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Articles by Nick Twardus
Canterbury football coach Derrick Crudup leads Canterbury into 2016
Canterbury Cougars The Canterbury football team looks to continue its winning ways this year under first year head coach Derrick Crudup. The offensive coordinator for the Cougars last season, Crudup is inheriting a solid core of 28 players. “It was nice to finally get some lineman this year, so now the big boys won’t have to play both ways,” Crudup said.
HS Football Preview: Cypress Lake looks to rebuild with Rode
First year Cypress Lake head football coach Richie Rode understands he won’t be able to rebuild the Panthers program in a matter of a few days, weeks, or maybe even a season. He does know, however, what he wants to achieve, and that in no small part is bound to his optimism for the future. “We will try to build upon some of the successful things we did in the spring.
The Big 15: Fort Myers’ Darrian Felix
The number two spot in The Big 15 goes to Darrian Felix, of Fort Myers. This running back is a heavily recruited southwest Florida football player.
Big 15: Darrian Felix ready for star turn
Big 15: Darrian Felix At this point, few in Southwest Florida would argue the star appeal of Fort Myers senior football player Darrian Felix. But for argument’s sake, let’s say you need some examples. In January, there was his 40-yard dash during the US Army All-American combine in San Antonio, when Felix hit 4.39 seconds on the clock. Maybe you could point to Nike’s The Opening combine in February, when he posted a 43-inch vertical.
Prep football preview: Snow Canyon looking for consistency in 2016
Around early August last year, Southern Utahns who might’ve wanted to go on a roller coaster could either make the short trip to Las Vegas and the roller coaster at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, or drive up to Farmington to go to the Lagoon amusement park. The Snow Canyon High School football team practices for their upcoming season Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Or they could’ve watched Snow Canyon’s football season unfold.
6 pairs win at Port Huron Golf Club Invite
Dan Pink and DJ Westrick were on fire all weekend. At the Port Huron Golf Club Men’s Invitational, the duo led the 14-team first flight from beginning to end to win with an eye-popping score of 263. That was good to top the rest of the field by six strokes as Duncan and Devin Smith placed second with a 269. They topped Glen McCoy and Tim Phipps and Jerry Grace and John Crisenbery in a playoff, who also tallied a 269 over the three rounds.
Gorman’s Biaggio Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, commits to Cal football
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) running back Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, has committed to Cal. He announced his decision on Twitter on Sunday after a campus visit this weekend. Ali Walsh, a 5-10, 18-pound running back, was named the Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year last fall, rushing for 2,451 rushing with 36 total touchdowns and an average of 12.1 yards per carry.
Titusville looks inside for football success
Titusville football head coach Wayne Lawrence has been working with his team in the mid-August heat to prepare for a tough upcoming season. Lawrence has the keys to making the Terriers a winning team, but it’s all about putting them into play. Titusville High’s Head Coach Wayne Lawrence works with his offensive line players as they run through some drills during Tuesday afternoon practice held at Titusville High School as they get ready for the upcoming season. “I feel confident.
samupshaw | Mount Washington softball state championship pep rally
Waggener’s goal in 2016: state championship
For the first time in a long time the preseason high school football talk emanating out of St. Matthews isn’t solely centered around Trinity. Of course the Shamrocks will still be one of the top teams in Class 6-A, but another school – one located less than two miles from Trinity’s campus – has more than just the 40207 zip code buzzing. Waggener enters this season ranked No. 7 in 3-A in The Courier-Journal’s preseason coaches poll and with title aspirations.
New-look Pace excited about being fast this fall
Clockwise from left: Scott Marshman (5), Riley Fields (56), Tony Gibson (5), Spencer Hill (54), Jaxon Adams (10), Bailey Clark (2), Cameron Bozeman, and Anthony Johnson (34) during Pace High School football practice on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. The Pace Patriots and new head coach Kent Smith are moving fast. The transition has been rapid — as Smith was named head coach in April — and the Patriots will field a sped up offense in the fall.
East Lee ready to win now
East Lee County High After three straight losing seasons, the returning players on the East Lee County High football team are ready to win now. “Last year, we spent a lot of time bringing kids along and growing from there,” head coach Dave Smith said. “The last three years have been a struggle; we didn’t know how to finish games.
East Lee ready to win now
After three straight losing seasons, the returning players on the East Lee County High football team are ready to win now. “Last year, we spent a lot of time bringing kids along and growing from there,” head coach Dave Smith said. “The last three years have been a struggle; we didn’t know how to finish games. These kids are tired of losing, their motto this year is now.” To take that next step, Smith is shifting his coaching scheme to playing the best 11 players on both sides of the ball.
Big League, Senior teams top seeds in LL World Series quarters
The District 9 Big League and Senior softball teams will be playing with targets on their backs heading into today’s quarterfinal round of the World Series Championships in Lower Sussex, Delaware. The teams made up of players from Greater Fort Myers and Cape Coral American Little Leagues went a perfect 4-0 in pool ply and are the top seeds heading into the weekend's single elimination formats. “We have a target on our backs now.
Area Big League, Senior softball teams unbeaten at World Series
The District 9 Senior and Big League softball teams could not have asked for a better start to the their 2016 Little League World Series runs in Lower Sussex, Delaware. Behind strong pitching and power hitting, the teams comprised of players from the Greater Fort Myers and Cape Coral leagues, won their first two games of pool play. The District 9 Seniors started the tournament by defeating British Columbia, Canada 4-1 Sunday behind Nicole Rodriguez’s 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
District 9 teams to rely on experience at this weekend’s World Series
Two District 9 teams, made up of Greater Fort Myers and Cape Coral American softball players, will be heading to the Little League Softball World Series in Lower Sussex, Delaware this weekend. For some players and coaches on the Big League (14-18-year-olds) and Senior (13-16-year-olds) teams, this will be their first time on the World Series stage, but most will be returning to the tournament as experienced veterans.
District 9 teams punch tickets to World Series
The District 9 Big League softball team, made up of players from Fort Myers American and Cape Coral American found themselves in a familiar spot in the 2016 Southeast Regional championship game. They faced Morganton Little League of North Carolina — the same team that defeated District 9 in last year’s Southeast Regional Final. This year they beat Morganton 6-2 in Salisbury, North Carolina behind strong pitching and power hitting to clinch a berth in the 2016 Big League Softball World Series.
District 9 Senior and Big League softball travel to SE regional
For the past five and two years, respectively, Fort Myers American Little League has played host to the Senior and Big League Softball Southeast Regional Tournaments at Sam Fleishman Sports Complex. This year, both District 9 softball teams, made up of players from Greater Fort Myers and Cape Coral American little leagues, won’t have the same home-field advantage as the double-elimination tournament moves from Fort Myers to Salisbury, North Carolina.
State baseball: Santa Fe Catholic, Calvary Christian win
Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland) 3, John Carroll (Fort Peirce) 1: John Carroll got on the scoreboard early in the Class 3A state semifinal. They led 1-0 after the top of the third inning, but the lead didn’t last long. The Hawks answered back with three runs in the bottom of the third to clinch a trip to the Class 3A state final with a 3-1 victory. Tulane commit Chase Solesky took command of the mound and pitched a complete game with six strikeouts for the Rams.
Christ's Church can't stop Trinity's big bats in baseball title game loss
FORT MYERS | Christ’s Church held things together early in the Class 2A championship game. By the fourth inning, it all came apart. Lake Worth Trinity Christian broke through in that inning and rolled over the Eagles 12-1 in a state championship game at JetBlue Park that was shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule. The Eagles managed just two hits in their first state championship game appearance. Christ’s Church ended its season 26-4. “It was a tough game.
Christ's Church can't stop Trinity's big bats in baseball title game loss
FORT MYERS | Christ’s Church held things together early in the Class 2A championship game. By the fourth inning, it all came apart. Lake Worth Trinity Christian broke through in that inning and rolled over the Eagles 12-1 in a state championship game at JetBlue Park that was shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule. The Eagles managed just two hits in their first state championship game appearance. Christ’s Church ended its season 26-4. “It was a tough game.
Central loses Frady early, falls to Lafayette 9-4
With two outs in the first inning of Central’s first-ever appearance in the Class A State Semifinal, senior catcher Nolan Frady went up to the plate. Frady, a six-year starter, led the team with a .513 batting average and was the centerpiece of their defense throughout their historic run. In his first and only plate appearance, a pitch from Lafayette’s (Mayo) Micah Byrd struck him in the cheek. The wound instantly bruised as he walked off the field.
Fort Myers doubles team wins state title
Fort Myers High doubles players John Carlin and Luka Illic had one goal entering the 2016 boys tennis season. They wanted to go undefeated. That meant they would have to win the 2016 3A doubles state championship at Salando Park in Altamonte Springs, where they lost in a 12-10 third-set tiebreaker last year. But the juniors didn’t let the chance slip away again.
Riverdale falls in a close match to Lake Gibson
48 hours after Class 2A no. 2 Riverdale lost a close 34-29 meet against no. 8 Boca Raton Olympic Heights, the Raiders took to the mat on Friday to face another top-ranked 2A team, no. 4 Lake Gibson. While Riverdale pulled back late with key victories from middle-weight and upper-weight wrestlers, three early Lake Gibson pins hurt the Raiders. They went on to lose a close match 30-28. “We wrestled tough competition this week because we’re trying to get better,” Riverdale (6-2) coach Kris Hayward said.
2015 News-Press All-Area girls bowling
At the conclusion of each high school season, The News-Press staff sends area coaches a nomination form to select and rank players for our all-area first teams and to also nominate athletes for second team and honorable mention. A combination of The News-Press’ research and the coaches’ player rankings lead to the teams being selected and three athletes are named finalists for player of the year.
Big second quarter sends Dunbar to championship
At the end of the first quarter, the Dunbar girls basketball team led Master’s Academy 12-10 in the 2015 Queen of Palms Ruby Division semifinals, and were in the midst of a back-and-forth game with the Eagles. But the Tigers erupted in the second quarter and went into the locker room on a 29-5 run. Dunbar (12-3) didn’t ease the pressure for the rest of the game and clinched a trip to its fifth straight Ruby division championship with a 40 point win, 73-33, over Master’s Academy.
2015 News-Press All-Area boys bowling Team
HOW WE SELECT THE ALL-AREA TEAMS At the conclusion of each high school season, The News-Press staff sends area coaches a nomination form to select and rank players for our all-area first teams and to also nominate athletes for second team and honorable mention. A combination of The News-Press’ research and the coaches’ player rankings lead to the teams being selected and three athletes are named finalists for player of the year.
South bowlers hope for District 6 title
A loss to Island Coast after starting the season 5-0 hasn’t slowed a motivated South Fort Myers girls bowling team. With senior leadership and talented freshmen, the Wolfpack (5-1) believe they can earn their first District 6 crown since 2012. “The girls rally around each other and they just go out and bowl. That’s what sets them apart,” said South Fort Myers head coach Robert Giles, who’s in his second year with the program.
Estero set for new challenges in swimming
The Estero girls’ swimming team is entering the 2015 season facing a brand new set of challenges. The Wildcats, along with former District 2A-10 foe Naples, will be moving to a tougher district that features state contenders Gulf Coast and Fort Myers. Estero will also have to acclimate quickly to the style of new head coach Tim Jacobson.
SFCA’s defense holds up in opening win 27-20
Southwest Florida Christian Academy started out the season on a positive note with a 27-20 win over Bradenton Christian in their regular-season home opener. “I’m proud of our kids for fighting tonight,” SFCA coach Mike Marciano said. “We’ll take the win, but we really have to work on improving for next week’s game.” The Kings jumped out to a 19-13 lead after the end of the first quarter and added a touchdown in the second to make the game 27-13 at halftime.
Bigger roster yields more potential for SFCA
Southwest Florida Christian Academy is coming a 5-4 2014 season. For years, Southwest Florida Christian Academy’s football team has been dealing with a numbers game, with one or two injuries setting the team back significantly. But things are looking up for the Kings in 2015, as they graduated just two seniors from last year’s 20-man team and have gained the help of 20 new faces, doubling their roster to 40.
Locals help youth soccer team to international title
The U14 GPS FL Bayern youth soccer team, a squad composed of some of the best girls youth soccer players in Florida including members of the North Fort Myers-based Florida Knights, competed in the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament over the weekend. After going 4-0 and outscoring their opponents 16-0 in preliminary games. GPS FL Bayern beat the LaSalle Stompers SC 2001 (Can.) 4-1 in the semifinals before facing Unam Representativo (Mex.) in the championship.
Tough night for South Fort Myers in Little League tourney
The South Fort Myers 9-10 All-Star team faced Plant City in its first game of the Florida 9-10 State Tournament on Friday and lost 11-1 after five innings. Ty Tomlinson scored the team’s lone run in the bottom of the third inning on a wild pitch. Ryan Shelborne stood out from the mound in relief with four strikeouts in one and one-third of an inning pitched.
Local Little League teams vying for titles this weekend
South Fort Myers Little League president Howard Gold will be a busy man this weekend for the 2015 Florida Little League State and Section 6 tournaments. But that’s just the way he likes it. “It’s going to be very busy this weekend, but I’m very happy to be busy,” Gold says with a laugh. Four of Gold’s South Fort Myers baseball teams will be playing for banners this weekend. The 9-10 and 10-11 South Fort Myers baseball all-stars will playing for state championships.
LaBelle boys soccer earns berth in state final four
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Two years ago, LaBelle faced Berkeley Prep in the Region 2A-3 final and headed into halftime in the midst of a scoreless game. "We didn't have any shots on goal. I told the guys to settle down, but they were heated in the moment. They'd lost their composure, it seemed like we lost the game," Cowboys coach Jeff Frost recounted. They went on to lose that game 2-0.
Suffocating defense leads Cypress Lake to crucial win
The Sebring Blue Streaks were only able to drain one quality shot against Cypress Lake's defense in the first quarter of the Region 5A-3 quarterfinal. It was a floater that was blocked by senior Panther Nyree Mahone, but somehow managed to fall through the net with two minutes left. The Panther defense would not let up as they didn't allow another point until the 6:25 mark in the second quarter and kept pressure on the Blue Streaks the rest of the game.
Barron Collier runs past Lehigh 44-29
Down 21-9 late in the second quarter of its District 6A-12 championship against Barron Collier, the Lehigh Lightning faced a tough test. However, the team’s momentum was high after Lakeyshka Benitez drained a corner 3-pointer to end the half, which cut the lead to just five and extended the team’s 7-0 run.. But, the Cougars came out firing in the second half and went on to outscore the Lightning the rest of the way, 23-13, as they clinched the crown with a 44-29 win.
Lehigh claims basketball title by forfeit
After defeating host East Lee County High School, 77-33, in the 2014 Holiday Madness Tournament championship semifinal, the Lehigh Lightning were poised to take on Riverdale in the title game Monday. This was to be a rematch of a game on the first day of the tournament, a game that Lehigh won 84-50. But the Raiders forfeited the game, which gave the Lightning their first-ever Holiday Madness Tournament championship.
Holiday Madness Tourney: Lehigh rises to occasion
The Lehigh boys basketball team has been a formidable program in Lee County under the guidance of head coach Dawn McNew, who led the team to a 49-14 record the last three years and earned a spot in the 2014 FHSAA Region 6A-3 final. But after the loss of point guard B.J. Edwards, who averaged 21.9 games last year, and four other seniors, the chance of returning to the regional final was far more challenging.
City of Palms roundup: Wayne, Sierra Canyon reach consolation final
Wayne (Ohio) High School squandered leads of 12 and nine points in the second and third quarters, respectively, in the City of Palms consolation semifinal against Whitney Young (Ill.) to keep the game close. But the Warriors held on to defeat the Dolphins 53-49 by playing strong defensively down the stretch. "If this was last year or the year before, this game might have gotten away from us.
City of Palms Classic: Mater Dei defeats Webster Groves, has eyes on Montverde
Mater Dei high school (Santa Ana, California) returned to the City of Palms Classic on Friday Night after four years away from the tournament, the longest-ever for the Monarchs, to take on Webster Groves (Missouri) . Despite a long week of travel, the Monarchs recovered and defeated the Statesmen in impressive fashion 65-46.
Net victory: Trio from SW Florida relish Div. II title
But sometimes, cutting down the net afterward can be just as taxing. Just ask Jessica Wagner, the junior middle blocker for the University of Tampa Spartans volleyball team. "All of us got a pair of scissors to cut the net, but the officials were telling us not to cut certain sections," Wagner said.
Mariner rebounds from slow start to beat Tampa Catholic
Basketball(Photo: Getty Images/BananaStock RF)Mariner couldn’t find its footing in the first half of Saturday’s game against Tampa Catholic.After the Crusaders used a 9-0 run to go up 31-18, the Tritons kicked it into gear on the final day of the Island Coast Turkey Shootout.Mariner used buzzer-beating 3s by Sean Kostyk and Logan Schell to end the second and third quarters, respectively, to build momentum on the way to a 72-66 victory.The Tritons took the lead in the fourth quarter at 52-51...
Fort Myers honors its 2009-10 state championship squad
Five seasons ago, the Fort Myers Green Wave basketball team made history by winning the school’s first state boys basketball championship in a thrilling 59-57 Class 4A game against Oak Ridge. With the win, the 2009-10 Green Wave also became the first team in Lee County history to win a state boys basketball championship. “I remember fouling out, but I also remember a few of our players stepping up from the bench and doing big things for us.
Dunbar girls coach Dwayne Donnell collects win No. 400
Dunbar girls basketball coach Dwayne Donnell has been known to be a very patient man by his longtime assistant coach Brian Beasley. Beasley has been an assistant coach on Donnell’s staff for 19 of the head coach’s 20 seasons in Lee County across three schools (Dunbar, Mariner and Cape Coral). “Even from the beginning, the amount of patience Coach Donnell has brought to the game of basketball has been great, which comes from his baseball background,” Beasley said.
Friday’s high school football playoff matchups
All games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted What to watch for — Cape Coral: This is a Region 5A-4 semifinal and the first-ever postseason meeting between this two city rivals. The Seahawks notched their first road playoff win since 1993 last week, 37-21 at Arcadia DeSoto County. Senior QB Dylan Bontrager passed for 289 yards and four TDs, his third game this season with four scoring passes. Cape is eager to get another shot at its neighborhood and district rival tonight.
Bishop Verot's Santiago Corredor wins state swim title
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Bishop Verot's Santiago Corredor had a day to remember on Saturday. At the FHSAA Class 1A state swimming and diving meet in Stuart, the sophomore won the state title in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:29.64. He also placed fifth in the 200 IM and helped the Vikings finish 10th with 92 points. Teammate Stas Van Genderen also contributed with his fourth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle and ninth place in the 100-yard butterfly.
Friday’s high school football playoff matchups
What to watch for — Lake Gibson: This is a Region 6A-3 quarterfinal and a rematch of last year’s playoff opener which saw the Braves fall 28-16 at South Fort Myers. The District 6A-11 runner-up went 3-1 against playoff teams this season, losing 28-7 at 6A-11 champion Winter Haven. Lake Gibson is a senior-laden team with good offensive balance, averaging 216.9 rushing yards per game and 149.7 passing. Senior RB Thomas Boles (1,169 yards, 7.0 per carry, 13 TDs) is the Braves’ backfield workhorse.
Estero swimmers sign college scholarships
Estero High swimmers Danilea Jordan and Ryan Sorensen signed National Letters of Intent in a ceremony held Wednesday morning. Jordan signed with Liberty University in Virginia, while Sorensen signed with Notre Dame College of Ohio.Check back for more updates on signing day ceremonies across Lee County.Ryan Sorensen(Photo: Nick Twardus)
ECS bounced just one win short of state finals berth
The ECS volleyball team faced a familiar foe in Clearwater Central Catholic in Saturday’s Region 3A-3 final, having played the Marauders in the same situation the past three years. The Sentinels went 1-2 in those title games. For the third straight year, Clearwater Central Catholic denied ECS a berth in the 3A state finals, defeating them in three close sets (25-23, 25-19, 25-22).
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