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Mar 23 - Apr 6 2016

Volume 2 • Issue 5

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pg 11

Featuring West Orange Baseball, Softball, Girls Lacrosse and Much More . . .

Rashad Lewis of Bishop Moore

Page 2 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16

Windermere Prep Baseball Close to Hitting a Home Run by Andrea Lerner

WINDERMERE - The Windermere Prep baseball team (8-11) is close to evening out their record, and possibly even advancing it. The team has practiced hard and their ethic on the field shows it.

Their most recent loss was against Trinity Prep (6-9) by a score of 2-1. The Winder-mere Lakers are not taken down by their loss, they know they put in all the effort they had. Coaches and supporters are confident that the team is in control on the field, and

the players seem to be aware of that as well. Each and every game, the team plays as one unit working together rather than individu-als, exactly as they should.

Conversely, the Windermere team did score a win against Father Lopez (4-12) earlier this month. The final score was 8-0 and the Lakers were ecstatic. They controlled the field the entire game, and did not let any-thing ruin their chances of winning. The win added to their record, and boosted their

confidence.

The Windermere Prep boys are now prepar-ing to take on Troup County (8-2) later this month. This team is from Georgia, coming to the Lakers home to take them on. The team is ready to bring everything to the field again, and leave their home with another win although there are nerves and doubts in the air.

West Orange Baseball Looking Stronger and Stronger by Greyson Everidge

WEST ORANGE – The West Orange War-riors continued their fine run of games, add-ing to their already great record which now stands at (19-1). The near perfect season keeps building as the Warriors look to win back the district title, which has been taken away by other teams the past few years.

The Warriors are now expected to win every game they play, and the players welcome the pressure. It doesn’t faze them, but only makes them stronger. Led by a select bunch of seniors such as Nathan Schreckengost, Tyler Baum, Ethan Jones and Kole Enright, the Warriors are a stacked team. All seven seniors are signed to play college ball, and through them, the rest of the team performs, completing the task at hand. West Orange is

a focused bunch, and it’s clear to see when they step out on the field to play whoever they may face.

On March 9th and 11th, they played a dou-ble header series against the Wekiva Mus-tangs (2-15), which they won comfortably in both matches. The first was a 4-1 victory, the second ending 10-0. The Warriors looked in control throughout the process, and used it as more of a practice than a game. Wekiva has yet to make a real impact so far this sea-son, and never really threatens anyone. Yet, the Warriors didn’t take them for granted, and put in the same concentration required to beat the underperforming Mustangs.

A few days later they beat Celebration (7-

7) 14-4, out-scoring and defending better than their opponents to the Southeast. West Orange played a much closer game against The First Academy (11-2), winning just 5-4. TFA is a solid team and one who is feared by many, but the game proved that even in the face of tough opposition, the Warriors can win.

West Orange sits in first place in the Class 9A District 3 Standings, ahead of other well respected opponents such as Lake Brantley (15-3), Olympia (11-8), Ocoee (7-10).

Their next game is a tournament game against Bay to be played in Panama City.

3/23/16 - 4/6/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 3

by Andrea LernerOlympia Softball Hitting Home Runs This Season

ORLANDO - The Olympia High School softball team (10-1) has brought success to their team and school. Their ongoing record has impressed many, and the girls are ecstatic at their achievements.

Their most recent win was against Santa Fe (13-8) earlier this month. The final score was 6-4, and the Olympia Titans were proud of the win. They have done nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe this sport the entire sea-son. With the help of an amazing coach, Stephanie Manny, the girls have been able to beat their doubts and win.

With the outstanding record, comes the battle of the one loss they’ve experienced. This took place in the game against Winter Springs (14-3) a couple of weeks ago. The

final score was 2-1, and the Titans were stricken because of how close they came. They put all their effort on the field, and that was all their coach could ask for. The loss has taught them to keep pushing for wins, which they have done.

As the girls keep on playing, they keep on winning. They will be facing Dr. Phillips (8-10) at the end of the month, and could not be more pumped. Al-though they cannot anticipate the exact score, they are confident that they will take their home advantage and bring

out a win. The girls want to add to their record, and they believe this game will let them do just that.

Page 4 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16

Wekiva Boys Volleyball Falling Short Of The Serveby Andrea Lerner

APOPKA - The Wekiva High School boy’s volleyball team (1-5) started off slow this sea-son. Coaches and players are determined to change that, whenever the opportunity arises.

So far, the Wekiva players have only won one match. That was the game against Oak Ridge (1-4) by a score of 3-2. The team was evenly matched with Oak Ridge, and gave everything they had to pull out the win. Being at home was an advantage, and the Wekiva players used it as much as they could.

Besides Oak Ridge, the boys have not been doing as well as they hoped. They’ve lost all the other matches this sea-son. These matches include games against Olympia (9-1) and West Orange (6-1), both which resulted in a wipeout score of 3-0. Even with maxi-mum effort, the Wekiva boys know that they need to step up their game.

The team will take on Ocoee (2-4) next later this month. Again, they will be matched with an even team. They hope that this is a good sign and they will pull off another win. The boys know they need to practice harder than usual if they want to continue to advance this season. Coaches are confident about what the players can do, and now it is up to the boys to bring all their effort to the court and prove their coaches right.

3/23/16 - 4/6/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 5

by Greyson EveridgeOlympia Baseball Keeping Steady

ORLANDO – The Olympia Titans baseball team has been regarded as one of the best teams in the State, and even nation, for quite some time now. This year is proving to be successful yet challenging, as they sit on a (11-8) record after a good part of the season has now passed. The positives are there, but there is still work to do, and the team knows that.

In the past two weeks, they have lost two games. Their wins have come in, and their losses have filled in in an almost eerie pattern, often win-ning a few then losing one or two. They lost a double header to Lake Brantley (15-3), first 5-1 and then 7-4. In both of those games the Titans looked weak, losing out on both offensive and

defensive moves. With some minor corrections, they could have pulled the score-lines closer, and could have even walked away with a win. To make a better bid in the playoffs, they will have to play and win against better opposition to stay competitive in their tough district, which includes West Orange and Apopka.

After that double header defeat to Lake Brantley, they won a good game against Oviedo (10-7-1), who appeared to look on par with the Titans. The score was not a blowout, but Olympia walked away with a convincing 10-7 win. Those games are the important type that the Titans need to do well in, in order to make a statement to other teams in the area.

The Titans then lost to Smith-Cotton from Sedalia, Missouri in a match over Spring Break, meant to help stay in shape over the break. Smith-Cotton are a good team in their home state, and Olympia ended up losing 7-5. There are positives to take away from that match, and they will want to implement them into their next match against Leesburg.

That match is also a neutral tournament game meant to help the team fix any issues they may have, as the Titans look to correct flaws before the next competitive game is played once the break is over.

by Greyson EveridgeCentral Florida Christian Academy Baseball Still Winning

ORLANDO – Central Florida Christian Acad-emy Baseball, otherwise known as CFCA has been one of the better teams in the Central Florida area, especially among private schools. For the past couple of years, the program has seen massive growth and continues to do so. With an (11-2-1) record, they look just as good, if not better than last season.

On March 7th they easily beat the City of Life Christian Academy (5-4), by a score of 8-2. In no way were they threated, and CFCA had some solid hits which landed runs, and some great defensive plays to limit CLCA to a meager two runs. They beat Covenant Christian (0-10) by a huge score of 15-0, bringing in run after

run while keeping tight on the defensive end of things to keep CCHS to no runs. Despite playing against those not considered a competitive team, it is a testament to the talent of CFCA that they could keep any team from scoring a single run.

CFCA tied in a big game against Merritt Island Christian (5-9-1), 14-14. It was a close game, against a Merritt Island team who are known for some of their ties. It could have gone either way, but coaching moves and other crucial moments in the game kept the scores ultimately level, hin-dering the winning steak CFCA had put together.

Mount Dora Christian Academy (6-10) were the next team in line for CFCA. MDCA were no

match for CFCA, who ended up winning 10-0 to get back on the winning path. They were supe-rior in every aspect, and that showed in not only the players and their attitudes, but in the score-line and various other stats.

Led by key players Kevin Devine, Andrew McCabe, Caleb Brenyo, Jon Howell, and Luke Noah, CFCA will continue to move forward and win games in the Class 2A District 4 grouping, where they currently sit second behind Orlando Christian Prep, who they will look to take down once playoffs roll around in the coming weeks.

Page 6 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16

by Aleeshia HatcherWest Orange Boys Lacrosse Holds Strong

WINTER GARDEN - The West Orange High School boy’s lacrosse team (8-3) has strived for perfection this season. Though falling short of personal expectations, the players are satisfied with what they have brought to the field.

The boys are overcoming their most recent defeat against Dr. Phillips (11-2). The team lost by score of 17-5. The West Orange boys were truly upset with the defeat, and how much they were defeated. They choose to learn from each game they lose, and only try to turn it around and make the next match a win.

Despite their three losses, the West Orange Warriors have won against well-matched teams this season. They had defeated Apopka (10-3) by a score of 11-6 earlier this month. In addi-tion, they eliminated Ocoee (1-7) by a score of 18-0 before the Apopka match. This game was specifically exciting for the boys. They were thrilled to have succeeded in putting as many points on the board as they could.

With all the effort they’ve put into each and every game, the West Orange team is surely dedicated to the sport they play this season. Each player is determined to better himself each and every practice. By doing so, they believe they will increase the score on their

end in the next match. The Warriors will face Winter Park (9-5) later this month. With con-fidence from all the players and coaches, they are placing their bets on coming home with a win.

3/23/16 - 4/6/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 7

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West Orange Softball Still the Team to Beat

WEST ORANGE – Much like their male counterparts, the West Orange Warriors softball team is performing and winning game after game. Sitting with an (18-1) record, they are on an impressive run which looks unlikely to end. They stand first place in the Class 9A District 3 Standings, with a perfect (6-0) district record, ahead of Lake Brantley (11-0) and Apopka (10-7-1).

Currently on an 11 game win streak, the Warriors have rolled through near-ly everyone they faced. On March 8th, they faced Evans (0-11), who were no match for the game that West Orange brought to them. They didn’t hold back either, bringing in runner after runner to humiliate the Trojans who failed to bring in a single runner as they lost 19-0. After 11 games, the Trojans still remain without a win.

On the 11th, the Warriors beat bitter rivals Apopka 5-1, who put up a fight as always.

The Blue Darters have been regarded as one of the better teams in the area for many years, and proved to be one of the only

teams who could withstand the beatings dished out by the Warriors.

They beat Wekiva (6-12) and Montverde (14-3) 9-3 and 9-2 respectively, again out-doing their opponents to help reiterate the Warriors status as a top team in the State and serious State Championship contender. Montverde is a good team, but you would

never be able to tell that by the numbers and stats.

They won their next two against Baker County (11-5), and Mount Dora (12-8), in games which looked easy for the Warriors. Baker County failed to get anything going, and they lost 6-0. Mount Dora never looked like a real threat, but they did manage to get two runs on the board to bring the game within four runs, something most teams would happy to do.

West Orange’s schedule has not been easy, with

solid competition lined up for the whole season, something they hope will better prepare for them for the district and region-al playoffs when they roll around.

The Warriors next game is against Milton High from Massachusetts on the 24th.

by Greyson Everidge

Page 8 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16

Boone Baseball Overtakes Dr. Phillips in Close Game

ORLANDO - The Boone High School baseball team (7-7) won against Dr. Phillips (6-9) this month. The final score was 10-9, and the Dr. Phillips Panthers did everything they could to hold on.

The Panthers smashed out 13 hits and even rallied back from a two-run deficit during the game. Their offense was strong throughout the whole game, but was not enough to give them the win. The boys on the Panthers team gave everything they had to the game, but could not hold on through to the end. The Boone Braves scored two in the bottom of the sixth for the final margin, and that was it.

The Braves were ecstatic at the

outcome, as any team would be. Their offense was strong, but their defense was ready in action as well. The combination gave them the win. The two teams played again, resulting in another win to Boone by 2-0.

Each game was full of passion and dedication. Though the odds are never in the losing team’s favor, they are always capable of getting back out on the field to face another team. For Dr. Phillips, they will be taking on Lake Minneola (8-6) later this month. They hope for a win.

The Boone Braves will be going against Oak Ridge (8-10) at the end of the month, ready to add another win to their record.

West Orange Girls Lacrosse Keeping High Record

WINTER GARDEN - The West Orange High School girl’s lacrosse team (11-2) has done noth-ing but strive this season. They have won most of their games and are proud at how far they’ve come.

The West Orange Lady Warriors have done everything they can this season to win. Through hard practices and difficult matches, they have come out on top after each one. So far, they have only fallen to their competitors twice. They

know it takes failure to approach success, and that’s what they have done this season.

West Orange’s first loss was against Olympia (14-2). The final score was close, 17-16, and the Lady Warriors were devastated at how close they were to winning. Taking the game as a lesson learned, the girls picked up the pace and won their next match. The only other loss they’ve had was against Oviedo (9-4) by a score of 17-10. The West Orange team has not been

defined by their losses, but by how quickly they have come back up to win.

Their most recent win was against East Ridge (7-6) by a score of 17-2. The match took place earlier this month. The girls were confident go-ing into the match. Now they are preparing to take on Boone (6-5). The team hopes to continue their winning streak to add to their record.

by Andrea Lerner

by Andrea Lerner

3/23/16 - 4/6/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 9

by Greyson EveridgeLake Highland Lacrosse Battle It Out Versus Bishop Moore

ORLANDO – In any brutal match played out between bitter rivals, sparks fly and emotions run high. In the match between Lake High-land lacrosse and Bishop Moore High School, it was no different. However this time, it was Lake Highland who walked away with the win, defeating Bishop Moore 11-7.

Lake Highland has a (6-8) record, but have looked good so far this season. They have had some important wins, and despite more losses than wins, they shouldn’t necessar-ily have lost as it was some tight calls and fine margins which ultimately ended up determin-ing the games. Un-der Head Coach Chris Spaulding, the Highlanders are always working hard and looking to improve, and that says something about the team. That ef-fort and character was showcased finely in the win against their bitter district rivals Bishop Moore.

The Bishop Moore Hornets sit with a (7-6) record, and have maintained good standing throughout the

whole season. Like the Highlanders, they too have beaten some good teams to get where they are at

this point in the season. The evenness of the two teams going into the game made for even better viewing, as in previous years it had not appeared as if it would be so close.

It did look even for the first part of the match, but slowly and surely the Highlanders began to pull ahead. Courtesy of Christian Grenci, Jack Vaugh-

han, Joe Doremus, Nick Martin, and Miles Brown, Lake Highland took charge of the game. However

it was ultimately the culmination of team effort which allowed the High-landers to take the win in the big district match.

The Hornets put up a good fight and had some standouts as well. Ryan Ham-lin, Daniel Man-tzaris, Will Jones and Charles Rask all helped Bishop Moore fight right up until the end. Their effort rubbed off on the team and allowed the oth-ers around them to keep pushing on as well.

Now as the two teams head different

ways, it will be up to the two squads to put in the work to prepare for playoffs. The Highlanders and Hornets will almost certainly meet again soon and each side will want to be more prepared to fight it out again to prove to the other, and everyone else, why they are better.

Page 10 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16

Colonial Baseball Struggle by Greyson Everidge

ORLANDO – The Colonial Grenadiers baseball team is no doubt struggling, but despite their (4-9) and subsequent (1-5) record in district play, they have shown some promise. The issue resides in multiple factors, yet they are all minor and therefore fixable.

The Grenadiers were on a three game losing streak, which they recently ended with a crucial win against East River (6-7) in their most recent matchup. That match ended in an 8-6 win for Colonial, which saw better hitting and better defense. Pushing on from here to get more wins is an important task and part of their effort to improve their district standing for the playoffs is always in the back of minds at this time of the

year.

That effort to improve will lay in part on the shoulders of the many seniors on the team, who will have to encourage the juniors and under classman to do their part. Of the eight seniors on the squad Anthony Aviles, Adam Reis, AJ Rodriguez, Marion Camps, and Yancel Monclu are among the most influential.

Prior to that win, which pulled them out of the winless rut versus East River, the Grena-diers lost three straight. The first of those came against Winter Park (12-4) in a loss, not shock-ing because of the way Winter Park’s season has been going so far. Colonial then lost 11-1 two

days later as part of a double header which saw Winter Park win both in a clean sweep.

The third loss came at the hands of Bishop Moore (10-8), who have had a decent season thus far. It was a game in which Colonial hoped to pull off an upset, but that didn’t happen. In-stead the Grenadiers took it to the game against East River, which Colonial won.

The Grenadiers next play Lake Minneola (8-6), in a must win for them to help get their season back on track. The game is crucial in the fight to regain control and gain momentum, and utilizing key players and tactics could make all the differ-ence in how the outcome of that game will look.

Orlando City Lions Get First Win of Season

by Greyson Everidge

NEW YORK CITY – The Orlando City Lions walked out of the Big Apple with a win on Friday night, leaving the fans of New York City FC at Yankee Stadium silenced. With lots of hard work, close calls and missed chances, the game took interesting twists and turns which in the end led to a narrow 1-0 victory courtesy of Rookie of the Year Cyle Larin.

The goal, which came as a header off of a Rafael Ramos cross, secured the three points and ensured that the three game unbeaten run remained intact for the Lions. Larin has now scored three goals in as many games, adding to his goal scoring tally from last year, which ended in a broken record for the Canadian forward.

While the forwards did their part in scoring the goal, the defense consisting of Brek Shea, Seb Hines, Rafael Ramos and Orlando native Tommy Redding kept NYCFC goalless, it was New York’s first game this season that ended without a goal. David Villa of NYCFC came close to equalizing in the 68th minute with a spectacular overhead kick. While NYCFC outshot the Lions 10-6, they couldn’t find the goal they were so desperately looking for as the clock neared 90 min-utes.

New York threw everything they had at Lions keeper Joe Bendik, who had both luck and skill involved in his clean sheet at the iconic Yankee Stadium. Bendik’s efforts earned him a spot in the MLS Team of the Week, along with midfielder Cristian Higuita. Orlando now sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with five points, just one point behind first and second place teams Montreal and Philadelphia.

Orlando City’s next match comes at home against the Portland Timbers on April 3rd at 8pm. The Timbers sit in 7th place in the Western Conference, with 4 points. The match will be broadcast on Fox Sports One, as the Lions look to push on with a continued good start to the season in the hopes that the confer-ence leaders may soon slip up and drop some more points.

Winter Park Baseball Victorious in Two Double Headersby Greyson Everidge

WINTER PARK – The Winter Park Wildcats have long been a team that many looked to as a good squad, and this year has been no differ-ent. After a fair portion of the season has been played, they sit with a (12-4) record. Coach Bob King has his players in good form and spirit, and it’s clear to see that when the team steps onto the field and starts playing. Since their last defeat to Boone on February 24th, the Wildcats have gone on an eight game straight winning streak.

In many of the more recent wins, the Wildcats had not come up against easy opponents. By no means was it been expected of them to continue winning in such a way. The prowess of the team was shown in one of their wins against Colonial

(4-9), which ended 6-3 for the Wildcats. Despite Colonials losing record, they have been the cen-ter of some upsets over the course of the season, which by no makes for an easy game.

Two days after that first victory versus Colonial the Wildcats returned for a second crack at the whip as part of a double header in which

Winter Park captured an easy 11-1 win. They took what they used in the first game, and sig-nificantly improved upon it, helping them nearly double their run count. Colonial was no match for them in that game, as the Wildcats took con-trol early on. Winter Park moved on from those victories

and pushed on for a double header against Timber Creek (8-6). Much like Colonial, Timber Creek is a

team often underestimated by most. After the first game, the Wildcats also underestimated them. That first match ended in an easy 10-0 win for the Wildcats, but the second match is where the old cliché comes into play.

In the second match the Wildcats still won, but by a much lesser score-line. Winter Park walked away with a narrow 1-0 win, after Timber Creek tightened up and caught the Wildcats off guard, after they relaxed a bit having recently beaten them so badly.

The Winter Park Wildcats have the opportunity to take their win streak to an impressive nine wins in a row when they next play Bentonville from Arkansas in a friendly tournament. It will also provide the chance for them to tighten up on any minor flaws that the coaching staff feel they may have.

3/23/16 - 4/6/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 11

Lake Highland Prep Elite Classic Track Invitational

LAKE HIGHLAND – The best runners from around the State came together two weeks ago, on March 11, to compete in an annual event that has great stature. The tournament, which is regarded as one of the best in the State for track, provides the runners competing an opportunity to prove to others just what they are capable of.

In the Girls Division, there were many standouts. In par-ticular, the Oak Ridge team took home many championships on the day, confirm-ing what many people in the track scene already knew about the Pioneers and the quality of their competition. Chantel Johnson won the Girls 100 Meter Hur-dles with a time of 15.22 seconds, after losing to her fellow Oak Ridge teammate Marquasha My-ers in the preliminary round. In the Finals, Myers took a close second behind Johnson with a time of 15.59.

The success didn’t stop there for Oak Ridge, as they took home the Girls 1,600 Meter Run through Naomi

Similus, who ran it at a cool 5:26. The Pioneers also took First and Second in the Girls 200 Meter Dash, as Jasmyne Joseph and Nya’h Whitted came in with 25.44 and 25.83 seconds times respectively. Oak Ridge also won the Girls 300

Meter Hurdles, and the 3,200 Meter Run as well.

On the Boys side, Terell Watkins from Astronaut High School won the 100 Meter Dash with a time 10.82 seconds, slightly improving on his 10.86 time in the preliminary’s. Astro-naut High also took home the 110 Meter Hurdles through Tristian Schultheis, who clocked in ahead of the competition with a time of 15.15 seconds.

Another notable standout was Rashad Lewis, who com-peted in the Long Jump event. He finished fourth place

in a bracket with 33 competitors, ending with a distance of 19-07.00. Rashad Lewis, the son of Ray Lewis from the NFL Baltimore Ravens, won the State Championship in football with Bishop Moore playing as a DB/RB/WR. He will also play Division 1 Football at the University of Utah next season.

by Greyson Everidge

Page 12 Florida Sporting News • 3/23/16 - 4/6/16