Prep football: FHSAA approves change in practice policy

The Florida High School Athletic Association made changes to its heat acclimation policy during Monday morning's meeting of its board of directors.
The changes will go into effect July 1, and include
- Changing the time limit to three hours for a practice during the first two weeks
- Walk-throughs are not permitted on the same day as two-a-days.
- Weekly practice time shall not exceed 24 hours for eighth through 14th day of practice
-  Voluntary conditioning is recommended not to exceed three hours.

The board also made changes strictly to football:
- Helmets only the first two days of workout, with shoulder pads added on day three
- Full gear and contact begins on the sixth day
- Players must participate in six practices in order to be cleared for a game
- Deliberate body contact not allowed during the first five days of practice.

Prep football: Ace Sanders' memorable moments at Manatee

Ace Sanders became a fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars today following a successful three-year stint as a South Carolina Gamecock.
Before all that, however, Sanders was a Manatee Hurricane. A four-year starter, Sanders helped the Canes to three playoff appearances, two regional titles and a state title game while pulling in 138 catches during a career that stretched from 2006-09
Here are some of his more memorable moments in Canes colors:

Oct. 20, 2006: Sanders and another fine freshman, quarterback Brion Carnes, teamed for the game's only touchdown as the Hurricanes beat rival Riverview 7-0 at the Ram Bowl. It's the first career varsity touchdown for Sanders, and a harbinger of things to come.
Nov. 23, 2006: He doesn't get in the end zone, but Sanders pulled in a team-high three catches for 28 yards as Manatee defeats North Fort Myers 20-14 to win the Class 5A-Region 3 title and secure a second straight trip to the state final four.
Nov. 16, 2007: Sanders totals a game-high 105 receiving yards in Manatee's 31-28 win at Fort Myers in a Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal. Spurred on by Sanders, Manatee erases a 21-3 deficit in the first half to win their 10th game of the season and advance into the regional semifinals.
Sept. 26, 2008: This was the only year Sanders didn't make the playoffs at Manatee, but his performance in a 35-14 win over Port Charlotte shouldn't be forgotten. He threw for a touchdown, caught a pass for one and also scored on a 99-yard kickoff return. Sanders led the Canes in receptions (27) and was second in scoring (54 points) in '08.
Dec. 11, 2009: Sanders' final game inside Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium was the best of all. The Hurricanes defeated the nation's top-ranked team, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, 28-20 in a Class 5A state semifinal, snapping the Raiders' 37-game winning streak. Sanders came up huge, scoring a pair of touchdowns and essentially sealing the victory when he fell on Aquinas' onsides kick. The win helped Manatee reach a state final for the first time since 1993 and helped put the program back on the national radar.

Prep softball: Regional semifinal matchups

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

...And then there were three.
Bayshore, Braden River and Lakewood Ranch all won their first-round regional games and are off to the semifinals.
Here are Tuesday's pairings. Winners play for the regional title Friday, May 3.

CLASS 7A-REGION 3
Sarasota at Braden River
CLASS 6A-REGION 3
Dover Strawberry Crest at Lakewood Ranch
CLASS 5A-REGION 3
Bayshore at Tampa Blake

Prep football: Spring pairings

Trevon Walters and Manatee host Tallahassee Lincoln on May 24

Football? Already?
Yep.
The spring football season begins Wednesday with the first official practice of the season.
Listed below are the matchups involving area teams.

FRIDAY, MAY 17
Saint Stephen's at Bradenton Christian
Out-of-Door Academy at St. Petersburg Northside Christian
THURSDAY, MAY 23
Booker at Palmetto
Braden River at Cardinal Mooney
FRIDAY, MAY 24
Bayshore at Largo Pinellas Park
Naples Lely at Lakewood Ranch
Tallahassee Lincoln at Manatee
Sarasota Riverview at Southeast

Prep softball: Wednesday's results

photo by Tom Hubbard

Listed below are Wednesday's softball results involving area teams:
CLASS 7A-REGION 3
Braden River 9, Stuart South Fork 0
CLASS 5A-REGION 3
Bayshore 16, Ruskin Lennard 2
CLASS 3A-REGION 3
St. Petersburg Catholic 5, Bradenton Christian 4
St. Petersburg Shorecrest 13, Saint Stephen's 3

TUESDAY'S SEMIFINALS
CLASS 7A-REGION 3
Sarasota at Braden River
CLASS 5A-REGION 3
Bayshore at Tampa Blake

Prep baseball video: Mustangs beat Palmetto in 6A-12 quarterfinal

Colton Chupp's two-run single in the eighth lifted Lakewood Ranch past Palmetto 4-2 in Tuesday's Class 6A-District 12 quarferfinal.
The Mustangs head to top-seeded Seminole Osceola on Wednesday.
Chupp and Ranch coach Ryan Kennedy talk about Tuesday's win over Palmetto, which won both regular-season meetings.

Prep sports: Southeast's Fulgham wins David Logan scholarship

Southeast senior Charles Wyatt Fulgham is one of four recipients of the David Logan Scholarship, named for the late anchor at Bright House Sports Network.
According to the network's website, Fulgham is enrolled at Southeast's International Baccalaureate program and competed in cross country, tennis, soccer and swimming. He overcame a back injury in 2012 that required surgery and the insertion of metal rods.
Fulgham is also president of the school's Future Farmers of American and National Honors Society chapters, and is awaiting appointment to the United States Naval Academy.
Over 400 student-athletes applied for the scholarship, according to Bright House. It was open to any student-athlete attending school in one of the BHSN's viewing areas and sported a grade-point average of at least 3.5.
A former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Logan passed away in January 1999.