Dillard Wins District 15-6A Tiebreaker

     The Dillard Panthers captured the District 15-6A championship with a 7-0 victory over the Boynton Beach Tigers in a one-quarter tiebreaker at Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium on Monday night. The Tigers had defeated the Boyd Anderson Cobras in a Kansas tiebreaker following a scoreless one-quarter tiebreaker prior to this contest.
     The Panthers will host Carol City in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs while the Tigers travel to Northwestern. This was the final three-way district tiebreaker to be played ever in Broward County. The FHSAA will implement a point system in high school football beginning next year.
     Boynton Beach(5-3, 2-1) could not gain any traction on three plays of their first possession and had to punt the ball away. Dillard(6-2, 2-1) took over at their own 45-yard line and they managed their way down the field. The Panthers capped the drive when quarterback Francois Moe found tight end Jordan Wright in the middle of the end zone on a five-yard touchdown pass with 4:29 remaining.
     The Tigers made one last attempt to tie the game and they got the ball inside the nine-yard line for the final minute of play. On third down from the Dillard one-yard line, quarterback Tyron Herring threw a pass to the right side of the end zone which should had been caught by the receiver. Boynton Beach was stopped on a carry by running back Camouri Gilliard to within inches of the end zone on fourth down. Dillard got the ball on downs and pushed it ahead one yard on the final play of the quarter.

Boynton Beach Gets Playoff Spot

     The Boynton Beach Tigers got by the Boyd Anderson Cobras 7-0 to win the District 15-6A runner-up spot at Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium on Monday night. They lost to Dillard for the district championship in the following game of a three-way tiebreaker.
     Boynton Beach(5-3, 2-1) got the first possession and took it deep into Boyd Anderson territory. The Tigers missed on a 23-yard field goal with 5:09 left in the quarter. The Cobras mounted an attack, however they loss the ball on downs on the Tigers side of the field. Both schools were unable to score in the one-quarter tiebreaker and had to be break the scoreless tie with in a Kansas tiebreaker from the 10-yard line.
     The Tigers got the ball first and scored on their first play when running back Antoine Jerome rushed up the middle for the score to go up 7-0. Boyd Anderson(6-3, 2-1) took four shots at the end zone and were stuffed on fourth down at the two-yard line when they executed a run play through the middle of the line.

Spurs Dump Heat

     The San Antonio Spurs held on to stop the Miami Heat 106-99 at American Airlines Arena on Sunday night. It renewed a rivalry between both teams who met during the NBA Finals back in 2013 and 2014.
     Neither club had their most recognized signature star on the court that they had over the past decade. Tim Duncan retired during the off-season while Dwyane Wade signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls.
     San Antonio(4-0) stayed in front for most of the first half and were up 52-44 at halftime. Miami(1-2) was unable to overcome it and lost their second straight home game.
     Hassan Whiteside compiled big numbers with 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat. Goran Dragic contributed 25 points and Justise Winslow dropped 18. Kawhi Leonard was the leading scorer for the Spurs with 27 points while Pau Gasol added 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Panthers Rout Red Wings

     Colton Sceviour scored a hat trick as the Florida Panthers dropped the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday. The Cats won the final game of a four-game road trip after they lost their three previous games.
     It was the second-to-last visit ever for Florida(4-4-1) to Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings will be moving into a new venue for next season.
     The Panthers dominated the first period as they got out to a 3-0 lead. Sceviour put in the first two goals for the Cats at 6:09 and 6:32. Jonathan Marchessault nailed his sixth goal of the season with 2:31 left in the frame.
     In the second period, Dylan Larkin gave Detroit(6-4-0) some hope as he connected with a power-play goal at 2:36 to make it 3-1. Vincent Trocheck extended the Florida lead when he scored at 5:02 and Sceviour put in his third goal of the contest while his team was shorthanded with 3:35 remaining in the second.

Strikers And Rowdies End Rivalry

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers have ended their Florida Derby rivalry with their cross-state nemesis the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The United Soccer League announced on Tuesday that the Rowdies will join their organization as a new expansion franchise in 2017.
     The Strikers and Rowdies have been bitter rivals going back to the original North American Soccer League from 1977 until 1983. Both teams renewed their rivalry in the current NASL from 2010 to 2016.
     Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay battled it out in the Florida Derby for the Coastal Cup during this decade. The Rowdies won the trophy four straight years from 2010 until 2013 and also this past season while the Strikers captured the hardware in 2014 and 2015.

Strikers Win Season Finale

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers finished the 2016 NASL regular season with a 1-0 victory over Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place on Saturday night. The Strikers tied a club record in the NASL modern era this year with 41 combined points from the spring and fall seasons.
     Fort Lauderdale(7-10-5) scored the only goal of the contest during the second half. Amauri put in a tally for the Strikers in the 66th minute against Ottawa(5-10-7).

Sabres Shut Out Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were shut out by the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 on Saturday. The Panthers, who have lost three straight games, conclude their four-game road trip on Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Sabres entered the game with the worst record in the NHL this season.
     Florida(3-4-1) surrendered one goal in each period of the contest. Johan Larsson scored at 7:47 of the first period for Buffalo(2-3-2). The Sabres got power-play goals by Kyle Okposo at 5:57 of the second and Sam Reinhart at 8:48 of the third period.

Heat Lose Home Opener

     The Miami Heat had their home opener on Friday night at American Airlines Arena and were edged by the Charlotte Hornets 97-91. It was the first time that the Heat had a home opener without Dwyane Wade on the team roster since 2002.
     Miami(1-1) got up by 15 points in the third quarter and were unable to hole the lead. They were outscored by Charlotte(2-0) 51-34 during the second half. Hassan Whiteside compiled 20 points and 15 rebounds in the loss for the Heat while Goran Dragic added 14 points and nine assists. Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 24 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas Pounds Blanche Ely

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders had no trouble as they bashed the Blanche Ely Tigers 49-0 at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Friday night and captured the District 14-7A title. It was the fifth consecutive year that they won a district title and the 19th time in the last 20 years. The Raiders will host the Palm Beach Lakes Rams in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs two weeks from today.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(6-2, 2-0) scored on the second play of the game when running back Michael Epstein went up the middle and rushed in from 49 yards out at 11:30. Late in the first quarter, Trenell Troutman blocked a punt and Myles Wright returned it 12 yards for the score with 2:54 left.
     The Raiders added three more touchdowns during the second quarter to go up 35-0 by halftime. Running back Kyshaun Bryan went through the left side of the line for a touchdown from two yards away at the 8:32 mark. Defensive back Asante Samuel picked off a pass thrown by Blanche Ely(2-6, 0-2) quarterback James Wallace and returned it for a 30-yard touchdown just 16 seconds later.
     STA made it a 35-point margin with 1:41 remaining in the second when quarterback Jake Allen connected with wide receiver Jordan Merrell on a 12-yard pass to the right side of the end zone. A running clock was implemented for the entire second half.
     That did not stop St. Thomas Aquinas as they scored twice in the third quarter with their reserve players. Running back Samuel Llewellyn sprinted down the right side with a 25-yard touchdown run at 9:50. They extended their lead to 49-0 as quarterback Beau Fillichio threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Sekou Veillard Laurent on the left sideline with 2:15 left in the third.

Panthers Fall To Maple Leafs

     The Florida Panthers visited Toronto and lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2 at Air Canada Centre on Thursday night. It was the second game of a four-game road trip for the club. The Cats finish this weekend at Buffalo and Detroit.
     Jonathan Marchessault scored both goals for Florida(3-3-1) in the contest. He now has five goals and five assists in seven games this season for the Panthers.
     Toronto(2-2-3) put in the go-ahead goal during the second period. Tyler Bozak compiled two goals while James Van Riemsdyk added another tally for his fourth goal this season.

West Palm Beach Ratings October 2016

     The monthly ratings were released and at least one sports format radio station in the West Palm Beach region appeared. 640 Fox Sports South Florida WMEN-AM showed up while the numbers for 106.3 ESPN West Palm WUUB-FM and 760 ESPN Deportes WEFL-AM were not published.
     640 Fox Sports South Florida saw their ratings almost double as they went from a 0.5 to a 0.8 in October. It was the highest ratings that WMEN had since the beginning of the year. They did have a 0.7 back in June.
     It helped being a New York Yankees network affiliate as they stayed in playoff contention until the final week of the season. In addition, the Florida Panthers opened up their regular season following a division title in 2015-16.

Oxbridge Academy Wins District

     The Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves shut out the Cardinal Newman Crusaders 19-0 at Sam Budnyk Field on Thursday night to win the District 7-3A title. It was the second straight year that the school captured the title after they previously played as an independent.
     The Thunderwolves will host Westminster Christian in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs two weeks from now. The Crusaders head on the road to face Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood.
     Oxbridge Academy(8-1, 3-0) got a break midway through the second quarter when they took over at the Crusaders 25-yard line following a bad punt. They scored on their next possession with 4:47 left in the second. Quarterback Gio Richardson lost control of the ball rushing to his left on a carry. Running back James Meeks caught the ball in mid-air and he scored from one yard away.
     The Thunderwolves extended their lead to 13-0 in the final minute of the third quarter. Running back Antuan Burgess rambled up the middle and scored on a 33-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds remaining in the third.
     Cardinal Newman(4-4, 2-1) tried to come back, however they fumbled away the ball at their own 25-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter. Two plays later, Meeks raced around the right end, broke one tackle and reached the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown run with 11:21 to go.

Heat Win Opener Over Magic

     The Miami Heat had their season opener on Wednesday night and beat the Orlando Magic 108-96 at Amway Center. It was the first time in 13 years that the club played a game without Dwyane Wade on the team roster. The last time Wade was not on the team was following the 2002-03 regular season when he was drafted.
     It was a close game at halftime 53-50 until Miami(1-0) pulled away from Orlando(0-1) during the second half. Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. Goran Dragic added 16 points, six assists and six rebounds while Justice Winslow contributed 15 points along with eight rebounds.

Penguins Top Panthers

     The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins came from behind to defeat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. It was the first game of a four-game road swing for the Panthers.
     Florida(3-2-1) got the only goal during the first period with 1:58 left in the frame. Reilly Smith scored on the power play for the Cats. Colton Sceviour took a shot from the right wing which was redirected in front by Michael Matheson. Marc Andre-Fleury made the save, however Smith swooped in from the left circle and put in the rebound with a backhand shot.
     In the second period, Mark Pysyk scored his first goal as a member of the Florida Panthers at 6:08. Assists were credited to Shane Harper and Jonathan Marchessault on the play.
     Pittsburgh(4-2-1) narrowed the lead to 2-1 at 13:41 on the power play. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the season which was set up by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.
     The Pens pulled off the comeback with two goals in the final period. Carl Hagelin would tie the contest at 5:36 of the third. The Penguins took their first lead of the game 3-2 at 9:34 when Eric Fehr redirected a cross-ice pass in the low slot past James Reimer.

Miami Ratings October 2016

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM finished first as the top sports format radio station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region for the third consecutive month. All competitors in the market failed to keep up with the leader.
     WQAM went from a 1.0 to a 1.2 in the month of October. The station continued to ride the momentum as the flagship station of the Miami Dolphins along with the University of Miami facing the toughest part of their 2016 ACC schedule.
     790 The Ticket WAXY-AM remained flat with a 0.7 in the ratings period. The station has been able to use Brendan Tobin well as the early afternoon co-host with The Beast and Leroy Hoard. They continued to have a number of guest co-hosts with Ethan Skolnick during afternoon drive which included Chris Perkins, Ryan Yousefi and Ian Hest.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM rose from a 0.1 to a 0.2 in October as the station went back to the ratings that they had during the three months of summer. Local listeners tuned in to Miami Marlins broadcasts following the loss of pitcher Jose Fernandez.

Panthers Slam Avalanche

     The Florida Panthers defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 at BB&T Center on Saturday night. They just finished a stretch in which they hosted four of their first five games to begin the regular season. The Cats now go on the road and play four consecutive road games as they visit the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
     Florida(3-1-1) received a surprise from their lineup to get the victory over Colorado(3-2-0). Rookie Shane Harper helped out as he scored the first two goals of his NHL career.

Rayo OKC Eliminates Strikers

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers played their home finale on Saturday night and were eliminated from playoff contention by Rayo OKC 2-0 at Central Broward Stadium. Fort Lauderdale(6-10-5) had made the playoffs for the last two seasons when they lost the NASL Soccer Bowl to San Antonio in 2014 and fell to the New York Cosmos in a semifinal game last year.
     Rayo OKC(8-5-8), who are on the cusp of making the playoffs, got their two goals during the second half. Sebastien Ibeagha made it 1-0 at the 49-minute mark and former Strikers player Pecka added to the margin during stoppage time in the 90th minute.

Capitals Bring Down Panthers

     The Florida Panthers returned to Sunrise on Thursday night and were stopped by the Washington Capitals 4-2 at BB&T Center. Both clubs had won division titles in the Eastern Conference last season.
     Washington(3-0-1) ripped out to a commanding 2-0 lead during the first period. Nate Schmidt centered the puck from the left-wing wall and Justin Williams put in his second attempt of his own rebound past Roberto Luongo at 8:25. It was his 16th goal in 51 career games against the Panthers.
     The Capitals extended their margin with a two-goal lead at 10:21. Matt Niskanen was at the top of the zone and snapped a shot which was redirected in by Evgeny Kuznetsov from the low slot.
     Florida(2-1-1) climbed back into the contest with 6:13 left in the first as Michael Matheson scored in his second straight game. He got to a loose puck on the left-wing boards and fired a shot by Braden Holtby. Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov were credited with assists on the play.
     In the second period, the Cats had a power-play goal waived off at 7:47 by the officials. Colton Scevious swiped at the puck while on the ground in the crease just after play was called.
     They bounced back from that circumstance later in the frame as Florida converted on their third power-play attempt at 14:10. Jaromir Jagr scored his first goal of the season and the 750th goal of his NHL career which put him 51 goals behind Gordie Howe for third all-time. Jonathan Marchessault placed the puck down into the low right circle to Barkov. He fed Jagr for the one-time shot from the slot area.
     The Caps regained the lead 3-2 at 7:33 of the third period. Niskanen put a soft slapshot from the blue line toward the net and Alex Ovechkin deflected it in from the low slot for his second tally of the season and 527th of his career. It was his 34th goal in 55 career games versus Florida.
     Washington wrapped it up with 1:20 remaining in the contest. Jason Demers lost the puck while in his own left circle. Marcus Johansson jumped in, took the puck and snapped a close-range shot into the Panthers cage.

Lightning Slip By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers played their first road game of the regular season and fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena. It was the first time that the Panthers wore their new road white jerseys with blue numbers. They were trying to become the first team in franchise history to win their first three games to begin a season.
     There was no scoring until the second period at 2:38 when Florida(2-0-1) got a short-handed goal. Colton Sceviour scored in his second straight game and Derek MacKenzie picked up an assist on the play.
     The lead did not last long as Tampa Bay(3-0-0) tied the contest up at 6:18. Aaron Ekblad had the puck taken away from him behind the Panthers cage by Nikita Kucherov. He backhanded a pass to the low slot and Alex Killorn banged home a shot by James Reimer, who was making his first start with the new club.
     The Panthers fell behind for the first time in three games this season with 3:39 left in the second. Steven Stamkos tried to stuff in a shot from the left of the crease twice then Ondrej Palat lifted the rebound into the roof of the Panthers net for a Lightning 2-1 lead.
     In the third period, the Cats evened it at the 5:26 mark. Vincent Trocheck put in his second goal of the year with assists from Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith.
     Michael Matheson would compile his first NHL goal with 4:08 remaining in the third. He skated in through the left circle and blasted a slapshot by Ben Bishop following a Greg McKegg feed.
     The Bolts pulled their goalie in the final two minutes for the extra skater and Stamkos ripped a one-time slapshot from the low left circle with 5.5 seconds to go and sent it into overtime tied at 3-3. Victor Hedman set it up with a pass from the left point.
     Jonathan Drouin scored on the third attempt for the Lightning during the shootout. Trocheck was able to match it on the Panthers third attempt when he fanned on the initial shot and nailed in a bouncing puck. Brayden Point skated in and scored on the sixth attempt for Tampa Bay on a wrist shot to the glove side. Ekblad had his high backhand shot saved by Bishop to end the contest.
    

West Palm Beach Ratings September 2016

     For the first time in over four years, a sports format radio station appeared on the monthly ratings in September for the West Palm Beach region. The last time this happened was in February 2012 when James Crystal Radio owned WMEN-AM and Good Karma Broadcasting ran WEFL-AM each appeared. Both sports stations in the local market had not shown their ratings numbers openly published since then.
     640 Fox Sports South Florida WMEN, which is run by Alpha Media, appeared in the September ratings. Good Karma Broadcasting currently owns two sports format radio stations in Palm Beach County with 106.3 ESPN West Palm WUUB-FM and 760 ESPN Deportes WEFL-AM. The ratings service will not have their numbers publicly listed.
     WMEN had a 0.5 in September and during the previous month in August. They had a 0.7 in June followed by a 0.6 in July. It does help that the station has been part the New York Yankees Radio Network this year and going back to March 2008.
     The only local show they broadcast is with Joe Raineri and Steve Zemach during morning drive. They have hosted the program together since January when they replaced Sid Rosenberg. WMEN runs the syndicated Fox Sports Radio Network for the remainder of the day and on the weekend.

Strikers Knock Off Puerto Rico

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers kept their slim playoff hopes as they blanked Puerto Rico FC 2-0 on Saturday night at Central Broward Stadium. The club has two games left and are three points behind Minnesota United FC and Rayo OKC in the combined standings for the final playoff spot.
     Fort Lauderdale(6-9-5) compiled two goals in the second half against Puerto Rico FC(4-7-9). Geison Moura scored the game-winning goal for the second straight game for the Strikers in the 78th minute. Jose Angulo was able to add another tally for his fifth goal of the season during the 85th minute.

Panthers Drop Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers were able to stop the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 at BB&T Center on Saturday night. Roberto Luongo passed Jacques Plante for sixth all-time in NHL history with his 438th career win. The Cats began the season with two consecutive wins and next face the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road Tuesday.
     It did not take long for Florida(2-0-0) to get on the scoreboard as they scored 70 seconds into the contest. Vincent Trocheck carried the puck into the Red Wings zone, went through the right circle and around the cage. His centering pass went off the skate of Dylan Larkin and by Petr Mrazek. The Red Wings did not get a shot on goal until 7:35 into the first.
     The Panthers extended their margin to 2-0 at 10:01 of the period with the help of three newcoming players. Denis Malgin fed a lead pass to Jonathan Marchessault in the offensive zone. He came in on a two-on-one break and slid a cross-ice pass through the slot to Colton Sceviour in the right circle for his first goal with the Cats.
     Detroit(0-2-0) found a way to stop the bleeding as they pulled to 2-1 at 13:07. Gustav Nyquist was on the end wall behind the Panthers net and backhanded a pass. Darren Helm was in the low slot and banged in a shot past Luongo.
     There was no more scoring until late in the third period. Jaromir Jagr poked the puck from the right-wing wall to Marchessault. He sent it across to Aleksander Barkov and he put in a goal after getting his own rebound at 17:38. Marchessault added an empty-net goal for his second tally of the season to make it 4-1 with 1:23 left in the third.

Rowdies Tie Miami FC, Win Coastal Cup

     Miami FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies played to a 2-2 tie on Friday night at FIU Stadium. The Rowdies captured the Coastal Cup with the draw. Tampa Bay won the Coastal Cup four consecutive years from 2010 until 2013. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers held the trophy for the past two seasons.
     Miami FC(8-5-6) got two first-half goals from Jaime Chavez in the 16th minute and Kwadwo Poku just five minutes later. Tampa Bay(5-7-7) bounced back during the 27th minute with a tally by Georgi Hristov. Juan Guerra tied the match 2-2 in the 66th minute on an assist by Joe Cole.

Dwyer Beats Royal Palm Beach

     The Dwyer Panthers shut out the Royal Palm Beach Wildcats 28-0 on Friday night at Blum Stadium in a District 13-7A game. Dwyer quarterback Todd Centeio started the past two years with the Panthers and the previous two years with Royal Palm Beach.
     Dwyer(6-0, 3-0) scored at 4:24 of the first quarter as running back Jakari Moses ran the ball in from two yards out. Centeio added a four-yard touchdown run with 3:00 left in the second to give the Panthers a 14-0 margin.
     Royal Palm Beach(1-6, 1-2) surrendered two touchdowns in the final quarter. Centeio connected a 28-yard pass to wide receiver Tommie Luke for a score and later running back Reggie Gadson scored on a five-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.

Panthers Win Home Opener Over Devils

     The Florida Panthers raised their 2015-16 Atlantic Division championship banner as they defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in overtime on Thursday night at BB&T Center. It was the fifth team banner in franchise history to be placed in the arena. The Panthers also wore their new uniforms along with the new logo.
     Florida(1-0-0) took a 1-0 lead at 9:38 of the first period. Aleksander Barkov put a shot toward the net from the high right circle and Jonathan Marchessault redirected it by Cory Schneider in the crease area.
     New Jersey(0-0-1) waited until the final minute of the first as they scored with 28.7 seconds left. Paval Zacha fed a pass from the right-wing wall back to Yohann Autivu at the right point. He blasted a slapshot and it was deflected in front by P.A. Parenteau past the left glove of Roberto Luongo to make it 1-1.
     There was no scoring in the last two periods by both clubs and the game went into overtime. Damon Severson was bumped off the puck at the end wall by Michael Matheson. He centered it to Barkov inside the right circle and he fired a wrist shot for the game-winning goal at 2:48.

Strikers Get By FC Edmonton

     The Fort Lauderdale returned home following a three-game road trip and topped FC Edmonton 1-0 on Wednesday night at Central Broward Stadium. The Strikers snapped a four-game losing streak in their first game of a three-game homestand.
     Fort Lauderdale(5-9-5) got out early to a 1-0 lead. Geison Moura was able to score on a header during the 11th minute against FC Edmonton(9-4-6).

Florida Panthers Opening Night Roster

     The Florida Panthers announced their 23-man opening night roster for the 2016-17 season on Wednesday. Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad were named to the roster, placed on injured reserve and will not play in their home opener on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils.
     The Panthers will carry two goalies entering the season with Roberto Luongo and James Riemer. The club will have seven defensemen with Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Mark Pysyk, Jason Demers, Alex Petrovic, Michael Matheson and Steven Kampfer.
     Florida has 13 forwards available for opening night versus New Jersey. They include returning players Jaromir Jagr, Alekander Barkov, Reilly Smith, Vincent Trocheck, Derek MacKenzie, Shawn Thornton, Jussi Jokinen and Greg McKegg. Newcomers include Colton Sceviour, Jared McCann, Denis Malgin, Shane Harper and Jonathan Marchessault.

Flanagan Handles Plantation

     The Flanagan Falcons commanded the game on Monday and pulled away from the Plantation Colonels 26-7 at PAL Field in a District 12-8A contest. The defending FHSAA Class 8A champions extended their winning streak to five games since an opening-game loss to Oxbridge Academy.
     The Falcons showed their dominance on defense as Plantation(1-6, 1-3) ran just 11 offensive plays which did not include punts during the first half. Flanagan(5-1, 4-0) was called for numerous holding penalties in the first two quarters of the contest.
     The first possession for the Colonels started badly as they fumbled the ball away near midfield on their second play of offense. Flanagan ran the ball constantly in the ensuing drive with quarterback Caleb Thomas capping it on a four-yard touchdown run through the right side of the line. He ran up the middle and scored on the two-point conversion to make it 8-0 at 4:18 of the first quarter.
     Thomas had a 35-yard run for a score negated in the middle of the second quarter due to a holding penalty downfield. There was no more scoring for the remainder of the first half. The Falcons outscored the Colonels 18-7 in the second half.

Park Vista Holds Off Boca Raton

     The Park Vista Cobras visited Boca Raton on Monday night and defeated the Bobcats 10-7 in a District 10-8A battle. Both schools held the top two spots in the district as they entered this game.
     Park Vista(7-0, 4-0) pulled off a goal-line stand on fourth down within inches of their own end zone late in the first quarter and were able to gain momentum from it. They later scored with under two minutes left in the first half when quarterback John Smith threw a 10-yard pass to the front of the end zone where wide receiver Atorian Perry caught it.
     The Cobras extended their margin to 10-0 late in the third quarter. They got deep into Bobcats territory and had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Jackson Stevenson. It was not a good sign that Park Vista fumbled the ball away at the Bobcats 10-yard line twice in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.
     Boca Raton(4-2, 2-1) powered through on the second turnover as they scored during the first play of the drive. Quarterback Micah Leon threw a pass toward the left sideline which was received by wide receiver Rod Evans. He scooted by one tackler and sprinted down the sideline for a 95-yard touchdown with 2:45 remaining. The Bobcats had one final shot to win the game in the final minute, however they lost the ball on downs at the Cobras 37-yard line.
    

Derek MacKenzie Named Panthers Captain

     Center Derek MacKenzie was named the ninth captain in Florida Panthers franchise history on Sunday. He joins a list that included Brian Skrudland, Scott Mellanby, Paul Laus, Pavel Bure, Olli Jokinen, Bryan McCabe, Ed Jovanovski and Willie Mitchell.
     MacKenzie joined the Panthers prior to the 2014-15 season. He had six goals and seven assists in 64 games last season with the team as they captured the Atlantic Division title.
     Defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Jussi Jokinen will serve as alternate captains for the upcoming 2016-17 season. The home opener for the club will be on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils.

Carolina Blanks Strikers

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers extended their losing streak to four games as they were shut out by the Carolina Railhawks 3-0 on Sunday at WakeMed Soccer Park. It was the final game of a three-game road trip for the team as they head home to begin a three-game homestand on Wednesday night against FC Edmonton.
     Carolina(6-7-5) put in two goals during the first half and got out to the lead. Austin de Luz got a tally in the 25th minute and former Striker player Brian Shriver made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute.
     Fort Lauderdale(4-9-5) was unable to cut the margin down in the second half. The Railhawks scored again during the 82nd minute by Matt Watson.

Panthers Postpone Game Against Lightning

     The Florida Panthers decided earlier today to postpone their preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at BB&T Center that was to be held on Thursday night due to the impending storm Hurricane Matthew. There is no indication if this contest will be rescheduled.
     The Panthers lost to the Stars in Dallas 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday night. The club flew home to South Florida following the game and were scheduled not to practice today. The team will travel to the United States Army Base in West Point, New York before the hurricane arrives in Broward County. They host the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game there on Saturday.

South Florida High School Football Games Canceled

     It was announced today that all high school football games scheduled in Palm Beach County amd Broward County have been canceled due to the impending storm Hurricane Matthew. All games were to be played later this week on Thursday night or Friday night. It will be determined if all the games will be made up at a later date.

Dave Van Horne Longest Active MLB English Announcer

     Miami Marlins radio voice Dave Van Horne now shares the mantle as of Monday for the longest continuous active English-language Major League Baseball play-by-play announcer with Kansas City Royals voice Denny Matthews. They both got the honor after Vin Scully announced his final game of a 67-year career on Sunday as the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Los Angeles. Scully started with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 where he joined Red Barber in the broadcast booth.
     Van Horne has been the lead English-language radio play-by-play announcer of the Marlins since the 2001 season. He did work over 140 games on Miami Marlins Radio Network this season with the club. He was the voice of the Montreal Expos from their inception in 1969 until 2000. Van Horne received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Panthers Confused By Stars In Canada

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario on Sunday. It was a rare circumstance that both teams wore their road white jerseys during the contest. The Cats were the designated home team and looked upon to use their red uniforms.
     The Panthers moved this preseason game which was scheduled originally in Sunrise to London because current general manager Tom Rowe once played junior for London in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 1976.
     Florida got their one goal from Jonathan Huberdeau during the first period. Antione Roussel tied the game for the Stars in the second period. Nick Ebert scored the game-winning goal to give Dallas the victory in overtime.

Cosmos Shut Out Strikers

     The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were blanked by the New York Cosmos 2-0 at James M. Shuart Stadium on Sunday. It was the second game of a three-game road trip for Fort Lauderdale(4-8-5).
     New York(11-3-4) scored two goals in the second half. Ruben Bover put in a tally during the 57th minute and Andres Flores later followed with a goal in the 86th minute. The Cosmos extended their first-place margin in the NASL fall season standings.

Hallandale Edges Jackson

     It was a scoring fest as the Hallandale Chargers got by the Jackson Generals 40-36 on Saturday night in a District 5A-16 clash. There were four lead changes during the second half of the contest.
     In the first quarter, Chargers defensive back Treyunn Lane made a 43-yard interception and returned it to the Generals 37-yard line. They struck on the first play as quarterback Legend Moore connected a pass up the middle to wide receiver Julian Holmes for the score at 5:57 to make it 6-0.
     The Chargers fumbled on their next drive and the Generals took a 7-6 lead when defensive lineman Davontae McCrae was brought in to plunge into the end zone from four yards out with 1:14 left in the first.
     Hallandale(3-2, 2-0) regained the lead 12-7 on the first play of the second quarter as Moore found Holmes again on the right side for a 36-yard touchdown. The Chargers extended their margin to 20-7 as wide receiver Amari Johnson caught a 43-yard pass at 7:45.
     Jackson(1-4, 0-2) closed the deficit to 20-15 on two plays late in the first half. Quarterback Javas Jackson spotted wide receiver Seven Fleurimond on the left sideline for a 30-yard scoring play at 5:37. Linebacker Lacedick Brunson sacked Moore in the end zone for a safety with 1:31 left in the quarter.
     The Generals tried to fake a punt from their own 20-yard line and failed on their first possession of the second half.  The Chargers capitalized on it as Moore rushed down the right side for a score from 14 yards away at 9:04 making it 26-15.
     It took just one minute for Jackson to bounce back with 40-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to wide receiver Davon Washington on the right sideline. Moore fumbled the ball away on the Chargers next drive and the Generals regained the lead 29-26 at 5:17 on a Brunson 28-yard fumble return.
     Anthony Floyd fumbled on the punt return and Deimon Santos brought it back 25 yards for a Hallandale touchdown to give them a 32-29 lead with 3:25 remaining in third.
     Early in the fourth quarter, Generals running back Keiron Broussard dashed in from 12 yards out at 10:11 as Jackson got up 36-32. Hallandale later got the ball to the Generals one-yard line for a first down and was unable to punch it in for a score.
     Four plays later, Javas Jackson decided to run out the back of the end zone, take for safety and stay ahead 36-34 with 3:37 to go. The strategy backfired as Hallandale got the final score and made it 40-36 when Moore sneaked up the middle on a one-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left.

Miami FC On Local Television

     Miami FC will make their first appearance ever on WSFL-TV Channel 39 tonight as they travel to Al Lang Stadium and face the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Former Fort Lauderdale Strikers radio play-by-play announcer and current Miami FC radio voice Bruce Silverman will call the game with Juan Arango.
     It is the first season for Miami FC in the NASL. They are currently in fourth place for the Coastal Cup among NASL Florida based teams with six points behind the Tampa Bay Rowdies who are in first place in the standings with 12 points. The Rowdies can capture the Coastal Cup for the fifth time on Saturday with a victory.