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The Buzz

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published January 19, 2007

Quote of the Day

"It usually gets a little rough."

- Springstead forward Christina Anthony on tonight's game against Hudson in the Class 4A, District 8 championship at Gulf. Anthony said the Cobras are Springstead's biggest rivals in Pasco County.

By the numbers

0 Games Pasco boys soccer team has lost since last year's state semifinal.

8 Consecutive district final appearances by Land O'Lakes girls soccer, including tonight's contest against River Ridge.

17 Consecutive games Wesley Chapel girls hoopster Sthefany Thomas has scored more than 20 points.

24 Goals Pasco's Cassandra Hill finished with this season.

95 Pounds Seltman won her weight class by Wednesday. Coming in second to Seltman's 350 pounds was Zephyrhills' Jessica Davis at 255.

Commitments

Mitchell seniors Matt O'Shaughnessy and John Koshko orally committed to Florida Gulf Coast to play soccer for the first-year program.

Check it out

The Land O'Lakes girls basketball team is coming off a 53-23 loss to Ridgewood on Tuesday, extending the Gators' struggles this season against teams with winning records. They had another chance to prove themselves against Pasco Thursday night. Read all about it in Sports.

Tonight

A pair of solid rivalries will unfold in the girls soccer district finals tonight. Hudson takes on Springstead at Gulf in the 4A-8 championship, and Land O'Lakes battles host River Ridge for the 5A-7 title. Hudson and Land O'Lakes were 0-2 this season against tonight's opponents. Both games are at 7 p.m.

Coming Sunday

The Pasco boys soccer team is undefeated heading into districts. Can the streak continue? We try to answer the question in our boys district preview package.

The Hot List

1. Hudson girls soccer

Are you kidding us? This turnaround should be proof to every athletic director that hiring the right coach can turn moribund into a merry band.

2. Meghan Seltman, Ridgewood weightlifting

Winner of three straight SAC championships, Seltman hoisted 350 pounds Wednesday. That makes her our choice to help us move this weekend. Say, 10 a.m.?

3. Deanna Rossi and Mikaela Morolla, River Ridge soccer

Rossi had four goals and Morolla two in an 8-0 semifinal win Tuesday night. That gives the county's deadliest tandem 44 goals out of the 67 River Ridge has scored.

4. Roberto Cervantes, Pasco boys soccer

His winner Wednesday gave the Pirates the SAC title and an undefeated regular season. Now show us what you've got in the playoffs.

5. Brianna Hooker, River Ridge weightlifting

She moved up a class this year but they still couldn't find anyone to beat her this season. We say stick Hooker and Seltman in a room and see who can lift the most. Say, 10 a.m. Saturday?

Down but not out

Land O'Lakes boys soccer received some bad news this week after a pair of key players suffered foot injuries. Now the Gators will have to do without both for the rest of the season.

Gators junior Alex Zimmerman was scheduled for surgery Thursday after suffering his second foot fracture within three months. And senior midfielder Dylan Waterbury also suffered a foot fracture.

"Those are two big losses for our team," Land O'Lakes coach Mark Pearson said. "We'll just have to make do without them.

Without those two Wednesday, the Gators suffered a 2-1 loss to Pasco. They are the No. 1 seed heading into next week's Class 5A, District 7 tournament on their home field.

[Last modified January 18, 2007, 23:37:40]