Local beach volleyballers Mark and Steve Van Zwieten (right), said the competition on Deerfield Beach could be fierce. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

With the Ranse Classic and the Red Bull Spiked Tournaments, Deerfield Beach has been making a name for itself both locally, nationally and now internationally as four Olympic teams have recently practiced on the local sand.

The most recent were the Canadian women and Russian men, who have spent the past two weeks at the local beach honing their skills and going through vigorous workouts and even playing against some of the top local competition.

Mark Van Zwieten, 24, of Pompano Beach, has been playing volleyball competitively for the past 15 years and played against the Russian team.

“I started in the backyard when I was 3 and that was because my family was into it,” said Van Zwieten, who graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in 2005 and led his team to a 31-0 mark and a state championship. He was named the MVP.

“It is really nice that the beach is attracting top teams. It is something that I haven’t utilized as much as I would like to and it is something I am ready to start. I’ll be able to get out here more on weekends.”

Van Zwieten has also excelled on the beach. He has played in four FIVB Beach Volleyball Junior World Championships and competed in the Under 19 Beach Volleyball World Championships in France in 2005.

In October, Mark Van Zwieten and his partner, Andrew Fuller, placed fifth in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“It’s nice to represent the country,” Van Zwieten said. “I’ve gone to a lot of places through volleyball. The Pan Am games was an amazing event and I got to see the top players from around the world.”

Van Zwieten said the attraction to Deerfield Beach is simple since everything is so close.

“People can come down here and spend the whole day here,” he said. “You could play for a couple of hours, go grab lunch and come back and play some more. You don’t have to go and try and find parking or anything like that.”

The “pickup games” are very competitive.

“It varies throughout the year, but they can get really competitive,” Van Zwieten added. “There are consistently top level players coming through Deerfield and it is nice to see the variety of players from throughout the world.”

His brother, Steve Van Zwieten, 27, of Coconut Creek agreed:

“It is really cool,” said Steve Van Zwieten, who recently played in the USA Cuervo pro tournament with Mike DiPierro and placed 13th after losing to the second ranked team in the U.S. in Nick Lucena (Ft. Lauderdale) and Matt Fuerbringer. Van Zwieten’s wife, Kendra, is also a top player. “Just growing up here and being able to play all over the world. You go to California and Europe. It’s been great. California is definitely a little bit stronger, but everything is spread out. Everything on the east coast is here. Teams from Brazil and teams have come from California come here on a regular basis.”

Steve Van Zwieten believes the sport can continue to grow because of the juniors now playing.

“When I was 18, there was no juniors tour,” Steve Van Zwieten said. “Now, alongside our tour, there are junior kids. The sport is starting to grow, especially with the economy. It is a really cheap sport to play. Here, you just need a ball to play. You have to really be in shape because of the heat and the beach sand …  running around all day.”

Captain Lee Magnuson, who has a court dedicated in his name, helped get the courts built. Now, roughly 100 volleyballers, ranging in age from 14 to 72, will filter through Deerfield Beach on a weekly basis.

“Instead of going to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, they will come to Deerfield Beach,” said Jimmy Mason, 54, who spends four months a year from Michigan. “It has a lot to offer – the restaurants, the pier and seven regulation courts and one futbal court.”

Local veteran volleyballer Hank Hoffman, 70, of Deer-field, said the sport got a boost locally when former Deerfield Beach resident, Cindy Phillips, started with Beach Dig and offered clinics.

If anybody was hoping that after a 1-11 Football Season that there would be better results for the FAU Men’s Basketball Team, then think again. Going into Monday night’s road game against Arkansas State, FAU was 5-11, 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference.

FAU’s latest loss, the Owls offense failed to show-up in Little Rock, as Arkansas Little Rock won a 40-38 contest Saturday night. That’s correct, 40-38, as both teams combined to score a mere 78 points. FAU scored 20 points trailing 22-20 at half-time.

Thus far, the highlight of the 2011-2012 FAU Season occurred at the Orange Bowl Classic, as the Owls lost a 93-90 double overtime contest to the Miami Hurricanes. Omari Grier led FAU with 27 points.

Miami leads the all-time series against FAU 21-1 as FAU’s last win against the Hurricanes occurred on Dec. 3, 2002, 74-73 in Boca Raton. This game set Orange Bowl Basketball Classic records for most assists (41) and 3-pointers made (29) and tied for most field goals made (63) and 3-pointers attempted (49). This was only the second game in Orange Bowl Classic history where both teams eclipsed the 80-point plateau, joining Florida’s 94-93 double-overtime win over Miami in 2002.

FAU now stands 0-2 all-time in Orange Bowl Classic play.

When the game was over, Miami Head Coach Jim Larranaga had nothing but positive things to say about the Owls.

“My hats off to Florida Atlantic, their coaches and their team for the outstanding job they did,” Larranaga said. “Their 3-point shooting was incredible, the way they got those threes with tremendous dribble penetration and kicking it out. We were very concerned about that going into the game and it proved to be very true.”

Will there be any more Miami vs. FAU Men’s Basketball games in the future?

“Yeah, if they came to our place every other year,” FAU Coach Mike Jarvis said. “We would love to continue to play them, but they don’t want to play in Boca. So, we’ll ask them again if they’ll play home and home, and if they don’t want to play a home and home, then we probably won’t play them again.”

Since the Miami loss, FAU has lost four of the last five games. Those losses have come against Harvard, Siena, Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas Little Rock.

The Owls next home game is Saturday, Jan. 14 against Middle Tennessee State at 7 p.m. During the next month, FAU travels to Miami to face Isiah Thomas’ FIU Golden Panthers on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. The two teams meet again on Feb. 4 in Boca Raton at 7 p.m.

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

Noah Flegel (R) with coach Dean LaVelle. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Noah Flegel doesn’t mind leaving the other competitors in his wake.

The 14-year-old Lighthouse Point teenager has won two world championships and capped off his stellar year with being named Sports Illustrated for Kids 2011 ‘SportsKid of the Year’. He graces the cover of the December magazine.

“It is really cool to look at yourself on the cover of a magazine,” said Flegel, an 8th grade honor student at North Broward Prep. “It is really neat. I think it is really good for the sport, especially since we are trying to get wakeboarding into the Olympics. It should definitely help for that. It has really been good for me and really good for the wake-boarding industry. It’s been a really cool opportunity.”

Flegel said he wasn’t sure what his chances were. However, as he was named Top 10 and then Top 3, he thought he had a pretty good chance.

“I was really excited when I heard I had made it to the Top 3,” said Flegel, who said he and his North Broward Prep classmates were checking the Internet between periods the day the magazine was announcing the Top 3.

“We were all screaming when we saw it,” said Flegel, who was waterskiing at the age of 3. Not bad for someone who saw other kids wakeboarding in the Interacostal and thought it might be a fun sport to try.

Noah and his brother Keenan had to wait for their opportunity. They became Dean La-Velle’s first clients some eight years ago. LaVelle said he saw enormous potential in the brothers, but had to wait his turn. Keenan, 16, has since gone on to wake surfing and has won a world title two years ago.

“A couple of years ago, Noah really took off,” said LaVelle, who also trained pro wake-boaders Steel Lafferty and Raimi Merritt. “He would learn a good bit, but he literally wouldn’t ride all winter because he would rather go surfing. They are actually big time surfers. They would just wakeboard when they need to. In the last couple of years, he started to stay out more and ride his wakeboard. It keeps him current on everything that is out there.”

“The one thing I would like to pass on to these aspiring athletes is to make the uncomfortable … comfortable,” added LaVelle, a six-time world champion. “Noah does this so smooth and quick. He is going to be with the top, top guys and be one of the best in the sport ever.”

Among his wakeboarding stops was Milan, Italy last year where he won the International World Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) world title. Flegel said he never thought he would be landing so many difficult tricks, including landing a 900-degree spin, but now has his sights on a pro career.

“I had no clue,” said Flegel, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the 14-18 age division.

“I thought it would be something fun to do and keep us out of trouble and not bored. My friends are really excited for me. I want to go as far as I can take it, but I want to keep having fun. Hopefully, I can become pro and do well.”

Flegel also gives back, part of the family values his parents, Todd and Kirsten, have instilled in him.

“We went to an orphanage in El Salvador during a recent surf trip and donated a bunch of money and played with the kids,” Flegel said. “We just hung out with them for the day.”

“We also feed the homeless. We try to do it every month at a local church here. We just all prepare a bunch of food and then go serve it. We give them lunch and a little bag. It is really cool to help people out, especially knowing how hard it is for them.”

Flegel was honored recently at his school with an assembly where he received a Sports Illustrated for Kids varsity jacket and a poster of the cover. The humble Flegel said it was a nice touch.

“It was really cool,” Flegel said. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me, even better than winning a competition!”

Noah Flegel has won two world wakeboarding titles and graces the December cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids after being named the 2011 ‘SportsKid of the Year.’ Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Vernon Shazier got an early Christmas present when he won a $20,000 car in a charity golf tournament.

Shazier, a 41-year-old Pompano Beach reverend, made a last-minute decision to play in the Rod Evans Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by the Church by the Glades, and it paid off as he won a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze after getting a hole-in-one on the 170-yard, 12th hole at the Palm Aire Country Club’s Cypress Course.

“It was a last minute deal,” said Shazier, who used a 6-iron on the shot. “The guy (Pastor Anthony Burrell) I normally play with on Fridays, I called him on Thursday night to see which course we were playing because he normally makes the tee times. He said, ‘man, I am not going to be able to make it tomorrow, there is a tournament I am playing in.’”

Shazier was asked by Burell if he wanted to play with him in the tournament and, since it was for a church, Shazier agreed. Shazier is the chaplain for the Miami Dolphins and carries a 15 handicap. He will play once a week or once a month.

Shazier believes there might have been a little “divine intervention” during the tourney when it came to the shot.

“The whole thing was kind of comical with both of us being pastors,” Shazier said. “When we walked up to the 12th hole, he said he was going over to lay hands on the car and pray for this car. I said, ‘just leave that car alone and let’s try to make a birdie.’ I said ‘don’t even think about making a hole-in-one or winning a car.’ He was over there praying and clowning around with the car and I hit my shot. I wasn’t thinking about making no hole-in-one or winning the car. The ball took one bounce and went in the hole.”

Shazier said after Burrell hit his shot, they walked to the green and Shazier stopped short, wondering where the ball was. He eventually discovered it was, in fact, at the bottom of the cup. Shazier, who won a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze for his first ever ace, took delivery in late December of the $20,000 car.

“I know there was some divine intervention,” said Vernon, whose family owns a 2002 Ford Explorer and 2002 Chevy Avalanche. “That is a difficult shot to hit with a 6-iron. That ball is moving fast and it took one bounce and, for it to take one hop and dive directly in the hole … It was perfect. It was really kind of numbing. It was hard to focus after that.”

Shawn Shazier said she didn’t believe her husband at first when he called. Then she thought he would never call her during his round of golf.

“He was so excited and said, ‘I got a hole-in-one. I won a car,’” Shawn Shazier recalled. “I was like, ‘you are joking right?’ and he said, “no, I just hit a hole-in-one, I won a car. I’m gonna call you back. I’m gonna call you back.’”

“This is exciting because this is rare and for him to actually do it during a tournament setting,” Shawn added, “This is a blessing. We actually look at it as a blessing.”

Emily Chen (Below in zebra swimsuit), 10, and her younger sister, Ava (above in blue), 6, help the Deerfield Beach Dolphins to the girls team championship with 675 points and 1,160.50 points overall in the South Florida Recreational Swim League Winter Championships. Submitted photos

By Gary Curreri

Two local Deerfield Beach Dolphins Swim Team members showed a little sisterly love and turned in solid performances in the South Florida Recreational Swim League Winter Championship swim meet at Palm Beach Gardens on Dec. 10.

Emily Chen, 10, and her younger sister, Ava, 6, helped the Dolphins to the girls team championship with 675 points and 1,160.50 points overall. The boys team scored 485.50 points.

Emily Chen, who swam a time of 33.57 seconds, on her backstroke leg in the 50-yard medley relay for 9- and 10-year-old girls, broke a four-year-old record of 34.29 seconds when she broke the record in the individual 50-yard backstroke competition for 9- and 10-year-old girls with a time of 33.48 seconds.

This 5th grader at Park Trails Elementary School in Parkland also won first places in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard breaststroke, individual medley and freestyle relay contests. In 2011, she was undefeated in all swim competitions she entered, and, in both 2009 and 2010, Chen was voted the Most Valuable Swimmer of the Year for her age group by Dolphins’ coaches.

Not to be outdone, Chen’s 6-year-old sister, Ava, a 1st grader at Park Trails, took first places in 25-yard breaststroke, 25-yard butterfly and fourth place in 25-yard freestyle for 5- to 6-year-old girls in the same competition.

The two sisters practiced swimming four times a week at the Deerfield Beach Aquatic Center under the direction of Coach Rafael deSilva.

Deerfield Beach’s Rachael Ryan captured three events as she won the Girls 11-12 100-yard IM, 50 butterfly and 50-yard freestyle events, while Michelle Bachert, Ata Aktarma, Bruna Pavan and Max Maurente each won two events. Other individual winners for the Dolphins included Sean Ragonese, Drew Novak, Adian Vinograd, Hayley Johnson, Caitlin VanDyke, Emma Leonard, James Anderson III, Larissa Anthony, Teaghan Skulszki, Gabriella Castillo, Bonnie Kohner  and Otavio Metzker.

Johnson selected

Blanche Ely wide receiver Avery Johnson has been selected to the fifth annual Under Armour All-America Game set for Jan. 5, 2012  at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Johnson was one of four South Florida football players picked to play in the event. Johnson had six touchdowns this season, helping the Tigers advance to the Class 7A playoffs.

Melvin Randall entered this week with a 403-131 career coaching record. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

And the wins keep coming.

Blanche Ely boys’ basketball coach Melvin Randall moved into an exclusive club when he won his 400th career game on Nov. 29 with an 84-41 victory over Monarch.

Randall, in his 11th year at Ely, credited the influence of four former Broward coaching greats for his success – the late Butch Ingram, Greg Samuels, John Keister and Wade Edmond.

Randall began his coaching career as an assistant to Edmond at Ely and then moved on to Deerfield Beach where he was a head coach starting in 1992 through 2000 and won state titles in 1997 and 1999 with the Bucks and in 2007 with the Tigers.

“To be in it for this long and still have that energy,” said Randall, who is 403-131 in his 19-year coaching career, including 203-78 at Ely. “I don’t know if it is strange or abnormal, but I know that there have been many like (Dillard girls coach) Marcia Pinder [who] has been in it for many, many years.”

“I am still having fun doing what I am doing,” Randall added. “I am blessed and I feel that I am giving back what I have gotten out of it when I was in high school and in college.”

The Tigers went on a 20-6 run in the second quarter to open a 35-19 halftime lead and coasted to its fourth victory of the season, 69-51 over visiting Boyd Anderson on Saturday night.

Clide Geffrard finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Derek Walker added 19 points and eight rebounds. Josephus Bell added 10. Krishaun Myers had five points and five assists.

Randall, a 1981 South Plantation High graduate who went on to Mercer University in Macon, GA before returning to South Florida, said he still enjoys the Xs and Os and said his assistant coaches continue to bring the energy to the gym.

“They keep me going as well with new ideas,” said the 48-year-old Randall, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale. “Whether it is offensively or defensively, I am always open to new ideas. If you were to walk in the gym, you wouldn’t know who [is] the head coach and that is how I have been for years.”

He said he is also pleased with the success he has had throughout his career, in which he has averaged more than 20 wins a year.

“I am very proud of that,” Randall said. “It is not so much the Ws and the Ls, but to have a record of my seniors going off to school. That is the most important thing to me and then seeing them come back or to see them do well as young men.”

Simply Soccer Camp

The city of Pompano will host a Simply Soccer holiday break camp from Dec. 19-22 for boys and girls, ages 5-14, and of all skill levels, who will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

There are three sessions each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (cost is $75); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $100, and a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to noon for $50. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. You do not have to be a city resident to attend. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119.

The Howard Schnellenberger era is officially over, as the only coach in FAU Football History leaves the program with a 58-74 mark. Schnellenberger’s all-time record in 27 years of coaching college football is 158-151 with a National Championship for the Miami Hurricanes in 1983.

The Owls can thank the UAB Blazers to avoid going winless this season as FAU pulled out a 38-35 win Saturday, Nov. 26, thanks to Senior Running Back Alfred Morris’ 198 yards and four touchdowns. Morris became the first person in Schnellenberger’s career to surpass 1,000 yards twice in his career. He finished with 1,186 yards in 2011 with a 72-yard effort against ULM. In 2009, he amassed 1,392.

The embarrassing defeat by UAB led to the firing a few days later of its’ Head Coach Neil Callaway, who had a 3-9 season and was 21-51 in five years.

When the game was over, FAU sent Schnellenberger out with a fireworks display. He also gave a game-ending speech thanking everyone in the stadium for their support. It took him longer to address the media because he spent extra time talking to his players. At the end of the press conference, the popular coach was busy signing media members’ press passes.

Schnellenberger said, “This is the first time I’ve turned a football team over in this type of situation. But I want the players to know that I value them being here. I didn’t want these players to go out as losers. There are a lot of good football players on this team.”

But Schnellenberger was pleased that his retirement would turn out differently than legendary coaches like former Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden and Penn State’s Joe Paterno by leaving on his own terms.

“I talked to Bowden about this and with the way coaches are getting disposed of. I didn’t want to leave like that. I wanted this to be a seamless transition. I’ve never missed a day of work in 52 years of coaching, and I’m glad that I can retire, relax, spend time with my wife Beverlee, children and grandchildren,” Schnellenberger added. “I’ll be moving out of my football office Sunday and into a new one in the administration building Monday, helping out any way I can, but “won’t be in the way of the new coach.”

My time with Coach Schnelleberger dates back to our days with the Miami Hurricanes in the early 1980s. It will be different without my friend in the future, but the UAB win meant so much that it would have been a major injustice for him to end his final season as the only winless team in NCAA Division I FBS. Thankfully, it didn’t happen and I’m pleased he left on his own terms.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33.com.

Duffy Dillon gives his Broward County Sports Hall of Fame induction speech. Photos by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Two local Pompano men never thought they would be named in the same sentence of the likes of Dan Marino, Coach Don Shula, H. Wayne Huizenga, Dara Torres, Chris Evert and others, but there they were.

Duffy Dillon, who currently lives in Pompano Beach, and Barry Krauss, who starred at Pompano Beach High School, were recently named to the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame. The duo were among six 2011 inductees at the
annual gala at Broward County Convention Center. The Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Sports Development office presented the event.

They were joined by Wendy Bruce Martin (gymnastics), Joe Castiglione (athletic administration), Gene Monahan (sports medicine) and Louis Oliver (football), who are now part of the Hall of Fame, which broke the century mark of inductees with this year’s event.

“I was in shock,” said Dillon, 46, who heads up the Ft. Lauderdale Aquatics Swim program. “It was a little bit of a concern of mine with me being young in my coaching career. These types of awards are typically for end-of-career achievements, especially with swim coaches Michael (Lohberg) and Jack (Nelson) in the Hall of Fame …They assured me it was from an athletic perspective and not the coaching. I was fortunate to have the God-given talent, and for me, this is a lifelong passion.”

Dillon, a 1983 Ft. Lauderdale High School graduate, was a two-time NCAA champion and All-American at the University of Florida. He has been the director and head coach of the Ft. Lauderdale Aquatic Swim Club since 2004.

“It’s unbelievable,” Dillon said. “When you consider all of the great athletes and coaches to come out of Broward County. It’s pretty awe inspiring and you feel pretty special.”

Krauss, 54, a 1975 Pompano Beach High School graduate, played football for the University of Alabama, where the All-American spent 13 years playing in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins.

Krauss looked around at the table and thanked his family for being there, including his brother Eric, whom he said “was the better linebacker of the family.”

“This has to be one of the most wonderful days of our lives,” said Krauss, who choked back tears throughout his speech. He is currently a broadcaster and motivational speaker based in Carmel, Indiana.

“We have come a long way and our family is together for the first time in years. This is awesome,” added Krauss, who was introduced by his father, Rob. “This is about dreams. Most times, we give up on our dreams … When I was growing up, it was always my dream to play for the Miami Dolphins. When I finally suited up for them and I was standing on the sideline, I cried.”

Barry Krauss speaks during his induction.

Ranse Jones’ parents, Bob Jones and Sherry Marthinuss, on hand for this year’s event. Photos by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Ranse Jones’ motto was simple – “Live simple, play hard.” Jones, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) beach volleyball player who died last year, at age 34, was in the thoughts of those involved in the second annual tournament bearing his name on Nov. 11-13 in Deerfield Beach.

Deerfield Beach’s Flavia Peraira, teamed with Boca Raton’s Amanda Angermeier, took third in the women’s open division. Players drew their teammates randomly at a kickoff party the night before the competition. The duo both teach at Boca Raton High School and had teamed up before in winning a AA women’s tournament the year before.

“We were so excited because we played together before,” said Peraira, 28, Biology teacher at Boca Raton High School and former Georgia Southern University volleyball standout. “I think this is important because it combines the sport and brings everyone together for this (great) cause. It is a sad thing and, because we are turning it into something positive, it is amazing. It is very personal for a lot of people here in Deerfield Beach who know him.”

Peraira said she loves playing beach volleyball because of the weather, the competition and being healthy through the exercise.

“If I don’t play, I think something is missing,” added Peraira, who also coaches the sport. “I like the teaching part of it. Being outside and looking at the ocean. There is nothing better.”

Jones, who was from Deerfield Beach and was a firefighter, suffered a brain aneurysm during the semifinal of the Panama City AVP Young Guns tournament in April 2010. In the six months that followed, Jones was on and off life support, placed in a medically-induced coma, suffered swelling of his brain and battled an array of complicated infections.

Jones had played in 21 AVP tournaments since 2000. Once ranked as high as No. 66, Jones also spent time on the Extreme Volleyball Professionals tour, as well as competing in the Men’s Open Division of the 2009 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball.

Deerfield Beach’s Flavia Peraira, right, and Boca Raton’s Amanda Angermeier finishes third in the women’s open division of the second annual Ranse Classic.

Marcelo Ramos, who, along with Andre Melo and John Esposito, put on the local event this year, said there were about 150 players who took part in the beach volleyball tournament and an additional 30 who played in the men’s footvolley competition.

Ramos, 41, of Deerfield Beach, said the event was for a good cause. A benefit event in Jones’ honor was staged near the city’s pier last November and Jones passed away the day after the tournament ended on Nov. 8.

Ramos said the final figures from registration monies aren’t in yet; however, he expects the number raised to approach $15,000.

“This is very important,” said Ramos, who noted some of the proceeds are targeted for Kids in Distress. “It is good because the volleyball and the footvolley come together because they are part of the beach family. It is a very good group of athletes was stick up for each other.

“It’s going to grow into a big annual event,” said Melo, a longtime friend of Jones. “It is a good time. Everyone is coming out to support Ranse. Not only is it a competitive tournament with money, but it is also a reminder of what a great guy and competitor he was. It’s (about getting) together to celebrate his life.”

There was $6,500 in prize money, including $1,000 for first prize in the men’s division, co-ed 4s and footvolley, and $700 for first in the girls division. There were other prizes for the other divisions.

Dan Marino, left, will be joined by chef Anthony Bruno (Anthony’s Runway 84) and John Offerdahl on Friday. Submitted photo.

By Gary Curreri

John Offerdahl spent eight seasons roaming the middle of the Miami Dolphins’ defense on the gridiron and now he has turned his attention to raising money for charity.

Offerdahl will be among 20 former Miami Dolphins, including Dan Marino and Broward’s best chefs, who will take part in the second annual Gridiron Grill-Off Food, Wine & Tailgate Festival at Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Nov. 18 from 4 p.m. to 11 p m.

“It is all about bringing people together for a good cause,” said Offerdahl, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1986-1993 and was a 5-time Pro Bowl selection. “This event is where Celebrity, Competition & Charity collide!”

Each athlete has been paired with a chef and has created their own signature Gridiron Grill-Off recipe. Attendees will eat and vote on their favorites, and a pair will be voted the Gridiron Grill-Off Champion! There will also be a bean-bag tailgate tournament that teams up Celebrity Pros with Community Joes (fans).

Last year, Louis Oliver and Jason Smith from Steak 954 won. Proceeds are supporting 4Kids of South Florida, the Miami Dolphins Foundation and Here’s Help Culinary Program. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.
GridironGrilloff.com.

Ely routs Dillard in Soul Bowl

Darren Allen threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and added three touchdown runs as Blanche Ely rolled to a 41-13 victory over Dillard at Lockhart Stadium on Nov. 12.

Avery Johnson caught five passes for 130 yards and three scores as the Tigers prepared for this week’s Class 7A playoff game against host Dwyer High School on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Highlands finishes 6-4

Tyson Graham scored three times, while Arelious Burns added the fourth as Highlands Christian Academy closed out the season with its fourth consecutive victory to finish the year 6-4.The team outscored the opposition during that span, 174-20.

The victory was bittersweet for Knights head coach Jordan Adair, who said he is stepping down as football coach. He said he is exploring some new coaching opportunities for next season.

“The final game was emotional, and it was great to send the seniors out with a win, as well as finish out my time here with a victory,” said Adair, who has been coaching at the school for eight years at different levels. “I had been coaching many of the seniors since they were in 6th grade (Logan Cole, Matt Elder, Gabe Hantsbarger were all on the elementary basketball team I coached my second year here. I’m really looking forward to seeing where some of them land in college and watching them continue their football career.”

Adair, who had a 23-17 record as the head coach for the varsity team for four years, said he was very pleased with the way the team kept playing hard after it started the year 0-3.

“It took some time for the new players to acclimate to our system and style of play,” Adair said. “I feel like we kept improving each week, and that is why we were able to finish strong, winning 6 out of our last 7 games.”