Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Top 10 Citrus County moments in '06

By DAWN REISS
Published January 4, 2007

10. In early January, Crystal River ousted football coach Craig Frederick, who learned via a phone call that he would not return for a third season after his second 2-8 season. Anthony Paradiso replaced Frederick and the Pirates went 2-8.

9. School board discussed steroid and other drug testing for student athletes, but ultimately voted against it.

8. Despite finishing the regular season 3-9 in the district, Lecanto's softball team won the Class 4A-6 title (5-4), upsetting No. 1 seed Belleview.

7. Lecanto's girls tennis team won its 10th consecutive district title. Both the boys and girls went to state as a team.

6. Lecanto's boys basketball team earned its first district title. The Panthers were 20-1 against Class 4A teams and lost to Orlando Bishop Moore in the region semifinals.

5. After struggling to field a team, Seven Rivers Christian's cross country team made state for the first time, led by sixth-grader Chloe Benoist.

4. Citrus' boys and girls golf teams qualified for state for the second straight year. Led by Briana Carlson, above, the girls finished 12th while the boys were 14th.

3. Longtime Crystal River football coach, athletic director Earl Bramlett retired after leading the Pirates to eight district titles during his 25 years at Crystal River. His overall coaching record during 43 years, including stints in Georgia, is 231-97.

2. A slew of Division I signings: Citrus foward Walt Howard, right, picked the Citadel and Crystal River guard Lacey Lyons signed with Coastal Carolina, both on basketball scholarships. Crystal River senior catcher, Quincy Wilson, who batted .435 as a junior with a .742 slugging and .551 on-base percentage, signed a softball scholarship at Florida Atlantic. Crystal River middle blocker Brandy Worlton went to Campbell University, in Buies Creek, N.C., on a volleyball scholarship after averaging 11.2 kills, 4.1 blocks and two aces with a 53.9 hitting percentage. Lecanto swimmer Taylor Cooke, a four-time state qualifier, who medaled in two events at 2006 state meet, signed with Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers.

1. The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame closed its doors in Citrus County, relocating to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The museum, which was started by Ted Williams, can't make the money to stay open, despite the many legends like Muhammad Ali, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle who graced the hallways during a blockbuster opening in 1994. The annual induction ceremonies for the Hitters Hall of Fame brought a parade of baseball stars both young and old. But since Williams' death in 2002, the museum increasingly had trouble regularly attracting visitors and big-name guests.

[Last modified January 3, 2007, 19:43:35]