Longtime Southridge softball coach Gloria Satterfield passes away

   Miami-Dade County lost one of its softball coaching
pioneers Sunday when former Southridge coach Gloria
Satterfield died of lung cancer at the age of 69.

   Satterfield was the Spartans' first-ever softball coach,
hired in 1976, and led them to a record of 288-97 during her
17 seasons. She led Southridge to the state's slow-pitch state
championships five times in six seasons from 1983-1988.

   After the transition to fast-pitch softball under the
Florida High School Athletic Association in 1988, Satterfield
guided the Spartans to the playoffs twice, including a berth
in the 1992 Class 4A state championship game.

   Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Satterfield graduated from Daniel
Webster High School and later from the Oklahoma College for
Women. In 1961, she moved to Miami and spent 15 years teaching
and coaching at Riviera Junior High before working at
Southridge.

   Satterfield was named The Miami News Softball Coach of the
Year in 1983 and 1987. She moved back to Oklahoma two years
ago. Last spring, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. After a
brief illness, she passed away early Sunday morning surrounded
by family members at her home in Jenks, Oklahoma.

Our sincerest condolences go out to Satterfield's family.

Several Dade and Broward athletes and coaches honored

Hey fans,

Over the past 10 days, a bunch of Dade and Broward's top performers from a memorable season were honored by the Florida Dairy Farmers Association.

Over the years, the group has not given many awards to this talent-rich area, but this season has been different.

Pat Dorsey and I compiled a list. Enjoy.

   • Palmetto's Kelly Saco, who led her team to a state
championship, collected another prestigious honor recently
when she was named the Association's Softball Player of the
Year.

   Saco is the first Dade recipient of this award since its
inception in 1993. She finished with a 16-2 record, 168
strikeouts, six shutouts and a 0.40 ERA. Saco, The Miami
Herald's Class 6A Pitcher of the Year, will play this fall at
Syracuse this fall.

   • Southridge runners Brandon O'Connor and Ebony Eutsey were
named the Track and Field Athletes of the Year.

   O'Connor was a state champion in the 200 and 400-meter
races, finishing with some of the fastest times in the country
this season. He ran a 20.82 in the 200 and a 47.12 in the 400.

   His coach, Rodney Wright, was named the Overall Boys' Coach
of the Year. Wright led the Spartans to their first state
championship and his teams have not lost a dual meet in five
seasons.

   Eutsey, who was recently named the Gatorade State Athlete
of the Year, ran a 23.79 in the 200 meters and a 53.85 in the
400 at state to win state titles in both. She recently ran the
fastest time in the nation (53.23) at an invitational meet
this summer.

   Her coach, Sam Burley, who is retiring this season and is a
member of the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of
Fame, was named Overall Girls' Coach of the Year. Burley led
the Spartans to their first state title in five seasons.

   • Thanks to Cypress Bay star Brennan Boyajian, boys' coach
Vince Grossi and St. Thomas Aquinas girls coach Carol
Deopsomer, Broward County accounted for three of the four high
school tennis award winners announced Thursday.

   Boyajian, bound for the University of North Carolina this
fall, won the Boys' Player of the Year award after going
undefeated and winning the 4A overall singles title. Grossi,
who led Boyajian and the Lightning to the 4A boys' team title,
took Boys' Coach of the Year honors.

   Deopsomer, who led the Raiders to their second consecutive
3A girls' title, won Girls' Coach of the Year. Only Girls'
Player of the Year Jacqueline Kasler of Gulf Breeze -- the 2A
state champion who edged finalists Amelia Martinez (Cypress
Bay; 4A overall singles winner) and Courtney Clayton (St.
Thomas Aquinas; 3A overall singles champion) -- kept Broward
from sweeping the awards.

   • Southwest senior outside hitter Jonathan Roldan was named
the Boys' Volleyball State Player of the Year after posting
459 kills, 107 aces, 157 digs and 63 blocks. Also The Miami
Herald's Player of the Year for Dade, guiding the Eagles to a
state championship.

   His coach Mauricio Diaz was named the Coach of the Year
after winning his second state title in six seasons after
leading Southwest to a 27-2 record. He has a career record of
230-31 and has led the Eagles to the state tournament four
times.

For a full list of winners chosen for the 2007-08 School Year, go to www.floridamilk.com/sports

American Heritage: Baseball America's Team of the Year

They went 31-2, won the 3A state championship, saw four players drafted -- including first baseman Eric Hosmer, who went third overall -- and staked a pretty solid claim to high school baseball's "mythical national title."

According to Baseball America on Wednesday, they got it. Writes Nathan Rode, quite simply:

The Patriots can add one more title to their resume: Baseball America Team of the Year.

This is their latest top ranking, adding to their No. 1 nods from USA Today and RISE Magazine.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

A national championship?

Much was made at the Herald's All-Broward breakfast last Thursday about American Heritage's possible "national championship" in baseball, after the Patriots won the 3A title last Tuesday.

So, with no official national championship in high school baseball, did American Heritage join Miami Northwestern football in winning that "mythical national title"?

Here's a rankings roundup, as of Tuesday afternoon:

• Baseball America: No. 1 in their nearly month-old rankings (April 29), although it's hard to believe the Patriots did much to unseat themselves at the top.
• USA Today: No. 1, as of Monday, the biggest rankings win for the Patriots after their title.
• RISE Magazine: No. 1, as of last week (before they won the title).
• MaxPreps.com: No. 2, curiously behind Georgetown (Texas), which has a 22-7 overall record.
• Rivals.com: No. 4, as of May 21; expect that one to go up.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Showing their medal

Sometimes sportsmanship stories can get a little overblown. Perfect example: the nation's slightly excessive fascination last month with the story of the Western Oregon University softball player who was carried around the basepaths by her opponents.

But this one -- also out of the Pacific Northwest -- will be tough to beat, mostly because it involves a different kind of personal sacrifice: a state championship medal.

According to the story, Bellarmine (Wash.) Prep senior Nicole Cochran had just won the 3,200-meter Class 4A state title, setting a personal best (10:36) in the process. Soon after, though, she was disqualified for taking three consecutive steps along the inside line of the track. Andrea Nelson of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, who finished four seconds back, was declared the champion.

Then (from ESPN.com)...

The awards ceremony took place, then Nelson got off the awards stand, walked over to Cochran, removed the first-place medal from around her neck and draped it over Cochran's.

"It's your medal," Nelson said to her, the Tri-City Herald reported. "You're the state champion."

The rest of the top eight finishers then held an impromptu ceremony of their own. Exchanging their medals -- Nelson received the second-place medal, Sarah Lord of Redmond High School took the third-place medal, and so on.

"That's not how you win state," Nelson said. "She totally deserves it. She crushed everybody."

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Umm, ouch...

While covering the 1A and 2A state track championships last month, I wondered allowed why Florida doesn't have a javelin competition (my high school's home state, Kansas, does).

Maybe this is why:

PROVO, Utah -- Ryan McGeeney served seven years in the Marines, including a six-month deployment in Afghanistan, but 10 minutes of photographing the state high school track championships proved to be more dangerous to him.

Hours after his leg was pierced by a javelin at BYU's Clarence Robison track stadium, McGeeney was fortunate to be able to appreciate the irony.

The Standard-Examiner photographer was struck below the knee by a javelin while shooting the discus event shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday, delaying the events while an ambulance pulled onto the track to take him to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

"They don't have javelins in Afghanistan," McGeeney joked after returning a few hours later to continue shooting photos of the track meet. "That's where I'm lucky."

McGeeney was watching a Top of Utah competitor in a girls discus event at the north end of the track infield when he was skewered just below the right knee by a javelin from the south side.

Of course...

Provo High javelin thrower Anthony Miles felt terrible about the accident, though McGeeney reassured him it was not his fault.

"My heart just stopped, and when I heard that he was going to be OK, it was just a nice relief that he was going to be all right," Miles said.

And the rest of the story?

The throw was measured by the event judges and sealed the state 4-A javelin title for Miles, he said.

"My very last throw I think I beat it by three inches (170-feet, 9-inches), but still with that throw, I would have taken state."

Now wouldn't that just add to the excitement?

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Baseball's new regional format

A few things of note, following up on today's story about baseball's new regional format (a best-of-3 series, as opposed to one game):

• As noted, eight of the nine South Florida baseball coaches said they liked the idea behind new format -- at least a little -- considering it a fairer way to decide who goes to the state final four. The only dissenter: Goleman coach Manny Yanez. "I kind of liked the one-game format," said Yanez, whose team swept its regional. "...Nobody's playing two out of three or three out of five in basketball or football."
• Miami Christian's Armando Rodriguez wasn't emphatically in favor of the new system -- his team lost two straight to Bruce Charlebois' squad after winning the first -- preferring a best-of-3 format in the state final (Paul McLaughlin of the FHSAA addressed this in the story, though, saying time restrictions will almost certainly prevent that from happening).
• Nova coach Pat McQuaid was concerned with the quick turnaround for 2A and 5A schools, whose semifinals in Sarasota began Wednesday -- not so much because of what happened (weather allowed all regionals to end Saturday, as scheduled), but what could have happened (what if weather pushed them back to Monday?). "Hopefully they'll come to a consensus so they rotate that around a little bit [among classes]," McQuaid said.
• Brito's Pedro Guerra, through an interpreter, was the only coach not to openly question the doubleheader (easily the most contentious issue). "As long as you train the players," he said, "there's not going to be a problem."

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Pines Charter finishes at No. 4

After an undefeated start and five weeks at the top, Pembroke Pines Charter fell to No. 4 in USA Today's softball rankings after losing the 4A title game to Naples on Saturday. The Jaguars ended the season 30-1.

Naples jumped into the top 25, grabbing the final spot. Palmetto, which won the 6A championship by beating Palm Beach Gardens on Saturday, was listed in the "also receiving consideration" category.

(These rankings aren't final, though, as most other states haven't finished their seasons.)

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

This has nothing to do with South Florida...

...but still a crazy story out of Texas: High schooler Bonnie Richardson single-handedly (and single-leggedly...or would it be double-leggedly?) won the University Interscholastic League's 1A girls' track team title this weekend, as the only qualified athlete from Rochelle High School.

Richardson's title march began with field events on Friday when she won the high jump (5 feet, 5 inches), placed second in the long jump (18-7) and was third in the discus (121-0).

On Saturday, she won the 200 meters in 25.03 seconds and nearly pulled off a huge upset in the 100 before finishing second (12.19) to defending champion Kendra Coleman of Santa Anna. Richardson, a junior, earned a total of 42 team points to edge team runner-up Chilton (36).

It was a good thing the 1A events were split over two days because Richardson said the heat — temperatures were in the high 90s both days — might have knocked her down. She laughed off a suggestion that she could have won more if UIL rules didn't limit individual participation to five events.

"I don't think I could handle any more," she said. "It was hot and I was tired."

Needless to say, it took more than one athlete for the Southridge teams, the St. Thomas Aquinas boys and Westminster Academy boys to win their 2008 team titles.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

In case you missed it...

Five Broward baseball teams had regionals Friday night. The Herald was there for American Heritage's sweep of Chaminade-Madonna and the Highlands Christian-Miami Christian split, and had a bit on Flanagan's loss to streaking Lake Worth Park Vista (the Cobras now have won 29 in a row), but wasn't in Stuart for Nova's two-game loss to South Fork.

Here's some detail, courtesy of the Stuart News:

The Bulldogs hit six home runs to beat Davie-Nova 15-7 in Game 1 of the best-of-three regional final on Friday. In Game 2, South Fork clawed, gambled and sprinted for four fortuitous sixth-inning runs to beat the Titans 7-3 and clinch state berth.

Kyle Hunter, Dan Harper and Will Claunch all homered for South Fork as part of a seven-run fifth-inning of Game 1.

Nick Zaharion (2) and Blake Cilwick also homered for the Bulldogs. South Fork starting pitcher Tyson Young (5-3) didn't have his best outing, but he grueled through five innings and came away with the victory.

Nova's Game 2 starter Patrick Morris was handed a 3-0 first-inning lead and coasted through the front half of the game. Leading 3-1 in the sixth, South Fork's Robert Bednar reached on an error, the next two batter's singled and Kyle Hunter reached on a second error.

Tyson Young hit a pop up to short right field, but coach Mike Harper still sent Mike Beck from third. Beck scored easily after an errant throw. Spencer Dickinson followed with an infield single, and Harper gambled again, sending Kyle Hunter from second to increase the lead to 5-3.

That means, depending on the Highlands Christian-Miami Christian result (1 p.m. today), Broward could be down to one team in the 2008 spring high school season.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Win at all costs?

Two interesting conversations came about while writing stories about Nova baseball and Cooper City boys' volleyball -- both playing today with their seasons (possibly) on the line.

Sure, the teams led by Nova coach Pat McQuaid and Cooper City coach Warren Denise have plenty at stake (with both McQuaid's Titans and Denise's Cowboys fighting for a spot in their respective final fours) but during phone interviews this week, both coaches offered plenty of refreshing -- and pretty much unsolicited -- perspective on the importance of this weekend.

McQuaid (whose Titans won back-to-back state titles in 2004 and 2005):

"People don't realize how hard it is to get to this level, even the regional final game, because there's good baseball teams in South Florida ... and to get to the final four, that's phenomenal.

"You've got to be a little bit lucky, a little bit good, and things have to fall your way."

And Denise, whose team is at state for the first time in the sport's six-year FHSAA history:

"Only one of the eight teams is going to be the state champion. ... I think, in our culture today, that if, 'You didn't win it all, then you didn't do anything,' and, 'Second place is first loser' and all that stuff, I don't think that stuff is all positive.

"If it was only about winning a trophy or something, then none of it would be worth it. ... It's about teamwork and friendships and how you play the game. I know all that is cliche and sounds old, but there's a reason why it's a cliche: Because it's true."

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Broward's next state-championship team

As in, who's it gonna be? American Heritage won the 3A softball title Tuesday. St. Thomas Aquinas (3A boys) and Westminster Academy (2A boys) claimed track titles. And in tennis, Cypress Bay (4A boys), St. Thomas Aquinas (3A girls) and American Heritage (2A girls) each won.

Now, here are the remaining team-title contenders:

• In softball, one team's still out there: Undefeated Pembroke Pines Charter, which plays Glen St. Mary Baker County in Friday's 4A semifinal.
• Boys' volleyball, whose state tournament also kicks off Friday, features two Broward teams: Cooper City (which plays Lake Mary in the quarterfinals) and Cardinal Gibbons (Boca Raton Spanish River).
• Baseball -- still waiting on its best-of-three regionals (they start Friday) -- has several teams still around: Flanagan (6A; it plays at Lake Worth Park Vista), Nova (5A; at Stuart South Fork), Highlands Christian (2A; at Miami Christian), and American Heritage and Chaminade-Madonna, set for a head-to-head matchup in 3A.

So who's next? You decide.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

In flag football, it's down to this...

Before this year, one team hadn't made it past the first round.

The other one? Well, it hadn't even made it that far.

Tonight, the flag football teams at Douglas (a first-round victim in 2005 and 2006) and Everglades (a state-tournament newcomer), will fight to see whose program-best season gets even better (also profiled here).

The game (5:30 p.m. at West Boca Raton High School, just across the county line and off the Turnpike, for those interested) serves as the de-facto Broward County flag football championship, but also a little bit more -- the winner goes to the semifinals, looking to become the fifth Broward school to play for a state title in the sport's six years of existence.

Here's a look at the two squads:

• Everglades (10-3, District 24 Champions) -- The Gators beat Miramar 18-0 for the district title, then knocked off Hollywood Hills -- again by a score of 18-0 -- to reach the state quarterfinals. "We really pride ourselves on defense," coach Steve Bounoutas said. Guess so.
• Douglas (15-1, District 20 Champions) -- The Eagles emerged from a tough district (they handed runner-up Monarch its only two losses of the season), then handled upset-minded Plantation in the second round to move on. Quarterback Taylor Thomas has been tossing touchdowns all year.

The victor faces the Tallahassee Leon/Apopka winner Saturday.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Volleyball follow

As pointed out by commenter SunsetVB22, I left out Dade when talking about the volleyball district matchups that force some top teams out early:

"It not only happens in Broward, it happens in Dade too, Perfect example Sunset and Southwest (*Writer's note: Both won Wednesday and play tonight at Ransom*). Both of them are a powerhouse. Its just a deciding factor in which whoever has the better day at district finals."

Guess it's just a symptom of the system. One thing's for sure: Some great teams will travel to Douglas High School next weekend for the state finals.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Fair or unfair?

Cardinal Gibbons faces St. Thomas Aquinas for the District 9 title tonight. That means it'll be an intense game between two rivals, but it also means one of the top teams in Florida (Gibbons the best, St. Thomas somewhere in the top five) won't go to state -- just like last year, and the year before that.

Which begs the question: Is that OK?

St. Thomas coach Mike DiPierro doesn't think so.

"It's really frustrating," DiPierro said. "I don't know how we got put in the same districts. ... We've been both pretty much like a powerhouse in Broward County [for a while], and I don't know why they would put us all in the same district."

Cardinal Gibbons coach Marcy Meyer -- whose team has won the last three win-or-be-done matchups -- said she doesn't think about it much; she's still just happy to see her sport recognized (which first happened in 2003).

Still, when asked if it's frustrating....

"Yeah, it is," she said, "but we discuss it every year [at the FHSAA]."

To Meyer, that's just the way it is when there isn't much parity across the state. The Orlando area has strong teams, just like Broward. Other regions can't compete, though, but still must be represented at the state tournament.

Meyer thinks creating a 1A and 2A system -- boys' volleyball currently has just one class, like many other newer sports -- might fix the problem. Another solution might be letting the top two in each district advance, like baseball, softball and others (although, Meyer said, that could create a timing issue, since currently only two weeks elapse between the start of districts and the state final).

Still, a shot of perspective came from St. Thomas senior Kevin Garbizo, on the wrong end of the last three elimination games involving Gibbons.

"You should only have one shot to beat them," Garbizo said Wednesday. "No second chances or anything like that. It's fine how it is with the districts, with both of us. Because it brings it more competition. It makes us have to play better to beat them."

In short, no matter which side of the debate you pick, "It's going to be a lot of fun [Thursday]."

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

A matter of manners

Standing watch as the Class 2A boys' discus finalists warmed up, I sneezed.

"Bless you," someone replied.

That someone: American Heritage senior Cornell Sneed, who was minutes away from trying to justify his No. 1 seed -- against friendly Broward rival Jeff Pelage -- and who, at that point, had no idea who I was.

Later, speaking to reporters after being honored at the podium for his second-place finish (Pelage edged him by two feet), Sneed was happy, congratulatory toward his opponent, and surprised at his success.

He even called us "sir" and "ma'am."

Bless you? Sir and ma'am? Was this really a high-level athlete?

Of course, one might just chalk it up to Sneed being Sneed. One of his potential college choices is West Point, after all (the other is East Tennessee State, home to throwing guru Meg Stone). Also Sneed -- not a qualifier in shot put -- spent some time coaching up Pace's DeAndre Johnson between Johnson's shot put throws.

But in watching (and talking to) Pelage, Sneed clearly wasn't the lone Saturday thrower who brought the term "good kid" to mind.

Try this: When Pelage obliterated the field with his first shot put toss (56 feet, 3 1/4 inches), he immediately told the other seven finalists to keep their heads up -- in no way meaning it as a taunt.

Oh, and Pelage is headed to Boston University on a scholarship in trash-talking's favorite sport, basketball.

Apparently, throwing is a little bit different.

"We support each other," Pelage said. "Somebody gets a good throw, you say, 'Good throw.' You respect their throw. You don't want to disrespect them and say, 'Oh, lucky.' You don't say stuff like that. ... It's about improvement. Everyone's working. Everyone made it here for some reason. Nothing's just lucky. They got out here for some reason."

Pelage and Sneed included. Guess nice guys can finish first (and second, if they're going head-to-head).

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Deep breath...

...and exhale. It's about to get crazy. Starting Monday, district tournaments in baseball and flag football kick off. But that's just the beginning.

By week's end, we'll know this year's:

• Boys' and girls' tennis state champions (decided Monday through Friday; navigate this page for schedules, 4A through 1A)
• Track results for Divisions 1A and 2A (1A on Friday, 2A on Saturday)
• Water polo state champs, both boys' and girls'
• Softball regional finalists (Brackets: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A)

Plenty of teams/individuals from Broward and Dade in all sports, and plenty of contenders. Keep checking the Blog and The Herald for coverage.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Beaten by the best

They always say there's no shame in being beaten by the best. Actually, St. Thomas Aquinas lacrosse player Chase Juelich said it himself a couple weeks ago.

"I'd rather be beaten by the best team in Florida," Juelich said, "than [get] beaten by anybody else."

Well, he and his fellow Raiders apparently did just that, by losing to Boca Raton St. Andrew's in the first-ever FHSAA regional finals last Friday. Because, on Saturday, the Scots did what the Raiders expected: They won the state title, 16-8 over Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley.

Pine Crest, Broward County's girls' district champ, almost had the same claim. The Panthers were downed by a rally from Lake Worth Park Vista, which made it all the way to the final before being upended by powerhouse Vero Beach on Saturday.

(...thus concludes Florida's first team-sport championship of the spring season.)

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

And your Broward state tennis qualifiers are:

Five of them, actually, after St. Thomas Aquinas' boys knocked off West Boca Raton 6-1 on Friday to earn a trip to the Orlando area, after they missed last year. Here's the list:

• 4A Boys: Cypress Bay
• 4A Girls: Cypress Bay
• 3A Boys: St. Thomas Aquinas
• 3A Girls: St. Thomas Aquinas (defending champion)
• 2A Girls: American Heritage

Action in 4A (in Altamonte Springs) and 2A (in Sanford) begins Monday and runs through Wednesday. The 3A rounds go Wednesday through Friday, also in Altamonte Springs (with 1A in Sanford those same days).

Full details on the FHSAA tennis website.

--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)

Bring on the state finals

They struggled last year, and on Thursday they were staring at a matchup with reigning 2A state tennis co-champion Gulliver Prep. So, naturally, the American Heritage girls won, earning a trip to next week's state finals.

No. 1 Julie Sabacinski dropped Gulliver's Ashley Moore 6-1, 6-1, then teamed with No. 2 Ekatarina Kiseleva to beat Moore and Jessica Linero 6-1, 6-4 in doubles. Also winners in the Patriots' 4-2 decision were Kiseleva (7-5, 3-6, 6-2 over Linero) and No. 5 Danna Gandelman (6-1, 6-1 over Amanda Davis).

On the boys' side, Cypress Bay swept through Cooper City 7-0 on Thursday to earn its own state trip.

*Update* ... Another couple of state qualifiers, from Thursday: defending 3A girls' champ St. Thomas Aquinas, and Cypress Bay's girls.

More to be determined Friday.

--Patrick Dorsey

St. Thomas lacrosse falls short

He knew it going in, and he really knows it now:

"There's St. Andrew's," St. Thomas Aquinas boys' lacrosse coach Lenny Coy said Saturday, "and then there's the rest."

Coy's team, although undefeated (16-0) at the time, was the clear underdog in Friday's regional final matchup with the Scots -- and a 20-4 loss to the 19-1 team from Boca Raton verified it.

Disappointing, right? Not too much, Coy said.

On this season: "We were really pleased [with] our young program (note: this year was St. Thomas' second). ... This is the game they always wanted, and they got it. Unfortunately, right now, we were just too young a program to play a team that had kids developing since middle school together."

On the future of his team, which is graduating only three players: "That was probably the highlight of the game. ... We're planning right now to be back in that game next year. And every year, we're going to try to be a little bit more competitive."

On the future of Florida lacrosse, in relation to the dominant Scots: "That gap will be closing. I think, with the expansion of the sport, some of the teams in Central Florida -- along with the growth here in South Florida -- I think, year after year, it's not going to be the same. You'll see a little bit of a swing."

It'll be something to watch, as the Raiders enter Year 3 as a program, and as lacrosse enters Year 3 as an official sport.

--Patrick Dorsey

Thursday news & notes

Here are some Broward-related tidbits on this Thursday:

• In case you missed it, Pine Crest girls' lacrosse dropped a heartbreaker at Park Vista on Tuesday to fall in the first round of the first-ever FHSAA state championship bracket. The Panthers jumped ahead 11-8, but the Cobras stayed undefeated with a second-half charge.
• In the boys' bracket, a tough matchup with St. Andrew's is looming for Broward champ St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, after the 19-1 power rolled past Miami's Gulliver Prep on Tuesday. Check out Friday's Herald for more on St. Thomas' squad.
• More love for American Heritage's Eric Hosmer: USA Today on Thursday profiled the first baseman, who signed with Arizona State but is a certain Major League draft pick.
• According to USA Today's boys' Super 25, Hosmer's Patriots are No. 8 in the nation. The girls' Super 25 came out a week ago, with Pembroke Pines Charter (now 23-0) ranked No. 12 -- but they should climb in the next edition.

--Patrick Dorsey

Attention volleyball junkies:

...At least those located in South Florida. According to the FHSAA's website, the 2008 state volleyball finals (check the to-be-filled-out bracket here) are coming to Broward.

Douglas High School of Parkland in northern Broward County will be the site of the 2008 FHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals state championship tournament, the FHSAA office announced today. The tournament is scheduled to be held May 9-10. "The FHSAA thanks Douglas High School Principal Ann Kowalski and Athletic Director Dave Grad for offering their school facilities and services to serve as host for this event," said FHSAA Executive Director John A. Stewart. "We know that they will work hard to make this a first-class event for the participating student-athletes, coaches and spectators alike." For more information on the 2008 FHSAA Boys Volleyball Finals visit the boys volleyball page.

Fans might get to see some local teams there, too. Cardinal Gibbons moved to 14-1 Tuesday night with a win over Plantation, and the Chiefs' district also includes the tough St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. Also on Tuesday, Cooper City and South Broward each moved to 9-1 with wins.

--Patrick Dorsey

State cheerleading wrap: Big weekend for BCAA

BOCA RATON -- The first FHSAA State Cheerleading Championships are done, and to use the cliche that they "went off without a hitch," would be, well, a bit inaccurate.

Douglas coach Jessie Metzger and athletic director Dave Grad claimed a timing error -- one that they say wasn't their fault -- knocked them out of the finals, and Michael Blosser of the Universal Cheerleaders Association wouldn't listen to their calls to appeal the penalty, which cost the Eagles 25 crucial points in the final judges' tally.

More on the controversy in Sunday's Herald, but it was -- cliche alert No. 2 -- a small dark cloud over an otherwise sunny weekend at FAU Arena.

Though only one South Florida team, Miami's Dade Christian School, earned a trip to the finals Saturday (more on the Crusaders' ninth-place finish in Sunday's Dade-edition Herald, too), several Broward squads did well Friday.

Stranahan took second -- South Florida's highest finish -- in the non-tumbling division. Dillard took fifth in that category, while Deerfield Beach and Everglades tied for sixth and McArthur finished 10th. Flanagan took sixth in co-ed small, Coral Springs Christian sixth in all-girls small and Coral Glades ninth in all-girls extra-large.

And beyond the teams, it was a solid weekend overall for the Broward County Athletic Association.

No stranger to putting on cheerleading competitions -- its annual county-wide competition started back up in January at Dillard -- the BCAA worked closely with the FHSAA over the weekend in staging the state championship. While Blosser and the UCA worked with the FHSAA on the judging-and-scoring part of the event, the BCAA -- helped largely by Coral Springs athletic director Dianne Sanzari and Coral Springs cheer coach Denise Reed, both members of the BCAA cheer advisory committee -- worked the "behind-the-scenes" portion.

Despite hailing from one county south of FAU, Sanzari, Reed and other BCAA leaders gathered volunteers from throughout Broward -- everyone from principals to athletic directors to random students -- to take tickets, work the parking lots and perform various other tasks.

They also got an up-close look at another major cheerleading competition, which could go a long way toward helping Sanzari fulfill her vision of multiple regional competitions throughout Broward, each leading up to the yearly BCAA Championship and then, ultimately, state.

And it was, Reed said, "all about the kids" -- giving cheerleaders county- and state-wide an inexpensive and previously unavailable chance to get together, network with other cheerleaders and coaches, and, most of all, compete.

"If you weren't here," a glowing Reed said of all the Broward schools not represented, "you missed out on something really great."

Said an enthusiastic Sanzari: "It was a learning experience for all of us."

And that includes coaches.

"I took notes all day," Reed said.

--Patrick Dorsey

Something to cheer about

It sometimes gets play on ESPN, FoxSportsNet, etc., and now it's in Florida -- competitive cheer.

For the first time ever, this sport will be recognized as, well, a sport, with seven state champions crowned (one per division, according to the schedule -- non-tumbling, all-girls small, all-girls medium, all-girls large, all-girls extra large, co-ed small and co-ed large) between Friday and Saturday at FAU Arena in Boca Raton.

And South Florida is no competitive cheer wasteland, either -- in late January, Dillard High played host to the Broward County Athletic Association's own competition, and a number of teams from the area will hope to get that title of "first state champion ever."

Here are the local teams competing this weekend, along with times and divisions:

Friday morning:

• Miramar, 8:16 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Deerfield Beach, 8:24 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Coral Glades, 8:52 a.m. (extra-large)
• Stranahan, 9:12 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Everglades, 9:28 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Lourdes, 9:56 a.m. (extra-large)
• Dillard, 10 a.m. (non-tumbing)
• Coconut Creek, 10:08 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• University, 10:20 a.m. (extra-large)
• Gulliver Prep, 10:24 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Mater Academy, 10:48 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Calvary Christian, 10:52 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Cardinal Gibbons, 10:56 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Coral Springs, 11:04 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• South Broward, 11:12 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Boyd Anderson, 11:24 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Pompano Beach, 11:28 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• Key West, 11:36 a.m. (non-tumbling)
• McArthur, 11:52 a.m. (non-tumbling)

**Non-tumbling and extra-large finals are set to start about 1:15, with the champions crowned at around 3:15 p.m.

Friday afternoon/evening:

• Archbishop Carroll, 4:04 p.m. (co-ed small)
• Sagemont, 4:28 p.m. (co-ed small)
• Calvary Christian, 4:40 p.m. (all-girls small)
• South Plantation, 4:44 p.m. (co-ed small)
• Coral Springs Christian, 5:20 p.m. (all-girls small)
• Central, 5:52 p.m. (all-girls small)
• Ransom Everglades, 6:08 p.m. (all-girls small)
• Flanagan, 6:52 p.m. (co-ed small)

**The co-ed small and all-girls small finals are set to start around 8:30 p.m., with the champions crowed at about 10.

Saturday:

• Dade Christian, 8:04 a.m. (medium)
• Taravella, 8:48 a.m. (medium)
• Pine Crest, 9:48 a.m. (medium)
• Northeast, 9:52 a.m. (medium)
• Cypress Bay, 9:56 a.m. (medium)
• Nova, 10:08 a.m. (medium)
• Coral Springs Charter, 2:28 p.m. (all-girls large)
• Doral Academy, 3:08 p.m. (all-girls large)
• Douglas, 4:24 p.m. (all-girls large)
• Fort Lauderdale, 4:56 p.m. (all-girls large)

**The finals for the all-girls medium and co-ed large divisions are set to begin around 11:20, with awards coming at 1 p.m. For the large all-girls division, finals begin at 6:30 p.m. and champions are crowned at 8.

--Patrick Dorsey