Prep Notebook

Durant girls advance to region championship

BRANDON -- After convincing wins in the region quarterfinals and semifinals, the Durant Cougars girls basketball team is one game away from the state final four.

Durant (26-3) plays at Deltona Pine Ridge on Saturday for the region championship. To get there, the ninth-ranked squad in Class 5A had to get past King and New Smyrna Beach.

The Cougars opened region play Feb. 20 with a 50-31 win against King. Shay Mackey, Danielle Herndon and Courtney Chasten provided their usual solid performances, combining for 42 points in the 19-point victory.

The trio was at it again Tuesday as the Cougars dominated New Smyrna Beach 47-35 in the region semifinals. Durant jumped to a 7-0 lead and never trailed. Mackey led all scorers with 18 points while Chasten scored nine and Herndon was strong with 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Precious Lippett added eight rebounds, four points and four assists.

In Class 6A girls basketball region action, Bloomingdale fell in the opening round 49-30 to Palm Beach Lakes. The Bulls, who received 12 points from Erica Woodard despite a sore ankle, ended the season 21-7.

GIRLS SOCCER: Durant also is doing well in girls soccer action. The Cougars (21-3) are a game away from playing for the state championship. In heart-stopping fashion, Durant won its' Class 3A region semifinal and final matches in overtime. The Cougars got a header goal from Emily Stutzman off a corner kick from Colleen Feeney in the fourth overtime to beat Seminole 1-0 on Feb. 18. In the region final against Palm Harbor University on Tuesday, Feeney and K.K. Kelley provided the offense in a 2-1 overtime win against the Hurricanes.

Durant faces Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinals at 7:30 tonight at Pepin-Rood Stadium at the University of Tampa.

In other action, Bloomingdale saw its season close Feb. 18 in the Class 4A region semifinals after a 1-0 loss to Stuart Martin County. The Bulls end their season 13-4-3.

BOYS SOCCER: Durant and Bloomingdale both ended their seasons Feb. 18 in region action. Durant was shut out 3-0 by Seminole in Class 3A to end the year at 10-5-2. Bloomingdale, meanwhile, was upset 2-0 by Boca Raton Olympic Heights in the 4A playoffs. Ranked sixth nationally by Studentsports.com, Bloomingdale ends the season 19-2-1 and is denied a trip to the region finals for the second straight year by Olympic Heights.

WRESTLING: Another region tournament, another region championship. Brandon won its 14th consecutive region title Saturday, dominating its competition in the Class 2A, Region 2 meet. Led by brothers Eddie and Tommy Hutchinson, who had victories at 135 and 140 pounds, respectively, the Eagles totaled 292 points, 181 more than second-place Sickles. Brandon advances to the Class 2A state meet today and Saturday.

In the Class 3A, Region 2 meet, Bloomingdale heavyweight Derek Saibi finally broke through. After two straight region runners-up finishes, Saibi decisioned Palm Beach Gardens' Robbie Grove 4-2 for the win. Saibi (38-1 on the season) advances to the state meet, along with teammates Nick Miles (third at 140), Nick Diaz (fourth at 160) and David Young (fourth at 171). Also, Riverview's Rob Rinker (112) and Brian Johnson (171) qualified for the state meet.

TRACK & FIELD: Armwood put together two solid performances in the relays at the Manuel-Griffin-Fraundorfer Relays Saturday at Hillsborough High. The Hawks' boys won the 4x110 and the 4x220 events. Armwood used a team of five runners in the two events: Munioer Prince, Patrick Burnett, Mike Williams, R.J. Anderson and Marlon Pryce. The boys won the 4x100 with a time of 43.7 seconds and the 4x220 in 1:31.10.

Also, the Hawk girls won the 4x100 event in 51 seconds.