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Volume 2 • Issue 62
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Featuring: Windermere Prep, Foundation, Olympia and MUCH MORE...
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“Still Undefeated”
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West Orange
Apr 25 - May 8 2018
Page 2 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18
Olympia Softball So Far Kaden Bauer
ORLANDO – The Olympia Titans Softball team is 11-9 so far into their season so far with only two games left in their regular season. Six of their nine loses have come in their conference in which they hold a 2-6 record in a very tough district. The Titans are in one of the tougher conferences in the states, they have to compete against the West Orange Warriors (16-7) who won the state title the past two years, the Apopka Blue Darters (18-4), and the Lake Brantley Patriots (19-
4). The only team in their conference who does not have a winning record are the Wekiva Mustangs (814) who are not exactly an easy team to beat either. The Titans have played each of the other four teams in their conference twice. Against Apopka they lost 7-4 on February 20th and lost again 6-0 on March 28th. They also lost both of their games against West Orange and Lake Brantley. Against West Orange they lost 9-2 and 6-0 and against Lake Brantley they kept it much closer and only lost 5-4 and 1-0 in very close games. Wekiva was a different story all together though. The Titans beat them handily both times that they met. The won 16-1 the first time they met on February 28th and then 7-1 on March 13th. Outside of their conference the Titans are much
West Orange Softball Remain Strong Heading Into Districts Kaden Bauer
more dominant force, going 9-3. They won six of those games by double digits, such as a 19-0 shutout win against the Edgewater Eagles and a 22-1 win against the Oak Ridge Pioneers. Freshman Cameryn Orland played a big part in both of these impressive victories. Against Oak Ridge she was 3-for-4 at bat with three runs scored and had two shutout innings to help keep the clean sheet. Against Edgewater she was just as effective pitching as she struck out seven and only allowed one hit in the three inning that she pitched while also managed to get two hits and score two runs. The Olympia Titans next game will be against the Evans Trojans (3-11) on Wednesday April 18th at Olympia’s home field.
WINTER GARDEN – With back to back state championship rings and pressure to get a third in a row, the West Orange softball team are looking strong yet again as playoffs roll around at the end of this week. Under Head Coach Todd LaNeave yet again, the Warriors have a (18-7) overall record and a (5-3) record in district play so far. In the second half of the season, West Orange has looked its strongest after correcting some minor errors that seemed to punish them in the beginning of the season. In their last 13 games, West Orange has won all but two which have ended in losses. In the final stretch leading up to their playoff game this week of the 25th, West Orange have won six in a row to give them not only a win streak but confidence as they approach the post season. Of those six wins in a row, a few of them have been against tough opponents. These opponents include teams such as Olympia and Dr. Phillips. Both games ended in the Warriors easily taking care of business and walking away with the win. In their senior night game against Winter Springs, West Orange won 3-2 in an intense game which could have gone either way. West Orange did good to stay on top and walk away with a deserved win. “It was nice to win on senior night because we were able to celebrate our time here while also winning,” said senior Courtney Barrieu. “At the same time we are also looking forward to districts because that is what is the most important.” After being delayed due to weather, the Warriors will play their first district match against Lake Brantley on Tuesday, April 24th.
4/25/18 - 5/8/18 • Florida Sporting News
Page 3
Foundation Academy Baseball Have an On and Off Season Mark Korotetskiy
WINTER GARDEN- The Foundation Academy Lions have had an average season. Winning eight games of their nineteen games, the Lions find themselves in fifth place in their 3A District 3 Baseball Standings. The Lions have three games left before they begin to get ready for districts. The Lions first district game will be against Legacy Charter. Legacy Charter has a record of (12-10), and have previously defeated Foundation earlier in the season, 15-3. But on the other hand, the Lions pulled off a 9-1 win versus them later in the season. This upcoming game between the two will be very entertaining to see who really wants it more. Before districts, the Lions still have to play Central Florida Christian Academy twice, and then Cambridge Christian. Central Florida Christian Academy has a record of (5-10-1), which should mean that the Lions would pick up two easy wins. Their other opponent, Cambridge Academy, will be quite difficult, as they have a record of (15-5) and are ranked 158th in the state of Florida, compared to the Lions 436th ranking. The Lions will use those three games to get ready for districts and hopefully state playoffs. Their next game is versus Central Florida Christian Academy on April 24th at 4:30 PM.
Page 4 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18
Windermere Prep Softball will finish with Positive Record Mark Korotetskiy
WINDERMERE- The Windermere Prep Softball team have one game left, and they for sure kept a record higher than .500. The Lakers obtained a record of (9-6) so far in the regular season, but have unfortunately lost all of their district games with a record of (0-3) in the 3A District 3 Softball Standings. This put the Lakers second to last in the district standings, which will almost make it impossible for them to make it out of the first round of district play, as they will be matched up with someone higher in the standings. The Lakers last regular season game will be against Legacy Charter, who have struggled greatly this season with a record (4-13). This should give the Lakers an easy win before heading into districts, where they will face someone a bit more challenging. The Lakers overall have a great runs forward versus against, which tallies to 142:85. They also have a state rank of 356th in the state of Florida. Although this isn’t that high, the leader in their district is Cornerstone Charter Academy, which is the 160th ranked team in the state. On April 24th, the Windermere Prep Lakers Softball Team will play Legacy Charter at 7:00 PM.
4/25/18 - 5/8/18 • Florida Sporting News
Page 5
Windermere Prep Baseball Looks to Finish Their Season with a Win Mark Korotetskiy
WINDERMERE- The Windermere Prep Lakers have had a positive season based on their record. Unlike last season, the Lakers record will be higher than .500. With one game left in the season, they look forward to ending the season (14-9). The Lakers, as well as the other three teams in the 4A District 3 Standings, have accumulated a record of (3-3). The teams are quite evenly matched, that it is quite hard to say which team will make it further in the playoffs. The Lakers know
they have a good chance, as they have the Central Pointe Christian Academy was a fewest amount of runs against versus dis- lot closer and came down to the wire, as the Lakers merely pulled of a 3-2 victory. trict teams. This team has won three of their last four games, only losing to Celebration High School, 7-4. The other three games were wins versus Central Pointe Christian Academy, South Lake, and Foundation. The games versus Foundation and South Lake were convincingly won, as they defeat them 7-1, and 7-2. The game versus
Their next game is versus Real Life Christian Academy on April 26th at 4:00 PM. Real Life Christian Academy has a record of (14-6-1), but their state rankings are not as high as the Lakers. This should be a good ball game, as it could go anyway.
Page 6 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18
West Orange Girls and Boys Lacr Greyson
WINTER GARDEN – The West Orange Girls and Boys lacrosse teams won district championships last week, with the boys beating Lake Minneola on Thursday and the girls beating __ on Friday just a day later to mark a significant achievement for West Orange’s athletic program. The boys, who are still undefeated after going the entire regular season without a loss, now sit at a record of (14-0). Beating out major teams this year, the Warriors are looking ahead to a great rest of the season. Led by senior Mikey Berkmen, who now holds the all time Florida record for most high school lacrosse points, the Warriors are tearing through
opposition. With 257 points for and 76 against, West Orange’s defense and offensive have done their parts this year. “We are really happy so far but we know that we aren’t done yet. We want to keep going forward and to keep winning games and we know that we can if we work hard.” said senior middie Kody Siegfried. In their district championship win against Lake Minneola, the Warriors were handling Lake Minneola just fine, winning with a comfortable lead. Towards the end of the fourth quarter of the game, Minneola jumped on
West Orange, who gave up over five points in as many minutes. It would be the Warriors who prevailed however, holding tight to win the game 13-11. “Winning was great and we celebrated, but we want more.” said Siegfried. In their next game, West Orange will play Bishop Moore in the regional round of playoffs, who knocked the Warriors out this time last year. They are hopeful that this year, things will be different. West Orange are also awaiting the return of senior and captain Nick Witten, who is out with a pulled hamstring. Witten has been key
4/25/18 - 5/8/18 • Florida Sporting News
Page 7
rosse Win District Championships Everidge
to the team this year and the Georgia Tech commit will surely help should he find his way back on the field here shortly. On the girls side, the same story. Largely successful this year with a (14-4) overall record and a (7-0) district record, the Warriors have beaten several strong teams and proved to be by far the best team in their district this year. In the championship game, they beat East Ridge by a score of 10-4, handling the opposition with little to no trouble. “It’s really exciting that we won this year. We worked so hard and everyone played their part so we are super happy.” said Jenna Douglas.
Jenna, a junior, is a midfielder and has been key to the Warriors success so far this season. In their next game, West Orange’s girls’ team will play Lake Highland Prep. The Highlanders are also considered one of the better teams in Orlando, and have fielded a strong team for many years in a row. This year, the Highlanders have an (11-5) record. It will prove to be a great game. “It will be a tough game but we are ready for it,” said senior defender and Captain Karson Kieber. “We want to keep going in the tournament and we have all worked hard to get to here so I know that we will give the next
game our all. Everybody will.” To be played on April 26th at 7 p.m. at West Orange, it will be the second set of games played at West Orange after field renovations finished from Hurricane Irma just a few weeks ago. After playing most of their games on the road, it will be nice for the Warriors to once again play in front of a home crowd. Similarly, the boys will play on April 27th at 7 p.m. at West Orange, just as the girls. They also won in front of a home crowd last week, and playing in at home once again will certainly help them.
Page 8 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18
A Conversation with FSN Publisher: Michael Attardi Greyson Everidge
Greyson: Why did you decide to write an autobiography? Michael: The original purpose of writing my book was to present my experiences with stuttering and dyslexia. I had a speech and reading impediment as a little boy. I stammered, stuttered and read words backwards. I learned that my thought process was much faster than my speech and reading process. I, like thousands of other kids and teenagers, also experienced bullying because of my issues. I even had educators not believe or understand my issues due to the lack of education on these two subject matters. That was why I was told that I would never amount to anything by some of my teachers.
from teasing. Greyson: Did Howard Cosell and John F. Kennedy have speech issues? Michael: Yes! You would be surprises on how many famous people had some form of speech impediment.
Michael: I thought it was important to present my story in a light-hearted way. So, I decided to write about stuttering, but I also wrote about my adventures and funny stories about growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey. I continued to write more humorous chapters in my autobiography. Even though, I stuttered, I didn’t let it define me as a man. I was being defined by the way I handled myself as a true gentleman and friend to all. Stuttering helped me to be more compassionate and understanding of others that were different. Greyson: I can’t get over that you beat death 3 times in your young life. Do you feel like a cat with nine lives?
Greyson: Did your family help? Michael: The way my Italian family wanted to help me was different than how it is looked at today. My mother was adamant that I could do anything. She introduced me to music and to the wonders of art and animation. My father, always played football and baseball with me. He made me practice and practice. He told me not to think about the speech or reading problems. Instead; He said to focus on sports and get an athletic scholarship to college. That is how he was taught and it sounded like a great idea at the time.
Michael: I’m a dog kind of guy. Cats are too much work. I felt it was important to include the good with the bad. That’s the only way the reader would be able to walk with me on my journey. I also wrote about my other successes and tragedies that I experienced. Stuttering wasn’t my only battle. I also fought meningitis while I was in college, cancer at age 24 and one other life-threatening illness. My autobiography looks at the positive ways and the achievements I had because of the things I had to overcome in my life. It’s filled with lots of humor and adventure.
Greyson: You said that most of your teachers were not helpful? What did you mean by that? Michael: I really don’t blame anyone for my issues. Growing up in the 1970’s most educators were not trained or taught about special needs children. Their solution was to have all the special needs children in one class. It was a terrible idea and it failed. Only in the 1980’s is when they started to discover ways to help people like me. When I was a kid, educators, friends and other adults laughed at me and told me I couldn’t follow my dreams. I couldn’t go to college, I couldn’t do much of anything. It was laughable when one educator wanted to teach me how to talk like Howard Cosell and John F. Kennedy. There was no way I was going to walk around school speaking like Howard Cosell. I was already getting into one fight a day and that would have guaranteed a few more fights
Greyson: I read your book and couldn’t stop laughing and crying. You have a Forrest Gump type of life.
Greyson: If you can give only one piece of advice to a child, what would you say?
Little did I know, until I became involved with the Stutters Foundation. I learned about many famous and talented actors, artists, singers, composers, storytellers, broadcasters who also were stutters? I also didn’t know that the arts, music and playing sports is a key factor to healing and controlling stuttering for so many. Their contact information is on the back of my book. I highly endorse this foundation and hope that many young stutters take advantage of their network of help.
Michael: Believe in yourself! Make a plan for your goals! An education is something that no one can take away from you! Always treat people the same way that you want to be treated. With respect! Find mentors and love your family. I believe laughter is a very powerful inspirational tool. I also believe the importance of giving kids the opportunity to learn and experience music, arts and sports in the school system. I would not be the man I am today if I didn’t have these opportunities. These electives need to always be taught in the schools. I know that was more than one piece of advice but, it took God 6 days to create the world. Not one.
SERVING ALL OF HURRICANE IRMA RELIEF FAMILIES FOR THE LOCAL ORLANDO AREA
4/25/18 - 5/8/18 • Florida Sporting News
Page 9
West Orange Girls Volleyball Win Two State Championships in One Year WINTER GARDEN – The West Orange girl’s volleyball teams had one of their best seasons ever, winning both the indoor state championship and the beach volleyball state championship all in one year. Led by some of the same players who played for both squads, they managed an incredible accomplishment which took full year of effort and training. After the final game, the Warriors beach team ended with a (15-2) record and the indoor team ended with a perfect undefeated record of (29-0). After beating Palm Beach Gardens with sets of 2523, 25-21 and 27-25, the Warriors maintained an undefeated record. They only lost a few sets, not even
Greyson Everidge
games, in the entire year.
“It was really good to win the indoor championship. We worked so hard all year and it all paid off in the end, which was really good,” said Baylor Bumford. “Winning beach was just as fun too. Everyone worked really hard there too.” The beach team, also led by Bumford, won their state championship in April. After going (15-2) and beating highly ranked opponents Brandon River and Merritt Island in the semi-finals and championship match, it allowed them to complete the double.
Haycraft, Kaeli Crews, Taylor Head, Erika Orsini, Carolina Grant, Lexi Buono and Joela Bishop. “The beach season is tons of fun and it makes it even better when you win, especially winning a state championship,” said senior Olivia Haycraft. “The team worked hard for this and we got what we deserved.” With a strong class of seniors but an equally strong set of underclassmen making up both squads, West Orange’s volleyball teams are in good hands for the coming years where they will certainly look to keep winning just as they did this year.
The beach team were led by Baylor Bumford, Olivia
West Orange Baseball Kaden Bauer
The Warriors swept both Wekiva and Lake Brantley winning every match they faced. They beat Wekiva 10-0 and 17-5 and then went on to beat Lake Brantley 8-0 and 4-1. The same cannot be said about Apopka and Olympia. West Orange and Apopka had very close games both times they met, with the score lines being 2-4 and 1-4 losses for the Warriors. Against Olympia the Warriors had a harder time keeping it close as they lost by five both times they met.
WINTER GARDEN – The West Orange Warriors are going through a bit of a rough patch but they remain hopeful. The Warriors are 8-13, which may not seem that bad, but coming off an impressive 26-4 season last year, this season is not one to remember so far for the players or the organization. This could stem from the
fact that the coaching staff changed just weeks before the preseason started as previous head coach Jesse Marlo stepped down and Graig Smith took over last second. The Warriors are 4-4 in their district which includes the likes of Apopka, Olympia, Wekiva, and Lake Brantley.
Despite their less than impressive record, the Warriors remain hopeful and still look forward to the post season. When asked about the post-season, Spalding University commit and West Orange High School senior Luke Douglas stated, “Playoffs will be difficult for all the teams. Our main challenge will be beating Olympia but we will have all our pitchers and the rest of our team ready.” He also recognized that this would be somewhat of a rebuilding season as the sudden change in coaching staff threw a curve ball at the organization. Luke Douglas said that, “The season has had its ups and downs and has been a great rebuilding season.” The Warriors only have three regular season games left before they head into the playoffs with their next game coming up on April the 24th against the East Ridge Knights in a non-district game at 7:30.
Page 10 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18
Windermere Girls Lacrosse End Season Greyson Everidge
WINDERMERE – The Windermere girl’s lacrosse team ended their season this past week,
after losing to West Orange in the district semi-final match. Windermere, who opened
this year as the relief school for West Orange, were at a disadvantage from the very beginning because they played the year without any seniors – who all stayed at West Orange for the 2017-2018 school year. Ending the season (7-8), the Wolverines did good considering their circumstances. With a stadium that only opened around halfway through the season, a new program and no seniors the odds were stacked against them. Despite this, the girls showed great effort and class throughout the duration of their inaugural season. Some of their more memorable moments included beating Timber Creek by a score of 13-9, Boone by a score of 11-5, Lake Mary Prep by a score of 12-9 and a blowout against Olympia which saw Windermere win 25-3. The team was led by Katie Boenemen, Jayden Smith and Taylor Swartz. Windermere played their last game of the season against West Orange, where they lost by a score of 17-1. Windermere’s coach, Ann Bomleny coached against her daughter, Meagan Bomleny, who is a senior for West Orange and committed to South Eastern University. “We are sad that we lost but at the same time we are happy of what we did this season,” said Katie Boenemen. “Next year will be good because we will have seniors. We have a good team and all of us are already looking forward to being together next year again.”
4/25/18 - 5/8/18 • Florida Sporting News
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Page 12 Florida Sporting News • 4/25/18 - 5/8/18