Instant reaction from the Avalanche’s 2-1 loss against Dallas in Game 6 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

Georgie’s finest. Fistfights aren’t pretty. They sometimes require just hanging tough. With the season hanging in the balance, Alexandar Georgiev patrolled the crease with little room for error. Colorado’s high-flying offense found itself in a grinder. This wasn’t a night when the big fellas could easily cover up a softie.

Jaime Benn stormed down the center, in behind Cale Makar, and took a perfect pass to level the game at one early in the third period. Otherwise, Georgiev was on his toes from the start. He fended off a second-period flurry. He didn’t put the puck in harm’s way often. He added to the highlight reel. He ignited the Ball Arena crowd in several rounds of “Georgie, Georgie” chants. He survived an overtime review of a Dallas winner waved off due to contact in the crease. He stopped 10 shots in the first overtime and laid to stop a Matt Duchene walk-in attempt early in the second.

He gave the Avs every chance to claw some way, somehow to the finish. They just couldn’t. Duchene finally punched the Stars’ ticket and knocked out Colorado 11:42 into the second overtime.

On the outs. Just like that, it’s lights out on the Avalanche. A few weeks from now there will be two Stanley Cup champions between the 2022 team and the now. The division was hotly contested the whole year. Dallas is a worthy Western Conference Final entrant. And yet this will feel like a what-could-have-been for Jared Bednar’s team. What if Valeri Nichushkin hadn’t been suspended for six months right before Game 4? What if the Avs hadn’t fallen behind 3-1 in this series? What if Jonathan Drouin converted a near goal early in the first overtime on a find from Nathan MacKinnon? Or Arturi Lehkonen in the final minute of the first overtime.

It’s hard to win a Cup even in the best of circumstances. Now it’s tee times and beaches instead of Vancouver or Edmonton.

Second chances. The Stars won late in the first overtime. Then they didn’t. Then they maybe should have, but still didn’t.

Mason Marchment ripped a shot cleanly past Georgiev to send the Stars through to the Western Conference Final. Except an official adamantly waved off the goal immediately, saying Georgiev had been contacted by a Dallas player in the crease.

Duchene won the faceoff and dove to the net, mixing it up with Makar in front of Georgiev. The contact was light and most of it came after Makar appeared to push Duchene into Georgiev.

A long review put this call in front of the officials: Uphold the call or reverse it and end Colorado’s season on its home ice. They kept the call in place and played on. A massive break for Colorado that extended their season for minutes rather than days or weeks.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/18/avs-stars-game-6-alexandar-georgiev-matt-duchene/

For 236 days, the Colorado Avalanche was a Stanley Cup contender during the 2023-24 NHL season.

The calculus changed on Day 237, and the memories of how this campaign unraveled in swift fashion may only be rivaled by the what ifs and what could have beens in the decades to come.

It all came apart in a few days, weeks short of the intended destination. The final stop was a 2-1 overtime loss Friday night in Game 6 to the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena, but the end of the road started at the beginning of the week.

“It’s a little bit of a shock when it ends like that,” said Avs forward Zach Parise, who has decided he will retire after this season after joining the club midseason for one last crack at a Stanley Cup. “It’s really tough. We were able to get a great win down there in Game 5. You wish you we would have bene able to get one of those first two home games. That was the big difference. Unfortunately, it is tough to come back from (down) 3-1.”

Former Avalanche center Matt Duchene scored in the second overtime for the Stars, who overcame a second-intermission deficit and advanced to the Western Conference Final. Dallas will face either Edmonton or Vancouver for the chance to play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Duchene pounced on a loose puck to the left of Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev with 8:18 remaining in the second overtime. He had been part of a controversial no-goal for the Stars in the first overtime session as well.

“It’s heartbreaking to put all that effort into a game like that,” Avs forward Jonathan Drouin said. “It was two very good teams going at it in overtime. I thought we had our looks to score a couple and we didn’t.”

Jamie Benn evened this game at 1-1 just 1:54 into the third period. Evgenii Dadonov made a great backhand pass to Benn as he cut to the net, and the Stars captain tucked a backhanded shot past Georgiev.

Mikko Rantanen helped the Avalanche score first for the first time in this series with a power-play goal in the second period. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston was playing keep away and killing time in the Colorado end during the power play when Cale Makar knocked him to the ice with a big hit and the Avs went the other way.

The aggressiveness of the Dallas penalty kill has been a theme in this series, but the Stars were surprisingly passive after Colorado got set up. Eventually that led to Rantanen getting the puck to the left of Jake Oettinger near the goal line. He had time to pick his corner, and he did it at 5:48 of the second.

The Avs were down 2-1 in this series, but Drouin was set to return to the lineup and the team finished its morning skate Monday morning confident that a fully-operational battle station was ready to even the series with Dallas and continue its pursuit of the franchise’s fourth championship.

Then Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months just before the start of Game 4. And Devon Toews could not play because of illness. Game 4 was a washout.

Toews returned for Game 5, and the 2022 champions made one last stand. It was not enough, and a long offseason that begins with more questions than answers is here.

This was a roster built to win a second championship in three years. It was bolstered with reinforcements before the trade deadline to make a run to 16 playoff victories possible. The Avs ended up 10 shy of the goal.

“(Management) felt like we had the group in here, and we believed we had a group in here, so to fall short … that’s when it stings a little bit more,” Toews said.

There were plenty of great moments to remember from this campaign, once the emotions of the past three days subside. MacKinnon had a season for the ages, setting the franchise record with 140 points. Makar set a new standard for defensemen with 90, topping the mark he set two years ago.

If there was a comeback player of the year award in the NHL, Drouin would be a top contender. Samuel Girard found the help he needed, and played the best hockey of his career.

The Avalanche still has one of the best cores in the NHL, with MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen and Toews in the primes of their careers. What they don’t have is clarity on two of the most expensive players who should be part of that core.

Captain Gabe Landeskog has returned to the ice in limited capacity, but now has not played in an NHL game in two full seasons. Nichushkin is suspended until at least mid-November, and it could be longer. That is more than $13 million of salary cap space for two players who, when right, are capable of being difference-makers during a Cup run.

But the Avs have no idea if and when either will be available again. There are other questions as well – Drouin leads a group of eight unrestricted free agents that dressed for Game 5, and cap space will be limited. Rantanen is now entering the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign a new one in July.

This team began the season as a Cup contender. The way it played shortly after the trade deadline and while it wiped out Winnipeg in five games cemented it as one.

Now, the wait begins again. What will come of the 2024-25 Avalanche could hinge on Landeskog’s repaired knee, Nichushkin’s latest attempt at the rehabilitation process and how general manager Chris MacFarland’s team can replenish the depth around the world-class core.

“Yeah, I don’t know the to answer to that,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “You have having that uncertainty because it makes it harder to plan.

“That’s a challenge. That’s a big challenge.”

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/18/stars-avalanche-game-6-overtime-loss/

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Scottie Scheffler was in handcuffs before dawn in the back of a police car. His warmup routine began in a jail cell. And some six hours later, Scheffler remarkably signed for a 5-under 66 and was right in the mix Friday at the PGA Championship.

Xander Schauffele, fresh off his record start of 62, was not letting up in a bid to end two years without a win by capturing his first major. He had to settle for pars over his last seven holes for a 68 and was at 12-under 130, one shot ahead of Collin Morikawa.

Morikawa birdied five in a row down the stretch only to end with a bogey for a 65. Tiger Woods had two triple bogeys and missed the cut.

They all were mere footnotes on a day that was beyond belief.

“I feel like my head is still spinning,” Scheffler said.

The world’s No. 1 player and Masters champion was driving to Valhalla about 6 a.m. when he ran into traffic, unaware police were investigating a pedestrian — John Mills, who worked for a vendor at the tournament — being struck and killed by a shuttle bus near the entrance.

Scheffler was arrested for failing to follow police instructions. The arrest report indicated a Louisville Metro police officer was dragged to the ground as Scheffler’s car drove by, causing swelling and abrasions on the officer’s left wrist. Scheffler said it was a “chaotic situation” and he never intended to disregard the police instructions. “A big misunderstanding,” he said.

“I can’t imagine what they’re going through. I feel for them,” he said of the victim’s family. “My situation will get handled.”

Scheffler was handcuffed and taken into custody. The winner of a Masters green jacket posed for a mug shot wearing orange jail garb. He could see from the holding cell video of his arrest on ESPN. His heart was racing and his body was shaking.

“I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me,” Scheffler said. “I was just sitting there waiting and I started going through my warmup. I felt like there was a chance I may be able to still come out here and play. I started going through my routine and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could today.

“I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf today.”

Not just any golf. He hit a wedge to 3 feet for birdie on his first hole. He was solid from tee-to-green, made a few putts and had a round that ranked among his best under the circumstances.

“As far as best rounds of my career, I would say it was pretty good,” Scheffler said. “I definitely never imagined ever going to jail, and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times for sure.”

The long day — there was a delay of 1 hour, 20 minutes because of the accident — finally ended in darkness with 18 players still to finish. They were to return Saturday morning. The cut, though not final, would be a PGA Championship record of at least 1-under par.

Valhalla is soft and defenseless, and hardly any wind made it even easier.

Schauffele stalled at the end, making his first bogey on the par-3 11th hole. He lost one good birdie chance on the par-5 18th when he had mud on his golf ball, which explained why a good swing produced a wild hook into the hay.

“We’re pro golfers, we’re not professional mud readers,” Schauffele said. “So I was praying that the mud on my ball wasn’t going to do something, and I felt like I made a really nice pass at it … and I look up and my ball’s just duck-hooking across the property.”

Morikawa challenged at the Masters and is back for more, and while his swing helps him keep the ball in front of him, it’s his putting that is making him believe he can be there at the end.

“I know I still have it in me, and that’s what’s exciting,” he said. “After Augusta, it sucked to finish like that and it sucked to lose to Scottie, but at the end of the day, I knew I had three more majors coming up.”

Scheffler was at 133 with Bryson DeChambeau (65), Thomas Detry (67) and Mark Hubbard, who had three bogeys and three birdies over his last seven holes in a round of 68.

Hubbard got some attention early Friday with a post to X that referenced Scheffler’s police report, including a listed weight of 170 pounds.

“Scottie’s bigger than me, there’s no way he’s 170,” Hubbard said after his round. “Like, I got to get in the gym and stop eating so much of my kids’ leftover mac and cheese.”

But then he turned serious, as so many other players did, expressing shock over seeing Scheffler in handcuffs and sadness for Mills, the 69-year-old victim.

“I thought the saddest part was that the whole thing was about Scottie getting arrested and all that — and like I said, I’m glad he’s doing OK and everything — but I mean, someone died this morning, and we were out there on the course. I bet 90% of the people out here don’t even know that happened.

“That’s not Scottie’s fault at all, but that was the real tragedy today.”

Austin Eckroat, who won his first PGA Tour title earlier this year at the Cognizant Classic, got out of his car in traffic and walked the rest of the way. His wife took the car and later returned. He fashioned another 67 and was in the group at 8-under 134.

“I pulled up the local news station trying to figure out what was going on, and the first thing I saw was Scottie had been put in handcuffs,” Eckroat said. “And I was like, ‘What in the world is going on?’ It was a weird morning.”

The only normalcy was the golf. Schauffele is still going strong. Morikawa keeps moving closer to the form that brought him two majors. And Scheffler still looks like the player to beat.

“I’ve kept myself in the tournament now with a pretty chaotic day, so I’m going to go from here and focus on getting some rest and recovery and get ready for a grind the last two days,” Scheffler said.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/18/schauffele-stays-out-front-at-pga-championship-as-scheffler-caps-a-wild-day-by-staying-in-contention/

Next.

Somehow, someway, Gustav Forsling’s shot with 93 seconds left in Game 6 went through Boston defenseman Parker Wotherspoon’s legs, slipped by the brick wall of goalie Jeremy Swayman and kept the Florida Panthers on their merry way.

Next.

The Panthers went into the heart of Boston hockey for the second straight season and came out with Boston’s heart and soul with a 2-1 win Friday night in Game 6 to win a series full of angst, bile and wonderful hockey, four games to two.

Next.

After the teams lined up to shake hands, after the Panthers took extra time respecting Swayman, Boston already was beginning to move into the background as the Panthers advance to their second-straight Eastern Conference Finals starting Wednesday at the New York Rangers.

If Boston was a series of high emotion, the next is a series even the Brooklyn-bred, Panthers owner Vinny Viola must love. His entry into hockey was as a Rangers fan in the early 1960s, back when he could only afford the worst seats to games.

Now his team threatens Madison Square Garden with the kind of play that sunk Boston. The Panthers aren’t are different from a year ago in Stanley Cup Final. They’re better. Deeper. Smarter. More disciplined. Maybe luckier, too.

“Some of it was luck,’’ Panthers coach Paul Maurice admitted because, sure, someone was going to get a slippery goal Friday night.

Forsling joined Carter Verhaeghe last year and Bill Lindsay three decades ago to be Panthers whose goal ended a Boston series.

“I can’t believe it went in,’’ Forsling said.

Even after it sunk in, it hadn’t sunk in.

“I’m not used to being the guy who scores the winning goal,” he said.

This was an odd series with five of the six games won by the road team. The Panthers won all three in Boston, reducing Boston fans to chants like, “Shoot the puck,” at their team in Game 3 and pained silence by Friday’s end.

What sports drama these games held. What anger. Matthew Tkachuk fought David Pastrnak. Sam Bennett hit Brad Marchand (and, yes, they shook hands afterward because that’s hockey). But by Game 6 the only emerged mano-a-mano battle was Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Swayman.

Who was better? Could you even pick by the end? Was the different just that lucky Forsling goal?

Bobrovsky was beaten after his defense faltered on a Pavel Zacha breakaway to open Friday’s scoring. But Bobrovsky covered up for other mistakes that gave Pastrnak a breakaway and a point-blank shot by Jake DeBrusk. Another breakaway was stopped in the opening minute of the third period. For a defense-first team, the Panthers gave up a lot of breakaways this series.

Even so, the most dramatic save of the night was made by Panthers center Aleksander Barkov. Pastrnak, the Bruins top scorer, shot into an open net on a Boston power play in the third period that Barkov went down and blocked. Barkov struggled immediately into down the tunnel from being hurt by the puck.

“He saved the game there to be honest,” Forsling said. “He made a great read. Just another amazing play by him. He seems to do it every game, to be honest.”

Swayman was the anchor to everything Boston again. He covered up for second-period discipline issues like penalties, including their fourth for too many men on the ice this series, and then an interference penalty by Charlie Coyle, who had a needless hit on Tkachuk.

Anton Lundell continued his strong postseason with the first shot by Swayman. Carter Verhaeghe came across the blue line with the puck and turned to the middle for a shot. The puck ricocheted among Boston defenders. Verhaeghe poked it to Lundell, whose shot tied the game, 1-1.

It stayed that way until Forsling did what they say to do in these games: Put a shot on net. His hit the back of the net to decide the series.

By Wednesday, Boston will be forgotten in the way always happens on playoff runs. A new challenge awaits. The last time the Panthers faced the Rangers in the playoffs was 1997, the year after the Panthers’ Year of the Rat. Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier led the Rangers to a 4-1 series rout as the Panthers started their quarter-century without a playoff series win.

That’s the needed perspective to the Panthers in back-to-back conference finals. Do you need to remember the bad days to appreciate the good ones? Maybe not not. But it sure makes this Panthers era that much sweeter.

Say good-bye to a series as brutally beautiful as hockey can be.

“This is as heavy hockey as I’ve ever seen and that goes back 30 years when they were legitimately trying to kill each other,” Maurice said. “It was something to see at ice level.”

Say hello to the Eastern Conference finals.

Next.

 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/18/dave-hyde-forslings-goal-finishes-boston-sends-panthers-back-to-conference-finals/

By STEPHEN WHYNO

Associated Press

BALTIMORE — His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder. Yes, this horse loves the slop.

No, Mystik Dan doesn’t need a sloppy track — or “Seinfeld” character Cosmo Kramer’s comedic endorsement — in the Preakness on Saturday because the Kentucky Derby winner has raced and thrived in all kinds of conditions. But after initial favorite Muth was scratched mid-week and with rain in the forecast potentially mucking up the dirt, Mystik Dan looks like the horse to beat in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

To win, he’ll have to contend with Bob Baffert-trained Imagination, Brad Cox’s Catching Freedom and others in the field of eight.

“It’s not a given: We’ve got to run a good race,” Mystik Dan trainer Kenny McPeek said Thursday. “It’s still not an easy race. There’s no guarantees, and it’s a very humbling sport, but right now we’ve got everything in line.”

All eyes are on Mystik Dan after winning May 4 in the Derby’s first three-way photo finish since 1947, back when horse racing was the sport of kings and captured national attention more than a few times a year. A victory on Saturday would bring absurd hype if a Triple Crown is on the line June 8 in the Belmont Stakes, which is being held at historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York for the first time.

MUD MADNESS

That’s three weeks away and far from the minds of those around Mystik Dan, who are focused on putting all the pieces in place for another strong race in the Preakness. And while McPeek insists he is not worried about the weather because he cannot control it, exercise rider and two-time Preakness winner Robby Albarado is “doing a rain dance all this week” because Mystik Dan blew away the competition in the mud in the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 3.

“This colt, the only time he ran on an off track, he excelled,” assistant trainer Ray Bryner said. “It takes other horses’ races away from them. Usually if you’ve got a mudder, they don’t get slowed down much, whereas a lot of horses, they don’t take to kickback that well. They don’t feel as sure-footed in it, and they slip and slide a little bit.”

NO MUTH

Mystik Dan slipped into the favorite role after Muth, also trained by Baffert, who is looking for his record-extending ninth Preakness victory, was ruled out Wednesday for spiking a fever. Baffert said Friday Imagination is “going to have to step it up” to win.

Muth was expected to go out to the lead and set the pace for the others to follow, and Cox acknowledged his absence doesn’t necessarily help Catching Freedom, whose style is to come from behind as a closer.

“[Muth] was going to be right there, if not on the lead,” Brad’s son and Catching Freedom assistant trainer Blake Cox said. “It changes the pace scenario, and we’re going to need a setup to come running and hopefully some other people send out of [the gate quickly] and we can get a setup.”

It might benefit Mystik Dan, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. looking to again stalk the leaders from the inside and get another ground-saving trip along the rail.

“Brian’s a very talented, talented rider,” said Albarado, who won the Preakness for McPeek in 2020 with filly Swiss Skydiver and anticipates Hernandez taking a similar path. “He’ll have a couple audibles just in case something happens.”

The 1 3/16-mile distance may be just what Mystik Dan needs after almost being caught at the wire by hard-charging Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the Kentucky Derby, which is another quarter of a mile longer.

LONG-SHOT CHALLENGERS

NBC Sports’ Britney Eurton liked Mystik Dan’s chances all along, seeing consistent improvement from him race to race. Her upset pick is Chad Brown-trained Tuscan Gold.

“He knows how to win with a horse that did not run in the Kentucky Derby, and I know this horse is lightly raced,” Eurton said. “He really fits the profile.”

Brown has won the Preakness twice — Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022 — and finished second once over the past seven years with a non-Derby horse. Butch Reid has his first Triple Crown starter in Uncle Heavy, who also was not at Churchill Downs.

The last horse to win the Preakness after falling short in the Derby was War of Will in 2019. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will try to replicate that with Just Steel and is also saddling Seize the Grey and figures the latter would perform better if it’s sloppy — while hoping it is not.

“I would prefer a dry track for both of them or at least a drying-out track,” the 88-year-old Lukas said. “I don’t care for the mud.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/18/mystik-dan-looks-like-the-horse-to-beat-in-the-preakness-on-what-could-be-a-muddy-track-3/

FORT MYERS – A game-saving catch in right field by R.J. Ruiz allowed the Windermere High baseball team advance to the FHSAA Class 7A state baseball final Friday night.

Ruiz made a leaping snare of a ball off the bat of Tyler Mendoza that looked sure to score two runners, giving the Wolverines a 2-1 win over Timber Creek in a pulsating semifinal game at Hammond Stadium.

It was a duel of teams in Orange County’s Metro Conference  — as was Timber Creek’s state semifinal win against Dr. Phillips in 2018.

Ruiz’ miraculous putout gave Windermere its 20th consecutive victory in the type of game Wolverines coach Eric Lassiter wanted.

“We usually go out and play good defense, throw strikes and get hits when we need them,” Lassiter said. “It was an unbelievable game. That last ball was really smashed. We stayed calm when we were behind 1-0. We came behind before against Venice and Hagerty (earlier in the week in the Wolverines’ region title game). So we are used to it.”

Windermere (28-3) pushed across two runs in the fifth inning and they held up.

“Hats off to Timber Creek, ‘cause it was a great game,” Lassiter said. “People have counted us out all year. But if we play our style of baseball, we expect to win.”

Windemere now meets four-time state champ Stoneman Douglas (25-5) in Saturday’s 5 p.m. 7A final. Douglas, which has won the past three large-classification titles, outscored Vero Beach 9-7 in the other semi.

In the pivotal fifth inning for Windermere, Gabriel Rodriguez singled to center, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a base hit by Ruiz. Ty Head then singled, and Ruiz scored on the following at-bat when Jack Waddingham singled.

Windermere, Timber Creek, TFA baseball reach FHSAA state semis

“I’ve been around baseball a long time, and that was maybe the greatest catch I’ve ever seen,” said Timber Creek (24-7) coach Timothy Beaman. “It was a tough way to lose. We expected it to be close like this. We can be proud, ‘cause it was a great game. If it weren’t for a great catch, we could’ve taken the lead or won it.”

Cruz Warp got the save for Windemere thanks to Ruiz’ catch. Joey Waddingham was the winning pitcher.

Timber Creek scored first in the fifth, but the Wolverines shut down a possible big inning to keep it close. The Wolves got the run when Brian Kendall led off with a double to right-center field and, one out later, scored when Gabe DeCardenas singled to center. Timber Creek eventually loaded the bases with only one out, but the Wolverines retired the next two men to set the stage for the ensuing at-bat that gave them the lead.

State volleyball

The two best boys volleyball teams in Central Florida, and maybe the two best in the state, will meet in 1 p.m. Saturday semifinal in the FHSAA state tournament at Polk State College in Winter Haven.

In Friday quarterfinals, Winter Park needed four sets to defeat Seminole Ridge 25-22, 25-27, 25-19, 25-23, while Lake Howell swept Tampa Bay HEAT 25-21, 25-14, 25-16.

The Wildcats (28-0) and the Silverhawks (30-1) have 58 wins between them and just one loss. The loss for Lake Howell was against Winter Park on March 26.

“We didn’t play well in that match,” Lake Howell coach Scott Leman said. “I’m actually surprised it went four sets. I’m so happy we’re facing them again.”

So are players on both sides since they know each other well.

“The guys are all friends and play together and against each other in the Winter Park Volleyball Club and the families get along,” Leman added.

The Silverhawks are on a 22-match win streak.

“We’ve been telling them all year how good they can be, and they’re clicking on all cylinders now,” Leman said.

Tyler Windt had 16 kills, 9 digs and 5 blocks for Lake Howell, while Slater Vach added 10 digs and 2 blocks.

It’s the third consecutive year in the state semifinals for the Wildcats. They lost to Cardinal Gibbons in the final four last year after winning the 2022 state title.

“We have a young team that still got experience last year,” Winter Park coach Jesse Day said of his roster, which has just one senior. “It helps that we’re all healthy this year.”

His squad also uses its undefeated record as incentive instead of being scared to talk or think about it.

“Believe it or not, when they need a kick in the butt, they’ll tell each other, ‘Hey, we are undefeated so let’s go!’ and use it to get going,” Day said.

Tristan Guitton had 22 kills, 6 digs and 2 blocks for the Wildcats, while Nick Baker added 11 kills and 9 digs.

.Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/18/windermere-timber-creek-fhsaa-7a-baseball-may-17/

It’ll be an NBA Game 7 doubleheader to finish the weekend.

The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet for their winner-take-all series finale Sunday at 6 p.m. MT, the league announced Friday night. The game at Ball Arena in downtown Denver will be broadcast on TNT and available for streaming on Max.

The start time was dependent on the result of Game 6 between the Knicks and Pacers. If the Knicks had finished off the Eastern Conference semifinal series Friday with a 3-2 lead, Denver and Minnesota would have been in the afternoon TV slot Sunday. Instead, Knicks vs. Pacers at Madison Square Garden takes that space, pushing the Western Conference clash to the evening.

This will be the Nuggets’ first elimination game in more than two calendar years and their first Game 7 since the bubble in 2020. Denver took a one-game lead over Minnesota for second place in the West on the last day of the regular season to earn home-court advantage for this series, including its grand conclusion. The winner will advance to the Western Conference Finals to face either Dallas or Oklahoma City.

The visiting team won the first four games of the series, with Denver erasing a 2-0 deficit. Since then, the Nuggets and Timberwolves have traded home wins. Minnesota staved off elimination Thursday at Target Center with a 115-70 blowout that holds the distinction of being the Nuggets’ worst playoff loss in franchise history by point margin.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/17/nuggets-timberwolves-game-7-time-channel-tv/

Here are Orlando area high school scores and top performers from Friday, May 17:

Baseball

FHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT 

At Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers

CLASS 7A

State semifinals

Stoneman Douglas 9, Vero Beach 7

Windermere 2, Timber Creek 1

Buzz: Randy Ruiz made a diving catch in the right-field gap for the final out to preserve the win for the Wolverines (28-3). Gabriel DeCardenas had an RBI single in top of the 5th to give the Wolves (24-7) a short-lived lead before Windermere scored twice in the bottom of the inning. Ruiz also had the game-tying RBI single in the 5th while Jack Waddingham drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and Ty Head went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.

CLASS 5A

State semifinals

Jesuit 11, Wesley Chapel 1

American Heritage (Plantation) 3, Lincoln 2

Softball

FHSAA TOURNAMENT

Region finals

CLASS 7A REGION 1

Seminole 4, Lake Brantley 0

Buzz: Anne Long was the epitome of an all-around player for the Seminoles (17-7) in the regional final win as she struck out 5 and gave up just 1 hit and 2 walks in the complete-game shutout pitching win. She also went 3-for-3 with 2 home runs, a double and 4 RBI. Mary Long added a double for Seminole.

CLASS 7A REGION 2

Windermere 2, Steinbrenner 1

CLASS 6A REGION 1

Hagerty (23-5) at Pace (25-2), Saturday

CLASS 5A REGION 2

Horizon 3, Osceola (Seminole) 2 (8 inn.)

Buzz: Nyree James was 2-for-3 with a double for the Hawks (23-5) in the extra-inning regional win while Avery Velazquez and Morgan Mayhew had RBIs, and Mackenzie Duncan had 5 strikeouts in 3 scoreless no-hit innings of relief to get the pitching win.

CLASS 4A REGION 2

Eustis 6, Eau Gallie 2

Buzz: Brooklyn Powhida and Emery Luke each had a double and 2 RBI for the Panthers (24-2) in the win while Ciara Maple and Skyler Cloud also had doubles, and Katie Short scored twice.

CLASS 3A REGION 2

Montverde Academy 3, Santa Fe 0

Buzz: Nevaeh Williams had 7 strikeouts in the complete-game shutout win for the Eagles (26-4) while Colby Reish had 2 doubles, a run scored and an RBI, and Danika Spinogatti added a solo homer.

CLASS 2A REGION 2

Academy at the Lakes 6, Cornerstone Charter 2

Buzz: Ayani Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a double for the Ducks (26-4) in the loss while Olivia Hancock went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Boys Volleyball

FHSAA TOURNAMENT

State quarterfinals

At Polk State College in Winter Haven

Miami 3, Cardinal Gibbons 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-18)

Southwest Miami 3, Mater Lakes Academy 0 (33-31, 25-22, 25-22)

Winter Park 3, Seminole Ridge 1

Buzz: Tristan Guitton had 22 kills, 6 digs and 2 blocks for the Wildcats (28-0) in the 25-22, 25-27, 25-19, 25-23 win to stay undefeated and reach the state semifinals for the third straight year. Nick Baker had 16 digs and 4 assists while Jacob Little-Phillips had 49 assists and 6 digs, and Mason Barberree added 11 kills and 9 digs.

Lake Howell 3, Tampa Bay HEAT 0

Buzz: Tyler Windt had 16 kills, 9 digs and 5 blocks for the Silverhawks (30-1) in their 25-21, 25-14, 25-16 win to reach the state semifinals after losing in the Round of 8 last year. Slater Vach had 10 digs and 2 blocks while Bailey McCue added 21 assists and 9 digs.

Boys Track & Field

CLASS 3A STATE FINALS

At University of North Florida Hodges Stadium

Team scores (top 3 & locals):

1.    American Heritage 76

2.    Miami Northwestern 68

3.    Belen Jesuit Prep 52

10. Lake Minneola 24

27. Lake Buena Vista 5

33. Edgewater 4

41. East River 2

41. Gateway 2

Individual events (first place & locals in top 10):

100 – 1. J’Vari Flowers (Miami Northwestern) 10.50, 5. Kai Evans (Lake Minneola) 10.66

200 – 1. Zamarii Sanders (American Heritage) 20.58, 10. Evans (Lake Minneola) 21.57

400 – 1. Tywan Cox (Miami Northwestern) 46.43, 7. Jose Calderon (Gateway) 48.99

800 – 1. Roman Mollicone (Fleming Island) 1:50.52

1,600 – 1. Joseph Socarras (Belen Jesuit) 4:04.53, 8. Suhaib Mansour (East River) 4:17.60

3,200 – 1. Patrick Koon (Leon) 8:56.92, 8. Mansour (East River) 9:30.21

110 hurdles – 1. Evans (Lake Minneola) 13.81

400 hurdles – 1. Evans (Lake Minneola) 53.02

400 relay – 1. American Heritage 39.39, 10. Edgewater 41.79

1,600 relay – 1. Miami Northwestern 3:14.26

3,200 relay – 1. Fleming Island 7:43.03

High jump – 1. Nickiah Wilkinson (Bayside) 6-9.5, 5. Jordin Smith (Edgewater) 6-5.5

Pole vault – 1. Nicholas Desanto (Ponte Vedra) 14-9

Long jump – 1. Isaiah Johnson (Choctawhatchee) 23-8.25, 4. Travis Ligene (Lake Buena Vista) 22-6.25

Triple jump – 1. O’Hara Tommie (Boyd Anderson) 47-11.75

Shot put – 1. Bryce Davis (Leon) 57-10.5

Discus – 1. Kendrick Scott (Lincoln) 173-7

Javelin – 1. Josiah Allen (Rockledge) 201-11

Girls Track & Field

CLASS 3A STATE FINALS

At University of North Florida Hodges Stadium

Team scores (top 3 & locals):

1.    Dillard 76

2.    Miami Northwestern 73.5

3.    Barron Collier 33

18. Winter Springs 15

19. Tavares 13

29. Edgewater 7

37. Jones 4

49. Horizon 1

Individual events (first place & locals in top 10):

100 – 1. Tyra Cox (Miami Northwestern) 11.72

200 – 1. Cox (Miami Northwestern) 23.24

400 – 1. Cox (Miami Northwestern) 52.26

800 – 1. Jordana Nunez (Bayside) 2:10.82, 4. Cheyenne Thomas (Tavares) 2:13.34

1,600 – 1. Christina Coleman (Dillard) 4:53.58, 2. Thomas (Tavares) 4:54.39, 8. Abigayle White (Horizon) 5:09.97

3,200 – 1. Coleman (Dillard) 10:50.88

100 hurdles – 1. Thalia Waters (Atlantic) 13.72

400 hurdles – 1. Kashia Hoo (Miami Northwestern) 1:00.58

400 relay – 1. North Miami 46.55, 5. Jones (Ocasio, Williams, Sheffield, Heard) 48.00

1,600 relay – 1. Miami Northwestern 3:42.02

3,200 relay – 1. Dillard 8:49.73, 6. Winter Springs 9:32.02, 10. Tavares 9:40.29

High jump – 1. Gabrielle Flores (Fleming Island) 5-7, 2. Amaya Bien-Aime (Edgewater) 5-3.75

Pole vault – 1. MaKenna Estes (New Smyrna Beach) 12-3.5

Long jump – 1. Thalia Waters (Atlantic) 20-2.5

Triple jump – 1. Anya Carey (Somerset Academy) 39-5.75

Shot put – 1. Lauren Kirby (Somerset Academy) 46-3.5, 2. Unitee Brown (Winter Springs) 41-11.25

Discus – 1. Kirby (Somerset Academy) 156-0, 5. Brown (Winter Springs) 125-3

Javelin – 1. Makala Sims (Fort Walton Beach) 125-6

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/17/high-school-scores-stats-scores-unf-fhsaa-track-may-17/

Here are Orlando area high school scores and top performers from May 17:

Baseball

FHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT 

At Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers

CLASS 7A

State semifinals

Stoneman Douglas 9, Vero Beach 7

Windermere 2, Timber Creek 1

Buzz: Randy Ruiz made a diving catch in the right-field gap for the final out to preserve the win for the Wolverines (28-3). Gabriel DeCardenas had an RBI single in top of the 5th to give the Wolves (24-7) a short-lived lead as Windermere scored twice in the bottom of the inning. Ruiz also had the game-tying RBI single in the 5th, while Jack Waddingham drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and Ty Head went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.

CLASS 5A

State semifinals

Jesuit 11, Wesley Chapel 1

American Heritage (Plantation) 3, Lincoln 2

Softball

FHSAA TOURNAMENT

Region finals

CLASS 7A REGION 1

Seminole 4, Lake Brantley 0

Buzz: Anne Long was the epitome of an all-around player for the Seminoles (17-7) in the regional final win as she struck out 5 and gave up just 1 hit and 2 walks in the complete game shutout pitching win. She also went 3-for-3 at the plate with 2 home runs, a double and 4 RBI. Mary Long added a double for Seminole.

CLASS 7A REGION 2

Windermere 2, Steinbrenner 1

CLASS 5A REGION 2

Horizon 3, Osceola (Seminole) 2 (8 inn.)

Buzz: Nyree James was 2-for-3 with a double for the Hawks (23-5) in the extra-inning regional win, while Avery Velazquez and Morgan Mayhew had RBIs, and Mackenzie Duncan had 5 strikeouts in 3 scoreless no-hit innings of relief to get the pitching win.

CLASS 4A REGION 2

Eustis 6, Eau Gallie 2

Buzz: Brooklyn Powhida and Emery Luke each had a double and 2 RBI for the Panthers (24-2) in the win, while Ciara Maple and Skyler Cloud also had doubles, and Katie Short scored twice.

CLASS 3A REGION 2

Montverde Academy 3, Santa Fe 0

Buzz: Nevaeh Williams had 7 strikeouts in the complete game shutout pitching win for the Eagles (26-4), while Colby Reish had 2 doubles, a run scored and an RBI, and Danika Spinogatti added a solo home run.

CLASS 2A REGION 2

Academy at the Lakes 6, Cornerstone Charter 2

Buzz: Ayani Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a double for the Ducks (26-4) in the loss, while Olivia Hancock went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Boys Volleyball

FHSAA TOURNAMENT

State quarterfinals

At Polk State College in Winter Haven

Miami 3, Cardinal Gibbons 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-18)

Southwest Miami 3, Mater Lakes Academy 0 (33-31, 25-22, 25-22)

Winter Park 3, Seminole Ridge 1

Buzz: Tristan Guitton had 22 kills, 6 digs and 2 blocks for the Wildcats (28-0) in the 25-22, 25-27, 25-19, 25-23 win to stay undefeated and reach the state semifinals for the third straight year. Nick Baker had 16 digs and 4 assists, while Jacob Little-Phillips had 49 assists and 6 digs, and Mason Barberree added 11 kills and 9 digs.

Lake Howell 3, Tampa Bay HEAT 0

Buzz: Tyler Windt had 16 kills, 9 digs and 5 blocks for the Silverhawks (30-1) in their 25-21, 25-14, 25-16 win to reach the state semifinals after losing in the Round of 8 last year. Slater Vach had 10 digs and 2 blocks, while Bailey McCue added 21 assists and 9 digs.

Boys Track & Field

CLASS 3A STATE FINALS

At University of North Florida Hodges Stadium

Team scores (top 3 & locals):

1.    American Heritage 76

2.    Miami Northwestern 68

3.    Belen Jesuit Prep 52

10. Lake Minneola 24

27. Lake Buena Vista 5

33. Edgewater 4

41. East River 2

41. Gateway 2

Individual events (first place & locals in top 10):

100 – 1. J’Vari Flowers (Miami Northwestern) 10.50, 5. Kai Evans (Lake Minneola) 10.66

200 – 1. Zamarii Sanders (American Heritage) 20.58, 10. Evans (Lake Minneola) 21.57

400 – 1. Tywan Cox (Miami Northwestern) 46.43, 7. Jose Calderon (Gateway) 48.99

800 – 1. Roman Mollicone (Fleming Island) 1:50.52

1,600 – 1. Joseph Socarras (Belen Jesuit) 4:04.53, 8. Suhaib Mansour (East River) 4:17.60

3,200 – 1. Patrick Koon (Leon) 8:56.92, 8. Mansour (East River) 9:30.21

110 hurdles – 1. Evans (Lake Minneola) 13.81

400 hurdles – 1. Evans (Lake Minneola) 53.02

400 relay – 1. American Heritage 39.39, 10. Edgewater 41.79

1,600 relay – 1. Miami Northwestern 3:14.26

3,200 relay – 1. Fleming Island 7:43.03

High jump – 1. Nickiah Wilkinson (Bayside) 6-9.5, 5. Jordin Smith (Edgewater) 6-5.5

Pole vault – 1. Nicholas Desanto (Ponte Vedra) 14-9

Long jump – 1. Isaiah Johnson (Choctawhatchee) 23-8.25, 4. Travis Ligene (Lake Buena Vista) 22-6.25

Triple jump – 1. O’Hara Tommie (Boyd Anderson) 47-11.75

Shot put – 1. Bryce Davis (Leon) 57-10.5

Discus – 1. Kendrick Scott (Lincoln) 173-7

Javelin – 1. Josiah Allen (Rockledge) 201-11

Girls Track & Field

CLASS 3A STATE FINALS

At University of North Florida Hodges Stadium

Team scores (top 3 & locals):

1.    Dillard 76

2.    Miami Northwestern 73.5

3.    Barron Collier 33

18. Winter Springs 15

19. Tavares 13

29. Edgewater 7

37. Jones 4

49. Horizon 1

Individual events (first place & locals in top 10):

100 – 1. Tyra Cox (Miami Northwestern) 11.72

200 – 1. Cox (Miami Northwestern) 23.24

400 – 1. Cox (Miami Northwestern) 52.26

800 – 1. Jordana Nunez (Bayside) 2:10.82, 4. Cheyenne Thomas (Tavares) 2:13.34

1,600 – 1. Christina Coleman (Dillard) 4:53.58, 2. Thomas (Tavares) 4:54.39, 8. Abigayle White (Horizon) 5:09.97

3,200 – 1. Coleman (Dillard) 10:50.88

100 hurdles – 1. Thalia Waters (Atlantic) 13.72

400 hurdles – 1. Kashia Hoo (Miami Northwestern) 1:00.58

400 relay – 1. North Miami 46.55, 5. Jones (Ocasio, Williams, Sheffield, Heard) 48.00

1,600 relay – 1. Miami Northwestern 3:42.02

3,200 relay – 1. Dillard 8:49.73, 6. Winter Springs 9:32.02, 10. Tavares 9:40.29

High jump – 1. Gabrielle Flores (Fleming Island) 5-7, 2. Amaya Bien-Aime (Edgewater) 5-3.75

Pole vault – 1. MaKenna Estes (New Smyrna Beach) 12-3.5

Long jump – 1. Thalia Waters (Atlantic) 20-2.5

Triple jump – 1. Anya Carey (Somerset Academy) 39-5.75

Shot put – 1. Lauren Kirby (Somerset Academy) 46-3.5, 2. Unitee Brown (Winter Springs) 41-11.25

Discus – 1. Kirby (Somerset Academy) 156-0, 5. Brown (Winter Springs) 125-3

Javelin – 1. Makala Sims (Fort Walton Beach) 125-6

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/17/high-school-scores-stats-scores-unf-fhsaa-track-may-17/