Dec. 1, 2012 wasn’t a good day for the Pelini brothers. First, FAU Coach Carl Pelini saw his team commit key turnovers as his Owls lost their finale 35-21 to the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. FAU’s home loss saw the Owls drop to 3-9, 2-6 in the Sun Belt Conference. Louisiana improved to 8-4 and 6-2.

Hours later, Bo Pelini’s Nebraska Cornhuskers had a chance to win the Big Ten Conference.

But the Wisconsin Badgers (8-5) had other ideas … crushing the Cornhuskers 70-31 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wisconsin got the automatic bid to the BCS Championship Series and they’ll face Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Nebraska (10-3) will play Georgia (11-2) in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

During the Louisiana game, FAU trailed 21-14 at halftime and amassed 528 yards in total offense. At one point, FAU led 14-7.

The key turnovers halted scoring drives, as FAU had three turnovers with one fumble and two interceptions by senior QB Graham Wilbert, who played in his last game. Wilbert finished the 2012 season with 2,814 yards and only six interceptions.

He’ll spend the rest of the winter and beginning of the spring getting ready for FAU’s Pro Day.

Junior William Dukes had a career day against Louisiana catching nine passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. He led FAU receivers with 979 yards.

Next on Pelini’s agenda is the recruiting trail as he prepares to improve on this season.

Now that football is over, the shift is to Men’s Basketball. On Sunday, FAU faced the Warner Royals, who were 6-4. The Warner Royals public relations staff never brought any game notes for the media, nor did they bring their “A” game, as FAU cruised to an 83-50 win at “The Burrow” in a contest that started at 3 p.m.

Before the game, I wondered how many people would show up since there was a full slate of NFL games. Believe it or not, there were plenty of fans and it was a half way decent atmosphere. FAU improved to 5-4.

Greg Gantt led FAU with 19 points and Stefan Moody had 18. One notable newcomer to the FAU roster is 7 ft. center Dragen Sekelja, from Zagreb, Croatia, who transferred from Baylor. His presence was felt as he grabbed 11 rebounds against Warner.

OWLS NOTES: Former FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos is the new Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance Services for my alma-mater, the University of South Florida Bulls in Tampa.

Finally, the 2013 season will be the last in the Sun Belt Conference for FAU and Middle Tennessee, as both are headed to Conference USA in 2014. They’ll join FIU and North Texas, who are expected to be members of Conference USA in 2013.

The FAU/FIU rivalry will resume in 2014, after taking a oneyear hiatus in 2013.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

By Gary Curreri

It took a little more than half a century; however, Bill Delaney finally got his second hole-in-one.

Delaney’s first ace came as a 14-year-old at the George Wright Golf Course in Boston when he used a 5-iron from 145-yds. out on the fourth hole.

He recorded his second hole-in-one on the 17th hole at the Palms Course at Pompano Beach Municipal during a Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association Two Best Balls of a Foursome tournament on Halloween.

“I think my skill level had something to do with it,” joked Delaney, 65, of Ft. Lauderdale, who used a 5-hybrid on the 155-yd. hole. “It didn’t allow me to get any closer. It’s actually the luck of the draw. I have had seven or eight balls that I have left inside of 2 in. of the cup. I have had three or four that I have left literally hanging on the cup.”

Delaney, a retired printing company president, helped his team – George Disch, Don Mann and Carlo Spirito – to a third place finish in the tournament with a 121.

“It was nice day,” Delaney added. “I was playing very well. I was hitting it straight all day long. There was a fair amount of humidity in the air and there was a moderate breeze.”

Delaney said after hitting his shot straight as an arrow, the ball hit the pin and dropped straight down into the hole.

“I knew when it hit the pin that it was in,” Delaney said. “It hit the pin with such a loud smack, I felt pretty confident that it went in and, sure enough, when we got up there, we saw it in the hole. My understanding is that when someone gets a hole-in-one, they come in groups. I sincerely hope that between now and when I am 70, I will get a three or four more.”

Delaney started playing golf when he was 12 years old and tries to play three to four times a week. He has an 18-handicap at Pompano because of the conditions; however, he said his actual handicap is around a 12. He said he plays a fair amount of golf at Palm Aire, Heron Bay, Woodmont and Woodlands Country Clubs in Broward County.

Delaney is an admitted chocoholic, so it was pretty fitting and sweet when he scored the second hole-in-one of his golfing career on Halloween. “Given the fact that I love candy, this was probably as good,” Delaney said. “I have absolutely no favorite (candy). As long as it is chocolate, I’ll devour it. I had a jar of candy when I got home that night.”

By Gary Curreri

Ken Zeber has played in the Sunshine Seniors Softball League at the 4-Fields Complex in Pompano since 2003, and, despite having five bypasses 16 years ago, he still loves playing. Zeber, who will turn 69 in December and lives in Oakland Park, said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The best part is probably seeing guys older than me out there playing and getting exercise even though I still go to the gym,” Zeber said. “The bypasses came after being too active at night with my playing softball, coaching little league for my son, the wife and I were bowling and my daughter at dance. With all this activity, we ate (fast food) five nights a week and I believe that’s what caused them.”

The league recently concluded its summer season as Wally’s Raiders rallied for an 11-inning, 18-14 victory over the Reds in the championship game of the slow pitch summer league that plays on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the complex.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Bill Coyne, who retired from the Town of Davie three years ago where he was a police lieutenant. “There is great camaraderie and you meet a lot of people from all walks of life and areas.”

Coyne, 61, of Coral Springs, is also a member of the No Stars All-Star team that plays in the Florida Half Century Softball Association. They’ve won three tournaments in the 60s age group this season and they play once a month around the state. The Pompano Beachbased league has many travel team players still competing at the highest levels despite their ages.

“I see myself playing as long as I am healthy,” Coyne said. “We have some guys that play in the league that play well into their 80s and (play) at a good level. You forget that they are that old and still doing that.”

This is the 16th year of the Sunshine Seniors Softball League, which will have between four and six teams during the three seasons the league holds.

“It is the greatest thing in the world, especially for the ages of players that we have,” said Bart Grillo, 83, of Deerfield Beach, who serves as commissioner of the league. “I would say the majority of our guys, at least 50 percent of them, are over 70. They enjoy the game.”

Grillo, who hung up his cleats three years ago because of health issues, said he tries to downplay the competitive nature of the seniors.

The 55-and-older slow pitch softball league plays on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will play occasional tournaments on Saturdays at the 4-Fields complex in Pompano. Grillo said there are players who are involved in the Florida Half Century Amateur Softball Association that features tournaments around the state for seniors.

Grillo, who was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame in January 2007, joked there is an age limit for his league. He credited the city of Pompano for its support and that the league has been able to succeed.

“You can play up to 100 if you can make it,” Grillo said with a laugh. “We have a dozen guys who are in their 80s. I would still be playing if I didn’t have a problem with my breathing. It is a lot of fun. It is enjoyment and something to do.”

For more information on the league, contact Grillo at 954- 421-6892.

Youth soccer registration

The city of Pompano is currently taking registrations for its youth soccer program. Registration began on Nov. 5 and the program begins on Dec. 17, for players ages 5-7 and 11-13 (Monday & Wednesday); Dec. 18, for players ages 8-10 (Tuesday & Thursday). Cost is $54 for residents and $110 for non-residents.

It is an opportunity to experience a great program that offers the fundamentals and skills in the sport of soccer. The city will be hosting evaluations for ages 8 and up to determine team assignments. For more information, call 954-786-4119.

By Gary Curreri

Highlands Christian Academy sophomore Andrew Celesti made school history recently as he became the first member from his school to reach the FHSAA state bowling championships.

Celesti rolled a three-game total of 733 (255-198-280) to finish just 17 pins shy of tournament champion Pablo Cerda of Coral Springs Charter at Strikes at Boca recently.

“It was pretty cool,” said Celesti, who went on to place 109th out of 183 bowlers after rolling a four-game total of 697 (202-176-167-152) at the state tournament at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando. “It was amazing to be going to state. I didn’t really have that thought at the beginning of the year.”

Celesti said he averaged 180 in the league during the year, but put up a career-best, 280 in his final game at district to ensure his team would have a shot at the Baker games. His previous high was a 267.

“We were bowling good in competition and, in the third game, we went all out,” Celesti said. “I kept the mindset to strike out and I did it.”

Celesti’s brother, Chris, a senior, took fifth (205-212- 235-652) and narrowly missed advancing to state with his brother.

Knights’ teammate, Tyler Current, rolled a three-game series of 557, while Jonathan Cunningham totaled 461 for his three-game series. Ethan Peraza bowled a three-game series of 358.

Highlands Christian was a surprising qualifier for the Baker games at the statequalifying District 14 tournament as it made up a 36-pin deficit on Coral Springs Charter in its final game by bowling a 1,022. Coral Springs Charter School was only able to muster an 863 in its final game.

The Knights finished with a three-game total of 2,761, while Coral Springs Charter was fifth with 2,638 pins.

Highlands lost 3-1 to Boca Raton in the opening round of the Baker games, but rallied to top Santaluces, 3-1 in the second round. Boca Raton then swept Highlands in three straight games to advance to the final where it lost to Park Vista, 3-2. Only the Top 2 teams and Top 2 individuals advance to the state tournament.

First-year coach Timothy Celesti, father of both Chris and Andrew, said advancing to the Baker games didn’t surprise him.

“There was some good talent and I knew the boys could do it if they kept their minds clear,” the elder Celesti said. “What I did at districts was that they were loose so I left them alone. It would have been unbelievable to get a berth to states, but the fact that we were even in that position was a huge accomplishment because it is only our second year bowling at Highlands.”

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach football coach Allen Jackson hoped to use last Friday night’s regular season finalé against St. Thomas Aquinas as a tuneup for this week’s Class 8A regional quarterfinal game at Cypress Bay.

What he discovered was there was still some tinkering to do as the visiting Bucks went back to the early season mistakes that led to a 0-3 start as it dropped a 45-0 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas. Deerfield Beach (5-4) had seemed to put those miscues aside in recent weeks as it rolled to five consecutive wins and advanced as the No. 2 seed in the district tiebreaker.

The Raiders scored 31 points off four Deerfield Beach turnovers and a muffed punt to record its second consecutive shutout and third of the season.

Quarterback John O’Korn passed for 138 yards and ran for two scores to lead the way.

The running back tandem of Aeron McNeal (15 carries, 38 yards) and Brandon Powell (13 carries, 36 yards) were held in check most of the night.

“We knew we couldn’t make mistakes against a team like this,” Jackson said. “They are one of the best teams in the state.”

Jackson admitted his team suffered from playing three times in a week – an emotional win over then-undefeated South Plantation to force the three-way district tiebreaker, defeating Taravella before falling to South Plantation in Monday’s tiebreaker, and then playing St. Thomas Aquinas in a road game.

“It took a lot out of us going back-to-back two weeks in a row,” Jackson said.

“You just have to take care of bruises. We’ve seen Cypress Bay before so we have to get ready for them.”

The Bucks fell to Cypress Bay, 29-6, in the season opener; however, Jackson still believes his team can go deep in the playoffs.

“The kids just started believing in what we were trying to do,” Jackson said. “After the Taravella (regular season) game, we just went back to the basics. We decided to go back to the drawing board. We have two special backs back there so we are going to run it a little bit. We didn’t know if we were a running team or a passing team. Now, we have our identity.” Jackson gushes when he speaks of Powell, who is fourth in the county in rushing behind South Plantation’s Alex Collins (145 carries, 1263 yards, 14 TDs). Powell has 140 carries for 1,116 yards and 13 scores, while McNeal has 112 carries for 813 yards and 7 scores. “Brandon, oh my goodness,”

Jackson said of his junior running back. “He’s special. He’s a great kid, who gives you everything he’s got. He’s going to play hard until the final whistle blows every game.”

By Scott Morganroth

FAU’s 24-17 loss to Navy on the road Saturday, Nov. 3, guaranteed them one thing.

There will no post-season for the Owls and new head coach Carl Pelini.

The Owls are 2-7 and 1-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. The only team behind them is Conference USA bound Florida International University (FIU), which is 2-8 and 1-5. These squads face each other on Friday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. at FAU Stadium in the Shula Bowl.

Why the Owls are in the position they’re in is defined by the numbers based on the 2012 Overall FBS Rankings.

• FAU is 91st overall in passing yards-per-game with 201.3.

• The Owls are ranked 102nd in the nation with 123.6 rushing yards-per-game.

• The team is 118th in scoring with 18.2 points-per-game.

• FAU is 86th allowing 30.3 points-per-game.

When you’re at the bottom echelon in the nation of all these major statistical categories, it’s a recipe for disaster. After nine games, it’s safe to say that Pelini has seen plenty of game film and knows where the weaknesses are with this program when he goes back on the recruiting trail.

The team leaders are QB Graham Wilbert, who is 185-280, 1775 yards, 12 touchdown passes and only three interceptions for a 131.3 rating.

Jonathan Wallace is the Owls’ top running back with 124 carries, 493 yards and four touchdowns.

The main targets include wide receivers Byron Hankerson and William Dukes. Hankerson has 23 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Dukes is the team leader with 39 catches, 555 yards and a pair of touchdowns. FAU’s 34-27 victory over Troy on Oct. 27 was the first time that they defeated the Trojans at home in the season series between these two schools. The last time that FAU defeated Troy was on Dec. 1, 2007, 38-32, and this earned the Owls a Sun Belt Conference Championship, which led to a New Orleans Bowl win over Memphis, 44-27, on Dec. 21, 2007.

Troy’s Will Scott did set a school record with a 52-yard field goal on Oct. 27.

The last time FAU defeated a Sun Belt Conference opponent at home was when the Owls defeated the University of Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 13, 2010 at Lockhart Stadium, 24-23.

This same season, Troy whipped FAU, 44-7, on Dec. 4. FAU travels to Western Kentucky Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff, followed by the FIU contest. The Owls conclude their regular season at home on Dec. 1 as they face Louisiana-Lafayette at 3 p.m.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach girls volleyball coach William Strachan wasn’t sure what to expect out of his team this season after losing five starters to graduation.

The Tornadoes finished 21- 4 last season as it lost to Jensen Beach in the regional semifinals, and Strachan knew his team would have to develop quickly to have a shot at the post season.

“Coming into the year, I thought we would take our licks this year, but we are playing well,” said Strachan, who is in his fifth year at the school. “We are relatively young. We have two seniors on the team and the rest are underclassmen. We graduated six seniors last year, but it was most of our offense. We lost a couple of all-county players.”

It didn’t stop Pompano Beach from capturing its second consecutive district championship as Paige Alsten had 21 kills and 13 points in the District 16-5A championship win over Mourning High School on Oct. 29.

The Tornadoes (17-7) polished off Mourning in relatively quick fashion as it won in three games – 25-19, 25- 12, and 25-17. Pompano Beach was slated to play Riviera Beach Suncoast on Wednesday night in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals.

“It was just a matter of fine tuning the discipline,” Strachan said. “We have a lot of beach talent. We are like a pipeline to college beach volleyball. We are making up in athleticism. There is a difference between the indoor and outdoor game, but our ball control skill is there.”

Pompano Beach senior Savannah Davis has committed to FIU’s sand program, which will make its debut this spring. She will join another pair of Tornadoes’ graduates who have gone on to play beach volleyball in college.

The Pellitteri sisters, sophomore Stephanie and freshman Kristina, went on to Florida State, where they helped the Seminoles finish third in the nation last season. Younger sister Brittney Pellitteri, a junior at Pompano Beach, is likely headed to a college sand volleyball program as well.

The team has also received strong play from sophomore Casey Calhoun and freshman Cori Smothers this season.

While rain may not be the best thing for golfers, it suits Pompano Beach Golf Course Golf Pro Bob Loring just fine. “We are mowing greens on 1 through 12 and we are putting bunkers in places that warrant it,” said Loring, who has been the pro at the facility for the past 11 years and is looking forward to the Greg Norman Signature Design on the Pines course. “We are rolling the fairways and it’s a growing time for most of the holes.”

“The rain has helped it tremendously with the growing,” Loring added. “With the last six holes, they sprigged it with the grass 1½ times the amount they did on the first 12 holes to help it catch up and fill in areas faster. We are excited about the rain because it has definitely helped the growing.”

All holes have been grassed on Greg Norman’s redesign of the Pines Course and the final punch list items are occurring on the Pines Course, slated to open on time on Nov. 16. The city is also finishing up with the irrigation on the neighboring Palms course. Loring said they also put in concrete cart paths for the entire 18 holes and added that the remaining greens would be mowed by mid-October. Golfers are talking about the redesign on a daily basis.

The Pines Course, which is located at 1101 N. Federal Hwy., is one of two golf courses at Pompano Beach Municipal that originally opened in 1960.

“People who are playing on the Palms Course are seeing the formation of the holes and what they are looking like now,” said Loring, who noted the grass first went down on the course in late July. “They are looking like golf holes now with the grass growing in. People are really excited.”

“This is one of the most exciting things that I have ever been involved with in golf,” said Loring, who is working with the city’s public information office, parks and recreation office to have a grand opening ceremony.”

“We would like to have Greg Norman out here for the opening ceremony and we are not sure if he is in the country at that time,” Loring said. “We are going to be looking to have major tournaments out here.”

The course design was commissioned by the City of Pompano Beach in an effort to modernize the facility and give the city a championship golf course that will serve as a pillar for the community, providing a first class amenity for the residents and tourists of Pompano Beach.

Loring said the course is already one of the most talked about courses around.

“It hasn’t even been played on yet and people are talking about it,” Loring said. “Everywhere you go, people are saying, ‘Oh, you’re in Pompano where that Greg Norman Course is going to be.’ People are going to definitely want to come out and play it.”

Norman has made several site visits to the course to review the construction progress on his Signature Design – which will be his first design at a municipal golf course. “I was introduced to the sport of golf through public access golf courses in Australia, so this project and public golf are very special to me,” Norman said. “I see this as the first of many municipal golf course design and renovation projects that I would like to be involved with.”

For more information, contact the Pompano Beach Golf Course at 954-781-0426.

By Gary Curreri, Special Correspondent

Deerfield Beach’s Jim Eddy enjoys playing baseball on the weekends.

Eddy, 47, plays for the Cardinals in the Liberty Hardball Men’s Baseball League based out of Coral Springs. He leads the league with a .571 batting average and said he looks forward to playing in the Sunday games all week.

“You want to have some competition, so that’s why I don’t play softball,” said Eddy, who is an athletic trainer and coaches football at Highlands Christian Academy.

“I wouldn’t play in a league if there wasn’t any competition,” added Eddy, who had played with the Federal League since 1995, and has been with the Cardinals for the past three years. Eddy was a 1989 draft pick of the Montreal Expos.

“I don’t get nervous anymore and you don’t have that adrenaline. I think I am too old for adrenaline.” The Cardinals have won two out of the past three years of the league. There are many former professional players in addition to Eddy in the league. The Liberty Hardball league features players 28 and older on seven teams.

There are a couple of players in their 60s still swinging for the fences. The league plays on Sunday mornings at Mullins Park, Cypress Park in Coral Springs and Sabal Pines Field in Coconut Creek.

The present, three-yearold circuit is an offshoot of the Coral Springs Men’s Senior Baseball League that folded after the 2009 season. There are seven teams in the league that play a 20- game season that begins in March and typically runs through October following the playoffs. Because the league had four weeks of rainouts this season, the season may extend into November.

The Top 2 teams get a bye and the remaining teams make the playoffs and play in a 2 out of 3 format. The top seeded team gets to choose the venue to play in.

Powell paces Bucks

Running back Brandon Powell rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns as host Deerfield Beach (2-3) stunned Blanche Ely, 19-0, in a non-district contest on Saturday night. Aeron McNeal also had a stellar game for the Bucks as he scored on a 14-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. McNeal finished with 114 rushing yards against the Tigers (4-2).

By Scott Morganroth

The FAU Owls may have a new coach, but, through five games into the 2012 regular season, the results still haven’t changed.

FAU is 1-4 and 0-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. This weekend, the good news is FAU didn’t lose. The bad news is they didn’t win. In other words, they were off and have had time to practice and regroup as they approach the final seven games, realizing that the Owls lone win was against an FCS school in Wagner College on August 31.

The Owls most recent defeat occurred on Sept. 28 against North Texas, dropping a 20-14 decision at FAU Stadium. FAU led in a category that you don’t want to lead in as the Owls had a 3-1 edge in turnovers.

FAU QB Graham Wilbert had two interceptions and the Owls lost a fumble. FAU trailed North Texas 10-0 at halftime. Wilbert was 21-34-142 yards and also had eight carries and scored a rushing touchdown. Running back Damian Fortner had 17 carries for 63 yards and one touchdown.

North Texas gained 307 yards in total offense in 60 plays while FAU utilized 71 plays for 301 yards.

When the game was over, Coach Carl Pelini said he planned to review the film and find out what went wrong and what it will take to fix the Owls’ problems.

“It’s the same thing, we just don’t know how to win,” Pelini said. “We don’t know how to win as a football team or as a football program. When the game is on the line, we couldn’t get over the hump. When the score is 0-0, we make mistakes over and over again. We didn’t convert in the red zone, made mistakes defensively, gave up the wrong big play. When we’re down 17-0, we start to play until it gets close again, then the pressure is on us again and we don’t perform. That’s what we have to learn as a football program and that’s to perform when the pressure is on.”

Next up for FAU is a pair of Sun Belt Conference road games. On Saturday, the Owls face the University of Louisiana Monroe on Oct. 13 followed by an Oct. 20 contest against the University of South Alabama.

FAU returns home to face Troy University on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. Three important games will dictate where this program goes and the direction of its first year head coach.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.