APOLLO BEACH – Jesuit senior Michael Conlon had completely forgotten about the Alvarez awards for Hillsborough County’s top high school soccer players, so it took him a few minutes after entering the Alvarez Company CPA office Thursday night to figure out why he was there.

Conlon earned the Jose A. Alvarez Award for the top boys player, and Steinbrenner’s Dani Eule took home the Janet Alvarez Award for the top girl in the county.

“I was so shocked,” Conlon said. “I’m still blown away by it.”

Conlon became the third Tiger to win the award in the last four years, after Tyler Hartlage (2011) and Brett Durrance (2012). The center back scored seven goals and had three assists in 20 games but made his mark on defense, where Jesuit coach Eric Sims calls him one of the best he’s ever coached.

The team captain also scored the first goal in the district championship game and took the Tigers to the Class 3A region final. He will continue playing club soccer at Ole Miss, where he plans to study business.

Hillsborough’s Daniel Lorenzo was the runnerup for the award, which is decided by county coaches.

Eule became Steinbrenner’s second female recipient of the honor, edging runnerup Alex Schweitzer of Carrollwood Day.

The center midfielder and two-year captain was one of the county’s most technical players and was the Warriors’ top playmaker. Some of her biggest contributions came with leadership on a young team in a rebuilding year.

“I enjoyed being that type of person on the field,” Eule said.

Eule has signed with East Carolina, where she intends to study psychology with hopes of becoming a psychologist.

ODESSA — Savannah Bennett and Amanda Rose aren’t your typical teammates.

It goes back a little farther than that.

Almost to the beginning.

From pre-school play dates to the playoffs, from playing make believe to making their dreams come true, from middle school when Carrollwood Day didn’t even have a high school to, four years later, a chance to win a state championship.

“This is really beautiful,” Bennett said. “We’re just so happy.”

The Patriots will load up and head out this morning for Vero Beach, home of the Class 3A semifinals,  for a 2:15 p.m. meeting with Moore Haven.

It will be the first time any Carrollwood Day high school team advanced to a state tournament.

“When they asked me to be the coach last year, there was a condition from me and that was that we attempt to build a dynasty,” said Chuck Fest, the second-year head coach. “We weren’t going to be there just for fun. It was going to be something that would make history for these girls for years to come.

“I think we’ve made a little history.”

The Patriots are 16-7, and the kind of young and old blend you would expect from a high school program that’s just four years old.

Veterans who have been with the program since the beginning like Dena Bader and Samantha Fest, a trio of freshmen that includes leading hitter Emma Frost and pitcher Emalee Jansen, and even a 12-year-old seventh-grader, Kacey Akins, whose run-scoring triple ignited a comeback in the region championship win earlier this week.

On a team with only 11 players, each one is important, a point Fest has stressed to his team.

But maybe none are more important than the senior tandem of Bennett, whom Fest says is the heart and soul of the team, and Rose.

The two have known each other since they were 2, became friends in preschool where they would play in a little wooden house out back, and might be Tampa Bay’s most tuned-in battery.

Bennett, the catcher, and Rose, a pitcher, have a rare chemistry that began, Bennett jokes, when Rose was learning how to pitch and “left my shins bruised.”

They were middle-school teammates at CDS until Rose left for two years. Steinbrenner High, though, wasn’t the same. It was easy for Bennett to talk Rose into coming back.

“It didn’t click over there,” Rose said. “To come back and see how my old middle-school teammates had grown, it was pretty great.”

Last year, CDS won its first district title. This year, the Patriots won their first region playoff game …then their second …then their third.

While Fest said he envisioned the Patriots being in the position they are, Bennett said at the beginning of the season she was hoping for another district title and didn’t let her mind wander any farther.

“I wasn’t really thinking about state, just districts,” Bennett said. “You always want to hope, though. I knew we would be good. When we beat Lakeland Christian (in the region semifinals) team that ended our season last year, I thought we really had a shot at this.”

It would be tough to script a better story. The two preschool buddies, friends and teammates forever, going out at the state tournament in Vero Beach.

“I’m pretty excited,” Rose said. “We just need to go down there and do our best. And if we happen to come back with some extra jewelry, that would be great too.”

John C. Cotey can be reached at cotey@tampabay.com.

State semifinal
When/where: Today; Historic Dodgertown, Vero Beach
Admission: $9 per session; $8 for parking
3A: Carrollwood Day vs. Moore Haven, 2:15 p.m. 

photo gallery

VERO BEACH — Bloomingdale entered the postseason as a district runnerup and advanced by surviving three straight region games on the road that were all decided by two runs or fewer.

On Thursday, another nail-biting moment occurred, this time in the Class 8A state championship game against Oviedo Hagerty. The Bulls had a three-run lead in the seventh inning when they gave up two runs. Now locked in a tight game, Bloomingdale junior pitcher Lace Smith had to work out of a jam with runners on first and third and two outs.

“I wanted to pee my pants,” said Smith, a Buffalo commit.

Instead, Smith found the wherewithal to get the final batter to pop up, sealing a 3-2 win in the Class 8A state championship game at Historic Dodgertown. It was the Bulls’ second state title, the first coming in 1993.

“We just all believed in ourselves,” Smith said.

Hagerty, which was playing in its first state title game, entered as the top-ranked team in the 8A state poll. But the Bulls looked stronger, particularly on offense. Bloomingdale (26-2) had two runners on in each of the first two innings, but were unable to score.

In the third inning, Hagerty pitcher Samantha Worrell started feeling the effects of a cut on the index finger of her throwing hand.

“It was really hard to grip the ball,” Worrell said. “I tried to seal it with some glue, but that came off and so did the skin by the end of the inning.”

As Worrell labored to get through the inning, the Bulls pounced. They batted around and scored three runs. The big hits came on a run-scoring single by Samantha Selden and a two-run single by Tyler Farrell.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play and knock in a few runs,” Farrell said. “I saw the ball well, and I guess I got lucky.”

Working with a lead, Smith started to mow down batters, allowing just four hits through the first six innings.

In the seventh, things became dicey.

Hagerty started getting hits — and scoring. The lead went from three runs to one.

The Bulls were accustomed to tight games, too. But this was their biggest test. 

“I think we were all worried, but we still had faith we could get it done,” Smith said.

And just like the region games the previous three weeks, the Bulls survived — again.

“This was most definitely a team win,” coach Mandy Schuerman said. “It’s unique in that there’s not one player that we’re constantly relying on. There’s always a different player that seems to come through.”

In all the Bulls had nine hits, including two each by Selden, Elizabeth Jackson and Darby Bernaldo. Bloomingdale was good at making contact, striking out just four times. 

“The timely hitting showed. We had runners in scoring position throughout the game, and when we needed them our bats came through,” Schuerman said.

A handful of Tampa Bay players are among the 400 nominees for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, event organizers announced Friday afternoon.

Fifty-seven players from Florida made the first cut, which will eventually be whittled down to 90 participants for the Jan. 3 national all-star high school football game.

Locals on the list are:

Tampa Bay Tech ATH Deon Cain

East Lake ATH George Campbell

Largo DB Jonathan Crawford

Armwood DE Byron Cowart

Lakewood ATH Ryan Davis

Plant OL Jake Fruhmorgen

Hillsborough QB Dwayne Lawson

Sickles ATH Ray Ray McCloud III

Nature Coast OT Christian Pellage

Wharton WR Auden Tate claimed one of his biggest offers Friday, from Florida.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Tate is 247Sports’ No. 189 overall recruit for the class of 2015. The four-star prospect holds more than a dozen offers, including Miami, USF, Michigan and South Carolina.  

The Gators have recruited Wharton before, landing five-star DB Vernon Hargreaves III, who was one of the country’s top freshmen last fall.

Robinson WR Jahrvis Davenport added his first offer from one of the major conferences, when he claimed an offer from Pitt. The three-star prospect also holds offers from Ball State, Florida Atlantic and Florida International, among others.

FIU became the latest school to offer Plant City ATH T.J. Chase.

SHADY HILLS — A lack of depth and bodies led Bishop McLaughlin back to independent play after its first and only season in a district.  

A new start includes a new coach. Former assistant Craig Moore, a Mississippi State grad who replaces Derrick Alexander, is also a former NFL player and pro standout like his predecessor.  

“It’s really been a struggle to get players out,” Moore said. (Seventeen players out for practice has been about the max.) 

“We thought that it would be step moving forward (playing in a district last year), but with the numbers, we couldn’t match up with some of the teams we were playing. This year (in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference), there are going to be some teams doing the same thing, going both ways.”

 With quarterback R.J. Perciavalle graduating, Moore said rising senior receiver Will Potosky will be leaned on to carry the offense. He led the Hurricanes (2-8) in receptions last year with 30 for 599 yards and two touchdowns.  

Others who have stepped forward in the spring include rising senior Eric Pitton, who averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry, and rising junior Kyle Kampsen, who was second on the team with 25 catches for 277 yards and one touchdown. Kampsen also saw time at running back and will likely be a featured player.

“Our theme going forward is going to be family,” Moore said. “We’re a family first. No matter what goes on our there. I’d rather play with 11 who have heart than 40 without heart.”

WEEKI WACHEE — Coming off a second straight 3-7 season, leadership will be key for the Hornets, who will have to replace quite a few veterans.

Left tackle Marcus Applefield is already at Rutgers. Also set to graduate: safeties Xavier Jones (53 tackles, one interception) and Tyler Wiley (team-high 105 tackles, one interception), defensive ends Hiram Matos (61 tackles, one sack) and Timonte Hunter (34 tackles, one sack), linebacker Anthony DiNardo (52 tackles). 

Then there’s jack-of-all-trades Jon King, who played running back, wide receiver, defensive back and linebacker. He totaled 54 tackles and one interception last year while also racking up 574 total yards and four touchdowns, first on the team among non-quarterbacks.

“For us to get better on the defensive side, (Hartman) needs to play a lot better and be more aggressive,” coach Mark Lee said. “He needs to become more of a student of the game. If you look at any successful defense, the middle linebacker is a stud.”

photo gallery

VERO BEACH —  A big deficit late in extra innings proved too much to overcome for Carrollwood Day on Friday afternoon at Historic Dodgertown.

The Patriots rallied in the first frame of extra innings but couldn’t keep up with speedy Moore Haven as the Terriers scored five times to defeat Carrollwood Day 15-10 in 10 innings in a Class 3A state semifinal at the former spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“All year long we have fought. Every game we’ve been in, whether it’s a win or a loss — this team has just fought and fought and fought,” said Carrollwood coach Chuck Fest, whose squad dressed just 11 players.

Moore Haven (17-4) scored 41 runs in its three region wins, including an 18-10 victory over St. Petersburg Catholic to send the Terriers to the state final four. 

Moore Haven built a 3-0 lead after two innings, but Carrollwood Day’s Emma Frost slugged a two-run homer in the third. Trailing 6-3, the Patriots rallied to take a 7-6 lead after five innings. 

But Alexis Storey’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning tied the score, and the teams headed to extra innings to begin three of the stranger innings of the four-day tournament.

Moore Haven plated three runs in the top of the eighth, aided by a misplayed two-out fly to centerfield by Carrollwood Day’s Kristen Docobo and a two-run double by Sydnee Cypress. 

CDS (16-8) rallied with three in the bottom of the eighth. Emalee Jansen, Savannah Bennett and Samantha Fest each had RBIs to force even more extra softball.

“After they put three on us, I just looked at them and said, 'Look at the scoreboard. Look how we battled back.’ These girls just fight,” Coach Fest said.

Following a scoreless ninth, Moore Haven scored five times in the 10th, and the Patriots had no answer. Moore Haven will face Westminster Christian, a 4-2 winner over North Florida Christian, in today’s championship.

 “We didn’t get an opportunity to scout them,” Coach Fest said. “They’re a really fast team. We had a really tough time combating their speed. Their coach did a very good job of playing into our weaknesses, and we had a tough time making adjustments.

“We kept fighting back and fighting back, but I think we just ran out of gas at the end with the short bench that we had.”

Added Samantha Fest, who led Carrollwood with three hits and three RBIs: “We had done it before. We’ve come back in numerous games, far down. We never quit. We played our hearts out.”

  Jansen worked 9.1 innings but was relieved by Amanda Rose in the frustrating 10th inning.

“I’m used to long, hard days, but it’s been a while since I’ve had one. I was happy Amanda, a senior, got to close out the game,” Jansen said.

When Dick Rohrberg took over at Sunlake six years ago, he preached the importance of playing team baseball. It was better to move runners over with bunts or hits to the opposite field than trying to hit home runs, Rohrberg taught. 

It took a while for the message to get across. After a 13-12 season in his first year, the Seahawks had four straight losing seasons. And this season started out with an 11-1 loss to River Ridge. 

Slowly but surely, Sunlake started to believe. Despite finishing behind River Ridge and Fivay in the Class 5A-8 regular-season standings, the Seahawks got past Anclote,  then Tarpon Springs in the district semifinals. A loss to Land O’Lakes in the district final meant playing a region quarterfinal on the road.

The Seahawks (19-9) didn’t flinch. They defeated Hernando 2-1,  then Pasco 3-0 and are in a region final for the first time. 

“They are finally buying into what we’re doing,’’ Rohrberg said. “If you do the fundamental stuff; bunt, move runners over, stuff like that, you make things happen. They are seeing that. The parents are seeing that. It took some time, but they are seeing that it’s not just about taking the biggest swing you can take. It’s about playing team baseball.’’

Next up is a game at North Marion (16-11) on Tuesday. Win that and Sunlake will small ball its way into a first state tournament appearance.

“Don’t know anything about them,’’ Rohrberg said. “They are north of Ocala. That’s all I know.’’

Because of the schedule, Rohrberg will get to pitch his ace, David Castillo, for a third straight game. Castillo (7-3) has a 1.54 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched. 

Ryan Talburt (4-1, 2.27), Alex Anderson (2-2, 2.96) and Zac Scranton (4-1, 1.57) have also pitched well this season. 

“The trouble with the schedule is that the other pitchers haven’t had a chance to throw many innings,’’ said Rohrberg, who added the team had an intrasquad game Thursday “just to get our other pitchers some innings.’’

Sunlake has gotten just enough offense to get through the postseason so far. Omar Cala leads the way with a .398 average and 19 RBIs. Castillo (.359), Colton King (.352), Zac Howard (.325) and John Eales (.312) are all hitting over .300. 

Most of Sunlake’s players have been together three years. There are eight seniors and seven juniors who have contributed all season. They have bought into the small-ball philosophy, and the result has been the best season in school history.

“It’s not like football,’’ Rohrberg said. “In football some teams run an I-formation, some run a spread. In baseball, it’s played the same way. It’s no secret. The team that executes best wins. We have been executing better and better as the season goes on.’’

Rodney Page can be reached at page@tampabay.com.

Region final
5A: Sunlake at Citra North Marion, 7 p.m. Tuesday

MELBOURNE — As Andrew Monahan dug into the batter’s box in the top of the ninth inning of East Lake’s Class 7A region final against Melbourne on Friday, he had only one thought.

“Hit the crap out of the ball,” he said.

Monahan did just that. With the bases loaded and two outs, he hit reliever Carson Jackson’s two-strike fastball way over the leftfield fence for a grand slam.

That gave the Eagles a five-run lead and made the difference in a 7-3 win over the Bulldogs.

East Lake (22-7) will play in its first state tournament since 2002 on May 16 in Fort Myers. This is the third time the Eagles have played an extra-inning game since the district tournament started.

“Our guys just battle,” Eagles coach Dan Genna said. “We’ve been through a lot this season and, actually, losing to Northeast in the district final might have been a good thing. It’s made our guys work just a little bit harder.”

East Lake certainly had to work for everything against the Bulldogs.

After scratching for two runs in the first and third innings thanks to Melbourne throwing errors, East Lake barely threatened until the seventh inning. In between, Melbourne got two runs in the third inning off starter Ryan Wall on two hits and a sacrifice fly.

Steven Plaskett came on in relief in the fourth inning for East Lake and held Melbourne scoreless until the ninth.

In the top of the seventh, East Lake loaded the bases with one out. But a Nick DeSantis strikeout and a flyout to second base by Cameron Churchill ended the threat.

East Lake had the same situation in the ninth inning. With one out, Sawyer Wirth and Keegan Maronpot each singled. DeSantis then struck out, but the third strike was dropped and DeSantis reached first.

With two outs, Ian Lisle worked a full count walk to let Wirth score.

“That could get overlooked,” Genna said. “That was a key at-bat. He worked that walk and helped us finally break through.”

Then Monahan lost Jackson’s two-strike pitch over the fence and onto Melbourne’s football field.

It was the moment East Lake fans could start planning a trip to the state tournament.

“When I first hit it I was hoping it would be a double over his head,” Monahan said. “When I saw the leftfielder look over the fence I knew it was gone. Probably the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

Staked to a five-run lead, Plaskett could relax a little bit. He pitched out of trouble in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. In the ninth, he allowed a one-out hit that turned into three bases due to an error. A fly allowed the Bulldogs (25-5) to score their third run. But a flyout ended the game and triggered an East Lake pile up on the infield.

“This season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to sometimes,” Plaskett said. “But we’ve come through when we had to. I love it. I love the pressure situations. And now we’re regional champs.”

FORT MYERS — Calvary Christian’s special season came to an end Friday night in the Class 3A, Region 3 final, but not before Johnny Chiaramonte launched a shot that nearly kept it alive a little longer.

Sitting on a 2-2 fastball against a fading starting pitcher, the 6-foot-2 sophomore one-hopped a double off the wall in left-center that scored two runs and brought the winning run to the plate.

But Fort Myers Canterbury hung on for the final out to win 4-3 and stop the Warriors (22-8) one win short of the state semifinals in Fort Myers.

“It was a clutch hit, but that’s what this team is,” said third-year Calvary coach Greg Olsen, whose team reached the region semifinals the past two years before this season’s best-ever postseason run. “We’re not going to quit. We’ll battle you to the last pitch, which we did.”

After toppling previously unbeaten Clearwater Central Catholic on Tuesday, 3-0, behind a 127-pitch effort from ace Daniel Broeseker, the Warriors fell behind 3-0 in the second inning.

Calvary answered with one run in the top of the third when junior Jake Rothwell led off with a walk, stole second and scored on senior Ray Hansen’s sharp single to center.

Rothwell, Calvary’s third pitcher of the night, entered the game with a runner on in the fourth and kept Canterbury (24-5) at bay for two innings before the Cougars squeezed a single through the right side of the infield to make it 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

After going down in order in the fifth and sixth innings, Calvary put two runners on in the seventh with walks to Grant McDaniel and Rothwell. Chiaramonte’s shot closed the gap to one run, but Canterbury starter Bryan Eberle got the final out to complete a two-hitter.

“As an offense, we’ve got to do more,” Olsen said. “On the pitching and defensive side of the ball we were effective. You can’t expect to go out and shut people out every game.”

Olsen made no excuses about a night-long tight strike zone.

“That’s part of the game. It’s on us to adjust,” he said. “It was a great year. This is a group I’ll always have a special place in my heart for. We’re so proud of these guys.”

TAMPA — Berkeley Prep was forced to fight back from the very start. Fort Myers Bishop Verot took a three-run lead in the first inning of Friday’s Class 4A region final, and the Bucs — who staged a seventh-inning comeback Tuesday against Tampa Catholic to advance — were on their heels early. 

But it was a place coach Justin Houston didn’t mind being. It was the strategy all along.

“Our game plan was just to get these guys in a fight. And when we got them there, we had them on the ropes for a little bit,” Houston said. “But again, they stepped up, they’ve been here before, and they did a good job rebounding.”

Berkeley Prep chipped away at the Vikings’ lead as the game progressed, but timely hitting and a strong outing from senior right-hander Jeff Passantino proved too much for the Bucs to handle, and they lost 5-3. 

Bishop Verot (24-5) coach David Nelson should have had a good feeling about his team’s chances Friday the moment senior outfielder Evan Dougherty stepped up and hit a leadoff single in the first inning. 

“He’s been our leader,” Bishop Verot coach David Nelson said about Dougherty, who finished 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and an RBI. “When he goes, we go.”

The coach’s adage came true, as Bishop Verot’s win put the Vikings in the state semifinals a the fourth straight season. Aware of their opponent’s track record, the Bucs knew they’d have their work cut out for them.

“We saw (Passantino) two years ago. He did everything we expected him to do,” Houston said. “To his credit, he was a little bit better than us tonight.”

Passantino gave up just five hits, walking one and striking out eight in seven innings pitched. Casey Keller pitched the first 4 2/3 innings for the Bucs (16-5), while Julian Bosnic came in in relief.

Bishop Verot scored its three runs in the first inning on an RBI single, a Berkeley Prep throwing error and a Dougherty sac fly. The Bucs came back, scoring a run in the second on a Keller groundout and another in the fourth on a Nick Kavouklis RBI single.

It wasn’t enough, though, and as Passantino kept throwing, the strikeouts began piling up. The Vikings plated insurance runs in the fifth on a wild pitch and another in the seventh on a Passantino RBI single. 

Houston admitted his team — which began the season 1-4 and once struggled through a three-game losing streak — had its trials this season. But, he said, their postseason run wasn’t one of them.

“It was a really fun season,” he said, “especially at the end.” 

Class 3A: At first, Tampa Prep coach A.J. Hendrix thought  everything was going to go great. Tampa Prep was up early against region final opponent Orangewood Christian, scoring a run in the top of the first inning after Luis Medina hit into a double play with no outs and the bases loaded. 

But all it took was one inning to ruin the Terrapins’ night. Tampa Prep gave up six runs in the third frame and, unable to produce much more offense, lost 7-1.

Tampa Prep — which had just two hits, both from St. Pete College signee Nick DeTringo — walked three batters, hit two and gave up two base hits in the third inning, and Orangewood Christian (24-7) scored six runs in the frame.

“Outside of that one inning — we kind of fell apart there defensively on the mound — we pretty much shut them down,” Hendrix said.

The region final was the third straight for the Terrapins (19-11), who played in the state semifinals in 2012. 

Class 7A: Just two weeks after being no-hit by Wiregrass Ranch in its district championship, Sickles struggled offensively once again. The Gryphons mustered just four hits in a 3-0 region final loss to Kissimmee Osceola (25-6).

“The pitcher that they had had a very good change-up and kept us off balance all night,” Sickles (19-8) coach Robert Pagano said of junior right-hander Jake Grenus. “He kept us from doing any damage on the offense.”

Despite the loss, Pagano was positive about his defense’s performance, and the bright future his Gryphons — who will lose just three starters — have.

“It’s a hard thing to do. You don’t do it very often,”  he said of the postseason run. “Maybe next year we can do it again.

Class 8A: Bloomingdale (20-9) scored in the fifth and sixth innings to earn a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against host Winter Park (24-6). 

The win comes just three days after the Bulls, who fell to Plant three times this season, beat the Panthers 5-3 in extra innings to advance to Friday’s region final. Bloomingdale’s postseason run will continue May 16 against Lake Worth Park Vista in the state semifinals at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. 

Information from the Orlando Sentinel was used in this report.

Each week, our HomeTeam staffers nominate male and female Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover. Then we turn the voting over to readers. These nominations span Saturday, May 3 through Friday, May 9. The winners get a T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on all of our nominees then vote until noon Monday.

Female nominees

Taylor Anderson, Mitchell track and field: The junior swimming standout won her first state title in the pole vault, clearing a personal-record 11 feet, 6 inches in wet conditions at the Class 3A meet in Jacksonville. 

Darby Bernaldo, Bloomingdale softball: The senior was the Bulls’ most consistent hitter at Vero Beach, finishing the state tournament 4-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored to help Bloomingdale win the Class 8A state title — its first championship since 1993.

Janae Caldwell, Spoto track and field: The senior’s run of 55.50 seconds in the 400 meters gave her the 3A state championship — the first state title of any sort in school history.

Jen Kistemaker, Osceola track and field: The junior overcame a torn ACL in her left knee and battled wet conditions to finish as the 3A state runnerup in the pole vault with a mark of 11 feet, 6 inches.

Danielle Romanello, Canterbury softball: The freshman catcher had a memorable week at the plate, going a combined 7-of-9 with two home runs and seven RBIs in three games. She also hit the winning double in the Crusaders’ 1-0 win in the Class 2A state title game.

Male nominees

Omar Cala, Sunlake baseball: The senior second baseman had two RBIs in Sunlake’s 3-0 win over Pasco. He also got the last out of the game to send the Seahawks to their first region final. 

Jack Guyton, Plant track and field: The junior sped to two state championships at the Class 4A meet, winning the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. His combined margin of victory in the two races was six seconds.

Devon Jerothe, River Ridge track and field: The senior won his first state title in the pole vault and was the one to clear 14 feet in the Class 3A meet. The title capped off his career in the event because he is attending West Florida, which doesn’t have a track team.

Dwayne Lawson, Hillsborough track and field: The three-star quarterback prospect showed his athleticism by winning the 3A triple jump at 47 feet, 6 3/4 inches. Not bad for a soggy runway in Jacksonville.

Andrew Llewellyn, Countryside track and field: The senior distance specialist was the Class 4A state runnerup in the 3,200 with a time of 9 minutes, 22 seconds, shaving 15 seconds off his previous personal best.

Andrew Monahan, East Lake baseball: The junior’s grand slam in the top of the ninth inning with two outs gave the Eagles a 7-3  win at Melbourne and a berth in the Class 7A state semifinals.

BROOKSVILLE — Whether the audience is recruiters from across the country or fast-food patrons at a recent Nature Coast fundraiser at Wendy’s, offensive tackle Christian Pellage always ends up as the focal point.

“Pellage is a name everyone wants to see,” first-year Sharks coach Justin Worden said.

And with good reason.

Rivals and 247Sports both consider Pellage a four-star prospect and one of the country’s top 200 recruits. His few dozen offers include every major state school along with Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma and Oregon.

One look at his athleticism and long arms show why. NCT listed him at 6-foot-7, 250 pounds at the start of last fall. By the final weightlifting meet this spring, he was up to 291 with wide shoulders ready to absorb even more growth.

“You get a lot of high school linemen, when they weigh 290, they’re a little heavy,” Worden said. “He’s just lanky.” 

As Nature Coast prepares to shift from a power rushing attack to a spread-based run game, Pellage’s development will be key on a line that should have plenty of size. Speedster DeShawn Smith rushed for more than 700 yards as a sophomore last fall, despite battling injuries.

Pellage’s biggest task will be to anchor a big line and keep Smith healthy for a Sharks team looking for its first playoff appearance since 2009.

“As big as (Pellage) is, you expect him to be a dominant force,” Worden said. “We should be able to put him either side we want. If he’s down-blocking, we know we’re getting the movement. If he’s pulling, we know those linebackers are going to get swallowed.”

Big holes to fill on the O-line

Alonso: Gary Brown barely played football at all until his sophomore year at Alonso, but the 6-foot-1, 290-pound Georgia Tech-bound offensive lineman went on to anchor the Ravens’ line for three years.

“A Gary Brown is hard to replace,” coach Brian Emmanuel said. “You get one of those every 10 years, maybe. But I think that’s the exciting thing about coaching.”

The Ravens will return just one starter from their 2013 offensive line. But that one Raven, Emmanuel said, is a valuable one.

Christian Loubriel is a 6-foot-3, 265-pound tackle Emmanuel thinks will have a breakout season, especially protecting a quarterback like Chris Oladokun who has experience under his belt.

“He’s got big things ahead of him,” Emmanuel said.

East Lake: The most glaring hole is at left tackle, the spot four-star recruit Mason Cole occupied the past three seasons before moving on to Michigan. The Eagles’ plan in the spring is to move left guard Julian Santos to tackle.

Santos, a 6-foot-3, 305 pound rising junior, played well as a starter during East Lake’s playoff run last season. Coach Bob Hudson said he should pick up offers from schools later this spring.

“You don’t just replace a Mason Cole,” Hudson said. “But I know Julian will do a good job over there. He has a lot of adjustments to make switching to tackle, but I’m sure he’ll pick it up pretty quick.” 

Weeki Wachee: Heading into the program’s third season of varsity play, the Hornets have the task of replacing the most talented player the school has produced, Rutgers signee Marcus Applefield.

Applefield, who graduated in December so he could enroll at Rutgers early, anchored the Hornets’ offensive line. Brice Spalding (6-2, 265), a rising senior, will slip into Applefield’s spot at left tackle, leading the most experienced asset the team has.

“Brice is a three-year starter who works hard and loves the game,” coach Mark Lee said.

Quick hits

•  Clearwater Central Catholic tackle Billy Atterbury is getting lots of attention from big-time colleges. The 6-4, 285-pound rising senior is rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and already has offers from six schools, including Syracuse, UCF and USF. This spring he said schools such as Clemson, North Carolina State and Oregon have stopped by to watch him in practice.

• East Bay returns only two offensive linemen who started for last year’s district champions: Johnny Crews and college prospect Caleb Holley. Keep an eye on Caleb Gregory, who’s moved back to East Bay from Strawberry Crest. The 2016 prospect already checks in at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds.

• Recruiters have stopped by Chamberlain to take a peek at tackle Zach Bendure, who has grown to 6-foot-5, 270 pounds. Chiefs two-way lineman Robert Mosley has plenty of athleticism — he qualified for the Class 2A state wrestling tournament this winter.

• Hudson graduates some of its top linemen but returns massive tackle Grayson Stover. The North Suncoast’s top 2016 prospect is already considered a four-star recruit thanks to a 6-foot-6, 300-pound frame.

Recruiting update

Fivay linebacker Christian Breviario has accepted an appointment to play football at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Fivay announced Friday morning. He was second on the Falcons with 98 tackles last fall.

Staff writers Kelly Parsons and Bob Putnam, and correspondent Derek J. LaRiviere contributed to this report. 

TAMPA — His young King High baseball team had been learning as it went all season. Heading into the Class 6A, District 9 championship game against Jefferson on April 24, coach Jim Macaluso knew that, despite the stakes, that night would be no exception.

The district final was to be broadcast on Bright House Sports Network as the game of the week, so as King’s starters — more than half of them  underclassmen — took the field, TV cameras tracked their every move. 

It didn’t take long for Macaluso’s fears about his inexperienced team playing with the added attention to materialize.

“They were just a little nervous, because we had a lot of cameras out here,” senior pitcher Tyeler Checkley said. “Once you get into the moment and everything starts messing up and there’s a bunch of errors, you don’t know how to come back from it.”

King committed six errors on the way to an 11-1 loss to the Dragons in six innings, a stat line that would have been unheard of for a 2013 King squad that lost just four games by a combined eight runs on the way to a state final four berth.

But in some ways, the current Lions might not be so different from their predecessors after all.

Macaluso’s team will compete today in a region final against Venice with a return trip to Fort Myers and the state final four on the line. It’s a playoff run the 39-year coach admits he couldn’t quite predict when the season began.

He’s perfectly content, though, with the Lions’ continual efforts to prove him wrong.

• • • 

It wasn’t as though Macaluso didn’t have faith in his kids, he said. He was just trying to be realistic.

The Lions graduated 12 seniors from their 2013 state semifinal team, including right-hander Brett Morales, a current University of Florida pitcher who was also selected in the 24th round of the major league draft by the Cincinnati Reds. Macaluso’s starting shortstop, one of the most integral defensive positions on the field, was also gone.

But just as they always are, the holes were filled. And much to Macaluso’s delight, unexpected results followed.

Freshman Ethan Thomas, who has contributed 14 RBIs, has started every game at shortstop. At first base sits sophomore Kobe Barnum, who last season didn’t even dress out for some of the varsity games, but whose two-run homer helped lift the Lions (22-5) over Leto in the district tournament.

“A freshman shortstop in this conference is not supposed to step in and contribute like he did,” Macaluso said. “They’re overachieving, not because of where they’re at or their talent, they’re overachieving because of their experience.”

With a freshman starting pitcher and underclassmen scattered all over the field, Macaluso came into the most recent campaign hoping his guys would stay around .500 through the beginning of the season, leading up to the annual Saladino Tournament.

The Lions didn’t lose their first game, 3-2 to Plant, until a month in. And as the wins began piling up, Macaluso’s thoughts about what his Lions could really achieve began to change.

“As the season went, I felt better and better. Starting 9-0, it just really built them up,” Macaluso said. “You can’t read that in a textbook or watch a video and get that experience. They got that experience and they won and they started learning how to win.”

• • • 

They may have been 10-run mercy ruled in their district championship game. But for the Lions, that disappointing ending to the regular season wasn’t for naught.

Having to play their subsequent playoff games on the road, the district runners-up showed new life in region quarterfinal and semifinal wins against Mitchell and Osceola, Macaluso said. Just like in the televised game against Jefferson, the crowds were huge for both contests. But this time, it didn’t seem to faze the Lions.

As they had done all year, they learned and moved on.

Macaluso credits his group of nine seniors — including ace Checkley, Emory signee Bubby Terp and  catcher Jose Lopez — for leading the way, carrying on the tradition the senior class before them left behind.

“They’ve showed us what it’s like to be in that situation in the big game,” Thomas said of his senior teammates. “They’ve been able to show us and calm us down, that it’s just another game. And we’re a good team, so we know how to win.

Region finals
7 p.m. Tuesday
6A: King at Venice
5A: Cape Coral at Jesuit
5A: Sunlake at Citra North Marion
2A: Bayshore Christian at Orlando Christian Prep

TAMPA — Rex Culpepper completed just 14 passes during Plant High School’s 2013 season as backup quarterback. But the day after he stood on the Dad's Stadium sideline and watched his Panthers fall to Apopka in the Class 8A state semifinal, the sophomore went right back to campus to get to work.

Because now, he doesn’t have anyone to lean on but himself. 

“I wasn’t going to let it happen again,” Culpepper said.

Since that Saturday morning, Culpepper — next in a lineage of Plant starting quarterbacks that includes Division I standouts like Aaron Murray and Robert Marve — has shown up at 6:30 a.m. every school day — before class begins — to study film and work on his leadership techniques with coach Robert Weiner. 

On May 1, when spring football practices officially began, Weiner finally got a chance to see Culpepper put his practice to use. Weiner said he immediately liked what he saw.

Since Culpepper is a rising junior, he will be the Panthers’ first potential two-year starter at the position since Phillip Ely led Plant in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Weiner acknowledges there’s a lot on the 16-year-old’s plate. But he doesn’t expect Culpepper to go through too many growing pains.

“Eventually about half of those things seem to go on autopilot,” Weiner said. “Those things that, right now, he has to remember and remind himself, ‘This is what I need to do.’ Once he gets those things on autopilot, he stops having to think about them and now he gets to go play.”

Standing out on the gridiron is something that’s been ingrained in Culpepper. Plant’s newest starting quarterback is the son of Brad Culpepper, who spent nine years as a defensive tackle in the NFL, six of which were with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Culpepper, who was just 4 years old when his father retired from the NFL, said his only recollection of his father’s professional days come from the photos he’s seen around their home. Still, Culpepper says he’s lucky to have an extra resource close by. 

“My dad always tells me that the smart, good-looking players put their hand in the dirt, so he obviously doesn’t know much about quarterback,” Culpepper joked. “But aside from that, when it comes to being a leader on the team and just how to handle stuff in the locker room, he’s incredible.”

Culpepper will first get to show off his stuff at Plant’s spring football jamboree, held at Robinson on May 22. But he’s already concerning himself with being ready for Armwood — last year’s Class 6A state runner up — in the Aug. 22 preseason classic. 

And with the pressures that come with being a Plant quarterback resting squarely on his shoulders, Culpepper doesn’t want to just be ready. He wants to be perfect.

“I really want to make sure that not only am I flawless,” he said, “but am I a good resource to the rest of my team?”

Quarterback shuffle 

Bishop McLaughlin: The Hurricanes have to replace senior R.J. Perciavalle, who accounted for 67 percent of the team’s offense and 15 of 18 touchdowns. 

New coach Craig Moore expects rising senior Noah Clanahan to take over under center. Clanahan, a former fullback, ran for 196 yards and one touchdown and caught 19 passes for 132 yards last season. He played quarterback as a freshman, backing up Perciavalle.

“(Noah’s) not as fast as R.J., but he will definitely be a threat with his legs,” Moore said. “His experience is good and we’re really pushing him.”

Carrollwood Day: All-stater Taylor King gives way to rising junior Spencer Peek. But coach Lane McLaughlin will be without his starter this spring, because he broke his collarbone in a 7-on-7 game. Instead, eighth-grader Aaron Angelos has been running the offense and will start the spring game.

East Bay: Chris Carpentier wasn’t a flashy passer last fall (514 yards), but he was second on the team with 401 rushing yards and five scores to help the Indians win their first district title in 40 years. The battle to replace him is ongoing. Jordan Anderson saw playing time last year when Carpentier was injured. He’s competing against Zephyrhills transfer Jarcques Meza for the starting job.

Jefferson: The Dragons graduated all-Suncoast offensive player of the year Deiondre Porter, a high school quarterback who will play defensive back at Florida. To replace him, Jefferson tapped into its secondary. 

Randy Bradford has taken over the position this spring after recording 18 tackles and five passes defensed as a junior cornerback. The athletic 5-foot-11 Bradford releases the ball well but remains raw at the position.  

“The skill set is pretty nice,” coach Jeremy Earle said. “We’ve just got to get him going in the right direction.”

Palm Harbor University: After serving as a backup quarterback at East Lake last season, Brandon Swift transferred to PHU, where he figures to have a more prominent role. Swift will take over as the starter for Tyler Kaminski, the first-team, all-Pinellas County selection who is graduating after setting several school records.

Robinson: The Knights rotated two quarterbacks last season, but that didn’t work out so the job is now Malik Tyson’s, the junior varsity QB last season and a future Division I recruit according to coach Shawn Taylor. He’s 6-2, a straight-A student and can sling it. Oh, and he’s best buddies and neighbors with top wide receiver Jahrvis Davenport. Taylor says he has looked great this spring.

Springstead: The Mahla dynasty has ended in Spring Hill. With North Suncoast offensive player of the year Tyler Mahla graduating after taking the Eagles to the deepest playoff run in Hernando County history, Springstead’s heir apparent is Victor Koerick.

Although two other players are battling with Koerick, the junior sits atop the depth chart. He was the JV starter last year, so Eagles coach Mike Garofano feels comfortable with his abilities. Garofano said Koerick can run the option and throw, but he’s still refining his fundamentals.

“He definitely knows the system,” Garofano said. “He definitely commands the huddle.” 

St. Petersburg: The Green Devils don’t throw the ball much, but when they do this fall it will be an inexperienced quarterback making the passes. Rising senior Jarrett O’Connell and rising sophomore Austyn Causey had two completions and nine attempts combined last season. “It’s an open competition this spring,’’ St. Petersburg coach Joe Fabrizio said. “Those guys don’t have a lot of experience but they do have some potential.’’

Tampa Catholic: Tyler Sims, a rising junior, and rising sophomore Kevin Knox are battling. Sims was the backup to Kyle Ploucher last year and threw 18 passes. The 6-foot-5 Knox threw just one, a 43-yard touchdown. Coach Mike Gregory said the competition is too close to declare a starter, so he’ll let it simmer over the summer before making a final decision. “It’s been entertaining to watch,’’ Gregory said.

Tarpon Springs: Trai Halton, the dynamic point guard who led the Spongers  basketball team to their first playoff win since 1947, is playing football for the first time as a Sponger and will split time with Brandon Casler at quarterback. Because of his athleticism, Halton brings an added dimension on offense and could line up at multiple positions, Tarpon Springs coach Ron Hawn said.

“Alec needs experience and confidence, but he’s like that rookie that you see glimpses in,” coach Mark Lee said. “He still makes his share of mistakes. He needs to be a leader, the field general. He is ready to take that challenge on.”

Cromie led the junior varsity to a 3-4 record as a freshman. 

Wharton: Bryce Martin entered the spring as the starter, taking over for the school’s all-time leading passer Chase Litton. Martin has been active the past two offseasons, but only has eight varsity passes to his credit, but coach David Mitchell thinks he will be the guy in the fall.

Staff writers Matt Baker, John C. Cotey, Rodney Page and Bob Putnam, and correspondent Derek J. LaRiviere contributed to this report. 

TAMPA — Colleges called Blake High School football coach Darryl Gordon all day Tuesday, just like they had the day before, and the day before that.

They want to know about Shavar Manuel, the hulking 6-foot-4, 260-pound sophomore defensive lineman who now has the full attention of every team in the state, the SEC, the ACC.

Everyone, it seems.

“Biggest part of my job,” said Gordon, of handling the inquiries.

It hasn’t been like this since 1969. And Gordon knows that because he was here then, at the same Stewart Middle School field, leaning against the fence and watching Leon McQuay practice.

“That was the last time it was this exciting around here,” he said.

This spring, Blake is hopping.

A handful of college coaches show up every day to watch Manuel, who has offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Miami and Alabama — and has picked them all up since December.

You’d hardly know it, though, because Gordon hasn’t publicized it. He has kept Manuel Mania low key to keep his star from being affected by all the attention, a rarity in a world where kids often tweet their offers from practice and boast about their totals. 

Manuel, though, has been perfectly content keeping his fame to himself. But now Gordon is pulling the curtain back on his 17-year-old star recruit, and it is invigorating his program.

Despite a 2-8 season last fall, its 13th straight losing season — and sharing a nine-team district with the likes of state powerhouse Armwood, Jefferson and Hillsborough — the numbers are up for a team that in past years barely had enough to scrimmage. As many as 45 to 50 kids are showing up daily, Gordon said.

For every coach who stops by to watch Manuel, Gordon can sell his other players, like running back Corey Bennett, receiver Juwan Burgess and linebackers Julian Jackson and Marquis Daniel.

“There’s some talent here,” he said. “No one ever bothered to come out and see it for themselves. And the kids have responded. Practices are different this spring.”

Recruiters are coming now because of Manuel, who had 19 sacks last season and 10 the year before. And according to former Tampa Bay Buccaneer lineman Anthony Davis, an assistant coach at Blake, he has barely scratched the surface.

“One thing I let people know is that the way he rushes the quarterback, he can beat you six or seven different ways. You really don’t see that in high school,” said Davis, who has formed a tight-knit bond with his star pupil. 

“He can rip you, he can bull rush you, he can spin you, he can shed you, he can do all that good stuff. And his quickness off the ball, the change of direction, it’s tremendous. Watching him learn, it’s been real fun.”

When Davis first met Manuel as a freshman, he remembers seeing the Yellow Jacket trying out — at quarterback.

But Davis rectified that immediately.

“I had a cannon, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t work out,” said Manuel, laughing.

Davis told Manuel if he wanted to be a great football player, to follow his lead.

“Let’s go,” Manuel said.

Since then, Manuel has racked up sacks and college offers at a startling rate. His first came from Florida around Christmas, and he said he was so excited he was “ready to pad up and show them what I could do.”

He’s getting that chance this spring. The coaches, and offers, are still coming. His combination of size, speed and strength makes him arguably the most unblockable player in Tampa Bay. Recruiting website 247Sports ranked him the No. 2 recruit in the country for the class of 2016.

“Coach Davis threw me in with the big guys my first day and said if I listened, great things were going to happen,” Manuel said. “The man never told me a lie.”

Poised for breakouts

QB Jeff Smith Jr., Clearwater Central Catholic: The dual-threat quarterback took over as the starter midway through last season and helped the Marauders reach the Class 3A state championship game. After missing the first two weeks of spring because he was still playing baseball, Smith is back and is more polished as a passer. He already has offers from Indiana and Wisconsin. “Jeff can sling the football,” coach John Davis said. “He’s looked pretty good so far in practice and should play well for us this season.”

DE Marques Ford, East Bay: Coach Frank LaRosa knew his 6-foot-4, 225-pound monster had the athleticism and size to bloom into a Division I recruit this spring. “I thought he would,” LaRosa said, “but not the way he has.” After amassing 10 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss last fall, Ford has become one of Tampa Bay’s top recruits. The three-star prospect has reeled in more than 30 scholarship offers since February, including eight just last week. Miami, USF, UCF and Clemson are among the schools chasing Ford. His biggest assets, LaRosa said, can’t be seen on film. “The work ethic, the competitiveness, the passion for football, the want to be great,” LaRosa said. “Kids talk about it, but very few want to be great.”

FS Craig Watts, Gibbs: The rising junior is another in a line of athletic Gibbs secondary players. At 6-0, 180 pounds, he has offers from Connecticut, Indiana,  Marshall and Akron. Watts may also play some at running back in the fall. 

S Saivion Smith, Lakewood: The rising junior didn’t get much attention with 3-7 Boca Ciega last season. He played some at quarterback, running back and receiver as well as safety, but will likely be a cornerback for the Spartans. He has gotten interest from big Division I schools Clemson, Florida State, UCF, Florida, Michigan State, Duke, Toledo, Temple and Louisville. “Big-time schools are calling all the time,” Lakewood coach Cory Moore said. 

QB James Pensyl, Land O’Lakes: The 6-foot-6 lefty is shaping up to be the North Suncoast’s first Division I quarterback signee since fellow Gator Stevie Weatherford. Pensyl’s 2,300-yard junior season helped land his first offer last week, from Oregon State.

FB Kal-El Williams, Pinellas Park: The 5-11, 230-pound Williams is getting interest from Division I mid-majors like Florida International and Western Kentucky. He was part of a three-man running attack last season and gained 776 yards and scored six touchdowns. Also a linebacker, Williams likely will be recruited to play offense.

RB/LB Tykese Keaton-Baldwin, Plant: Overshadowed by future Longhorn Andrew Beck on defense and the Alex “Buda” Jackson/Patrick Brooks combo in the run game, sophomore Keaton-Baldwin didn’t make a whole lot of noise for Plant last season in its 8A state semifinal run. But coach Robert Weiner is pretty confident that’ll change in the Panthers’ next campaign. Keaton-Baldwin ran for 115 yards last season and had 38 tackles. Weiner, though, expects the soon-to-be junior to have a breakout year as he tries to replace what the Panthers have lost in both Beck and Jackson. “He plays both sides of the ball …and he’s a really powerful kid. Low center of gravity,” Weiner said. “Tykese might be that guy.”

WR Jahrvis Davenport, Robinson: Recent offers from Pitt and UConn are just the latest for the 5-foot-10, three-star athlete. He quietly ranked among Hillsborough County’s leading receivers last fall with 667 yards and eight TDs.

LB Anthony Foster, St. Petersburg: He is getting more and more attention this spring and that likely will be the case in the fall. Foster (6-0, 205), who got his first offer last week from Mercer, had 82 total tackles two sacks as a junior.  “He’s a tremendous athlete,” coach Joe Fabrizio said. “We might use him some at fullback, but mostly he’ll be at linebacker. He’s definitely someone to watch.”

WR Kezio Snelling, Steinbrenner: The 6-foot-1, three-star prospect has pulled in offers from Purdue and Eastern Michigan, among others. As good a receiver as he is (556 yards, six touchdowns), it is Snelling’s return game, where he averaged 36 and 25 yards on kickoff and punt returns respectively, that puts him over the top. 

DE Malik Barrow, Tampa Catholic: Pasco transfer Nate Craig gets plenty of attention, but the Crusaders’ other elite 2016 prospect has pulled in a half-dozen offers already this spring, including UCF, USF, Michigan State and Mississippi State. The four-star recruit had 13 sacks as a sophomore last fall and could even line up at left tackle. He’s that good. 

TE/DL Mitchell Wilcox, Tarpon Springs: The 6-foot-4, 230-pound rising senior came on last season as a pass rusher, registering five of his six sacks in the final three games. He also is a dependable target in the red zone with three of his six catches going for touchdowns. Those numbers on both sides of the ball have got the attention of colleges, with offers coming from Ball State, College of Charleston and James Madison this spring. Wilcox’s athleticism also has coaches tinkering with packages that include him under center. “I’ve been working on some short-yardage and goal-line stuff, you know, Tebow-style at quarterback,” Wilcox said. 

LB Jaye Miner, Wiregrass Ranch: His 131-tackle junior season resulted in offers from Eastern Michigan and Georgia State for the two-star prospect.

Staff writers Matt Baker, Rodney Page, Kelly Parsons and Bob Putnam contributed to this report. 

TAMPA — Others might have doubted Jesuit’s ability to make its 16th final four in program history after nine Tigers were suspended for the remainder of the 2014 baseball season in March. 

But sophomore left-hander Michael Sandborn didn’t. Not even for a second. 

“This team is very strong, and we play well together,” said Sandborn, one of six Tigers who moved up from the JV squad to fill the roster holes. “We can do something special. It’s pretty exciting.”

In Tuesday’s Class 5A region final against Cape Coral, Sandborn proved that, giving up just two hits and striking out six in a complete-game 1-0 shutout to send Jesuit to its fifth straight state semifinal.

Even though Sandborn started the season on the JV squad, Jesuit (23-6) coach Richie Warren didn’t have any reservations about starting his sophomore southpaw in the biggest game of the season to date.

After all, it was less than three weeks ago that Sandborn earned yet another significant win, giving up just four hits in the Tigers’ district championship victory against Robinson.

“Any program in the area would love to have him as their No. 1,” Warren said. “Right now, he’s filling that role for us, and doing a great job. He got his innings in on JV, and I think that helped him develop into a leader down there, and he’s using that stuff he learned this year right now.”

Sandborn started strong, striking out the Seahawks’ leadoff hitter, and it was three up, three down for Cape Coral (22-6) in the first frame. Jesuit got two on base in the bottom of the inning after a Steven Lugo single and a walk, but Ryan McCullers hit into a double play to end the inning.

“When you look at their numbers, and we knew their staff was great, we knew it was going to be hard to score,” Warren said. “Talking to people on campus all week, we’d been saying, ‘Be ready to bring your sleeping bags, this might be an all-nighter.’ And it was going that way.”

After Danny Lastra singled in the bottom of the fourth, Braxton Rupp walked and Adam Weekley hit a double to deep rightfield. Lastra should have scored. But the Seahawks’ rightfielder made a dazzling throw to the catcher, who tagged Lastra out before reaching home. 

It was a missed opportunity, but the Tigers made up for it in the very next at-bat, when Jacob Mocny hit a two-out, RBI single to drive home the winning run. 

Cape Coral’s defense was strong all night, before and after the lone run scored. The Seahawks turned three double plays, and the second baseman made a diving catch to end the sixth inning, stranding a Tiger at third base.

But the Seahawks’ offense, thanks to a lights-out outing from Sandborn, couldn’t match the defense’s performance. Cape Coral had a pair of base runners — who reached on an error and a walk — in the final frame, but the Tigers worked their way out of the jam to come out on top.  

Once again, the pressure was on the young Sandborn on Tuesday night. And with a state semifinal game against Sunlake looming, that’ll continue.

The sophomore said he’s sure his outings in high-pressure situations so far will help him when he gets to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. But, he said, so will the Tigers behind him. 

“It’ll definitely be a different environment,” Sandborn said. “But it feels good to work off the pressure and have the fans — the friends and family — and especially a team that’s carrying me.”

CITRA — Sunlake (20-9) advanced to its first state tournament, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth inning to tame the North Marion Colts 6-3 Tuesday night in a Class 5A region final.

Zac Howard had a sac-fly RBI that scored freshman Colby Stoltz for a 4-3 lead. Stoltz got the big inning started with a walk. 

Then another freshman came up huge, as Kyle Oliver smacked an RBI single between short and third to give the Seahawks some insurance.

“I had two at-bats and two hits all year,” Oliver said. “I just saw the pitch and hit it. I was excited.”

Senior Ryan Talburt closed the game out by giving up zero  runs and striking out one.

The Seahawks broke through in the fourth inning after leaving runners in scoring position in the first three. Senior Jesse Williams had an RBI walk with the bases loaded, and in the fifth, Howard hit a sharp RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 Seahawks’ advantage. North Marion (15-14) struck back in the bottom half of the fifth when the Colts’ Ryan Owens belted a two-run triple in the gap to tie the score at 2. Nico Torino had an RBI on the go-ahead run when he grounded to short with one out.

With the Seahawks in desperation mode in the seventh, senior David Castillo got on base with a single and scored the tying run on a Colts’ catcher throwing error that sent the Sunlake bench into jubilation.

Castillo also pitched eight strong innings, striking out nine with only two walks.

“We’ve been wanting this since my sophomore year, and all these guys came together at the right time.” Castillo said. “They made more mistakes, and we made them pay. I have to respect my team because they give me runs, and I have to give them a solid outing.”

Said coach Dick Rohrberg: “I’ve been doing this for 26 years, and things have started to go right. We want to stay aggressive and we take chances, and tonight they were successful. We worked hard, and they did everything we asked, and they deserve it.”

6A: Errors doom King

VENICE — King has seen a game like the one it played Tuesday night.  

In the district final against Jefferson, the Lions committed six errors en route to a loss. Venice, likewise, capitalized on seven King errors and defeated the Lions 6-1 in a Class 6A region final.

“Venice just keeps so much pressure on you with the way they play,” long-time King coach Jim Macaluso said. “They’re well coached and really got it going down here.”

King (22-7) got its only run in the first inning. Donnell Taylor drew a walk, and after a fly out Bubby Terp tripled to rightfield to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

“We talked about having something good happen early,” Macaluso said. “We thought if we could get something early we could hang with these guys.  It’s important to score early when you’re going for the upset.”

King starting pitcher Tyeler Checkley kept the Indians’  offense in check through the first two innings. Venice loaded the bases in the third but Checkley induced a ground out to end the threat.

The Indians tied the score  in the fourth as Ryan Miller reached on an error and scored on a double by Trevor Holloway. King never had another scoring chance materialize.

The wheels came off in the fifth inning. 

Venice leadoff hitter Dalton Guthrie hit a flyball that was dropped. As he ran for second, the throw skipped past  the shortstop and into leftfield, allowing Guthrie to come all the way around the bases and give Venice a 2-1 lead. Venice added four runs on three hits, two hit batters, two walks and an error.

“It just got away from us right there,” Macaluso said. “Our kids were trying to make plays but we kept making mistakes.  They put pressure on us and we prayed under pressure.”

King loses Checkley, Terp, Taylor and seven other seniors but returns a strong young nucleus that includes Ethan Thomas, Kobe Barnum and Brian Lee.

2A: Faith Warriors fall

Less than two weeks after earning the first region win in school history, Bayshore Christian’s dream of making a state final four was dashed when the Faith Warriors fell at Orlando Christian Prep 3-1.

Bayshore Christian (11-5), which started right-hander David Santiago on the mound, was held scoreless through the first six frames. But the Faith Warriors pushed one across in the seventh on an Orlando Christian Prep error.

Even though his team’s breakout season ended too soon, coach Corey Thomas said he’s proud of his guys for the strides they made for themselves and the program. 

“It definitely meant a lot, because it showed there’s room for us to grow,” he said. “We grew a little bit this year.”

Times correspondents Nathan Cowan and Joseph Kornecki III contributed to this report. 

State semifinals
JetBlue Park, Fort Myers
8A: Bloomingdale vs. Lake Worth Park Vista, 1 p.m. Friday
7A: Kissimmee Osceola vs. East Lake, 7 p.m. Friday
5A: Jesuit vs. Sunlake, TBD May 21 

A few quick recruiting updates on a Wednesday:

Berkeley DL Bo Peek and WR Jacob Mathis both claimed offers from UCF. Texas A&M is the latest major program to offer Tampa Catholic WR Nate Craig. The four-star 2016 prospect holds offers from all but three teams in the SEC, plus Florida State, Ohio State and many others. He added an offer from Notre Dame this morning.

USF gave out an offer to Hillsborough LB Azeez Al-Shaair. He led the Terriers with 110 tackles last season and added 8.5 sacks.

The Bulls also extended an offer to Robinson ATH Jahrvis Davenport. Rutgers is one of his other recent offers.

Wiregrass Ranch LB Jaye Miner claimed offers from Florida Atlantic and South Alabama. The two-star 2015 recruit was one of Tampa Bay’s leading tacklers last fall.

Gaither DB Javon Hammond claimed his second college offer, from Alabama-Birmingham. Hammond has 71 career tackles and five interceptions. He also holds an offer from Western Kentucky.

Riverview will hold its final signing ceremony of the year Monday afternoon. Those scheduled to sign are:

Arlyn Grace (football, Mayville State)

Israel Evans (football, Mayville State)

Brandon Stage (football, Webber International)

Kaitlyn McMillan (softball, St. Pete College)

Michael Batten (baseball, Southern Wesleyan University)

Chaston Gordon (baseball, Phiefier University)

Maia Carter (track, Florida Institute of Technology)