Each week, our HomeTeam staffers will nominate male and female Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover, then we turn the voting over to our readers. These nominations span Saturday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 6. The winners get a free T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on what made our nominees stand out, then vote until noon Monday.
Female nominees
Jordan Berenbaum, St. Petersburg basketball: The senior scored 18 points Wednesday in a win over Boca Ciega and followed that with 18 more points in a win over Northeast on Thursday. The Green Devils are off to an 8-0 start.
Victoria Cannata, Land O’Lakes soccer: This is Cannata’s first year playing varsity, and she’s already had 15 goals and seven assists. The sophomore scored three of the Gators’ eight goals against Gulf on Wednesday.
Eve Hay, River Ridge basketball: The junior shone in the last few minutes of Tuesday’s matchup with Fivay. She sank three 3-pointers as the clock ran down and led her team in scoring with 14 points. This is her second year on the varsity team.
Megan Ingram, Palm Harbor University basketball: In the most challenging game of the season to date, the junior came up big with 23 points in a 53-48 win over Calvary Christian. She scored 19 of those points in the second half.
Nandi Jorden, Strawberry Crest basketball: The center was one of three Chargers to score 17 points in a 64-51 district win against Tampa Bay Tech on Monday. Jorden, a 6-foot-3 junior, also had a big presence defensively for the Chargers.
Abby Sanchez, Plant soccer: The senior had the tying goal in the Panthers’ 1-1 draw against Palm Harbor University on Tuesday. Sanchez’s goal — the first header score of her career — came with less than five minutes to play in the district matchup.
Male nominees
Donterio Fowler, Lakewood football: The senior gained 82 yards on eight carries against Green Cove Springs Clay in Friday’s Class 5A state semifinal. He scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, converted a two-point conversion run and had a 35-yard reception in the final second of the first half that ended with him being tackled on the 2-yard line.
Jordan Griffin, Armwood football: The junior linebacker returned an interception for a touchdown in the Hawks’ 35-28, triple-overtime win over Bartram Trail. He also added a sack and a key third-down tackle in the second half.
James Grubb, Gulf basketball: The senior led the Bucs in scoring against Wiregrass Ranch, with 27 of his team’s 75 points. He sank a layup with eight seconds remaining as he was being fouled, and a successful free throw gave his team the two-point lead it needed to win.
Bryce Nickels, Sickles basketball: The forward had a team-high 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocks in the Gryphons’ 52-45 district win against Steinbrenner on Tuesday. The win was the first of the season for Sickles, which lost to Plant and Wharton in back-to-back games in November.
Artavis Scott, East Lake football: The senior had perhaps his best game of the season, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown, throwing a 65-yard pass for a score and intercepting a pass to set up a touchdown in a 31-24 loss to Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer in the Class 7A state semifinals.
Lawrence Watt, Mitchell basketball: The junior had 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the 64-45 win over Pasco. He led both teams in scoring.