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Volume 2 • Issue 59
Feb 16 - Mar 1 2018
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Featuring: Windermere Prep, West Orange, Olympia, Foundation and MUCH MORE...
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An American Hero
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Jim Garrett
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Page 2 Florida Sporting News • 2/16/18 - 3/1/18
West Orange Girls Lacrosse Look Ahead To Season Greyson Everidge
WINTER GARDEN – The West Oranges girls lacrosse team is about to begin their regular season for the 2018 school year, and are excited to finally begin after preseason training which has been going on
for the last month or so in order to prepare for their upcoming games. Led by senior and Captain Karson Keiber, West Orange are hoping to build
upon last season which saw the Warriors win the district championship after a highly impressive season. “We are really excited for this season and have been working hard to make sure that we are ready for or first game,” said Keiber. “The team is really good and we all have fun so we are really looking forward to it.” The last month has seen the Warriors conditioning on the football field in primarily running and body weight exercises in order to get in shape for the long season ahead. Last week they collected their gear and began actually training in real practices in preparation for their first game of the season, which will be played against Trinity Prep. Last year the Warriors went (12-8) overall in addition to clenching the district title. This year, West Orange also has a number of standout players who will help guide the team. Meghan Bomleny, Jenna Douglas, Caroline McCarthy, Jillian Keiber and Dana Jenkins are all players who play a key role for West Orange this year. They also have a new head coach, Nikki Thorndill, to lead the team. With the West Orange field finally gutted out for renovations after Hurricane Irma in September which began on Valentine’s Day, the Warriors will have to play a majority of their season on the road. Keiber doesn’t seem to think the road games will affect the team. “We are a good team and we have the same goal as always which is to win the district championship so I don’t think that it will affect us.” said Keiber.
2/16/18 - 3/1/18 • Florida Sporting News
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Olympia Basketball Going Strong Kaden Bauer
ORLANDO – The Olympia Titans Boys Basketball team are still going strong through a rollercoaster of a season with its fair share of ups a downs. The Titans are currently 14-12 in their overall record and 2-2 in their conference. Olympia have kept most games close, win or lose throughout their season. In the entirety of the season the Titans have outscored their opponents 1539 to 1482, only 57 points from breaking even overall which shows the closeness of all the games so far. Most of their games have been decided by ten points or less with one even coming down to one point against Winter Park in a hard earned 45-44 win. There are a few outliers though. The Titans had a 27 point loss against the Edgewater Eagles last week in a game that ended 66-39. But they also had a 30 point win earlier in the season against the Colonial Grenadiers in a blowout the ended 73-43 in favor of the Titans. The Titans have just begun competing in their district championship tournament to see if they will bring home a district championship and if their season will continue. Their first game will be on Wednesday the 14th against their rivals, the Dr. Philips Panthers (17-7). The Panthers look to put up very tough op-
position for the Titans and will be a true test of head coach Rob Gordon’s team. The Titans do not have much momentum going into the game as they have just come off a 66-39 loss against a tough Edgewater Eagles side but there is a little bit of hope for the Titans. Earlier in the season when the Titans and DP met DP only won by 6 in a 77-71 game which shows that the Titans can compete. Plus, it is a very com-
petitive rivalry which will bring out the best from Olympia. Coach Gordon and the rest of his players will be hoping that they can perform a major upset against the Panthers tomorrow night in hopes of continuing their season.
Page 4 Florida Sporting News • 2/16/18 - 3/1/18
Foundation Academy Basketball Season Review Kaden Bauer
WINTER GARDEN – The Foundation Academy Lions finished their season with an overall record of 1216. The Lions were coached by Dejon Everson and he led them to the Lions best overall record since the 13-14 season when they went 21-8.
ning streaks. The Lions did have a couple of games come down to the wire. A game against Legacy Charter saw the Lions win 81-80 in overtime and two more of Foundation Academy’s games were decided in double overtime. There was the 69-62 loss to the Saints Academy School and then the 91-89 win over Agape Christian Academy. The Lions season came to an abrupt end in the first round of their district playoffs when they lost to Legacy Charter in a game that ended 66-57
While the Lions may have had a losing record, do not let that fool you for one second. The Lions still managed to outscore their opponents if the long run, scoring 1574 while conceding 1571. This shows that when Foundation Academy won, they won big, and when they lost they managed to keep it a close game The Lions were a very senior and make their opposition earn their heavy team with the rest of the wins. team being mostly juniors. Seniors Lance Volan and Rayshawn PlumThe Lions struggled at the start of mer led the senior class in points their season, going 2-5 in their first per game with 10.1 and 8.3 respecseven games but they managed to tively. Junior Isaiah Reed also lent bounce back after they found their a hand in his teams scoring with feet. The Lions won their next two 8.6 points per game as well as an games 92-32 and 82-31 against the impressive 7.4 rebounds per game. Liberty Christian Prep Lions and Coach Everson will surely be lookNew Dimensions respectively. The ing for the juniors such as Reed to rest of the season was pretty up and come back next year and lead the down for the Lions with some losteam. ing streaks followed by some win-
2/16/18 - 3/1/18 • Florida Sporting News
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West Orange Boys Basketball Look For A District Championship Greyson Everidge
WINTER GARDEN – The West Orange Warriors basketball team are having a great season so far, with an overall winning record of (13-12) and an important district record of (4-1). With their winning record in the district, the Warriors have become a favorite to take home the district title this year, hopefully following their female counterparts who won the district title for West Orange on the girl’s side. Although the Warriors started their season with three losses out of four games, including an 84-61 loss to rivals Dr. Phillips and a 71-70 overtime loss against Leesburg, the Warriors went on to pull out some major wins which helped to build confidence as the season progressed into the middle stages. A district win against Wekiva helped begin the winning trend which continued for a few weeks. This included wins against newfound rivals Windermere by a score of 62-48 and a district win against Evans by a score of 61-54. Broken up by a narrow 57-55 loss to Miramar, West Orange won five in a row against opponents such as Academic Magnet from South Carolina, Auburndale, Norland from Miami, and Whale Branch, from South Carolina. Out of state competition against teams from South Carolina in the Seahawks Pre-Christmas tournament in December helped to refine their game and prepare them for tournament play they will see when districts rolls around.
Winning three of their last six, the Warriors look ahead to the district tournament in the middle of February, and having only lost one district game to Wekiva by a narrow score of 56-52, they have a great shot at winning the title and advancing on to the Regional
round. Should they make it, they also have a great chance to move even further into the post season because of playing experience gained against top teams throughout the season.
Page 6 Florida Sporting News • 2/16/18 - 3/1/18
Windermere Prep. Senior Ismael Cortes Signs with local College Senior Ismael “Ish” Cortes accepted a collegiate football scholarship to play for Jacksonville University on Wednesday when he signed his National Letter of Intent. Ismael was an All-Sunshine State Athletic Conference selection, Co-Offensive MVP, and he was named to the All District team after rushing the ball a 120 times for nearly 1000 yards and 16 total TD’s. Ishmael chose the University of Jacksonville over several other 1AA schools that were recruiting him. As the lead Running Back at Windermere Prep, Cortes led the Lakers to a 20-2 overall record. Good luck to Ismael as he continues his football college career. Go Jacksonville Dolphins!
Windermere Prep Girls Basketball Greyson Everidge
WINDERMERE – Windermere Prep’s basketball program has always been above average, and this year is no exception. With the boy’s team sitting on a
winning record, the girl’s team are also leading the way with a winning record of (11-9).
In perhaps the most important part of the season, the ending portion, has seen the Lakers finish out the regular season in great form. In their last six games, the Lakers have won four. With wins against All Saint’s Academy, North Broward Prep, Lakeland Christian, and Mount Dora Christian, Windermere had prepared to win big games which paid off. In their last game of the season, which happened to be senior night for seven seniors, the Lakers beat Mount Dora Christian by a score of 34-29. Windermere played an exciting game, and after trailing the entire game into the fourth quarter, managed to get ahead and win the game with just under four minutes left. It was a special night for the seniors such as Radhika Parikh, Maria Kantounis, Tori Lahnston, Hiba Syed, Rafaela Rivero, Yasmin Fotovat, and Scarlett Liu. Windermere Prep showed great sportsmanship, work ethic and perseverance to turn their season into a winning one come the final game. With four wins out of six, they moved their record to (116). The Lakers have a strong foundation to move into next season with a promising class of rising juniors and seniors to continue to grow the name of Windermere Prep basketball.
2/16/18 - 3/1/18 • Florida Sporting News
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Windermere Prep Basketball Sitting Strong In Their District Greyson Everidge
WINDERMERE – The Windermere Prep Lakers Basketball team are sitting strong in their district as the end of the regular season approaches with a current record of (4-1). The Lakers are also preforming well outside of their district, as their overall record sits at a record of (11-12).
against The Villages Charter, accounting for nearly a third of all points scored in the game. The story is the same for the rest of the season, as Jules leads the team or nearly leads the teams scoring in a majority of their matchups this season.
Despite starting their season with three losses out of their opening five games, the Lakers record two good wins in those opening matchups against opponents such as Seffner Christian and The Villages Charter.
Another key player for the Lakers is Rahsaan Lewis, who is a major scorer for Windermere Prep. Lewis is a multi-sport athlete, and was a standout on the Lakers football team who went undefeated in the fall of 2017.
The Lakers have been led this season by a few standout players, such as senior Shaquan Jules. Jules recorded 21 points out of the teams 66
Right after Christmas break, Windermere went on a three game winning streak which helped move them into the New Year, capturing wins against
East Jackson, Windermere High and Oxbridge Academy. Currently, the Lakers have two more games in the regular season, with Holy Trinity Episcopal on February 2 and Bishop Moore on February 6. Windermere will look to capture two more wins which could see them take their overall record positive, while maintaining a (4-1) district record. As playoffs near, Windermere stand a very good chance at capturing a district championship and are certain to continue to work hard and preform for the remainder of their season.
Page 8 Florida Sporting News • 2/16/18 - 3/1/18
A True American Football Hero Will be Remembered Michael Attardi
coach with the New York Giants in 1970. He spent two years with the New Orleans Saints and had a seven-year run with the Cleveland Browns as the running backs coach. In 1974, he was head coach for the Houston Texans in the World Football League. He also served as head coach at Coast Guard, Lehigh, Susquehanna and Columbia University. From 1987 to 2004, Jim Garrett was a scout for the Cowboys, working with coaches Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Bill Parcells. He championed Troy Aikman and the Cowboys picked Troy in the first round.
We lost a great American hero last week when God took “Coach” Jim Garrett. Not only was Coach a mentor and a friend, but he was a man who shared his experience with thousands of aspiring professional football players. Coach was the fairest man I ever met. He told you where you stood and how to get better. Never did he give you false hope or let you get down on your dreams. Jim had a wonderful sense of humor and always made you feel like you were part of his already large family. I will never forget our long talks and his wise advice. Coach was a father figure to me and the many aspiring young men who used to practice in the yard next to his house in Monmouth Brach, New Jersey. Let me share with you, the man I knew as Coach Jim Garrett. Jim Garrett entered the NFL as an assistant
Jim was a master of getting people to achieve at their highest level. Coach would surround his sons John, Jason and Judd with top level NFL prospects. “When you surround yourself around greatness, some of that stuff is going to rub off.” Said Coach. “Don’t expect anyone to hold your hand in this game! It’s rough! It’s rough! If you don’t want to get hit, play golf!” these were only a few of his thousands of words of wis-
dom. We will all miss his words but his sons carry on his philosophy. His son Jason is in Dallas with the Cowboys as head coach. His son John is the head coach at Lafayette College. His youngest son Judd, is the advance player personal scout with the Cowboys. These leaders of men have the Jim Garrett playbook and they use it every day to inspire their players. Coach was a real man who helped create legends. On top of all of this, Coach loved his wife, Jane, his eight children -- Jim, Jane, Jennifer, Janine, Jill, John, Jason and Judd -- 28 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. What a great life this American hero has lived. God drafted a first round pick last week with Coach Jim Garrett.
SERVING ALL OF HURRICANE IRMA RELIEF FAMILIES FOR THE LOCAL ORLANDO AREA
2/16/18 - 3/1/18 • Florida Sporting News
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Olympia Soccer Season Review Kaden Bauer
ORLANDO – The Olympia Titans boys’ soccer team defied expectations this season. Everyone knew the Titans were going to be good, but not 18-5-1 and district champion good. Head Coach Lou Romao led his team with an energetic and high pace mentality that rubbed off on the rest of the team and could be contributed to most of the Titan’s success. Olympia started off the season as any team would wish to start a season. They went undefeated for the first thirteen games that they played including five clean sheets and seven games in which they won by four or more goals. For that entire spell the only game in which they did not win was a 1-1 tie against
the West Orange Warriors (11-3-3). However the Titans did not finish the regular season as great as they started it. They lost the last two games of their season before heading into the district playoffs, 2-1 against Winter Park and 7-3 against Oakridge. The district playoffs was a different story, the Titans won 8-0 against Wekiva in the first round and went into the second round as the underdog against West Orange but came out of it with a 4-0 victory. Olympia matched up against their rivals, Dr. Philips, in the district final which saw Olympia come out on top in a 3-2 game that was nothing short of a dog fight. The Titans then went on to win the first round of regionals 3-2 in OT
against Hagerty before finally losing 3-1 to Seminole. Olympia’s top scorers were senior Jonathan Masesa and junior Marcos Couto with 18 and 16 goals respectively. Captains Andrew Lizyness, Juan Garcia, and Ben Cooper combined for 26 goals and 12 assists throughout the season. Senior Abdallah Eltoukhy managed to get 12 goals and 7 assists on the season as well. For the seniors the 17/18 season was a very special season as it was their last season to put on an Olympia jersey. Abdallah said, “This year was an amazing ride, we kept doing the unthinkable and I love my team.” There’s no doubt that this season was one to remember for the Titans.
Page 10 Florida Sporting News • 2/16/18 - 3/1/18
West Orange Girls Basketball are District Champs Kaden Bauer
WINTER GARDEN – The West Orange Warriors Girls Basketball team are still going strong. The Warriors, led by head coach Shrell Chamberlain, are currently 23-4 and recently the FHSAA District 9A-3 champions. The Warriors won districts on February 9th against a tough Wekiva Mustangs side in a comeback victory. The Warriors were down 38-29 going into the fourth and final quarter of the game but the Warriors were determined to come back and outscored the Mustangs 19-7 in the fourth to complete an epic comeback and win the game 48-45. This is the third time that the Warriors and Mustangs have met this year, and maybe not the last. The Warriors lead the series 2-1, winning 48-45 last week and 69-54 earlier this month. However they did lose a couple of months ago 73-68 on December the 5th of 2017. The rest of the season has been almost nothing but success for Coach Chamberlain and the rest of the team. The Warriors have outscored opponents 1626-1234 so far this season and they are still going strong. They have not lost often, only losing four of their 27 games so far. The four losses came
against the Wekiva Mustangs 73-68 as mentioned earlier, 62-43 against the Tampa Catholic Crusaders, 67-65 against the Evans Trojans, and 52-44 against the Jones Fightin’ Tigers. The Warriors next game will take place on Thursday, February 15th against the Timber Creek Wolves (23-4) at West Orange for the first round of the state championship. The Warriors will be counting on leading scorers Morgan Beacham and
Kennedi Rodgers who lead the team with 15.6 and 12.6 points per game respectively. If the Warriors win, they could see themselves matched up against the Wekiva Mustangs once again in the next round for one last matchup. Obviously the Warriors are going to want to win against Timber Creek and then continue winning until they can put the State Championship trophy next to their District Championship trophy that they won last week.
2/16/18 - 3/1/18 • Florida Sporting News
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