Mitchell no longer Panthers' AD

Drew Mitchell is no longer the athletic director at Bradenton Christian.
A graduate of BCS who became the school's athletic director in 2005, Mitchell said Friday he was the victim of budget cuts.
Football coach Allan Gerber takes over as school's new AD.
Mitchell oversaw the school's decision to add football for the '05-06 school year, a move duplicated months later by area private schools Bradenton Prep, Out-of-Door Academy and Saint Stephen's. BCS also added girls soccer that year, as well, and decided to move boys soccer, formerly a fall sport, to the winter.
Under Mitchell, BCS placed fourth in the Florida High School Athletic Association Floyd E. Lay Sunshine All-Sports Awards the last two years, and was ninth in '08.
"I graduated from Bradenton Christian," he said, "and I will always keep it close to my heart."
Mitchell also helped BCS start the Smoothie King Classic in 2007, the area's only girls and boys holiday basketball tournament that drew 16 teams last December.
Mitchell has been hired to teach at Palmetto Charter School, accepting the job after turning down the AD position at Citrus Park Christian.
"That's a stressful job, being an athletic director," he said. "This way, the hours are better.
"Sometimes the Lord has a different path for us to take, and this is it."

Bayshore, Lakewood Ranch and Southeast among academic team leaders

Seven of Lakewood Ranch's athletic teams were ranked in the Florida High School Athletic Association's team champion awards program for the spring.
The award is based on each team's cumulative grade-point average.
The Mustangs girls Class 3A track and field team (3.661 grade-point average) and Class 2A boys weightlifting (3.353) will receive a plaque for finishing first in the state in their sports.
The school's baseball team was fourth(3.263), the softball team was third (3.476), the boys tennis team was fifth (3.504), the girls tennis team was second (3.731) and the boys track team was 14th (3.000)
Baseball and softball compete at Class 4A, while tennis and track are 3A.
Bayshore's baseball team was 10th in Class 4A (3.117) and Southeast's baseball team was fifth in 3A (3.260).

Blakely ranked in Rivals top 100

Manatee running back Mike Blakely made Rivals.com's list of the top 100 senior football players in the country. He is ranked 22nd.
Blakely earned a four-star ranking after totaling nearly 2,000 of receiving and rushing last season.
James Wilder Jr., whose Tampa Plant Panthers head to Bradenton on Aug. 27 for a Kickoff Classic that will be broadcast live on ESPN, was ranked third.
Florida has 20 players on the list, including 12 in the top 20.

Manatee ranked 15th by MaxPreps

Manatee's football team has been labeled by MaxPreps as one of 25 national contenders for the 2010 prep football season.
The Hurricanes were ranked 15th on the list, and MaxPreps.com writer Stephen Spiewak said Manatee re-established itself as a football powerhouse last season despite falling to Tampa Plant in the Class 5A state championship game.
"The Hurricanes have a foundation in place that could position them to be better in 2010," Spiewak writes.
He notes that the team's two top players from last season, quarterback Brion Carnes and wide receiver Ace Sanders, are being replaced by the talented tandem of Cord Sandberg and Quenton Bundrage, which teamed for four touchdowns during Manatee's spring victory over Palm Bay Bayside last Friday.
Electric playmaker Mike Blakely returns, along with most of the defense - most notably the front four of Drakkar Wilson, brothers Chris and Quinton Pompey, and Marquis Dawsey.
Dawsey saw time at linebacker against Bayside, an idea that was tossed around last season.
Click here to see the rest of the top 25 football teams throughout the country, according to maxpreps.com.

Sandberg's spring game a big step forward

No one in Manatee colors doubted that Cord Sandberg could ably fill the void left under center by Brion Carnes.
Nonetheless, they all have to even better about the transition after Friday's 48-41 spring win over Palm Bay Bayside.
Sandberg, a rising sophomore, completed 21 of 23 passes and threw five touchdowns.
"I really didn't know what to expect," Sandberg said. "The offensive line was great - it gave me time, and the receivers running around, getting open...it just happened."
Sandberg has Manatee football in his blood. His father, Chuck, is a longtime Hurricanes assistant who currently coaches the receivers. And his older brother, Chase, a placekicker and receiver, is set to begin his third season on the varsity roster.
Cord tasted success himself last fall, when he piloted Manatee's JV team to an undefeated season and performed well when he appeared in three varsity games after a late promotion.
Friday, however, was different. He started a varsity game for the first time and showed plenty of poise in leading Manatee's final drive - a 74-yard, four-minute charge capped with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Quenton Bundrage with :21.4 seconds left in the game.
Sandberg went 4 for 4 on the drive and hit Mike Blakely for a 34-yard completion with Manatee facing a 3rd-and-15 from its own 47.
"It was good to have some success," Cord said. "Friday night, the real thing, with something that I'm going to be doing for the next three years. It's real important and I'm glad it happened."
Cord and Bundrage showed plenty of synergy, hooking up for four touchdowns and 162 yards.
"Q's amazing - I love him," Cord said. "He's fast, he can jump, he's an amazing athlete. I'm glad I have him."
After what happened Friday, the Hurricanes are surely saying the same thing about Cord Sandberg.

Reddick will be Palmetto's tailback this fall

Dequan Reddick started at tailback for Palmetto during Thursday's spring football game against St. Petersburg Northeast, a scenario that will play out during the fall, as well.
"Dequan Reddick is much better this year," coach Dave Marino said. "He's a year older, a year stronger..."
Reddick carried the ball 46 times for 156 yards in 2009.
"We felt that Dequan was ready to step up and carry the load for us at tailback (this spring)," Marino said. "(Last year), he was just young...Now, he's a sophomore going into his junior year, and he's bigger and stronger.
"And now, he's ready to carry the load and handle the punishment at tailback."
The coaches' confidence in Reddick has allowed Marquis Green to slip into the defensive backfield. Green missed the beginning of last season with an injury, but still managed to tally nearly 1,000 yards rushing.
He had one carry Friday - and turned it into a 66-yard touchdown run. That said, Marino feels Palmetto is a better team with Green at cornerback.
"He's going to have to play both ways," Marino said. "We played him at tailback out of necessity last year. We've lost some guys in the secondary, so we needed to put Marquis back over there to solidify that unit on the back end."
Both expect to be in action Aug. 27, when Palmetto hosts Riverview in a Kickoff Classic.

Pirates, Falcons are sportsmanship champs

Braden River and Saint Stephen's were among the schools selected for the 2009-10 Florida High School Athletic Association/Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Awards on Wednesday.
Saint Stephen's was named the overall winner in Class 2A and Braden River earned the honor in Class 4A.
The seven classifications were divided into four sections, with the overall winner chosen out of that pool of sectional champs.
The Falcons and Pirates - the Section 3 winner - receive $2,500 and a plaque for winning the overall award. Sectional winners were given $500 and a plaque.
Schools are judged on programs and activities within the school and community that promote sportsmanship, the number and type of unsportsmanlike ejections and the number and type of exceptional sportsmanship reports.
A selection committee reviews the nominees and chooses the winner.
Rozelle is the emeritus commissioner of the FHSAA who worked as the association's executive secretary and commissioner from 1980-91.