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, Jan. 25 through Friday, Jan. 31. The winners get a T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on all of our nominees online, then vote until noon Monday.
Female nominees
Casey Bruno, Mitchell soccer: The senior had two of the Mustangs’ four goals against Winter Haven in the region semifinals, earning them a win that takes them deeper into the 4A bracket.
Brianca Roberts, Pasco basketball: The senior refused to let the second-seeded Pirates’ season end prematurely, keying a 16-0 third-quarter run in the 5A-7 district semifinals against Hernando. Then she had 22 points and set up the winning shot in the final against Nature Coast.
Taylor Thigpen, Steinbrenner basketball: The senior guard had 21 points in the Warriors’ 44-42 district championship win against Wiregrass Ranch on Friday. Thigpen, who came into the matchup averaging 8.5 points per game, also had a big steal with just more than a minute to play in a one-possession game.
Meagan Thomas, Dixie Hollins basketball: The senior is clearly saving her best for last. She scored 39 points against Mitchell in a 58-36 win to give the Rebels their first district championship. Thomas scored 37 against Largo in the district semifinals.
Maiya Trigg, Strawberry Crest basketball: Despite acquiring her fourth foul in the third quarter, the junior guard finished with 16 points in Strawberry Crest’s 59-50 district championship win against Tampa Bay Tech on Thursday, the Chargers’ first district title in school history. Trigg is second on the team in scoring, averaging more than 12 points per game.
Sarah Zolper, Shorecrest soccer: One of the Chargers’ leading scorers, Zolper scored the winning goal three minutes into overtime to beat Community School of Naples 3-2 in the Class A region final.
Male nominees
Sinjin Blaha, Central basketball: The senior’s long, buzzer-beating 3-pointer won the Bears’ senior night matchup against Dunnellon, 65-63, in overtime. He racked up 29 points in one of his last games in Brooksville.
John Frost, Carrollwood Day soccer: Usually a defender, the Patriots called on him to make the biggest play of the season, and he delivered. He scored the winning goal in overtime to knock off Indian Rocks Christian 3-2 and give CDS its first playoff victory in program history.
Liam Murphy, Seminole soccer: Murphy was the hero for the Warhawks in a regional quarterfinal against Hillsborough. He scored the winning goal three minutes into overtime to help Seminole to a 3-2 win. Murphy also scored on a penalty kick in the second half.
Remi Pimm, Sunlake soccer: The sophomore scored four goals in the first round of the 3A region quarterfinals, increasing his season total to 59. Pimm has averaged 2.034 goals per game in his first varsity season to be ranked among the nation’s top scorers.
Tim Sakow, Palm Harbor University wrestling: The 106-pounder rebounded from an illness to win his first district title, beating Countryside’s Cain Martin 12-2 in the final. Sakow also helped the Hurricanes win their sixth straight district team title.
Jake Van Der Luit, Newsome soccer: The junior had a pair of goals in the Wolves’ 4-0 win against Orlando Timber Creek on Thursday. Van Der Luit missed two months of the season with two torn ligaments in his right ankle, but returned in time for the district tournament, which Newsome won with a 5-1 victory against Durant in the final.