Southeast's volleyball team won its first district championship last week. And few are happier for the Seminoles than their former coach.
Carmine Garofalo won 66 games in five years at Southeast prior to stepping down after the 2008 season. Now the head coach at State College of Florida, Garofalo credits the program he used to call his own.
"They have obviously worked hard, and for them to actually win the first district championship, it was very exciting and rewarding," he said. "It's a terrific school, and they've done a great job there. The athletes are committed and they are working hard."
Garofalo is in his first year running the Manatees, and has made it his priority to lure local talent to the community college. This year's roster, for example, boasts area prep stars such as Sarah Geraldson (Bradenton Christian) and Natalie Gaudreau (Venice).
"I would definitely love to see some of those athletes here," Garofalo said. "They're terrific - not only athletes, but human beings, that would fit well with our philosophy."
The Seminoles hosts LaBelle on 7 p.m. Wednesday in a Class 3A-Region 3 quarterfinal.
Meanwhile, Garofalo has made an immediate splash with the Manatees, who won the Suncoast Conference title this year and head to Winter Haven on Thursday for the first round of the FCCAA Region 8 State Tournament.
SCF faces St. Petersburg College on 10 a.m. in the first round.
"We're kind of in the same boat at the same time," Garofalo said, referring to the Seminoles and Manatees. "It's kind of interesting."
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