INSIDE HIGH SCHOOLS - OrlandoSentinel.com

Marvin Bracy to pass on Golden South unless he can run with pros

Buddy Collings — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:08:00 GMT

Boone's state champion sprinter has been rehabbing a hamstring injury since winning state 100 title

For undefeated high-school sprint sensation Marvin Bracy , it's either go with the pros or no go for Saturday's Golden South Classic at the First Academy.

Sunday baseball is familiar pastime for today's players

Buddy Collings — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

The state baseball tournament will feature games on Sundays this year.

For roughly eight decades, the Florida High School Athletic Association held Sundays as sacred territory where it dared not tread.

Power is down, but not drama in high-school baseball

Buddy Collings — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:06:00 GMT

Olympia has hit only 16 home runs but is ranked No. 1 nationally in multiple polls

Not everybody is thrilled with high-school baseball's new bat regulations, which have reduced power numbers significantly this season.

Winter Park makes its move in great all-sports race

Buddy Collings — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:15:00 GMT

A strong spring sports season moves Winter Park into unofficial lead in all-sports standings

Perennial all-sports juggernaut Winter Park is doing it again.

Trinity Prep, Jones seek state titles in new surroundings

Buddy Collings — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:11:00 GMT

FHSAA state finals shift from Showalter Field to UNF this week

When Trinity Prep captured its boys track and field state championship a year ago, the four Saints who won the 4 x 800-meter relay in the heat of the early afternoon headed home to chill on a favorite couch before returning for individual races in the evening.

Is Olympia baseball ready to run regular-season table?

Buddy Collings — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:32:00 GMT

Olympia seeks to be the first area baseball team in memory to be perfect in regular season

Twenty-four and oh, and one to go.

Flag football pioneers could set stage for college sport

Buddy Collings — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:59:00 GMT

Dr. Phillips hosts four top girls flag football teams in Friday night tripleheader

Defending state champion Dr. Phillips will showcase four of the top girls flag football teams in Florida as host of a tripleheader Friday night.

Losing grip on best shots didn't stop Lake Mary standout

Buddy Collings — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:40:00 GMT

Lake Mary's state champion tennis player switched to lefty after injury and carried on with courage

A year after winning a state tennis championship as a sophomore, Alexa Ricci lost district tournament matches in singles on Monday and doubles on Tuesday.

Boone's Marvin Bracy heads to Texas for 100-meter debut

Buddy Collings — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:37:00 GMT

Dr. Phillips, Edgewater will both be without a starter in National High School Invitational

Boone's bottle-rocket speedster, Marvin Bracy, finally is poised to take off on his first 100-meter dash as a senior.

Winter Springs passed test during tough stretch

Buddy Collings — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:48:00 GMT

The Bears played four games in five days, two going in extra innings

Undefeated Winter Springs called on every available arm to get through four baseball wins in five days.

State boys basketball attendance has format under review

Buddy Collings — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:09:00 GMT

The first season of 8 classes at the state boys basketball tournament drew only 17,395 fans

Gate receipts for last week's state boys basketball tournament show that more classes, more teams, more games and one more day at the state tournament didn't add up to more fans in the seats.

Buddy Collings: Surprise ending for rugged boys basketball region

Buddy Collings — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:40:00 GMT

At the tail end of the boys basketball regular season, nobody was picking West Orange and Hagerty to be the last two teams standing in the rugged Class 8A, Region 1 playoffs.

Buddy Collings: Olympia boys hoops poses big hurdle for Dr. Phillips

Buddy Collings — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:50:00 GMT

I'm one who says the Florida High School Athletic Association watered down the playoffs with its expansion to eight classifications.

Buddy Collings: It's been blowout city for Orlando girls basketball powers

Buddy Collings — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:54:00 GMT

Can Dr. Phillips and Edgewater get fired up for region playoffs?

Can you be too good for your own good?

Paxton Lynch's recruiting road had some detours before he got to Memphis

Buddy Collings — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:53:00 GMT

The Deltona Trinity QB lit up December's Central Florida All Star Game and colleges noticed

Memphis was the only official recruiting visit Paxton Lynch took. Yet the Deltona Trinity Christian quarterback toured every emotional avenue the buildup to National Signing Day can bring.

Controversial legislation will be tweaked, coach says

Buddy Collings — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:56:00 GMT

Private-school members in FHSAA want to have a choice in their future

Much of the debate about legislative proposals that could impact Florida high school athletics boil down to one key point still to be clarified:

Orange County boys basketball teams are dominating

Buddy Collings — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:45:00 GMT

The Metro Conference has first-place teams in seven districts

Boys basketball is big in Orange County, with stellar coaching and a competitive grind that toughens every team.

Public vs. private = good basketball Saturday at OCP

Buddy Collings — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:51:00 GMT

The Showdown in O-Town boys basketball event at Orlando Christian Prep features several ranked teams in Central Florida.

In a lot of high school sports circles, "public vs. private" carries negative weight.

Game organizer wishes top recruiters could see area talent

Buddy Collings — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:21:00 GMT

Per NCAA rules, the FHSAA has not sanctioned Division I recruiters to watch all-star game practices, such as the Central Florida High School All-Star Football Game.

Chip Humble 's holiday wish is for major-college recruiters to be allowed again to attend his Central Florida High School All-Star Football Game, which turns 13 years old with Thursday night's 7:30 kickoff at Lake Brantley.

Young basketball guards put on a show

Buddy Collings — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:42:27 GMT

Joel Berry, Kasey Hill, RaShawn Powell pick up where Austin Rivers left off

The Austin Rivers show is now playing on the ACC circuit, but Central Florida boys basketball is still blessed with high-scoring guards who are more than worth the price of admission.

DP is next area team in Plant's path to Citrus Bowl

Buddy Collings — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Tampa Plant will host Dr. Phillips on Friday night in a region semifinal and could host another area team in a state semifinal.

The general consensus is that Tampa Plant (10-1) will erase every Central Florida football contender in Class 8A and end a streak that has seen five different area schools reach the big-school state championship game over the past five seasons.

Coaching changes add intrigue to Edgewater-Evans playoff showdown

Buddy Collings — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:44:00 GMT

As if it's not enough that Edgewater (7-3) and Evans (9-1) sit four miles apart and have played 43 times since 1959.

Evans' rebuilding job is ahead of schedule

Buddy Collings — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:37:00 GMT

High school football highlights include Evans' rapid rise, Sebastian Janikowski's long kicks, rushing performances by Omari Albert, Ray Lewis III, D.J. Holley and Tion Green

Never mind the gimpy knee that needs surgery. It didn't stop Chip Gierke from digging in to coach defense right beside linebackers at Evans' football practice on Monday.

Colonial standout could go distance as runner

Buddy Collings — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:38:00 GMT

The Colonial junior has played baseball all his life

Colonial junior Andres Arroyo isn't ready to toss aside his lifelong love of pitching a baseball. But the cross countryt pace he is setting suggests a kid who got cut from his middle school track team as a seventh grader is good enough to go the distance as a runner.

DP vs. DeLand is a football faceoff for friends who coached together in '06 and '07

Buddy Collings — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:41:00 GMT

DP's Rodney Wells and DeLand's Ryan Smith once shared defensive coaching duties at Dr. Phillips

It's billed as a midseason battle for area high school football supremacy, with the area's top-ranked team, Dr. Phillips (4-0), hosting Sentinel Super 16 No. 2 DeLand (3-0) on Friday. But don't look for a war of words between head coaches.