Red Devils Rush Past Green Dragons AVON PARK — Four Red Devils scored in double figures on Thursday night as the Avon Park boys basketball team used a balanced attack and a strong second half to pull away from Lake Placid 69-47 in non-district action. ...more

January 25, 2008

Devils Slip Past Pirates BRADEN RIVER — Cleveland Nobles scored a team-high 16 points and Virgil Cooper chipped in nine as the Avon Park boys basketball team edged Braden River 39-38 in the Class 4A-District 10 match-up on Tuesday. The Red Devils nearly repeated the scenario of an early season overtime loss to the Pirates. Leading by a basket, an Avon Park foul put Braden River on the line with no time left for a chance to send the game into OT, but the Pirate shooter hit only one free throw and the visiting Devils squeaked by with the win. ...more

January 23, 2008

AVON PARK — Derrick McKenzie scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Avon Park boys basketball team outscored Hardee 19-6 in the final frame as the Red Devils ran away with a 59-45 victory over the Wildcats on Tuesday night. ...more

January 17, 2008

AVON PARK — A dejected Red Devil head coach Luther Clemons showed his displeasure with his team after a 57-54 overtime loss to the Braden River Pirates in a Class 4A-District 10 showdown on Tuesday. "Coach cancelled practice tomorrow," AP center Cleveland Nobles said after leaving the locker room after the game. The reason for this type of reaction from their coach came when Virgil Cooper fouled Braden River's Marc McKeon with 0.6 seconds left in regulation and a 49-47 lead that put the forward on the charity stripe, where he drained both free throws to send the game into overtime. ...more

December 13, 2007

"Dark of the Moon," by John Sandford (Putnam, $26.95) ...more

December 9, 2007

AVON PARK –– Shock and embarrassment were the feelings felt in the Avon Park locker room after being trounced by Orlando Christian Prep on their home floor on Friday. How they would respond was a mystery, until tip-off on Saturday. A totally different and energized Red Devil squad stunned the Pendleton Panthers for most of the game, using a quality inside game and hitting open jumpers to build an early 15-point lead. But the young team's tanks went empty in the final three minutes, as the Panthers pulled away for a 64-58 win in the final day of the Bill Jarrett Ford Tip-Off Classic. The turnaround could be attributed to an early-morning practice at the players' request. ...more

November 19, 2007

ARCADIA — As he fell to his knees, junior Virgil Cooper personified the 2007 season for the Avon Park football team. "We just can't get a break," said Cooper after racing 38 yards on a punt return that put the Red Devils close to the end zone against DeSoto on Friday night, only to watch the play be called back due to a penalty. Like so many plays this season for Avon Park, whenever something good happens, something bad usually follows. DeSoto, on the other hand, has been the polar opposite of the Red Devils. A fine-tuned football machine that cranks out big play after big play on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs scored five rushing touchdowns and held Avon Park to just 89 yards of total offense to down the Red Devils 41-0 in a Class 3A-District 12 match-up at Bulldog Stadium. ...more

October 28, 2007

Sophomore tailback Tyre Brooks rushed for 127 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown to lead the Bartow Yellow Jackets to a dominating 36-0 home win over the Avon Park Red Devils at Yellow Jacket Field on Friday. The Class 3A Yellow Jackets improved to 4-4 on the season, while Avon Park dropped to 1-7 on the season. ...more

October 20, 2007

'Dark of the Moon,' by John Sandford (Putnam, $26.95) ...more

October 19, 2007

Gabriel Puente recovered from a weak first half and rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns to power LaBelle past Avon Park 28-12 at Joe Franza Stadium on Friday night. ...more

October 13, 2007