggested he get the knee checked out further.

Shoulders, a Times all-Hillsborough County first-team selection, led the county with 39 RBIs while hitting .414 with six homers and eight doubles. He injured his shoulder diving for a ball in the Eagles' last game Tuesday. He couldn't lift his hands above his head after the play, Stallbaumer said.

Brandon (3-0) faces district rival Newsome at home Friday.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Chamberlain shuts down foes

Chamberlain coach Bob Diez didn't make a big deal out of his softball team's start.

The Chiefs are 3-0 after wins over Middleton, Blake and Plant.

On the scoreboard, Chamberlain has outscored those three 32-0. Clearly, the biggest of the three wins was a 3-0 victory over Class 5A, District 10 foe Plant.

The Chiefs and Panthers played four times last year and after splitting the season series, Chamberlain defeated Plant for the district title. The Panthers then returned the favor by knocking the Chiefs out of the playoffs in the region semifinals That was the first year Chamberlain failed to advance to the final four since 2004.

The teams will meet again March 13 at Plant.

Diez said the Chiefs have gotten sound defense and good pitching. Chamberlain senior Alex Hartshorn is 2-0 with eight strikeouts, and freshman Jackie Moreda leads the Chiefs with 15 strikeouts, a win and a save.

-- IZZY GOULD

Youth movement at Holy Names

Don Barron sent his daughter off to the University of Florida last year and soon after her high school career had ended, he got a call to come back to Academy of the Holy Names.

Well, he took the job he had held for four years and learned quickly he had a different team than in past years.

Already 4-1, the Jaguars appear to be a promising bunch. Their four wins came by a combined score of 33-1. The loss was a 5-3 setback against Clearwater Central Catholic, a game Barron felt the girls should have won.

"We out hit them," Barron said. "We had four errors that cost us in that game. We booted the ball around. We'll play them again and I expect a different outcome."

What's significant is the makeup of the Jaguars. With just two seniors and one junior, Barron has a roster full of freshmen and middle school girls. Freshman Stevie Cenal leads the Jaguars with a .438 batting average with seven hits, five RBIs and eight runs scored. And eighth-grader Ashton Hill is batting .333 with five hits and five runs scored.

For Barron, it's an odd situation because he's handling girls at different stages of their development.

"I've got an 18 year old to my right and a 13 year old to my left," Barron said. "You have a kid driving themselves to games and practice to a kid who doesn't."

The influx of younger girls wasn't out of necessity. Players went through tryouts and earned roster spots. Now the question is whether they can make an impact. A pair of true tests are on the horizon with games at St. Petersburg Catholic on Friday and against Tampa Catholic on Monday.

Barron expects them to be competitive in both if the Jaguars are to contend for a postseason berth.

"We're very young," Barron said. "We're building for the future. But hopefully we'll be the dark horse this season."

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Voss apparently headed back to Bulls

Former Gulf quarterback Alton Voss, who abruptly left USF last summer after redshirting his first year on campus, appears headed back to the program as a walk-on.

Voss, who cited a lack of desire to continue playing football as his reason for leaving, has met with Bulls coach Jim Leavitt about returning to the team this fall. Robin Burge, the father figure who essentially raised Voss, said the former Bucs two-way standout will re-enroll as early as next week.

"He told me he's going to give 200 percent," Burge said. "He said, 'Leavitt's never seen me like he's going to see me. I'm going to be a wild man.' ...He wants to get back in the fray of things. He's biting at the bit."

Voss would have a chance to earn a scholarship if he moved up the depth chart; the Bulls will have redshirt freshmen B.J. Daniels and Evan Landi and true freshman Isaac Virgin as Matt Grothe's backups. But Burge said Voss' heart now is set on playing defense. At Gulf, he excelled at safety as well as quarterback.

Voss drove to California last month intending to enroll at College of the Sequoias, a top junior college, but the coach there said Voss had too many upper-level credits to be accepted into the program.

Division I-AA Savannah State also has expressed very strong interest.
But Burge said Voss had settled on trying to ultimately reclaim his scholarship at the Division I level.

"He wants to play," Burge said. "He doesn't want to sit around anymore."

--GREG AUMAN, JOEY KNIGHT

Plant ranked 13th in Baseball America Top 50 rankings; Givens named first-team All-American

Plant is only bay area team ranked in Baseball America's national preseason top 50 rankings, which are being released today online.

The Panthers (1-1), who went 25-5 last season and advanced to the region semifinals last season, are ranked 13th.

Plant is led by highly touted senior pro prospect RHP/SS Mychal Givens (right), who was one of 14 players to be named a preseason first-team All-American by Baseball America. Givens, who was 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA while hitting .421 made the team at the utility position.

Over the summer, Givens, an Oklahoma State recruit who is expected to be one of the first high school players selected in this year's MLB draft, won the Jackie Robinson Award, which is given to the top rising high school senior baseball player in the nation.

Las Vegas Bishop Gorman is Baseball America's top-ranked team. Among Florida teams, Lake Worth Park Vista is ranked third, Plantation American Heritage is 15th, Miami Florida Christian is 27th and Sarasota is 49th.

Jesuit, which was ranked fourth in the nation in the Easton Sports/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason High School Baseball Poll, was not ranked in the top 50 but they received consideration, Baseball America assistant editor Nathan Rode said.

Last season, Plantation American Heritage won the Class 3A championship and staked claim to the No. 1 spot in Baseball America's final rankings. Sarasota finished 25th and Dunedin, fresh off their Class 5A state title, was 30th.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA