By Rod Gipson
MaxPreps.com
One of the more anticipated golf matchups of the regular season takes place Oct.
2 in Tampa when the Tampa Plant and Tampa Wharton girls' teams face off.
At last season's Class 2A, Region 4 meet, Wharton bested Plant by one stroke to move on to the state meet.
And while Plant has struggled in stretches this season, the Panthers still are a solid squad led by the trio of Bryce Alley, Gen King and Mackenzie Puryear. Wharton, meanwhile, has been perfect at 7-0 led by Shena Yang, arguably the area's best player.
A junior, Yang heads into the Plant match off a career-best performance in Wharton's last meet. Yang posted a 4-under 32 nine-hole score to lead the Wildcats to a one-stroke win against a good Tampa Sickles team.
Still unbeaten with four matches to go, the Wildcats are hoping to continue their momentum into the postseason, which tees off with district meets beginning Oct. 15.
Cross Country: Land O'Lakes' Soto Continues Torrid Times
Felix Soto was good earlier this season at his host squad's Gator Invitational meet. He was even better Sept. 22 at Zak Lukas Invitational at Brooksville Hernando High.
Soto cruised to a first-place time of 16:21, a full 30 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. And his time was 11 seconds better than his first-place time at the Gator Invitational in early September.
In other events, Dade City Pasco's Leeann Eble took the girls' event with a first-place time of 20:14. New Port Richey Gulf won the girls team title while Inverness Crystal River won the boys title with 50 points. Soto's time helped the land O'Lakes boys take second place with 61 points.
Big Matches Ahead for Plant City Durant Volleyball
After an early-season loss against district foe Lakeland, Plant City Durant has jumped back into the Class 6A, District 8 race with a huge win against district rival Sarasota. Durant topped Sarasota 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 to create a three-way tie for first place in the district.
Durant (6-1) got 18 assists from setter Alexa Donini in the match and outside hitter Stephanie Eukovich had seven kills and eight digs. Outside hitter Kelsey Horton led the Cougars with nine kills.
The teams find themselves in a three-way tie due to Sarasota beating Lakeland earlier in the season. With district tournament seeding on the line to the regular season champion, Durant's meetings with their top foes take on added significance next month.
Durant hosts Lakeland Oct. 9 and plays at Sarasota Oct. 11. Durant does hold the advantage of hosting the district tournament, which tips off Oct. 23.
College Signings/Commitments
Tampa Gaither senior pitcher Eric Doty has verbally committed to Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. Doty, a right-hander, went 2-3 last season for the Cowboys with a 2.73 ERA. Florida Gulf Coast will compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference next season, its first in Division I.
Meanwhile, Gaither senior volleyball player Natalie Williams has committed to Warner Southern College, a NAIA program in Lake Wales, Fla. Williams, a 5-foot-7 libero and defensive specialist will play those positions in college.
And Tampa Academy of the Holy Names senior middle hitter Hilary Hunt will play college volleyball at Mississippi State. The 6-foot-3 Hunt has helped the Jaguars to a 6 and 2 start this season.