Prep wrestling: Manatee's season had some positives

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

It wasn't the sort of year Manatee's wrestling team and its head coach, Andy Gugliemini, expected, nor was it one they are used to.

The Hurricanes placed third in the district and only sent one wrestler to the state tournament. And it was the first time in 14 years a Hurricane didn't come back from The Lakeland Center with a medal, awarded to the top six finishers in each weight class.

Donnie Jankowski, a state qualifier last year, tore a ligament in his knee prior to the county tournament and was lost for the postseason. And Thor Miller, figured to be a factor at heavyweight, injured his knee after coming back from football season and spent the rest of the year recovering.

Yet the Hurricanes have some positives to reflect on as they gear up for next winter. State qualifier Brett Barber (145 pounds) may have come one win short of the medal round, but he set a program record with 56 wins, and his 133 career victories are seventh all-time in program history.
Freshman Jesse Fulk, whose brothers Andrew (a state champion as a senior at 189 pounds) and Travis (four time state-qualifier and a medalist his senior year) were accomplished Hurricanes, won 54 matches and fell a win shy of qualifying for state.

And the Hurricanes won the county championship for second straight year and 15th time in 16 seasons.

It wasn't the kind of year Manatee envisioned. But the Canes are hoping for healthy seasons from Miller and Jankowski - both juniors - next year, and Fulk will have a full year of varsity wrestling under his belt, as well.

Will it be enough to get Manatee back to its recent past, which included a pair of runner-up finishes to Brandon at the state tournament? Time will tell. But if they can send a few wrestlers back to Bradenton next February with a state medal, that would be a fine start back up the ladder.

Prep baseball: IMG's Pastornicky featured on MLB.com video

(photo from blog.imgacademies.com)

Tyler Pastornicky, a graduate of The Pendleton School at IMG Academies and the Atlanta Braves' starting shortstop heading into the season, is featured in this video on MLB.com.

The video is currently being promoted on MLB.com's Facebook site.

The 22-year-old Bradenton native was a fifth-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008 before being dealt to Atlanta in July 2010 as a part of the package that brought shortstop Alex Gonzalez from Toronto.

Pastornicky is a career .278 hitter in 406 professional games with 146 stolen bases. Pastornicky performed well with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett last year, batting .365 with seven steals and nine RBIs in 27 games.

The Braves play their spring training games at Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort. They don't came to Bradenton this spring to play the Pirates, but will be in Sarasota on March 8 to meet the Baltimore Orioles, so there is a chance Pastornicky will get to play a game close to home.

Prep football: Manatee's ring ceremony scheduled for next Thursday

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Manatee's football team will receive its state championship rings Thursday, March 8 at G.T. Bray prior to the baseball team's game with Riverview.

The ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game is set for 7.

Hurricanes baseball players Cord Sandberg, Chase Sandberg and Garrett Waiters were on the football team, which won Manatee's fifth state title and first since 1992.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will honor Manatee prior to their March 26th game with the Baltimore Orioles at McKechine Field.

It's the Pirates' lone home night game of the spring and is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Prep baseball: Sarasota Baseball Classic Day 1 schedule

(photo by John Lembo)

Correlle Prime and the Manatee Hurricanes are one of a handful of local teams slated to take part in this year's Sarasota Baseball Classic.

Listed below is the Day 1 schedule for each of the area teams competing:

ELITE BRACKET

Monday, March 12

Manatee vs. Flanagan, 4 p.m. at Sarasota High.

Lakewood Ranch vs. Montverde Academy, 7:30 p.m. at Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex.

PREMIER BRACKET

Monday, March 12

Cardinal Mooney vs. Martin County, 4 p.m. at Riverview High.

Palmetto vs. Tampa Berkeley Prep, 4:45 p.m. at Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex.

Braden River vs. Benjamin, 1 p.m. at Sarasota High.

The IMG Academy vs. Island Coast, 4:45 at Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex.

Prep football: Offers piling up for Manatee's Calloway

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)It appears as if Derrick Calloway has emerged as the breakout star of Manatee's stacked defensive line.
Or at the least the most heavily-recruited.
Calloway has received scholarship offers from a number of Division I schools, including Ohio State, who offered the junior Tuesday, according to Manatee assistant coach Chris Conboy.
USF, FSU, Miami, USC and Texas Tech have also extended offers to Calloway, who received a four-star rating rating from Rivals and was ranked the fourth-best defensive lineman in the state by Flavarsity.com.
Calloway had 58 tackles and 11 sacks last year for Manatee, including three sacks against Jacksonville First Coast in the Class 7A state final.
Calloway anchors a defensive line next year that also returns Blake Keller, DeMarcus Christmas and Marquis Dawsey.
The group teamed for 43 sacks last fall in helping the Hurricanes win their fifth state title and first since 1992.

Prep basketball: Palmetto up against one of nation's best Saturday

(photo from maxpreps.com)

Palmetto's fate in Saturday's Class 6A-Region 3 final may hinge on its ability to stop Winter Haven's DeVon Walker.

Walker is a 6-foot-8, 187-pound shooting guard averaging 24 points and 10. 5 points per game for the Blue Devils (20-7), who head to Palmetto on Saturday.

Rivals rated Walker 149th in its list of the country's top 150 players for the class of 2012 and ranked him as the class' 33rd-best shooting guard.

He has 12 scholarship offers, according to Rivals, from schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Florida and USF. Walker is shooting 37 percent from the field and 78 percent from the foul line.

The winner of Saturday's game meets either Naples Baron Collier or Miami Norland on Friday, March 2 in a state semifinal at The Lakeland Center.

Prep football: Manatee's Tankersley will kick for Carson-Newman

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Manatee kicker/punter Nick Tankersley has c0mmitted to Carson-Newman College, according to Hurricanes assistant coach Chris Conboy. Carson-Newman is a Division II located in Tennessee.

Tankersley booted 53 extra points and 16 field goals this year for Manatee, including a school-record 53-yard kick against Sarasota. He had four extra points and a pair of field goals during Manatee's 40-0 win over Jacksonville First Coast in the Class 7A state final.

Tankersley also sent 53 of 93 kickoffs into the end zone and averaged 37.3 yards per punt with a long of 50.

Tankersley was offered as Gene Chizik's preferred walk-on before accepting to play Carson-Newman, which has won five national titles and went 5-6 last season.

Prep wrestling: Cannon third at All-Class Wrestling Championships

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's Larry Cannon finished third at 138 pounds during Sunday's Florida All-Class Championships at The Lakeland Center.

The tournament, which has no affiliation with the Florida High School Athletic Association, pitted the top three finishers from Class 1A, 2A and 3A in the same bracket.

Cannon, who placed third in Class 1A on Saturday at the state tournament, fell to Longwood Lyman's Jayden Semrad 8-6 during the All-Class semifinals Sunday.

Semrad went 44-2 during the season and was a state runner-up in Class 3A.

Cannon (42-3) took third when Anthony Colon of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas forfeited. A junior at Southeast, Cannon won district and regional championships this season and was the area's lone placewinner during this weekend's state meet in Lakeland.

Prep wrestling: Southeast's Cannon finishes third

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's Larry Cannon took third place in Class 1A at 138 pounds during the final day of the state wresling tournament at The Lakeland Center.

Cannon scored an 11-6 win over Fort Myers Dunbar's Shaquon Young in the consolation finals.

Check out Sunday's edition of The Bradenton Herald for full coverage of the final day of the state wrestling tournament.

Prep wrestling: Southeast's Cannon makes consolation finals

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's 138-pounder, Larry Cannon, had made the consolation finals of the Class 1A state meet at The Lakeland Center.

Cannon (42-3) pinned Bradford's Jarriad Forsyth in 4:17 in the consolation semifinals and will face Shaquon Young of Fort Myers Dunbar in the consolation final.

The winner finishes third.

Cannon defeated Young earlier this season in the district and regional finals.

Cannon lost to Jupiter Christian's David Kestner 15-7 earlier Saturday during the championship semifinals.

Prep wrestling: Cannon falls in semifinal

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's Larry Cannon lost 15-7 to Jupiter Christian's David Kestner in the Class 1A semifinals of the 138-pound class.

Cannon (41-3) heads to the consolation semifinals later today and is already guaranteed a medal, awarded to the top six finishers in each weight class.

Prep wrestling: Three Manatee County wrestlers eliminated Saturday morning

(fhsaa.org)

Three local wrestlers were eliminated from the consolation round Saturday morning during the state tournament at The Lakeland Center.

In Class 3A, Manatee's Brett Barber lost 5-3 to Sarasota's Sean Dulom. Barber, a senior, went 56-9 for the season.

In Class 2A, Lakewood Ranch's Blake Riley-Hawkins was pinned in 3:42 by Tampa Jesuit's Christian Dominguez. A junior, Riley-Hawkins finishes the year 40-9.

And in Class 1A, Southeast's Nick Kemick dropped a 10-3 decision to Miami Monsignor Pace's Danny Garcia. Kemick, a senior, went 37-12.

Each wrestler fell one win shy of qualifying for a medal, awarded to the top six finishers in each class.

The only local wrestler left is Southeast's 138-pounder junior Larry Cannon, who faces Jupiter Christian's David Kestner in a championship semifinal this afternoon. The winner advances to the finals, scheduled to begin 5:30 p.m.

Cannon (41-2) can finish no worse than sixth and is guaranteed a medal.

Prep wrestling: Southeast's Cannon qualifies for semifinals

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's Larry Cannon is a two wins away from a Class 1A state wrestling title.

The 138-pounder defeated Pasco's Niko DeAugustino 9-2 in the quarterfinals during this evening's state tournament at The Lakeland Center.

Cannon (41-2) faces either Jupiter Christian's David Kestner or Clay's Luke Frame during Saturday morning's semifinals.

Prep wrestling: Manatee County trio stays alive in consolation round

(fhsaa.org)

The three county wrestlers who lost in the first round of today's state tournament in Lakeland bounced back in the consolation round.

Manatee's Brett Barber (145 pounds) pinned Jeremy Raddar of Chiles in 3:36 in Class 3A, giving him 55 wins on the season.

In Class 2A, Lakewood Ranch's Blake Riley-Hawkins (132) beat Ian Wiswell of Jensen Beach 2-0. And in Class 1A, Southeast's Nick Kemick (126) scored a 7-3 win over American Heritage's Niko James.

All three will compete in one more consolation round tonight and need two more wins in order to qualify for a medal, awarded to the top six finishers in each weight class. Tonight's winners advance to the third round of wrestlebacks, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Saturday, while the losers are eliminated.

Southeast's Larry Cannon (138) and Gage Takacs (170) won their first-round matches and are competing in the championship quarterfinals later today.

The winners advance to Saturday's championship semifinals while the losers will still be in medal contention and will wrestle a consolation match tonight.

Prep football: Manatee QB Cord Sandberg ranked No. 1 in the state

(photo by Paul Videla)

Flavarsity.com considers Cord Sandberg the state's top quarterback for the class of 2013.

"He has the poise to not crack under pressure and a quick release," the website reads. "His running skills are by far his biggest asset."

The No. 1 ranking isn't a complete surprise - Sandberg was named the Class 7A player of the year in 2011 and placed third in the voting for Mr. Football. He threw for 2,187 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 813 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to leading the Hurricanes to the Class 7A state title.

Despite those numbers, Sandberg didn't crack Rivals' list of the country's top 250 prospects for 2012.

Prep wrestling: Updates from the first round of the state meet

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Southeast's Larry Cannon (above) and teammate Gaga Takacs won their Class 1A first-round matches this morning during the state wrestling tournament at The Lakeland Center.

The 138-pound Cannon upped his record to 40-2 by scoring a 16-0 technical fall over Key West's Andrew Caldwerwood, while Takacs (170) pinned Marianna's Dalton Hendrix in 5:57.

Cannon faces Pasco's Niko DeAugustino in the quarterfinals later today. The winner advances to Saturday morning's semifinals. Takacs' opponent is still to be determined.

In Class 2A, Lakewood Ranch's Blake Riley-Hawkins lost 7-3 to Spring Hill Springstead's Josh Herrera in the first round and meets Jensen Beach's Ian Wiswell later today in the first round of the consolation bracket.

In Class 3A, Manatee's Brett Barber dropped an 8-2 decision to Miami Columbus' Sonny Gelusian, and will wrestle in the consolation bracket.

Southeast's third qualifier, Nick Kemick, lost 10-8 to Cocoa Space Coast's Antonio Landono, and will also wrestle in the consolation round. Kemick faces American Heritage's Niko James.

There will be one more championship round and two consolation rounds wrestled today.

Prep basketball: ...And then there was one.

Palmetto's boys baskteball team is the lone area squad left standing following its 59-56 win over Dover Strawberry Crest during Thursday's Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

The Tigers head to Tampa Sickles on Tuesday for a regional semifinal.

Listed below are all the area scores from Thursday's action.

CLASS 7A-REGION 3

Port St. Lucie 60, Braden River 57 OT

CLASS 6A-REGION 3

Palmetto 59, Dover Strawberry Crest 56

Tampa Sickles 57, Lakewood Ranch 32

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep 101, Bradenton Christian 97 OT

St. Petersburg Catholic 66, Cardinal Mooney 61 OT

Prep baseball: Hurricanes looking to make G.T. Bray more like home

(photo by Paul Videla)

As the area's lone baseball team that plays its games off campus, Manatee is doing everything possible to try and turn G.T. Bray, a community park located about 30 blocks west of the high school, into its home.

That's easier said than done. Bray's sprawling complex is also home to softball, soccer and football fields, a cross country course and an outdoor swimming pool. And the diamond the Hurricanes play on is also in use during Little League season.

But it was apparent Tuesday night the Canes are making an effort. Red and black hurricanes flags flapped in the breeze above the ballpark, and a colorful banner boasting of last year's run to the Class 5A state semifinals hangs on the back of the fieldhouse and is visible as fans make their way to the bleachers.

"We're doing the best we can," coach Dwayne Strong said Tuesday following Manatee's 6-4 season-opening win over Tampa Berkeley Prep. "We decided to get some flags out here, just to try and give it a home-type feeling."

Strong unveiled the sign to his players prior to Tuesday's game. It features last year's roster, the Manatee logo of an M and two crossed flags and 12 various action shots, along with blue and white lightning bolts.

"I kind of snuck that by them, and then I came out (Tuesday) and put it up," Strong said. "When they came out (Tuesday), they were really excited."

The board is more than just a way to commemorate last season, however.

"Show my young guys: 'If you want your picture on here, take (the board) off. Do something,'" Strong said. "That's the kind of the way we kind of want to roll with that. If you want your picture up here, win a state championship."

Prep wrestling: First-round tournament pairings

(fhsaa.org)

Five Manatee County wrestlers qualified for this week's state tournament, which begins 10 a.m. Friday at The Lakeland Center.

Listed below are the first-round pairings for the area qualifiers

CLASS 3A

145 pounds - Brett Barber (Manatee), 54-7 vs. Sonny Gulesian (Miami Columbus), 45-5

CLASS 2A

132 - Blake Riley-Hawkins (Lakewood Ranch), 38-7 vs. Josh Herrera (Spring Hill Springstead), 27-2

CLASS 1A

126 - Nick Kemick (Southeast), 35-10 vs. Antonio Landono (Cocoa Space Coast), 40-12

138 - Larry Cannon (Southeast), 39-2 vs. Andrew Calderwood (Key West), 26-16

170 - Gage Takacs (Southeast), 38-5 vs. Dalton Handrix (Mariana), 24-6

Prep basketball: Boys regional pairings

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Terrence Mann and the Palmetto Tigers open the Class 6A-Region 3 playoffs at home after they won the District 12 title in double overtime over Lakewood Ranch.

Listed below are the pairings for the regional tournament, which gets underway Thursday at 7 p.m.

Winners advance to the regional semifinals, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 21.

CLASS 7A-REGION 3

Port St. Lucie at Braden River

CLASS 6A-REGION 3

Dover Strawberry Crest at Palmetto

Lakewood Ranch at Tampa Sickles

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

Bradenton Christian at St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep

St. Petersburg Catholic at Cardinal Mooney

Prep basketball: Southeast the lone local girls team standing

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

John Harder and his sophomore-laden Southeast Seminoles are headed to the regional semifinals.

Bradenton Christian, Cardinal Mooney and Palmetto are not.

The Noles blizted past Tampa Blake 59-25 during Thursday's Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal, upping their record to 24-5.

They were the only area team to win Thursday, and head to St. Petersburg Lakewood on Tuesday for a semifinal.

Here are Thursday's regional results:

CLASS 6A-REGION 3

Tampa Sickles 47, Palmetto 38

CLASS 5A-REGION 3

Southeast 59, Tampa Blake 25

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

Largo Indian Rocks Christian 51, Cardinal Mooney 22

St. Petersburg Catholic 58, Bradenton Christian 21

Prep wrestling: Manatee County's regional qualifiers

(photo by Paul Videla)

Wes McMullen is one of 10 Manatee wrestlers who qualified for Friday and Saturday's Class 3A-Region 2 meet in Brandon.

Listed below are the area's other regional qualifiers. The top four finishers in each weight class in each region qualify for the state tournament, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 18 at The Lakeland Center.

CLASS 3A-REGION 2 at BRANDON

Manatee - Tim Dinsdale (106 pounds), Daylyn Colmorgen (120), Dakoda Dossey (126), Mike Keely (132), Jesse Fulk (138), Brett Barber (145), Wesley McMullen (152), Chris Whitaker (160), John Baldwin (170), Titus Humphrey (182).

CLASS 2A-REGION 3 at CHARLOTTE

Bayshore - Anthony Slack (106), Ben Cocroft (126).

Braden River - Anthony Dedoana (132), Samuel Massenburg (152), Charles Lee (160).

Lakewood Ranch - Evan Dipsiner (113), Blake Riley-Hawkins (132), Kevin Garza (182), Alex Rickard (220).

Palmetto - Tyler Montague (106), Anthony Viscomi (120), Josh Howard (126), Tyler Williford (152), James Banks (182), Robert McLachlan (195).

CLASS 1A-REGION 3 at NAPLES GOLDEN GATE

Southeast - Joey Fazio (106), Oscar Navarrete (113), Nick Kemick (126), Larry Cannon (138), Mark Hawn (145), Logan Beagle (152), Austin Bennett (160), Gage Takacs (170), Ricky Almodovar (182), Alex Gater (195), Kana Takacs (220), Michael Quintero (285).

Saint Stephen's - David Contarino (126), Nick Rodhouse (125).

Prep basketball: Girls regional pairings

(photo by Paul Videla)

Alyssa Ward (center, wearing No. 1) and the Palmetto Tigers open the regional playoffs home Thursday after cruising to the Class 6A-District 12 title last week.

Listed below are the area pairings for Thursday's regional quarterfinals. The winners advance to next Tuesday's regional semifinals.

All games begin at 7 p.m.

CLASS 6A-REGION 3

Tampa Sickles at Palmetto

CLASS 5A-REGION 3

Southeast at Tampa Blake

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

Largo Indian Rocks Christian at Cardinal Mooney

Bradenton Christian at St. Petersburg Catholic

Prep basketball: Boys district pairings

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Tommy Bernhardt and the Braden River Pirates are the top seed heading into the Class 7A-District 11 tournament, which gets underway Monday.

Another top seed - Bradenton Christian. After Cardinal Mooney was penalized by the Florida High School Athletic Association for using ineligible players, the Panthers received an automatic bye to the championship game of the three-team district, along with a berth in the regional tournament.

Listed below are the area pairings with seeds in parentheses. The top two finishers head to the regional tournament, which gets underway Thursday, Feb. 16.

CLASS 7A-DISTRICT 11

MONDAY

Quarterfinals

(5) Charlotte at (4) Port Charlotte, 7 p.m.

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

(1) Braden River, bye; (2) Venice, bye.

WEDNESDAY

Semifinals

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

Manatee/Sarasota at (2) Venice, 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.

(1) Seminole Osceola, bye.

WEDNESDAY

Semifinals

(3) Largo at (2) Palmetto, 7 p.m.

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

FRIDAY

Championship

7 p.m. at highest remaining seed.

CLASS 5A-DISTRICT 12

TUESDAY

Quarterfinals

(5) Bayshore at (4) Gulfport Boca Ciega, 7 p.m.

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

(1) St. Petersburg Gibbs, bye; (2) St. Petersburg Lakewood, bye.

WEDNESDAY

Semifinals

Boca Ciega/Bayshore at (1) St. Petersburg Gibbs, 7 p.m.

Southeast/Dunedin at (2) St. Petersburg Lakewood, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Championship

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

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10 AT CARDINAL MOONEY

TUESDAY

Semifinals

(3) Cardinal Mooney, 7 p.m. vs. (2) Out-of-Door Academy, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Championship

Out-of-Door Academy/Cardinal Mooney vs. (1) Bradenton Christian, 7 p.m.

Prep soccer: And then there were two...

Just two local soccer teams remain in the chase to win a state championship, as Manatee and Palmetto's boys teams play regional semifinals Friday.

Here is a look at the pairings, with the winners advancing to Tuesday's regional finals.

CLASS 4A-REGION 3

Naples Gulf Coast (12-3-7) at Manatee (16-5-4), 7 p.m.

UP NEXT: Winner plays either Seminole or Clearwater in Region 3 final.

CLASS 3A-REGION 3

Palmetto (16-5-5) at Tampa Jesuit (17-3-1), 7 p.m.

UP NEXT: Winner plays either Naples Golden Gate or Immokalee in Region 3 final.

Prep basketball: Girls district finals pairings

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

John Harder and his Southeast Seminoles are looking for their 13th straight district championship Friday in St. Petersburg.

Here is a look at the area finals pairings. Both finalists qualify for the regional tournament, which gets underway next Thursday. The district champion will host and runner-up will be on the road.

CLASS 6A-DISTRICT 12

Largo at Palmetto, 7 p.m.

CLASS 5A-DISTRICT 12

Southeast at St. Petersburg Lakewood, 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 10

Cardinal Mooney vs. Bradenton Christian, 7 p.m at Bradenton Christian