The Prep Zone

MIRACLE SPORTS STATE SOFTBALL POLL – Week #3

Mike Ridaught

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March 2, 2015

Here is week 3 of the Miracle Sports state softball poll. Area teams in bold.

ALL-CLASSIFICATION
1. Cantonment Tate (7A)
2. Miami Coral Reef (8A)
3. Palm Beach Gardens (8A)
4. Pembroke Pines Charter (6A)
5. Plantation American Heritage (5A)
6. St. Petersburg Canterbury (2A)
7. Miami Westminster Christian (3A)
8. Gulliver Prep (4A)
9. Bloomingdale (8A)
10. Orange Park Fleming Island (7A)

CLASS 8A
1. Miami Coral Reef 6-0
2. Palm Beach Gardens 10-0
3. Bloomingdale 7-1
4. Winter Garden West Orange 9-1
5. Orange City University 10-1
6. Oviedo Hagerty 9-1
7. Jupiter 9-1
8. Lithia Newsome 9-1
9. Tampa Wharton 8-1
10. Boca Raton 7-1
Honorable mention: Apopka 6-2; Wellington 7-2; Orlando Boone 8-1; Orlando Timber Creek 7-2; Orlando Olympia 5-1; Cooper City 4-1; Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 7-3; Miami Dr. Krop 10-0

CLASS 7A
1. Cantonment Tate 12-0
2. Orange Park Fleming Island 10-0
3. Viera 13-0
4. St. Thomas Aquinas 6-1
5. Punta Gorda Charlotte 7-1
6. Fort Myers 7-1
7. Tampa Gaither 9-1
8. Niceville 8-2
9. West Boca Raton 6-2
10. Coconut Creek Monarch 11-1
Honorable mention: Harmony 4-2; Seminole 5-2; Clearwater Countryside 6-1; St. Petersburg Northeast 6-1; Melbourne 7-3; Braden River 6-3; Tarpon Springs East lake 7-3.

CLASS 6A
1. Pembroke Pines Charter 8-0
2. Ocala Forest 8-0
3. Gainesville 8-1
4. North Fort Myers 7-1
5. St. Johns Bartram Trail 9-0
6. Auburndale 8-1
7. Pace 8-2
8. Okeechobee 8-0
9. Lake Minneola 7-1
10. New Port Richey Mitchell 8-1
Honorable mention: Lake City Columbia 7-3; Spring Hill Springstead 6-0; Tampa Chamberlain 5-1; Daytona Beach Mainland 6-1; St. Johns Creekside 5-3.

CLASS 5A
1. Plantation American Heritage 7-0
2. Glen St. Mary Baker County 8-0
3. Green Cove Springs Clay 7-1
4. Gulf Breeze 10-2
5. Rockledge 8-1
6. Brooksville Nature Coast 8-0
7. Bradenton Bayshore 6-1
8. Live Oak Suwannee 7-2
9. Cape Coral 7-2
10. Wauchula Hardee 7-1
Honorable mention: Naples Lely 6-2; Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy 6-1; Port Orange Atlantic 5-1; Crawfordville Wakulla 5-4.

CLASS 4A
1. Gulliver Prep 6-2
2. Titusville Astronaut 7-1
3. Starke Bradford 7-0
4. Cocoa Beach 7-1
5. Jacksonville Bolles 5-0
6. Fort Myers Bishop Verot 8-1
7. Bushnell South Sumter 8-1
8. Fort Pierce Lincoln Park 5-1
9. Coral Springs Charter 7-0
10. Montverde Academy 7-2
Honorable mention: Alachua Santa Fe 5-2; Orlando Bishop Moore 6-1; Chaminade-Madonna 7-1.

CLASS 3A
1. Miami Westminster Christian 4-2
2. Melbourne Central Catholic 7-1
3. Jacksonville University Christian 7-1
4. Lake Worth Christian 7-1
5. Moore Haven 6-1
6. Lakeland Christian 8-1
7. Tampa Prep 6-3
8. St. Petersburg Northside Christian 7-2
9. Tallahassee North Florida Christian 8-3
10. Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian 3-1
Honorable mention: Seffner Christian 6-2; Orlando The First Academy 5-3.

CLASS 2A
1. St. Petersburg Canterbury 5-0
2. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 8-0
3. Monticello Aucilla Christian 3-6
4. Boca Raton Grandview Prep 0-0
5. Winter Garden Foundation Academy 6-1
6. Deltona Trinity Christian 4-2
7. Vero Beach Master’s Academy 5-1
8. Sarasota Christian 4-1
9. Belle Glade Glades Day 2-0
10. Orlando Christian 2-0
Honorable mention: Tampa Cambridge Christian 1-2; Jacksonville Seacoast Christian Academy 3-1.

CLASS 1A
1. Sneads 9-1
2. Lake Butler Union County 5-1
3. Mayo Lafayette 6-2
4. Wewahitchka 6-3
5. Chiefland 2-2
6. Trenton 7-2
7. Port St. Joe 5-1
8. Paxton 2-0
9. Bell 5-3
10. Bonifay Holmes County 5-3
Honorable mention: Pierson Taylor 5-3; Williston 4-2; Cross City Dixie County 6-4; Freeport 3-2.

Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week

Mike Ridaught

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February 26, 2015

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Our Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week Presented by State Farm agent Mark McGriff for the week of February 16 is Montayvious McKinnon* of the Hawthorne boys basketball team.

*With his team facing elimination in the Class 1A state playoffs, the senior took over in overtime to help lead Hawthorne to its second FHSAA Final Four in the past three years. Hamilton County had a five point lead with a little over a minute to play, but McKinnon hit a 3-pointer to bring his team within two, then he hit a game-tying three with 40 seconds to go as Hawthorne (27-2) rallied for a 64-61 win. The senior, who finished with 19 points, added 11 points in a regional semifinal win against Lafayette (Mayo) earlier in the week.

Past winners:

February 9 – Kiarah Mallory (P.K. Yonge)
Mallory led all scorers with 27 points in a 64-53 win at South Sumter (Bushnell) in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. The senior point guard added six assists and five steals as the Lady Blue Wave advanced to the regional final. Despite a season-ending 60-32 loss to Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) in the Region 2-4A Final, Mallory, one of two seniors for the Blue Wave, led the team with nine points.

February 2 – Jonathan Horodyski (Buchholz)
With its leading scorer ejected from the game, the junior caught fire in the second half, scoring all 18 of his points after half time, as Buchholz (15-10) rallied from a 3-point deficit at the break to defeat host Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 72-66, in the 7A-District 3 championship game. Horodyski hit four 3s and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, all in the fourth quarter. He helped lead the ‘Cats to the championship game by scoring 12 points in the semifinals as Buchholz defeated Fleming Island (Orange Park), 59-29. He was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the tournament and finished with seven made shots behind the arc.

January 26 – Janiah McKay (Gainesville)
McKay had a game-high 25 points and six assists as Gainesville won its fifth consecutive Class 6A-District 2 title with a 60-50 win over Oakleaf (Orange Park) in the district championship game. The Auburn signee had 20 points and seven rebounds in a 66-22 win over Middleburg in the district semifinals that clinched a spot in the postseason for the Lady Hurricanes.

January 19 – Tyler Miller-Jones (Eastside)
Miller-Jones had a hat trick in the first half and scored a total of four goals in leading the Eastside boys’ soccer team to an 8-2 win over Keystone Heights in the Class 2A-District 5 championship. The senior also scored a goal in a 3-1 win over Crescent City in the district semifinals and had a pair of goals against Newberry in the quarterfinals for the Rams, who moved to #1 in the MaxPreps Class 2A state rankings.

January 12 – Kim Melton (Santa Fe)
Melton had a big week for the Class 2A-District 5 girls’ soccer champions. On Monday, the sophomore scored five goals in an 8-0 win over Crescent City in the Lady Raiders’ first match of the district tournament. In the semifinals on Thursday, she had a hat trick in an 8-0 win over Keystone Heights. Then, on Friday night, Melton scored the only goal of the game in the district championship. Her second half goal gave the Raiders a 1-0 win over Eastside and home field advantage for the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs this Thursday, January 22.

January 5 – Mike Nobles (Eastside)
Nobles had back-to-back double-doubles as he led the Eastside boys’ basketball team to a 2-0 week. The senior had 10 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and a steal for Eastside in a 66-42 win over Bradford (Starke) on Friday. Then, on Saturday, he posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and a blocked shot in an 88-57 district win against North Marion (Citra).

December 8 – Ike Smith (Gainesville)
The senior helped lead the GHS boys’ basketball team (7-1) to a 3-0 week with wins against Oakleaf (Orange Park), Columbia (Lake City) and Suwannee (Live Oak). In the win against Columbia, Smith scored 40 points, going 11-of-15 from the free-throw line and adding seven rebounds. Against Suwannee, he finished with 26 points and hit the game-winning shot with four seconds to play.

December 1 – Brook Burns (Hawthorne)
Burns scored 69 points, grabbed 36 rebounds and blocked 12 shots in three games for the Lady Hornets’ basketball team. The senior forward had 16 points and 13 rebounds in a 53-41 loss to 4A Atlantic (Port Orange).

November 24 – Denzel Washington (Live Oak Suwannee)
The senior ran for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Bulldogs (12-1) advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 1999 with a 37-0 win over Lakewood (St. Pete) in the FHSAA Class 5A state playoffs. Washington, who scored on a 61-yard run in the first half, had eight runs of 10 or more yards and four carries for 20 or more.

November 17 – Quade Locke (Dixie County)
Locke made big plays on the defensive side of the football as the Bears advanced to the state semifinals for the second straight season in Class 1A with a 50-37 victory over Union County (Lake Butler) in the regional finals. The senior middle linebacker had 15 tackles with five assists and two interceptions, including a 95-yard pick-six. He was part of a defense that finished with five sacks and four interceptions.

November 10 – Sammy Mueller (P.K. Yonge)
The junior setter had the final point of the season, which ended with a 3-0 sweep of Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale) in the 4A state title game, as P.K. Yonge (30-2) won its first state volleyball title since 2002. Mueller saved her best for last as she finished with seven kills, six digs and 27 assists in the state championship match. She had 33 assists in a 3-0 sweep of Pensacola Catholic in the state semifinals.

November 3 – Alena Kraus (Gainesville)
The freshman helped GHS to a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state swim meet in Stuart. Kraus won her first state title by winning the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:49.81. She also finished third in the 100 free (51.05). Kraus set a school record in both events.

October 27 – Kirschtine Balbuena (Eastside)
The freshman won both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the Class 2A-District 4 swim meet to help the Lady Rams win their first district title since 2009 (when Eastside won state). Balbuena set the school record with a time of 57.77 in the backstroke, which would have placed her in the top eight at state last year. Both of her times earned her the top seed at the regional meet.

October 20 – Caysaun Wakeley (Santa Fe)
Despite falling in triple overtime at North Marion last Friday night that ended Santa Fe’s postseason hopes, Wakeley was a big reason the Raiders were close in a 35-28 loss. The junior outside linebacker recorded 14 tackles, had one sack and added two tackles for a loss. On offense, Wakeley finished with five carries for 20 yards rushing, plus both touchdowns for the Raiders (5-3) in overtime on two 4-yard scoring runs.

October 13 – Ahmad Ivey (Gainesville)
Ivey had a big night as the Hurricanes defeated Vanguard (Ocala), 36-29, in a key Class 6A-District 5 game. The senior had a pair of TDs, returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score and had the game-winning interception in the end zone on 4th-and-goal with 18.2 seconds left. Ivey, who leads the state with an average of 45.1 yards per kick return, also finished with 77 yards rushing on only 12 carries, including a 20-yard reverse on a 3rd-and-7 to keep the ‘Canes game-winning drive alive in the fourth quarter.

October 6 – Coby Weiss (Buchholz)
Weiss drilled a 40-yard field goal as time expired to lift Buchholz to a 23-20 win over Gainesville, which snapped the Bobcats’ five-year losing streak to their rival. The sophomore, who made three on the night, had made a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

September 29 – Monroe Thornton III (St. Francis Catholic)
Thornton returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown, just after Oak Hall had scored the first touchdown of the game, and it gave the Wolves the spark they needed in a 49-14 win over their rival. The junior finished with 181 all-purpose yards as St. Francis won its third consecutive game for the first time in three years. Thornton had scoring runs of 31 and 10 yards and also had eight tackles on defense.

September 22 – Courtney Chappell (P.K. Yonge)
Chappell had 18 kills, 45 digs, 33 service points, six aces and four blocks in four games for the Blue Wave. The senior helped lead the Blue Wave volleyball team to a 4-0 week with wins against defending 5A state champion Bishop Moore (Orlando), 7A Tallahassee Leon, 7A Lake Nona, a regional finalist in 2013, and 2013 3A state runners-up The First Academy (Orlando).

September 15 – Antwan Durn (Union County)
Durn broke current Buffalo RB C.J. Spiller’s school record with seven touchdowns as the Tigers (4-0) defeated Interlachen, 59-0. The junior ran for 204 yards on 15 carries and also had one reception for 30 yards.

September 8 – Julian Robinson (Dixie County)
In a match-up of the top two teams in the state in Class 1A, Robinson rose to the occasion and ran for 316 yards on 28 carries and four TDs as the Bears snapped the Tigers’ 22-game home winning streak with a 48-25 win. The junior, who has an area leading 727 yards rushing, had scoring runs of 63, 52, 50 and 32 yards.

September 1 – Charles Strong (P.K. Yonge)
In his varsity debut, the freshman ran for a game-high 119 yards and a score. Strong, who averaged 9.9 yards per carry, helped lead the Blue Wave to their first 1-0 start since 2011 with a 35-0 win at Bell.

August 25 – Caelan Christian (Gainesville)
Despite a 44-43 loss in overtime to state-ranked Columbia (Lake City), Christian had a career game for the Hurricanes. The junior completed 28-of-38 for 317 yards and three touchdowns, along with a rushing score, as the ‘Canes amassed 531 yards of total offense. Christian connected with seven different receivers on the night, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dock Luckie in overtime.

The Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week is presented by State Farm Agent Mark McGriff of Gainesville. For more information on auto, life and health insurance, call Mark at 352-372-8406. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Mark-McGriff-State-Farm-1024x540

THEPREPZONE.COM STATE BASEBALL POLL

Mike Ridaught

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February 25, 2015

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PZ - square(white) GAINESVILLE – Defending state champions and nationally-ranked teams highlight the first Florida high school baseball poll of the 2015 season.

Lake Worth Park Vista (4-1), which is ranked fifth in the country according to Perfect Game, is the top-ranked team in Class 8A, while defending state champion South Dade (5-0) begins the season third in theprepzone.com state baseball poll.

Coral Gables (5-0), seeking its first state title since 1960, is ranked second. The Cavaliers (5-0) return 15 seniors from last year’s 20-9 team and edge Orlando Olympia, which is ranked fourth. The Titans (4-0) are one of six nationally-ranked teams in Florida’s largest classification, along with Tampa Plant, Lake Mary, Miami Killian and Pembroke Pines Flanagan.

Hialeah American (4-2), which defeated Tarpon Springs East Lake in the 7A title game last season, returns to the top of the Class 7A rankings, followed by East Lake. The Eagles (5-0), who have a win over nationally-ranked & defending 5A state champion Tampa Jesuit, are currently the No. 1 team in the Tampa Bay area.

Another nationally-ranked team, Winter Haven, is ranked No. 1 in 6A. The Blue Devils (4-0), who finished 26-5 and state runners-up, return all nine position players.

Other defending state champions who begin the season ranked No. 1 in their respective classes include Tallahassee North Florida Christian (3A), Brito Miami Private (2A) and Williston (1A).

Theprepzone.com state baseball poll

CLASS 8A
1. Lake Worth Park Vista 4-1
2. Coral Gables 5-0
3. South Dade 5-0
4. Orlando Olympia 4-0
5. Tampa Plant 3-1
6. Oviedo Hagerty 5-0
7. Miami Columbus 5-1
8. Miami Killian 3-2
9. Pembroke Pines Flanagan 3-2
10. Lake Mary 3-2
Honorable mention: Tampa Alonso 3-1; Miami Varela 4-1; Miami Palmetto 4-0; Orange City University 4-0; Sunrise Piper 6-1; Parkland Stoneman Douglas 4-1.

CLASS 7A
1. Hialeah American 4-2
2. Tarpon Springs East Lake 5-0
3. Winter Springs 4-0
4. Oviedo 5-1
5. Gainesville Buchholz 6-0
6. Melbourne 4-0
7. West Boca Raton 5-0
8. Doral Reagan 4-1
9. Seminole 4-1
10. Haines City 3-0
Honorable mention: Brandon 4-1; St. Petersburg Northeast 4-0; Plant City Durant 3-1; Sarasota 3-1.

CLASS 6A
1. Winter Haven 4-0
2. Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy 3-1
3. Pembroke Pines Charter 4-1
4. St. Johns Creekside 4-0
5. Venice 4-0
6. Pace 5-0
7. Hillsborough 4-0
8. St. Johns Bartram Trail 3-0
9. Miami Belen Jesuit 4-1
10. Ocala Forest 5-0
Honorable mention: Baker 6-0; Okeechobee 5-1; Naples Barron Collier 4-1; Tampa Jefferson 2-1; Stuart South Fork 4-1.

CLASS 5A
1. Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy 4-0
2. Plantation American Heritage 4-2
3. Dunedin 5-0
4. Tampa Jesuit 1-4
5. Lynn Haven Mosley 4-0
6. Rockledge 5-0
7. Cape Coral 4-1
8. Tampa Robinson 3-1
9. Ponte Vedra 2-1
10. Dade City Pasco 2-1
Honorable mention: Live Oak Suwannee, 4-1; Brooksville Hernando 3-1; Jacksonville Terry Parker 6-0; Fort Myers Cypress Lake 3-1; Cape Coral Mariner 3-2; Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 1-4; Eustis 3-2.

CLASS 4A
1. Miami Gulliver Prep 3-1
2. Delray Beach American Heritage 2-2
3. Pensacola Catholic 3-0
4. Jacksonville Bolles 5-0
5. Ocala Trinity Catholic 2-2
6. North Broward Prep 2-3
7. Miami Monsignor Pace 4-1
8. Fort Myers Bishop Verot 3-2
9. Ft. Lauderdale University 5-1
10. Pensacola West Florida 4-0
Honorable mention: Tampa Berkeley Prep 2-3; Lakeland McKeel Academy 3-1; Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest 2-3; Miami St. Brendan 3-1.

CLASS 3A
1. Tallahassee North Florida Christian 2-1
2. Jacksonville Providence 3-1
3. Fort Myers Canterbury 5-0
4. Jacksonville University Christian 5-1
5. Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy 5-0
6. Clearwater Calvary Christian 3-1
7. Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 4-1
8. Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 5-0
9. Clearwater Central Catholic 3-2
10. Lake Worth Trinity Christian 4-1
Honorable mention: Jacksonville Eagle’s View 5-1; West Palm Beach Benjamin 5-1; Maitland Orangewood Christian 3-3.

CLASS 2A
1. Brito Miami Private 4-0
2. Deltona Trinity Christian 4-2
3. Tampa Cambridge Christian 2-3
4. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 3-1
5. Tampa Bayshore Christian 2-0
6. St. Petersburg Keswick Christian 4-2
7. Sarasota Christian 4-2
8. Miami Christian 3-2
9. Quincy Munroe 2-3
10. Deerfield Beach Zion Lutheran 0-0.

CLASS 1A
1. Williston 4-0
2. Mayo Lafayette 3-1
3. Paxton 0-0
4. Blountstown 6-0
5. Trenton 2-1
6. Panama City Bozeman 3-0
7. Chipley 1-3
8. Pierson Taylor 2-2
9. Hilliard 4-0
10. Bonifay Holmes County 4-1

Gainesville Basketball

Mike Stanton

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February 23, 2015

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Date: Mon 02/23/2015 at 6:00pm
Title: “The Prep Zone”

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman as they talk high school sports in North Central Florida every Monday from 6-7 p.m. Our guests for this episode include Gainesville boys’ basketball coach Kelly Beckham and members of the Purple Hurricanes, which will play against Edgewater (Orlando) in the Class 6A state semifinals in Lakeland this Friday.

Click Here to Listen: http://www.floridacast.com/play/index.cfm?fuseaction=embstay&id=482545845B

Gainesville at Wolfson | Basketball

Mike Stanton

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February 21, 2015

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Date: Sat 02/21/2015 at 6:45pm
Title: Gainesville at Wolfson (Jacksonville) | Boys’ Basketball

Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and Marty Pallman (Color) for this Class 6A Regional Final. The winner will advance to the state semifinals.

Click Here to Listen: http://www.floridacast.com/play/index.cfm?fuseaction=embstay&id=48209A7664

Boys Basketball – FHSAA Regional Finals & state finals

Mike Ridaught

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February 20, 2015

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boys_basketball_finals_2015 Area teams in the boys basketball state playoffs (Click on the classification link to see a bracket)
(Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties)

Regional Finals
Friday (1A-4A) & Saturday (5A-8A), Feb. 20-21

Class 8A
None

Class 7A
None

Class 6A
Gainesville 72, Wolfson (Jacksonville) 67
Edgewater (Orlando) 61, Deltona 54

Friday, Feb. 27 (State Semifinals) – Gainesville 83,. Edgewater (Orlando) 71 (OT)

Saturday, Feb. 28 (State Final) – Miami Norland 53, Gainesville 46

Class 5A
Rickards (Tallahassee) 57, Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 43
Tarpon Springs 68, Eastside (Gainesville) 60
Cardinal Gibbons (Ft. Lauderdale) 49, Eustis 38

Class 4A
Godby (Tallahassee) 53, Jackson (Jacksonville) 45
Holy Trinity (Winter Prep) 64, Trinity Catholic (Ocala) 53

Class 3A
Providence (Jacksonville) 82, Maclay (Tallahassee) 55

Tuesday, Feb. 24 (State Semifinals) – Providence (Jacksonville) 60, The First Academy (Orlando) 52

Thursday, Feb. 26 (State Final) – Providence (Jacksonville) 66, Sagemont (Weston) 57

Class 2A
Agape (Orlando) 67, North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) 53

Class 1A
Hawthorne 64, Hamilton County (Jasper) 61 (OT)
Crescent City 67, Williston 53

Tuesday, Feb. 24 (State Semifinals) – Hawthorne 57, Crescent City 40

Wednesday, Feb. 25 (State Final) – Chipley 69, Hawthorne 40

Regional Semifinals & link to district scores

Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week

Mike Ridaught

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February 19, 2015

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Our Trophy Shop Athlete-of-the-Week Presented by State Farm agent Mark McGriff for the week of February 9 is Kiarah Mallory* of the P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) girls basketball team.

*Mallory led all scorers with 27 points in a 64-53 win at South Sumter (Bushnell) in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. The senior point guard added six assists and five steals as the Lady Blue Wave advanced to the regional final. Despite a season-ending 60-32 loss to Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) in the Region 2-4A Final, Mallory, one of two seniors for the Blue Wave, led the team with nine points.