Tag Archive | "pompano"

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Pompano cheerleaders earn participation awards

Posted on 19 December 2019 by LeslieM

Alicia Solon, a member of the Pompano Beach Eagles Junior Prep Division Team, competes in the American Youth Football League Cheerleading Championships at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Alicia Solon is in her fourth year as a cheerleader for the Pompano Eagles team that cheers in the American Youth Football League.

Solon, 13, of Pompano Beach, was one of an estimated 800 cheerleaders who competed in the recent American Youth Football League Cheerleading Championships (AYFLC) at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami. The two Pompano Eagles teams – 9U and the Junior Prep teams, each scored participation awards.

“You have fun while you do it,” said Solon, a member of the Junior Prep squad. “Competitions like this help me improve. You have to have a lot of trust in each other and we build that through practice every day.

“I love cheerleading because I get to show what I can do,” Solon added. “It gives me a lot of energy.”

Solon, who said she’d like to cheer in high school and maybe in college too, also said she’d like to prove the doubters wrong who say cheerleading is not a sport.

“It is a sport because we work hard, just as hard as the football players,” said Solon, an 8th grader at William Dandy Middle School in Ft. Lauderdale. “We have to lift each other up and that is a weight.”

Pompano Eagles cheerleading coach Sharique McDonald brought two squads to the competition.

“The girls keep me on my toes every day,” McDonald said. “Every day, I learn something new from their little generation. I have to try and keep up just to stay in tune with them, but they keep me on my toes all of the time.”

She appreciates the daily improvement and dedication with the squads.

“That is like the best feeling ever,” McDonald said. “One of my girls has been cheering with me since she was 9 and couldn’t speak English when she first started. That was her first time cheering and, each year, she has excelled and pushes herself. They listen to my directions, and you can see they want it. The girls are what matters to me.”

McDonald also said there is a lot of focus that goes into the sport.

“You have to have a lot of discipline, and you can’t give up on yourself because you are going to take it to a whole new level with the stunting and tumbling, and your body is literally breaking down,” she noted. “You get bruised at practice and girls hit the ground hard and they get right back up and say, ‘I am going to do this.’ You can’t top that. The football players can’t top that and they have equipment.”

Pompano Beach’s Selena Sanchez, 6, who is a 1st grader at Pompano Beach Elementary School, received the prestigious Lisa Gager Spirit Award from the AYFLC. Gager was with the Sunrise program and passed away a little more than a decade ago, and the award was started in her memory for what she did in the cheerleading community.

“It is my first year as a cheerleader,” Sanchez said. “I like when we jump so high. And when we cheer at a football game, I like when people say we are good.”

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Markee gets a reboot as ‘A Ridenour Studio’

Posted on 03 October 2019 by LeslieM

By Diane Emeott

New owners of Markee, Keith Ridenour and Derek Assaf, recently back from building a new facility in Tennessee, acquired Markee Music from Mark Begelman in May.

Guitarist, songwriter and producer Keith and bass player and engineer Derek Assaf have been involved at Markee since its construction in 2010.

Ridenour got interested in playing guitar when he and his drummer brother Randy were kids watching a band rehearse in their living room.

“We would watch them rehearse, absorbing every fiber of the music and wanting to emulate them — and gravitated to playing. One year for Christmas, we got used drums and a used guitar! Our dad used to run dances at the old Chamber Building for the Deerfield Beach Jaycees. He used to run them at the Deerfield fishing pier as well.”

Ridenour’s father Ray also wrote poetry — inspiring Keith’s later songwriting ability.

Keith and Randy went to Deerfield Beach High School and played all the dances, including Homecoming, Sadie Hawkins … and all over Broward County, Miami-Dade County and West Palm Beach.

“We were in a band called Black Watch,” said Keith. “I was able to record my first record as a teenager, at age 17, at Mike Pinera’s studio in Miami.”

(Other bands Ridenour has played with include Harvest, a Southern Rock band; Uproar, a Pop Rock band; Razor Red, a Pop Metal all original band, and, most recently, Black Water River, a Doobie Brother’s Tribute Band.)

In 1993, Keith and a silent partner built Ridenour Studio in Oakland Park “where everyone from Ricky Martin and Aerosmith to Johnny Depp, Foreigner and Steve Winwood would play.”

Keith sold that Ridenour Studio in 2003 to move to Nashville where, for the next eight years, he continued songwriting and producing.

As CD sales became less prevalent in 2009 and 2010 (with songs available online), Keith decided to come back to South Florida to open Markee studio with former President and CEO of Office Depot Mark Begelman – who started Mars Music in Ft. Lauderdale in 1996 and later sold it.

At the end of 2017, Keith and Derek went back to Nashville. In 2018, they built ‘A Ridenour Studio’ in Murfreesboro, TN, a suburb two miles from Nashville. It caters to music students from nearby Middle Tennessee State University (MDSU), as well as the prestigious local talent pool of legendary Nashville, also known as “Music City.”

In May 2019, Keith and Derek returned to Deerfield to buy Markee from Begelman.

Offerings

As a one-stop venue for all things musical, Markee offers:

Music Lessons – In its three soundproof music lesson studios, Markee provides professional lessons on guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals, technology and songwriting by highly skilled musicians who all have a wealth of band experience.

Rehearsal Studios – Known as ‘the finest rehearsal space in South Florida,’ Markee offers six, fully-equipped, 342 sq. ft. soundproof rehearsal studios.

Recording Studio – The state-of-the art recording studio is fully equipped with Pro Tools HD and Logic 10. From Focusrite to Genelec, Markee has what it takes to record any genre of music, from Hip Hop to Gospel to Rock ‘n Roll.

Markee Performance Room: The recording studio adjoins a beautiful 875 sq. ft, fully-equipped performance room with a six-piece DW drum kit and 24-channel soundboard, perfect for full band-based recording sessions, recitals and other performances.

What’s new

Keith and Derek are in the process of upgrading all the gear and equipment at Markee, ‘A Ridenour Studio,’ in Deerfield. This includesall new drum kits in the Rehearsal and Recording studios; guitar and bass amp[lifiers]; all new vocal monitors; all new mics; cabling and a new console in the recording studio.

A new venture for Markee is offering Backline Rentals, which literally means all of the back line of musical equipment that typically appears onstage when a band plays. For example, guitar amp(s), bass amp, drums, keyboard, microphones, percussion.

Whether you need a guitar amp, bass amp, drum kit, percussion or instruments, Markee has it to rent. Keith said he and Derek were recently in talks with Pompano Beach Amphitheater about Backline Rental, as well as all other surrounding cities.

Special deals

Lesson Special – Buy three lessons, get one free ($30 per half hour, $55 per hour).

Recording Special – A Markee customer exclusive: Recording package: five hours. Get four hours of recording time plus one hour of set-up time to record up to three songs.

What Markee recommends:

Set up and mic-ing begins one hour prior to playing

You arrive 15 minutes prior to playing (for personal set-up)

Sound check 20 minutes

Recording tracks: 1 hour 10 minutes

Markee engineer mixing: 2 ½ hours

Walk out with a CD!

Regular Price: $375. Markee Customer: $262, which equals a 30 percent savings!

*If you need or desire more time, Markee will discount the regular rate of $69 per hour down to $60.

For more information, call Markee at 954-794-0033 or visit www.markeemusic.com.

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Born Just Now documentary At Pompano Cultural Center Sept. 26

Posted on 19 September 2019 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

For Marta Jovanović, art is everything. Her medium of choice is herself, whether she is smashing eggs, being tied up, or having pig hearts pelt her body. Her performance art is entrancing and inviting, as she welcomes the viewer into what she is trying to convey. She covers topics from what it is to be a woman and an artist, to finding beauty in unique places, to the brutality and heartbreak of war and conflict.

The unfolding of her story is brilliantly told by documentary filmmaker Robert Adanto. With captivating and, at times, disturbing visuals, he follows the life of this Serbian artist, who has suffered through an abusive relationship, the misunderstanding of her work and the accusation that she has wasted her life on art rather than creating a family.

You can feel her angst, her anger brewing inside waiting to bubble out. Like a rebel punk, Jovanović is filled with fury but, instead of exploding it out, she channels it in specific and thought-provoking ways that push the boundaries. She sets fire to convention in the same way she lights her old wedding dress on fire, burning away thoughts of her ex-husband and letting that dream that once was die away, while perhaps unveiling something about relationships and what they should and should not be.

There is a certain freedom in it and that is something she seems to have in spades, but does she really? Like all of us, she struggles with her own identity, but, in her case, she holds it up, like an open wound for the world to see, throwing caution to the wind and shoving it in the faces of art-loving bystanders whether they like it or not.

Documentary filmmaker Robert Adanto.

Adanto has created another masterpiece with this film. Like his previous films: The Rising Tide, Pearls on the Ocean Floor, City of Memory and The F Word, Born Just Now focuses on art and culture and makes celluloid magic. His films have been shown in over 40 international festivals, as well as having exhibitions in museums and elsewhere worldwide. Adanto is a fellow of the Sundance Institute Documentary Program and earned his MFA in Acting at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He was the head of the Film and TV Production program at NSU University School from 2012 to 2016, but now is teaching speech & debate and Model UN at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx, NY.

Adanto met Jovanović in 2013 when doing follow-up interviews for The F Word, which explores feminist performance. One of the people he interviewed suggested maybe adding Jovanović into the mix for that film, but when he read a book she gave him about Jovanović, he realized that her work would be better showcased in a film all its own. He spoke with her and decided to start shooting in 2016. Production began in Belgrade and he had a small crew of locals there help him with shooting, in addition to shots he had a second cinematographer capture in New York.

Born Just Now made its UK-premiere last week in London and will be screening in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of the month. Clips from his past art documentaries are in a special exhibition at the Art & Culture Center in Hollywood called F.A.R. (Female Artists Revealed), which will be on display until Oct. 27.

Born Just Now is coming here to the Pompano Beach Cultural Center (50 W. Atlantic Blvd., in Pompano Beach) on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. as part of their Montage film series. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.ccpompano.org.

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Tornadoes snap 16-game losing skid

Posted on 19 September 2019 by LeslieM

Pompano Beach High School football coach Johnathan Firth talks to his team. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Sophomore Danny Bobes provided the lift host Pompano Beach needed in rallying from an early 10-0 first quarter deficit and snapped a 16-game losing skid dating back to 2017 with a 20-10 win over Miami Country Day last Friday.

Bobes finished the game with 17 carries for 132 yards and one TD on offense to go along with five tackles and a sack on defense. He also recovered an onside kick for the Golden Tornadoes whose last victory was a 19-8 win over Pembroke Pines Charter on Sept. 28, 2017. They finished 1-9 that year and 0-10 last season. The team dropped the first two games this season as well.

Pompano Beach sophomore quarterback Nico Diaz was efficient as he completed eight of 10 passes for 150 yds. with a TD pass and two-point conversion. He also rushed for a TD. 

Senior wide receiver Hunter Kalman added three receptions for 112 Yds. and a TD and a two-point conversion, while junior defensive lineman Diego Orrelana had 10 tackles, including four tackles for losses and a sack. 

“We fell behind 10-0 after the first quarter, but we rallied together and overcame that to win,” said Pompano Beach coach Johnathan Firth. “My guys are still learning how to win and that showed early as we had a bunch of first quarter mistakes shooting ourselves in the foot.

“However, we stuck to the game plan and cleaned up the penalties and mistakes, which allowed our talent to shine,” Firth added. “I think fighting our way back to win like this can be a turning point for us. This was also huge for our seniors who haven’t won in over a year. Now that they know what it feels like, they will be hungry to get this feeling back.”

Pompano Beach will travel to Northeast High School to play tonight (Thursday, Sept. 19) at 7 p.m.

Pompano Beach Men’s Golf

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held an individual play (Low Gross and Low Net in classes) on Sept. 11 at the Pines Course.

Gary Gil carded an 83 to win the Low Gross title in the Class A Division on a match of cards. Winning the Low Net championship was Bill Hadersbeck who shot a 65 to win by two shots over Fred Joy. Chuck Brown was third with a 68.

In the Class B Division, Mike Marruquin won the Low Gross title on a match of cards after he shot an 82.

Jim Greeley won the Low Net title for the division with a 62 and defeated Oscar Aleman who shot a 65 and Tom Breur who shot a 66 and won on a match of cards.

 Jack Permenter fired an 85 to take first place in the Low Gross competition for the Class C Division. Willie Smith recorded a 60 to take first in the Low Net for the division. Dave Dowling, who shot a 64, and Neil Lang, who shot a 65, finished second and third respectively.   

Oscar Aleman won the closest to the pin hole No. 3.

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Oceanic opens

Posted on 05 September 2019 by LeslieM

By Rachel Galvin

Right near the newly renovated Pompano Pier, a much-anticipated restaurant has now opened. Oceanic restaurant, with its modern look and great view had its grand opening party on Thursday, Aug. 29. Some stayed downstairs to enjoy delicious passed hors d’ oeuvres or fresh seafood. Others grabbed a Dorian-tini from the luge there and went upstairs to see the view of the ocean from the balcony and see the large room that can be rented out for private parties, including weddings. (They also have a bride’s room). In the middle of the fun, a belly dancer swayed through the crowd balancing candles and later a sword on her head while juggling fire, causing quite a stir. Owner Lou Moshakos christened the restaurant by throwing plates with his grandson, showcasing his Greek roots. Opa!

Lou originally opened a restaurant 41 years ago in Deerfield Beach called Seafood Shanty with his wife Joy. They sold it in the 1980s. Today, their company, LM Restaurants, owns several restaurant concepts. Besides Oceanic here and also another one in North Carolina, they also have Vidrio, Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Hops Supply Co., Taverna Agora, Carolina Ale House and Henry’s. Their daughter Amber is now president of the company.

At this Oceanic, their culinary focus is on “fresh seafood, high quality steaks, creative bold flavors and sharing plates all at reasonable prices,” according to Joy, who also said they will have creative cocktails at their full bars.

One guest, Thetis Palamiotov couldn’t stop raving about the restaurant.

“The experience is above and beyond. They have great service,” she said.

Right next door to the restaurant, Joy said they are building another restaurant. It will be called Lucky Fish Beach Bar and will be beach casual with a Tahitian Tiki bar feel. In addition, they will be opening a Mediterranean style restaurant called Morea in the Paramount Building in Ft. Lauderdale (701 N. Ft. Lauderdale Beach Blvd.), which will be focused on sharing plates to promote conversation the way you often see in Mediterranean countries.

Katherine Goldfaden, director of Brands & Marketing, said that every restaurant opening they have, they always give 10 percent to a local nonprofit, and education is one of their biggest charity passions. In the case of opening Oceanic, they donated 10 percent of at least the first seven days of being open to Broward Education Foundation.

Oceanic restaurant is located at 250 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., in Pompano Beach. For more information, visit www.oceanicpompano.com.

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Highlands holds basketball camp

Posted on 01 August 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

Highlands Christian Academy continued its long tradition of hosting a basketball camp this summer. Reg Cook, the school’s former AD, and Boys Varsity basketball coach, started the camp in 1986 with 19 campers in attendance. This year’s camp had 25 campers and consisted of children in the 3rd through 8th grade.

We had a great group of campers,” said Highlands Christian basketball coach Paul Pridemore, who is also the school’s athletic director. “They learned a lot of fundamental skills that they can build on. The most exciting thing that happened was we had one camper that accepted Christ as his savior.”

Trophies were awarded for competitions like free throws, hot shot, full court layups, Mikan layups, one-on-one, in addition to the best defender, most improved and camper of the week.

In addition to basketball, Highlands Christian Academy also held a softball camp and a volleyball camp that ended this week.

Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association results

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held two tournaments recently for its players. A total of 29 golfers competed in the Two Best Ball of Foursome tournament on July 17 at the Pines Course and the team of Jim Blake, Frank Cutrone and Willie Smith shot 116 to win by two strokes. The team of Bill Hazlett, Robert Raser and Dennis Sejda shot a 118 and won on a match of cards over the third place team of Robert Blau, Gary Gill and Jim Greeley, who also carded a 118. Jim Blake won the closest to the pin contest on hole No. 15.

One week later, the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held an individual play – Odd Holes Minus ½ Handicap in Classes tournament on the Pines Course with Tom Pawelczyk winning the Class A Net Score with a 29.0. Dennis Sejda recorded a 29.5 to take second, while Bill Hadersbeck shot a 30.0 to finish in third in the Class A.

 In Class B, Mike Marruquin shot a 29.5 and finished in first place after a match of cards over Jim Greeley. Robert Raser carded a 30.0 to take third.

Dennis Rooy shot 27.5 to take first place in the Class C Division, while Bill Hazlett (29.5) and Henry Lesburt (30.5) finished second and third respectively. Lesburt won on a match of cards. The closest to the pin winner on hole (No. 17) was Bill O’Brien.

There were 30 players in the field.

Simply Soccer camp down to final week

Area residents have one final chance to take part in the Simply Soccer camp series that is in its 31st year of soccer camps for children 5-15 in nearby Coral Springs.

There are three sessions each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., extended hours camp from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to noon. Full day campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. You do not have to be a city resident to attend.

 The final week is Aug. 5-9. You can register daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Coral Springs Gymnasium, 2501 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs. For information on the camp, call 954-345-2200.

Highlands Christian Academy recently held a basketball camp with 25 campers (bottom photo). The camp also handed out awards (top photo).

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Pompano Junior Lifeguards fare well at regional event

Posted on 18 July 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Grace Parnas wins the beach flags event as she tops Lake Worth’s Kiki Padron at the United States Lifeguard Association Southern Regional event at Lake Worth. Photo by Gary Curreri

Grace Parnas had a stellar effort at the recent United States Lifeguard Association Southern Regional event at Lake Worth.

The 14-year-old Pompano Beach resident won six of the nine events she was in and placed second in another for the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguards in the Girls A Division. Parnas, who will be a sophomore at Calvary Christian Academy in the fall, took first in the run-swim-run, paddleboard race, beach flags, rescue race, iron guard and the swim relay. She got silver in the run relay.

“I’ve been competing for four years and been doing the camp for six years,” Parnas said. “It’s so fun. Most of the people say it is so hard, but I get to see my friends and then compete with them.”

She gets lost in the adrenaline rush. 

“You honestly don’t remember a lot of the race,” Parnas said. “You have the adrenaline rush and you are going as fast as you can because you just want to win.”

“I never expected to be at nationals or regionals,” said Parnas, who has also fared well at the national event.

She won beach flags two years ago and placed third last year in the event and is the two-time defending paddleboard national champion. 

“It is incredible,” she continued. “I never thought I would win nationals. I don’t feel any (outside) pressure. It is more self-put pressure because I want to win a national championship again.”

Teammate Julia Freshour, 13, also of Pompano, turned in a solid performance as well. She won the Girls B Division surf rescue, paddleboard, run-swim-run, rescue relay, and moved up in both the Girls A swim relay and the U19 swim relay. She was second in the iron guard.

“I really love ocean swimming so it is probably that,” said Freshour, who is a Pompano Middle School eighth-grader and has competed since she was 7. “I like to race. The competitions are really important. I would skip anything that day to come to this.”

She also loves the adrenaline rush when she competes.

“I kind of tune everything out, and I get into this zone where I kind of go into autopilot and just go,” she said. “I don’t think about anything. I don’t feel anything. I can just go all out.

It is very important to win.”

Pompano Beach’s Victoria Scarpinito took second in the U19 Girls beach flags event. She’s competed for the past five years.

“I love the team spirit and team enthusiasm. I like the challenge and how you can push yourself,” said Scarpinito, 17, who will be a senior at Cardinal Gibbons in the fall. She is also a member of the school’s dance team and on the Pro-Am competition dance team.

“It is an amazing feeling once you are out there,” she said. “It is not the most important thing to win, but it is a good feeling when you do.”

Summer Schulte took first in the U19 girls Surf race (distance swim), paddleboard and iron guard, while Oliver Nagy was the top boys finisher for the Pompano program as he won three events in the Boys A Division. He won the surf swim, paddleboard and iron guard.

Rich Tammany, who heads up the host Lake Worth Junior Lifeguard program, said the event attracted about 200 junior lifeguards from as far south as Hollywood all the way north to Flagler Beach.

Among the other cities represented were Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach and host Lake Worth.

“We were very excited,” Tammany said. “I have been doing Junior Lifeguards for 23 years and this is only the second time we have had it here. The other time we had it here was 2006. The kids are excited. The weather was good…water was good. It was a great day.”

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Deerfield 50/70 team holds on for 8-5 win

Posted on 02 May 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

Christian Osornio and Daniel Silveria collected multiple hits to lead the offensive charge, while Roman Odiernia blasted a two run home run to deep left field in the third inning as the Deerfield Beach Little League’s 50/70 team jumped out to an early lead and then held on for an 8-5 win over host Federal recently.

Osornio started on the mound for Deerfield Beach and tossed two innings of one-hit, one-run ball. He also struck out three and walked one as the local squad built an early 6-1 lead in the interleague contest.

Robert Odiernia and Alex Riveria pitched the middle of the game and gave way to closer Ryan Jarrett, who sealed the deal as he yielded no hits and no walks while striking out four and allowed 0 runs in 2.1 innings of work. 

Others contributing to the 10 hits for DBLL were Caleb Wahlers, Jarrett, both Odiernia boys, Donovan Campbell and Anthony Fronte. Federal was only able to manage three hits in the game.

Golf Course closes for reconstruction of new greens

The city of Pompano Beach has temporarily closed the Greg Norman Signature Golf Course for the renovation of their putting greens.

The Pines Course, located at 1101 N. Federal Hwy., is one of two courses located at the city’s public golf course. The second course, the Palms Course, will remain open during the reconstruction.

The re-grassing of the Pines Golf Course putting greens will provide a much-improved turf surface. Platinum Paspalm turf has been chosen based on the conditions at this facility. The city has been testing the Paspalm turf on four greens over the past year which has proven to be highly successful.

The process of re-grassing involves many steps, including applying herbicide in order to aid in the removal of the existing turf, applying soil amendments, frequent rolling of surfaces to develop a consistent turf stand, aerification, installation of the premium sod, etc.

The Greg Norman Design Pines Golf Course is tentatively scheduled to re-open by the end of June weather permitting.

Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association results

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association held a One Best Ball of a Foursome tournament at the Pines Course and the group of Henry Lesburt, Bill O’Brien, Robert Raser and Tom Breur (blind draw) carded a 51 to win top honors.

Tom Breur, Bob Mascatello, Lance Naiman and Dave Hall (blind draw) shot a 53 and won on a match of cards with the third place team of Richard Anderson, George Duarte, Carlo Spirito and Bart Valerio. Finishing in fourth was Jim DeCicco, Jim Dunn (blind draw), Gary Gill and Richard Plasky with a 55. Frank Cutrone, Bill McCormick, Paul Murphy and Gene Stoller shot a 56 to finish fifth.  The closest to the pin winner on the third hole was Pat McClain.

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association followed that tournament up with another contest – Two Best Ball of Foursome at the Pines Course.

Paul Berning, Joe Patchen, Richard Plasky and Bob VanZandt carded a 117 to take first place. Placing second after a match of cards was Jim Blake, Frank Cutrone, Lee Hammer and Bill Sincavage, who shot 118. Andy Burt, Jim Dunn, Dave Hall and Harlan Tyler (blind draw) finished third with a 118.

Henry Lesburt, Bob Mascatello, Jay Thorn and Tom Joyce (blind draw) were fourth after shooting 120 and won on a match of cards. Jim Foster, Bill Hadersbeck, Mike Katawczik and Tim O’Brien finished fifth. Winning the closest to the pin contest on the seventh hole was Jerry Goodman.

Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association results

The Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association held a One Best Ball Even Holes, Two Best Balls Odd Holes tournament and the team of Sue Bardhi, Vonnie Okeefe, Nancy Oshea and Patti Matera (blind draw) won with an 86. Finishing second, just three shots back with an 89, was the team of Abby Ages, Deanne Baumann, Dianne Levanti and Anita Macmichael.

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Pompano boys win county volleyball title

Posted on 20 March 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

Photo by Gary Curreri

The Pompano Beach boys volleyball team won the school’s first county middle school championship in the sport with a 22-24, 21-13, 21-12 victory over Silver Lakes at Pompano Beach High School.

In the first set, the teams traded leads before eighth-graders Christensen Paul and Nikolai Jones slammed home kills for Silver Lakes to pull out the win.

Pompano Beach broke a 2-2 deadlock in the second set to go up 9-2 behind the serving of eighth-grader Logan Keothavy. They held that margin for most of the set and closed it out with two service points by eighth-grader Samson Lormeus.

In the final set, Pompano Beach seized an 11-8 margin after several early lead changes before pulling away from Silver Lakes as eighth-grader Nolan Debrocq had five straight service points and after a couple of side outs, and the score 18-10, the Bengals outscored Silver Lakes 5-2 for their first county championship in the sport.

Tournament MVP and Pompano Beach Middle School eighth-grader Logan Keothavy played an instrumental role during the season and in the playoffs. He’s played the sport since he began middle school athletics.

“I like playing and the team,” said Keothavy, 13, of Lighthouse Point. “I like passing, and hitting, and it feels pretty good to win the championship. I felt everyone in the crowd cheering for us – our parents, our families, everyone.”

When Pompano Beach dropped the first set of the championship game, Keothavy rallied the troops.

“We lost the first set and we didn’t think we should have lost that,” he said. “We weren’t moving our feet and playing like we usually do. Winning this is pretty big. We are 12-0 and that is better than any team.”

He said he wasn’t sure when the season began if they would hoist the championship trophy.

“It wasn’t until the fifth or sixth game of the season when I thought we had a chance to finish undefeated and win the county championship,” Keothavy said. “We were winning all of the time and it was fun.”

Pompano Beach Middle School coach Michael Miller was in his second year as volleyball coach at the school. Last season, he coached the girls team and this year the boys. Both teams lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s playoffs.

“It was a team of seven boys where no one was above the other and they all worked well as a team,” said Miller, who also teaches science at the school. “They listened to their coaches and captains and we all worked as a unit. No one was elitist and no one was above anyone else. It was a beautiful thing really.”

Miller said after losing the first set, they just talked about what they did wrong and what they could do to fix it.

“And we motivated each other,” Miller said. “We just needed to play stronger. We didn’t lose a single match during the entire season, not a single game. They played well as a unit.”

They lost two games (sets) in the playoffs. The other was in the quarterfinals in Coral Springs.

“It’s big,” Miller said. “The kids can see that you can be successful and work as a team. It is good life skills and it is beneficial to everybody, including the school. I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. They are very humble. They are all good students. They work well together. It’s a good thing.”

In addition to Keothavy, Miller also said the play of his captains, eighth-grader Zack Ruge and seventh-grader Garrett Weadock, were instrumental to the team’s success.

“Finishing undefeated is pretty special,” Miller said.

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Local cheerleaders compete in AYFL Cheer Competition

Posted on 17 January 2019 by LeslieM

By Gary Curreri

For first-year Deerfield Beach Bisons cheerleader Dajae Nash, competing in the American Youth Football League annual cheerleading competition at the Watsco Center at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, was an enjoyable experience.

She was a member of the Junior Prep (Ages 11-Under) Small Division and one of 60 routines that performed in the large competition in front of an estimated crowd of more than 2,000 people.

“It’s fun,” said Nash, 10, who lives in Pompano and is a fourth-grader at Tedder Elementary School. “There is a lot of stuff you have to learn. The music that we have is really good. This is a really big competition, so you get nervous. I wasn’t nervous though. I just believe in God.”

“Cheerleading is hard,” Nash added. “It takes a lot of time to learn the routines and get them right. The first time you are never going to get them right. It is going to take time for the kids to learn to get them right.”

Bisons teammate Amiyah Ashley, who like Nash is a flier, wasn’t in awe of the more than 2,000 in attendance at the competition.

“I like the cheers, the songs and competing,” said Ashley, 10, of Deerfield Beach, who is a fifth-grader at Deerfield Park Elementary School. “I get nervous (sometimes). I think about what I have to do.”

Deerfield Bisons cheerleading coach Kenya McDowell brought nine girls with her for the 11-Under competition, which received a participation award in the Junior Prep category.

“This is very cool,” McDowell said. “For three of them, it is their first experience and the other ones performed here before. It’s exciting.”

The Deerfield Bisons placed second in the Youth Prep (Ages 9-Under) Medium Division and third in the Pee Wees (Ages 8-Under) Small Division.

Pompano Eagles Senior (13-Under) Division cheerleader Gianna Mercado has been competing for the past four years in the sport.

“I like that it is very active, and it is something to do,” said Mercado, 12, of Pompano, is a seventh-grader at Somerset Key Academy. “The competition is the best part. You get very nervous, but you just push through it and just do it.”

The Eagles had a slight mishap midway through the routine, but they persevered. The Eagles took second in the Senior (Ages 13-Under) Medium Division.

“You just have confidence in yourself and know that you can do it the next time,” she said. “It was amazing. It was worth it. We put a lot of effort into it.”

Mercado said she hopes to cheer in college and said the setting at the UM campus validated it.

“For sure,” she said. “I have good experience and I have the ability. I believe I can do it in college. It would be awesome.”

Michele Longerbeam, who presides over the American Youth Football League cheerleading program, said there were more than 800 participants in the competition at the University of Miami.

“We have mini competitions throughout the season to get ready for the big one and this is the Super Bowl for cheerleaders,” said Longerbeam, who noted all 13 programs in the AYFL competed and there were a total of 60 routines that were evaluated by a panel of judges.

Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association results

The Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association closed out the year with several competitions.

On Dec. 19, they held an individual play tournament with awards for Low Gross and Low Net in Classes. In the Class A Division, Roy Wilhoite shot an 82 to win the Low Gross honors. Tom Pawelczyk shot a 67 to win the Low Net honors, while Bill O’Brien shot a 71 to take second, after a match of cards.

Oscar Aleman carded an 85 to win the Low Gross for the Class B Division. In the Low Net Division, Jerry Goodman and Bob Schurr each shot 67s.however, Goodman won on a match of cards to win.

In the Class C Division, Jim Dunn won the Low Gross title with a 93. Jim Foster won the Low Net Division with a 74 and won on a match of cards. Robert Raser was second with a 74.

Bob Mascatello carded a 93 to win the Class D Low Gross title. In the Low Net competition, Brian Nixon recorded a 67 to take first place, while Joel Englander was two shots back in second with a 69.

Roy Wilhoite won the closest to the pin on the third hole when his tee shot stuck at 4-feet, 2-inches.

In the Scramble alternate shot on Dec. 12, the team of John Arrigo, Patrick McClain and Pete Strychowskyj shot a 65 to take first place, while Robert Blau, Frank Cutrone, and Mike Marruquin, and Roe Messner shot a 69 and won on a match of scorecards. The team of Jim Dunn, Tim O’Brien, Bob VanZandt and Neil Wilson were second.

There were two winners of the closest to the pin: (Hole No. 7): Jim Greeley and (Hole No. 15): Gary Gill. The winner of the longest putt on the 18th hole was Roy Wilhoite and Dennis Sejda was the closest to the line on the 9th hole.

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