Prep sports: Lakewood Ranch girls win 6A all-sports award

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Thanks in part of the work of state track champ Kristin Zarrella, Lakewood Ranch's girls won the FHSAA Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup in Class 6A.
The Mustangs totaled 430 points to breeze by second-place Naples Barron Collier (330).
Points are awarded to each school for where it finishes in all of the FHSAA's sanctioned sports, with 100 points going to state champions, 90 for runner-up, 83 for the state semifinalists, 60 for places five through eight,and 25 for places nine through 16.
Schools are also awarded five-point bonuses for winning district and regional titles.
Zarrella, a senior, took first in the 800-meter run during the Class 3A state track and field championships in Jacksonville.
(Class 3A is the second-largest classification in track).
Lakewood Ranch's softball and volleyball teams made the state final four, while the girls basketball team won the program's first district title during the winter.
The girls cross country took fifth in the Class 3A state meet over the fall.
Powered by the girls' successful season, the Mustangs finished third overall in the Class 6A Sunshine Cup standings with 613 points.
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Prep softball: Braden River's Mirabella finished 4th in Miss Softball balloting

photo by Grant Jefferies

Braden River fireballer Courtney Mirabella placed fourth in the balloting for the 2013 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Softball award.
Mirabella received four first-place votes and tallied 115 points.
The senior went 15-3 with a 0.15 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 138 innings for the Pirates en route to being named the Class 7A State Player of the Year. Braden River will retire her No.3 during the football team's home-opener Aug. 31.
Mirabella has signed to play at North Carolina State.
Stephanie Texeira, a senior from Gulliver Prep, was named the Miss Softball for 2013 after batting .547 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Prep football video: Manatee 41, Lincoln 2

Manatee coach Joe Kinnan and quarterback Josh Meyer speak after Friday's 41-2 win over Lincoln in a spring football game.

Prep football: Manatee's spring game with Lincoln ranked best in Florida

photo by Grant Jefferies

Joe Kinnan has scheduled the best spring football game in the state of Florida.
This is according to the folks at floridahsfootball.com, which has the Hurricanes' game with Tallahassee Lincoln atop its rankings of the top 20 spring football games.
"Look for this spring game to be like a typical Friday night game rather than just a game to figure out what is working right and what needs to be fixed.," the caption read.
Manatee spent most of last season ranked No.1 in the country by MaxPreps, USA Today and ESPN before falling to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the Class 7A state final.
Aquinas went on to beat Lincoln for the 7A title.
Friday's game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Hawkins Stadium.

Prep football: Palmetto's QB battle a "tight" one

photo by Grant Jefferies

Another year, another quarterback competition at Palmetto.
This time, Chris Tuten, the incumbent pictured above, is looking to keep his starting job while Jack Allison looks to take it.
"It's tight," said coach Dave Marino.
Tuten was a sophomore last season who lost out on the starting job to senior Spencer Atkins. Atkins suffered a injury during the first game of the season, however, and moved to linebacker when he returned.
Tuten threw for 1,264 yards and 17 touchdowns in helping the Tigers to a third straight playoff appearance. But the 6-foot-2 Allison, a rising sophomore, is giving Tuten a run this spring.
"Jack has made unbelievable strides," Marino said. "Right now, Chris has just a little bit better grasp of our offense. But Jack throws an accurate ball, he throws a catchable ball - he's just doing outstanding.
"It's real tight. Jack's competing very well. We're excited with the prospect he has, and the upside is just off the charts for him."
Considering neither player is a senior, whomever finishes second may be the backup for the next two seasons. Or, as he did last year when he moved Atkins to linebacker, Marino could switch either Tuten or Allison to a different position.
Each will get an equal amount of reps Thursday when the Tigers host Booker at 7 p.m.
"We've got to let them continue to compete," Marino said, "and just see who the best one is for us."

Prep football: Saint Stephen's schedule

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Saint Stephen's has chosen to compete as an independent this season after it's appeal to move out of Class 3A-District 6 was denied.
The Falcons will play in the newly-formed Gulf Atlantic Football Conference. According to a story in the Fort Myers News-Press, the conference will consist of 10 teams, and the Falcons will be in the Gulf Division with Community School of Naples, Oasis, Fort Myers Gateway Charter and Fort Myers Canterbury.
The top two teams in each division advance to the conference playoffs.
The Falcons are still a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association, but as an independent, cannot compete for district, regional or state football titles.
Listed below is their 2013 schedule. Game times are 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

8/23 at Citrus Park Christian (Kickoff Classic) TBA
8/30 at Clearwater Calvary Christian 7:30 p.m.
9/6 FAITH BAPTIST
9/13 at Winter Park Trinity Prep, 5 p.m.
9/20 COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF NAPLES
9/27 at St. Petersburg Canterbury
10/4 OASIS
10/11 at Fort Myers Canterbury TBA
10/25 OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY
11/1 at Fort Myers Gateway Charter
11/8 Conference playoffs
11/15 Conference championship 

Prep sports: Lakewood Ranch wins 6A academic team title

Lakewood Ranch totaled 140 points to win the Class 6A Florida High School Athletic Association Academic Team title.
The Mustangs cruised past Fort Myers, second with 118 points.
Scores were totaled by how each team fared in each sport's grade-point averages, with 10 points being awarded for a first place finish.
Saint Stephen's finished fourth in Class 2A with 39 points.