Saint Stephen's now features wrestling as a Florida High School Athletic Association recognized sport, and the Falcons will debut 4:30 p.m. Monday at Palmetto in a junior-varsity meet.
All of the Falcons' meets will be JV, and they will visit Clearwater Central Catholic on Dec. 12, Sarasota on Dec. 19, Braden River on Jan. 13, Englewood Lemon Bay on Jan. 16 and will compete in the county JV tournament Jan. 27 and 28 at Manatee, as well as the Don Sanford JV tournament Jan. 30 at Port Charlotte.
Saint Stephen's will wrestle varsity in the postseason, however, beginning with the Class 1A-District 11 meet, scheduled for Feb. 6 at Cape Coral Island Coast.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Canes grapplers ready to tackle adversity
Coach Andy Gugliemini and his Manatee Hurricanes have never shied away from challenges.
Well, the 2009-10 season should provide plenty of them.
Manatee was bumped from Class 2A to 3A this season, putting the Hurricanes in the same classification as state powers Kissimmee Osceola and Miami South Dade, along with Brandon, which has won 20 state championships and also made the jump from 2A.
Not only that, but the Hurricanes will have to make due without some key personnel, including three-time state-qualifier Isaac Riley, who Gugliemini said has chosen not to wrestle, and junior Alex Doran, who won a state title as a freshman and was a state runner-up last year.
Doran hurt his knee and probably won't see action until January.
Kyle Ballard, another state qualifier, has moved to Wauchula, and Jacob Gregory, who won a state championship last season, graduated.
"It's just another challenge," , said Gugliemini, whose Canes have won four straught district titles and finished second in the state in Class 2A twice in the last three years. "We still have kids who have worked hard in the wrestling room, and we're not going to sit there and cry about the kids who aren't in that room - we're going to work with the kids who are.
"They want to be Manatee Hurricanes."
One of the guys who wants to be in that room is Doran, who became Manatee's first freshman wrestler to win a state crown in 2008, and nearly repeated last year before losing 3-2 to Brandon's Clark Glass in the finals of the 130-pound class.
"He'll be all right," Gugliemini said. "He'll be ready when January rolls around. He's matured, that's the biggest thing, and yeah, he's a hard worker, and losing by a point in the state finals will only make him want to work harder."
Among the returning Hurricanes are juniors Marshall Stewart and Travis Fulk, senior Stephen Cotton and sophomore Ronnie Whitt, all of whom made state last year.
Stewart enjoyed the biggest breakthrough of all, rallying to finish third in the state at 135 pounds.
And Gugliemini is high on freshman Thor Miller (215 pounds), who won a national championship while wrestling with the Manatee Kids Club.
"He's going to be a monster," Gugliemini said.
As for the rest of his wrestlers, Gugliemini is confident they will be ready at the right time.
"By the time January rolls around," he said, "our kids are gonna to be ready."
Well, the 2009-10 season should provide plenty of them.
Manatee was bumped from Class 2A to 3A this season, putting the Hurricanes in the same classification as state powers Kissimmee Osceola and Miami South Dade, along with Brandon, which has won 20 state championships and also made the jump from 2A.
Not only that, but the Hurricanes will have to make due without some key personnel, including three-time state-qualifier Isaac Riley, who Gugliemini said has chosen not to wrestle, and junior Alex Doran, who won a state title as a freshman and was a state runner-up last year.
Doran hurt his knee and probably won't see action until January.
Kyle Ballard, another state qualifier, has moved to Wauchula, and Jacob Gregory, who won a state championship last season, graduated.
"It's just another challenge," , said Gugliemini, whose Canes have won four straught district titles and finished second in the state in Class 2A twice in the last three years. "We still have kids who have worked hard in the wrestling room, and we're not going to sit there and cry about the kids who aren't in that room - we're going to work with the kids who are.
"They want to be Manatee Hurricanes."
One of the guys who wants to be in that room is Doran, who became Manatee's first freshman wrestler to win a state crown in 2008, and nearly repeated last year before losing 3-2 to Brandon's Clark Glass in the finals of the 130-pound class.
"He'll be all right," Gugliemini said. "He'll be ready when January rolls around. He's matured, that's the biggest thing, and yeah, he's a hard worker, and losing by a point in the state finals will only make him want to work harder."
Among the returning Hurricanes are juniors Marshall Stewart and Travis Fulk, senior Stephen Cotton and sophomore Ronnie Whitt, all of whom made state last year.
Stewart enjoyed the biggest breakthrough of all, rallying to finish third in the state at 135 pounds.
And Gugliemini is high on freshman Thor Miller (215 pounds), who won a national championship while wrestling with the Manatee Kids Club.
"He's going to be a monster," Gugliemini said.
As for the rest of his wrestlers, Gugliemini is confident they will be ready at the right time.
"By the time January rolls around," he said, "our kids are gonna to be ready."
Take the bus to Palm Bay Bayside
Chartered buses have been made available to anyone wanting to go to Manatee’s Class 5A-Region 3 championship game Friday night at Palm Bay Bayside.
The cost is $30 and includes a ticket to the game, a soft drink and two sandwiches at the game.
Tickets can be purchased at Manatee High from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and the buses will depart the Shake Pit, 3801 Manatee Ave. W, 3 p.m. Friday.
Parking for those taking the bus will be available at the Westgate Publix.
For more information, call 714-7300.
The cost is $30 and includes a ticket to the game, a soft drink and two sandwiches at the game.
Tickets can be purchased at Manatee High from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, and the buses will depart the Shake Pit, 3801 Manatee Ave. W, 3 p.m. Friday.
Parking for those taking the bus will be available at the Westgate Publix.
For more information, call 714-7300.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Manatee's foe in new territory
Manatee will be playing for the program's 11th regional championship Friday when the Hurricanes head to Palm Bay Bayside for the Class 5A-Region 3 final.
The hosts will be playing for their first.
The Bears are in the playoffs for the third time and secured their first postseason win Nov. 20 with a 17-13 win over Royal Palm Beach. On Friday, Bayside (8-4) rolled past Melbourne 28-3 to clinch their first appearance in a regional final.
The Bears made the postseason in 2006 but lost 30-0 to Daytona Beach Mainland, and qualified again last season before losing 33-7 to Delray Beach Atlantic.
By contrast, the Hurricanes (11-1) are in the playoffs for the 23rd time and are 43-18 in postseason play following Friday's 21-7 win over St. Petersburg in a regional semifinal.
The hosts will be playing for their first.
The Bears are in the playoffs for the third time and secured their first postseason win Nov. 20 with a 17-13 win over Royal Palm Beach. On Friday, Bayside (8-4) rolled past Melbourne 28-3 to clinch their first appearance in a regional final.
The Bears made the postseason in 2006 but lost 30-0 to Daytona Beach Mainland, and qualified again last season before losing 33-7 to Delray Beach Atlantic.
By contrast, the Hurricanes (11-1) are in the playoffs for the 23rd time and are 43-18 in postseason play following Friday's 21-7 win over St. Petersburg in a regional semifinal.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Regional football matchups
Here are the area matchups for Friday's playoff football games.
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Class 5A-Region 3 semifinal
St. Petersburg (10-1) at Manatee (10-1)
Class 3A-Region 3 semifinal
Lake Wales (9-1) at Braden River (7-4)
Class 1B-Region 3 final
Fort Myers Evangelical Christian (9-2) at Out-of-Door Academy (9-1)
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Class 5A-Region 3 semifinal
St. Petersburg (10-1) at Manatee (10-1)
Class 3A-Region 3 semifinal
Lake Wales (9-1) at Braden River (7-4)
Class 1B-Region 3 final
Fort Myers Evangelical Christian (9-2) at Out-of-Door Academy (9-1)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Manatee's first-round opponent has pulled off solid turnaround
Say this about St. Petersburg Gibbs, which will host Manatee in a Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal Friday night:
The Gladiators know when to start winning.
After an 0-3 start during which they were outscored 120-44, the Gladiators reeled off six wins in their final seven games and clinched the District 9 title with a 41-13 win over St. Petersburg 41-13 on Oct. 9.
It was the lone loss of the season for the Green Devils, who head to Venice on Friday in another regional quarterfinal.
Spurring the resurgence has been senior quarterback Josh Rembert, who has thrown for 1,550 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was solid against St. Petersburg, completing 13 of 18 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns.
Gibbs is coached by former pro cornerback Donnie Abraham, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2001.
The Gladiators know when to start winning.
After an 0-3 start during which they were outscored 120-44, the Gladiators reeled off six wins in their final seven games and clinched the District 9 title with a 41-13 win over St. Petersburg 41-13 on Oct. 9.
It was the lone loss of the season for the Green Devils, who head to Venice on Friday in another regional quarterfinal.
Spurring the resurgence has been senior quarterback Josh Rembert, who has thrown for 1,550 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was solid against St. Petersburg, completing 13 of 18 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns.
Gibbs is coached by former pro cornerback Donnie Abraham, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2001.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Hurricanes looking to win Friday
Manatee finds itself in peculiar place this week - the Hurricanes are playing football.
Since Joe Kinnan returned to the sideline in 2005, Manatee had its bye week during Week 10. This year, the Hurricanes were off during Week 4. So Manatee (8-1) will close the regular season 7:30 p.m. Friday in Sarasota when the Hurricanes face Booker.
"We're playing to win," Kinnan said, "and keep the guys in there we need to have in there."
Kinnan views the Tornadoes (3-6) as a good tune-up for Manatee's Class 5A-Region 3 opener at St. Petersburg Gibbs on Nov. 20.
"They always have good athletes. Coach (Fred) Gilmore does a great job," Kinnan said. "They have similar athletes to what were are going to see against Gibbs."
The Hurricanes are hoping click as well offensively as they did against North Port, when they scored 43 points in the first half. Kinnan sat all his starters after halftime.
Since Joe Kinnan returned to the sideline in 2005, Manatee had its bye week during Week 10. This year, the Hurricanes were off during Week 4. So Manatee (8-1) will close the regular season 7:30 p.m. Friday in Sarasota when the Hurricanes face Booker.
"We're playing to win," Kinnan said, "and keep the guys in there we need to have in there."
Kinnan views the Tornadoes (3-6) as a good tune-up for Manatee's Class 5A-Region 3 opener at St. Petersburg Gibbs on Nov. 20.
"They always have good athletes. Coach (Fred) Gilmore does a great job," Kinnan said. "They have similar athletes to what were are going to see against Gibbs."
The Hurricanes are hoping click as well offensively as they did against North Port, when they scored 43 points in the first half. Kinnan sat all his starters after halftime.
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