By Gary Curreri

Highlands Christian Academy grad Andrew Smith, above, is named to the Class 1A all-state first team. Photo by Gary Curreri

Andrew Smith leaves a legacy at Highlands Christian Academy as he heads off to Liberty University in Lynch-burg, VA.

The Orlando Sentinel and SourceHoops.com recently named the 6’ 8”, 190 lb. guard/forward, who received a full basketball scholarship to Liberty University, to the Class 1A All-State team.

Also named to the first team were Ismaila Dauda, a Grandview Prep senior; Jean Prophete and Farad Cobb (who helped lead Summit Christian to the Class 1A state basketball title) and Jordan Warner, of Florida A and M.

Smith, one of the Knights’ captains and leaders, played basketball since fourth grade at Highlands Christian Academy, where he played elementary, junior high, junior varsity and three years of varsity.

 Deerfield’s Pellitteri headed to FSU for beach volleyball

Deerfield Beach’s Steph-anie Pellitteri will make history this year after signing a national letter of intent to play beach volleyball at Florida State University, the inaugural sport beginning in 2012.

Pellitteri will be joined by former South Lake High School teammates Jeassica McGregor (Groveland) and Aurora Newgard (Groveland) to make up FSU’s first-ever sand volleyball recruiting class. All three heralded recruits possess enormous accolades stemming from their amateur careers at the high school and club levels.

“I’m very excited about this first sand volleyball signing class,” said Florida State University Director of Volleyball and Indoor volleyball head coach Chris Poole. “Aurora, Jeassica and Stephanie are all three exceptional players, but, more importantly, they are exceptional young ladies. They are among the very best in the nation as beach players, and we are fortunate that they have made a commitment to Florida State University.

“They will be the pioneers for not only a new sport at FSU, but a new sport on the college level,” Poole added. “Our U.S.A. Women’s Beach team has won the last two Olympics, and the sport was among the most watched of each of those Olympic Games.”

Pellitteri was a standout performer at Pompano Beach High School, where she was the captain of her indoor volleyball squad. She began playing sand volleyball for Club Beach Dig in the summer of 2007 and continues to excel with the same team.

While playing for Club Beach Dig, Pellitteri has boasted some key victories over the years, including the 18-under Open Division East Coast Beach Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale last August.

Pellitteri also became a Junior 18-under Regional and National Dig the Beach champion. She has been invited to several camps at the sand volleyball Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, which are invitation only. Her two sisters, Kristina and Brittany, are also top junior players.

Well-accomplished beach volleyball player and coach Danalee Corso was recently named the head coach of the squad.

By Gary Curreri

Shortstop Mia Veliz fields a grounder during a recent practice at Deerfield Beach Middle School. The Sharks are the No.1 one USSSA 10-Under girls softball team in the country. Photo by Gary Curreri

Deerfield Sharks girls softball coach Karla Antonio had a feeling her team would be good, just not this good.

The 10-Under girls team added another tournament title to their growing resumé as they hope to close out the season as the top-ranked USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) team in the country.

The Sharks won the Swamp Classic in Palm Beach Gardens recently to run their overall record to 64-3. The team is still 56-1 in the USSSA, the organization that hosts the World Series. Deerfield Beach has won 13 out of 15 tournaments since October.

Antonio said they started the team in 2009 and were playing out of a local high school before getting “kicked off their field.”

“So, for six months, we were homeless,” said Antonio, who also has an alliance with Nova Southeastern University softball coach Lesa Bonee, one of the team’s coaches. She has also allowed them to use their Davie facility.

“We were just going to different parks or we would play in the grass. We spoke to [Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Manager] Blaise Leone and asked, ‘if he could please, please, please let us practice at [Deerfield Beach] Middle School. He caved in last year and gave us a home and ever since, we have been doing really well.”

And how … The Sharks finished last season 45-17 and in the top half of the USSSA, taking 17th out of 34 teams at the Disney Wide World of Sports venue.

“This year, we hope to win it,” said Antonio, who has a couple of 11-year-olds on the team because their birthdates fell inside the eligibility rules. Players need to be born in 2000 or later. “Last year, we were mainly an Under-9 team, so we are a year more experienced.”

Shortstop Mia Veliz said when she started on the team in the beginning, she wasn’t sure how good they would be.

“I definitely did not think we would be this good,” Veliz said. “We got a lot of new girls and we improved in offense and defense and we’ve gotten better as a team.”

One of Antonio’s twin daughters agreed:

“It is awesome that we are No.1,” said Brooke Antonio, who, along with sister Brandi, is one of two of the key players on the squad. “It means we are the best team in the nation. I didn’t know we’d be this good! After a few tournaments and we didn’t lose, I knew we were pretty good. Some of them were tough and some were pretty easy.”

The team will open its quest for the USSSA World Series title when it plays in the USSSA State tournament in Vero Beach from July 8-10.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Middle School 8th grader Denise Spann (left) finishes second in both the 400-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Broward County Middle School Track and Field Championships at Cooper City High School recently. Photo by Gary Curreri

Denise Spann took the loss hard in the Broward County Middle School Track and Field Championships.

The Pompano Middle School 8th grader hoped to win the title in the girls’ 400-meter dash after placing second last year. She was the top seed in the event having qualified with a time of 59 seconds flat.

The Margate 14-year-old gave it her all; however, rival Shankeise Shivers, from William Dandy Middle School, was a little better and handed Spann her first defeat of the season in the event. Shivers, also an 8th grader, clocked a 57.30, while Spann was right behind at 58.87. It was one second off her career best AAU time of 57.77.

“I was just trying to come in and do my best, and my great opponent, Shankeise, had the better race today,” Spann said. “It is good to get the competition here because during the year you are used to winning a lot. This will make you work harder for it.”

Following the race, she dropped to her knees and sobbed and then had to prepare for her second race of the night – the 200-meter dash. Spann said she’s been running track since she was 9.

“It is fun when you win and you have to have a lot of dedication for the sport,” said Spann, who runs every day of the week with meets on the weekend. “Sometimes, you are going to lose. You learn how to be humble and not be cocky going into a race. If you go in cocky, you are not going to win.”

Spann placed second in the girls’ 400-meter dash with her second best time of the year at 58.87. She was third in the girls’ 200-meter dash (26.70) and was also a member of the fifth place 4×400 relay that clocked a time of 4:39.31.

Spann’s best finish in AAU track came at last year’s nationals for 13-year-olds when she placed seventh overall in the 800 as she clocked 2:21.69.

“On a scale from 1-10, it’s a 10 because I don’t do anything else, and I am really good at it,” Spann said. “I want to go to at least the Olympics.”

Deerfield Beach Middle School’s Cadeebra Calecote took fifth in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.98, and teammate Ariyan Herring was seventh in the girls’ 100-meter dash as she clocked a 13.61.

Deerfield Beach Middle School’s Luis Ayala won the boys shot-put championship with a toss of 45-03.00, while teammate Malik Flemming placed third in the boys 100-meter dash with a clocking of 11.75.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano’s Lara Annunziata skates in Sunshine State Games. Photo by Gary Curreri

Three local ice skaters fared well in the recent Sunshine State Games figure skating competition at the Saveology.com Ice Plex in Coral Springs.

Lighthouse Point’s Netanya Kaufman and Pompano Beach’s Jhazmin Calderon and Lara Annunziata were among the record number of 400 skaters from around the state who took part in the recent competition.

“Skating is fun,” said Annunziata, 8, who has been skating for three years. The North Andrews Elementary 2nd grader won the Preliminary Spins and placed fourth in the Preliminary Compulsory Moves Group. She also took third in the Pre-Preliminary Girls Free Skate.

“It is hard to be in a competition,” Annunziata added. “It is exciting to be on the ice and I like when the crowd cheers for me. It is important to win a medal and it shows that I worked hard. I want to be in the Olympics.”

Kaufman, 12, a North Broward Prep 6th grader, has been skating for the past four years. She also plays tennis, but likes skating more.

“You learn to be good in front of judges and an audience,” Kaufman said. “You learn what you have to work on. If you didn’t do good on an element, you have to go back and work on it.”

Kaufman admits that practicing can be hard. It helps her prepare for the competition, however.

“I fall a lot in practice and you keep practicing it and hope you land it in the competition,” said Kaufman, who finished second in the Pre-Bronze Solo Dance. “It’s a good feeling when you think you are going to mess up in a routine and then you do well.”

Kaufman said she tries to focus on the next element of her routine and blocks everything else out.

“You can’t think if
the people are clapping,” Kaufman said. “I am hoping to be more confident in front of the judges and the audience. It doesn’t matter if I win. It is more important to know that you did well and you tried your best. It is really cool if I win a medal. I want to go to the Olympics.”

Calderon, 14, a Coral Springs Charter School 8th grader, earned two silvers (Free Style Open Juvenile and Compulsory Open Juvenile), and a bronze (Intermediate Jumps). She also placed fourth in the (Intermediate Spins).

She practices 14 hours a week on the ice and eight hours off the ice.

“My goals are to compete in the regionals this year for intermediate and then qualify for the junior nationals,” Calderon said. “I also have to finish all my moves and compete in a senior level in the future. I want to go as far as the Olympics.”

Calderon also competed in the recent South Florida Challenger Figure Skating competition where she won four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze medal and at the Florida Open where she won a gold and silver medal.

By Scott Morganroth

There is one thing that FAU Baseball has successfully accomplished that football is working on, and that’s being a good feeder system for the professional ranks as it builds a tradition.

Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger is working on that after being on the gridiron 10 years. With a new on-campus stadium on the way, there is plenty to look forward to.

Meanwhile, the Owls just completed their baseball season with a 32-25 record and finished 25-9 at home. They were 17-13 in conference play to tie for fourth place.

A real major bright spot for FAU was the performance of senior shortstop Nick DelGuidice, who enhanced his chances of getting drafted this month in the Major League Baseball Draft by ending his career in style. He was named to the Sun Belt Conference’s All-Tournament Team.

He drove in six runs, scored four more and posted a .417 batting average in the Owls three games.

The Miami native had five RBIs, including a two-run home run on Wednesday, June 1, during an extra-inning game against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.

He added a pair of singles in FAU’s game on Saturday against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the eventual tournament champion. He went 5-12 at the plate in the tournament.

DelGuidice earned second team all-conference honors for a regular season in which he led the team with 50 RBIs and 20 doubles. He set a school record with 58 career doubles.

He ended the season with a .341 batting average and scored 34 runs.

Meanwhile, the Florida Atlantic Softball team lost to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), 8-0, in five innings in the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Saturday, May 14.

It was the second trip for the Owls to the Sun Belt championship game in three years. The Owls (34-25) lost to ULL, 8-3, in the finals of the Sun Belt Tournament in 2009.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (49-9) scored in the first inning when an FAU fielding error allowed the run to score. ULL hit three homers on the day, which scored six of the eight runs. Rose Gressley and Ashlyn Parmerter had hit for the Owls in the game.

FAU has never had a losing season in its 17 years of softball, recording a .500 record only once. Senior pitcher Gressley and junior second baseman Heather Barnes were both named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team.

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

By Gary Curreri

(Left) Savannah Davis returns a shot in a recent Florida Beach Volleyball Tour 18-under girls division match in Ft. Lauderdale. Photo by Gary Curreri

Kristina Pellitteri and Savannah Davis have a lot in common. Both live in Deerfield Beach. Both are Pompano Beach High School students, and both love the beach.

So why not parlay that into a possible future in beach volleyball? They are well on their way, as they have been tearing it up on the beach volleyball junior circuit. The duo, who also play on their high school volleyball team, have won the past four tournaments they have played in together.

Pellitteri, who has been playing beach volleyball since her freshman year, took first place with her older sister Stephanie in an AAA Division earlier in the year and won the last four tournaments in the Florida Beach Volleyball Tour in the 18-under girls division with Davis.

“It really helps your defense a lot because you are used to playing with two people, and when you play indoors there are six,” said Pellitteri, 17, who also hopes to land a beach volleyball scholarship to Florida State University where her sister, Stephanie recently signed “It is not really a hard transition. It is probably a harder transition to go from beach to indoors than from indoors to beach.”

Pellitteri said it is exciting knowing that colleges are offering scholarships for beach volleyball.

“Before we were playing for fun and now we are playing to have people watch you,” Pellitteri said. “I don’t look around right now to see if there are college coaches around. I probably will be soon. It will probably make me nervous.”

“I think beach volleyball has improved my game all around more than indoors would because the conditioning is so much better,” Pellitteri added. “I just have more fun playing beach volleyball because that is what I want to do.”

Davis, 16, a Pompano Beach High sophomore, said she has teamed with Pellitteri for three years. She also likes the fact that there are college options on the horizon.

“It definitely gets more and more competitive as the season progresses, especially now that colleges are offering beach volleyball scholarships,” Davis said. “I was really excited because I liked beach more than indoor. It is more relaxed and you get to touch every ball.”

Davis, who used to play travel soccer, likes volleyball because her mom used to play, and her friends encouraged her to give it a try.

“I would love to play in the Olympics  or  be on TV,” Davis said. “I would definitely go that far. It would be a great opportunity. It would take drive and really being dedicated to the sport.”

Kristina Pellitteri returns a shot in a recent Florida Beach Volleyball Tour 18-under girls division match in Fort Lauderdale. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Reg Cook said he’d spend more time with his family after stepping down as Athletic Director at Highlands Christian Academy. Photo by Gary Curreri

Reg Cook said he is not “relieved” to be giving up the reigns as athletic director at Highlands Christian Academy.

Cook, who turns 60 on Sept. 29, is completing his 37th year at the school. He told school officials recently that he would give up his duties as athletic director, but would stay on and help Jim Good as an assistant. Good would remain as head basketball coach as well.

“I wouldn’t use the word relief because it sounds like I am getting out of a job I hated, and that’s not the case,” said Cook, who went 518-265 at the school as its boys basketball coach for 28 years. The gym floor was named after Cook in 2005-2006.

“An athletic director (AD) puts in a lot of hours and that goes without saying,” Cook added. “At this time in my life, my new contract is less hours … It gives me some more time at my home with my wife. It is cutting back a little bit. It’s a great job, and Jimmy is a great boss.”

Cook started at Highlands when his father, Bernie, was the AD at the school. Cook began as a PE teacher and a coach. He piloted the JV team three years under his father, who was also the varsity coach and then took over the varsity team until six years ago when he handed that to Good as well. Cook has enjoyed his tenure at the school.

“Oh my gosh, it’s just been great,” said Cook, whose three children went to the school, and he was able to coach two of his brothers also during that time. “It’s been wonderful because I haven’t had to check the clock when it is time to go home. It’s a great job because I work with wonderful people. It was just a family affair, and I am not just talking about my own family, I am talking about the whole Highlands family.”

Cook said he enjoys staying in touch with former players and the fact that he has been able to work with his best friend and former college roommate, Ken Lopez, who is the school’s principal. He said he’s enjoyed “making a difference” in people’s lives. He’s toyed with the idea of stepping aside for the past three or four years.

“It wasn’t a matter of us waiting until he was ready,” Cook said. “Jimmy could have taken over years ago and done a super job. I don’t think it’ll change that much except he will be the one making the final decision. I am sure Jimmy has some new ideas, and I am totally excited about doing things in a different way. We don’t have to do everything the same way we have been doing.”

Good, 35, who lives on the property at the school and overlooks the softball field, is looking forward to the challenge.

“I am excited,” said Good, who has been at the school 14 years. “Those are definitely big shoes to fill. I know the athletic director position is a different set of challenges, but also a different set of rewards as well.”

Good is happy that his mentor of the past 14 years will remain on as an assistant AD, putting in between 30 and 35 hours a week.

“I don’t think words can describe what he has meant to the school,” Good said. “He has been the face of the athletic department since 1974. His priorities, focus and approach to athletics have meant a lot to me.”

Cook’s wife, Melanie, said there was a conversation she recalls her husband having with a new coach at the school. She said it sums up her husband’s influence with the students he coached.

“The younger coach asked my husband, ‘do you want the kids to like you?’” Melanie Cook recalled. “And he said, ‘I want them to like me five years from now.’ So his philosophy was that they would appreciate the discipline later. So many of these boys, especially the boys who grew up without dads, have said, ‘without coach Cook, I don’t know where I’d be.”

Melanie Cook said her husband never looked at his position as a job and never complained about going to work.

“He’s loved it, maybe a little too much,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll be glad to have him a little bit more. We are going to be doing some traveling —  a Mediterranean cruise later this year and a family trip to Africa next year.”

Reg Cook said the journey at Highlands was well worth it.

Join us on DBLL TV Thursday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m. for the Rockhounds vs. Volcanoes championship game. Stay tuned after the game for LIVE interviews with coaches and the winning team.

By Gary Curreri

Lareisa “La La” Fulmore looks for running room in the FHSAA second round state play-in game against Ft. Lauderdale. Fulmore passed for 182 yards and one interception as the Tornadoes lost the contest, 20-0. Photo by Gary Curreri

When asked what it would be like without senior quarterback Lareisa “La La” Fulmore, Pompano Beach High girls flag football coach Jonathan Plummer paused and took a deep breath.

“Oh my gosh,” Plummer said as he dabbed at his eyes. “She has been such a strong force on this team, it is going to be real difficult. It is going to be very interesting to see if we can find someone to replace her.”

Fulmore passed for 182 yards and one interception as the Tornadoes lost to Ft. Lauderdale, 20-0, in the FHSAA second round state play-in game. She also ran for 46 yards. Pompano finished 11-3. The team’s other losses came to Plantation and Taravella.

“This is a heartbreaker for us,” said Plummer, whose team graduates four seniors. “I am pleased with the year. It was rocky in the first five games and it got better as the year went on. Taravella was our last loss and we went on to win six in a row after that. We had a good run. We won three district playoffs in a row and now we will try and go for a fourth.”

Plummer said the team also received strong play from Shelby Petik, Hannah Hamilton, Chelsea Waters,
Diamond Frazier, Sydney Alexander and Synae Jones.

Quarterback Karnisha Coleman passed for 243 yards and three touchdowns as the L’s (13-1) won their sixth consecutive game and returned to the state finals for the first time since 2004 when it was state runner-up. Ft. Lauderdale, which won the inaugural state championship in 2003, went on to lose in the state semifinal game.

Highlands Christian comes up short

Deerfield Beach pitcher Nick Miller fires a pitch home during the District 10-6A final. Photo by Gary Curreri

Miami Brito capitalized on an error in the sixth inning to snap a 1-1 deadlock and defeated Highlands Christian Academy, 4-1, in the Class 1A regional final on Friday afternoon at Florida Memorial College.

Brito (20-8) avenged a 10-run mercy rule a year ago in a regional final loss to the Knights as Emil Alvarez hit a 2-out single in the sixth that landed fair by inches in right field.

Trailing 1-0 entering the sixth, Highlands Christian (13-11) rallied to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the stanza as Jason Hepple singled and was replaced by pinch runner Nick Vasquez, who came around to score on a double by Kevin Yambur.

Bucks stun Douglas

Deerfield Beach High pulled off the baseball shocker of the season when it eliminated Douglas from the postseason with an 18-15 victory in a District 10-6A semifinal at Taravella in Coral Springs.

The Bucks, which went on to lose the District title to Coral Springs and the regional quarterfinal to Jupiter, rallied from an 11-5 deficit in the sixth inning and scored 13 runs on seven hits and three walks and a few errors, highlighted by a pinch hit double from J.T. Holgerson and a double from Joey Ursetti.

“This was a big win for us,” said Coach Scott Bragg, whose team had been mercy-ruled in its two previous games against the nationally ranked Eagles, 14-0 and 10-0.