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During his first season as a defensive coordinator, Colorado’s Robert Livingston orchestrated one of the most impressive leaps the program has ever seen.
It’s why Livingston was recently rewarded by head coach Deion Sanders with a new two-year contract and hefty raise.
Under Livingston’s guidance, CU allowed just 23.1 points and 351.9 yards per game in 2024. The total defense drop of 101.4 yards from 2023 was the best year-over-year improvement in program history, while the points per game drop of 11.7 was the best for a CU defense since 1985.
CU (9-4, 7-2 Big 12) also led the Big 12 in sacks (39) and tackles for loss (93).
As the book was closing on the 2024 season, however, Livingston wasn’t satisfied and he already knew the formula for 2025 wouldn’t be the same.
“I think the unfortunate part of this profession is you are never finished, so there’s always a, ‘I wish I would have done this or that’ moment,” Livingston said before the Buffs’ 2024 finale against BYU at the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. “It’s been a great ride.”
For 2025 to be a great ride, Livingston and the Buffs will rely on a lot of new players.
“Next year’s version (of the defense) probably won’t look like this because we’ll have new players,” he said. “People are going to come, people are going to go, so you have to have the ability to adapt. I think that’s a huge part of what we’ll do is look at the guys we have, look at how we did this year. A lot of it will be the same, but there will be some changes as well.”
Eight of the 10 players that started at least 10 games in 2024 are gone, including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a cornerback who was the Big 12 defensive player of the year.
Defensive linemen Shane Cokes and Chidozie Nwankwo, defensive end BJ Green, inside linebackers LaVonta Bentley and Nikhai Hill-Green, and safeties Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig are also primary starters who are moving on through graduation or the transfer portal.
Livingston said his standard on defense won’t change, even if the players are different.
“If we can play great situationally – so that’s third down, that’s red zone – and we keep the points low, then that’s what we want to do,” he said. “In terms of the standard, you want to be able to feel us. That’s what we’ve always talked about. I think we’ve all watched a game where the defense is flying around, and you find yourself almost cringing when somebody cuts back. That’s who we want to be. We want to be the hardest playing team that we can. Then you are going to have five or six players that can impact the game.”
Plenty of talent is back to maintain the standard.

In the secondary, DJ McKinney started all 13 games at cornerback and Preston Hodge started nine games at nickel before missing the last four games with an injury. Carter Stoutmire wound up starting seven games while filling in for Hodge and Shilo Sanders, while Colton Hood became a valuable reserve.
Up front, the Buffs return five key pass rushers in Samuel Okunlola (10 starts, three sacks), Amari McNeill (three starts, 3.5 sacks), Arden Walker (two starts, 4.5 sacks), Taje McCoy (four sacks) and Keaten Wade (four sacks).
Defensive linemen Anquin Barnes (three starts) and Tawfiq Thomas are also back, as is Taurean Carter, who missed most of the season with an injury. Veteran linebackers Jeremiah Brown and Jaylen Wester will battle for starting jobs, as will cornerback Isaiah Hardge and safeties Savion Riley and RJ Johnson.
Offseason additions include inside linebackers Martavius French (UTSA) and Reginald Hughes (Jacksonville State), who were both all-conference last year; defensive linemen Tavion Coleman (Texas State), Gavriel Lightfoot (Fresno State) and Jehiem Oatis (Alabama); linebacker Kylan Salter (TCU); and safeties Tawfiq Byard (South Florida) and Makari Vickers (Oklahoma).
Several young players, including five incoming true freshmen, will be in the mix, as well.
Based on how he handled the 2024 season, Livingston is likely to spend this offseason figuring out what the players do best and go from there.
“If you have a great pass rusher, let’s let them rush,” he said. “If you have a great cover player, let’s let them cover. If he gets hot, keep feeding them. I think we can make this game harder than it has to be. It starts with the people, and it starts with the personnel.”
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https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/17/football-personnel-changing-but-standard-will-not-for-cu-buffs-defense/


Tad Boyle admitted he has coached a bad team before. Despite a depth of struggles unprecedented during his tenure, Boyle doesn’t believe this year’s Colorado men’s basketball team is one of them.
Not that Boyle or any of the Buffaloes are OK with how the season has unfolded. But after a long-overdue first victory in Big 12 Conference play, Boyle explained how being the leader of a mediocre team is far more frustrating than coaching a bad one.
In this definition, a mediocre team is one capable of more, but continues to fall short of expectations. Boyle said this season’s struggles still pale to those of his first team as a head coach, a 2006-07 Northern Colorado squad that finished 4-24 in its first season in the Big Sky Conference.
Boyle still believes this year’s team is capable of more. And after ending the second-longest losing streak in program history with Saturday’s home win against Central Florida, the Buffs will have another opportunity to prove they’re a tougher out than their record says when they visit No. 8 Iowa State on Tuesday night.
“I’d rather be bad than mediocre. And that’s what I think this team is. We’re mediocre,” Boyle said. “Because you know you’re capable of playing better. You know you have players who are capable of performing better, but you’re not. That’s the most frustrating thing as a coach. And that’s what I’ve been through this year.
“And it’s not woe is me. I put the roster together. I signed the scholarship agreements. The blame goes right here. But when you’re bad, you’re bad. You’ve got to get your young guys better and you’ve got to recruit better. But when you’re mediocre? It’s really frustrating.”
CU already has dealt with a healthy dose of the Cyclones this season, suffering a 28-point drubbing at the Maui Invitational in November before opening Big 12 play with a 10-point loss at home on Dec. 30.
The Buffs were routed thoroughly in the first matchup but battled the Cyclones the second time, remaining within one point with 4 minutes, 59 seconds to play before ISU gradually pulled away. ISU has won three consecutive games on the heels of a three-game losing streak that included road losses at Arizona and Kansas, plus a home defeat against Kansas State.
ISU’s three-game win streak has coincided with the return of forward Milan Momcilovic from a seven-game absence due to a left hand injury. At 10-4 in the Big 12, ISU begins the week in fourth-place in the league standings, one game behind Texas Tech and Arizona with a showdown looming for the Cyclones on Saturday at Big 12-leading Houston.
For the Buffs, at the very least Saturday’s breakthrough against UCF should lessen the tension for a club whose losing streak was reaching historic proportions. Yet at this point, with a win finally in hand, no postseason in sight, and the clock ticking on the season, there are exactly zero reasons for the Buffs to take the floor without a nothing-to-lose mentality.
“Once you win one game, you just want to build on all of the good things,” CU guard Julian Hammond III said. “We rebounded the ball really, really well (against UCF), so we want to take that into Iowa State. There’s no pressure on us anymore really. We’re just going to go out and try and compete hard every night. Whatever we do good in the past game, we want to carry that into the next six games.”
CU Buffs men’s basketball at No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones
TIPOFF: Tuesday, 6 p.m. MT, Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa.
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Colorado 10-15, 1-13 Big 12 Conference; Iowa State 20-5, 10-4.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, 15th season (308-198, 364-264 overall). Iowa State — TJ Otzelberger, 4th season (90-40, 189-103 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G Julian Hammond III, 6-2, Sr. (13.1 ppg, 3.1 apg, 2.5 rpg, .394 3%); F Andrej Jakimovski, 6-8, Gr. (9.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg); C Elijah Malone, 6-10, Gr. (8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, .583 FG%); F Trevor Baskin, 6-9, Gr. (7.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .504 FG%); F Bangot Dak, 6-11, So. (7.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .507 FG%); G Javon Ruffin, 6-5, R-Jr. (6.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, .355 3%); F Sebastian Rancik, 6-9, Fr. (5.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg); G RJ Smith, 6-3, R-So. (5.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .400 3%). Iowa State — G Curtis Jones, 6-4, Sr. (17.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .371 3%); G Keshon Gilbert, 6-4, Sr. (14.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, .502 FG%); F Joshua Jefferson, 6-9, Jr. (12.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, .518 FG%); G Tamin Lipsey, 6-1, Jr. (10.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, .471 FG%); F Milan Momcilovic, 6-8, So. (10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, .437 3%); C Dishon Jackson, 6-11, R-Sr. (8.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .570 FG%).
NOTES: Iowa State moved up two spots in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. … CU’s loss last week at Kansas extended its losing streak in true road games against AP top 25 teams to 20. Colorado hasn’t won a true road game against a ranked team since Feb. 7, 2013, at No. 19 Oregon, 48-47. … Dating back to CU’s previous tenure in the Big 12, ISU has won six consecutive home games against the Buffs. … ISU has generally been a balanced team all season, beginning the week ranked in the top five in Big 12 league games in scoring (75.9, fourth), scoring defense (68.1, fourth), field goal percentage (.456, fifth), defensive field goal percentage (.416, fourth), and average rebound margin (plus-4.7, third). … Hammond enjoyed big games in both of the previous matchups against ISU, averaging 20.5 points while shooting .536 (15-for-28) overall and going 5-for-12 on 3-pointers. … Ruffin has shot .448 (13-for-29) from 3-point range over the past eight games. … CU will host consecutive home games for the first time in more than a month, beginning Saturday against Baylor (2 p.m., ESPN+).
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/17/mens-basketball-big-12-win-finally-in-hand-cu-buffs-visit-no-8-iowa-state/

Nathan MacKinnon scores twice as Canada beats Finland to set up rematch with United States in 4 Nati
BOSTON — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist apiece as Canada surged to a four-goal lead and held on to beat Finland 5-3 on Monday to earn a rematch against the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off finals.
On the same ice where he clinched the 2019 Stanley Cup for the St. Louis Blues, Jordan Binnington stopped 23 shots to give Canada a chance to avenge its 3-1 round-robin loss to the Americans. Brayden Point also scored and Sam Reinhart had three assists as Canada opened a 4-0 lead in the first 25 minutes before watching Finland scramble back to make it a one-goal game in the final 100 seconds.
The tournament is the NHL’s return to international competition after sitting out the 2018 and 2022 Olympics. It delivered a fight-filled U.S.-Canada game last week against a backdrop of frosty real-world relations between the countries, spurred by President Donald Trump’s talk of tariffs — or even turning turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state.
The Americans were scheduled to play Sweden on Monday night in a game that lost any meaning once Canada clinched the second spot in the final. The U.S. won both of its previous round-robin games, earning the top spot in the pool.
After the tepid booing during the Canadian national anthem, Monday’s matinee had little of the intensity that filled the Belle Center in Montreal for the preliminaries.
Until the final 2 minutes.
McDavid opened the scoring just four minutes in and then MacKinnon made it 2-0 less than a minute later. Before five minutes had elapsed, the Finns had used their timeout in an attempt to settle things down.
Point gave the Canadians a 3-0 lead late in the first, and then MacKinnon made it 4-0 five minutes into the second. That was all for Kevin Lankinen, who stopped five of nine shots in all.
Juuse Saros made 14 saves the rest of the way.
Binnington stopped Finland’s first 19 shots before Esa Lindell scored with about seven minutes remaining to end the bid for what would have been the first shutout of the tournament. With Saros pulled for an extra attacker, Mikael Granlund scored a pair of goals in the final 2 minutes to make it a one-goal game before Crosby flipped a loose puck from center ice into the empty net.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/17/canada-beats-finland-4-nations-face-off/

What the Windermere Prep girls basketball team has been able to do in coach Darren Evans’ second season is impressive. Considering that two of his starters are in their first year at the school, it’s quite a feat to be the No. 6-ranked team in Class 3A with a 20-7 record.
The Lakers’ leading scorer is a freshman. Joba Oyedeji has been a star in her first season, leading WPS in scoring at 14 points a game and in rebounding with 7.4. But she’s not the only one who makes this team go.
Tampa Plant transfer Jazlyn Bowman is also a huge spark. She averages 14 points a game, too. Alayiah Johnson averages 10.5, Joba’s sister Eni Oyedeji averages 8.5 and coach’s daughter Mikayla Evans puts in about 6 for a balanced team.

“From Day 1, we preached that the open person deserves the ball,” Evans said. “We had ups and downs at first, but they have bought into it and it’s the reason why we are 20-7 right now.”
Basketball playoffs: Windermere’s T.J. Drain dominates; Oak Ridge and St. Cloud win on road
Windermere Prep faces The Villages Charter School (23-5) at home in a Class 3A Region 2 semifinal Tuesday night.
“We feel good and feel blessed. It’s the second year here and we’ve got a chance to compete for a state title,” Evans said. “At this point of the season, as I explained to the girls, everybody is good and anybody can win and anybody can be beat.”
None of his top players is a senior. The Lakers have just two seniors on the roster.
“This is, honestly, just the beginning of a long journey,” Evans said. “We’ve got everybody coming back and we get to do it all again next year, and I’m excited about that.”
This is Evans’ first year as a high school head coach. He has spent much of his career as a travel-ball coach, and several of the WPS girls also play on his Under Armour Florida Girls Basketball (FGB).
“As cliché as it might sound, it’s what we do on defense in finding easy baskets,” Evans said. “If we can do that stuff, I feel really good about our chances.”
Joba Oyedeji does not play like a freshman. She’s 6-foot-1, gets up and down the floor with pure athleticism and can shoot the ball from any spot.
“Just a phenom freshman. She has had a great season and really put herself on the map,” Evans said. “She’s gonna be great.”
Size is key for the Lakers. Joba’s sister Eni is 6-4. Bowman is 5-11, as is fellow freshman Yifan Zhou.

The Oyedeji sisters are the daughters of former Orlando Magic player and Nigerian-born Olumide Oyedeji, who runs an international basketball program to bring players to America.
“After the game the other day … by the time I came out of my office, they were out on the court with their dad working on stuff,” Evans laughed.
Joba said she has enjoyed her freshman season, especially playing with her older sister, who is a sophomore.
“It feels amazing, just taking it a game at a time and getting better every day. I’m surrounded by amazing teammates, so it’s really easy,” Joba said.
“Playing with my sis is nice. We have our arguments here and there, but we just gel together really well. We’ve been playing with each other for a really long time since we’re really close in age.”
Eni played at Windermere Prep last season. Joba transferred in from Heritage Prep this year.

Bowman, a junior, is the floor general. She’s vocal and has infectious charisma and energy.
“I think that the fact that I was able to come in and produce for this team really means a lot,” Bowman said. “I haven’t really ever been on a team that is quite as balanced as this.
“At the beginning it was a little bit rocky, and I think it was because two of the five starters were completely new. We’re gonna win states. I know it. I’m excited.”
Tuesday region semifinals
All games start at 7 p.m., according to MaxPreps. Winners advance to Friday region finals to be hosted by the more favorable seed.
7A Region 1
No. 3 West Port (17-8) at No. 2 Timber Creek (24-4)
No. 4 Spruce Creek (15-13) at No. 1 Ocoee (23-3)
7A Region 2
No. 6 St. Cloud (19-8) at No. 2 Centennial (17-8)
No. 5 Palm Beach Lakes (14-8) at No. 1 Dr. Phillips (17-9)
6A Region 1
No. 3 Bartram Trail (17-8) at No. 2 Niceville (19-6)
No. 4 Lake Howell (22-6) at No. 1 Tocoi Creek (17-7)
6A Region 2
No. 4 Bayside (20-7) at No. 1 Bloomingdale (21-5)
No. 3 Edgewater (17-8) at No. 2 Horizon (18-8)
5A Region 2
No. 6 Lake Wales (16-8) at No. 2 Leesburg (12-9)
No. 4 River Ridge (20-8) at No. 1 New Smyrna Beach (23-5)
4A Region 2
No. 3 Mulberry (18-2) at No. 2 Bishop Moore (12-13)
No. 5 Lake Region (8-8) at No. 1 Palm Bay (21-7)
3A Region 2
No. 3 Villages Charter (23-5) at No. 2 Windermere Prep (20-7)
No. 4 Lake Highland Prep (14-12) at No. 1 Cardinal Mooney (20-9)
2A Region 1
No. 3 San Jose Prep (14-9) at No. 2 The First Academy (23-4)
No. 4 Ocala Trinity (18-9) at No. 1 Providence School (21-6)
2A Region 2
No. 5 Foundation Academy (12-10) at No. 1 Holy Trinity Episcopal (20-6)
No. 3 Lakeland Christian (20-5) at No. 2 John Carroll Catholic (17-4)
1A Region 2
No. 4 North Tampa Christian (17-9) at No. 1 CFCA (19-8)
No. 3 Altamonte Christian (18-8) at No. 2 Mount Dora Christian (17-9)
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/fhsaa-girls-basketball-windermere-prep-dr-phillips-timber-creek-ocoee-lake-howell-edgewater-eagles-horizon-bishop-moore-lake-highland/

Colorado ski resorts were walloped with massive dumps of snow over the weekend, just in time for Presidents Day.
Vail led the way with 40 inches over the past five days, with Crested Butte not far behind at 37. Five more areas reported 30 inches or more, including Silverton with 35, Purgatory and Aspen Highlands 33, Steamboat 31 and Copper Mountain 30, according to figures curated by OpenSnow reporting and forecasting service.
Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Loveland and Telluride also received 2 feet or more, and another eight resorts checked in with 18 to 23 inches.
“Sunday morning offered powder at many mountains across Colorado, due to the snow that fell on Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening,” OpenSnow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz reported Monday morning. “It was ‘soft-on-soft’ conditions with new, fluffy-ish snow on top of a very soft base. It doesn’t get much better! Then on Sunday afternoon, the next storm arrived and quickly dropped 1-5 inches of snow across the northern and central mountains through early evening, and the snow continued to fall on Sunday night across the northern mountains.”
It’s not over yet. Gratz predicts 3-8 more inches during the day on Monday and 3 to 6 additional inches overnight.
Last Thursday, only two Colorado ski areas had above-average base depths. As of Monday morning, that figure rose to 11, with Copper Mountain at 12% above normal, Monarch 10% above and Beaver Creek 9% above.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center says “very dangerous” avalanche conditions exist in the northern mountains, while conditions are deemed “dangerous” in the central mountains and the San Juans.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/17/colorado-ski-resorts-30-inches-snow-presidents-day/

Daytona 500 champion William Byron bids sayonara to competition, hello to history as back-to-back wi
DAYTONA BEACH — Before he geared up to win another Daytona 500, William Byron wanted to get away — far away, to a place where he could blend in and leave behind the grind and garage.
A December trip unaccompanied to Japan provided Byron a reboot, a time for reflection, a lesson in self-sufficiency and an education.

“It was really cool because I went there by myself, and I was really nervous about that,” Byron said late Sunday after going back-to-back in the Great American Race. “The first day and a half was really crazy, just being there and trying to figure out where to eat and what to do. But by the end of the trip, I had such a different perspective on my life and what I want to do back home and what I could learn from their culture.
“It was just cool to be completely anonymous in a different country and not know anybody.”
When Byron returned to work a few of weeks ago, he was rejuvenated and ready, as evidenced by Sunday night’s improbable win going from ninth place to Victory Lane on the final lap.
Even so, Byron’s offseason absence was still a head-scratcher at Hendrick Motorsports.
“I still don’t believe that he went by himself,” joked NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, now the company’s vice chairman. “I’m still trying to get all the answers to that.”
Whatever Byron did worked to deliver Hendrick Motorsports a record 10th Daytona 500 victory, one more than Petty Enterprises.
“I spoke to him on the phone, and that’s one of the first things he said is: ‘We got No. 10,’ ” Gordon said of Hall of Fame owner Rick Hendrick. “It means a lot to him.”
With the race seemingly out of reach as the No. 24 Chevrolet underperformed, Byron kept his head and seized an 11th-hour opportunity similar to his 2024 victory.
“I just kept getting more pissed off as the race went on,” he said. “I wasn’t taking advantage of it because my car was really good.”

But during a furious two-lap overtime dash, a crash knocked out leader Denny Hamlin — in position to win his fourth Daytona 500 championship — and 2022 winner Austin Cindric, who led a race-high 59 laps, to clear a path for Byron during the final stretch of Sunday’s 201-lap, eight-hour, weather-plagued affair delayed more than 3 1/2 hours.
“Last year that win brought me to tears,” longtime crew chief Rudy Fugle said. “And then this win, it brought me to laughter because I looked up and we’re getting ready to win. It was just amazing.”
Two hours after Byron eclipsed Gordon’s mark as the youngest two-time winner of NASCAR’s showcase event, the 53-year-old Hall of Famer was still flabbergasted.
“I was pretty shocked,” Gordon said. “You get the buildup and anticipation of, ‘Man, I think we’re in position to win this thing,’ and you get tense because you want it for them, and you want it for the organization. But today I wasn’t like that at all.
“I was like, ‘Oh, well, darn. I guess we’re not going to get it this year.’ Then here we are. It was kind of a wild ride.”
Byron’s rise to the top of his sport has been a wild and unpredictable ride in itself.
Similar to his recent excursion to Japan, the 27-year-old’s arrival trip to NASCAR was a trip to a foreign land.
Growing up in Charlotte, Byron became interested in stock-car racing as a 6-year-old and became an iRacing phenom in his teens who eventually segued into cars at the age of 15 — long in the tooth relative to his peers.
“I was very much an outsider,” he said.
But Byron’s talent soon became evident.
In 2019 at age 21, he won the Daytona 500 pole and in 2020 won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 to earn a spot into the 16-car playoffs.
Byron followed a six-win 2023 season with his 2024 Daytona 500 win driving the iconic No. 24 car Gordon drove to three victories and 93 overall in the Cup Series.
“We talk all the time about how quickly he’s risen through the ranks and won races and championships and continues to do it at the elite level in Cup,” Gordon marveled.
Fugle, a 40-year-old from western New York, has been there every step of the way.
“This is our 20th win together,” he said. “It’s special just because of our relationship and our trust in each other and how we respect each other and grow.”
Yet Fugle admitted to a bit of frustration, if not separation anxiety, when Byron set off for the Far East.
“It was tough,” Fugle said. “I’m used to seeing him a little more.”
But when it mattered most Sunday night, Byron appeared from the pack once again.
He soon bid sayonara to the rest of the field and konnichiwa — Japanese for hello — to history as one of five men to win consecutive Daytona 500s, leading Byron to celebrate with infield donuts followed by a leap from his car foot into the waiting arms of his pit crew.
“It worked out in a fortunate way for us,” he said. “But it’s not all luck to win twice in a row.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/daytona-500-nascar-cup-series-william-byron-jeff-gordon-denny-hamlin-rick-hendrick/

AUBURNDALE — Murillo Mello must have willed it to happen.
The Lake Nona junior goalkeeper drilled home the winning penalty kick goal in a third overtime session Monday to deliver the Lions a 4-3 state semifinal victory over Doral Academy and a berth in the Class 7A boys soccer state championship game.
The top-ranked Lions (16-1-4) will vie for its first FHSAA soccer title in a state final scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. The opponent will be the winner of Monday’s second semifinal, which matched No. 3 seed Timber Creek (16-3-1) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (19-1) at 1 p.m.
Mello’s shot gave Lake Nona a 4-2 advantage vs. fourth seed Doral (13-8-3) during the PK shootout. Moa Silva, Enzo Moncorvo and Gabriel Campos also scored shots for Lake Nona.
“I was thinking about this shot the whole week,” Mello said. “It feels so good. (Playing for the state championship) has been my dream.”
Boys soccer: Lake Nona, Bishop Moore, Timber Creek, Windermere, Ocoee lead pack
Lake Nona found itself trailing Doral 3-1 with 23:35 left in the second half. But the Lions never flinched. Instead, sophomore midfielder Moa Silva stepped up and delivered back-to-back goals in a period of just over seven minutes.
Sliva blasted home a shot off a rebound at the 21:22 mark of the second half to bring Lake Nona within a goal. He tied the game 3-3 on a PK kick at the 14:08 mark, where the game stood until the third overtime.
“It sums up our whole team,” Silva said. “Down 3-1, and having the mentality to keep playing the way we were playing, not letting it get us down. It just sums up me and our whole team. To help the team with two goals, it feels good, and now we can focus on Friday.”
Lake Nona first-year head coach Anton Sealey said he was super excited for the boys and also the school after some rough times recently.
“We’ve had a heck of a last two weeks. Lots of things happened on campus. We had one student pass away in a car accident,” Sealey said. “We knew they were a good team so we were anticipating anything. We were comfortable when we got to PKs because we believe in our players. This is the first time for the school and the first time for me, so it’s just one game at a time.”
Lake Mary’s girls (17-3-2) play {{{“played” for print}}}} Palm Harbor University (18-1-1) in a {{{{{Monday}}}} 4 p.m. 7A semifinal game. The girls final is set for 1 p.m. Friday.
By Bill Kemp
State tournament
At Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Auburndale
(classes with Orlando area teams)
MONDAY
Boys 7A semifinals
No. 1 Lake Nona defeated No. 4 Doral Academy, 3-3 (4-2 in penalty kicks).
No. 3 seed Timber Creek (16-3-1) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (19-1), 1 p.m.
Girls 7A semifinals
No. 3 Lake Mary (17-3-2) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (18-1-1), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Jupiter (19-1-3) vs. No. 1 Cypress Bay (17-1-1), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Boys 4A semifinals
No. 3 Mater Lakes (22-1-1) vs. No. 3 Bishop Moore (24-3-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Fort Walton Beach (14-6-1) vs. No. 1 Barron Collier (18-2), 1 p.m.
Girls 4A semifinals
No. 3 Bishop Moore (13-6-2) vs. No. 2 Bishop Kenny (16-2-2), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Lemon Bay (18-4-2) vs. No. 1 Plantation American Heritage (17-1), 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Boys 6A semifinals
No. 3 Olympic Heights (19-2-1) vs. No. 2 Mitchell (20-2-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Oviedo (15-3-3) vs. No. 1 Mandarin (18-0-2), 1 p.m.
FRIDAY
7A boys final, 10 a.m.
7A girls final, 1 p.m.
4A boys final, 4 p.m.
4A girls final, 7 p.m.
Saturday
6A boys final, 4 p.m.
Bishop Moore, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Timber Creek, Oviedo reach soccer state tourney
Region finals
Girls soccer powerhouses Lake Highland Prep (13-2-1) and Montverde Academy (19-1) meet for a third and final team in a region final Wednesday night. The MVA Eagles, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps, host the game at 7 p.m.
Montverde scored twice in the early going and edged the Highlanders 2-1 in a regular season meeting, Dec. 13. Lake Highland ninth grader Lara Almeida scored a sensational goal in the 73rd minute of that game.
In a Jan. 28 district final rematch neither team scored in regulation or overtime. Montverde, playing at home this time, prevailed in the penalty kicks shootout by a count of 3-0.
The Eagles are 19-0 in games with sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Strausbaugh starting.
Almeida has 8 goals and a team-leading 23 assists for Lake Highland. Highly-rated Highlanders junior Lael Hill, the daughter of former Orlando Magic All-Star Grant Hill, has 23 goals and 8 assists.
Lake Highland’s boys are also one win away from the state tournament in 3A. The Highlanders (10-4-2) will be home against Clearwater Calvary Christian (17-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Winners advance to Tuesday state semifinals at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
No. 1 Montverde girls soccer victory over No. 2 Lake Highland Prep provides helpful context
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/fhsaa-state-soccer-lake-nona-timber-creek-lake-mary-auburndale-bishop-moore-oviedo-lake-myrtle-sports-complex/

AUBURNDALE — Murillo Mello must have willed it to happen.
The Lake Nona junior goalkeeper drilled home the winning penalty kick goal in a third overtime session Monday to deliver the Lions a 4-3 state semifinal victory over Doral Academy and a berth in the Class 7A boys soccer state championship game.
The top-ranked Lions (16-1-4) will vie for their first FHSAA soccer title in a state final scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. The opponent will be No. 3 seed Timber Creek (17-3-1), which prevailed 4-3 over No. 2 Palm Harbor University (19-2).
Mello’s shot gave Lake Nona a 4-2 advantage vs. fourth seed Doral (13-8-3) during the PK shootout. Moa Silva, Enzo Moncorvo and Gabriel Campos also scored shots for Lake Nona.
“I was thinking about this shot the whole week,” Mello said. “It feels so good. [Playing for the state championship] has been my dream.”
Boys soccer: Lake Nona, Bishop Moore, Timber Creek, Windermere, Ocoee lead pack
Lake Nona found itself trailing Doral 3-1 with 23:35 left in the second half. But the Lions never flinched. Instead, sophomore midfielder Silva stepped up and delivered back-to-back goals in a period of just over seven minutes.
Silva blasted home a shot off a rebound at the 21:22 mark of the second half to bring Lake Nona within a goal. He tied the game 3-3 on a PK kick at the 14:08 mark, where the game stood until the third overtime.
“It sums up our whole team,” Silva said. “Down 3-1 and having the mentality to keep playing the way we were playing, not letting it get us down. It just sums up me and our whole team. To help the team with two goals, it feels good, and now we can focus on Friday.”
Lake Nona first-year head coach Anton Sealey said he was super excited for the boys and also the school after some rough times recently.
“We’ve had a heck of a last two weeks. Lots of things happened on campus. We had one student pass away in a car accident,” Sealey said. “We knew they were a good team, so we were anticipating anything. We were comfortable when we got to PKs because we believe in our players. This is the first time for the school and the first time for me, so it’s just one game at a time.”
Lake Mary’s girls (17-3-2) played Palm Harbor University (18-1-1) in a 7A semifinal game. The girls final is set for 1 p.m. Friday.
By Bill Kemp
State tournament
At Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Auburndale
(classes with Orlando area teams)
MONDAY
Boys 7A semifinals
No. 1 Lake Nona defeated No. 4 Doral Academy, 3-3 (4-2 in penalty kicks).
No. 3 seed Timber Creek (16-3-1) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (19-1), 1 p.m.
Girls 7A semifinals
No. 3 Lake Mary (17-3-2) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (18-1-1), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Jupiter (19-1-3) vs. No. 1 Cypress Bay (17-1-1), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Boys 4A semifinals
No. 3 Mater Lakes (22-1-1) vs. No. 3 Bishop Moore (24-3-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Fort Walton Beach (14-6-1) vs. No. 1 Barron Collier (18-2), 1 p.m.
Girls 4A semifinals
No. 3 Bishop Moore (13-6-2) vs. No. 2 Bishop Kenny (16-2-2), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Lemon Bay (18-4-2) vs. No. 1 Plantation American Heritage (17-1), 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Boys 6A semifinals
No. 3 Olympic Heights (19-2-1) vs. No. 2 Mitchell (20-2-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Oviedo (15-3-3) vs. No. 1 Mandarin (18-0-2), 1 p.m.
FRIDAY
7A boys final, 10 a.m.
7A girls final, 1 p.m.
4A boys final, 4 p.m.
4A girls final, 7 p.m.
Saturday
6A boys final, 4 p.m.
Bishop Moore, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Timber Creek, Oviedo reach soccer state tourney
Region finals
Girls soccer powerhouses Lake Highland Prep (13-2-1) and Montverde Academy (19-1) meet for a third and final team in a region final Wednesday night. The MVA Eagles, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps, host the game at 7 p.m.
Montverde scored twice in the early going and edged the Highlanders 2-1 in a regular- season meeting Dec. 13. Lake Highland ninth-grader Lara Almeida scored a sensational goal in the 73rd minute of that game.
In a Jan. 28 district-final rematch, neither team scored in regulation or overtime. Montverde, playing at home this time, prevailed in the penalty-kicks shootout 3-0.
The Eagles are 19-0 in games with sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Strausbaugh starting.
Almeida has 8 goals and a team-leading 23 assists for Lake Highland. Highly rated Highlanders junior Lael Hill, the daughter of former Orlando Magic All-Star Grant Hill, has 23 goals and 8 assists.
Lake Highland’s boys are also one win away from the state tournament in 3A. The Highlanders (10-4-2) will be home against Clearwater Calvary Christian (17-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Winners advance to Tuesday state semifinals at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
No. 1 Montverde girls soccer victory over No. 2 Lake Highland Prep provides helpful context
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/fhsaa-state-soccer-lake-nona-timber-creek-lake-mary-auburndale-bishop-moore-oviedo-lake-myrtle-sports-complex/

AUBURNDALE — Timber Creek coach Ibrahim Chehab called it “magical,” and one would be hard pressed to argue with him.
Timber Creek boys soccer pulled off an improbable second-half comeback to topple Palm Harbor University 4-3 in a Class 7A state semifinal at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. The Wolves (17-3-1), riding a 12-game winning streak, vault themselves into the FHSAA championship game slated for Friday at 10 a.m. against east Orlando rival Lake Nona (16-1-4), which also rallied to win its semifinal (see below).
The championship will be the first state soccer title for either school.
Timber Creek lost 5-2 to Lake Nona in November, but is unbeaten in its past 15 matches.
“This is magical. I am lost for words,” said Chehab.
Timber Creek was trailing 3-1 late in the second half when it pulled three goals out of thin air, including the game-winner by junior defender Mathias Argudo with five seconds left on the clock to pull out the win.
“I would be lying to you if I said we were going to score with five seconds to go. I kept telling our players Lake Nona was down in the first game 3-1 and they came back and won. We have to keep believing,” Chehab said.
Argudo said he fielded a perfect pass from Adam Shalaby, who blocked for him as well.

“He did a great job and I am just super happy for the win,” Argudo said. “To be honest, I thought we would be going to overtime, but I saw that last chance right there and that was it. Now we have to go with everything and play the best we can to win the state title.”
Not to be outdone, senior defender Grayson Wright scored on a header from 25-yards out to knot the game 3-3 with 4:45 remaining.
“Of course I was aiming for it off the header,” Wright said. “I saw it come in from a pass to our winger out wide, so I went over the top and jumped up with a guy right in front of me and put it right in.”
Down 3-1, sophomore midfielder Hugo Stallone started the second-half rally, scoring on a free kick with 17:41 remaining in the game to narrow the Palm Harbor lead to 3-2.
Timber Creek also scored on a first-half goal by senior midfielder Preston Williams to take 1-0 lead with 33:03 remaining in the first half but the Hurricanes (19-2) scored the next three goals to take a 3-1 lead.
Lake Nona rallies
Murillo Mello must have willed it to happen.
The Lake Nona junior goalkeeper drilled home the winning penalty kick goal in a third overtime session to deliver top-ranked Lake Nona a 4-3 state win over Doral Academy and a berth in the Class 7A boys soccer state championship game.
Mello’s shot gave top-ranked Lake Nona (16-1-4) a 4-2 advantage vs. fourth seed Doral (13-8-3) during the PK shootout. Moa Silva, Enzo Moncorvo and Gabriel Campos also scored shots for Lake Nona.
“I was thinking about this shot the whole week,” Mello said. “It feels so good. [Playing for the state championship] has been my dream.”
Boys soccer: Lake Nona, Bishop Moore, Timber Creek, Windermere, Ocoee lead pack
Lake Nona found itself trailing Doral 3-1 with 23:35 left in the second half. But the Lions never flinched. Instead, sophomore midfielder Silva stepped up and delivered back-to-back goals in a period of just over seven minutes.
Silva blasted home a shot off a rebound at the 21:22 mark of the second half to bring Lake Nona within a goal. He tied the game 3-3 on a PK kick at the 14:08 mark, where the game stood until the third overtime.
“It sums up our whole team,” Silva said. “Down 3-1 and having the mentality to keep playing the way we were playing, not letting it get us down. It just sums up me and our whole team. To help the team with two goals, it feels good, and now we can focus on Friday.”
Lake Nona first-year head coach Anton Sealey said he was super excited for the boys and also the school after some rough times recently.
“We’ve had a heck of a last two weeks. Lots of things happened on campus. We had one student pass away in a car accident,” Sealey said. “We knew they were a good team, so we were anticipating anything. We were comfortable when we got to PKs because we believe in our players. This is the first time for the school and the first time for me, so it’s just one game at a time.”
Lake Mary’s girls (17-3-2) played Palm Harbor University (18-1-1) in a 7A semifinal game. The girls final is set for 1 p.m. Friday.
By Bill Kemp
State tournament
At Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, Auburndale
(classes with Orlando area teams)
MONDAY
Boys 7A semifinals
No. 1 Lake Nona defeated No. 4 Doral Academy, 3-3 (4-2 in penalty kicks).
No. 3 seed Timber Creek defeated No. 2 Palm Harbor University, 4-3
Girls 7A semifinals
No. 3 Lake Mary (17-3-2) vs. No. 2 Palm Harbor University (18-1-1), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Jupiter (19-1-3) vs. No. 1 Cypress Bay (17-1-1), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Boys 4A semifinals
No. 3 Mater Lakes (22-1-1) vs. No. 3 Bishop Moore (24-3-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Fort Walton Beach (14-6-1) vs. No. 1 Barron Collier (18-2), 1 p.m.
Girls 4A semifinals
No. 3 Bishop Moore (13-6-2) vs. No. 2 Bishop Kenny (16-2-2), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Lemon Bay (18-4-2) vs. No. 1 Plantation American Heritage (17-1), 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Boys 6A semifinals
No. 3 Olympic Heights (19-2-1) vs. No. 2 Mitchell (20-2-2), 10 a.m.
No. 4 Oviedo (15-3-3) vs. No. 1 Mandarin (18-0-2), 1 p.m.
FRIDAY
7A boys final, 10 a.m.
7A girls final, 1 p.m.
4A boys final, 4 p.m.
4A girls final, 7 p.m.
Saturday
6A boys final, 4 p.m.
Bishop Moore, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Timber Creek, Oviedo reach soccer state tourney
Region finals
Girls soccer powerhouses Lake Highland Prep (13-2-1) and Montverde Academy (19-1) meet for a third and final team in a region final Wednesday night. The MVA Eagles, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and No. 4 nationally by MaxPreps, host the game at 7 p.m.
Montverde scored twice in the early going and edged the Highlanders 2-1 in a regular- season meeting Dec. 13. Lake Highland ninth-grader Lara Almeida scored a sensational goal in the 73rd minute of that game.
In a Jan. 28 district-final rematch, neither team scored in regulation or overtime. Montverde, playing at home this time, prevailed in the penalty-kicks shootout 3-0.
The Eagles are 19-0 in games with sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Strausbaugh starting.
Almeida has 8 goals and a team-leading 23 assists for Lake Highland. Highly rated Highlanders junior Lael Hill, the daughter of former Orlando Magic All-Star Grant Hill, has 23 goals and 8 assists.
Lake Highland’s boys are also one win away from the state tournament in 3A. The Highlanders (10-4-2) will be home against Clearwater Calvary Christian (17-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Winners advance to Tuesday state semifinals at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
No. 1 Montverde girls soccer victory over No. 2 Lake Highland Prep provides helpful context
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/fhsaa-state-soccer-lake-nona-timber-creek-lake-mary-auburndale-bishop-moore-oviedo-lake-myrtle-sports-complex/

Auburn’s win at Alabama assured the Tigers would keep the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for a sixth consecutive week.
The Tigers (23-2) received 59 of 60 first-place votes in Monday’s poll, reclaiming nearly all the support lost when they fell at home to Florida on Feb. 8. Auburn had been the unanimous No. 1 for three straight weeks before that loss, but remained at the top last week despite seeing nearly half of those first-place votes go primarily to Alabama, with a few to Florida and Tennessee.
But the Tigers won Saturday in a 1-vs.-2 road matchup against the rival Crimson Tide, hours after the committee that will choose the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament put Auburn as its No. 1 overall seed in its preliminary rankings.
The top tier
The two teams to beat the Tigers sit right behind them. Florida and Duke were tied for third last week, and the Gators inched past the Blue Devils to break that tie and take the No. 2 spot while claiming the remaining first-place vote.
The Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) routed South Carolina 88-67 Saturday night despite playing without two frontcourt players. Denzel Aberdeen scored 22 points and Thomas Haugh added 20 — career highs for both players — as Florida looks like a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Florida 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten, playing in his first game since gruesomely breaking his left leg in the SEC title game 11 months ago, finished with two points, three rebounds and five assists in his return.
The Gators host Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
Alabama fell to No. 4, followed by Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M — with its highest ranking since December 2017 — Iowa State, Texas Tech and St. John’s to round out the top 10.
Of that group, the Red Raiders represented the only change from last week’s set of teams, climbing three spots to replace Purdue for their first top-10 appearance in three years. Grant McCasland’s squad, which has lost just twice since the start of 2025, was unranked until cracking the poll at No. 22 on Jan. 27.
Rising
Michigan had the week’s biggest jump among ranked teams, climbing eight spots to No. 12 after beating Purdue last week and pushing its win streak to six games.
No. 15 Missouri jumped six spots, while No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 18 Clemson and No. 20 Maryland each rose five spots.
In all, 12 teams moved up from their position last week.
Sliding
Memphis took the biggest tumble of the week, falling eight spots to No. 22 after its overtime loss at Wichita State ended an eight-game winning streak.
No. 13 Purdue, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas — the preseason No. 1-ranked team — all fell six spots, while No. 24 Mississippi tumbled five.
Ten teams fell from last week’s poll.
Welcome back
No. 25 Louisville was the week’s lone new addition, returning to the poll for the second time after a two-week stint in January. First-year coach Pat Kelsey has guided the program to its first 20-win season since 2019-20, with the Cardinals having lost just once since mid-December.
Farewell (for now)
Creighton (No. 24) fell out of the rankings for the second time this season. The Bluejays were ranked for the first four weeks, then returned last week for what turned out to be a one-week stay.
Conference watch
The Southeastern Conference had a national-best nine teams, including three of the top four and five of the top 10. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had five teams, though the Big 12 had three in the top 10 while the highest-ranked Big Ten team checked in at 11th.
The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed by the Big East with two and the American Athletic Conference with one.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/17/auburn-stays-at-no-1-in-ap-top-25-for-6th-straight-week-florida-up-to-no-2-louisville-returns-2/
