After a stretch in which it scored over 10 runs in four of its last five games, Columbus suffered its second defeat of the season, losing to Coral Springs Charter, 5-4 on Saturday. Columbus, which has nine players with numerous Division I scholarship offers, led for most of the contest until Coral Springs Charter shifted the game’s momentum in the seventh inning.
With five Major League Baseball scouts on hand and tons of collegiate recruiters watching, the Explorers saw a 4-1 lead slip away after a three-run homer by Matt Marek. Following Marek’s drive, Nick Haynes sealed the deal after he drove in the game-winning RBI in the top of the seventh. The RBI was Haynes' only hit of the evening and gave the Panthers a 5-4 edge over Columbus.
Columbus, the lone private school in Florida’s Class 6A and one of the top teams in the country, still has a shot at winning a state and national title. The return of star pitcher Andres Perez Lobo, who suffered from a pinched nerve, will be a much needed boost for the Explorers as they go further into the season. Junior pitcher Andy Suarez, a projected first-round pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, and seniors Javier Salas (closer) and Tyler Filliben (third base) are also potential keys to Columbus’ success this season.
Columbus’s other loss came at the hands of district rival and Miami-Dade County’s No. 2 team, Ferguson.
Brandon Knight, Pine Crest
File photo by Lisa Yen
Florida’s south region is well represented at 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game
In arguably one of the most notable high school all-star games around, three players from Broward County will take national stage on Wednesday night for the annual McDonald’s All-American game showcasing 48 of the nation’s top high school girls and boys basketball players.
Pine Crest guard Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), the reigning two-time Gatorade National Players of the Year, joins Sagemont (Weston, Fla.) center and Syracuse commit Fabricio De Melo in the 33rd anniversary of the boys event, while Blanche Ely center Alicia DeVaughn (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), a Maryland commit, will represent Broward in the ninth anniversary of the girls game. The three from Broward, along with Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.) standout Patric Young, lead the event with the most representation from any state throughout the nation. The girls game is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m., with the boys game following at 8.
Freshman phenom sprints toward success
North Broward Prep freshman Jerimy Strainge made his claim as one of the Sunshine State’s top sprinters after his performance at the Westminster Academy Invitational on Friday. First, Strainge topped Deerfield Beach’s Cassius McDowell (10.67) for Broward County’s top time in the 100 after winning the race in 10.62. Then, the young standout won the 200 in 21.72. Strainge clocked one of the faster 100 times in Florida this season. Leesburg’s Andre Waters owns the fastest time, clocking 10.4 on March 19.
Turnier, Williams lead rally over American Heritage
Sophomore pitcher Shelby Turnier led Palm Beach Gardens to a 3-1 win over Florida power and two-time defending 3A state champion American Heritage. Turnier churned in an amazing performance by throwing 145 pitches, with 108 of them accounting for strikes. The Patriots, who have not lost a game since March 31 of last year, struggled to score for most of the game and watched freshman Ta’Coia Williams, who was pinch-hitting, smack a two-run homer in the 10th to give PBG a 2-0 lead.
Recruiting Tracker: Ward signs with Maryland
Boyd Anderson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) has always had a reputation for producing some of Florida’s top football talent. In the last three years, B.A. has produced 31 Division I players and continues its tradition with its most recent product.
After generating interest from some of the nation’s most notable programs, including Florida, Miami, Florida State, West Virginia, Georgia and Texas A&M, defensive end Shaun Ward (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) put away all the speculation and gave his verbal commitment to the University of Maryland on Friday. Ward, a junior and one of the state’s top defensive prospects, was a shining star for the Cobras despite a disappointing 5-6 season, recording over 100 tackles, with six sacks and a fumble recovery.
"Maryland is a really good school," said Ward. "The coaches seem like positive role models for their players and I hear they have one of the top Criminal Justice programs in the nation. That’s what I want to study in college so it definitely helped my decision."
TIP award
This week’s top individual performance award goes to St. Thomas Aquinas girls track standout out Kirsten Nieuwendam. Nieuwendam helped her team win the Miramar Invitational last week after winning the 100-meter dash in 11.60, the fourth-fastest time in the nation.
Others
Antron Jackson, boys track and field, Carol City, jumped 7 feet, the highest jump in high school outdoor competition nationwide so far this season, at the Miramar Invitational.
Tyrel Hemingway, boys track and field, Miami Columbus, made noise throughout Florida after winning the 100 in 10.57 (fourth-best in the state) and the 200 in 21.83 last week.
Gianna Sanstrom, softball, Cardinal Gibbons, struck out 10 batters in a 2-0 win over Pine Charter.
Andrea Garcia, softball, Miami Christian, went 3 for 4, with a triple, double, single, three runs scored and three RBI in a win over Greater Miami Academy.
