Prep football: Trent Miller to be a preferred walk-on at USF

(photo by Paul Videla)

Trent Miller said he is headed to USF as a preferred walk-on.

"I'm real excited," Miller said Tuesday night from Buffalo, N.Y.

Miller visited Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., and while he loved it - "Just a beautiful campus," he said - the Bulls were his choice.

"I couldn't pass up USF," he said.

Miller moved to Florida from Buffalo after working under Chris Weinke at the IMG Football Academy. Miller's mother moved back up to Buffalo earlier this year and he was going to stay down here, but that plan change when his mother got sick, and Trent moved back up to help take care of her while his dad worked in New York City.

Miller made the most of his lone year in Florida, passing for 2,449 yards and 30 touchdowns in helping the Tigers reach the Class 5A state final four.

Prep football: Two more Hurricanes to sign Wednesday

Manatee will have seven players signing during Wednesday's National Signing Day in the Davis Building.

Coach Joe Kinnan said wide receiver Ryan Taylor and running back Antonio Agurs will sign with Ferris State University, a Division II school in Michigan.

They will join running back Leon Allen (Western Kentucky), linebacker Hershel Caywood (Brown), defensive back Clinton Heaven (North Carolina) and linebacker Darius White (Iowa State) during Wednesday's 9 a.m. ceremony in the Davis Building.

Manatee won the Class 7A state title this year, its fifth overall and first since 1992.

Prep football: Palmetto's Dallas Jackson to sign with Jacksonville

Palmetto defensive back Dallas Jackson will sign with Jacksonville University, a FCS (formerly Division I-AA) school during Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Jackson had 42 solo tackles (55 total) and a team-best seven interceptions this year in helping the Tigers reach the Class 5A state final four.

Joining Jackson on Wednesday will be linebacker Daqual Randall (Western Kentucky), offensive linemen Kevin O'Brien (preferred walk-on at FAU) and Trai Sanders (preferred walk-on at USF), and tight end Kevin Healy (Massachusettes Martitime Academy).

Palmetto's signing ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in the school's auditorium.

Prep football: Manatee's award winners

Manatee's football team handed out its team awards during Monday night's banquet.

The winners are:

Booster President’s Character Award.......... Chase Sandberg
Charles Brown, Sr. 110% Effort Award......... Blake Keller
12th Man Award ................................................ Kelvin Carter
Big Play Award Offense.................................. Anthony Lauro
Big Play Award Defense................................. Rhoshaun Goff
Most Improved - Defense................................ Willie Smith
Most Improved - Offense................................. Jakob Sperko
Comeback Player............................................. Brent Yancy
Hammer Award................................................. Clint Heaven
Ironman Award................................................. Marquis Dawsey
Coaches’ Award - Offense.............................. Garrett Waiters
Coaches’ Award - Defense............................. Hershel Caywood
Outstanding Special Teams Player............... Nicolas Tankersley
Outstanding Offensive Back.......................... Leon Allen
Outstanding Defensive Back......................... Jalen Holmes
Outstanding Receiver...................................... Ryan Taylor
Outstanding Offensive Lineman................... Thor Miller
Outstanding Defensive Lineman.................. Derrick Calloway

Most Valuable Player - Offense..................... Cord Sandberg
Most Valuable Player - Defense.................... Darius White

Allen (Western Kentucky), Caywood (Brown), Heaven (North Carolina) and White (Iowa State) will sign letters of intent Wednesday during National Signing Day.

The ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Davis Building.

Prep soccer: Boys regional pairings

(photo by Paul Videla)

Braden River's Fabio Vasconcellos, left, and Manatee goalie Jonathan Hernandez are back in action Tuesday when the regional quarterfinals get underway.

Hernandez's Hurricanes beat Vasconcellos' Pirates during last week's Class 4A-District 11 final and will be at home, while Braden River is on the road.

Listed below are the local pairings. All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Winners of each game advance to Friday's regional semifinals.

CLASS 4A-REGION 3

Naples Barron Collier at Manatee

Braden River at Naples Gulf Coast

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

Tampa Leto at Palmetto

CLASS 1A-REGION 2

Tampa Prep at Saint Stephen's, 3:30 p.m.

Out-of-Door Academy at Largo Indian Rocks Christian

Prep wrestling: Manatee claims county crown

Manatee went 4-0 during Thursday's county wrestling championships at Lakewood Ranch, giving the Hurricanes their 15th title in 16 years.

Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch and Southeast went 2-2, and Braden River was 0-4.

Bayshore did not participate.

Listed below are the county champions for each weight class.

106 pounds - Mike Anolfo, Lakewood Ranch

113 - Evan Dipsiner, Lakewood Ranch

120 - Anthony Viscomi, Palmetto

126 - Dakota Dawsey, Manatee

132 - Blake Riley-Hawkins, Lakewood Ranch

138 - Jesse Fulk, Manatee

145 - Wesley McMullen, Manatee

152 - Brett Barber, Manatee

160 - Tyler Williford, Palmetto

170 - Kevin Healy, Palmetto

182 - Kevin Garza, Lakewood Ranch

195 - Stacy Williams, Palmetto

220 - Kane Takacs, Southeast

285 - Jake Stickler, Manatee

Most Outstanding Wrestler - Jesse Fulk, 138, Manatee

Prep soccer: Boys district finals pairings

(photo by Paul Videla)

Manatee's Valentin Garcia, right, and the Hurricanes are one of five area boys soccer teams playing for district championships Friday night.

Listed below are the matchups.. Both finalists advance to the regional tournament, which gets underway Tuesday, with the champion hosting and the runner-up hitting the road.

CLASS 4A-DISTRICT 11

Manatee at Braden River, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10

Dunedin at Palmetto, 7 p.m.

CLASS 1A-DISTRICT 8 AT OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY

Saint Stephen's vs. Out-of-Door Academy, 7 p.m.

Prep football: Manatee's state championship banquet set for Monday

(photo by Tiffany-Tompkins Condie)

Manatee will celebrate its Class 7A state championship with a banquet Monday at the high school.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Cost for fans is a $15 donation at the door.

Manatee defeated Jacksonville First Coast 40-0 on Dec. 16 to win its fifth state championship and first since 1992.

Prep basketball: Girls district pairings

(photo by grant jeffries)

John Harder and his Southeast Seminoles are the No. 1 seed heading into next week's Class 5A-District 12 tournament.

Listed below are the pairings for the area teams with each team's seed in parentheses. The top two finishers in each district head to the regional tournament, which begins Thursday, Feb. 9.

CLASS 7A-DISTRICT 11

MONDAY

QUARTERFINALS

(6) Manatee at (3) Venice, 7 p.m.

(5) Braden River at (4) Charlotte, 7 p.m.

(1) Port Charlotte, bye.

(2) Sarasota, bye.

WEDNESDAY

SEMIFINALS

Braden River/Charlotte at (1) Port Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Manatee/Venice at (2) Sarasota, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

CHAMPIONSHIP

7 p.m. at highest remaining seed

CLASS 6A-DISTRICT 12

MONDAY

QUARTERFINALS

(5) St. Petersburg Dixie Hollins at (4) Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY

SEMIFINALS

Dixie Hollins/Lakewood Ranch at (1) Palmetto, 7 p.m.

(3) Seminole Osceola at (2) Largo, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

CHAMPIONSHIP

7 p.m.

CLASS 5A-DISTRICT 12

TUESDAY

QUARTERFINALS

(5) Bayshore at (4) St. Petersburg Gibbs, 7 p.m.

(6) Dunedin at (3) Gulfport Boca Ciega, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

SEMIFINALS

Gibbs/Bayshore at (1) Southeast, 7 p.m.

Dunedin/Gulfport Boca Ciega at (2) St. Petersburg Lakewood, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

CHAMPIONSHIP

7 p.m. at Pinellas County school unless both finalists are from Manatee County.

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10 AT BRADENTON CHRISTIAN

TUESDAY

SEMIFINALS

(2) Cardinal Mooney vs. (3) Out-of-Door Academy, 5 p.m.

(1) Bradenton Christian vs. (4) Saint Stephen's, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

CHAMPIONSHIP

7 p.m.

Prep soccer: Regional girls semifinal pairings

(fhsaa.org)

Saint Stephen's, Lakewood Ranch and Cardinal Mooney are still in it.

Manatee and Palmetto are out following Tuesday's quarterfinals.

Listed below are Friday's area regional semifinal pairings for Friday.

All games begin at 7 p.m.

CLASS 4A-REGION 3

Cape Coral Ida Baker at Lakewood Ranch

CLASS 2A-REGION 3

West Palm Beach King's Academy at Cardinal Mooney

CLASS 1A-REGION 2

Saint Stephen's at Tampa Prep

Prep girls soccer: Regional pairings

Saint Stephen's girls soccer team will open regional play at home after the Falcons clinched the Class 1A-District 8 title Friday night in St. Petersburg.
Listed below are the area matchups for regional play, which gets underway 7 p.m. Tuesday unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday's winners advance to Friday's regional semifinal round.
Lakewood Ranch and Manatee play for the Class 4A-District 11 title tonight.

CLASS 4A-REGION 3
Naples Barron Collier at Lakewood Ranch/Manatee winner
Lakewood Ranch/Manatee runner-up at Cape Coral Ida Baker
CLASS 3A-REGION 3
Palmetto at Tampa Robinson
CLASS 2A-REGION 3
Fort Pierce Lincoln Park Academy at Cardinal Mooney
CLASS 1A-REGION 2
Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin at Saint Stephen's, 3:30 p.m.

Prep baseball: Six area teams to compete in Sarasota Baseball Classic

(photo by John Lembo)

Dwayne Strong's Manatee Hurricanes are one of six area teams who will play in this year's Sarasota Baseball Classic, scheduled from March 12 through March 15.

The Elite Division is an eight-team field featuring Manatee and Lakewood Ranch. It will be broken up into Pool A and Pool B, with the top teams from each pool meeting March 15 for the title.

The Premier Division features Braden River, Cardinal Mooney, The Pendleton School at IMG and Palmetto. It is a 16-team bracket with first-round games scheduled to begin March 12.

Listed below are the area pairings, with sites and times of each game to be determined.

ELITE DIVISION

MONDAY, MARCH 12

Manatee vs. Flanagan; Lakewood Ranch vs. Montverde Academy

TUESDAY, MARCH 13

Manatee vs. Miami Sunset; Lakewood Ranch vs. Naples Barron Collier

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14

Venice vs. Manatee; Sarasota vs. Lakewood Ranch

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

Championship and consolation games.

PREMIER DIVISION LOCAL FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS

Cardinal Mooney vs. Martin County

Palmetto vs. Tampa Berkeley Prep

Braden River vs. Benjamin

IMG Academy vs. Island Coast

Prep rally: Manatee's Heaven commits to North Carolina

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Manatee defensive back Clinton Heaven has committed to North Carolina, according to Manatee assistant coach Chris Conboy.

One of the area's most hotly-recruited players, Heaven also had offers from West Virginia and Vanderbilt, among others.

A four-year starter who appeared in two state championship games with the Hurricanes, Heaven had 80 tackles, one sack and five passes defended this year for Manatee, which on the Class 7A state championship.

Heaven is the third Manatee senior to commit to a Division I school, joining running back Leon Allen (Western Kentucky) and linebacker Darius White (Iowa State).

Prep soccer: Boys district soccer pairings

(photo by Paul Videla)

Jorge Zavala and the Saint Stephen's Falcons enter the Class 1A-Disrict 8 tournament with the No. 1 seed as they go after a second straight trip to the state final four.

Listed below are the matchups for next week's boys district soccer tournaments. The champion and runner-up from each district advances to the regional tournament, which gets underway Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Seeds are in parentheses.

CLASS 4A-DISTRICT 11

QUARTERFINALS - MONDAY

(7) Charlotte at (2) Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.

(6) Port Charlotte at (3) Manatee, 7 p.m.

(5) Venice at (4) Sarasota, 7 p.m.

(1) Braden River, bye.

SEMIFINALS - WEDNESDAY

Sarasota/ Venice at Braden River, 7 p.m.

Charlotte/Lakewood Ranch vs. Port Charlotte/Manatee, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY

At highest remaining seed, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10

QUARTERFINALS - TUESDAY

(7) St. Petersburg Gibbs at (2) Palmetto, 7 p.m.

(6) Bayshore at (3) Southeast, 7 p.m.

(8) Gulfport Boca Ciega at (1) Seminole Osceola, 7 p.m.

(5) St. Petersburg Lakewood at (4) Dunedin, 7 p.m.

SEMIFINALS - WEDNESDAY

Palmetto/Gibbs vs. Southeast/Bayshore, 7 p.m.

Osceola/Boca Ciega vs. Lakewood/Dunedin, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY

At Manatee County school unless both teams are from Pinellas County, 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A-DISTRICT 11

QUARTERFINALS - MONDAY

(6) Booker at (3) Cardinal Mooney, 7 p.m.

(4) Fort Myers Gateway Charter at (5) Fort Myers Bishop Verot, 7 p.m.

(7) Dunbar at (2) LaBelle, 7 p.m.

(1) Clewiston, bye.

SEMIFINALS - WEDNESDAY

Mooney/Booker vs. Dunbar/LaBelle, 7 p.m.

Gateway Charter/Bishop Verot at Clewiston, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY

7 p.m. at LaBelle

CLASS 1A-DISTRICT 8 AT OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY (unless otherwise noted)

FIRST ROUND - MONDAY

(8) Bradenton Christian vs. (9) St. Petersburg Canterbury, 5 p.m.

(4) St. Petersburg Northside Christian vs.(5) St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut, 5 p.m. at Northside Christian

QUARTERFINALS - TUESDAY

Bradenton Christian/Canterbury vs. (1) Saint Stephen's, 3 p.m.

(3) Out-of-Door Academy vs. (6) Sarasota Christian, 5 p.m.

(2) Shorecrest Prep vs. (7) Keswick Christian, 5 p.m. at Shorecrest

SEMIFINALS - WEDNESDAY

Saint Stephen's/BCS/Canterbury vs. Northside Christian/ Admiral Farragut, 5 p.m.

Shorecrest Prep/Keswick Christian vs. ODA/Sarasota Christian, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY

7 p.m. at Out-of-Door Academy

Prep football: Manatee's Darius White commits to Iowa State

(photo by Paul Videla)

Manatee linebacker Darius White committed to Iowa State on Tuesday.

A starter since midway through his freshman year, White had 81 tackles this season for the Class 7A state champion Hurricanes.

White also had offers from FIU, FAU, Western Kentucky, University of Central Florida and Indiana.

For more on this story, check out Wednesday's edition of The Bradenton Herald.

Prep cross country: Lakewood Ranch's Ortiz named Gatorade girls runner of the year

(photo provided by Olivia Ortiz)
Another day, another accolade for Lakewood Ranch cross country star Olivia Ortiz.
The Mustangs junior has been named the Gatorade Florida Girls Runner of the Year and is now a finalist for Gatorade's National Runner of the Year honor.
Ortiz won the Class 3A state girls title with a time of 17:39 and clinched a berth in the Foot Locker national meet in San Diego, where Ortiz placed 19th.
Ortiz was also named the girls runner of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
But the Gatorade award recognizes other factors as well, and Ortiz was a winner thanks in part to her grades - she sports a 3.63 grade-point average - and her work the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Ortiz has also donated her time at local blood drives and has helped raise money for pediatric brain cancer research.

Prep soccer: Girls district pairings

(fhsaa.org)

The area's girls soccer try and take a step toward USF, site of this year's state final, beginning with the district tournaments, which get underway Saturday.

The top two finishers in each district advance to the regional tournament, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Listed below are the matchups with seeds in parentheses.

CLASS 4A-DISTRICT 11

QUARTERFINALS - TUESDAY

(5) Sarasota at (4) Manatee, 7 p.m.

(7) Port Charlotte at (2) Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.

(6) Charlotte at (3) Braden River, 7 p.m.

(1) Venice, bye.

SEMIFINALS - THURSDAY

Manatee/Sarasota at (1) Venice, 7 p.m.

Port Charlotte/Lakewood Ranch vs. Charlotte/Braden River, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - SATURDAY

At highest remaining seed, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10

QUARTERFINALS - SATURDAY

(5) Southeast at (4) Dunedin, 1 p.m.

(7) Gulfport Boca Ciega at (2) Palmetto, 1 p.m.

(6) Bayshore at (3) St. Petersburg Lakewood, 1 p.m.

(8) St. Petersburg Gibbs at (1) Seminole Osceola, 1 p.m.

SEMIFINALS - THURSDAY

Seminole Osceola/Gibbs vs. Dunedin/Southeast, 7 p.m.

Palmetto/Boca Ciega vs. Bayshore/Lakewood, 7 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY

At highest remaining seed, 7 p.m.

CLASS 1A-DISTRICT 8 AT ST. PETERSBURG KESWICK CHRISTIAN

QUARTERFINALS - TUESDAY

(6) Keswick Christian vs. (3) Out-of-Door Academy, 7 p.m.

(5) St. Petersburg Northside Christian vs. (4) Sarasota Christian, 5 p.m.

(7) Bradenton Christian vs. (2) Saint Stephen's, 7 p.m. at Bradenton Christian.

(1) St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep, bye.

SEMIFINALS - THURSDAY AT KESWICK CHRISTIAN

Shorecrest Prep vs. Northside Christian/Sarasota Christian, 7 p.m.

Saint Stephen's/Bradenton Christian vs. Out-of-Door Academy/Keswick Christian, 5 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY AT KESWICK CHRISTIAN

7 p.m.

Prep football: Lots of locals make all-state teams

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins Condie) Manatee landed 11 players on the Class 7A all-state team following its run to the state championship, but the Hurricanes were not the only local team represented.
Here is a list of the area players who earned their way on to the Associated Press' all-state teams, which were put together with input from coaches and media throughout the state.

CLASS 7A
FIRST TEAM
Cord Sandberg, QB, Manatee; Derrick Calloway, DL, Manatee.
SECOND TEAM
Nick Tankersley, K, Manatee; Blake Keller, DL, Manatee.
THIRD TEAM
Thor Miller, OL, Manatee; Darius White, LB, Manatee; Clinton Heaven, DB, Manatee.
HONORABLE MENTION
Anthony Lauro, UT, Manatee; Leon Allen, RB, Manatee; Marquis Dawsey, DL, Manatee; Hershel Caywood, LB, Manatee.

CLASS 6A
SECOND TEAM
Shane Blair, OL, Lakewood Ranch.

CLASS 5A
FIRST TEAM
Fitz Richards, OL, Palmetto; Brian Poole, DB, Southeast.
SECOND TEAM
Zane Kitchell, P, Palmetto.
THIRD TEAM
Trent Miller, QB, Palmetto; Josh Hicks, RB, Palmetto; Tyrone Johnson, DL, Palmetto; Daqual Randall, LB, Palmetto.
HONORABLE MENTION
Cory Crawford, WR, Palmetto; Dallas Jackson, DB, Palmetto; T.J. Mann, DB, Palmetto.

CLASS 3A
SECOND TEAM
Anthony Caiazzo, RB, Cardinal Mooney; Alex Ojeda, K, Cardinal Mooney.

CLASS 2A
FIRST TEAM
Josh Clark, OL, Bradenton Christian.
HONORABLE MENTION
Tyler Burgett, LB, Out-of-Door Academy.

Prep football: Bradenton Christian's Josh Clark makes 2A all-state team

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Bradenton Christian offensive lineman Josh Clark made the Associated Press' Class 2A all-state first team, which was unveiled Thursday.

The all-state teams were put together with help from various media organizations throughout Florida.

Prep football: Cord Sandberg places 3rd in Mr. Football voting

(photo by Paul Videla)

Manatee quarterback Cord Sandberg finished third in the Florida Dairy Farmers 2011 Mr. Football voting.

Miami Norland running back Randy "Duke" Johnson, who rushed for 357 yards against Palmetto in a Class 5A state semifinal, won the award with 184 points.

The award was voted on by various media members and coaches around the state.

Sandberg finished with 109 points. Kelvin Taylor, a running back at Glades Day, finished second (120 points0.

Sandberg was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 7A Player of the Year, and totaled more than 2,900 yards of offense in leading the Hurricanes to its first state title since 1992.

Sandberg accounted for 258 yards of offense, ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown during Manatee's 40-0 win over Jacksonville First Coast in the state final.

Johnson is senior, and Taylor and Sandberg are juniors.

Prep baseball: Four Manatee Hurricanes to sign with SCF

(photo by John Lembo)

Four members of Manatee's baseball team will sign with State College of Florida later this month, said Hurricanes coach Dwayne Strong.

Pitcher/first baseman Correlle Prime (above, wearing a white t-shirt), shortstop Chase Sandberg, third baseman Trevor Beeman and Trevor's twin brother, Tyler, an outfielder, will take part in a group signing 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at Manatee.

Prime went 9-1 with a 3.14 ERA last year while batting .396 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. Sandberg hit five home runs, as well, while batting .375 and scoring a team-best 36 runs.

Trevor Beeman batted .379 with 24 RBIs while Tyler hit .388 with 25 runs scored.

The quartet helped Manatee reach their the Class 5A state final four, marking the Hurricanes' first state semifinal appearance since 1963.

Manatee plays in the Jody Friedman Pre-Season Classic beginning Feb. 8 and opens the regular season Feb. 14 at G.T. Bray against Tampa Berkeley Prep.

Prep sports: Lakewood Ranch leads Class 6A Sunshine Cup standings

(photo provided by Olivia Ortiz)Thanks to a banner fall full of state championships, Lakewood Ranch leads Class 6A in the Florida High School Athletic Association's Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Awards standings.
The Mustangs have 360.5 points and lead second-place Gainesville (343) heading into the winter postseason.
Points are awarded based on how each team fared in each season's sports. Points are awarded to the top 16 finishers, with the state champion earning 100 points. Bonus points are awarded to district and regional champions, and points are deducted for examples of unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Mustangs were led this fall by the boys golf team, cross country runner Olivia Ortiz (above) and swimmers Will Kazokas and Danielle Valley, all of whom won state championships.
The volleyball team won a district title and reached the regional finals and the football team made the Region 3 playoffs.
The only area school mentioned was Manatee, which is fourth in the Class 7A boys standings with 110 points thanks to the football team, which won district and regional titles en route to winning the program's fifth state championship.