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Durant Cheerleaders Dethrone Bloomingdale

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2008

NEWS AND NOTES

For the first time in five years, there is a new Western Conference (Hillsborough County public schools) cheerleading champion. Durant won the title on Friday, dethroning four-time defending champ Bloomingdale. The Bulls finished second, while Newsome took third.

"We finished second the last two years," Durant cheer coach Kristen Colgan said. "Since August, we've been working on that routine. Our pyramids were pretty complex and our stunting."

Last summer, the FHSAA officially recognized competitive cheerleading and for the first time will have an invitational state championship March 7-8 at the Florida Atlantic University Arena in Boca Raton. The category of teams varies, which include all-girls squads or coed teams. The winner will be decided by a panel of judges who will vote by stunt difficulty, dancing and tumbling. Participation in the inaugural championship will be by open invite.

"We're going to work just as hard to win at the state championships," Colgan said.

PLANT GUARD ARRESTED: Plant High boys basketball senior G Becker Archerd, 18, was arrested Sunday night for driving under the influence and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department arrest report.

He was released on $1,000 bond.

The Panthers host Clearwater in the Class 5A region quarterfinals Thursday.

Archerd scored eight points in Plant's 71-61 win against Middleton on Saturday night to help win the 5A-District 10 championship. He is averaging 4.8 points a game off the bench this season.

Plant boys basketball coach Mike Phillips would not comment.

FOOTBALL: Armwood DL Josh Alston has come to a decision - he will take his Florida Bright Futures academic scholarship and attend USF.

Alston had narrowed his decision to accepting a football scholarship offer to the Air Force Academy or going to USF as a student. Alston also had scholarship offers from Army and Navy but had ruled out signing with those programs prior to last Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Alston, a Tribune All-Hillsborough County honorable-mention selection as a senior after tallying 44 tackles and five sacks, said Monday he's still uncertain whether he will attempt to walk on at USF, but he said it is definitely a possibility.

"I have a feeling that it's going to be pretty hard for me to walk away from football," he said.

BASEBALL: Riverview senior LHP Anthony Ferrara, and Plant senior 1B Preston Tucker and junior SS Mychal Givens have been named 2008 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-Americans.

Ferrara, an Aflac All-American as a junior, and Tucker, Hillsborough County's Triple Crown winner as a junior, were named to the first team, while Givens, a member of the U.S. Junior National Team this summer, was named to the second team.

There were 197 players honored on the preseason All-American list.

Meanwhile, the FHSAA state tournament will be held at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie in 2009 and 2010, the FHSAA announced.

Port St. Lucie was chosen as the site over proposals from Bradenton, Sarasota, Kissimmee and Port Charlotte, according to the state athletic organization. It will mark the first time the event will be held on the east coast.

This year's finals will be held at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium.

The baseball regular season begins today.

VOLLEYBALL: Sickles senior Stephanie Krull signed a letter-of-intent to play for Webber International, an NAIA school, on Monday.

Krull, an outside hitter, finished with 148 kills and 134 digs last season to help the Gryphons win the Class 6A-District 7 title and advance to the region semifinals.

Webber finished the 2007 season 29-6 and ranked No. 21 in the NAIA poll.

In other news, Plant sophomores Maddie Martin and Ali McCurdy and Berkeley Prep sophomores Lindsay Young and Becca Howard were named four of the top 377 sophomores in the country by PrepVolleyball.com.

Martin and Young, also Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County first-team selections, were selected to the "Soph 79" list, the site's estimation of the top 79 in the nation. McCurdy, a libero, and Howard, a setter, were named highest honorable mentions.

SOFTBALL: Brandon junior SS Francesca Corsini had an impressive opening week. In wins against Hillsborough and Middleton, Corsini hit a grand slam, scored three runs, had four RBIs, boasted a team-high .714 slugging percentage and recorded a team-high five putouts.

Nick Williams, Adam Adkins

NEWS AND NOTES

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