HomeTeam Hot Shots
A spotlight on the Times’ bay area players of the week.
Female Hot Shot: Danielle Battle, Tampa Catholic
Sport: Basketball
Skinny: Battle had nearly experienced it all in her high school career — a state championship, a losing record, three straight district titles, the end of a long win streak over district rival Holy Names. But Thursday, Battle finally got to do something a little different: the senior forward was the focal point of the Crusaders’ offense. Battle scored a career-high 24 points and had nine rebounds in Tampa Catholic’s 60-54 victory over DeSoto County in a Class 4A region quarterfinal. “It was so weird,” Battle said. “At first I wasn’t getting any touches. And then I just started scoring.” Her previous career high was 15 points against Sarasota Booker on Jan. 17.
Male Hot Shot: Jason Collister, Steinbrenner
Sport: Soccer
Skinny: Unlike the local NHL team for which he roots passionately, Collister (28 goals, eight assists) has flourished on the road recently. Three nights after scoring one of the Warriors’ half-dozen goals in a 6-1 triumph Feb. 2 at Lake Region, Collister notched a hat trick in a 3-0 win at Deltona Pine Ridge in the Class 4A region title match. Equally prolific at home, the senior captain scored two first-half goals in Friday’s 4-3 state semifinal overtime victory against Ocala Forest. A member of Steinbrenner’s inaugural 2009-10 team, Collister’s final prep road trip will be the biggest of his life; the Warriors face Naples Gulf Coast on Saturday in Melbourne for the state title.