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Jr. Spongers topple top seed for title

By EMERY SKOLFIELD
Published November 26, 2006

The second-seeded Tarpon Springs Jr. Spongers varsity Pee Wee football team lit up the scoreboard for a 38-16 victory over the top-seeded Azalea Bulldogs in a Suncoast Youth Football Conference championship game Nov. 18 in Clearwater.

The Jr. Spongers age 12-13, coached by Paul Wikle, were led offensively by quarterback Wyatt Wikle and the backfield committee of Darius Daniels, Bubba Golden and Joel Hardy. Jorge Perez highlighted the Jr. Spongers' defensive effort.

In other SYFC action, the Rick Reynolds-coached Clearwater Jr. Tornadoes capped an unbeaten season by defeating the East Lake Eagles 13-0 in the varsity Flyweight (age 7-9) title game, while the Lakewood Jr. Spartans beat the Eagles 14-0 for the varsity Mighty Mite (10-11) championship.

The Jr. Spartans' varsity Midget (13-14) team also captured a league title, defeating the Jr. Tornadoes 14-6. In junior varsity action, the East Lake Eagles No. 2 Flyweights remained unbeaten with a 12-0 shutout over the Azalea Bulldogs. The Lakewood Jr. Spartans advanced both of its JV Mighty Mite teams to the title game, with Lakewood No. 1 beating Lakewood No. 2 12-6. The Countryside Jr. Cougars beat the Clearwater Jr. Tornadoes 21-0 for the JV Pee Wee crown.

GYMNASTICS: Perfection remained intact for the St. Petersburg-based Tampa Bay Turners, which stayed undefeated at Levels 4, 5 and 6 on Nov. 11-12 in the Sarasota Sunfest Invitational.

The Turners' Level 5 team featured three all-around champions. Kayna Mogelnicki won the bars and beam on her way to an age-group all-around title, while Krysta Postlethwaite placed first on the vault and floor for an all-around victory. Nathania Beltran captured the Level 5 Turners' other all-around win.

In Level 4 team, the Turners boasted two all-around champions and 12 event winners. Sarah Sudduth won the bars and beam on her way to an age group-around title. Julia Cooper also won two disciplines (vault, bars) en route to an all-around victory.

Madalyn Golightly swept all four individual disciplines on her way to an age-group all-around championship in Level 6.

- Host LaFleur's of Largo won team titles at Levels 4 and 5 at the Wheel of Fortune Invitational on Nov. 18-19. Megan Schell won each individual discipline en route to her age group all-around title in Level 5. Other Level 5 all-around champions for LaFleur's were: Rachel Whisenant (floor), Rebecca Lizotte (beam) and Hanna Gars (vault).

LaFleur's Level 4 team boasted five all-around champions, including multiple-event winners Hannah Foster (vault, beam), Couper Tanko (vault, floor), Maranda Adams (bars, floor) and Megan Perry (beam, floor). Ashley Seidl also finished atop her age group all-around.

Bayside Gymnastics (Clearwater) won the Level 5 small team division at the Jungle Gym Invitational, held Nov. 18-19 in Orlando.

Bayside's Level 5 team was victorious behind the efforts of Sabrina West, who won the beam and finished second in the vault and all-around. Tiffany Paxson was second on the beam and in the all-around. Brianna Fischer won the beam for Bayside's fourth-place Level 4 team.

If you have news for this column, please contact Times correspondent Emery Skolfield at (727) 481-2027 or sptimesyouth@yahoo.com.

[Last modified November 25, 2006, 22:30:13]