Pinellas Youth Football Conference players and cheerleaders kicked off the season this weekend.
The Suncoast Football Conference begins its eighth schedule later this month. The Pasco Police Athletic League, including the East Lake Eagles, starts Saturday. There are about 10,000 Pinellas players and cheerleaders participating in the three conferences.
The PYFC opened its 37th season with its annual jamboree Saturday at Osceola High. In the event hosted by the Largo Jr. Packers, each team in all of the varsity and junior varsity divisions played. "We have about the same number of kids as in the past, about 550 to 600," St. Pete Lil Devils longtime president Cecil Odom said.
"We're usually the favorite in most of the divisions, even if we don't win them. That's simply because of the number of players we have to choose from," he said. Last season, St. Pete was in three varsity and two JV finals, winning the varsity Pee Wee title. Other champions were the Gibbs Jr. Gladiators in the Flyweight and Mighty Mite classes and the Manatee Mustangs in Midget.
The other PYFC organizations are the Childs Park Jr. Rattlers, Greenwood Panthers, Palmetto Trojans and Silver Raiders. The 10-week regular season starts Aug. 16. Playoffs are scheduled to begin Nov. 1.
The SYFC is planning to have its jamboree Aug. 23-24 at Dunedin High. Hosted by the Dunedin Jr. Falcons, the event will give each of the 10 organizations a look at their opposition.
"We've only had seven practices at this point and will pick our varsity Saturday," Dunedin president Lenny Anderson said. "After that, we'll draft the JV teams and then have two weeks til the jamboree and three to the first game Aug. 30.
Last season, the Clearwater Jr. Tornados won the SYFC Flyweight and Pee Wee varsity titles. The Countryside Jr. Cougars captured the Mighty Mite trophy, and the Northeast Bandits took the Midget crown.
The other SYFC organizations are Pinellas Park, Seminole, Tarpon Springs, Dixie and the Lakewood Jr. Spartans, who previously played in the PYFC.
"We've already certified 500 kids, and there's more coming," Azalea Bulldogs president Don Bariteau said. "Besides our four varsity teams, we'll have nine to 10 JV squads.
"What's really exploded for us, though, is our flag football program," he said. "When we started, we had about 50-60 in the 4- to 6-year-olds. Now, we have eight teams. That's our foundation for the future."
East Lake is the lone Pinellas organization in the PPAL. There are five playing divisions, with East Lake the defending JV champ.
"After our jamboree Saturday, we open with a home game against West Hernando (on) Aug. 23," East Lake president Rob Posavec said. "With our five teams of players and cheerleaders, we have about 260 youth total."
Each of the conferences have a 10-week schedule, with playoffs in November.
SWIMMING: In the USA Swimming Southern Zone Meet in Fort Lauderdale, locals invited to compete for Florida Swimming were Megan Romano, Brenno Varanda and Cameron Chambers from St. Petersburg Aquatics and Caitlin Warner, Tommy Wyher, Clay Bullock and Grant Johnson of the Clearwater Aquatics Team.
Florida Swimming was fourth. Johnson earned the highest overall local finish with a third in boys 17-18, followed by Varanda's sixth-place showing in the division.
Romano was ninth in girls 11-12, and Warner was 14th in 15-16 competition. Rounding out the performances were Bullock, 12th, 15-16; Wyher, 18th, 13-14; and Chambers, 25th, 11-12.
Countryside Country Club Aquatics won the Pinellas Aquatic League Championships, capturing six individual high-point awards and setting six records.
Westlake Village Swim Team was second, Lansbrook Aquatic Club third, Bardmoor Aquatic Team fourth, East Lake Woodlands fifth, Carlouel Yacht Club sixth and St. Petersburg Country Club seventh.
WLVS won three high-point awards. East Lake, Carlouel and SPCC each had one.
Eight girls and six boys records were established. Leading the list of high-pointers and record-setters was CCCA's Levi Curnutte.
Curnutte won the 13-14 high-point award and broke his older brother Joshua's four-year 100-yard backstroke mark and the 100 butterfly event. Curnutte swam with Alex Glover, James Taddeo and Ryan Stumpf, setting a new time in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 200 medley relay.
Joshua Curnutte was CCCA's high-point winner in the 15-18 class, along with Cameron Martin (11-12), Michale Lombardo (6-and-under), Ann O'Connor (10-and-under) and Aubrey Haas (8-and-under).
High-point showings also were turned in by WLVS's Morgan Perrotti (girls 6-and-under), her brother, Zach (10-and-under), and Colleen Bauza (15-18).
Tracy Rorer was the lone SPCC high-point winner in 11-12, as was Jana Willsey in 13-14 for Carlouel and East Lake's Troy Strominger in 8-and-under.
Morgan Perrotti established a record for 6-and-under swimmers in the 25-yard backstroke, as did Haas in the 8-and-under 25 freestyle.
Rorer set marks in the 50-yard breaststroke and 200 individual medley. Rorer then swam with Casey McKeon, Lindsay Daniel and Katie Wells for a 200-yard medley relay record.
BAT's Christina Cardy, Molly Scott, Danielle Winkler and Krissy Metka posted a new time in the 11-12 200 free relay.
Willsey set the 13-14 50-yard freestyle record and snapped a 20-year-old mark in the 100 free.
CCCA's Matt Stumpf, Jonathan Taddeo, Wes Stearns and Martin swam to a record in the 200-yard medley relay, as did BAT's Nick Vilaret, Trevor Caldwell, Jon Proctor and Alex Metka in the senior 200 medley relay.
SKATING: Parkside TBSA finished fourth among eight rinks in the 17th annual Independent Skating Institute Championships.
Competing in Freestyle 3, Brendan Fagan produced three firsts. Lauren Bone, Kathryn Judson, Natalee Judson and Ashley Watkins each had two. Kelsi Facsina scored two firsts in Freestyle 6, as did India Steinbaugh in Delta. Sarah LaMore was first in three Freestyle 1 categories. Bryce Fagan enjoyed two victories in Tot 4, as did Blanchard Fagan in Pre-Alpha. Damilola Oshodi was first in one Freestyle 4 category.
SOCCER: The Florida Olympic Development Program's 18-and-under boys team, including Dimtri Arnaoutakis and Steven Whiteside, won the Southeastern Regional Championship in Jackson, Miss. DIVING: Competing in the U.S. Diving Junior Olympic Summer Nationals in Coral Springs are area athletes Austin Hampton, Alex Tillbrook and Katie and Amanda Smolen.
BASEBALL: A third-place finish in the AAU National Division II Tournament was produced by the Tampa Bay Renegades under-11 team. The squad, coached by Rey Ortega, is comprised of Jordan Ankrom, Ariel Botwin, Drew Brachna, Michael Gomes, Kyle Griffith, Tyler Harriman, Nick Lohmeyer, Andre Ortega, Kyle Parry, Nick Rossi, Todd Shorter, Daniel Torres and Stephen Tsagaris.
