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Friday's Prep News And Notes

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

Plant's National Signing Day ceremony on Wednesday was somewhat bittersweet.

That's because one of the team's leading receivers the past two seasons, Cornelius Gallon, watched the festivities from the back of the team's field house. Had a serious knee injury not prematurely ended Gallon's senior season, he would have been alongside his teammates - Tyler Evans, Lovell Jackson, Derek Winter, Rhonne Sanderson and Kevin James - signing his own letter-of-intent.

"He should have been up there with everybody," Plant coach Robert Weiner said.

Gallon tore the ACL in his left knee in the Panthers' 29-22 victory against Chamberlain on Oct. 26. Vigorously rehabilitating the injury, Gallon said he has improved quickly and has started running. Though out of football shape, Gallon is ahead of schedule in his rehab.

Before his injury, Gallon had sparked interest from numerous schools, including Temple, which he did visit. Weiner said one option for Gallon includes attending a prep school when his knee is 100 percent so he can show colleges he has recovered.

"I'll just have to wait and see," Gallon said. "I've heard from a lot schools that just want to see how my knee heals."

MIDDLETON HOOPS COACH SUSPENDED: Middleton varsity boys basketball coach Derek Smith has been suspended without pay by the Hillsborough County Public School Board pending a legal investigation into an alleged child abuse case at a county residence.

The ruling was issued at a school board meeting Thursday afternoon.

Smith was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 18 on one count of probable child abuse. Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway stated Smith was arrested for an incident that occurred at a Hillsborough County residence, in which he reportedly struck a juvenile numerous times with a leather belt. He was released on $2,000 bond.

As a result, Hillsborough County Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said Smith, a teacher at Van Buren Middle, was removed from the classroom and was not allowed to coach during that time.

TAMPA PREP'S SIENKIEWICZ COMMITS TO USF: Tampa Prep's Brad Sienkiewicz, one of the area's top goalkeepers, has committed to play soccer for the University of South Florida.

Sienkiewicz and the Terrapins (24-2-2) face Bradenton St. Stephen's Episcopal at 3:30 p.m. today in the 2A regional finals.

Sienkiewicz said the decision came down to a sudden opening on the USF roster.

"At one point, they weren't looking at me because they had no need," Sienkiewicz said. "Something happened to one of their goalies and that left them one short, so they called me.

"I finally found a place that had everything I was looking for."

Sienkiewicz has allowed just 15 goals (.688 goals against average) and has 16 shutouts this season.

Katherine Smith, Nick Wiliams, Matthew Postins

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