Hillsborough softball preview: Strawberry Crest 'stays hungry'
DOVER — The moment is one Strawberry Crest’s softball team would just as soon forget. Problem is, the coach won’t let it. Last season, after cruising to a 21-2 regular season that was the best in...
View ArticleTarpon Springs duo make college plans official
Tarpon Springs' Montel Johnson and Damarkus Jones both signed their national letters of intent to attend college during a large gathering inside the school's culinary academy. Johnson, an athlete,...
View ArticlePHU's Paczynski signs wth Embry Riddle
Palm Harbor University's Brianna Paczynski signed to run cross country and track at Embry Riddle University. This past season, Paczynski was an honorable mention selection to the Times' all-county...
View ArticlePlant's Roy Harrison heading to FHSAA Hall of Fame
When Plant girls cross county coach Roy Harrison got a note from his athletic director Friday to call the Florida High School Athletic Association immediately, Harrison feared the worst.“As usual I...
View ArticleGirls basketball: Land O’Lakes overmatched in first state semifinal
LAKELAND — A week of practice at USF prepared Land O’Lakes for Lakeland’s arena, but it couldn’t brace the Gators for Bradenton Southeast’s defensive play.“Every last game is going to sting, unless...
View ArticleHillsborough baseball preview: Spotlight doesn't faze Alonso's Alex...
TAMPA — He’s one of the Tampa Bay area’s biggest prospects, but Alex Faedo shrugs off the very mention of that notion. Maybe its because the reserved right-hander, who has been sidelined with a toe...
View ArticlePinellas baseball preview: County pitching’s deep this season
East Lake coach Dan Genna will get no sympathy from rival coaches, but so far this season he is having trouble getting his deep pitching staff enough innings. With four legitimate starters, the Eagles...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Berkeley Prep heads back to state
TAMPA — Marshall Holmes had seen the opening all night. The Community School of Naples’ guards would tempt him by dribbling the ball tantalizingly high, but the Berkeley Prep senior didn’t want to...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Big third quarter boosts Shorecrest
NAPLES — Shorecrest trailed by as many as eight early on in its Class 3A region final showdown with Naples First Baptist on Friday night. But the Chargers mounted a comeback with a happy ending and a...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: AATL’s foe lives up to reputation
Orlando Christian Prep boasts a roster filled with future Division I players — and they played that way Friday night. Visiting Academy at the Lakes saw its season end with an 82-41 loss in the Class...
View ArticleBaseball: Drury brothers pace Wiregrass Ranch to key district win
WESLEY CHAPEL — The combined firepower of Wiregrass Ranch’s Drury brothers diminished the usually dominant Steinbrenner offense in a 4-2 victory. After the Bulls (4-0) defeated Steinbrenner for the...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Tampa Prep survives down the stretch
TAMPA — A year ago, Tampa Prep missed the final four and a chance at defending its state title when a Florida Air Academy buzzer beater ousted the Terrapins from the playoffs. And when Juwan Durham...
View ArticleTrack: East Lake girls, Countryside boys take Richard Allen Relays
PINELLAS PARK — The larger north county schools held serve Friday at the Richard Allen Relays. The East Lake girls held off a late push from Osceola and Northeast to win with 86 points. Osceola had 71...
View ArticleHomeTeam Hot Shots: Nominations for Feb. 15-21
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, Feb. 15...
View ArticleTrack: Hillsborough boys three-peat at Charles Johnson Invitational
TAMPA — Hillsborough’s jumping phenom, Jeremiah Green, has made the leap to college, but even without him the Terriers boys track team held fast at the top Saturday to claim its third straight Charles...
View ArticleNorth Suncoast baseball preview: Hernando may have void fillers
BROOKSVILLE — Each of the past four seasons, Hernando has reached at least the region final, including last year when the Leopards (24-6) won a third Class 5A, District 7 crown in four years on the...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Boykins boosts Lakewood to state
CAPE CORAL — Every high school basketball player wants his senior season to end in Lakeland. Lakewood’s Jacobi Boykins, however, felt that desire a little more than most. Fifteen months removed from a...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: St. Petersburg falls in overtime
ST. PETERSBURG — There was no denying that if given the opportunity Dayon Griffin was going to assume the closer’s role in the final seconds of Saturday’s Class 8A region final. Throughout the game,...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Nature Coast rallies, then falters late
GAINESVILLE — Nature Coast and Eastside played in their second Class 5A region final in three years Saturday night. Eastside (24-6) went up by as many as 15 points in the second quarter. The Sharks...
View ArticleRegion boys basketball: Freedom undone by Bartow quickness
TAMPA — Michael Keller wrapped a red T-shirt around his head and began to cry as the final buzzer sounded in Freedom’s 69-54 loss to Bartow in a Class 7A region final Saturday. His face red with...
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