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Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

Joel Anderson

Joel Anderson covers sports in the Hillsborough County bureau of the Tampa Bay Times. Anderson is a native of Houston and graduate of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. He has worked at the Associated Press in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Houston, the Times of Shreveport, La., and most recently, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Phone: (813) 225-3112

Email: janderson@tampabay.com

  1. Concussions halt Plant football star's career

    03/09/13CollegeBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    TAMPA

    The high-definition MRI showed small areas of bleeding on Richy Klepal's brain, a condition commonly known as a Duret hemorrhage, and usually only discovered during autopsies.

    "The outcome is almost universally fatal," reads a summation of the hemorrhage in Imaging Science Today.

    So five days before his 18th birthday, Richy went to Florida Orthopaedic Institute with his mother and girlfriend for a followup appointment. There was much to discuss but a single important recommendation: Richy, a star offensive tackle at Plant High School who was headed to Florida State upon graduation, must stop playing football....

    Plant lineman Richy Klepal has had at least five concussions that led to bleeding on his brain. His doctor has told him not to play at FSU.

  2. Michael Snaer, Seminoles beat Clemson

    01/24/13CollegeBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    TALLAHASSEE — Go ahead and add Clemson to the list of teams victimized by the last-second heroics of Florida State's Michael Snaer.

    With the score tied and eight seconds left Thursday night, the Seminoles gave Snaer the ball and let him do what he first did against Duke and then Virginia Tech.

    The 6-foot-5 senior guard made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting the Seminoles to a 60-57 victory in a game in which they didn't lead for nearly 30 minutes....

  3. Girls basketball: Seffner Christian 63, Academy at the Lakes 45

    01/12/13PrepsBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    SEFFNER — Tatiana Manuel won the opening tap and directed the ball to Andrea Mauger, who sprinted in for an easy layup. Academy at the Lakes led Seffner Christian only four seconds into the game. It lasted for about half a minute.

    Within a few minutes Saturday, Seffner Christian showed again that its most difficult challenges are going to come from outside the bay area.

    Sophomore forward Peyton Walker scored 17 to lead four players in double figures, lifting the Crusaders to a 63-45 victory over Academy at the Lakes in a game that had been billed as a showdown between two of the area's top private-school powers....

  4. Football: Alabama commitment erases a few more doubters at U.S. Army All-American Bowl

    01/05/13FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It had been a while since Derrick Henry entered a game without the burden of carrying a team on his broad shoulders.

    Henry came to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl with modest expectations, a mere role player on a team full of high school all-stars with their own impressive resumes and reputations.

    But once the game was under way Saturday, yet another team counted on the Yulee High star to make a difference....

    Yulee High running back Derrick Henry, who set the national career yardage mark, scores in the first half of the East’s victory.

  5. Freedom's Nate Godwin receives scholarship offer from USF

    12/21/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    TAMPA — Freedom senior defensive back Nate Godwin, who committed to Minnesota in October, announced Friday that he received a scholarship offer from USF.

    "Coach (Willie) Taggart from #USF just offered me a scholarship! 2nd offer from USF!" Godwin said via his Twitter account.

    Godwin, ranked No. 40 in the Tampa Bay Times' HomeTeam 100, had 47 tackles, five passes defensed, two interceptions and three touchdowns for the Patriots (3-7) this fall....

  6. Plant High grad Eric Patterson leads Ball State to Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl

    12/19/12CollegeBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETERSBURG — The recruiting dance had been going on for a few months when Eric Patterson got a phone call from a USF assistant coach not long before signing day in 2011.

    The coach told Patterson, then a defensive back for Plant High, he was too small. The Bulls were looking for bigger cornerbacks.

    Patterson ultimately went off to Ball State with those words ringing in his ears. He remembered them — and the rejection from his hometown team— when the Mid-American Conference school hosted USF on Sept. 22....

    Ball State corner Eric Patterson goes after USF running back Lindsey Lamar. Patterson, a Plant High grad, later makes the clinching interception against the school that didn’t want him.

  7. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    11/24/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers

    By the numbers

    1 Playoff victories in Newsome's first nine seasons of existence.

    2 Playoff victories for Newsome this season.

    14 Yards, the longest run for Tampa Catholic in its 10-7 loss to Clearwater Central Catholic. By comparison, CCC had seven runs longer than 14 yards.

    40 Playoff victories (including those later forfeited) for Armwood in the Sean Callahan era. Callahan made a point to tell reporters that defensive coordinator Matt Thompson has been on his coaching staff for all 40....

    The bricks were piled a bit more easily against this year’s version of the Plant offense.

  8. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    11/17/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers

    Let's play two. Week 2 of the football postseason features four rematches of regular-season showdowns. In order of appeal, we rank them:

    1. Armwood (8-3) at Hillsborough (9-1)

    First meeting: Hillsborough 3-0 on Oct. 18

    Veteran coach Earl Garcia was moved to tears after Hillsborough handed the penalty-prone Hawks their first shutout defeat in 11 years. For Garcia, will the sequel be a replicate of Godfather II or Caddyshack II?...

  9. Bethune-Cookman and former Jefferson High QB Quentin Williams at center stage for Florida Classic

    11/12/12CollegeBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    On his first visit to the Citrus Bowl, Quentin Williams spent a good bit of time absorbing the scene around him and two teammates from Jefferson High School.

    There was the stadium, filled nearly to capacity with more than 60,000 fans. There was music, the smell of smoked meats and one of college football's most celebrated halftime shows. And many of the same things — possibly with more people, he said — were going outside the stadium....

    Quentin Williams has gone from starring at Jefferson High to leading Bethune-Cookman.

  10. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    11/03/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers

    Super 7

    1. Plant (8-1): Congratulations to coach Robert Weiner, latest in the 100-victory club.

    2. Robinson (9-0): TECO doesn't possess the electricity that Jack Peters Field will have Friday (Plant-Robinson).

    3. Hillsborough (7-1): Idle Terriers still uncertain of playoff fate as they await player-eligibility investigation outcome.

    4. Durant (9-0): A win Friday at home against King clinches the Cougars' first undefeated regular season....

  11. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    10/27/12FootballprepsBy Joey Knight and Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writers

    Sunday morning quarterback: Super 7

    1. Plant (7-1): Panthers topple Armwood for the first time since 2009 and strengthen their hold on top spot.

    2. Robinson (8-0): Knights cross the bay and come back with their record unblemished and contender credentials established.

    3. Hillsborough (7-1): Have to feel for Terriers, who won the district title on the field but may have to compete in a tiebreaker (see story at left)....

    Plant and running back Wesley Bullock beat Armwood.

  12. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    10/20/12FootballprepsBy Joey Knight and Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writers

    Super 7

    1. Plant (6-1): Panthers' position atop rankings tenuous; Armwood and Robinson still loom.

    2. Robinson (7-0): Coach Mike DePue called the 47-0 win against Spoto sloppy. We should all be so unkempt.

    3. Hillsborough (6-1): And to think the Terriers blanked Armwood without Gators commitment Jordan Sherit.

    4. Armwood (6-2): Defensive shortcomings exposed at Hillsborough....

    Climbing highest Jesuit’s Travis Johnson reaches over Lakewood’s Lidell Golden Jr. (12) and Gary Sherman Jr. for a fourth-quarter score, though the rally falls short.

  13. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    10/13/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers<br /><br />

    Super 7

    1. Armwood (6-1): Hawks no longer winning big, but winning nonetheless.

    2. Plant (5-1): Have the Panthers uncovered another gem under center (Colby Brown)?

    3. Robinson (6-0): Knights defense to visit White House on Monday, bat for A-Rod on Tuesday.

    4. Durant (6-0): Newsome might be last team with a realistic shot to keep Durant from an unbeaten regular season....

    Sickles&#8217; Skylar Taphorn, left, Ray Ray McCloud, center, and DeAndre Mathis celebrate a 23-22 win over Hillsborough.

  14. Football: Plant 27, Wharton 7

    10/07/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer

    TAMPA — Wesley Bullock and Plant's defense were more than enough on a night when penalties, a long storm delay and Wharton's stingy defense made things ugly.

    Bullock took the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown and Bernard Rogers returned a fumble for another score on the next play, and that was all the Panthers needed to hold off Wharton in a 27-7 victory Saturday night.

    Bullock rushed for 94 yards, Colby Brown threw for 100 yards and a touchdown in his first start for Plant and the Panthers (4-1, 1-0) held Wharton to 164 yards of offense in the Class 8A District 6 opener for both teams....

  15. Hillsborough: Sunday morning quarterback

    10/06/12FootballprepsBy Joel Anderson and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers

    Super 7

    1. Armwood (5-1): On a night when so much goes wrong, the Hawks still find a way. That's what good teams do.

    2. Plant (4-1): Neither lightning, nor rain, nor a new starting quarterback could keep the Panthers from winning again.

    3. Robinson (5-0): This week's opponent, Bye, was the only one not to surrender a defensive touchdown to the Knights....

    Hawks flock to the ball Sickles running back Ray Ray McCloud (34) finds himself engulfed by Armwood defenders Beau Michael (50) and Antonio McCullough, right, during the fourth quarter. McCloud had to battle for all of his 67 yards in a 20-16 loss.