High School Sports Blog

Stranahan hires alum Willie Hill as new football coach

Courtesy of Miami Herald writer Concepcion Ledezma

Stranahan has announced the hiring of former Dragon Willie Hill as its
new head coach on Thursday.
   A former standout as a defensive back and track star at Stranahan, the
31-year-old Hill hopes revive a struggling program which is coming off an
3-7 season.
   "This was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, and I had others," said
Hill, who will be moving from Clewiston and will be on the Stranahan
faculty as a graphic photo shop teacher and head the STEM program (dual
enrollment).
   "My wife (Erin) and brother are Dragons, I come from a long line of
Stranahan graduates. I don't see our program as struggling, as much as just
having some down years. While I plan to keep most of the assistants, I am
targeting some assistants positions to fill in with guys with college
experience"
   He plans to add his brother Renaldo, also a former Dragon standout,
among his coaching staff.
   After graduating from Stranahan, where he played alongside Asante
Samuels, Hill went on to letter at Central Michigan University as a
standout receiver and track athlete while earning a degree in graphic
design.

UPDATED: Baseball, softball games rescheduled for Thursday

Here you go, hot off the presses right here from the Miami Herald.

After a fun day of rain and rescheduling and running around sloshing around Miami, here's the list of games that were postponed and were rescheduled for Thursday.

Here's Thursday's new schedule

BASEBALL regional quarterfinals

Region 4-8A: Coral Gables at American, 11 a.m.

Region 4-8A at Alex Fernandez: Hialeah at Goleman, 2

Region 4-8A: South Dade at Sunset, 11 a.m.

Region 3-8A: Cypress Bay at Douglas, 1

Region 3-8A: Coral Glades at Flanagan, 1

Region 4-7A: Monarch at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7

Region 4-7A: Nova at Northeast, 7

Region 4-6A: Belen at Archbishop McCarthy, 7

Region 4-6A at Westland Gardens Park: Pembroke Pines Charter at Mater Academy, 11 a.m.

Region 4-5A: Riviera Beach Suncoast at American Heritage, 7

Region 4-5A: Pompano Beach at Jensen Beach, 7

Region 4-4A at St. Thomas University: Gulliver vs. La Salle, 11 a.m.

Region 4-4A: TERRA at St. Brendan, 11 a.m.

Region 4-4A: North Broward Prep at Monsignor Pace, 7

Region 4-3A: Delray American Heritage at Coral Springs Christian, 7

Region 4-3A at Florida Memorial: Mater Lakes vs. Westminster Christian, 4

Region 4-3A: Dade Christian at Florida Christian, 7

Region 4-3A: Highlands Christian at Boca Raton Pope John Paul II, 7

Region 4-2A at Miami Christian: Redland Christian vs. Brito, 10 a.m.

Region 4-2A: Westwood Christian at Colonial Christian, 4

Region 4-2A: Champagnat Catholic at Zion Lutheran, 3:30

Region 4-2A at Curtis Park: Sheridan Hills Christian vs. Mater East, 7

SOFTBALL

Regional semifinals

Region 4-8A: American at Goleman, 11 a.m.

Region 4-6A at Bucky Dent Park: Pembroke Pines Charter at Mater Academy, 6

Region 4-2A: Zion Lutheran at Sheridan Hills Christian, 2

Only games that have been played so far Wednesday are:

Baseball

Region 4-8A: Killian 1, Southwest 0

Region 4-4A: Coral Springs Charter 14, Archbishop Carroll 4

Softball

Region 4-8A Coral Reef-Palmetto suspended 2-1 in 1st. was going to play Wednesday night at Palmetto Bay Park.

Region 4-4A: Coral Springs Charter 13, Monsignor Pace 0

Region 4-2A: Princeton Christian 18, Westwood Christian 3

Weather postpones some softball regional semifinals

            Inclement weather led to the postponement of several regional softball semifinal games Tuesday.

            Region 4-8A: The Palmetto-Coral Reef game was moved to Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Coral Reef. The American-Goleman was also rescheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Goleman.

            Region 4-6A: The Pembroke Pines Charter- Mater Academy game was moved to Wednesday at Bucky Dent Park at 7 p.m.

            Region 4-4A: The Coral Springs Charter- Monsignor Pace game was moved to noon Wednesday at Pace.

            Region 4-2A: The Westwood Christian-Princeton Christian game was moved to Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Princeton Christian. The Zion Lutheran-Sheridan Hills Christian game was moved to Thursday at Sheridan Hills tentatively at 4 p.m.

American Heritage RB Sony Michel chooses Georgia

            Sony Michel said he wanted "something different."

            Michel, Plantation American Heritage's phenom running back, decided Friday the best place to find it was at the University of Georgia.

            Michel, ranked the No. 2 running back in the nation by ESPN, committed to the Bulldogs during a televised announcement on ESPNU broadcast from a studio in Davie.

            Michel had recently said he was considering the University of Miami, as well as Florida, FSU and Notre Dame.

“Georgia was a wonderful place from first day I stepped on campus there I loved it,” Michel said. “Georgia felt like something different and I wanted to experience something different.”

            Michel (6-0, 205 pounds) ran for 1,825 and 18 touchdowns in the eighth grade and last season bounced back strong from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his sophomore year with 1,264 yards and 18 touchdowns.

            Michel helped the Patriots win a district title and advance to the regional playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Michel picked up a red Georgia cap then put it down during the broadcast, but only to replace it with a black Georgia cap, which he then put on. Michel said the Twitter account with his name that recently posted that he was planning “a shocker” on Friday was not actually his.

 “These last few years have been awesome getting the opportunity to do what every kid loves to do,” Michel said. “Georgia was the school I felt most comfortable at and really liked and they’re style of offense was all me.”

            Michel said he was also excited to compete for a place in an already talented backfield with tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, who are each coming off strong freshman seasons.

“Those two running backs gave me the itch to go to Georgia in the first place,” Michel said. “I feel like I can go in and compete. I want to earn my spot because I don’t want anything given to me. I just go out there and compete if I can go out there I feel like my whole mindset is to dominate.”

Blanche Ely basketball coach Melvin Randall named Coach of the Year

Blanche Ely boys’ basketball coach Melvin Randall was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Association’s Florida Coach of the Year Tuesday.

Randall led the Tigers to their second consecutive state championship, third during his tenure and fourth in the program’s history this past season. Ely went 27-1 earned a national ranking and recently participated in ESPN’s National High School Invitational.

Randall is the second Broward coach to earn the award joining former Ely coach Wade Edmond (1996).

Blanche Ely does the Harlem Shake with Shaquille O'Neal!

NBA great Shaquille O'Neal stopped by The Lakeland Center Saturday during Blanche Ely's Class 7A state championship victory.

Shaq visited the Tigers locker room after the game...and a Harlem Shake broke out!

Check it out!

 

Miami Northwestern-St. Thomas Aquinas to play in football in 2013

            For years, fans have asked, “Who would win if Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas played each other?”

            They’ll get an answer this fall.

           Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas agreed this week to play their mutual season-opener at Sun Life Stadium on the weekend of August 29-31. The date will be finalized once the schedules for the University of Miami and the Miami Dolphins are released.

            "It's pretty much all set, we're just working out a few of the details now," Northwestern athletic director Andre Williams told The Miami Herald Thursday morning.

    The two programs have combined for 11 state championships and three national titles. St. Thomas Aquinas won its seventh state crown this past season winning the Class 7A championship and won national titles in 2008 and 2010.

Northwestern went 9-3 last season reaching the Class 6A regional semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Central.

            Northwestern has won four (1995, 1998, 2006, 2007) including a national championship in 2007.

Homestead (4-2A), St. Thomas Aquinas (3-3A) win regional wrestling titles

Region 3-3A: St. Thomas Aquinas cruised to the team championship Saturday at Lake Worth Park Vista.

Team top 5: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 218.5; 2. Palm Beach Gardens 128; 3. Jupiter 106; 4. Cypress Bay 94; 5. Coral Springs 86.5.

Championship finals (Broward only) – 106: Francois (PL) dec. Radli (Jupiter) 4-0; 113: Uhre (STA) tech fall Strent (CB) 16-0; 120: Lira (WES) dec. Gomes (STA) 8-7; 126: Guerriero (STA) maj. dec. Bonadies (Wellington) 12-4; 132: Hall (STA) tech fall Jeanite (PBG) 18-1; 138: Sadek (Coral Glades) dec. Taroli (Port St. Lucie) 7-4; 145: Thome (Seminole Ridge) dec. Perez (STA) 6-5; 152: Iglesias (STA) pin Moore (SR) 0:42; 160: Weiss (STA) dec. Tucker (Nova) 11-6; 170: Jeovenetta (STA) maj. dec. Chevelon (PBG) 11-2; HWT: Seidle (CB) pin Lynn (Boca Raton) 1:00.

Consolation finals (Broward only) – 106: Gibson (CS) pin Mitchell (Wellington) 1:59; 120: MacFarlane (Wellington) pin Whipp (Monarch) 3:54; 126: Carter (Monarch) maj. dec. Sage (CB) 10-0; 138: Abanoza (STA) dec. Santosus (Park Vista) 11-5; Bradley (Jupiter) pin Sinbela (Western) 4:42; 170: Kochlany (Royal Palm Beach) dec. Solomon (Piper) 11-4; 182: Anderson (CS) dec. Vargas (Taravella) 6-2; 195: McNamara (CB) tech fall Armstrong (Park Vista) 17-2; 220: Minnis (Piper) pin Marshall (Nova) 1:45.

 

Region 4-2A: Homestead secured the team championship at Stuart Martin County Saturday.

Team standings: 1. Homestead 172; 2. Boca Raton Olympic Heights 149; 3. Jensen Beach 142; 4. Melbourne Palm Bay 110; 5. Palm Bay Heritage 99; 6. Archbishop McCarthy 70; 7. Blanche Ely 66.5; 8. Bayside 65; 9. Miami Springs 64.5.

Championship finals (Dade/Broward only) – 106: Gillis (AM) dec. Garay (Hallandale) 6-0; 113: Richard (Bayside) dec. Gillis (AM) 6-4; 120: Farley (Palm Bay) dec. Almendarez 5-4 (Mater Academy); 126: Guerra (Mater Academy) dec. Bayonne (Heritage) 7-2; 138: Muccio (Melbourne) pin Medal (MS) 2:44; 145: Vonniederhausern (Palm Bay) tech fall Duran (MS) 15-0; 152: Boyd (Stranahan) tech fall Rossi (Jensen) 14-4; 160: Aroyo (Olympic Heights) pin O'Connor (HOM) 1:28; 182: Simmons (HOM) pin Porter (Palm Bay) 1:13; 220: Richardson (HOM) dec. Castoro (Jensen Beach) 5-3.

Consolation finals (Dade/Broward only): 106: Cleristor (Olympic Heights) dec Delisca (HOM) 8-1; 126: Preciado (MS) maj. dec. Sincoff (OH) 9-1; 138: Sincoff (Olympic Heights) tech fall Bohannon (HOM) 18-7; 145: Broner (HOM) dec. Hagan (Okeechobee) 7-4; 152: Malloy (Heritage) maj. dec. Norman (HOM) 12-2; 182: Knight (Ely) tech fall Bailey (NW) 17-2; 195: Wint (HOM) dec. Abreu 6-4 (Olympic Heights); HWT: Burgess (Central) pin Jean-Baskin (Ely) 1:39.

Archbishop McCarthy beats Gulliver during Marlins Park Winter Warm-Up

Three-time defending state champion Archbishop McCarthy beat Gulliver Prep 3-1 on Saturday as part of the third annual Field of Dreams game at Marlins Park. It was held during the MetroPCS Miami Marlins Winter Warm Up.

Junior left-hander Brian Gonzalez, who also produced a two-run double in the first inning, earned the victory. The Raiders manufactured a run in the sixth on junior shortstop Joe Dunand's RBI line drive to right-center field following a leadoff single, balk and groundout. The Mavericks countered with an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning on junior outfielder Brandon Vicens' sacrifice fly.

CHRISTINA DE NICOLA

Late Friday District boys' basketball championship results

Hey guys,

With state soccer, regional soccer, regional wrestling and district basketball...oh yeah and baseball and softball underway, space went fast in the paper.

Luckily, there's the internet.

Here's some late results for some big district boys' basketball finals and semifinals involving South Florida teams that we'll have in the Sunday paper.

Late Friday – District 15-8A final - South Miami 56, Columbus 45: SM: Perez-Laham 10, Simmons 18, Lopez  1, Cratit 8, Bartley 11, Barney 3, Blanco 5, Lobue 1. COL: Melendez 15, Minervino 9, Rico 11, Durant 10. Assists: Perez-Laham 5. Rebounds: Simmons 16. Steals: Barney 2.

Late Friday – District 16-8A final – Palmetto 72, Coral Reef 66 (OT): PAL: Coffey 24, Schulz 21, Pubchara 13, Wasser 6, Mulett 3, Parlic 2. CR: Hankerson 24, Glasford 18, McCrary 7, Avdain 6, Stevens 6, Pearl 2, Cannady 2, Bryan 1. Half: PAL 36-26. End of regulation: 61-61. Rebounds: Coffey 10. Assists: Wasser 9. Steals: Schulz 4.

Late Friday – District 13-8A final – Hialeah Gardens 52, Carol City 39

Late Friday – District 16-6A semifinal – Norland 47, Belen 36 – NOR: McKnight 4, Roberts 5, Huell 7, McCrea 6, Mike 10, Williams 11, Johnson 4. Half: N 15-12. Three-pointers: Mike. Rebounds: McCrea 9. Assists: Johnson 4. Steals: Johnson 6.

Late Friday - District 13-4A semifinal – North Broward Prep 61, Pine Crest 58: Despite trailing Pine Crest for most of the game, North Broward Prep rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the defending state champions.

Jacolby Harris led the Eagles with 18 points. Damon Arnette followed with
16 points and Taarig Lewis added in 12 points for North Broward Prep
(16-11).

The Eagles will face University School, which eliminated Cardinal Gibbons – considered a state contender – in its semifinal, in the district championship on Saturday at 7 p.m.

“We’ve played Pine Crest tough the last two years,” Eagles’ coach Scott
Williams said. “Our kids knew what they had to do.”

With under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Pine Crest (18-9) held a
58-57 lead. On the right wing, Kalvin Cline’s cross-court pass was stolen
by Harris.  After driving up the court, Harris was fouled and knocked down
two free throws to give the Eagles its first lead of the second half at
59-58.

Pine Crest attempted to hold for the final shot of the game. The Panthers
were able to get the ball inside with 23.1 seconds remaining, but Arnette
on help defense stole the ball from Antonio Vrankovic. Harris was fouled
again and converted on two more free throws to seal the game for the
Eagles.

NBP (16-11): Harris 18, Lewis 12, Arnette 16,

Reyes 6 Rifkind 6. PC (18-9): Crawford 20, Marcinkevicius 16, Antonio
Vrankovic 9. Halftime: Pine Crest 38-29. Three pointers PC: Crawford 4 NPB:
Lewis 4, Rifkind 2

 Late Friday - District 13-4A semifinal - University School 62, Cardinal Gibbons 52: University School relied on its aggressive play attacking the basket and
its tough defense on Cardinal Gibbons (19-4) as the Suns pulled away in the
fourth quarter.

Maquedius Bain led University School (15-7) with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Jalen Battle followed with 16 points and four rebounds.

US (15-7): Bain 17, Battle 16, Bullock 14, Baton 8, Hewitt 7. CG (19-4):
Morales 22, Andino 14, Brooks 8, Goosby 8. Halftime: US 26-18. Assist:
Hewitt 6, Barton 4, Bullock 2, Allen 2, Bain 3. Rebounds: Bain 12, Hewitt
6, Battle 4, Barton 3, Morales 5, Simmons 4, Goosby 4.

Late Friday - District 15-2A final - Westwood Chrstian 93, Miami Chrsitian 70: The Warriors won their second district title in a row. WWC: Shoon 20, Joseph 21, Ramis 31, Conceicao 18, Molina 3, Jou 3. Rebounds: Conceicao 14. Blocks: Conceicao 5. Steals: Shoon 5. Assists: Ramis, Gonzalez 5.