County trio helps Florida gain pigskin bragging rights

By BOB PUTNAM
Published January 3, 2006

The goal for Countryside's Seaver Brown and Clearwater Central Catholic's Colin McCarthy and Kevin Young was to win a state title.

That did not happen.

The Cougars lost in the Class 5A region quarterfinals to Dixie Hollins. The Marauders lost in the Class 2B semifinals to Pahokee.

But though their seasons ended on a low note, Brown, McCarthy and Young each finished their prep career on a high one.

The trio, playing in the CaliFlorida Bowl on Dec.31 at Cal-State Fullerton, helped Florida win 20-0. The game matched the best seniors in California against the best in Florida.

Brown (6-foot-5, 306 pounds) and Young (6-6, 330) opened holes for Florida's offense. The linemen each are ranked among the top 100 players in the state by rivals.com and have both committed to South Carolina.

McCarthy (6-3, 218), a tight-end/linebacker, caused and recovered a fumble in the game and was in on several tackles. He also is ranked among the top 100 by rivals and likely will choose next week among schools such as Ohio State, Notre Dame and Miami.

CCC's Riley Cooper , who recently committed to the Gators, was selected for the game but decided not to play.

ROMANO IN AUSTRALIA: Northeast swimming sensation Megan Romano will compete against a strong field of Australian swimmers and juniors from Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand at the Victoria State Championships today-Saturday in Melbourne, Australia.

Swimmers qualified for the national junior team by having the top-ranked performance at a series of national-level meets in 2005 or by beating an automatic qualifying time at designated events. Girls must be 15 or younger at the time they are selected, boys 17 or younger.

At every Olympics since the inception of the program in 1989, at least one former national junior team member has qualified for the U.S. team.

Besides Romano, two other Florida swimmers, Chelsea Franklin of Estero and Corrine Showalter of Sarasota, made the team.

In November, Romano helped the Vikings win two relays and place second in another at the state meet. Two weeks later, she advanced to the finals of five events at the U.S. Open Championships in Auburn, Ala.

Representing her club, St. Petersburg Aquatics, Romano took fourth in the 200-meter freestyle (2 minutes, 1.96 seconds). She also was fifth in the 100 free (56.63), sixth in 50 free (26.58) and seventh in 100 and 200 back.

[Last modified January 3, 2006, 02:00:11]