Berkeley Prep G/F Justin Gray, who owns more than a dozen offers from Division I and Ivy League programs, said Monday night Butler currently tops his collegiate wish list. Gray, who participated in a local all-star game Monday night in Berkeley's gym, said he also has offers from Houston, James ...
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Tue. June 18, 2013 at 10:24 a.m. | Joey Knight
Lakewood wide receiver Jocqui Ellison said he likely will announce his college decision on Wednesday. Ellison said Monday that he is deciding between Indiana and USF, with a heavy lean toward the Bulls. “I’d say it’s about 75 percent that I’ll commit to USF,” Ellison said. Ellison has a workout ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. | Bob Putnam
USF has landed the commitment of the bay area’s top quarterback prospect in the class of 2014, Wharton’s Chase Litton. The senior-to-be moved up his decision after Miami Jackson quarterback Quinton Flowers reportedly announced his pledge to USF over the weekend. Litton moved quickly to secure a spot in Willie ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 12:59 p.m. | Joel Anderson
Gibbs wide receiver/defensive back Maurice Hall committed to UCF over the weekend. Hall, listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, had offers from six other schools, including Oklahoma, USF and West Virginia. “Maurice went on a visit there this past weekend, and he really liked it,” Gladiators coach Rick Kravitz ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 12:37 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Gaither rising senior quarterback Alex McGough has orally committed to Florida International, making him the first of the bay area’s top signal-callers to choose a school. “Officially a FIU panther!!!,” McGough said via his Twitter account Sunday night. The 6-foot-3 McGough held one other offer, from Colgate. But he generated ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 10:43 a.m. | Joel Anderson
Countryside defensive back Mike Johnson whittled down his list of offers by announcing a tentative list of his top 10 schools on Saturday. Johnson's list is wide-ranging and includes just state schools: Florida State and UCF. The other colleges who made his cut are: Arizona, Louisville, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas ...
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Sat. June 15, 2013 at 11:30 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Plant rising junior cornerback Derrick Baity has received his first scholarship offer, from USF, he said Saturday. Baity’s coaches told him about the offer following the Panthers’ participation at the USF Sling 'N Shoot 7-on-7 tournament on Saturday. “It feels so good,” Baity said. “I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling yet.” The ...
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Sat. June 15, 2013 at 7:29 p.m. | Joel Anderson
Alonso senior William Taylor-Haynes, who eclipsed 14 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles as a senior and placed third in the event at the Class 4A state meet, signed Friday with North Carolina State. The news was reported on Alonso's track and field website. A four-time state medalist, Haynes had been ...
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Fri. June 14, 2013 at 9:41 p.m. | Joey Knight
Clearwater Central Catholic defensive lineman Justus Reed has picked up offers in rapid fashion, including one from nearly every major state school. The only one missing was Florida. That came Thursday when Gators coach Will Muschamp extended an offer to the senior at the end of a one-day camp in ...
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Thu. June 13, 2013 at 9:02 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Seminole pitcher/outfielder Tylor Craft committed to St. Petersburg College, according to coach Jeff Pincus. Craft was a two-year starter in the outfield for Seminole and hit .250 with seven RBIs and had nine stolen bases this spring. But Craft really emerged as a pitcher. After starting the season as a ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 7:09 p.m. | Rodney Page
Pinellas Park defensive back/running back Pierre Johnson received an offer from Ohio University on Tuesday, according to coach Kenny Crawford. It's his first Division-I offer. Johnson, who has a Division I-AA offer from Wofford, had eight interceptions, 527 yards rushing and 250 yards receiving in his junior year. Johnson is also ...
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Tue. June 11, 2013 at 5:43 p.m. | Rodney Page
It took a few months past signing day, but one of Tampa Bay's top basketball talents is headed north. Wesley Chapel basketball star Erik Thomas signed with East Georgia State on Tuesday afternoon, Thomas said. “I honestly didn’t expect it to take this long…” Thomas said. “I’m trying to use ...
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Tue. June 11, 2013 at 3:47 p.m. | Matt Baker
Fivay senior Willis Reeves will sign to play football at Louisburg College, a junior college in North Carolina, Reeves said Tuesday afternoon in an email. Reeves, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete, had 30 tackles for the Falcons during their 6-4 season. He also intercepted three passes and caught three touchdowns. He ...
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Tue. June 11, 2013 at 3:20 p.m. | Matt Baker
Wiregrass Ranch LB/RB Jordan Mutcherson has received his first college offer, from Youngstown State, Bulls coach Mike Lawrence said Sunday in a text message. Mutcherson, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior, is one of Pasco County’s sleeper prospects after transferring from Zephyrhills to Jefferson to Wiregrass during his junior year. As a ...
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Sun. June 09, 2013 at 4:54 p.m. | Matt Baker
Plant City DE Sedrick King and ATH Landon Galloway, projected as the Raiders' starting quarterback this fall, committed to UCF while on the Knights' campus earlier today, Plant City defensive coordinator Greg Meyer announced. The pair is part of the Raiders contingent competing in UCF's annual seven-on-seven tournament, which attracts ...
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Sat. June 08, 2013 at 12:59 p.m. | Joey Knight
It happens in every game, more than a dozen times through the course of a season. A quarterback eludes defenders until he cannot escape the rush anymore and is swallowed up in a pile of pads. For Dixie Hollins’ Tyrie Adams, that innocuous play ended in a gruesome injury. In ...
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Tue. June 18, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Two weeks after giving the salutatorian speech at his high school graduation and 12 days after making Hernando County history, Christian Arroyo is headed to the pros. The Hernando shortstop signed with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, bypassing a scholarship at Florida to begin a professional career with the ...
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Tue. June 18, 2013 at 1:12 p.m. | Matt Baker
The ding from Kurt Browning’s iPhone sounded all weekend as parents bombarded the Pasco superintendent to support Jeff Swymer, who resigned as Wiregrass Ranch’s baseball coach last week rather than face a likely yearlong suspension for drinking beer on a trip for a school-sponsored tournament. Browning received two-dozen emails from ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 7:10 p.m. | Matt Baker
TAMPA — If you’re looking for the secret to the athletic success of Tampa Bay’s winningest high school, Rob Nelson doesn’t really have anything earth shattering to reveal. Just an extremely strong community, mixed in with a healthy dosage of school pride, a group of athletes — many of them ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 6:27 p.m. | John C. Cotey
Clearwater guard Eric Hester has transferred to Oldsmar Christian, Tornadoes coach Tom Shaneyfelt said. “This was something that was in the works before I was hired,” Shaneyfelt said. “I know that Eric is no longer enrolled here. There’s nothing I can do about that. I can just coach the players ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 4:43 p.m. | Bob Putnam
TAMPA — A half-decade ago, Sean Callahan would have sooner burned his blocking sleds than engage in 7-on-7 competition in the summer. Back then, Armwood High’s football program had yet to transition from its triple option, which the Hawks had employed with speed and brute force to capture consecutive state ...
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Fri. June 14, 2013 at 3:03 p.m. | Joey Knight
Clearwater High is planning major renovations to Jack White Stadium, complete with a new entrance, concession stand and an artificial turf field. This week, administrators revealed illustrations of what the project will look like during a meeting with prospective athletes and parents in the school’s auditorium. Clearwater athletic director Kathy ...
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Thu. June 13, 2013 at 10:15 a.m. | Bob Putnam
After a disappointing spring game loss to Gibbs, Northeast’s 7-on-7 team is showing some promise. The Vikings hosted and won an NFL High School Player Development sub-regional tournament at home last week. They then won the NFL HSPD regional tournament in Orlando on Wednesday. They lost their first game of the tournament but ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 8:22 p.m. | Rodney Page
Palm Harbor University running back/defensive back Demetri Royer has transferred to Clearwater Central Catholic. Royer, a junior, said in a direct message on Twitter that he will work out with the Marauders for the first time today. Last fall, Royer rushed for 280 yards and five touchdowns with the Hurricanes. ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 12:38 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Connor Gilboy, Sunlake Weighted/unweighted GPA: 4.41/3.91 Standardized test score: 27 ACT Sports: Soccer, football, tennis, cross country College: Florida Proudest academic accomplishment: Gilboy earned all-academic honors from the Sunshine Athletic Conference after completing his first three years of high school with only one B. His senior ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 11:43 a.m. | Matt Baker
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Garrett Schulte, Shorecrest Weighted/unweighted GPA: 4.64/4.0 Standardized test score: 32 ACT Sport: Football College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Proudest academic accomplishment: Schulte, the class valedictorian, said being able to maintain — and even increase — his grade-point average during his senior year was a big accomplishment. ...
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Tue. June 11, 2013 at 1:28 p.m. | Rodney Page
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Eric Chao, King Weighted/unweighted GPA: 8.50/3.83 Standardized test score: 2350 SAT (perfect 800 on math and reading, 750 on writing) Sport: Swimming College: Washington University in St. Louis Proudest academic accomplishment: The valedictorian in King’s International Baccalaureate program, Chao finished his senior year ranked second academically ...
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Tue. June 11, 2013 at 11:31 a.m. | Joey Knight
It’s foresight from here, baby. For the remainder of the summer, we’ll peek at the 2013 season, project on it and pontificate about it — at length. But before that, let’s reflect once more on what we saw this past spring. (Our lists are not ranked in order of importance ...
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Fri. June 07, 2013 at 2:31 p.m. | Times Staff
Lakewood has added former Buccaneer cornerback Corey Ivy to its coaching staff. Ivy played 10 seasons in the NFL, including from 2001-04 with the Bucs. He was on Tampa Bay's team that won the 2003 Super Bowl. Ivy's last NFL season was in 2009, when he played two games with ...
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Tue. June 04, 2013 at 5:54 p.m. | Rodney Page
Miami Booker 62, Lakewood 14: Lakewood coach Cory Moore said he wasn’t concerned about the score Friday night. He just wanted his players to experience a big-time football atmosphere in Miami. “This allowed our guys to see what a good team looks like and what we need to work on ...
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Sat. June 01, 2013 at 12:07 a.m. | Times Staff
At East Lake Score: East Lake 39, Osceola 29 Spring game-breakers: East Lake receiver Artavis Scott is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. The rising senior, considered one of the top recruits in the nation, almost accomplished that feat. In the first half he returned a ...
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Fri. May 31, 2013 at 11:43 p.m. | Bob Putnam
At Gibbs Score: Gibbs 28, Northeast 13 Spring game-breakers: Gibbs quarterback Brevet Killett and receiver Jacquez President had good chemistry in their first game together. President caught five passes for 128 yards and a 33-yard touchdown. He also had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. Killett, a Palm Harbor ...
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Fri. May 31, 2013 at 11:31 p.m. | Rodney Page
Chris Miller is the new football coach at Seminole High School. And Admiral Farragut Academy — just five months after firing Miller then replacing him with a guy who has already abandoned the shipwrecked program — doesn’t have a coach at all. You couldn’t blame Miller for finding all this ...
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Fri. May 31, 2013 at 8:52 p.m. | John C. Cotey
Former Plant High School star offensive lineman Richy Klepal, who retired from football in September after suffering a near-fatal concussion, has been cleared to start non-contact summer workouts with Florida State. “Cleared to practice everything but hitting,” Klepal said via Twitter Friday. “Its good to be back #NoleNation bout to ...
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Fri. May 31, 2013 at 8:10 p.m. | Joel Anderson
The biggest question for East Lake this spring: Who will throw the ball? The Eagles will get some answers Friday when they host Osceola in their spring game. Three quarterbacks — Jake Hudson, Jordan Leston and Brandon Swift — are vying to replace Pete DiNovo, the Tampa Bay Times’ all-Pinellas ...
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Thu. May 30, 2013 at 11:38 p.m. | Times Staff
Two-dozen of the bay area's top boys and girls prep basketball players convene at Berkeley Prep this evening for a one-night summer showcase. The Tampa Bay Futures Shootout, staged by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches, will feature nearly 40 players from the area and surrounding counties (Polk, Sarasota, Manatee) ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 9:43 a.m. | Joey Knight
Gibbs graduate Trayvon Bromell followed up his victory in the 100 by finishing second in the 200 in 20.91 seconds Sunday at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. Unlike Saturday, there were no national titles for locals on the final day of competition. But there were several strong performances. Hillsborough's Jorian Ordway ...
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Mon. June 17, 2013 at 1:27 a.m. | Bob Putnam
Before heading for the University of Alabama, Jeremiah Green made one final breathtaking bound at the prep level Saturday evening. Competing at North Carolina A&T University, the former Hillsborough High star won his second consecutive New Balance Outdoor Nationals triple jump title with a personal-record effort (52 feet, 2 inches). ...
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Sat. June 15, 2013 at 9:31 p.m. | Joey Knight
As he crouched in Lane 4 at the start of Saturday's 100 meter race, Trayvon Bromell knew that his biggest threat would come from Cameron Burrell, the son of former world-record holder Leroy Burrell, who was two lanes away. With an explosive start, Bromell, a recent Gibbs graduate, sliced through ...
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Sat. June 15, 2013 at 9:15 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Durant star Tyler Danish has confirmed that he signed with the Chicago White Sox after they made him the 55th overall pick in the MLB draft last week. Danish will accept the White Sox’s deal, choosing – as expected – a professional career over a scholarship offer from Florida. “It’s ...
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Fri. June 14, 2013 at 6:17 p.m. | Joel Anderson
Player of the Year: Christian Arroyo, Sr., Hernando If MLB draft gurus were surprised Hernando shortstop Christian Arroyo flew off the board in the first round, few in Brooksville were. • “The kid’s definitely got it all going on,” Leopards teammate and USF signee Brandon Lawson said. Arroyo was the ...
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Fri. June 14, 2013 at 10:36 a.m. | Times Staff
Tampa Catholic PG Isiah Thomas, a three-year Crusaders starter and 1,100-point scorer, has transferred to Oldsmar Christian. TC coach Don Dziagwa confirmed the move in a text message to the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday afternoon. Word of his transfer comes six days after the Times confirmed 6-foot-8 Carrollwood Day ...
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Thu. June 13, 2013 at 5:25 p.m. | Joey Knight
Drinking alcohol during an overnight baseball trip has led to the resignation of one of Tampa Bay’s top baseball coaches. Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeff Swymer resigned Thursday after facing a possible yearlong coaching ban for drinking, Pasco County Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said. “It pains everyone that it’s come to ...
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Thu. June 13, 2013 at 2:23 p.m. | Matt Baker
Our annual picks for the best players in our coverage area, spanning Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties: Player of the Year: Moriah Connolly, Sr., Palm Harbor University For two years, Palm Harbor University third baseman Moriah Connolly was a multi-sport athlete. She ran track, was a small forward in ...
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Thu. June 13, 2013 at 11:43 a.m. | Times Staff
BRANDON – The class was physical education and the game was usually dodgeball. Valrico Elementary teacher Tony Saladino let his fourth- and fifth-graders have at it during his classes most days. But it didn’t take long before Saladino noticed one of the boys in his class was putting a ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 9:06 p.m. | Joel Anderson
For 20 years, Tom Shaneyfelt paced the sideline inside Clearwater’s gymnasium, bellowing instructions to his girls basketball players. On Tuesday, Shaneyfelt maneuvered through the aisles of the school’s auditorium, glad-handing members of the community as he laid out plans for his new job as boys basketball coach. Shaneyfelt, hired last ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 5:29 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rachel Miller, Clearwater Central Catholic Weighted/unweighted GPA: 4.5/3.93 Standardized test score: 27 ACT Sport: Volleyball College: Jacksonville (to play volleyball) Proudest academic accomplishment: Juggling a rigorous workload that included seven advanced-placement courses, Miller still managed to hold one of the highest GPAs at her school and ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 4:28 p.m. | Bob Putnam
Gaither shortstop Oscar Mercado confirmed Wednesday that he has accepted a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him 57th overall last week. Mercado will choose a career in the minors over a scholarship offer from Florida State. Mercado said in a text message to the Tampa Bay Times’ ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 4:14 p.m. | Joel Anderson
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Corey Salzer, Berkeley Prep Unweighted GPA: 4.0 Standardized test score: 2290 SAT (Perfect 800 on writing and math, 690 in critical reading) Sports: Basketball, lacrosse, volleyball College: Washington University in St. Louis (volleyball scholarship) Proudest academic accomplishment: An AP scholar with honor and member of no ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 2:36 p.m. | Joey Knight
Former Clearwater boys basketball coach Allen Carden said Wednesday he has applied to be the girls basketball coach at the school. Carden, who stepped down from the boys program last month after four seasons, is one of 20 applicants so far for the girls’ job. Clearwater athletic director Kathy Biddle ...
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Wed. June 12, 2013 at 1:15 p.m. | Bob Putnam