Urban/rural committee makes recommendations to FHSAA

The urban/rural committee, which was put together by the Florida State Athletic Association to gather feedback from parents and coaches throughout the state, presented its recommendations to the FHSAA at the association's lastest board meeting.
The recommendations:
1. A Division II classification - Made up of member schools private and public, Division II would be for high schools residing in an area classified as rural by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Econmonic Devlopment and with an enrollment of 500 students or less. The classification would cover boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, softball and girls volleyball.
2. Recruiting penalties - The committee believes recruiting offenses must be penalized with severe measures, including suspension from the association, exclusion from the state playoffs and heftier fines.
3. Capping international students - The committee wants to see the FHSAA use a clearinghouse to determine eligibility for international students, just as it does to determine a member's accreditation. The committee recommended no more than one international students participate on a varsity team.
4. Seeking feedback - The FHSAA should gather information and opinions from other schools on the topics of reclassification and redistricting.

Regional softball pairings

Listed below are the pairings for the first round of the regional softball tournament, which begins Tuesday.
Game time is 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 5A-Region 3 - Manatee (18-7) at Tampa Gaither (18-9)
Of note: Manatee is a regional qualifier for a second straight year and defeated Seminole Osceola on the road in the first round last season. Gaither, the fourth seed heading into the District 9 tournament, defeated Tampa Chamberlain in the semifinals and Tampa Sickles in the finals. Both teams beat Gaither twice during the regular season.
Class 4A-Region 3 - Tampa Jefferson (13-6) at Lakewood Ranch (23-3)
Of note: The Mustangs won their first district title in eight years and second overall and boast a two-pronged pitching attack in Brittany Kilduff and Huntyre Elling. The Dragons are in the regional playoffs for the first time in team history.
Class 4A-Region 3 - Braden River (18-8) at Tampa Steinbrenner
Of note: The Warriors won a district title in their first season. The Pirates are regional qualifiers for the fourth straight time.
Class 3A-Region 3 - Cardinal Mooney at Fort Myers Bishop Verot

Boothby named to All-State Academic Team

Saint Stephen's Jenny Boothby has been named to the Florida High School Athletic Association's 2010 Academic All-State Team, which was announced Wednesday.
Boothby has a weighted grade-point average above 4.0 and earned varsity letters this season in basketball, volleyball, softball and tennis. She is headed to Georgia Tech to study biomedical engineering on the Godbold Foundation Scholarship.
Boothby receives $1,000 and a medallion for being one of 24 student-athletes to make the team.
To be eligible, students must be a graduatng senior with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.5, along with earning a varsity letter in at least two different sports as a junior or senior.

District softball: What to watch

The district softball playoffs are here, and listed below are some storylines to watch.
They are listed in no particular order.

1. Manatee - The Hurricanes are seeded second in Class 5A-District 10 and need to beat Naples Gulf Coast 7 p.m. Tuesday at G.T. Bray to clinch a regional berth for a second straight year. But what the Canes really want is a crack at Venice, the tournament's top seed. The Indians beat Manatee in last year's District 12 final and then knocked the Canes out of the Region 3 playoffs.
"We're playing well at the end," said coach John Carlock, whose team is 18-6. "We're finding ways to win games."
A Manatee win, coupled with Venice beating either Punta Gorda Charlotte or Port Charlotte, sends both teams back to Venice for Thursday's championship game. The Canes and Indians split their two regular-season games.

2. Braden River and Lakewood Ranch - They are the top two teams in Class 4A-District 10 thanks to the ladies in the circle. Braden River transfer Huntyre Elling has defeated the Pirates twice this season, but the Pirates have a solid pitcher in freshman Hannah Loyer. The Mustangs are the No. 1 seed, earning themselves an automatic spot in the semifinals where they play either Palmetto or St. Petersburg Lakewood on Wednesday. Second-seeded Braden River hosts St. Petersburg Dixie Hollins 7 p.m. Tuesday. The championship will be played 7 p.m. Friday. The game will be played in Pinellas County unless two Manatee County teams qualify, in which case the higher seed hosts.
Don't be surprised if Lakewood Ranch and Braden River are playing for it all Friday night.

3. Saint Stephen's - The Falcons may be a pedestrian 6-9, but the important thing is the Falcons are playing softball after last season was cancelled because of a lack of interest. They play St. Petersburg Shorecest Prep at 2 p.m. Tuesday in a Class 2A-District 11 game at St. Petersburg Northside Christian.

4. Bradenton Christian - The Panthers scored a big win - mentally and physically - when they knocked off Brooksville Hernando Christian last Friday, scoring a 2-1 win on the road. The Panthers play Seffner Christian at 2 p.m. Tuesday in a Class 1A-District 8 semifinal at Hernandon Christian, and could wind up in Thursday's championship game and the Region 3 playoffs.

District softball schedules

Softball district playoffs begin next week, with Southeast hosting Booker 6 p.m. Monday in Class 3A-District 11 play in game.
Listed below are the pairings.

Class 5A-10
Tuesday - Naples Gulf Coast at Manatee, 7 p.m.
Thursday - Championship, 7 p.m. at the highest remaining seed.

Class 4A-10
Tuesday — Palmetto at St. Petersburg Lakewood, 7 p.m.; Bayshore at Seminole Osceola, 7 p.m.; St. Petersburg Dixie Hollins at Braden River, 7 p.m.
Wednesday - Palmetto/St. Pete Lakewood winner at Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.; Bayshore/Seminole Osceola winner vs/at. Dixie Hollins/Braden River, 7 p.m.
Friday - Championship, 7 p.m. Pinellas County hosts unless two teams Manatee County teams are playing. If that case, the higher seed hosts.

Class 3A-11 at Southeast
Monday - Booker at Southeast in a play-in game, 6 p.m.
Tuesday - Cardinal Mooney vs. Wauchula Hardee, 5:30 p.m.; Southeast/Booker vs. Arcadia DeSoto, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday - Championship, 7 p.m.

Class 2A-11 at St. Petersburg Northside Christian
Tuesday - St. Petersburg Shorecrest vs. Saint Stephen’s, 2 p.m.; St. Petersburg Northside Christian vs. Out-of-Door Academy, 4 p.m.
Thursday - Championship, 7 p.m.

Class 1A-8 at Brooksville Hernando Christian
Tuesday - Bradenton Christian vs. Seffner Christian, 2 p.m.
Thursday - Championship, 5 p.m.

Regional tennis pairings

Listed below are the pairings for Tuesday's regional team tennis semifinals.
Winners advance to Thursday's regional finals.

Girls
Class 4A - Manatee at Vero Beach, 3 p.m.
Class 3A - Lakewood Ranch at Winter Haven, 3 p.m.
Class 2A - Bayshore at Lutz George Steinbrenner, 3 p.m.
Class 1A - St. Petersburg Northside Christian at ODA, 3 p.m.; Saint Stephen's at St. Petersburg Northside Christian, 3 p.m.

Boys
Class 3A - Lakeland George Jenkins at Lakewood Ranch, 3 p.m.; Braden River at Winter Haven, 3 p.m.
Class 2A - Lutz George Steinbrenner at Bayshore, 3 p.m.
Class 1A - St. Petersburg Canterbury vs. Cardinal Mooney at Laurel Oaks Country Club, 3 p.m.

FHSAA announces state lifters

Listed below are the local qualifiers for the Class 1A and 2A state weightlifting meet, scheduled for Friday April 23 and Saturday April 24 at New Port Richey River Ridge High School.
*-denotes sectional champion.

Class 2A
BRADEN RIVER - Chris Wong, 119 pounds; Ben Peacock, 154*; Tevin Bryant, 219.
LAKEWOOD RANCH - Kyle Carter, 119* Mike Myers, 169*; Steve Birakis, 199.*

Smith to coach Hurricanes hoops

Randy Smith has been named Manatee's new boys basketball coach, replacing Shawn Campbell, who was let go earlier this month.
Smith coaches Lakewood Ranch's boys to their only district title in 2005.
For more on this story, check out Friday's edition of The Bradenton Herald.

District tennis begins next week

Boys and girls district tennis tournaments get underway next week, with three area schools playing host.
Southeast welcomes the Class 2A-District 9 tournament beginning 10 a.m. Monday, April 12. Bayshore is the other local in the district, which includes Booker, Arcadia DeSoto, Englewood Lemon Bay, St. Petersburg Lakewood and Seminole Osceola.
The 1A-District 10 tournament will be split. Saint Stephen's hosts the boys portion and Out-of-Door Academy is the site for the girls bracket. Both begin 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Bradenton Christian, Cardinal Mooney, Fort Myers Canterbury, Community School of Naples, Fort Myers Evangelical Christian, Naples First Baptist, Naples St. John Neumann and Naples Seacrest Country Day are also competing.
Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and Palmetto will be in Punta Gorda Charlotte for the Class 3A-District 10 tournament, beginning 9 a.m. Tuesday. Port Charlotte, Venice and the host Tarpons round out the field.
The lone local team in Class 4A-District 7, Manatee will be at Sarasota High for that tournament, which begins 8 a.m. Monday.
North Port, Plant City, Riverview and the host Sailors will be there, as well.