TAMPA — Immediately after the celebratory photos and team rendition of the Sickles alma mater, conflicting accounts surfaced as to whether aching Gryphons goalkeeper Ryan Cooper asked to be removed from Saturday’s Class 4A, District 8 final. What is undisputed is this: Even as the slender sophomore’s right hip throbbed, ...
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Sat. Jan. 26, 2013 at 10:11 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — Arelys Jiminez’s birthday gift formally arrived 35 minutes into Friday’s Class 4A, District 8 semifinals. The celebration, however, didn’t commence until more than an hour later. Jiminez’s son, Sickles senior Carlos Sifontes, scored the top-seeded Gryphons’ goal in the first half, then watched his team prevail in the ...
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Fri. Jan. 25, 2013 at 9:58 p.m. | Joey Knight
CLEARWATER — A pair of Pinellas win streaks were on the line Friday at the Senior Soccer All-Star Challenge at Countryside High School. One came to an end, while another was extended. The Hillsborough girls snapped a three-year losing streak to Pinellas with a 3-1 win in the night’s first ...
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Sat. March 10, 2012 at 12:34 a.m. | Rodney Page
We momentarily interrupt our regular football coverage for some futbol coverage. As if on tip-toe, soccer season has snuck upon us from behind and free-kicked us to full attention. With eyes wide open, we've discovered most of east Hillsborough is rebuilding, the private-school stalwarts are replenishing and the noise some ...
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Sat. Nov. 05, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. | Joey Knight
All matches Thursday at 7 p.m. Class 6A Bloomingdale (15-2-3) at Countryside (21-1-1) Winner faces: Sarasota Riverview-Wharton winner Who’s hot: Bloomingdale — F Tevin Gage (13 goals in past seven matches); Countryside — Cougars defense (16 shutouts) Sarasota Riverview (9-5-3) at Wharton (10-10-1) Winner faces: Bloomingdale-Countryside winner Who’s hot: Riverview ...
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Mon. Jan. 31, 2011 at 10:10 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — Sickles entered this week's Class 5A, District 9 tournament at King High with no returning starter from last year's district title team, no momentum and essentially no depth.No problem.Using only 11 players for the entire 80 minutes on a 56-degree Friday night, the Gryphons (17-6-3) exploded for three ...
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Fri. Jan. 28, 2011 at 8:47 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — Tempers flared Thursday as Gaither narrowly avoided upset with a 2-0 win over Freedom in a hard-fought match.The Cowboys appeared to have the upper hand after taking the lead just two minutes into the match when a free kick by junior Jacob Snidle smacked off the crossbar and ...
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Thu. Jan. 27, 2011 at 10:02 p.m. | David Rice
NEW PORT RICHEY — The score at the end of the Pompano Beach Ely-Sickles title match was a bit deceiving. Despite the Gryphons scoring only one goal, they dominated in almost every facet. They held Ely to three shots on goal and controlled time of possession throughout. Not too shabby ...
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Thu. Dec. 30, 2010 at 12:37 a.m. | Andy Villamarzo
NEW PORT RICHEY — There’s nothing like getting the underclassmen some playing time while the starters are out during the holidays. That’s what Sickles coach Antonio Calvo had to do Tuesday night, as the Gryphons were without six of their starters but nonetheless defeated Clearwater 2-0 in the semifinals of ...
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Wed. Dec. 29, 2010 at 12:29 a.m. | Andy Villamarzo
More than likely, you've seen at least one of them this summer without realizing it. They're all around, really, from seven-on-seven to summer leagues to soccer camps: fledgling prep stars poised to burst from their cocoon of obscurity. These are the athletes who will break through in the 2010-11 school ...
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Tue. July 06, 2010 at 5:44 p.m. | Times Staff
Three members of Sickles' nationally-ranked 2010 soccer team -- midfielders Boris Simeunovic and Joey Ltief and goalkeeper Brandon Stout -- will sign with Polk County-based colleges Wednesday, Gryphons athletic director Ken Lombardia announced. Simeunovic, a Times first-team all-county pick last season, will sign with Division II Florida Southern in Lakeland. ...
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Mon. May 03, 2010 at 3:01 p.m. | Joey Knight
Player of the YearMF Anthony Baumann, Sr., Tampa Prep Why we picked him: He made the Terrapins go, plain and simple. The point guard of a prolific state championship offense, Baumann tallied 17 goals and a county-best 32 assists for Tampa Prep, which captured its fourth state crown in six ...
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Wed. March 10, 2010 at 6:37 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — If you looked skyward at Sickles' stadium Friday, you might have spotted tiny flurries dancing in the wind beneath the lights. If you looked on the field, you would've spotted something equally implausible. The Seminole Warhawks, upsetting their second nationally ranked foe in four nights. Seventy-two hours after ...
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Fri. Feb. 12, 2010 at 9:30 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — After a 100-minute command performance Tuesday night against north Tampa rival Gaither, Sickles senior goalkeeper Brandon Stout still had an encore left in him. Forced to the penalty-kick round for the second time in 12 days against the Cowboys (16-5-1), Stout deflected Gaither's first three attempts Tuesday to ...
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Tue. Feb. 09, 2010 at 9:07 p.m. | Joey Knight
TAMPA — To hype tonight's big game, the halls at Sickles have been adorned with spirit banners. Music has been played during lunch to get students psyched. The match is being promoted over the PA system during morning announcements. The Gryphons, it appears, are ready for some futbol. "My school ...
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Mon. Feb. 08, 2010 at 4:56 p.m. | Joey Knight