Officials training "win-win" situation for area teams

At Blake today, the Yellow Jackets will scrimmage against Tampa Catholic. Meantime, over at Plant the Panthers will hold an intrasquad game. Elsewhere, six other Hillsborough County schools are having similar events. The reason? To benefit officials.

Like the athletes whose games they work, officials need training. And this is one opportunity to get some. Today and Saturday, the West Coast Officials Association is teaming with the NFL Referees Association, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, USA Football and the Florida High School Athletic Association to host a state clinic. Meetings are involved, as is "practice" at local high schools.

"They called and said they were having a clinic and were offering their services," county athletic director Lanness Robinson said. "We asked people if they wanted to participate and got eight schools." (TC is the ninth)

Everything was approved by the FHSAA.

"This is for official training," Robinson said. "It's not to benefit the schools. Will the schools benefit? Yes. But the purpose is to give officials more training. In order to get training, you've got to have games."

At Plant, Panthers coach Robert Weiner expects to have 50-70 officials on site today for his scrimmage, which will be played like an actual game. About a dozen NFL referees will be part of that contingent.
"I think they'll be rotating in and out," Weiner said. "There will probably be 30 on each side so we better not be holding."

Weiner was happy to have this opportunity. Not only will he dress 110 kids for a gamelike situation, but his team gets to help officials improve at their craft. "It's definitely win-win," Weiner said.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Wharton is latest to ink Reebok deal

The Wharton football team has agreed upon a shoe and outfitting deal with Reebok, becoming the third Hillsborough County high school to sign with the athletic apparel company, Reebok's director of team sports for the state of Florida Rich Keast said Tuesday.

Hillsborough and Bloomingdale have already reached aggreements with Reebok, which will provide the team with practice shirts and shorts and outfit sideline staff in exchance for a team purchase of their NFL Epuipment shoe line at a discounted price, Keast said. The schools also receive discounts on Reebok uniforms, which would be of the same quality as NFL uniforms, complete with form-fitting fabric with moisture-wicking technology for sweat.

At least three other bay area football teams could follow, Keast said.

"We've made a lot of local on-site meetings," Keast said. "We're receiving a lot of interest."

Reebok's foray into high school sports is a new one. Reebok is the official supplier of the NFL and is now focused on spreading its brand into the high school football ranks.

Armwood signed an exclusive Nike agreement, one of just five in the state of Florida.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Related content:
Bulls joining Reebok fray (Blog post, 3/27/08)
Hillsborough finalizes deal with Reebok (Blog post, 3/19/08)
Nike woos Armwood (3/9/08)

Givens receives invite to Aflac All-American Game

After a stellar junior season, Plant pitcher/shortstop Mychal Givens has been invited to play in the prestigious Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, which features the top rising high school seniors each summer, Plant coach Dennis Braun confirmed Thursday.

Givens emerged as Plant's top pitcher, going 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA. As the Panthers' No. 2 hitter for most of the season, Givens hit .421 with 34 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 17 RBIs and a .521 on-base percentage.

The game, which will be played on August 9 at a site still to be determined, is a game played in an East vs. West format showcasing high school players who are believed to be some of the top professional prospects the upcoming season. Riverview's Anthony Ferrara was named to the team last season and Hillsborough's Michael Burgess made the squad in 2006.

Players are selected by the Perfect Game Cross Checker, said Mechell Clark, spokesperson for Aflac, and official announcement of the team members will happen on June 5.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Related content:
Plant dispatches Chamberlain (4/26/08)
Plant ready for next stage (4/9/08)
Givens helps Panthers get over loss (3/26/08)
A Plant pitcher is born (3/1/08)
Panthers pick up easy win (2/26/08)

Fenlon heading to Siena

Tampa Prep point guard Conner Fenlon, the county's assist leader the past two seasons, has accepted an invitation to walk on at Siena College, a Division I program located in New York. "I like that it's small," Fenlon said. "And the coach up there really cares about me. I fell in love with the school and the basketball program."

Fenlon, a 6-foot senior, is the son of Tampa Prep coach Joe Fenlon. He started three years for the Terrapins, averaging 6 points and 7 assists a game last season.

Siena had arguably the biggest moment in program history this spring at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Saints upset Vanderbilt. While in Tampa, the Saints, who are coached by Fran McCaffery, practiced at Tampa Prep.

"The coach saw Conner shooting and asked if he'd be interested in coming to Siena and walking on," Joe Fenlon said.

Conner Fenlon visited the school last weekend. Had he not picked Siena, he was prepared to attend Florida State and be one of the basketball team's managers. "He's going into a situation where he'll probably be a practice player at first," Joe Fenlon said. "He may even be a practice player for four years. But he has the opportunity to challenge himself and see what happens."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Berkeley hoops standout headed to RPI

Berkeley Prep guard/forward Zak Kazanski, a Class 3A honorable mention all-state pick, will play for Division III RPI, Berkeley Prep coach Bobby Reinhart said Thursday. Kazanski averaged 12.5 points, 3.7 assists and 3.6 boards as a senior.

A four-year starter, he played in 111 career games and scored 1,135 points in a Bucs jersey.

He chose RPI over Case Western, Rochester and Washington University in St. Louis. Kazanski is an honor student who hopes to study engineering.

"I think it's a very good fit for him for both basketball and academics," Reinhart said.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

A new offer for McAllister (stop us if you've heard this before)

First, Florida State offered Alonso defensive tackle Demonte McAllister a scholarship. Then Florida and Miami followed suit. Most Southeastern Conference schools soon joined the club. And as you've probably heard by now, Southern California recently got into the mix.

Well, now you can add Michigan to the list.

The Wolverines offered the 6-foot-3, 260-pound rising senior earlier today.

Will it be too late? That's the question. McAllister plans to announce his five finalists in a few weeks.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Newsome's Lovell commits to South Florida C.C.

Newsome senior centerfielder Ethan Lovell has committed to play college baseball at South Florida Community College, Wolves coach Zach Walker said Wednesday.

While playing an excellent centerfield, Lovell, who hit .403 with 32 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 19 walks, sparked the Wolves from the leadoff spot. Newsome (17-9) which advanced to the Class 5A region semifinals.

South Florida C.C., located in Avon Park, has an outstanding reputation for advancing its baseball players to four-year programs. Among the South Florida C.C. alums who made their major-league debuts this past season: Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Litsch, Rockies pitcher Darren Clarke and former Durant standout Ryan Raburn, a utility player for the Tigers.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Related content: Sibling centerfielders inspire each other

Gruden's son to play for CDS

Jon Gruden II (also known as "Deuce"), the son of Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden, will attend Carrollwood Day School beginning in August and intends to play varsity football for the Patriots, coach Lane McLaughlin confirmed Wednesday. A freshman-to-be, Deuce Gruden has played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back in local youth leagues.

In addition to football, he also is expected to run track at CDS.

"I'm real excited to have him," McLaughlin said. "I hear he's real quick. And who wouldn't want to have an NFL family in their program?"

McLaughlin said he first met the Gruden's during Deuce's application process to CDS.

"It's a great family," McLaughlin said.

The younger Gruden's arrival will coincide with CDS' inaugural season of 11-man football. The Patriots played in a six-man league last fall. The school also is in the process of building a new on-campus stadium, which will have a seating capacity of about 1,000.

*CDS 2008 schedule; *CDS athletic home page

Related posts/stories:
Stadium construction nearing start at CDS
CDS completes schedule; to join conference

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Wharton QB earns high marks at elite camp

Wharton QB Andrew Clifford, expected to be among the region's top signal callers this fall, won the accuracy challenge this past weekend at the EA Sports regional Elite 11 QB camp at the University of Alabama (there are six regional camps).

"It's something all the guys participate in, so it definitely says something about a kid who wins," said Brian Stumpf, Student Sports Director of Football.

Clifford, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound rising senior, has strong interest from UCF, USF and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, while in town last week, stopped by Wharton to watch video of him.

FlaVarsity.com recently praised Clifford, calling him a player who "should have a very good chance at entering " the website's list of Florida's top 100 prospects for 2009.

Related posts/stories:
Wharton trio getting plenty of attention

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Homecoming for two local softball players

Two Hillsborough County softball players now at top-ranked Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville will  return home next week for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I women's softball national championship being held in Plant City.

Freshman third baseman Kristina Cruz (Academy of the Holy Names) and freshman second baseman Nadirah Nesfield (Sickles) play for the Saints. 

Nesfield is hitting .363 with 24 runs scored, 29 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Cruz is batting .257 with four homers and 25 RBIs.

The Saints (51-3) have been ranked No. 1 in the Ringor NJCAA Division I poll for five weeks now. The national championships, which will include 16 teams, with be held May 15-17 at Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Softball Fourplex.

-EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Giddins not in rush to commit

Plant quarterback Aaron Murray recently committed to Georgia. Alonso defensive tackle Demonte McAllister plans to trim his list of potential colleges to five very soon. Meantime, over at Armwood star defensive end Ryne Giddins, generally regarded as one of the area's three best prospects in the Class of 2009, is taking his time. In fact, he said Tuesday he has no favorite and has no intention of naming a leader or leaders any time soon.

"Everybody is the same right now," Giddins said.

At present time, "everybody" includes schools such as Florida, Florida State and Miami, all of which have offered scholarships. Giddins said he's "open" to any school and plans to take all of his allotted official visits this fall. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Giddins was the Times' Hillsborough Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Holloway fitting in nicely at Armwood

Armwood running back Sirchauncey Holloway has practiced with his new team for only a week, but so far he's enjoying himself. "They're treating me real good," Holloway said. "On a scale from 1 to 10, it's like a 10."

Holloway, who transferred from Plant City during the offseason, figures to be a big part of the Hawks' offense in 2008, largely because the 5-foot-8, 190-pound rising senior has both speed and power. Right now, he's sharing time in the backfield with junior-to-be Sherman Jessie.

"We're so happy with Sirchauncey," Armwood offensive coordinator Chris Taylor said. "He's given us exactly what we were looking for this year."

And what's that?

"His ability to glide along the line," Taylor said, "and make a cut when he sees a hole open."

Holloway, his coaches say, projects to be a Division I-A player. Thus far, FAU, FIU, Troy and Wake Forest have shown the most interest. Holloway rushed for nearly 900 yards last season.

-KEITH NIEBUHR

Holy Names gymnast commits to LSU

Academy of the Holy Names junior Kaleigh Dickson has accepted a scholarship to LSU, where she will be on the women's gymnastics team, school athletic director Pete Young announced. 

Last month, Dickson won the Level 10 Senior A all-around title at the Region 8 Gymnastics Championships in Huntsville, Ala. At the time, she had her choices narrowed down to Pittsburgh and Auburn, but LSU began recruiting her more intensively.

Dickson's all-around score of 37.975 at the Region 8 championships qualified her for the National Championships May 16-18 in Orlando. She competes for LaFleur's in Tampa.

LSU is an established program. The Tigers placed fourth in the highly competitive SEC, won the NCAA Central Regional and placed fifth in the NCAA Championships.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Jaguars hire hoops coach

The Academy of the Holy Names has hired Chris Kumka as its new girls basketball coach. He replaces Casey Higgins, who led the program for five successful seasons. She resigned after guiding the Jaguars to an 18-10 record last season to spend more time with her family.

Kumka, 32, has been Holy Names' golf coach and middle school boys basketball coach the past two years. He also has served as a Jaguars assistant softball coach.

A native of Maine, Kumka played basketball at the University of New England, where he graduated in 1997 with a degree in education. He spent six seasons as an assistant hoops coach in Maine, including two with the men's team at Southern Maine.

Kumka moved to Tampa in 2004.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Huskers + Hillsborough Co. = lots of offers

Earlier today we reported the Nebraska Cornhuskers had offered scholarships to Alonso defensive tackle Demonte McAllister and Gaither tailback Jarvis Giles. Well, it turns out they've been a lot busier than we thought. Armwood's coaching staff reports that Nebraska also offered three Hawks in the past week -- defensive back Angelo Hadley, defensive end Ryne Giddins and quarterback Mywan Jackson (Nebraska's old coaching staff offered Jackson awhile back; the first-year staff now has followed suit). By the way, if you want to see video highlights of these three, go here ...

-Hadley video

-Giddins video

-Jackson video

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Koslin steps down at Mitchell

Mitchell girls basketball coach Stephanie Koslin has resigned her post to spend more time with family.
She gave birth to her first child just weeks before the 2006-07 season. Now with her second child of three months she wants to be sure not to miss those little moments between mother and child.
Koslin coached six seasons for the Mustangs leading them to three district titles and a Sunshine Athletic Conference championship two seasons ago. The opening has been posted and assistant Jake Tavo is expected to apply with Koslin's endorsement.
Koslin said she hopes this is just a temporary break from coaching basketball and that she hopes to return in a few years. Until then, she'll attend games and cheer for Mitchell.
"It's a whole different job this motherhood," Koslin said. "I'm going to be a big fan."
-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Bloomingdale's Moore headed to Rollins

Bloomingdale standout basketball player Paris Moore will sign her letter of intent to attend Rollins College on Wednesday, athletic director Danielle Shotwell said in an email.

Moore was a Times All-Suncoast second teamer this past season, averaging 19 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5 steals a game.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Huskers' do two in Tampa Bay

Remember when Nebraska was good? Back then the Cornhuskers did their best to recruit speed from the Sunshine State (think Tommie Frazier of Bradenton). Well, Nebraska, under first-year coach Bo Pelini (formerly the defensive coordinator at LSU), apparently is hoping to sink its teeth into the Tampa area. Last week, the 'Huskers offered a scholarship to Gaither running back Jarvis Giles. And today, they've offered Alonso defensive tackle Demonte McAllister. Either one would be a significant catch for Nebraska as it tries to re-enter the national scene. Both players are heralded prospects.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

More and more schools interested in Cooley

Plant basketball standout Sheldon Cooley, the 2008 Times Hillsborough Player of the Year, already has scholarship offers from both East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, and it looks as if more are on the way. Cooley, who has been playing in out-of-town events nearly every weekend with his travel team (Florida Elite), has been watched closely last week by Houston, Ohio and UCF, Plant coach Mike Phillips said. It is Phillips' belief that each will soon offer Cooley, a 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 22.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and five steals per game as a junior. "I feel like they've liked what they've seen," Phillips said. "They'll be out here real soon. Sheldon is playing real well. He's the leader on (Florida Elite) and we've got kids on the team from all over the place." Neither Rivals.com nor Scout.com currently has a player page for Cooley on their respective websites, but both have had representatives at recent events in which Cooley played -- and each inquired about him, Phillips said.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Jesuit's Holton headed to St. Leo

Jesuit senior Carson Holton, a member of the recently crowned Tigers' Class 2A state champion 4 X 800 relay team, signed to attend St. Leo over the weekend.

Holton, who chose St. Leo over Loyola (New Orleans), Florida Southern and Spring Hill, will run cross country and also compete with the swim team at St. Leo.

"It just seemed like everyone around there was happy with where they were," Holton said. "I liked the aura there."

Holton was also accepted to the honors college at St. Leo. He plans to major in psychology.

Holton ran the third leg of Jesuit's 4 X 800 state championship relay team, which finished in 7:56.30, three seconds faster than second-place Belen Jesuit. 

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

UCF baseball coach out: Mallard still on board

The University of Central Florida fired longtime baseball coach Jay Bergman last week (Orlando Sentinel story here), but Middleton standout Jamie Mallard still intends to be a Knight -- provided he doesn't turn pro before he can get there.

Kim Mallard said her son received an email last week from UCF informing him of the school's decision to release Bergman, who coached for almost 26 years at UCF and has more than 1,000 career wins. In it, the school said it still wanted Mallard and the other members of the 2008 recruiting class to attend UCF.

"It was very upsetting (to hear about Bergman), but we've talked to them," Kim Mallard said. "They're still committed to the class. And we're still committed to them. We met Bergman and liked him, but Jamie is really stuck on (UCF) hitting coach Bryan Peters. They've built a good relationship."

It's no guarantee Jamie Mallard will make it to college. In recent weeks, he has taken part in various pre-draft workouts in hopes of improving his status for the upcoming draft, which is in June. Kim Mallard said it isn't a question of if her son gets drafted, but when.

"We just have to wait and see what happens," she said. "It's a great situation. If the draft doesn't work out, he has a college scholarship. He will be playing somewhere next year."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Former Dragon Collazo dominating in college

Former Jefferson standout Josh Collazo, now a junior first baseman at NAIA Oklahoma Baptist in the midst of a record-breaking season, was named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year this weekend.

Collazo, the 2005 Times Hillsborough County Player of the Year, has set new single-season school records with 22 homers and 100 RBIs while batting .432 on the season, his first since transferring from Ranger Junior College in Texas.

A sports management major, Collazo also won conference Gold Glove honors at first base.

The Bison opens NAIA Region VI tournament play Tuesday in Oklahoma City against Wayland Baptist.

During his senior season at Jefferson, Collazo hit 14 homers, breaking Tino Martinez's single-season record.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Seffner's Self steps down

Seffner Christian baseball coach Jim Self stepped down Monday, athletic director Andy Holmes said.

In two seasons, Self led Seffner Christian to a pair of district titles and the school's first FHSAA playoff win, an incredible comeback win over Bayshore Christian last week. The Crusaders (17-8) advanced to the Class 1A region semifinals before losing to Cambridge Friday.

"He has a business and he said things were down because of the time he devoted to baseball," Holmes said. "It seemed to be a time issue."

Holmes said he hopes to have the position filled by the end of the school year.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Booker T. Washington football coach leaves post

Normally, we don't write about coaches from outside our area, but this is a unique circumstance. During each of the past five football seasons, Tim Harris, football coach at Miami Booker T. Washington, has faced a Hillsborough County team in the state semifinals. Because of that, his name has become fairly well known to those in these parts who follow prep football.

On Saturday, Harris announced that he was stepping down at Washington to accept an administrative position with the Miami Hurricanes, where his son will be a freshman in the fall. The USA Today National Coach of the Year after leading the Tornadoes to the Class 4A state title and a 14-0 record, Harris will work in a non-coaching capacity, the Miami Herald reported (story HERE). While at Washington, he went 57-7.

Incredibly, four of those losses came to Hillsborough County teams (three to Armwood; one to Plant).

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Tennis exposure camp coming to Tampa

Former Harvard tennis coach Ed Krass is hosting his 20th annual college tennis exposure camp June 15-20 at USF. What makes it unique is that students are taught exclusively by college coaches because the camp is dedicated to preparing high school athletes for college-level tennis. The staff focuses on helping campers improve match strategy, shot selection and shot placement in hopes of making their transition from junior to college tennis a reality. The camp is open to competitive high school and tournament players ages 15-18. More than 50 college coaches will train on court and conduct classroom seminars on college tennis preparation. For more information, go online to collegetennis.com or call (813) 684-9031.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Locke, Mitchell each win titles

Chamberlain's Dentarius Locke and Durant's John Mitchell both won gold at the Class 4A state track meet.

Locke, a junior, won the 100 meters in a personal-best 10.72 seconds. He also took second in the 200 in a personal-best 21.02.

Mitchell, a junior, won his first state title in the 1,600 in 4:21. He beat out Sickles' Derek Wehunt, who was third. Mitchell false-started in the 800.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Wharton trio getting plenty of attention

Three Wharton football standouts -- Andrew Clifford, Jairus Jones and Hunter Stout, are starting to get serious attention from college coaches. As of this posting, none of the seniors-to-be have scholarship offers, but according to Wharton's staff that is likely to change during spring practice.

Here's the 411 on each ...

-Clifford, a 6-3, 205-pound QB, has strong interest from UCF, USF and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, in fact, were in town today to watch video of him. Clifford performed well at a QB camp today in Alabama, and that could generate more action on the recruiting front.

-Jones, a 6-2, 205-pound strong safety, has UCF, USF, Florida and Nebraska interested. Florida spent two hours at Wharton practice Friday -- just to watch him. Jones' father, James Jones, played running back for the Gators in the early 1980s (many still remember his game-winning one-handed TD catch against Miami at Florida Field) and later was a starter in the NFL.

-Stout, a 6-4, 265-pound offensive lineman, is on the radars of UCF, FAU and Alabama.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Plant City loses flag football final

After winning its first 15 games of the season, Plant City was hurt by two costly giveaways and fell to defending champion Tallahassee Leon 41-16 in the FHSAA flag football final Saturday night in West Boca Raton.

The Raiders reached the championship game by winning a dramatic semifinal just hours earlier, 26-19 over Jupiter. In that game, quarterback/safety Quet Shaw passed for three scores and ran for another while receiver Danielle Kersey had seven catches and a touchdown.

Problem was, the Raiders had little time to rest. They played the final less than two hours later.

“The turnaround time was a little quicker than we thought,” Harris said.

Plant City led Leon 7-0, but Leon quickly evened the score and then took advantage of a Raiders turnover to go up 14-7. Another Raiders turnover also hurt, as did the fact Leon didn’t cough the ball up once.

"They were a good team," Harris said. "But I think they were beatable. We made some mistakes early in the game and against a team like Leon, you can't do that."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Plant City to play for state flag football title

What will be at stake when the Plant City flag football team faces Tallahassee Leon tonight in West Boca Raton? Only the state championship.

Just moments ago, the Raiders defeated Jupiter 26-19 in one state semifinal. Leon beat Parkland Douglas in the other earlier today, 27-14.

"We played well," Plant City coach Randy Harris said.

There isn't much time to rest. In fact, the final starts at 7.

"We're excited, but right now we're trying to get a little rest and get some food in their bodies," Harris said. "We just got back to the hotel. We're trying to find them something light to eat."

Plant City enters the championship game at 15-0.

In the semifinals, quarterback/safety Quet Shaw passed for three scores and ran for another. Receiver Danielle Kersey had seven catches and a touchdown.

"The offense had to pick us up a little bit," Harris said. "And the defense made plays when it had to at the end."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

3A state track & field headquarters (It's over)

The meet is over. Below, you'll find the team standings and a few notes from the day:

Boys: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 65; 2. Dwyer 49; 3. Miami Washington 48; 4. Hillsborough 42; 5. Navarre 40; 9. Wharton 18; 13. Plant 14; 24. Jefferson 8.

Girls: 1. Oak Ridge 89; 2. Wharton 48; 3. Miami Washington 46; 4. Pine Forest 36; 5. St. Thomas Aquinas 35; t20. Seminole 8; t20. Brandon 8; t20. Tampa Bay Tech 8; 26. Hillsborough 7; t29. Blake 6; t29. Dunedin 6; t34. Osceola 5; t34. Lakewood 5; t34. Central 5; 42. Newsome 4; 46. Plant 3; 50. Jefferson 2; 53. Tarpon Springs 1.      

-Wharton has another state champ: Wildcats junior Amani Bryant has just claimed the 300 hurdles after finishing in 42.92. The runnerup was well back at 43.59. Minutes earlier, Bryant was DQ'd in the 100 hurdles after she hit a hurdle and fell off the course. "I'm really happy," Bryant said. "I was down about falling in the 100." Her time was a PR.

-Heralded Florida Gator football recruit Jeff Demps (10.40) won the 100. Hillsborough's Lindsey Lamar was fourth (10.86).

-Skinner earns another medal: Wharton senior Katrina Skinner won the bronze in the 1,600. She finished in 5:01.95. Skinner took gold earlier in the 4x800.

-Wharton girls win 4x800: The Wildcats posted a time of 9:22.43 to beat runnerup Satellite by more than two seconds. The Wharton team included Kathia Skinner, Shannon Meggs, Erin Bailey and Katrina Skinner. According to Flrunners.com, the group broke the school record.

-Ridgewood pole vaulter wins state: Behind a personal best vault of 11-0, senior Keari Brink has taken the title. She bested her previous PR by five inches. "When they shouted out that I got first, I was so excited," Brink said. "I've been working really hard for the last four years."

Seffner's Fawbush departs as softball coach

After seven years, Seffner Christian's Greg Fawbush is stepping down as the school's head softball coach so he can dedicate more focus to coaching Seffner's girls basketball team.

The Crusaders softball team went 9-10 this season and reached the Class 1A region finals before losing to Canterbury.

"I think the program got over the hump by going to the region finals, so they need a coach who can be dedicated to it year round to be able to take them to the next level," Fawbush said.

Fawbush, who has coached the girls basketball team for 13 seasons, led them to the region finals as well. He was the only coach at Seffer coaching two varsity sports, and the Crusaders' softball schedule was forced to start two weeks late because it intertwined with basketball.

"The girls have done well in both sports," Fawbush said. "I just think it's time that if I can concentrate on one and someone can dedicate themselves to the other, it will be best for both sports."

Seffner Christian athletic director Andy Holmes said he preferred that Fawbush's successor be a teacher on campus, but it's not mandatory. They have five off-campus varsity coaches.

If Seffner couldn't find a softball coach capable of taking the program to the next level, Fawbush left the door open for returning.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Brandon-Newsome a formal affair

This morning, Brandon and Newsome players had to pack their formal shoes with their cleats, their cumberbunds with their batting gloves and their tuxedos with their uniforms.

Their Class 5A region semifinal game today at Brandon's Don Powell Field was moved up three hours to a 4 p.m. start time because both schools have prom tonight.

Brandon coach Matt Stallbaumer said several calls had to be made to change the time on such short  notice, but one thing that helped is all the relationships between the two schools.

"The last thing was talking to the principals, and the Newsome principal (Rebecca Fitzgerald) was actually the principal that hired me at Brandon, so there are a lot of relationships here," Stallbaumer said.

For more on the game, and an interesting look at the friendship and mutual respect between Stallbaumer and Newsome coach Zach Walker, click HERE.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Updated Scout.com top 300

Rivals.com isn't the only recruiting service that likes our local football talent. Several area products found their way onto the Scout.com Scout 300, a list of the top players in the Class of 2009. They are:

No. 31, Aaron Murray, Plant, QB

No. 97, Demonte McAllister, Alonso, DT

No. 120, Ryne Giddins, Armwood, DE

No. 145, Orson Charles, Plant, TE

No. 166, Petey Smith, Armwood, LB

No. 199, Jarvis Giles, Gaither, RB

NOTE:  This updated list came out May 1; the one we ran last week was from March.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Get your football schedules here

Spring football practice starts today, but the real season doesn't begin until August. Even so, there's no time like the present to start planning your fall Friday night schedule. With that in mind, we're here to remind you that we've already posted the 2008 schedules for every area team. To find the ones you're looking for, simply go to highschool.tampabay.com. Under the header "High School Team Pages" choose football in the "Select Sport" category. Right below that you'll be able to select a team. Hope that helps.

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Rah, Rah, Sis, Boom, Bah: Cheerleading championships head to Tally

After a year in Boca Raton, the state's cheerleading championships will head to Tallahassee in 2009 and 2010, the Florida High School Athletic Association announced Wednesday. The event will be held at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, March 13-14, 2009, and March 12-13, 2010. The inaugural championships took place at FAU Arena in March. More than 190 schools entered the two-day competition. State champions were crowned in seven divisions.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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