HS roundup: Braden River's Mangay-Ayam takes 2 seconds at Class 2A State Weightlifting

SATURDAY

GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING

Braden River's Mangay-Ayam takes 2 seconds

LAKELAND − Payton Mangay-Ayam took a pair of seconds at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A Girls Weightlifting State Championships.

In the 154-pound weight class, Mangay-Ayam was state runner-up in Traditional with a 360 total and Olympic with a 340 total.

Pirates teammate Jada Phillips finished second in the Olympic 139-pound weight class with a 330 total.

In Class 1A, Allana Janeiro of Imagine School at North Port placed second in the 101-pound Olympic with a 200 total and third in Traditional with a 215 total.

WRESTLING

Bayshore third in 1A-District 11

BRADENTON − The Bayshore High wrestling team finished third in the Class 1A-District 11 Tournament.

The Bruins finished with 159 points behind winner Lemon Bay High's 241 and runner-up Boca Ciega High's 174.5. Bradenton Christian was fifth with 108 points, Sarasota Military Academy seventh with 101.5 and Booker High eighth with 70.

Capturing district championships for Bayshore were Broc Dahlin (106-pound weight class), Tyron Huffman-Bay (190) and Marcis Silos-Sanchez (215). Bradenton Christian had a pair of district champions: Micky Bonnyasiriwat (132) and Jace Craft (165). Samir Redden took the 120-pound title for Booker.

The 1A-Region 3 tournament is Feb. 23 and 24 at Lemon Bay High.

Class 1A-Region 3 Girls

NORTH FORT MYERS − Milana Borrelli of Venice High won the 120-pound weight class at the Class 1A-Region 3 Tournament at North Fort Myers High.

Solana McCaughen of North Port finished third in the 130-pound weight class. Natalye Avila of Bayshore was fourth in 155.

All three advance to the FHSAA State Championships Feb. 29 to March 2 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

FRIDAY

GIRLS SOCCER

Palm Harbor University 1, North Port 0, PK

NORTH PORT − The North Port High girls soccer team went toe-to-toe and forehead-to-chin with taller Palm Harbor University for 100 minutes.

It was when the clock was turned off the Bobcats came up a little short.

The experienced Hurricanes came out on top 4-3 in penalty kicks after playing to a scoreless deadlock with North Port in the Class 7A-Region 2 semifinals Friday evening before a nice crowd at The Preserve.

A two-time state Final 4 participant, Palm Harbor University goes on to the regional final in Lithia against Newsome High, a 2-1 winner over Steinbrenner High.

The Bobcats ended their season at 13-4 after the bitterest of losses.

“I’ve got to say I’m proud of them. They’re the regional champions from last year,” North Port coach Hans Duque said of his team. “We held them all the way to PKs. Unfortunately, we were unlucky there. We were prepared, but sometimes you’ve got to get lucky too.”

Both sides had scoring opportunities during the 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime sessions with Palm Harbor University having more.

It was the active and aggressive play of senior goalie Autumn Matthews who came up big in numerous circumstances.

“She was part of the reason we were alive,” Duque said of Matthews. “The keeper was on point today. A couple of mistakes that fortunately didn’t go in, but she was on task.”

Matthews also came up big in penalty kicks.

North Port won the coin toss and elected to shoot first.

“We prefer to have the information first, to see where we stand,” Duque said. “And then from there we take off. We know where we stand on the score. Now they have to come around and they need to score.”

Isabella Deronsle gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead on the first attempt. Then, Matthews made a save on Palm Harbor University’s first try.

Gianna Gregoire also scored for North Port in the first round (5) of penalty kicks.

After the first round was deadlocked at 2-all, Danielle Van Deusen made it 3-2 for the Bobcats to open the second round of sudden death PKs.

The Hurricanes converted their first two shots in the second round to claim victory.

“It stinks it didn’t go our way,” Coach Duque said.

To combat the Hurricanes’ skill up front, North Port played a trapping defense that worked the majority of the time catching Palm Harbor University forwards offsides.

“That trap worked a lot,” Duque said. “That was part of the success it was zero-zero. Offensively, we were not 100 percent.”

Not only were the Bobcats handicapped with a short bench, starter Alanna Duque played sparingly.

“We were definitely missing a key player there,” Coach Duque said of his daughter. “It makes a difference.”

The Bobcats lose five seniors: Matthews, Dan Deusen, Isabella Deronsle, Lily Musick and Kiana Hendrix.

“We’re definitely going to miss Van Deusen, Bella, Kiana, who was a key component at the end of the season, Lily, who always stepped in as needed, and of course Autumn,” Coach Duque said.

− Dennis Maffezzoli

North Fort Myers 3, Parrish Community 1

NORTH FORT MYERS - Eighty minutes. That's what Nick Erickson has been asking of his North Fort Myers girls soccer team. He got it Friday night.

The Red Knights controlled the pace all night against Parrish Community High School on their way to a 3-1 victory in a Class 5A-Region 3 semifinal at Moody Field.

"They ran their butts off for eighty minutes," Erickson said. "That's the first time in a while that this group has put in a full, collective eighty minutes at that pace, at that effort when you're on top of a good team the entire time.

"(Parrish) is a good team with good players, high-level players all over that field, and we played really well."

North Fort senior Sophia Kerms had the first shot on goal in the second minute, but it went right into the waiting hands of Parrish keeper Alize Karst. Knights freshman Kenlee Dominguez booted a hard strike in the 24th minute, but Karst made a diving save to keep the game scoreless. Parrish finally got its first shot on goal seconds later, but North Fort's Brooke Hankinson was up to the task.

The Knights (16-3) held a 6-1 first-half advantage on shots on goal, but double zeroes remained on the scoreboard until the 55th minute when Gigi Gerk sent a free kick from 30 yards out over Karst's head and into the top left corner of the net.

"I knew we were going to score goals," Erickson said. "We played really well in that first half and had them on the run. You could tell we were wearing them down and we were going to get a goal or two. It was just a matter of time."

Dominguez provided a two-goal cushion in the 69th minute with a deflection off the feet of Evie McCarthy and Hannah Busenbark. A frustrated Karst picked up a red card after the goal and was replaced by sophomore Ellaina Segneri. Kerns provided the dagger in the 75th minute with a point-blank goal.

It wouldn't be a shutout, however. Parrish senior Kendall Hecht got the Bulls (10-8-1) on the board in the 77th minute.

"I'm so proud of this team," Parrish coach John Mentzer said. "We were down five starters due to injury and they battled. They have a lot of heart.

"They didn't quit. They still thought they had a chance to win down 3-0. They never quit and they haven't all season. When our players were going down, they stepped up and kept playing. I'm very proud of these girls."

North Fort Myers plays top-seeded Mariner, a 7-1 winner over Naples, on Wednesday. The Tritons (20-3) won both matchups against the Knights this season.

"They got the better of us both times and, second game, they flat-out had more effort than we did," Erickson said. "I don't think that'll happen again. I think these girls understand now what it takes to beat an excellent team and Mariner is an excellent team. You cannot beat an excellent team without giving eighty minutes of maximum effort and I'm confident that we'll bring it.

"We'll see what happens. Round three. Third time's the charm. I hope so."

- Ron Clements

GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING

Kohlenberg, King second in the state in Class 3A

LAKELAND − Two area lifters finished second and one took third at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A State Championships at the RP Funding Center.

North Port High's Kaitlin Kohlenberg was runner-up in the Traditional 129-pound weight class with a 325 total.

In the Olympic Unlimited Class, Palmetto High's Sherrickia King was second with a 345 total. Riverview's Allysen Byerley finished third in the 183-pound weight class with a 355 total.

WRESTLING

North Port second at Class 3A-District 8 tournament

NORTH PORT - Palmetto Ridge posted a team score of 288 on their way to a first-place finish in the Class 3A-District 8 Boys Wrestling Tournament. Riverdale finished fourth and Lehigh rounded out the seven teams competing with a team score of 51.

Team Scores: 1. Palmetto Ridge (288); 2. North Port (177.5); 3. Venice (151.5); 4. Riverdale (130); 5. Sarasota (114); 6. Riverview (109); 7 Lehigh (51)

106 pounds: 1st Place: Erik Perez (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 48-7, So. over Dylan Vu (Venice) 26-14, Jr. (Fall 2:40); 3rd Place: Michael Maher (Riverdale) 20-8, So. over Kai Bartholomew (Sarasota) 22-13, So. (Dec 8-2)

113 pounds: 1st Place: William McGowan (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 33-19, So. over Lochlyn Harris (North Port H.S.) 31-16, So. (Fall 4:38); 5th Place: Aiden Correia (Riverdale) 7-16, Fr. over (Bye)

120 pounds: 1st Place: Kase Hopper (Venice) 35-8, So. over Nash Holdridge (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 24-20, Fr. (Dec 6-4)

126 pounds: 1st Place: Jordan Blomberg (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 2-0, Fr. over Brian Lara (Riverview (Sarasota)) 22-17, So. (Fall 2:40); 5th Place: Ayden Balma (Riverdale) 38-3, Jr., (Bye)

132 pounds: 1st Place: Massimiliano Pellicano (Venice) 39-9, So. over Preston Thompkins (Riverdale) 42-11, Jr. (Dec 6-2); 3rd Place: Froilan Olano (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 2-1, Fr. over Denilzon Vegara (Lehigh Senior) 7-15, Jr. (Fall 2:12)

138 pounds: 1st Place: Austin Nappi (North Port H.S.) 33-8, Jr. over Damion Carter (Lehigh Senior) 31-7, Sr. (Dec 10-4); 3rd Place: Wyatt Loynd (Sarasota) 33-10, Sr. over Landon Murphy (Riverdale) 32-26, So. (Dec 8-5); 5th Place: Javier Puchi (Riverview (Sarasota)) 18-22, So. over Javier Barrios (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 0-3, Jr. (Fall 0:55)

144 pounds: 1st Place: Mark Whalen (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 30-10, Sr. over Colton Lehmann (Venice) 27-14, Sr. (Fall 2:38); 5th Place: Arthur Castillo (Riverdale) 15-7, Jr. over Israel Garcia (Sarasota) 26-18, Jr. (MD 10-0)

150 pounds: 1st Place: Xavier Barnhart (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 33-7, Jr. over Owen Nappi (North Port H.S.) 29-14, Fr. (Dec 5-4); 3rd Place: Samuel Hall (Riverdale) 38-20, Jr. over Christian Medina (Venice) 23-19, So. (MD 14-5); 5th Place: Parker Wilding (Sarasota) 12-19, Jr. over lamarion Walker (Lehigh Senior) 5-8, Sr. (Inj. 3:32)

157 pounds: 1st Place: Demetri Zertopoulis (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 48-6, Sr. over Brandon King (Riverview (Sarasota)) 32-12, Sr. (Fall 2:51); 5th Place: Zachery Wells (Riverdale) 15-6, Fr. (Bye)

165 pounds: 1st Place: Vincent Donatelle (North Port H.S.) 34-5, Sr. over Owen Pratt (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 33-19, Sr. (TF-1.5 5:24 (16-1); 5th Place: Angel Arauz (Riverdale) 12-19, So. over Joel Betts (Riverview (Sarasota)) 1-11, So. (Dec 10-4)

175 pounds: 1st Place: Nicky Bernard (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 3-0, Jr. over Markell Porter (North Port H.S.) 26-16, Jr. (Dec 3-3); 5th Place: John Duff (Riverdale) 6-17, Jr. over Broayan Zarate Gonzalez (Riverview (Sarasota)) 2-13, So. (MD 16-5)

190 pounds: 1st Place: Matthew Kniola (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 20-13, Sr. over Michael Jakub (Sarasota) 23-18, Jr. (Fall 2:19); 3rd Place: Lucas Roberts (North Port H.S.) 22-13, So. over Patrick Navarro (Lehigh Senior) 13-20, Jr. (Fall 0:14); 5th Place: Joseph Swiacki (Venice) 15-22, Sr. over Octavio Sandoval (Riverdale) 7-11, So. (SV-1 9-7)

215 pounds: 1st Place: Jordan Peralez (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 36-17, Jr. over Houston Brand (Riverdale) 29-7, Jr. (Dec 5-2); 3rd Place: Devon Young (North Port H.S.) 17-12, So. over Juan Navarro (Lehigh Senior) 13-13, Sr. (Fall 3:16)

285 pounds: 1st Place: Kaden Darwin (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) 47-1, Sr. over CJ McCutcheon (Riverview (Sarasota)) 28-6, Jr. (MD 14-2); 3rd Place: Nash Hudgens (North Port H.S.) 10-6, So. over Kristopher Ralston (Riverdale) 29-15, Jr. (Fall 0:13)

THURSDAY

BOYS BASKETBALL

Riverview 58, Sarasota 54, OT

SARASOTA − Having played − and lost twice this season to Sarasota High − the Riverview High boys basketball team knew what it had to do to defeat the Sailors in the game that counted.

“Block out the noise,” Rams first-year coach Brandon Knecht said. “We said it was about us. We can’t let the moment be bigger than us. We knew it was going to be a hostile environment. Stay locked in. Play hard. We’re going to be there at the end.”

Riverview not only was there at the end, it came out on top.

Getting clutch shooting from sophomore Josh Harris, the Rams posted a 58-54 victory in overtime over Sarasota in the Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinals Thursday evening at Eddie Howell Gymnasium.

Seventh-seeded Riverview (17-9) heads to sixth-seeded Plant City, a 48-45 winner over third-seeded Plant High, 7 p.m. Tuesday in the regional semifinal.

The second-seeded Sailors had their 15-game winning streak and 10-game home winning streak snapped in a game reminiscent of last year’s district final.

A year ago, the sixth-seeded Rams went into Sarasota’s gym and defeated the top-seeded Sailors, 52-49, also in overtime to win the district title and end Sarasota’s season.

Trailing 48-44 with 1 minute, 29 seconds left in regulation, the Sailors (24-3) tied the game on a putback by Michael Drayton III, who had an opportunity to complete a three-point play, and a steal and layup by Franklin Liriano with 43 seconds left.

Sarasota had the ball for the final shot but could not convert.

“We felt good about going into overtime,” Sailors coach BJ Ivey said. “Little things we let get away, unfortunate things.”

The overtime was tied twice, the second after the Sailors’ Johnny Lackaff canned a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left in the 4-minute session.

Harris, a 6-foot-2, sophomore guard, buried a 3-pointer from the right corner to give Riverview a 57-54 advantage. Harris then rebounded a Sarasota miss before Rhys Gamble made a free throw for the final point.

“It was just sticking together, playing as a team,” Harris said.

Harris turned a 44-43 deficit into a 48-44 lead late in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from the left corner and two free throws with 1:29 remaining.

“Yeah, of course,” Harris said on his confidence from shooting threes from the corners. “Yeah, I have a lot of confidence in my shot.”

“I can’t say enough about Josh Harris,” Knecht said. “He hit big shots, hit big free throws.”

In a game where neither team had more than a five-point lead at any point, Sarasota made its big push midway through the third quarter. Down 33-28 the Sailors reeled off eight straight on a jumper by Oliver Boyle, a free throw by Nate Gruhl, a 3-pointer by Lackaff and a steal and layup by Drayton.

“We knew we could do it,” Harris said. “No one believed in us. We just had to stick together.”

After a timeout, layups by Gamble and Cole Coggin put the Rams back in the lead.

There were six lead changes in the fourth quarter when both teams had opportunities to put the game away in regulation time.

“We had a rough turnover. We could have won it in regulation,” Knecht said. “It could have been easy to let it get away from us. But we kept working and took care of the ball in overtime.”

For the Sailors, they picked a bad time to have one of their worst shooting nights − 36 percent − of the season.

“It’s hard to win a playoff game when you shoot like that,” Ivey said.

It was not just the shooting that failed the Sailors.

“We did not rebound the basketball on the defensive end,” Ivey said. “We did not do a good job of finishing around the basket. Put that together and it’s a recipe for an upset.”

Sarasota received 15 points from Lackaff,  13 from Drayton and 9 from Liriano.

Harris matched Lackaff for game-high scoring honors with 15. Gamble added 14 points. Coggin and Jeremiah Dawson chipped in with eight points each.

“It wasn’t perfect, and we didn’t have to be perfect,” said Knecht, whose Rams lost 70-58 at Sarasota and 57-43 at Riverview earlier this season. “We’ve seen them twice. We know what they want to do. If we could box out and limit them to tough shots for the most part, we knew we’d be OK.

“Survive and move on. That’s the name of the game, right?”

- Dennis Maffezzoli

Booker 63, Robinson 47

SARASOTA - Booker head basketball coach Carl Williams said he is always honest with his players. He was honest with star Jovan Palavra about the voting at this week’s Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) meeting for the best player in the area.

“I told him a majority of the coaches in this area didn’t think he was the best player in the area,” Williams said. “Jovan took it personally.”

And Thursday night, Palavra took it out on the visiting Knights in a Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinal at the Booker gym. Held to seven points in the first half, the Tornadoes’ leading scorer at 16.9 ppg, tallied 15 in the second half, lifting Booker into the regional semifinals following a 63-47 victory over Robinson.

The fourth-seed Tornadoes (19-9), winners of 13 straight, now will hit the road for their regional semifinal on Tuesday night against Gibbs, the top seed, which defeated eighth-seed Bayshore 75-48 in another quarterfinal on Thursday night.

“It was something that was in the back of my head,” Palavra said after the game, “and I came out with a different fire.”

Williams said he could understand why the 6-foot-5 senior might have felt slighted. “Only two coaches voted for him and he took it personally,” he said, “because all he’s done is lead our team in scoring, lead the team in rebounding, and lead the team in assists, and guard everybody else’s best player. I want to know whose best player does all that.”

Booker led 11-10 after the first quarter, and after the Knights (16-13) tallied just nine points in the second, the Tornadoes took a 30-19 lead into halftime. Robinson’s tallest player was 6-foot-5 LaJesse Harrold, so Booker’s strategy from the opening tip was to drive the ball into the paint.

“Try and attack the middle,” Williams said. “Motion offense, but this time we tailored it so that we were curl cutting toward the middle of the paint.” Down by 11 starting the third period, the Knights never were able to put stops together to get any closer than that. Booker closed the period with a lay-up by Jamareon Ruff, a bucket in the paint from Palavra, a Palavra drive for 2, and a put-back by freshman Kaiden Wright.

After three, Booker led comfortably 44-30. And in the final frame, the Tornadoes scored 19 points, with six different players getting on the stat sheet. Senior Andy Vilegas, averaging 10 minutes and 4.1 ppg, collected five in the period on a trey and bucket in the paint. Ruff finished with 18 points, and JP Lattimore had seven.

“We didn’t hit shots in the first quarter,” said Robinson head coach Steve Smith. “It kind of put us behind the 8-ball. Give them the credit, they played really well. We fought, but we dug ourselves a hole that was tough to get out of.”

Booker began its winning streak when Palavra took over the point guard duties. On several occasions against Robinson, with the Booker players spaced out on the floor, he sliced into the lane either to get his shot, or find the open teammate.

“Ever since I’ve been able to play the point, we’ve been able to move the ball,” Palavra said. “It just allows me to facilitate and get my teammates involved.”

− Doug Fernandes

Gateway Charter 83, Bradenton Christian 68

FORT MYERS - The Griffins turned their Class 3A regional quarterfinal into a crowd-pleasing highlight reel as they pulled away from the Panthers on Thursday night, 83-68.

It was anything but easy to get there but by the end of the contest, Gabe Timmons couldn’t miss a shot and Pat Johnson was making the crowd erupt with consecutive possessions that ended with dazzling dunks.

“We get that going and we get rolling with the crowd, it’s a good feeling for us,” Gateway Charter coach RJ Jones said.

The Griffins started well, sprinting out to a double-digit lead with Johnson scoring a quick 8 points and Noah Cutler draining a pair of 3-pointers.

“I knew it was going to be a tough game,” Jones said. “They’re a really physical team. They play really hard. I knew they weren’t going to go away easy.”

The Panthers fought back at the start of the second quarter, going on an 18-2 run with sharp perimeter shooting from Collier Fuller and strong play from guard Jaden Baker.

“I felt like we were settling a bit late in the first half, and I just told the boys to keep getting downhill, get in the paint and good shots will come,” Jones said.

Those shots came courtesy of Timmons, a senior who clearly didn't want his high school career to end. Trailing 37-28, he evened up the proceedings with three consecutive treys. After a Trey Fogle steal on an inbound, he hit a layup at the buzzer for a 40-37 halftime lead for the Griffins.

“They were going on a run, so I just felt I had to take it in my own hands and get us back into the game with energy,” Timmons said.

Timmons continued that run of form, finishing the game with 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting. Myles Jones scored 17, including some key points to start the second half.

“Credit to Gateway, they hit some big shots there in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter there and just pulled away a little bit, and we just couldn’t recover from it,” Bradenton Christian coach Scott Townsend said.

Johnson, a 6-foot-8 junior, added 25 points with a strong start and spectacular finish to the game.

“When he gets his confidence going like that and he gets out of his own way, it’s tough to stop him and we feed off that energy for sure,” Jones said.

Baker, a senior, led the Panthers with 25 points, finishing his career with 1,757 points – the second most in school history.

“That’s an amazing feat, especially for an undersized guard,” Townsend said.

Fueled by their senior class, Bradenton Christian finishes their season with a 19-9 record.

“It’s just a special group, been coaching them since they were in sixth grade,” Townsend said. “It’s been an amazing journey, amazing ride and made a lot of great memories along the way. Just super proud of them.”

The Griffins (21-7) advance to the Class 3A regional semifinals where they will hope to improve on last year’s result where they lost to Tampa Catholic.

The Crusaders will be awaiting them again in the next round.

“Last year, that’s where our season ended, and we don’t intend for it to end there this year,” Jones said.

- Dustin Levy

First Baptist 57, Cardinal Mooney 41

SARASOTA — After rallying from a late deficit to win last week’s district final, the Cardinal Mooney boys basketball team again found itself in a precarious position.

Unfortunately for the host Cougars, Naples First Baptist Academy wasn’t willing to crumble, coasting to a 57-41 win Thursday night in the Class 3A-Region 3 quarterfinals.

Mooney, the region’s No. 4 seed, ends it’s season 18-9. Fifth-seed First Baptist (21-5), meanwhile, advances to Tuesday’s semifinal.

“Obviously, it’s not the way we wanted it to end,” Cougars interim coach Terrence Garner said. “I’m super proud of the seniors. They put in a great deal of work to get to this point. They all left it out there.”

After a tight first quarter, the visiting Lions created separation in the second. Senior Anajah Bakker’s runner put First Baptist ahead, 26-18, with 3 minutes left in the half, and the Lions carried a 31-20 lead into the break.

“Our goal was to get it within five by the end of the third,” Garner said. “Then we struggled against the 2-3 zone in the fourth quarter and couldn’t score the ball.”

Per their coach’s urging, the Cougars did chip away at the deficit in the third, getting a jumper from senior George Leibold and 3-pointer by senior Joseph Gillson to creep within 37-35 with 40 seconds left in the period.

First Baptist answered immediately, however, getting a three-point play by senior forward Adrian Rodriguez to take a 40-35 edge into the final period.

“I wasn’t overly worried, but maybe a little concerned because they were playing on their home court,” Lions coach Scott Stewart said of Mooney’s third-quarter charge. “We just had to withstand that run and get more disciplined on our offensive side.”

Led by Rodriguez and junior Andrew Azunque, First Baptist dominated the fourth quarter, starting on an 8-0 run to open a comfortable 48-35 edge. Mooney ended the spurt on sophomore Devin Mignery’s 3-pointer but it wasn’t enough.

“That’s on me. I should have had our guys better prepared for the 2-3 zone,” Garner said. “I should have done a better job.”

The Lions defense was spectacular all night, holding Mooney seniors Connor Heald (seven points) and Kevin O’Donoghue (12 points) in check. Mignery had seven points and Gillson scored six.

Stewart said his team’s defensive game plan was to shut down Heald, who finished with 21 points in the district final comeback.

“Definitely the game plan,” Stewart said. “This kid, I’ve watched him on film and he can really get it going and light it up.”

First Baptist has been without its top player, sophomore Jayden Petit, for the past couple weeks. The football star who doubles as a hoops standout was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.

On Thursday, Rodriguez (22 points, 11 rebounds), Azunque (20 points, seven rebounds) and sophomore Andrew Loveall (11 points) set the tone.

“Everybody has to step up as a team,” Stewart said. “We’re a team and we play as a team”

-Chris Nelson

Admiral Farragut 55, Sarasota Christian 39

AT: Admiral Farragut (Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal)

TOP PLAYERS: (SC) Ben Milliken 21 points, Justin Brock 14 points, Daniel Jacinto 4 points

RECORD: Sarasota Christian 16-10

Durant 66, North Port 53

Braden River 68, Port Charlotte 51

Gibbs 75, Bayshore 48

GIRLS LACROSSE

Riverview 17, IMG Academy 10

AT: IMG Academy

TOP PLAYERS: (RV) Susan Lowther 10 goals, 1 assist, 9 draw controls, 6 ground balls; Caroline Steinwachs 3 goals, 1 assist, 5 draw controls, 2 ground balls; Maria Berzins 1 goal, 5 draw controls

RECORD: Riverview 1-0

NEXT: Riverview hosts Lakewood Ranch, Monday, 5 p.m.

Saint Stephen's 14, Northeast 3

AT: Northeast

TOP PLAYERS: (SS) Sienna Cassella 7 goals, 4 assists, 12 draw controls, 4 ground balls, 2 forced turnovers; Haley Rosa 4 goals, 1 assist, 4 draw controls; Ashling Marshall 3 goals, 4 assists, 6 ground balls

RECORD: Saint Stephen's 2-0

NEXT: Friday, vs. Aubrey Rogers, 7 p.m.

Lakewood Ranch 11, Bradenton Christian 6

AT: Lakewood Ranch

TOP PLAYERS: (BC) Juliana Bartz 5 goals, Adelyn Bartz 1 goal

RECORD: Bradenton Christian 1-1, Lakewood Ranch 2-0

NEXT: Bradenton Christian at Cardinal Mooney, Thursday, 6 p.m.

WRESTLING

Manatee wins Class 2A-District 10 title

KISSIMMEE − The Manatee High wrestling team captured the Class 2A-District 10 title Thursday afternoon at Osceola Fundamental High School.

The Hurricanes scored 265.5 points to 207.5 for second-place Palmetto High.

Taking district titles for Manatee were Isaac Cedeno (126-pound weight class), Luke Arthur (132), Jake Samuels (144), Julian Smith (150), Hunter White (165), Mason Miller (175), Damontez McDowell (215) and Trayvon Pinder (285)

Sean Herlihy (120), Jake Wyatt (138), Dastan Chiketaev (190) were district champions for the runner-up Tigers.

The Class 2A-Region 3 Tournament is Feb. 23 and 24 at Charlotte High.

WEDNESDAY

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Booker 64, Aubrey Rogers 36

SARASOTA − Losing seven seniors to graduation and having an influx of new faces, Booker High girls basketball coach Ty Bryant could not go full blast with his full-court defensive pressure.

So during the early part of the season, the Tornadoes played a lot of zone defense, more than Bryant would have liked.

Heading into the postseason and facing a young opponent, it was the perfect time for Bryant to turn loose his troops.

Booker jumped on Aubrey Rogers early and went on to a 64-36 victory in the Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinals Wednesday evening at Tornado Alley.

Winners of seven straight, the third-seeded Tornadoes (14-9) head to Tampa for the regional semifinals 7 p.m. Monday at second-seed Academy of the Holy Names, a 72-38 winner over seventh-seed Weeki Wachee High.

“A lot of speed, a lot of pressure,” Patriots coach Serena Hampton said.

The Tornadoes jumped in front of passes, tipped the ball from behind, flashed in the passing lanes, anything to knock the ball away from the first-year program.

“We want to play with pressure,” Bryant said. “That’s who we’ve been. Today we were able to pressure the ball. We saw that on film. Our girls stepped up.”

Jsiyah Taylor hit a jumper and Jakai Peterson nailed a 3-pointer - both off turnovers - within the first 43 seconds to give Booker a lead it did not relinquish.

“They didn’t understand how to play correctly as far as defensively. They had to learn our principles throughout the year,” Bryant said. “We’re still learning. Little by little, they weren’t great tonight, but they were good enough.”

The Tornadoes, who have made three straight Final 4 appearances, had as many seniors (7) as Aubrey Rogers had players. That became a factor.

“It was tough not having subs to help out and giving them the breaks they needed,” Hampton said. “They’re more experienced than us, but we did the best we could.”

The relentless Tornadoes’ attack featured a 9-0 run late in the first quarter, eight straight points in the second quarter and a 10-0 burst to begin the fourth quarter.

Peterson played a huge role in all the runs, finishing with a game-high 27 points before limping off the court in the middle of the fourth quarter. Peterson, who missed time earlier in the season with an ankle injury, was cramping.

“She’ll be OK,” Bryant said. “I was more concerned about her ankle. I can’t afford to lose her at this time of the year.”

Taylor ended with 13 points and sophomore Marayah Stuart 12 points.

If there was one area of concern for Booker it was the foul situation. The Tornadoes were whistled for the first 13 fouls, as the Patriots did not pick up their first foul until 21.2 seconds left in the third quarter. The final foul total was 17-4.

District runner-up to Gateway High, sixth-seeded Aubrey Rogers (17-9) received 10 points from sophomore Madelyn Hamisch, nine points from sophomore Angelina Insana and eight points from Abigail Peterson.

The experience was immeasurable.

“This has been great,” Hampton said. “I’m proud of them, so proud. Every single one I get back, so watch out for next year.”

− Dennis Maffezzoli

Venice 56, Haines City 40

VENICE - The next time the girls basketball teams from Venice and Riverview high schools tangle in their rubber game, the loser knows it’ll be bounced from the postseason.

And that tilt will take place on Monday night at Riverview in a Class 7A-Region 3 semifinal after host Venice subdued a talented but flawed Haines City team, 56-40, in a 7A-3 quarterfinal on Wednesday night at the Venice gym.

Venice (16-9) lost its first game to Riverview this season back in December before defeating the Rams last Friday for the district title. Before the victory, Venice had lost 15 straight to its county rival to the north.

“The problem is,” said Venice coach Jeremy Martin, “they’re (Riverview) so hard to beat because they rebound so well, and girls basketball is all about rebounding.”

Against the Hornets, 17-7 coming into the game, Venice used balanced scoring and timely defense to offset Haines City’s superior athleticism. Venice had three players in double figures, led by Izzy Leggett with 13, Addison Ivey with 11, and Tessa O’leary with 10. Conversely, the Hornets, who lost to Winter Haven in their district final, got 24 points from Arissa Jenkins, matching her season average, but no other Haines City player reached double digits.

Point guard Zebrelle Canaday, possibly the quickest player on the floor, was held to five points, five below her average. The Hornets’ second-highest scorer on the night was Kassandra Cortez with seven. Venice played help defense when help defense was necessary.

“This time of the season, you’re going to win basketball games if you play defense,” Martin said. “Defense will lead to offense. I tell people that this group is extremely talented and you’re going to need more than one girl to beat us. So we always say to let that one girl get her 20 and let everyone else get nothing. And what’s the score? We’re going to win.”

Sitting mere feet away from Martin, Haines City coach Marsha Paul had a completely different take on the game.

“(Venice’s) defense was not that good,” he said. “There’s a different style of refereeing down here. In terms of Polk County, it would have been a different game, that’s all I can say. I can’t criticize the refs; I can’t talk to them. It’s very physical up there. It’s more finesse down here. I take it to (Venice), but it’s a different type of game when you come here and you got those kinds of referees.”

The Hornets were whistled for 22 team fouls to 13 for Venice. Canaday fouled out in the fourth quarter, as did Gilliana Frenel, who didn't score. Venice shot just 64 percent from the foul line, going 16-for-25, but Haines City was worse, converting 7-of-13 for 53 percent.

Still, the Hornets had their chances. They trailed at all the stops: 10-6 after the first quarter, 26-20 at halftime, and 40-31 after three. In that third period, Venice opened up a 35-23 lead and appeared on the verge of running away with it. But Cortez hit consecutive 3-pointers, her only two baskets of the game, and Haines City was back in it at 35-29.

But in the fourth, the Hornets weren’t able to generate that one run to draw any closer than six points. O’leary scored on a drive to make it 42-31, but Jenkins responded with a trey, making it 42-34. But Haines didn’t buckle down on defense and allowed Venice open looks at the hoop. A jumper by Riley Martin upped Venice’s lead to 45-37. Haines City then missed three chances on its next possession to inch closer.

Following the third miss, O’leary got a steal and lay-up. And when the Hornets committed a turnover on their next possession, Leggett was fouled and made one-of-two free throws, putting Venice up by 10. The green missed a total of six shots from the charity stripe in the period, but the Hornets could not capitalize.

Three free throws by Leggett and a lay-up by Jayda Lanham put Venice comfortably up 53-40 with about a minute to go. Then, Martin could breathe easier.

“(Haines City) missed shots they should have made,” he said. “And they would have won. We didn’t play Venice basketball. But we just grind. I’ll take that win because I think they learned from it, and they learned how to grind. We really haven’t had that in a long time. That was a grind. Shots didn’t fall. We had to make that extra pass. It was a good team win. I needed all six, seven (of my girls) to compete.”

Martin sounded like a coach who knows his team must play better against Riverview to advance to the regional final.

“One-thousand percent.”

― Doug Fernandes

Parrish Community 64, Cypress Lake 19

PARRISH - Mary Portwood scored 18 points and the Bulls held the Panthers to five points or fewer in three of the four quarters in the Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Top-seeded Parrish Community (18-7) will be home for the regional semifinals against Lely of Naples, a 49-32 winner over Barron Collier of Naples, at 7 p.m. Monday.

Sarah Decker added 12 points for the Bulls.

Cardinal Mooney 67, Canterbury 32

SARASOTA - Four Cougars reached double figures in scoring in the Class 3A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Sy’monique Simon led the way for Cardinal Mooney with 15 points. Bri Behn and Madi Mignery each had 14 points. Kali Barrett finished with 12 points.

The top-seeded Cougars (19-6) are home 7 p.m. Monday at Patterson Pavilion against fourth-seeded Tampa Prep, a 76-54 winner over fifth-seeded Clearwater Central Catholic.

Sarasota 62, Sickles 61, OT

TAMPA − Sofi Miller's putback of a missed shot in overtime was the winning basket, as the fourth-seeded Sailors went on the road to defeat the fifth-seeded Gryphons.

Miller finished with a game-high 24 points. Ghita Dinota added 13 points for Sarasota. Kennedy McClain finished with 10 points, and Alyssia Bane ended with 9 points.

The Sailors (16-9) advance to the regional semifinals at 7 p.m. Monday against top-seed Winter Haven, a 64-30 winner over Steinbrenner.

Charlotte 66, Palmetto 19

PUNTA GORDA -- Palmetto saw its season come to an end Wednesday on the road at Charlotte in the Region 6A-3 quarterfinals.

The No. 2 Tarpons started fast and never looked back as Palmetto struggled to get anything done offensively during a 66-19 victory.

The Tigers (14-11) committed 32 turnovers, were held to just three points in the first and third quarters and never managed consecutive scoring possessions.

The Tarpons (16-5) led 27-3 after the first quarter and triggered the running clock early during a 17-0 run to open the third quarter.

Sanai Rich led the Tigers with 6 points. Charlotte was paced by Kamie Ellis' game-high 12 points while Maddie Elkins and Lazaiya Kinville each added 10.

Riverview 55, Sumner 53

Tampa Catholic 63, Bradenton Christian 30

BOYS TENNIS

Venice 7, North Port 0

AT: Venice

TOP PLAYERS: Singles - Andrei Andelkovic (V) d. Jacob Geier 6-1, 6-0; Joseph Calleja (V) d. Logan Earley 6-2, 6-2; Ariston Spanos (V) d. Charles Kemble 6-1, 6-0; Dalton Burroughs (V) d. Jacob Mackey 6-2, 6-1; Hayden Guthrie (V) d. Maddox Borer 6-3, 5-7, 10-4

Doubles - Andelkovic/Spanos (V) d. Geier/Earley 4-0, 4-1; Calleja/Burroughs (V) d. Kemble/Mackey 4-2, 4-1

RECORDS: Venice 3-1, North Port 2-1

NEXT: Venice hosts Saint Stephen's on Thursday, 3:30 p.m.; North Port hosts Sarasota on Thursday, 3 p.m.

BOYS LACROSSE

Riverview 15, Mitchell 12

TOP PLAYERS: R, JC Fleming 5 goals, 1 assist, Brandon Day 3 goals, 1 assist, goalie Dominic Speranza 13 saves

NEXT: Lakewood Ranch at Riverview 7 p.m. Friday, Ram Bowl.

TUESDAY

GIRLS SOCCER

Class 5A-Region 3

Parrish 4, Braden River 2

PARRISH - What would you call a free kick in soccer from mid-pitch that lands on the spot for a penalty kick before bouncing over the goalie’s outstretched arms for a goal?

Some would say a fluke. The Parrish High girls player who tallied it on Tuesday said it set the tone for the game and a 4-2 Bull victory over the visiting Braden River Pirates in a Class 5A-Region 3 match on Tuesday.

Defeating the three-loss Pirates for the second time in less than three weeks, the Bulls (10-7-1) advanced to a regional semifinal game on Friday night at North Fort Myers, a 3-0 winner over Osceola in another regional quarterfinal. Braden River saw its season end at 11-3-2.

The fluke/tone-setting goal came in the first half of a scoreless tie. Fouled at midfield, Bull Izzy Silverio was awarded a free kick. The senior defender booted into a breeze, the ball landing on the PK spot 12 yards in front of Braden River goalie Lorelai Lis. Then, taking a huge bounce, it cleared Lis’s outstretched arms and fell into the Pirate net for a 1-0 Parrish lead.

“It’s very unusual (to score that way),” Silverio said. “All week we’ve been practicing those free kicks. I think it added momentum for us, and I think that’s what set the game off. After that goal, I think that set the tone for the game.”

“Sure, it (set us back on our heels),” Braden River head coach Don Engelberger said. “It would set (Parrish) on their heels. Nobody likes a goal like that. Of course, they liked that goal. I would like that goal.”

“We talked early on that if we got an early goal, it was going to make a difference in the game,” Parrish head coach John Mentzer said. “It was fluky, but it worked.”

Stunned by the goal, the Pirates allowed a second tally, this one by Kendall Hecht, to go down 2-0 at halftime. Thirteen minutes into the second half, the Pirates pulled within 2-1 on a goal by Cambelle Anders, who took the rebound off a shot off the crossbar and put it past Parrish goalie Alize Karst.

But any momentum lasted seven minutes, the time it took the Bulls to again go up by two goals. This time, it was Julia Cotton, whose shot went high side on Lis and into the back of the Pirate net for a 3-1 Parrish lead.

Nine minutes later, in the 63rd minute, midfielder Bella Santora headed a perfect corner kick past Lis, and the lead was 4-1. A goal in the final minute by Pirate Faith Geluso accounted for the final score.

“They were more aggressive,” Engelberger said. “We wanted it. I can’t say they wanted it more. I think they were a little bit more aggressive. Both games.”

The first time the Bulls defeated the Pirates, Mentzer said his girls played “frantic.” Not Tuesday night, “I think my girls came out tonight and played like they know how to play,” he said.

- Doug Fernandes

Class 7A-Region 2

Palm Harbor University 3, Riverview 2, OT

SARASOTA − Opportunistic Palm Harbor University scored a goal late in the second half to tie the match and then added the game-winning goal midway through the second overtime period to defeat Riverview High, 3-2, in the Class 7A-Region 2 quarterfinal on a chilly Tuesday evening at the Ram Bowl.

The third-seeded Hurricanes advance to the regional semifinals 7 p.m. Friday at second-seeded North Port High, a 2-1 winner over Durant of Plant City.

In seeing its seven-match winning streak come to an end, the sixth-seeded Rams close the season 11-5-2.

The match appeared headed to penalty kicks when Palm Harbor University (14-3-1) made a late rush in the second 10-minute overtime session. After a threatening play in front of the Riverview goalmouth resulted in a corner kick, the visitors cashed in.

Iliana Pollastri took the corner and played a short pass to Jimena Rodriguez, who sent a perfect ball to the front of the net. Junior Makenna Egan, one of the taller players in the scrum, used her head to score what proved to be the game-winning goal with 4 minutes, 54 seconds left.

Egan also tied it at the end of regulation. On the receiving end of a give-and-go with Kassie Fragale, Egan made it 2-all with 6:24 left in the second half.

The Hurricanes came out strong and opened the scoring less than 2 minutes into the match. Fragale, the team’s leading scorer, banged in a rebound of a Erin Walker shot for her 20th goal of the season.

Riverview, which erased a 1-0 deficit to win the district championship 2-1 over North Port, found its offense late in the first half.

Rams leading scorer junior Rachel Paule notched her 15th of the season to tie it at 1-all with 15:22 before halftime.

Using their speed in the transition game, Paule sent a perfect through ball to sophomore Olivia Shkorupa, who put Riverview into the lead with her seventh goal of the season with 6:24 left in the first half.

Both sides had decent scoring chances before Palm Harbor University, which improved to 5-0-1 on the road, notched the final two goals of the match.

The Hurricanes, who lost the district championship match to Steinbrenner High, 2-1, have beaten Riverview in all four meetings.

Palm Harbor University is looking to return to the 7A State Final 4 for the third consecutive season.

− Dennis Maffezzoli

Class 4A-Region 2

North Port 2, Durant 1

NORTH PORT – Alanna Duque has become a master of the art of booting free kicks.

The North Port sophomore has a way of finding the net, or someone close to the net by using her left foot.

Tuesday, during her team’s Region 4A-2 quarterfinal match with Durant of Plant City, her free kicks resulted in both Bobcat goals, getting an assist on the first and a goal on the second, as they advanced to the regional semifinals with a 2-1 victory at the Preserve.

Second-seeded North Port (13-3) will host Palm Harbor University, a 3-2 winner in overtime over Riverview.

Duque said she has worked on that part of her game, since being left-footed gives her an edge.

“I’ve had a lot of experience taking free kicks. I used to curve the ball more, but now it depends on what I want. If I want to get a chip in I curve it, but if I want to score I just go for it,” Duque said.

In the beginning it looked like it could be a high-scoring game. The Bobcats got the first break in the second minute after a foul. Duque booted it from around 40 yards out and found the foot of Danielle Van Deusen, who one-timed it to the left of Cougar goalkeeper Taylor Crone for a 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats needed to stop leading scorer Rachel Horn, but in the eighth minute they needed to hold her in the box to do so, resulting in a penalty. Horn converted to tie the game.

Horn would have several other opportunities to score, but she either couldn’t finish or the Bobcat defense was able to get in her way.

Duque was able to finish. In the 27th minute, with another free kick at about the same spot, lofted the ball 40 yards that struck the post and slid in for what turned out to be the winning goal.

Each team had opportunities in the second half. Horn was able to get past North port goalkeeper Summer Matthews midway through the second half, but was sent too far inside and could only boot the ball across the net, where North Port’s defense held up.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats, after struggling at times in he first half, did a great job controlling the ball in the second half, with Isabella Deronsle nearly icing the game in the 62^nd minute with a straight-on shot that went high.

Alanna’s dad, Hans Duque, said the defense did its job in the second half.

“Our defenders are really sharp. Gabby Louty was able to come forward and get the job done,” Duque said. “We knew Durant was fast and score a lot of goals and we were prepared for that challenge.”

Durant coach Melissa Brown said there were opportunities, especially early, but the Lady Cougars (11-4-2) couldn’t quite capitalize.

“The Bobcats did really well on their set plays. They did well on free kicks and some of our shots didn’t go in,” Brown said. “My girls played hard, but the ball sometimes doesn’t go in the net.”

− Chuck Ballaro

Steinbrenner 2, Lakewood Ranch 1

BOYS SOCCER

Class 5A-Region 3

Barron Collier 5, Parrish 0

PARRISH - The Parrish High School boys soccer team learned the hard way Tuesday night why Barron Collier was the top seed in the region.

The team which has only lost once, to Lely in the district final, got two goals each from Emerson LaOrden and Marc Schmidt, and one from Deriks Bustillo, in a 5-0 blanking of the host and No. 8 seed Bulls in a Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal match.

The victory boosted the Cougars’ record to 12-1-2 and into a home rematch with Lely in the regional semifinals on Friday night at 7. The Trojans beat Mariner 1-0 on Tuesday night in another semifinal match.

Barron Collier was undefeated when it lost to Lely 3-1 for the district championship, putting the Cougars on the road for the start of regionals. Head coach John Damasco didn’t think that was necessarily a bad thing.

“I’d say it was disappointing because we worked so hard to get that ranking,” he said, “but, actually, I think it was good for us. Not that we lost, that stunk, but to get the challenge of taking a trip, being focused by the time we got here. It’s never easy to travel, so that part, I’m totally in place with that.”

The Cougars handled everything about the road trip to Parrish in fine fashion. They carried play for all of the match, displaying superior speed and strength to the Bulls, whose season ended at 10-9-1. Goalie Duncan McKellar was forced to stop perhaps one legitimate Parrish scoring opportunity.

“It shows they’ve been building the culture there for a while and the players have bought into what the coach is trying to do,” said Parrish head coach Gabriel Mazo. “Athletically, they’re a little bit faster than us. Physically, a little bit stronger than us. Their first two goals were obvious mistakes we made, and I told the boys on (Monday night) that usually the team that makes the most mistakes will lose, but it’s one of those things we couldn’t come back from those two mistakes, and they got in our head.”

A Bull giveaway near the Parrish net led to LaOrden pouncing on it and putting it past Bulls goalie Luke Zagrocki in the 20th minute for a 1-0 Cougar lead. Ten minutes later, miscommunication between Zagrocki and a teammate allowed LaOrden to whip a shot past Zagrocki and a 2-0 which stayed that way until halftime. The Cougar junior and leading scorer coming into the match with 18 goals also added two assists on later Barron tallies.

Schmidt got the Cougars third goal, this one coming in the 50th minute, standing 10 feet in front of Zagrocki. Bustillo’s goal seven minutes later made it 4-0, and Schmidt’s second goal of the game, and 11th of the season, upped the Cougars’ lead to 5-0 with 21 minutes left.

The Bulls were hurt by the loss of Owen Tomlinson, who tore an ACL in the victory over Braden River for the district title. “A huge loss,” Mazo said.

At least Parrish’s players got to see what a top-seeded team plays like, and it gives them something to shoot for. “We’ve still got the building blocks for it,” Mazo said. “Next year I have a huge senior class, about 12 seniors. We should be as good as this year, maybe better.”

- Doug Fernandes

GIRLS LACROSSE

Saint Stephen's 18, Bishop Verot 3

AT: Saint Stephen's

TOP PLAYERS: (SS) Sienna Cassella 3 goals, 3 assists, 14 draw controls, 8 ground balls, 6 forced turnovers: Haley Rosa 6 goals, 1 assist, 1 draw control; Ashling Marshall 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 draw controls, 4 ground balls, 1 forced turnover; Keira Milburn 4 ground balls

RECORD: Saint Stephen's 1-0

NEXT: Thursday at Northeast, 7 p.m.

Durant 2, North Port 0

Cypress Creek 3, Riverview 1

MONDAY

GIRLS LACROSSE

Bradenton Christian 10, Venice 3

AT: Venice

TOP PLAYERS: (BC) Juliana Bartz 4 goals, Adelyn Bartz 2 goals, Natalie Griffith, Keira Kramer, Audrey Cox, and Saylor Star each had a goal.

RECORDS: Bradenton Christian 1-0, Venice 0-1

NEXT: Bradenton Christian at Lakewood Ranch, Thursday, 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Manatee high school sports roundup for the week of Feb. 12-17