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July 7 - July 6 2016

Volume 2 • Issue 10

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Foundation Academy’s 7 on 7 FCA league is on Fire

Featuring... AAU Volleyball, The Squeeze, OARS Rowing, and much more!

Photos by Bob Gall

Page 2 Florida Sporting News • 7/7/16 - 7/21/16

Week 5 Recap & Players of the WeekFlorida Collegiate Summer League

Harrison ScanlonWestern KentuckyLeesburg Lightning

9-19 (.474 avg), 2 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, .842 SLG, .500 OBP

Scanlon was the top bat for the Lightning in five games last week. He had four multi-hit games and at least one hit in all five. Two of those hits were longballs, adding to his team lead. He also had at least one RBI in four games. The senior from Western Kentucky is among the team leaders in average, hits, runs, RBI and homeruns.

Other Nominees:PlayerChristian Hicks, FloridaAltamonte Springs Boom Jay Hayes, FGCUDeLand Suns Omar Villaman, Florida Southern Sanford River RatsPablo Cabrera, Florida Southern Winter Garden SqueezeJacob Silverstien, Chipola Winter Park Diamond Dawgs

PitcherByron Ferguson, King College DeLand SunsZach McMullen, South Alabama Leesburg LightningJacob Billingsley, Mississippi StateSanford River RatsRyan Ashworth, FlaglerWinter Garden Squeeze Patrick Coffin, Alabama State Winter Park Diamond Dawgs

Upcoming Schedule(All games start at 7 pm unless noted)

Tuesday July 5 Leesburg at Winter Park Sanford at Winter Garden DeLand at Altamonte

Wednesday July 6 Winter Garden at Winter Park - Game 1 - 4:30 pm Winter Garden at Winter Park - Game 2 - 7:00 pm Sanford at DeLand Altamonte at Leesburg

Thursday July 7 DeLand at Sanford - Game 1 - 4:30 pm (Thirsty Thursday ... $1 Yuengling Beers!) Leesburg at Altamonte - Game 1 - 4:30 pm DeLand at Sanford - Game 2 - 7:00 pm (Thirsty Thursday ... $1 Yuengling Beers!) Leesburg at Altamonte - Game 2 - 7:00 pm Winter Park at Winter Garden

Saturday July 9 Florida League All-Star Game Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium Home Run Derby - 6:00 pm All-Star Game - 7:00 pm

Florida Collegiat Summer League W L T GB STREAK LAST 10

Sanford River Rats 16 7 0 - 1L 7-3

Deland Suns 13 10 0 . 1W 7-3

Winter Garden Squeeze 10 12 0 5.5 2W 3-7

Altamonte Springs Boom 9 11 0 5.5 5L 3-7

Leesburg Lightning 10 14 0 6.5 1W 6-4

Winter Park Diamond Dawgs 9 13 0 6.5 1L 4-6

Suns Rally To Defeat the BoomDELAND, Fla.- The DeLand Suns rode a late push to complete a comeback win against the Altamonte Springs Boom by a score of 5-4 on Monday night at Conrad Park. Even though the Suns failed to score a run until the sixth inning, the two-run sixth and three run seventh was all it took to walk away from the 4th of July game victorious. Offensively, the Suns got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, not recording a hit until a Jay Hayes (FGCU) single in the fourth inning. DeLand didn’t make another move until Derek Deler (Mount Olive) smashed a triple into the left field corner, which opened up the flood gates and awakened the bats for the rest of the game.

Although Deler was thrown out at home, all hope was not lost. Zachary Reks (Kentucky) was temporarily stranded at first following a single he hit into centerfield until Jay Hayes (FGCU) got on base with a walk. With two runners on the bases, Joe Dudek (Kentucky) stepped into the box where he was pitched around until he was hit on his front leg, loading the bases. Garrett Hall (State College of Florida) was next in line to bat. Hall tracked the pitch all the way in and im-mediately shot it right back for a two-run

single that scored Reks and Hayes. Deler, although impactful early, was not done being a catalyst on the night. In the seventh inning, Deler hit a double to fol-low up a Brad Gresock (St. Bonaventure) walk that put runners in scoring position. Reks immediately followed that up with an RBI single, making it a 4-3 game. The final two runs were brought in by none other than Jay Hayes — only two batters later. Hayes recorded a two-run double for his second hit of the game, scoring pinch runner Matthew Mulkey (Win-throp) and Reks.

DeLand used the trifecta of Matthew Gulik (Webber International), Drew Montero (Missouri Baptist) and Wade McNabb (Stetson) on the mound against the Boom. Gulik, who came into the game with a perfect 5-0 record, pitched four innings and had two strikeouts in his no-decision outing. Montero came on second, pitching three innings and only allowed three hits on his way to earning the win. McNabb earned the save over two innings, adding one strikeout. DeLand travels down Interstate 4 on Tuesday July 5th to continue their “Road to the Trop” in Altamonte Springs. First pitch against the Boom is set for 7 p.m.

Duffy's Sports Grill MVP of the WeekStephen Chamblee BrowardAltamonte Springs Boom

7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Chamblee has been one of the top arms in the league this summer, and his start last week was no different. The junior right hander absolutely shut down the high-powered Sanford River Rats offense, allowing no runs on six hits with no walks in seven innings. He also struck out eight, giving him a total of 28 on the year, good for 2nd overall. His ERA sits at 1.14, which is the best in the entire league.

Duffy's Sports Grill MVPitcher of the Week

7/7/16 - 7/21/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 3

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The Squeeze (10-12) provided plenty of fireworks for the fans of Winter Garden on Indepen-dence Day in an 11-1 rout of the Sanford River Rats. The afternoon contest at Heller Brothers Ballpark lasted only seven innings thanks to the mercy rule. “From a record standpoint these guys are the class of the league and we just seem to play them well,” Head Coach Jay Welsh said. “Our guys get geared up to play the best and that little extra motivation can go a long way. It definitely showed today.” The shortened contest did not feel like a blowout until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Squeeze exploded for six runs. Winter Garden inflicted this damage with only three hits in the inning, but took advantage of control issues from Sanford pitching. The biggest blow came with one out and the bases loaded, when Kyle Corbin stepped up with an 8-1 lead. The speedster from Bethune Cookman ripped a line drive into right-center field that got by Brant Blaylock (Mississippi State) and rolled to the warning track. The shot brought home all three base runners and ended the game with only one out in the bottom of the seventh. “I was happy we could get back on track with our second win in a row,” Kyle Corbin said. Corbin went 3-for-4 and brought home four runs. He now has the highest batting average on the Squeeze at .356. “I am feeling really good out there,” Corbin said. “I am swing-ing the bat well and the ball looks like a beach ball right now. We just need to keep this going.” Squeeze starter Jared Neal (South Florida CC) contained Sanford hitters all day and sur-rendered only one run through six innings. The righty seemed to be ahead in the count with every batter and constantly pounded the zone. Neal lowered his ERA to 1.67 on the season.

“I stayed focused on the fastball/changeup combination and it seemed to work all day,” Neal said. “Hopefully we just keep playing well like we have these last couple of days and we keep winning.” Part of what made Neal and the Squeeze so successful Monday was the improved defense. The only Sanford run of the game was earned and most rou-tine plays were made with ease. “Making everyday plays is what makes the greats of baseball so successful and that is all I expect out of my guys,” Coach Welsh

said. “If we can do that along with the pitch-ing we got today it adds up to success.”

The Squeeze have bounced back nicely from the six-game losing streak with back-to-back quality wins. They will go for a third straight on Tuesday at Heller Brothers Ballpark against the River Rats. Alex Dorso (Lipscomb) will make his Squeeze debut on the bump at 7 p.m.

Squeeze Provide Fireworks in July 4th Victory over River Rats

Page 4 Florida Sporting News • 7/7/16 - 7/21/16

AAU Grand Nationals Wraps Up at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 28, 2016) – More than 1,000 athletes from across the country com-peted for a national title at the AAU Grand Na-tional Championships throughout the last two weeks in Central Florida.

The 13-day, two-part event kicked off with two Opening Ceremonies – on June 13 and June 19 – featuring pin trading, a Parade of Teams, live entertainment, a speech from 2016 World Series MVP David Eckstein and fireworks hosted by the world-class Disney En-tertainment.

The real fun began as 69 teams from ages 9 to 13 went head-to-head for a national championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

The first national base-ball event of the summer, the AAU Grand National Championships is fol-lowed by AAU National Championships in July (Sarasota, Fla.) and AAU International World Championships in Au-gust (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

7/7/16 - 7/21/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 5

The Orlando Predators are all about CommunityThe Orlando Predators were presented with a unique platform in their last home game, a nation-ally televised event that acted as a powerful tool in the healing process of The City Beautiful. In sync with the widespread support across the community, the team dedicated the rest of their season to the victims of the tragic events.

“If anyone was tired, if anyone was hurt, if anyone was sore, all you had to do was look up in the crowd and understand who you are playing for,” explained Coach Keefe in a heartfelt manner. “You’re playing for the city of Orlando. I didn’t have to ask these guys to run through a brick wall for us. I didn’t have to do that. They under-stand exactly what this season is, for the rest of the year it’s completely dedicated to the victims of Pulse.”

It wasn’t merely the season-high 13,527 fans in attendance that electrified the atmosphere; it wasn’t only the pre-game and halftime contribu-tions from the Orlando Gay Chorus; it wasn’t just the United States Air Force recruits swear-ing in; it wasn’t singularly that Orlando’s Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs spoke to the entire arena as a whole.

It was the unity of the community and a realization that on occasions like this, a football game has the power to transcend sports.

“Sporting events allow our fans and our city to rally,” said Dyer after his halftime speech. “It gives people the opportunity to cheer, to express their emotions and in this case to support our first responders who are here tonight.”

“Though there’s never anything positive to say about such a tragic situation, the one thing it has done is galvanize the Orlando community,” said ArenaFan editor and premiere AFL Journalist Adam Markowitz.

Markowitz was one of many in attendance who keyed in on one of the night’s more symbolic gestures, a full fifty seats reserved in the semblance

of a heart for the victims of that heartbreaking weekend, designated by an Orlando United T-shirt on the seat.

“The sight of 49 t-shirts strewn over the seats at the Amway tonight and the giant #OrlandoUnited sign was both somber and a sign of the strength of this community. The Predators have always been a crucial piece of the city of Orlando, and that was felt by all 13,000+ of us in attendance on Friday night,” Markowitz resigned. Over 2,000 first responders were granted compli-mentary access to the game in a token of apprecia-tion from the Predators, something the organiza-

tion’s interns had been facilitating all week. It was a nod to those who understand every day what it means to put the bigger picture before themselves, a similar emotion shared by the recruits who pledged their lives to their country before kickoff.

“I’m pretty sure they were overwhelmed, but I’m pretty sure it’s a good overwhelming,” explained Airman First Class Phylysha Edwards.

“There has definitely been a great deal of support. Especially with everything that’s been going on, seeing the community come together has been amazing.”

Robb Noll was one of the initial members of the Orlando Gay Chorus, on board since the begin-ning, and has been overwhelmed by the reaction from every angle – especially from those who gave their voice in the only ways that they could.

“We don’t always know what to do in times like that, but we want to do [something],” said the experienced performer. “It’s been so wonderful

to see everyone from different walks of life that you would never see come together, come together. There’s no room for hate. The more people hate, is why these tragedies come on.”“This week has been a roller coaster of emotions. A lot of shock, a lot of anger, just a way of us having a way to give back to the community and help be ambassadors of comfort support and love.”

The Amway Center was alive with emotions be-yond the normal football feelings that night. Even on the field, the Predators could sense the aura around them. Bernard Morris was one of several players to have been involved with the display of interconnectivity -

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Page 6 Florida Sporting News • 7/7/16 - 7/21/16

Young Gymnast with Freiberg’s Disease Competes for the Last TimeEmma Grace Ducksworth started her gymnastics journey at a ‘tot and me’ class at Taylor Gymnastics when she was just 2 years old and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Two years lat-er, when Emma Grace was 4 years old, she was invited to join the com-petitive team at the gym’s ‘Dy-namite’ level, making her the youngest member on the team.

At age 5, she was crowned the Florida State Balance Beam Champion for her age group and level. Realizing their daughter’s potential, Emma Grace’s par-ents began homeschooling her to accom-modate the time commitment that her gymnastics schedule and travel required.

Then in April of 2015, Emma Grace fell

off the beam at practice and broke her toe, just three weeks before her state meet. The Orthopedic doctor told her that she couldn’t compete, but Emma Grace was determined.

She stayed off of that foot as much as possible, but she continued to train and at the end of April, she competed. She was in a lot of pain, and didn’t get her best

scores, but she did it. However, the pain in her right foot continued for another six months, and in October, she went back to the doctor. At that appoint-ment Emma Grace was told she had Frei-berg’s Disease and the doctor recommended that she quit gymnastics immediately.

Naturally, both Emma Grace and her

parents were devastated. Emma Grace wanted more than anything to be able to continue participating in the sport that she loved, so her doctor offered a com-promise.

If Emma Grace cut back her workouts to only twice a week at no more than 2 hours each, she could compete one last season.

7/7/16 - 7/21/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 7

YMCA Midnight Basketball League a Slam Dunk Success!Arthur Jackson Midnight Basketball of Florida is a Prevention Program that was started in 1991. The program was designed by The Center For Drug-Free Living, Inc. and The City of Or-lando to provide youth with positive, alternative late night activities.

Goals of Midnight Basketball include strength-ening relations between law enforcement and local youth, improving self-esteem of youth, enhancing their interpersonal skills and provid-ing youth with mentors who will have a posi-

tive role in their lives. Midnight Basketball has grown to serve thousands of children and their families in Central Florida.

Midnight Basketball has grown from four to eighteen sites in three counties with over 1,200 participants who receive educational and drug prevention presentations on a weekly basis. The program offers seasonal tournaments, a boys’ and girls’ high school summer league, basket-ball camps sponsored by Darrell Armstrong, the FHSAA sanctioned Midnight Basketball Invita-

tional, Friday and Saturday night games year-round, and a scholarship program.

Downtown Rec Center, Winter Park Comm Ctr, Northwest Comm Ctr, Wayne Densch YMCA, Tangelo Park YMCA, Dr James R Smith Comm Ctr, Dr Phillips YMCA, Dover Shores Comm Ctr, Englewood Comm Ctr, First Baptist Church of Winter Garden, Palm Bay Parks and Rec, Eau Gallie Civic Ctr, Osceola County YMCA, St Cloud Civic Ctr.

FBVA Orlando Basketball LeagueFBVA Orlando is the largest open enrollment youth basketball league in Central Florida. Provider is an IRS recognized 501-c-3 youth sports charity that operates 4 seasons or basketball leagues each year. All age divisions play with a “stop-regulation” game clock rather than a running clock unlike many other programs.

FBVA started in 1993 and was a long standing Junior Magic league partner with the NBA Orlando Magic and a Jr NBA-Jr WNBA program. FBVA no longer purchases “Junior Magic” jerseys from the Orlando Magic and has dropped their Jr Magic partnership. The Jr NBA-Jr WNBA program no longer is funded and is no longer available locally or nationally.

Each season offers 6 age divisions. Age rule and not a grade rule. Each age division is divided into 2 or 3 levels of competitive ability. Younger age di-visions have a skills development practice included each week independent of the individual’s team practice.

Younger Age divisions: 5-6 year olds (Trotters), 7-8 year olds (Dribblers), 9-10 year olds (Jr. Hot Shots). Older age divisions are: 11-12 year olds (Hot Shots), 13-15 year olds (Slammers), and 16-18 year olds (Slammer-Jammers).

For teams located close to downtown Orlando or near Semoran Blvd (Hwy 436) the included player skills academy is provided on Thursday evenings at Stonewall Jackson Middle School or Orlando Christian Prep ( 500 S. Semoran Blvd, 32807) depending upon the season and age division. East Orlando games typically played at Discovery Middle School in the Waterford Lakes subdivi-sion. League registration fee varies with age divi-sion, moderate to moderate high priced vendor.

FBVA also promotes league all-stars and top teams to participate in outside state and national bas-ketball competitions. These are typically USSSA and or AAU boys basketball travel teams and some girls AAU girls basketball teams usually 4th

grade and older. The FBVA program has numerous state AAU Champions and 4 AAU National Cham-pion basketball teams beginning as early as 1996.

These prior AAU National Championship teams include well known local athletes such as Darius Washington (Univ. of Memphis), Taurian Green (Univ. of Florida, Portland TrailBlazers, Nuggets, AEK Athens B.C. of the Greek A1 Ethniki, CB Gran Canaria, Tofas Bursa). Other well known ath-letes AAU Championship or National Runner Up teams include Joey Rodriguez (Virginia Commen-wealth Univ), Jon Roberson (Texas Tech Univ), Nick Calathes (Univ. of Florida, Panathinaikos, Green National team), Chandler Parsons (Univ. of Florida, Houston Rockets), Austin Rivers (Duke Univ., New Orleans Hornets). AAU Girls National Basketball Champions from FBVA include Krystal Thomas (Duke, Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury), Bryianna Blair (Univ.of Miami), Brooke Thomas (Wake Forest), Alexa DeLuzio (Florida State Univ), Jamie Givens (Florida Atlantic Univ), and Jordan Coleman (Vanderbilt Univ).

Page 8 Florida Sporting News • 7/7/16 - 7/21/16

AAU Girls’ Volleyball Takes over OrlandoORLANDO, Fla. (June 28, 2016) – More than 27,000 athletes from across the country bumped, set and spiked their way through the 43rd annual AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Champi-onships last week in Central Florida. The eight-day event, which has held the title of largest volleyball event in the world since 2012, attracted approximately 40,000 spectators, 9,000 coaches and a University Athlete record 502 college coaches. It drew an expected $52 million to the Central Florida area with participants and their families visiting local hotels, shops, restau-rants and other local businesses. Still, the greatest impact to the Orlando area may not be measured by dollar amounts or attendance numbers. Prior to the first day of competition, hundreds of

participants – athletes, families and referees – joined together to pack 40,000 meals for under-privileged youth in Orlando in partnership with Feeding Children Everywhere. “I strongly believe we should do more in ath-letics than just provide events,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President/CEO of the AAU. “We’re trying to do some positive things in addition to being a sports provider. That’s important for the student-athletes in our programs. I want us to provide a great athletic experience and also include some kind of social responsibility and an awareness of giving back.” Throughout the event, many of the more than 75,000 event attendees donated to the OneOrlan-do Fund, established by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to assist victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Participants were invited to write notes

on banners and game-used volleyballs that will be taken to survivors of the shooting who were hospitalized in Orlando. As of last week, 19 still were hospitalized. “We are part of this community,” Goudy said. “We want to be part of that group that helps bounce back. We [had] 2,330 teams here and it’s an unbelievable opportunity to show that we care.” The AAU also rolled out their AAU Proud pro-gram, an integral piece to the AAU Cares initia-tive, which allowed children ages 4-7 years old to enjoy a non-competitive type of sport in order to include them in the AAU’s increasingly popular volleyball event. The event included teams from 43 states and 11 nations.

AAU Football Huddles with Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy for Two Events this SummerORLANDO, Fla. – Only the best in professional football reside in Canton, Ohio and, this summer, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is teaming up with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy to offer AAU members two NFL-intensive football events.

The two invite-only sessions – the Game Changer Prep Session (July 10-13) and the Playmaker Youth Session (July 14-17) – will feature top athletes from across the nation. Participants will receive three-and-a-half days of elite training led by current and former NFL coaches, including Rod Woodson (2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee), Sam Wyche (former head coach, Cincinnati Bengals) and Chuck Besnahan (former defensive coordinator, Oakland Raiders). Scouts from Rivals.com will be on site

covering the event and evaluating talent.“Teaming up with AAU and its football platform is a win for all involved,” said David Hill, Director of Player Development for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy. “It’s especially significant for the athletes participating in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy knowing they are part of two of the most renowned sports organizations in the world.”

A national selection team of top recruiting analysts and former college coaches will oversee the selec-tion process based on athlete data, game footage and combine results.“This partnership provides a unique opportunity for AAU Football members across the nation to com-pete and train with some of the greatest minds in

the game,” said Keith Noll, AAU Football National Chair. “We are excited to help bring a first-class event experience to the home of football greatness.”

The chief architect of this elite curriculum is Rich-ard McGuinness, who created the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and has trained the nation’s top prep athletes for more than 10 years.

While the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy will not officially open its doors until 2017, session participants will get an exclusive look at the ongoing construction of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Vil-lage, a $500 million project set to turn the museum into the ultimate football experience for visitors of all ages.

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Predators Bernard Morris: Named Area Football Player of the Week

ORLANDO – June 28, 2016 – Orlando Preda-tors QB Bernard Morris has been named the Under Armour Offensive Player of the Week after leading the team to a 56-33 victory over the rival Tampa Bay Storm in Week 13.

In his second start of the season, Morris showed off his duel-threat ability by scoring eight total touchdowns on the night. The six-year veteran completed 16-of-23 pass attempts for 131 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions while adding 31 yards and three more scores on the ground. He has now thrown for 374 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016.

The Predators (11-2) enter the League-wide Bye Week as the current No. 1 seed in the Postseason Standings and leader of the American Confer-

ence. The team returns to the field for a road game against the Portland Steel on Saturday, July 9.

With a league-best 11 wins on the season, the Orlando Predators have clinched a top four seed in the AFL postseason and will host a home playoff game in the first round of the playoffs at the Amway Center on Saturday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Playoff tickets will be available to season ticket holders through an exclusive pre-sale on Wednesday, June 29 and will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 30.Playoff tickets start at just $20 and will be avail-able for purchase by calling 407-355-2200 or online at OrlandoPredators.com.

Lightning Strike Down Diamond Dawgs

LEESBURG, Fla. - In front of a capacity crowd at Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field on Monday night, the Leesburg Light-ning used a six-run fifth inning to strike down the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, 8-3.

Simply put, baseball in Leesburg on the Fourth of July is an experience unlike any other. Fans show up a few hours before game time, donned in their patriotic attire, and the excitement immediately begins. The smell of hot dogs and hamburgers fill the air and everyone has a smile on their face as an already tight knit community, becomes even closer.

Love for America was on display as the red, white, and blue flew beyond the center field fence, representing another year of patriotic baseball in America’s hometown.

After four scoreless innings to begin the game, the scoring opened up in the fifth. Chris Lake (Flagler) cruised through four shutout innings, as his repertoire of off-speed pitches kept the Diamond Dawgs to only three hits. With two outs in the inning, though, Jordan Bowersox showed some life for Winter Park, singling to left field. An error on a throw to first base allowed Bowersox to advance to second, and Chad Wagner followed up with a double to score Bowersox for the first run of the game. For Leesburg, the bottom of the fifth was its coming out party as they responded with six runs to take a 6-1 lead. The Lightning batted around as Jose Bonilla (Florida Atlantic) began things with a leadoff single. After back-to-back walks were issued to Tanner Long (Thomas U) and Clay Simmons (South Florida) by Justin Kortessis, the Lightning took advantage of two errors as they increased their lead to 3-1.

More fireworks arrived later in the inning when Josh Pagliei (Flagler) doubled down the left field line, scoring Harrison Scanlon (Western Kentucky) and Austin Simmons (Thomas U) to make it 5-1. Cornell Nixon (Eastern Kentucky) added another run with an RBI single down the right field line to increase the Lightning lead to 6-1.

With an already convincing lead, the Lightning pushed across an additional two runs in the sixth as the Winter Park bullpen struggled — allowing eight Leesburg batters to come to the plate in the inning. Lake earned his first win of the season, throw-ing 6.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits. The Diamond Dawgs added a run in the sev-enth and eighth as Kade Hunkapiller (State College of FL) came on for Leesburg in relief, but it meant little as the Lightning cruised to their 10th win of the season.

The Lightning return to action Tuesday night as they travel to Winter Park for another matchup with the Diamond Dawgs. First pitch from Bishop Moore High School is set for 7 p.m.

Page 10 Florida Sporting News • 7/7/16 - 7/21/16

OARS Rowing into Success

OARS obtained four out of four top spots in the big boats at the US Rowing Southeast Youth Championships, held at Nathan Benderson Park this year. Fourty-two youth rowing clubs from six states entered the two-day regatta, which features both sculling and sweeps races.

The Men’s team have finally accomplished their goal of qualifying two eights (lightweight and varsity) for the National Championship Regatta. “This was a collective effort from the entire men’s team, and everyone at OARS is very proud.” according to an OARS spokesperson.

The Women’s team also set the bar high by qual-ifying two eights (lightweight and varsity), plus the varsity four, for the US Rowing National Championship Regatta. “The combined effort of all OARS girls throughout the season made it possible for these boats to race so well this weekend.” remarked an OARS representative.

including a photoshoot with Orlando City Soccer, the Orlando Pride and the Orlando Magic – and rode the wave emotions to an eight touchdown performance that would earn him the AFL’s Player of the Week honors.

“Our whole outlook on dealing with the city is that we want to uplift the city as much as we can, we want to do our part,” Morris said. “If it’s a small part or a big part we want to let the city know that no one is alone, and that we’re all here together; you can see that in the way we all rallied around football tonight.”

Coach Keefe expects this attitude to continue from his soldiers, not only for the rest of their season but for the opportunity to proudly represent their town.

“We’re here for Orlando. We recognize that we have a great chance to win a championship, and we want to bring a winner to this city because it 100% de-serves it.”

In the face of devastation the city has cemented its ideals and found inspiration.

“We have not allowed the hateful act to define us. We’ve been defined by our response, which is with love, courage compassion and unity within the Or-lando community. I couldn’t be more proud of how our citizens responded.”

The Orlando Predators are all about Community(continuation from pg 5)

7/7/16 - 7/21/16 • Florida Sporting News Page 11

Audi South Orlando

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