A spotlight on the Times’ players of the week

Female HotShot
Kayla Kivinski,
Gulf High
Sport: Basketball
Skinny: Kivinski already won this award in November, but her performance Friday was too good to ignore. The junior wing exploded for a career-high 49 points while adding more than 20 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 68-58 overtime win over Wiregrass Ranch. Her 49 points are believed to be the most in Pasco County since Sthefany Thomas dropped that many for Wesley Chapel during a 2006 overtime victory over Tampa Catholic. Kivinski, the Times’ 2012 North Suncoast player of the year, has the Buccaneers as the No. 2 seed in this week’s Class 5A, District 8 tournament.

Male HotShot
Nick Schroder,
River Ridge High
Sport: Soccer
Skinny: Schroder was preparing himself for penalty kicks with three minutes left in the second overtime of Friday’s Class 3A, District 8 title game against rival Mitchell. But when a deflection sent the ball his way, the junior capitalized. After he helped his team upset Gulf to secure a playoff berth, Schroder’s goal from the top of the box broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Royal Knights the win. “Schroder was cool, calm, collected, and he slid it home,” River Ridge coach Mike McHugh said after the game. The 2-1 victory capped off River Ridge’s first district title in at least a decade.