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Going Out A Winner

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 25, 2008

This was new territory for the Mitchell wrestling team. Not once had a Mustangs wrestler clutched the Sunshine Athletic Conference plaque. In January, the team got its chance, as Mitchell collected 234 points to top Gulf (206), River Ridge (199), Pasco (149.5) and Sunlake (108) for the top spot in the SAC.

It turned out to be the final time Coach John Stanjeski would lead his team into an SAC tournament, as he retired several weeks later.

"It feels great any time you can make the kids feel better about themselves, and they're getting a lot of confidence," Stanjeski said at the time. "It's an unbelievable feeling. It's good to be together and be with the kids, and I really enjoy that. I put 15 years into this, and it's my first time I was able to bring it to a conference champion."

The excitement was so great, Stanjeski, in his third season coaching the team, cut the interview short to celebrate with his team.

Mitchell had seven wrestlers in the finals of that tournament, with Shea Taylor (145) and John Sacco (152) claiming titles.

"It feels great. I was really hoping for it," said Sacco, who finished third last season. "When I wrestled a couple of years ago, we had a shot to win it but we didn't, and this being my senior year, winning it was real big."

Helping make an SAC title possible was the fact that 11 Mitchell wrestlers scored pins in their first matches, and 11 finished in the top four.

YOU DID WHAT?

Last season against Rollins, the Saint Leo men's basketball team put up 21 points in an overtime session. That sounds good, but the Lions lost that contest 95-88 and in the process entered the Division II record books. The 28 points by Rollins in overtime and the 49 combined points set NCAA Division II records for a five-minute overtime period. The previous records were 27 points by Southern Indiana in 1985, and 46 total points, which happened twice in 1999.

The all-division records come from the Division III ranks. Marymount (Va.) scored 31 in an overtime period against Catholic in 1999, while Washington and Lee outscored Mary Washington 28-23 for 51 points in 1995.

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES

Mitchell girls soccer player Marisa Russo was fresh off booting an overtime goal against rival Countryside for a 2-1 victory. Moments later, she called that kick "probably one of the most memorable goals I've made."

Why not? The goal propelled Mitchell into the Class 6A-Region 2 soccer final at Melbourne, inching the squad one victory closer to a state finals appearance. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they lost the next game.

Against Countryside, Russo scored her team's opening goal and then made good on the "golden goal" 1:45 into overtime.

MEANT TO BE BROKEN

Ridgewood's Lukas Poderis and Mike Lawrence both put their names in the Rams record book last season against Central. During the 84-63 victory - on the same play - Poderis set the single-game points record (38), breaking Bill Linderman's mark from 1986. Lawrence set a single-game assists record (17), breaking Dan MacLachlan's 1997 record of 16.

"I've always said that with a point guard, everybody sees every mistake they make and half the good plays they make because they're in the spotlight, but he makes us go and he makes great plays," Ridgewood coach Gary Anders said of Lawrence after the game. "He is very, very good and gets the ball where it's supposed to be."

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