- All Sports
Quick Sports
Latest News
Scores and statistics from Friday high school sports events:
Boys Soccer
Class 7A District 2
Thursday
DeLand 4, Orange City University 2
Tuesday at Seminole High School
No. 2 West Port vs. No. 3 Seminole, 5
No. 1 Spruce Creek vs. No. 4 DeLand, 7
Final: Thursday, 5, at Seminole HS
Class 7A District 3
Wednesday
Apopka 1, Lake Brantley 0
Thursday
No. 2 West Orange defeated No. 3 Lake Mary, 4-2 (overtime)
Friday
No. 1 Ocoee 4, No. 4 Apopka 1
Final: Tuesday, 6:30, No. 1 Ocoee at West Orange
Class 7A District 4
Wednesday
Winter Park 1, Boone 0
Orlando University 6, Colonial 3
Friday
No. 2 Hagerty 2, Orlando University 1
No. 1 Timber Creek 1, No. 4 Winter Park 0
Buzz: Hugo Stallone scored on a penalty kick for Timber Creek.
Final: Jan. 29, 6, No. 2 Hagerty at No. 1 Timber Creek
Class 7A District 5
Thursday
Olympia 2, Oak Ridge 0
Monday
No. 2 Dr. Phillips vs. No. 3 East Ridge, 5:30
No. 1 Windermere vs. No. 4 Olympia, 7
Final: Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Olympia High
Class 7A District 6
Thursday
Lake Nona 1, Cypress Creek 0
Freedom 3, Tohopekaliga 2
Final: Jan. 29, 6, at Freedom High: No. 1 Lake Nona vs. No. 2 Freedom
Class 7A District 7
Friday
No. 1 Celebration 4, No. 4 Poinciana 0
No. 3 Harmony at No. 2 St. Cloud, 7 (no score reported)
Final: Jan. 29, 7 p.m., at higher seed
Class 6A District 4
Thursday
South Lake 2, Wekiva 0
Tuesday
No. 4 South Lake at No. 1 Horizon, 6
No. 3 Lake Minneola at No. 2 Ocala Forest, 6
Final: Thursday, 6, at higher seed
Class 6A District 5
Wednesday
Edgewater 6, Lake Howell 1
Thursday
Lyman 9, Evans 1
Friday
No. 2 Winter Springs 1, No. 3 Lyman 0
Buzz: Shaler Green scored the lone goal in the game for Winter Springs. Jack Prowell assisted on the goal. Liam Edwards had the clean sheet for Winter Springs. Edwards had 16 saves in the win.
No. 1 Oviedo 4, No. 4 Edgewater 1
Final: Tuesday, 6, at Lake Howell High: No. 2 Winter Springs vs. No. 1 Oviedo
Class 6A District 6
Thursday
No. 5 East River defeated No. 4 Bayside, 1-0
Monday
No. 2 Melbourne vs. No. 3 Heritage, 5
No. 1 Viera vs. East River, 7
Final: Wednesday, 6, at Viera High
Class 6A District 7
Thursday
Osceola 11, Lakeland 3
Monday
No. 4 Osceola at No. 1 Lake Gibson, 7
No. 3 Bloomingdale at No. 2 Bartow, 7
Final: Wednesday, 7, at higher seed
Class 5A District 5
Friday
No. 4 Lecanto 5, No. 5 Belleview 4
Tuesday
No. 2 Springstead vs. No. 3 Gainesville, 6:30
No. 1 Leesburg vs. Lecanto, 8
Final: Thursday, 8, at Ormond Beach Sports Complex
Class 5A District 6
Wednesday
Mainland 3, Deltona 0
Friday
No. 1 New Smyrna Beach 8, No. 5 Mainland 0
No. 3 Pine Ridge at No. 2 Seabreeze, 6 (no score reported)
Final: Monday, 6, at No. 1 New Smyrna Beach
Class 5A District 7
Wednesday
Lake Buena Vista 4, Sebring 0
Auburndale 4, Kathleen 0
Friday
No. 2 Innovation 6, No. 3 Auburndale 1
No. 1 Gateway 2, No. 4 Lake Buena Vista 2 (penalty kicks)
Buzz: Gateway won 4-3 in penalty kicks.
Final: Tuesday, 7, No. 2 Innovation at No. 1 Gateway
Class 4A District 6
Wednesday
Jones 4, Eustis 1
Monday
No. 3 Tavares at No. 2 Mount Dora, 6
No. 4 Jones at No. 1 Bishop Moore, 7
Final: Wednesday, 7, at higher seed
Class 4A District 7
Thursday
No. 3 Mulberry defeated No. 6 Liberty, 8-0
Friday
No. 5 Brandon at No. 4 Middleton, 7 (no score reported)
Monday
Mulberry winner at No. 2 Lake Wales, 7
Middleton-Brandon winner at No. 1 Lake Region, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at higher seed
Class 3A District 6
Wednesday
No. 4 Crooms Academy defeated No. 5 Umatilla, 4-2
Thursday
No. 2 The Villages Charter 7, No. 3 South Sumter 0
Friday
No. 1 Lake Highland Prep 8, Crooms Academy 0
Final: Wednesday, 6, No. 2 The Villages Charter at No. 1 Lake Highland Prep
Class 2A District 5
Wednesday
Trinity Prep 3, Crescent City 0
Friday
No. 3 The Master’s Academy 1, No. 2 Father Lopez 0
No. 4 Trinity Prep at No. 1 Taylor, 6 (no score reported)
Final: Tuesday, 6, at higher seed
Class 2A District 6
Thursday
Foundation Academy 2, The First Academy 1
Friday
No. 1 Windermere Prep 6, No. 4 Cornerstone Charter Academy 0
Final: Tuesday, 7, No. 2 Foundation Academy at No. 1 Windermere Prep
Class 1A District 4
Thursday
No. 4 Classical Prep vs. No. 5 Seven Rivers Christian
Mount Dora Christian 9, Hernando Christian 1
Tuesday
Classical-Seven Rivers winner vs. No. 1 Academy at the Lakes, 5
No. 3 Mount Dora Christian vs. No. 2 First Academy-Leesburg, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at Mount Dora Christian
Class 1A District 5
Friday
No. 4 Lake Mary Prep vs. No. 5 Deltona Trinity, 5 (no score reported)
No. 3 Circle Christian vs. No. 6 Altamonte Christian, 7 (no score reported)
Monday
CC-Altamonte winner vs. No. 2 Geneva School, 5
LMP-Trinity winner vs. No. 1 International Community, 7
Final: Wednesday, 6, at Lake Mary Prep
Class 1A District 6
Friday
No. 5 Merritt Island Christian at No. 4 CFCA, 7 (no score reported)
Tuesday
CFCA-Merritt winner at No. 3 Orangewood Christian, 7
No. 3 All Saints Academy at No. 2 Faith Christian, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at higher seed
Girls Soccer
Class 7A District 2
Thursday
Orange City University 1, West Port 0
Monday
No. 3 DeLand vs. No. 2 Seminole, 5
No. 1 Spruce Creek vs. No. 4 Orange City University, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at Seminole High School
Class 7A District 3
Wednesday
Apopka 8, Ocoee 0
Friday
No. 2 West Orange 2, No. 3 Lake Brantley 1
No. 1 Lake Mary vs. No. 4 Apopka, 7:30 (no score reported)
Final: Wednesday, 6:30, at Lake Mary High School
Class 7A District 4
Wednesday
Boone 3, Orlando University 0
Hagerty 11, Colonial 0
Thursday
Timber Creek 3, Boone 0
Friday
No. 2 Winter Park 3, No. 3 Hagerty 1 (overtime)
Buzz: Mali Burke led Hagerty with a goal while Valeria Romero had an assist.
Final: Wednesday, 6, No. 2 Winter Park at No. 1 Timber Creek
Class 7A District 5
Thursday
No. 4 Dr. Phillips vs. No. 5 Oak Ridge
Tuesday
No. 2 Olympia vs. No. 3 Windermere, 5:30
No. 1 East Ridge vs. Thursday’s winner, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at East Ridge High
Class 7A District 6
Wednesday
Freedom 3, Tohopekaliga 1
Thursday
Lake Nona 3, Cypress Creek 1
Final: Sunday, 6, No. 2 Lake Nona at No. 1 Freedom
Class 7A District 7
Thursday
Celebration 8, Poinciana 0
No. 3 St. Cloud at No. 2 Harmony
Final: Tuesday, 7, St. Cloud-Harmony winner at No. 1 Celebration
Class 6A District 4
Monday
No. 4 Lake Minneola at No. 1 Ocala Forest, 6
No. 3 South Lake at No. 2 Horizon, 6
Final: Thursday, 6, at higher seed
Class 6A District 5
Wednesday
Lake Howell 6, Winter Springs 2
Friday
No. 4 Lake Howell vs. No. 1 Oviedo, 5 (no score reported)
No. 2 Edgewater 2, No. 3 Lyman 1
Final: Tuesday, 6, at Edgewater High: No. 2 Edgewater vs. No. 4 Lake Howell/No. 1 Oviedo
Class 6A District 6
Wednesday
Heritage 1, East River 0
Friday
No. 2 Melbourne 1, No. 3 Bayside 0
No. 1 Viera 12, No. 5 Heritage 0
Final: Tuesday, 6, No. 1 Viera at No. 2 Melbourne
Class 6A District 7
Wednesday
Bartow 10, Osceola 0
Friday
No. 4 Bartow at No. 1 Bloomingdale, 7 (no reported score)
No. 3 Lake Gibson at No. 2 Lakeland, 7 (no reported score)
Final: Tuesday, 7, at higher seed
Class 5A District 5
Friday
No. 4 Belleview 7, No. 5 Leesburg 2
Monday
No. 3 Springstead vs. No. 2 Gainesville, 6:30
No. 1 Lecanto vs. No.4 Belleview, 8
Final: Jan. 30, 6:30, at Ormond Beach Sports Complex
Class 5A District 6
Wednesday
Mainland 2, Deltona 1
Friday
No. 1 New Smyrna Beach 8, No. 4 Mainland 0
No. 2 Seabreeze 6, No. 3 Pine Ridge 2
Final: Monday, 6, at higher seed
Class 5A District 7
Thursday
No. 5 Gateway defeated No. 4 Lake Buena Vista, 3-2
No. 3 Sebring defeated No. 6 Kathleen, 7-0
Friday
Gateway at No. 1 Innovation, 7 (no score reported)
Sebring at No. 2 Auburndale, 7 (no score reported)
Final: Wednesday, 7, at Wesley Chapel High School
Class 4A District 6
Thursday
No. 4 Jones defeated No. 5 Tavares, 5-0
Tuesday
No. 3 Eustis at No. 2 Mount Dora, 6
Jones at No. 1 Bishop Moore, 7
Final: Thursday, 7, at higher seed
Class 4A District 7
Wednesday
Lake Region 1, Middleton 0
Thursday
Mulberry 8, Liberty 0
Monday
No. 3 Mulberry at No. 2 Lake Wales, 7
No. 5 Lake Region at No. 1 Brandon, 7
Final: Wednesday, 7, at higher seed
Class 3A District 6
Wednesday
Umatilla 1, South Sumter 0
Friday
No. 2 Lake Highland Prep 6, No. 3 The Villages Charter 0
No. 5 Umatilla at No. 1 Montverde Academy, 6 (no score reported0
Final: Tuesday, 6, at higher seed
Class 2A District 5
Friday
No. 5 Taylor at No. 4 Father Lopez, 7:30 (no score reported)
Monday
No. 3 Crescent City at No. 2 Master’s Academy, 6
Taylor-Father Lopez winner at No. 1 Trinity Prep, 6
Final: Wednesday, 6, at higher seed
Class 2A District 6
Thursday
The First Academy 2, Foundation Academy 1 (2 OT)
Windermere Prep 8, Cornerstone Charter 0
Final: Monday, 7, No. 3 The First Academy at No. 1 Windermere Prep
Class 1A District 4
Monday
No. 2 Seven Rivers Christian vs. No. 3 Academy at the Lakes, 6
Final: Thursday, 5, No. 1 Mount Dora Christian vs. Seven Rivers-Academy winner, at Mount Dora Christian
Class 1A District 5
Thursday
No. 2 Circle Christian defeated No. 3 International Community, 1-0
No. 1 Geneva School defeated No. 4 Lake Mary Prep, 8-0
Final: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Circle Christian at Geneva School in Casselberry
Class 1A District 6
Thursday
Victory Christian 7, Orangewood Christian 1
Final: Monday, 7, No. 2 Victory Christian at No. 1 All Saints Academy
Wrestling
FHSAA DUAL STATE MEET
At Osceola High
Class 1A regional finals
Suwannee 40, Yulee 29
St. John Neumann 67, Anclote 11
Merritt Island 51, Hernando 15
Mater Lakes Academy 61, Key West 6
Class 2A regional finals
Clay 48, Middleburg 30
Charlotte 48, Braden River 26
Jesuit 40, Lake Gibson 21
Somerset Academy 58, Jensen Beach 16
Class 3A regional finals
George Jenkins 37, Palmetto 36
South Dade 66, Douglas 3
Wellington 55, Osceola 21
Buzz:
108 – Jovanni Ortiz (OSC) pinned Kihei, 1:04
115 – Williams (WEL) major dec. Angel Agramonte, 14-0
122 – Bonfante (WEL) won by forfeit
128 – Walshe (WEL) won by forfeit
134 – Benedetti (WEL) won by forfeit
140 – T. Gray (WEL) won by forfeit
146 – Ibrahim Rustam (OSC) dec. N. Gray, 7-6
152 – Mitton (WEL) won by forfeit
159 – Kosza (WEL) major dec. Nathaniel Cabrera, 8-0
167 – Andrews (WEL) pinned Jonathan Olmo, 4:16
177 – David Yi Sanchez (OSC) pinned Gardner, 3:49
192 – Deacon Delong (OSC) pinned Snelgrove, 3:35
217 – Jones (WEL) tech fall over Jean Gonzalez, 22-5
287 – Higgins (WEL) pinned Jaquille Knox, 3:18
Hagerty 43, Flagler Palm Coast 25
Buzz:
108 – Chase Wolgamuth (HAG) pinned Dailey, 5:44
115 – K. McLean (FPC) major dec. Brentley Crawley, 13-3
122 – T. McLean (FPC) pinned Brandon Khamis, 1:04
128 – Twilley (FPC) dec. Hunter Jessee, 3-2
134 – Aurelio Gonzalez (HAG) pinned L. Fries, 1:19
140 – Cochran (FPC) dec. James Zena, 14-10
146 – Ben Wolgamuth (HAG) pinned Moy, 2:14
152 – Ricks (FPC) dec. Josue Batista, 9-2
159 – Nikolas Blake (HAG) dec. Baert, 10-5
167 – Aiden Wood (HAG) tech fall over M. Fries, 18-0
177 – Gavin Nelson (HAG) pinned Leadon, 1:16
192 – Thomas Thorne (HAG) tech fall over Hashem, 18-0
217 – Jude DiCicco (HAG) pinned Joseph, 5:02
287 – Korth (FPC) pinned Bradley Sealander, 2:38
Saturday
1A state semifinals, 10 a.m.
Suwannee vs. St. John Neumann
Merritt Island vs. Mater Lakes Academy
2A state semifinals, 10 a.m.
Clay vs. Charlotte
Tampa Jesuit vs. Somerset Academy
3A state semifinals, 11:30 a.m. (or when mats are open)
South Dade vs. George Jenkins
Hagerty vs. Wellington
Finals for all 3 classes, 2 p.m.
Boys Basketball
Harmony 62, Heritage 40
Buzz: Mason Fontaine led Harmony (15-7) with 15 points while Jeremy Penner had 10 Points. Cole O’Brien led Heritage with 9 Points.
Liberty 87, Vanguard 62
Buzz: Ixion Toro had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Liberty (13-4). Lamar Lee added 23 points, 10 assists and Tijay Jones had 19 points and 9 rebounds.
Lake Brantley 44, Lake Mary 38
Buzz: Julian Vargas led Lake Brantley (15-9) with 20 points while Dean Adkins had 12 points.
University Orlando 57, Colonial 55
Buzz: Hudson Maurer led University with 20 points( went 7-for-7 from the line). Mo Kamara chipped in with 14 points.
Winter Park 67, Innovation 32
Buzz: Vittorio Coppola-Maritati led Winter Park (16-6) with 12 points while Remington Ferrer added 12 points on senior night. Innovation fell to 3-19.
Santa Fe Catholic 82, Foundation Academy 67
Buzz: Alex Nichols led the Lions (14-7) with 24 points while Josh Mercado had 12 points. Riley Michels chipped in with 9 points and 4 assists.
Other scores:
Columbus 79, Montverde Academy 59
Evans 62, Lake Howell 61
Olympia 70, Boone 66
South Lake 68, Umatilla 55
Chaminade-Madonna 70, Central Florida Christian Academy 65
Melbourne 54, Timber Creek 40
Mount Dora 61, Orangewood Christian 51
Eustis 41, Leesburg 40
Lake Minneola 92, East Ridge 61
Hagerty 49, Eau Gallie 46
Atlantic 73, Pine Ridge 67
Girls Basketball
Winter Springs 81, Orange City University 43
Buzz: Heaven Sims led Winter Springs (16-5) with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Sydney Hanson added 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Other scores:
Montverde Academy 61, Legion Preparatory Academy 45
The Master’s Academy 35, Rockledge 29
Pine Ridge 63, Freedom 48
Foundation Academy 38, Father Lopez 24
Horizon 61, Edgewater 54
Hagerty 51, Lyman 26
East Ridge 38, Lake Minneola 36
Cornerstone Charter Academy 52, Mount Dora 34
Girls Weightlifting
CLASS 3A DISTRICT 9
At Harmony High School
Traditional team standings:
1. St. Cloud 60
2. Harmony 46
3. Haines City 44
4. Tohopekaliga 32
6. Kissimmee Osceola 9
7. Ridge Community 8
8. Celebration 4
9. Poinciana 2
10. Davenport 2
Individual winners:
101: Natasha Puchales (Harmony) 185
110: Alesia Smith (Ridge Community) 230
119: Jaylen Sanchez (Tohopekaliga) 265
129: Julianna Navarro (Tohopekaliga) 305
139: Nya Flores (Harmony) 335
154: Madilyn Fitzgerald (Harmony) 355
169: Morgan Pascual (Harmony) 310
183: Jaylonie Majia (St. Cloud) 305
199: Morgan Van Auken (St. Cloud) 330
UNL: Autumn Frost (St. Cloud) 350
Olympic team standings:
1. St. Cloud 61
2. Harmony 49
3. Tohopekaliga 37
4. Haines City 34
5. Kissimmee Osceola 12
6. Poinciana 8
7. Winter Haven 6
8. Ridge Community 6
9. Celebration 5
10. Davenport 2
Individual winners:
101: Puchales (Harmony) 185
110: Ferrer (Kissimmee Osceola) 230
119: Sanchez (Tohopekaliga) 260
129: Ava Nasco (St. Cloud) 285
139: Flores (Harmony) 290
154: Fitzgerald (Harmony) 325
169: Pascual (Harmony) 330
183: Alexandra Alvarez (Harmony) 270
199: Van Auken (St. Cloud) 330
UNL: Frost (St. Cloud) 310
CLASS 1A DISTRICT 11
At Foundation Academy
Traditional team standings:
1. Foundation Academy 65
2. Windermere Prep 43
3. New Dimensions 22
4. Tenoroc 13
5. Discovery 10
Olympic team standings:
1. Foundation Academy 76
2. Montverde Academy 53
3. Windermere Prep 27
4. New Dimensions 14
5. Tenoroc 9
6. Discovery 0
Standout Foundation Academy performers with first-place finishes:
Amber Pass, traditional 180 & Olympic 140
Kena Terry, Olympic 275
Amelia Donaho, Olympic 265, traditional 290
Jackie St. John, Olympic 195, traditional 245
Luna Dela Cruz, Olympic 240
Haley Lambert, Olympic 200
CLASS 1A DISTRICT 10
At The First Academy
Traditional team standings:
1. The First Academy 51
2. Trinity Prep 40
3. Lake Mary Prep 40
4. Faith Christian 36
5. The Master’s Academy 33
6. Orangewood Christian 19
Olympic team standings:
1. The First Academy 59
2. Trinity Prep 45
3. Faith Christian 37
4. Lake Mary Prep 30
5. The Master’s Academy 29
6. Orangewood Christian 18
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/25/high-school-scores-statistics-basketball-soccer-orlando-fhsaa-wrestling-january-24/
By TIM CRONIN
Associated Press
CHICAGO — Nikita Kucherov scored 58 seconds into overtime and had two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Friday night.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, Nick Paul and Mitchell Chaffee also scored and Victor Hedman had two assists to help the Lightning end a two-game skid. Jonas Johansson had 11 saves.
Louis Crevier and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist, and Colton Dach also scored for Chicago, which has a season-high four-game point streak (1-0-3). Arvid Soderblom finished with 36 saves.
In the extra period, Kucherov beat Soderblom cleanly with a hard wrist shot from the right circle.
Crevier’s goal 4:59 into the second period gave Chicago a 3-1 lead.
Paul pulled the Lightning within one with 8 seconds left in the middle period, and Guentzel deflected Kucherov’s pass from the right corner to tie the score with 3.3 seconds left in regulation.
During the game, the Blackhawks sent forward Taylor Hall to Carolina in a three-way deal.
Takeaways
Lightning: Paul’s goal in the closing seconds of the second period swung the momentum to Tampa Bay.
Blackhawks: Hall’s departure accelerates Chicago’s youth movement. Nazar, Dach — who got his first career goal — and Crevier all have no more than a half-season of NHL experience.
Key moment
Guentzel’s tying goal from the doorstep took the wind out of the Blackhawks, who had been keeping the Lighting away from the crease for most of the third period.
Key stat
Up Next
Lightning visit Detroit on Saturday, and Blackhawks host Minnesota on Sunday.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/24/kucherov-scores-in-ot-to-give-lightning-4-3-win-over-blackhawks/
One thing Class 3A FHSAA wrestling duals state tournament qualifiers Kissimmee Osceola and Hagerty had in common this season is the injurious path it took to get here.
Both teams missed multiple players due to injuries or illness.
The ailments carried over to Friday’s regional final for the Kowboys, who lost their match against Wellington.
Hagerty’s sick and injured wrestlers improved physically in the last week, and the Huskies were able to make program history with a 43-25 win over Flagler Palm Coast on Friday night in Kissimmee. That marked Hagerty’s first state meet victory in their fifth duals appearance and allows the Huskies to add a region title to the banner in their gymnasium.
“Last week in a meet at Poinciana (War Eagle Classic), we only wrestled eight with guys sick and banged up,” Hagerty coach Scotty Diaz said. “We needed to get healthy for this week, and we get to say we’re regional champs.”
The missing wrestlers from last weekend included Aiden Wood, Ben Wolgamuth and Nikolas Blake, who is ranked No. 1 on Kabrawrestling.com at 157 pounds. All three won their matches on Friday.
Osceola had no one to wrestle at five weight classes against Wellington, and lost 55-21.
“We had to forfeit five matches, and you’re not going to make that up against a quality team like Wellington,” Osceola coach Rick Tribit said. “We wrestled well in the other matches. We’ll see (Wellington) again at regionals in the IBT (individual bracket state tournament).”
At one point, the Kowboys were up 18-17 before forfeiting weight classes.
In the other 3A regional finals, four-time defending dual state champ South Dade rolled to a 66-3 win over Douglas, while George Jenkins edged Palmetto 37-36 in a thriller.
South Dade and George Jenkins face off in one semifinal at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, while Hagerty meets Wellington. The winners of those matches advance to the championship match at around 2 p.m.
Friday region final results:
Class 1A
Merritt Island 51, Hernando 15
Suwannee 40, Yulee 29
St. John Neumann 67, Anclote 11
Mater Lakes 61, Key West 6
Class 2A
Clay 48, Middleburg 30
Charlotte 48, Braden River 26
Tampa Jesuit 40, Lake Gibson 21
Somerset Academy 58, Jensen Beach 16
Class 3A
Hagerty 43, Flagler Palm Coast 25
Wellington 55, Osceola 21
South Dade 66, Douglas 3
George Jenkins 37, Palmetto 36
Saturday matches
1A state semifinals, 10 a.m.
Suwannee vs. St. John Neumann
Merritt Island vs. Mater Lakes Academy
2A state semifinals, 10 a.m.
Clay vs. Charlotte
Tampa Jesuit vs. Somerset
3A state semifinals, 11:30 a.m. (or when mats are open)
South Dade vs. George Jenkins
Hagerty vs. Wellington
Championships
Finals for all 3 classes, 2 p.m.
Kissimmee Osceola senior is Orlando Sentinel boys wrestler of year
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/24/fhsaa-duals-state-wrestling-hagerty-huskies-osceola-kowboys-wellington-kissimmee/
The Miami Dolphins have their next position coach who will be tasked with getting Tyreek Hill’s unit in order.
Experienced NFL assistant coach Robert Prince is being hired by the Dolphins as wide receivers coach, according to a league source, confirming the initial NFL Network report.
Prince, who comes over after spending the last three seasons in the same role with the Dallas Cowboys, was first reported by ESPN on Thursday as interviewing for the job during the week.
Miami had a vacancy for the position after firing former wide receiver Wes Welker following his third season controlling the unit under coach Mike McDaniel.
It was an underwhelming 2024 season for Dolphins wide receivers, with Hill falling short of 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2019 and Jaylen Waddle missing the mark for the first time in his four-year professional career in Miami.
To add to that, Hill had a falling out with the organization following the team’s loss to the New York Jets in its season finale and elimination that same night. He indicated he wanted out from the team, but his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has since said Hill is committed to the Dolphins. General manager Chris Grier said at his season wrap-up press conference that he had a productive conversation with Hill in the days that followed the post-game outburst, and that the troubled wideout never requested a trade with him.
Prince, 59, has coached college and professional football since 1989. In the last three seasons with the Cowboys, he has had star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb under his tutelage.
He was with the Houston Texans in the same role in 2021 and led Detroit Lions wide receivers from 2014 to 2020, even acting as head coach for a game during the COVID-19 pandemic, when interim Lions head coach Darrell Bevell, who is now Miami’s quarterbacks coach, was out for a game due to COVID.
Prince has had various other assistant coaching roles on the offensive side of the ball with the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons, along with a number of college coaching stints.
The Dolphins also have an opening at special teams coordinator, after parting ways with Danny Crossman, who previously held that title.
Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver completed an interview with the New Orleans Saints for their head coaching vacancy on Friday. If Weaver lands that job, the Dolphins could have a complete makeover on the defensive side of their coaching staff, as Weaver would likely take several assistants with him. If Weaver returns, continuity could be expected on the Dolphins defensive staff.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/24/dolphins-bringing-in-experienced-assistant-as-new-wide-receivers-coach/
The celebration of Franz Wagner‘s highly anticipated return to the court after a 20-game absence didn’t last long inside Kia Center on Thursday night.
Although Wagner — who played in his first game since Dec. 6 after recovering from a torn right abdominal muscle injury — showed flashes of his former self when he racked up 20 points in a limited 24 minutes, the Magic totaled their fewest points of the season (79), lost by 22 to a then-15-win Trail Blazers squad and dropped their fifth straight contest.
It was Orlando‘s 9th loss in the last 12 games.
“Yeah, we’re struggling right now,” Wagner said. “We’ve got to understand, we’ve got to stick together. It’s part of a long season; we go through ups and downs. It’s going to take everyone and us staying together to get out of it.
“[As] I said, we have a bunch of games left,” he added. “So it’s no reason to hang our heads, but we’ve got to get better.”
To be sure, the Magic have just 36 contests remaining in the regular season.
At 23-23, they entered Friday’s slate at No. 7 in the East, two games behind the No. 5 Pacers (24-20) but only a half-game in front of the No. 9 Heat (21-22), who host Orlando on Monday.
Before the Magic head to South Florida, though, they battle the No. 6 Pistons (23-21) at home Saturday.
“We know we’re in a little rut right now but we’ve got to go back to the basics and pull each other out of it,” veteran guard Cory Joseph told reporters in the locker room Thursday night.
While the group had been transparent about the fact they’d need time to figure out its flow again on both ends as key players such as Paolo Banchero (who played in his seventh game Thursday after a two-plus-month absence due to injury) and Wagner made their way back to the court, time isn’t on their side.
As Jonathan Isaac said in the locker room at Milwaukee last Wednesday, “It’s not as simple as, ‘Oh, we’ve got somebody back; everything is running perfectly smooth.'”
And Orlando will still need to re-integrate key players such as Jalen Suggs (low back strain), Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol), Cole Anthony (illness) and Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), who all weren’t available against Portland.
Suggs was upgraded to questionable Friday for Saturday’s game. As was Bitadze. Those two and Anthony are listed as questionable while Harris will miss his 12th consecutive contest.
Beede’s Breakdown: How Magic failed to take care of ball in loss to Portland
It’s Suggs, who’s often been described as the team’s “heart and soul,” that Orlando might miss the most. There’s also Bitadze, whom Wendell Carter Jr. last Sunday called “one of a kind” thanks to his intensity and attention to detail on the court.
The Magic are 2-8 in their last 10 games without Suggs, but 0-5 in their last five without him and Bitadze available.
In that 10-game stretch, Orlando owns the worst offensive rating (100.3) and the Magic have averaged a league-low 95.3 points while shooting 27.5% from beyond the arc. The Magic were the only team that shot under-30% from distance in that span.
“We’re not playing our best basketball; we’re not shooting our best basketball. But we haven’t really been shooting as well as we wanted to for the whole year,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to find other ways.”
And Joseph is right.
Even when the group went 13-2 in 15 games from Nov. 8 to Dec. 4, the Magic still shot 31.7% from 3-point range, which was third-worst in the NBA. During that span their offensive rating (113.9) was 10th-best, but their 109.1 points on average were still in the bottom third of the league.
So what’s changed?
In the past 10 games, Orlando has strayed from its defensive identity.
During that successful stretch in November to early December, the Magic’s defensive rating (103.1) led the league, as did their plus-10.8 net rating. Orlando held teams to 44.9% shooting from the field (6th lowest opposing field goal percentage) and limited opponents to 99.1 points, which also topped the league.
The Magic were the lone team in that span to hold opponents to under 100 points on a nightly basis.
The last 10 games — without Suggs, an All-Defensive selection a year ago, and Bitadze (who’s 59 total blocks are tied for seventh in the NBA) — tell a different story.
Orlando’s defensive rating (113.4) has dropped to 17th in the NBA.
Although that defensive mark is still around the middle of the pack, the Magic need it to be in the upper echelon of the league in order to find success and overcome their below-average offensive numbers.
When adding their recent defensive woes (opponents have shot 49.7% against the Magic in the past 10 games, which was the second-best opposing FG percentage) to their offensive struggles (Orlando shot a league-low 40.2% from the field in that same stretch), it all leads to a minus-13.1 net rating, which was 28th behind only 6-win Washington and 14-win Brooklyn the last 10 contests.
It’s what happens when a team is missing multiple starters and key rotational pieces over a stretch of time and fatigue begins to catch up while others returning to the court are still finding their footing.
“The problem is even if we lose a certain way, we’ve got to play within the full 48 minutes,” Joseph said. “For whatever reason, right now, there’s moments, but then there’s bigger moments where we’re not doing what we need to do in order to come out with the win.”
A veteran who understands what it takes to win an NBA championship, Joseph (a 2014 champ with San Antonio) is making sure to talk with his teammates often to tell them to keep their heads high amid the 5-game skid.
“We’re not playing our best basketball right now but that’s when you focus on the fine details within the details to pull each other out and be there for your brother,” he said. “If we focus more on that, which we will, we’ll see it start to turn.
“We’re at a point of the season now that it’s time to kind of step it up and do that. We can’t always keep saying it’s a long season.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic vs. Pistons
When: 7, Saturday, Kia Center
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/01/24/orlando-magic-portland-trail-blazers-detroit-pistons-jalen-suggs-paolo-banchero-goga-bitadze-franz-wagner-nba-kia-center-jamahl-mosley/
