Prep football: Manatee-Good Counsel makes MaxPreps' list; Good Counsel the favorite

(photo by John Lembo)

Manatee's game tonight in Olney, Md., against Our Lady of Good Counsel has made the list of MaxPreps' top 10 high school football games of the week.

Most of the site's writers are picking Good Counsel, ranked 15th in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25, to hand the Canes their first Week 1 loss since 2006 (Southeast).

Listed below are the predictions:

Mitch Stephens: Manatee, 21-20

Steve Montoya: Good Counsel, 27-14

Stephen Spiewak: Good Counsel, 21-17

Kevin Askeland: Good Counsel, 28-21

James DeMoney: Good Counsel, 24-10

Prep football: Friday morning in Laurel, Md.

(photo by John Lembo) That's the view from my fifth-floor room at the Holiday Inn Laurel-West in Laurel, Md., which is also home to the Manatee Hurricanes this weekend.
The Canes head to Olney tonight to face Our Lady of Good Counsel at 7 p.m.
Today promises to be a quiet day for the Canes and their coaches. After having breakfast in the hotel dining room, they are going to spend time relaxing and watching film before grabbing lunch and starting their pregame routine at about 3:15 p.m.
It's overcast right now in Laurel, but the weather tonight in Olney is supposed to be clear with a low of about 65 degrees, and a 20 percent chance of rain.

Prep football: Chase Sandberg out for the season

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

There will be no more football for Chase Sandberg.

Not at Manatee, anyway.

The senior wide receiver will undergo surgery on his left labrum Monday, Sept. 12, and will be out four months.

"Football is completely out (for this season)," Sandberg said Thursday after he and the rest of the Hurricanes landed in Baltimore for Friday's game against Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Md.

Sandberg suffered the injury to his shoulder, which has already been worked on once, during a scrimmage prior to last week's Kickoff Classic with Delray Beach American Heritage. A three-year varsity player, Sandberg was a defensive back last year and grabbed a team-best three interceptions.

The plan this fall was for him to move back to receiver and catch passes from his brother, Cord, Manatee's junior quarterback.

"He can't focus too much on it," Chase said of the brothers not being able to play pitch-and-catch this season. "He has a season to worry about...My mom is taking it pretty hard."

Despite being unable to play, Sandberg still took the trip to Maryland with the team, though he did not want to clog up a roster spot.

"I didn't want to take the place of a kid who really deserved it," Chase said. "I told the coaches that, but I guess that didn't happen...I really want to put on my pads and hold. That's about all I can do right now."

The silver lining is that Chase should be 100 percent come baseball season. A shortstop, he helped the Hurricanes reach the Class 5A state semifinals last spring, and he has already received offers from Florida Southern and State College of Florida.

"I'm pretty much a baseball guy," Chase said, though he added that once he has recovered, he will still able to play football in college should he decide to go that route. "And it's my left shoulder, not my right. So that's a good thing.

"God has a plan for me."

Prep football: Chase Sandberg's status uncertain

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

As the Manatee Hurricanes went through their pre-game warm-ups Wednesday night in preparation for the first game of the 2011 season, Chase Sandberg just sat and watched.

Decked out in a pair of shorts and his red No. 9 jersey, Sandberg sat solemnly on the bench, his left arm in a sling and his senior season of football in doubt.

Sandberg re-injured his surgically-repaired labrum last week during practice, taking him out of Wednesday's Kickoff Classic against Delray Beach American Heritage.

He will go for an MRI this week and said he doesn't expect to play next Friday, when the Hurricanes open the regular season in Olney, Md., against Our Lady of Good Counsel.

"We'll just have to wait and see," said Manatee coach Joe Kinnan.

Manatee was hoping to guard against this and put Sandberg, a defensive back last year, back at wide receiver, where he would do less hitting and catch passes thrown by his younger brother, Cord.

Sandberg also a has a baseball career to consider, and he has received offers from Florida Southern and State College of Florida. He batted .375 with 29 RBIs, five home runs and a team-high 36 runs scores last spring in helping the Hurricanes reach the state semifinals for the first time in 48 years.

In Sandberg's absence, receivers Ryan Taylor and Austin Gordon, both of whom played well in Manatee's 20-14 win Wednesday, could get more touches.

Prep football: Manatee's Kickoff Classic moved to Wednesday

Another Kickoff Classic football game has been rescheduled.

Because of the potential ramifications of Hurricane Irene, Manatee's game with Delray Beach American Heritage has been moved to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hawkins Stadium.

It was originally scheduled for Friday.

Palmetto's Kickoff Classic with Venice was also moved to Wednesday. The Tigers and Indians will kick off 6:30 p.m. at Harllee Stadium.

Prep football: Manatee games to be broadcast on 930 WLSS

(manateesheriff.com)

Manatee football games this fall can now be heard on WLSS News Talk 930 AM Sarasota instead of 1490-WWPR.

Despite the station change, the games will follow the same format, with the pregame show beginning 30 minutes before kickoff. The station will also feature the Hurricane Hotline radio show featuring coach Joe Kinnan, which will broadcast live every Tuesday night from Lee Roy Selmon's in west Bradenton.

Dave Bristow, above, and Danny Carter will handle the commentary.

Prep football: Manatee sixth on Powerade Fab 50

Is Manatee the sixth-best football team in the country?

ESPNRISE thinks so. The Hurricanes are ranked No.6 in the Powerade Fab 50 ESPNHS Team Rankings, which were unveiled today.

"Thirteen starters return for head coach Joe Kinnan," Manatee's capsule reads, noting the Canes' lone loss last season came to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, which ESPNRISE annointed last year's prep national champion.

ESPN lists quarterback Cord Sandberg, linebacker Darius White and defensive back Clinton Heaven as the team's top returning starters, claiming that White and Heaven are a "formidable defensive foe."

The top-ranked team on ESPN's list? Don Bosco Prep, which heads to Bradenton on Sept. 16 to face Manatee.

The Canes were listed at No. 36 in the RivalsHigh 100 earlier this summer.

Other Florida teams making the list are Aquinas (No. 4), Seffner Armwood (No.9), Tallahassee Lincoln (No. 17), Cocoa (No. 24) and Miami Norland (No. 39).

Prep football: Heaven headed for a busy summer

(photo by grant jefferies)

Manatee defensive back Clinton Heaven will be on the move this summer.

A senior in the fall, Heaven is a hotly-recruited prospect with roughly a dozen offers from Division I schools. And he will spend the next few weeks narrowing down his choices.

He plans on visiting the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State and Vanderbilt, said Manatee assistant Chris Conboy. Heaven may also possibly visit West Virginia.

All of those schools, as well as Michigan State, have made Heaven an offer.

All of those visits will be unofficial, Conboy said.

Despite missing four games with a broken jaw, Heaven had 53 tackles and six pass deflections last season for Manatee.

Prep football: Manatee hosting football camp this week

Manatee's coaches and players will host a football camp for players ages 7 to 14 beginning 9 a.m. Monday at Hawkins Stadium.

The camp, which is open to players of all positions and skill levels, runs through Wednesday and goes from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Guest speakers will be featured each day, as well.

Registration is from 8-9 a.m. Monday and the cost is $55.

For more information, contact Manatee assistant Steve Gulash at gulashs@manateeschools.net.

Prep baseball: Canes keep climbing MaxPreps' polls

(photo by Paul Videla)

The Hurricanes had plenty of reasons to celebrate during Saturday's 13-3 win over Tampa Gaither in a Class 5A-Region 3 semifinal, and have more reasons today thanks to MaxPreps.

The Canes, who head to Largo Pinellas Park on Friday for the Region 3 championship, are second in Class 5A and fourth overall according to the site's rankings, which were updated today.

Last week, the Hurricanes were fourth in the Class 5A and 11th overall.

Pace is ranked tops in 5A and third in the state, and plays Orange Park Fleming Island for the Region 1 title Friday.

MaxPreps also has Manatee 37th in the country after listing the Canes at 84th last week.

Prep football: Canes' other quarterbacks to get some work

(pagemoorephoto.com)

If you're waiting to see Cord Sandberg run with a ball, check out G.T. Bray's outfield. That's where Sandberg will be for at least one more night, patrolling centerfield for a Manatee baseball team set to host Tampa King in Tuesday's Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal.
Sandberg, of course, has become known for his work on the football field, especially after he won All-Area Offensive Player of the Year honors last year as a sophomore.
So while their triggerman is batting leadoff, the football Hurricanes will make due without him, allowing guys such as Zach Hill and Brodrick Yancy to get a chance to play with the varsity team. Hill quarterbacked Manatee's JV team last year. Yancy, whose brother, Brett, is a varsity defensive back, was the freshman team's quarterback.
Each player went 7-1.
"They both did a great job for us," said Manatee coach Joe Kinnan. "This gives them a chance to bring them along as backups."
Running back Mike Blakely, wide receiver Quenton Bundrage and quarterback Reed Carter filled out the rest of the depth charter behind Sandberg last season. But Blakely and Bundrage were seniors, and Kinnan said Carter is focusing on baseball.
That means Hill, a sophomore, could possibly make the team as a backup while Yancy could take over Hill's spot running the JV team.

Prep softball: Canes, Seminoles move on

(logo from FHSAA.org)

Manatee and Southeast opened the softball postseason with victories Monday.

The Hurricanes rallied past Port Charlotte 4-2 in a Class 5A-District 10 quarterfinal at G.T. Bray, while the Seminoles buried Booker 26-8 in a Class 3A-District 11 quarterfinal at Southeast.

Each team will play a semifinal tonight against each tournament's No. 1 seed - the Hurricanes travel to Venice at 7 p.m., while Southeast meets Arcadia DeSoto at 5:30 p.m. at Wauchula Hardee, the tournament's host.

Listed below are Tuesday's other local softball pairings:

CLASS 4A-DISTRICT 10 QUARTERFINALS

Bayshore at Lakewood Ranch, 7 p.m.

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

CLASS 2A-DISTRICT 11 SEMIFINALS AT SAINT STEPHEN'S

St. Petersburg Northside Christian vs. Saint Stephen's, 2 p.m.

Out-of-Door Academy vs. St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep, 4:30 p.m.

CLASS 1A-DISTRICT 8 SEMIFINALS AT BRADENTON CHRISTIAN

Bradenton Christian vs. Seffner Christian, 4 p.m.

Prep baseball and softball: Braden River, Lakewood Ranch, Manatee make BHSN polls

(logo from BHSN.com)

Braden River's softball team, along with baseball teams from Lakewood Ranch and Manatee, are listed in the latest BHSN polls.

Listed as Next Best after just missing the cut last week, the Pirates cracked the top 10 in the latest poll, which was unveiled April 7, and are ranked ninth. Braden River won a regional playoff game last year for the first time in team history.

The Mustangs are fifth for the second straight week in the baseball poll, while Manatee just missed the top 10, and is listed as Next Best.

The softball playoffs begin April 18, while the baseball postseason gets underway the week of April 25.

Boys weightlifting: State qualifers

Four area lifters qualified for the boys state weightlifting meet, scheduled for Friday, April 15 (Class 2A) and Saturday, April 16 (Class 1A) at the Kissimmee Civic Center.
In Class 2A, Braden River's Nathan Kirkman is seeded 10th at 219 pounds, and Manatee's Drakkar Wilson is 14th at heavyweight.
There are 18 qualifiers in each weight class, and rankings are determined by each lifter's total during the district meets.
In Class 1A, Southeast's David Pascual is 11th at 119 pounds, and Cardinal Mooney's Alex Nugent is fifth at 169 pounds.
Nugent placed first during last week's Class 1A-District 8 meet, earning him an automatic berth to state.
Kirkman, Pascual and Wilson earned at-large bids.
The top six finishers in each weight class at state earn a medal.

Prep baseball: Hurricanes looking to lock the top seed

The Manatee Hurricanes have their destiny in their hands.
Tuesday's 9-2 win over Port Charlotte upped the Canes' record to 12-3 overall and 5-0 in Class 5A-District 10. The only team in the district without two losses, Manatee can clinch the league's No. 1 seed with three district games remaining.
Why does this matter?
Similar to many districts, the 5A-10 tournament doesn't have a main site - home games are determined based on seeds. Winning the No. 1 seed gives Manatee homefield in not only the first round, but in the district championship game should the Canes get that far.
Manatee has made the Class 5A playoffs the past two seasons but hasn't won a district title since 2002. The Hurricanes came within a strike of doing so last season, but watched Venice rally for two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
"It's good to have that," Canes coach Dwayne Strong said. "But the biggest thing for me is we're getting better each day and each week. Hopefully, if we do that, we'll be where we need to be."

Prep football: Doubleheader heading to Hawkins Stadium

A year after playing out of state for the first time in program history, Manatee's football team is playing host to a similar event this fall.
The Hurricanes host Don Bosco Prep, a national powerhouse out of New Jersey, on Friday, Sept. 16. After that game winds down, another Jersey heavyweight, Bergen Catholic, will face either Tampa Plant or Cocoa.
Kickoff is tentatively slated for 6 p.m. for the first game and around 9:15 p.m. for the second one, said Hurricanes head coach Joe Kinnan.
"If you want to be nationally ranked, you've got to play teams outside the state," Kinnan said. "That's what it comes down to."
Halloy Boy Sports Marketing is running the event, and the plan for is for the four teams to meet again in New York City in 2012.
Manatee became acquainted with Halloy Boy last fall, when the Canes' opened the 2010 season during a four-game, one-day affair in Woodland Hills, Pa.
Kinnan said whatever money made this season will be rolled over to finance next year's doubleheader, meaning none of the teams involved will make or lose any money.
"But it will be a great experience for the kids," Kinnan said.
The Bosco Prep Ironmen went 12-0 last season - defeating Bergen Catholic to win their fifth straight state title - and have won 35 straight games. They finished the year ranked seventh in the USA Today Super 25 and sixth in the RivalsHigh top 100.
The Canes were ranked 32nd by Rivals.
Bergen Catholic went 10-2 last year, losing both games to Bosco, and finished 59th in Rivals' rankings.
Cocoa won the Class 2A state title and finished 29th last year, while Tampa Plant reached the Class 5A state final.
As for the Hurricanes, their schedule will be full of challenges. The Canes open the season in Olney, Md. against Our Lady of Good Counsel, ranked 83rd by Rivals. Then comes Riverview, Bosco and Southeast.
"We're going to have a muderous first four games," Kinnan said, adding this schedule may be the team's most difficult.
In Week 7, the Canes host Class 6A state semifinalist Cypress Bay.
"We're going to see a lot of new people on our schedule, people we haven't seen before," said Kinnan, whose Canes have reached the state semifinals in four of the past six seasons. "It's going to be exciting."

Prep wrestling: Doran won't wrestle in college

(photo by Paul Videla)

It's hard to imagine Alex Doran doing anything but wrestling.
But the Manatee senior has no plans to further his career in the sport at the collegiate level. Instead, he will major in pre-nursing next year at Florida Gulf Coast University, which does not offer wrestling.
"I just want to do something different," said Doran, who has been wrestling since he was 5.
He picked a heck of a way to go out - Doran broke Manatee's record for wins in a season (53) and a career (168) this year and finished third in the state in Class 3A at 140 pounds.
A four-time state qualifier, Doran never finished lower than fourth at the state meet, and became the first Hurricanes wrestler to win a state title as a fresman in 2008.
He was dominant at the local level, too, nabbing four county championships and winning all of his county tournament matches by either pin or technical fall.
Just because he isn't wrestling doesn't mean Doran will put the kibosh on athletics - he plans to play intramural basketball or beach volleyball alongside fellow Canes wrestler Ronny Whitt, who is also attending FGCU.
"We'll just have some fun," Doran said.

Prep baseball: Lots of locals on Classic's all-tourney team

(baseballgloves.us)

The county's strong showing at last week's Sarasota Baseball Classic is evident in the all-tournament team, which was unveiled today.
Lakewood Ranch placed third in the Elite Bracket, while Manatee was third in the Premeir Bracket and Palmetto finished fourth. All three teams made each bracket's semifinal round.
Here are the local players who made each of the bracket's all-tournament teams:
ELITE BRACKET
Brett Hanewich, Lakewood Ranch
Seth McGarry, Lakewood Ranch
Zack Larson, Lakewood Ranch
PREMEIR BRACKET
Tyler Beeman, Manatee
Nick Nolting, Palmetto
Kevin Phillips, Cardinal Mooney
MOST OUTSTANDING PITCHER, PREMEIR BRACKET
Correlle Prime, Manatee

Prep baseball: Final pairings for Sarasota Baseball Classic

(baseballgloves.us)

There won't be a local champion at the Sarasota Baseball Classic after Lakewood Ranch, Manatee and Palmetto fell in the semifinals Wednesday.
But there will be baseball, as the tournament wraps today.
Here are the local pairings.

ELITE BRACKET - CONSOLATION
Lakewood Ranch vs. Sarasota at Sarasota, 5 p.m.
The Pendleton School vs. Fort Myers Bishop Verot at Ed Smith Complex, field 3, 5:15 p.m.

PREMIER BRACKET - CONSOLATION
Manatee vs. Palmetto at Ed Smith Complex, field 1, 5:15 p.m.
Braden River vs. Dwyer at Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex, field 4, 5:15 p.m.
Cardinal Mooney vs. Punta Gorda Charlotte at Ed Smith Complex, field 1, 5:15 p.m.

Prep wrestling: Fulk headed to Gardner-Webb

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

BRADENTON - Manatee wrestler Travis Fulk is headed to Gardner-Webb University, said Manatee coach Andy Gugliemini.
Fulk won 35 matches this year and placed sixth in the state in Class 3A at 135 pounds, earning the first state medal of his career.
He will graduate with 157 wins.
Gardner-Webb is a Division I program located in Boiling Springs, N.C., meaning Fulk won't be too far from his older brother, Andrew, who wrestles at Duke.