Saturday, September 30, 2017

Marlins Smash Braves

     The Miami Marlins crushed the Atlanta Braves 10-2 at Marlins Park on Saturday night. Dee Gordon collected his 200th base hit of the season.
     Miami(77-84) gathered five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Justin Bour hit a sacrifice fly to left field for Gordon to score. Two batters later, Derek Dietrich blasted a three-run homer to right field on a 2-0 pitch as Christian Yelich and Brian Anderson scored. Miguel Rojas later tripled in A.J. Ellis with a shot into deep center.
     In the second inning, Anderson drove in Yelich with a double to left field. Giancarlo Stanton added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a base hit to right field which scored Rojas. Yelich came to the plate next and singled home Gordon for an 8-0 lead.
     Atlanta(71-90) got their only major rally in the seventh inning. Dansby Swanson knocked in Lane Adams with a single into right field. Two batters later, Rio Ruiz scored on a by Matt Adams to right.
     The Fish expanded their margin to 10-2 during the eighth. Tyler Moore hit a single to left field and Anderson crossed the plate. The final run was scored by Dietrich as he was rewarded home on fielder obstruction.

Hurricanes Dominate Duke

     The Miami Hurricanes went up to North Carolina and stomped the Duke Blue Devils 31-6 on Friday night. The Canes next face their cross-state rival the Florida State University Seminoles in Tallahassee next week.
     The Hurricanes put up two touchdowns in the first quarter. Michael Badgley kicked a 20-yard field goal to make it a 17-3 lead at 3:17 of the second quarter. Duke(4-1, 1-1) kicker Austin Parker made a 36-yard field goal with eight seconds left in the first half.
     There would be no more scoring until the fourth quarter. Miami(3-0, 1-0) quarterback Malik Rosier threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Wellington grad and wide receiver Ahmmon Richards at the 11:13 mark. The Canes added one more score with 4:55 remaining as Oxbridge Academy and running back Travis Homer rushed for a touchdown from 40 yards away.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Miami Ratings September 2017

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM ended on top of all sports format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market for the second straight month. All three competitors went to a simulcast of a local television station for a time period due to Hurricane Irma in mid-September.
     WQAM dropped from a 1.1 to a 0.9 during September. The rescheduling of opening week for the Miami Dolphins and two games of the University of Miami Hurricanes football team did hurt. They were the first local sports station that returned to their regular format while their competitors lost their terrestrial transmitter signals.
      Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM lowered from a 0.9 to a 0.8 in the period. They did lose their transmitter signal and recovered it several days later after WQAM was up and running. The start of the FIU football season did not help matters.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained the same with a 0.2 for the third consecutive month. The Miami Marlins went into a losing slump in September and fell from playoff contention. WINZ did not have a live local sports show broadcast for over a week.

St. Thomas Aquinas Upset By Centennial

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders traveled out to Arizona and were upended by the Centennial Coyotes 12-0 on Friday night. The last time St. Thomas Aquinas(3-1) were shut out was by the Piper Bengals 21-0 back in 1996.
     The Raiders played their second games in the last five days. The previous time they lost a game was last season in Nevada to Bishop Gorman in overtime.
     Centennial(6-0) converted on a field goal in the first quarter. They put up another three points on a field goal with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter. Running back Zidane Thomas burst through the line on a 3rd-and-1 for a 56-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left in the game.

Marlins Come Back On Braves

     The Miami Marlins overcame a five-run deficit and slipped by the Atlanta Braves 6-5 at Marlins Park on Friday night. The Fish have two more games left in the regular season.
     Ozzie Albies led off the contest with a solo home run to right field on a 1-0 pitch for Atlanta(71-89). Four batters later, Lane Adams blasted a three-run homer to left on a 1-0 count which scored Kurt Suzuki and Freddie Freeman.
     The Braves made it a five-run gap in the second inning. Suzuki doubled to deep left for Albies to score on the play.
     The Marlins began to mount a comeback during the bottom of the sixth. Marcell Ozuna knocked in Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton with a double into left field.
     Miami(76-84) put together four runs in the seventh inning and got their first lead of the game. Stanton got an infield base hit and Tyler Moore crossed the plate. Ozuna followed with a single into center field for Miguel Rojas to score. Two batters later, Justin Bour ripped a single to right-center field to bring home Stanton and Ozuna.

Kings Academy Handles Calvary Christian

     The Kings Academy Lions struggled little to defeat the Calvary Christian Eagles 27-3 at Kahlert Stadium in West Palm Beach on Friday night. Both schools are both battling for Class 3A playoff spots in different regions.
     Calvary Christian(2-2) advanced the ball down the field late in the first quarter. The Eagles had to settle with a 23-yard field goal by Kyle Stevens with 46.5 seconds left in the first.
     After losing the ball on downs in the red zone three minutes into the second quarter, Kings Academy(4-0) roared back to take a 7-3 lead on their next possession. Running back Dillon Larson rushed up the middle from nine yards out for a touchdown at the 6:02 mark.
     The Lions scored on their first drive of the second half. Wide receiver Cory Corteau caught a 30-yard touchdown on the right hash marks from quarterback Justin Wake at 10:56 of the third quarter to go up 13-3.
     TKA expanded their margin to 17 points in the fourth quarter. Wake ran around the left end and scored from 10 yards away with 7:57 remaining. They added an insurance touchdown as Larson broke through the right side of the line for a five-yard score with 2:01 to go in the fourth.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Giancarlo Stanton Hits 58th And 59th Home Runs

     Giancarlo Stanton hit his 58th and 59th home runs of the season as the Miami Marlins took the Atlanta Braves 7-1 at Marlins Park on Thursday night. Stanton joined Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth as the seventh person in Major League Baseball history to get 59 home runs in a year.
     Miami(75-84) compiled four runs in the bottom of the third. Dee Gordon would score on a wild pitch by Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran. Justin Bour knocked in Stanton and Christian Yelich with a base hit into left field. Two batters later, Derek Dietrich hit a sacrifice fly to left and Marcell Ozuna crossed the plate.
     In the fourth inning, Stanton smashed a solo homer to left field on the first pitch for his 58th home run to make it 5-0.
     Atlanta(71-88) waited until the seventh inning to score. Lane Adams cracked a solo home run to center on a 2-0 count.
     The Marlins generated two additional runs during the bottom of the eighth. Stanton blasted a two-run home run to left field on the first pitch for his 59th homer of the year and Gordon scored in front of  him.

Oxbridge Academy Slams Glades Central

     The Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves pounded the Glades Central Raiders 31-0 on Thursday night at William H. Pitt Stadium. Both small schools are looking to qualify for the FHSAA playoffs with the new point system format.
     The Raiders first play from scrimmage was a throw by quarterback Jaeze Tracey intercepted by Thunderwolves defensive back Antavious Lane. Oxbridge Academy(3-1) was able to score on their first possession as quarterback Gio Richardson rushed in from one yard out to make it 7-0 at the 10:02 mark.
     The Thunderwolves reached the end zone again at 4:08 in the first quarter. Richardson raced down the field on an option run for a 20-yard touchdown. Running back James Meeks busted through for a score from 15 yards away with 2:34 left in the first quarter and Oxbridge led by 19 points.
     The second half remained the same as Glades Central(2-2) surrendered a score late in the third quarter with 1:13 to go. Running back Luis Gonzalez dashed in with a five-yard touchdown run. Richardson later found wide receiver V'Lique Carter on the left side of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown strike at 11:05 of the fourth and a 31-0 margin.

Panthers Get By Lightning Again

     Jared McCann scored a hat trick as the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Thursday night at BB&T Center. It was the second preseason game between both clubs in Sunrise over the past three days. The Panthers finish the preseason in Montreal and face the Canadiens on Friday night.
     Florida(4-0-1) moved out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:17 mark. Pirri sent a lead pass to Radim Vrbata down the left wing. He skated toward the crease, delayed his shot and put the puck by Peter Budaj for a 1-0 lead.
     The Panthers extended their margin to 2-1 at 14:24. Alex Petrovic fired a slapshot from the right side which was saved by Budaj. James McCann scored on the rebound from the top of the crease on a snap shot.
     Tampa Bay(2-4-0) scored on their second power-play opportunity with 1:05 left in the first period. Steven Stamkos placed a pass to Nikita Kucherov on the right wing. He passed to the middle of the slot where Alex Killorn redirected the puck past James Reimer and closed the gap to 2-1.
     In the second period, the Cats made it 3-1 at 13:32. James McGinn was in the left corner and centered the puck for McCann and he scored his second goal from close range.
     McCann scored his third goal of the contest midway through the third period at 9:53. He received a pass from Connor Brickley in the neutral zone. McCann skated inside the Lightning zone for a breakaway and put in a wrist shot.
     Vladislav Namestnikov popped in a goal from the slot area for the Lightning with 1:24 to go. Florida added an empty-net goal with 28.1 seconds left when Colton Sceviour ripped the puck around the boards in his defensive zone and it rolled into the Bolts cage.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Glades Central At Oxbridge Academy Preview

     The Glades Central Raiders challenge the Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves at William H. Pitt Stadium in West Palm Beach on Thursday night. Both teams appeared in the FHSAA playoffs in 2016.
     Glades Central(2-1) lost their home opener to University 14-13. The Raiders bounced back with two victories over Oakleaf 13-12 and Clewiston 28-7.
     James Blackman has moved on to Florida State and has been replaced at quarterback by Jaeze Tracey. Expect running back Steve Barrett to get most of the carries on offense. They have a wide receiver core that includes Dejuan Miller, Kamare Stephens, Jymetre Hester and Odieu Hilaire.
     Oxbridge Academy(2-1) lost a neutral-site game in Orlando to Archbishop Wood 14-13 to start the season. They followed that with two home blowout wins over Flanagan 69-0 and Cooper City 53-7.
     The Thunderwolves have Gio Richardson at quarterback along with a significant backfield of running backs Jordan Meeks and Luis Gonzalez. Richardson has several wide receiver targets with Keidron Smith, Carlos Silencieux, V'Lique Carter and De' John King.

Olympic Heights At Dwyer Preview

     The Olympic Heights Lions visit the Dwyer Panthers at Blum Stadium on Thursday night in a District 13-7A game. The Panthers shut out the Lions 48-0 last year in Boca Raton.
     Olympic Heights(1-1) had their best regular season in almost 15 years as they finished a close third place in the district last year. Head coach Chris Kokell surprised many as he left his position in late April for an evening sports host job at ESPN 106.3 WUUB-FM in West Palm Beach. Baz Alford replaced Kokell as the new head coach of the team.
     The Lions had a long layoff due to the impact of Hurricane Irma and have not played a game since September 1. OH lost on the road to Boynton Beach 20-7 and then won their home opener with a 20-0 shutout victory over Spanish River.
     Dwyer(2-1) comes off a tough road win over crosstown rival Palm Beach Gardens 33-25 last week. They began the season away with a 22-15 overtime win over Park Vista followed by a home defeat to Atlantic 21-12.
     The Panthers have many options to use in the backfield with running backs Bobby Armes, Reggie Gadsen and Cedric Tucker. Quarterback Trevor Omans dictates the pace for Dwyer and can throw to wide receivers Derrick Smith, Rudy Antoine, Cephus Smith, Zephanijah Fletcher and Andrew Kasten.

Chaminade-Madonna At Piper Preview

     The Piper Bengals host the Chaminade-Madonna Lions on Thursday night in Sunrise. Both schools qualified for the FHSAA playoffs last year.
     Chaminade-Madonna(1-2) will play their fourth straight game on the road to begin the season. Two home games in September had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. They fell to Miami Central 48-24, edged Miramar 14-13 and lost to American Heritage 41-13 in Plantation last week.
     The person to be aware of first on the Lions offense is running back Shaun Shivers who can break through for a touchdown from any distance of the field. Wide receivers Xavier Williams, Marlin Mayo and Marvin Alexander look to make receptions from quarterback Quinn Dempsey.
     Piper(0-2) has been held scoreless in their first two games of the season and have not played a game since September 1. They were blanked by Norland 43-0 and blasted by St. Thomas Aquinas 40-0. The lull of scoring production goes back to the three-way kickoff classic against American Heritage and Palm Beach Gardens where they only reached the end zone on the final play of the preseason.
     The Bengals have quarterback Derohn King to call the signals. He looks to connect passes with wide receivers Nathaniel Stubbs, Zachary Sewell, Jalind Williams and Brandon Joseph. Running backs Jacari Ponder and Jamarquez Thomas can get their share of carries.
 

Dwyane Wade Joins LeBron James In Cleveland

     Dwyane Wade has rejoined LeBron James on the same team as he signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract on Wednesday. He played last season with the Chicago Bulls following 13 seasons with the Miami Heat.
     Wade and James were teammates for four seasons with the Miami Heat from 2010-11 until 2013-14. They helped the Heat capture two NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and win four consecutive Eastern Conference championships from 2011 to 2014.

Miami Marlins Sale Approved

     The sale of the Miami Marlins by owner Jeffrey Loria to a group of investors that includes Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter was approved on Wednesday. All 29 Major League Baseball owners made it a unanimous decision via a conference call.
      Loria became the third owner in Marlins history when he purchased the club in 2002. The franchise made the playoffs just once during his reign in 2003 and eventually won the World Series that year. The Marlins changed the first name of the organization from Florida to Miami after the 2011 season.

Rockies Fall On Marlins

     The Miami Marlins played their final road game of the regular season and lost to the Colorado Rockies 15-9 on Wednesday at Coors Field. The Fish finish the 2017 season at home this weekend against the Atlanta Braves in a four-game set.
     Colorado(86-73) piled on six runs during the bottom of the second. Ian Desmond lifted a three-run home run to right-center field on the first pitch. Trevor Story and Mark Reynolds scored in front of him on the homer. Four batters later, Charlie Blackmon reached first on an infield single and Carlos Gonzalez scored to make it 4-0. Story came up to bat for the second time of the inning and drilled a single up the middle for Jonathan Lucroy and Blackmon to cross the plate.
     In the fourth inning, Miami(74-84) mounted some production with three runs. Derek Dietrich grounded into a fielder's choice at second for Christian Yelich to score. A.J. Ellis followed and he walloped a two-run homer to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch for his sixth home run of the year.
     The Rockies answered back in the bottom of the frame. Story powered a double down the left-field line and D.J. LeMahieu along with Nolan Arenado scored. Story later scored on a base hit by Desmond to center field.
     Colorado placed five more runs in the sixth inning and extended their margin to 14-3. The Marlins picked up six runs in the last two innings of the contest.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Rockies Blank Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were shut out by the Colorado Rockies 6-0 at Coors Field on Tuesday night. Miami(74-83) play their final road game of the regular season on Wednesday.
     Colorado(85-73) steamrolled over the Marlins in the first inning with four runs. Carlos Gonzalez grounded into a double play for Charlie Blackmon to score and made it 1-0. Three batters later, Trevor Story crushed a three-run homer to right field on a 3-2 pitch. Nolan Arenado and Mark Reynolds both scored on that play.
     The Rockies placed two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Arenado connected with a two-run home run to center field on a 0-1 count and Gonzalez scored.

Panthers Strike Lightning

     The Florida Panthers played their first home game of the preseason and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. Both teams will meet again in Sunrise on Thursday night.
     Neither club scored in the first period and it would change in the second. The Panthers put in a tally 42 seconds into the second frame. Aleksander Barkov won a face-off in the right circle, pulled the puck back and Jonathan Huberdeau snapped a shot by Andrei Vasilevskiy.
     Florida(3-0-1) increased their lead to 2-0 on their third power play of the contest. Vincent Trocheck was at the top of the zone and sent the puck to Barkov at the left point. His slapshot was redirected in by Huberdeau at the top of the crease with 14:03 left in the second.
     In the third period, Tampa Bay(2-3-0) got on the scoreboard. Dan Girardi fired a shot from the blue line that was deflected in by Ryan Callahan at 7:35.
     The Panthers extended the margin with 7:04 remaining to make it 3-1. Connor Brickley put in a wrist shot from the right circle following assists by Mark Pysyk and Derek MacKenzie.
     The Lightning picked up a goal with 1:03 to go by Nikita Kucherov. The Cats got an empty-net goal by Trocheck with 21.5 seconds left.

Florida Panthers Radio Network

     The Florida Panthers announced components of their radio network for the 2017-18 season. Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM remains the flagship station for the club. Affiliates will include 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM in West Palm Beach, WAXE-AM along with WAXE-FM in Fort Pierce and WCTH-FM in the Florida Keys.
     The announcing crew remains the same for the upcoming season. Play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens and radio analyst Bill Lindsay return together for a third straight season. Alex Donno will be the studio host on weekday games while Kevin Rogers has the weekend games.

Monday, September 25, 2017

Marlins Win Over Rockies

     Marlins pitcher Kyle Barraclough compiled his first career save as the Miami topped the Colorado Rockies 5-4 at Coors Field. The Rockies remain in front for the second National League Wild Card spot.
     Miami(74-82) broke through with four runs in the fourth inning. J.T. Realmuto knocked in Marcell Ozuna with a base hit into center field. Miguel Rojas later connected with a three-run double to left-center field which scored Justin Bour, Realmuto and Derek Dietrich.
     The Rockies attempted to get back in the contest during the bottom of the fifth. Charlie Blackmon drove in Alexi Amarista with a single to left.
     In the sixth inning, the Fish made it a four-run cushion again. Rojas doubled again and this time to deep center to bring home Dietrich.
     Colorado(84-73) got a run in on a ground out by Gerardo Parra to first in the bottom of the frame. They added two more runs in the seventh inning. Jonathan Lucroy belted a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch. Four batters later, Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly to center and Raimel Tapia crossed the plate.

Chicago Bulls Buyout Dwyane Wade

     The Chicago Bulls have bought out the contract of guard Dwayne Wade and he now becomes a free agent. He was due to make $23.8 million for the upcoming 2017-18 season. He averaged 18.3 points and 3.8 assists per game in his 60 games with the Bulls last season.
     Wade is most known for playing with the Miami Heat for 13 seasons. He helped the franchise win their three NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

Stranahan At St. Thomas Aquinas Preview

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders host the Stranahan Dragons at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Monday night. This game was rescheduled from September 15 due to Hurricane Irma.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(2-0) will be playing two contests in the next four days. They travel to Arizona and face Centennial on Friday night. The Raiders beat St. John Bosco in overtime 9-3 for their home opener and followed that with a 40-0 shutout victory over Piper.
     Curt Casteel starts in the quarterback position for STA and has wide receivers Elijah Moore, Tavares Kelly, Teriq Philips and Cole Caterbone as targets downfield. Running backs Daniel Carter and Samuel Llewellyn will get their share of carries. The Raiders secondary is stacked with talent that includes Asante Samuel Jr., Al Blades Jr., Trenell Troutman and Adetutu Daranijo.
     Stranahan(2-0) is off to their best start of the season since 2009 when they had Willie Tindal as their top player. The Dragons knocked off Blanche Ely 30-13 in their home opener and stopped Hallandale on Friday night. The main emphasis of their offense will be quarterback Marquel Dillard.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Diamondbacks Outlast Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks outlasted the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Sunday. The Fish head to Colorado for their final road stop of the regular season.
     The Marlins took a 1-0 lead during the top of the third inning. Giancarlo Stanton knocked in Dan Straily with a base hit into center field.
     Miami(73-82) made it a two-run margin in the fourth inning. Brian Anderson powered a ground-rule double to right and J.T. Realmuto crossed the plate.
     The Diamonbacks began to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Chris Hermann smashed a solo home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch.
     Arizona(90-66) tied it up 2-2 in the eighth inning. Daniel Descalso drove in Paul Goldschmidt with a base hit into center field.
     In the ninth inning, the D-backs got the victory. J.D. Martinez singled to left field and David Peralta scored the winning run.

Jets Stop Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins struggled and lost to the New York Jets 20-6 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Fins played their second of three consecutive games away from Miami.
     Chandler Catanzaro gave the Jets a 3-0 lead on a 40-yard field goal at 7:21 of the second quarter. New York(2-1) made it 10-0 as quarterback Josh McCown threw a 69-yard touchdown pass up the middle of the field to wide receiver Robby Anderson with 1:51 left in the first half.
     The Jets continued to roll in the third quarter when running back Bilal Powell scored from one yard out at the 9:52 mark for a 17-point margin. Catanzaro added another field goal, this time from 22 yards away, with 1:38 to go in the third.
     Miami(1-1) finally got on the scoreboard with six seconds remaining in the game. Quarterback Jay Cutller connected a three-yard pass to wide receiver DeVante Parker.

Miami FC Blanks Jacksonville

     Miami FC went on the road and shut out Jacksonville Armada FC 3-0 at Hodges Stadium on Sunday. Miami FC(6-1-2) who has not lost a game to Jacksonville Armada FC(2-3-4) in their two-year rivalry, extended their unbeaten streak to seven games.
     Stefano Pinho made it 1-0 at the 15th minute for the only goal of the first half. Jaime Chavez scored two goals in the 90th minute and during stoppage time. He now has scored nine goals in the last seven games for the club.
   

Saturday, September 23, 2017

St. Andrew's Tops Inlet Grove

     The St. Andrew's Scots handled the Inlet Hurricanes 35-16 at Don Jones Memorial Field on Saturday. The Scots are undefeated after three games for the first time in more than 15 years.
     St. Andrew's(3-0) scored on their first possession early in the first quarter at 10:26. Quarterback Wyatt Ruth threw the ball to the right side and wide receiver Jason Otis caught a four-yard touchdown pass. Otis would later make an interception and returned it 33 yards for a score with 5:57 left in the first.
     In the second quarter, the Scots added to their margin. Ruth connected with Otis on a 70-yard touchdown pass up the middle at the 7:52 mark to make it 20-0. Wide receiver Michael Carbone added to the lead as he caught a six-yard pass from Ruth on the right side of the end zone from Ruth with 3:55 left in the first half.
     Inlet Grove(0-3) reached the end zone with 2:48 to go. Quarterback Frank Huggins threw a short screen pass to Keron Hines-Ward. He brought it through the secondary and scored from 62 yards out. Huggins busted across the line for a two-point conversion and closed the gap 27-8.
     Ruth compiled his fourth touchdown pass of the contest, which was for 14 yards, for St. Andrew's with 2.4 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Otis received the ball at the six-yard line, broke through three tacklers and reached over the goal line with the ball for the touchdown.

Future Marlins Ownership Releases Consultants

     The future owners of the Miami Marlins, associated with Derek Jeter, announced that they have let go of several consultants who work for current Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and team president David Samson. The personnel released includes Andre Dawson, Tony Perez and Jeff Conine and Jack McKeon.
     Dawson finished his major league career with the Marlins in 1996 and then joined the front office. Perez was part of the Marlins organization for almost 25 years. Conine, known as Mr. Marlin, played two stints with the Marlins franchise and helped the team win two World Series in 1997 and 2003. Jack McKeon managed the Marlins to the title in 2003 and moved back to the front office.

Marlins Eliminated From Playoff Race

     The Miami Marlins were eliminated from the playoff race on Friday night. The club has not made the postseason since 2003.
     The Colorado Rockies, who have the second wild cart spot in the National League, won their game over the Padres in San Diego 20 minutes prior to the end of the Marlins game in Arizona. The Fish lost their game to the Diamondbacks 13-11.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Dwyer Defeats Palm Beach Gardens

     The Dwyer Panthers held on to beat their crosstown rivals the Palm Beach Gardens Gators 33-25 at Mullinax Ford Stadium on Friday night. The Panthers topped the Gators for the ninth consecutive time.
     The first quarter started off slow with a 45-minute weather delay at the 8:01 mark. After play resumed, Dwyer(2-1) punched in a score with 1.6 seconds left as running back Bobby Armes ran over left tackle from one yard away.
     In the second quarter, Palm Beach Gardens(2-1) make it 7-6 with 2:31 remaining. Quarterback Chris Sancilio threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Armani Hayes near the middle of the end zone.
     The Panthers extended their margin early in the third quarter at 9:16. Wide receiver Rudy Antoine caught a pass on the left sideline from quarterback Trevor Omans and rambled in for a 65-yard score.
     The Gators tied the contest 13-13 just over one minute later. Sancilio lobbed a pass to the left side of the end zone and wide receiver Antonie Lane got under it for an 11-yard touchdown play.
     Dwyer responded on their next possession and got near the red zone on a 53-yard reception by wide receiver Derrick Smith to the Gators 21-yard line. Three plays later, Armes went around the left end on a wildcat formation and scored from one yard out with 6:14 to go in the third.
     Both teams combined for 25 points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. Palm Beach Gardens was in striking distance and had the ball at the Panthers one-yard line. Sancilio scrambled to the left side and was stripped of the ball near the goal line. Defensive back Carl Willis returned it 99 yards for a touchdown and a Dwyer 26-13 lead with 3:05 left.
     Palm Beach Gardens responded on their next possession quickly and wide receiver Deonte Cooley capped the drive with a 32-yard touchdown catch from Sancilio with 2:19 remaining to close the gap 26-19.
     Dwyer moved it back to a 14-point margin with 1:07 to go. Armes busted through with his third touchdown run which was for 77 yards. The Gators did score a touchdown in the final seconds of the game.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Miami Marlins Remain Alive

     The Miami Marlins still remained alive in the playoff race. The Colorado Rockies lost the Padres 3-0 in San Diego on Thursday night.
     The Marlins are now 9 1/2 games behind the Rockies for the second National League wild-card spot with 10 games left in the regular season. The Fish begin a three-game series in Arizona against the Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Chaminade-Madonna At American Heritage Preview

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions head up to Plantation and play the American Heritage Patriots at Heritage Field on Friday night. Both schools made in to the state championship game in Orlando last year. The Patriots captured their third FHSAA Class 5A state title in the last four years while the Lions fell in the Class 3A championship game.
     Chaminade-Madonna(1-1) played their first two game on the road against tough competition. They lost to Miami Central 48-24 in Week 1 and got by Miramar 14-13 in Week 2.
     The emphasis of the Lions offense will come from running back Shaun Shivers. Wide receiver Xavier Williams is looked upon as the deep threat on receptions while Marlin Mayo can catch the short-range passes. Quarterbacks Quinn Dempsey and Daeien Menard call the signals on offense.
     American Heritage(2-0) have not yet played a high school based in the state of Florida. They went to Virginia and beat Bishop Sullivan Catholic 14-7 followed by a home shutout victory over Liberty 31-0.
     The Patriots are led by quarterback Cam Smith with a backfield that consist of running backs Jordan Johnson, Miles Jones and Tyler Jones. American Heritage has a set of wide receivers that includes Anthony Schwartz, Joshua Alexander and Tyler March.
   

Marlins Squash Mets

     The Miami Marlins finished off a short three-game home stand with a sweep and a 9-2 victory over the New York Mets at Marlins Park on Wednesday. The Fish have rolled off four wins in their last five games.
     The Marlins moved out to the lead in the first inning. Marcell Ozuna lined a base hit into right field for Giancarlo Stanton to score.
     Miami(72-80) compiled three more runs in the bottom of the third. Ozuna send a base hit through the middle of the infield and Christian Yelich scored. Justin Bour followed with a two-run homer to center field on a 0-2 pitch.
     In the fourth inning, the Fish continued their scoring momentum. Stanton singled into right-center field to score Miguel Rojas.
     New York(65-87) broke the shutout in the fifth inning. Travis d'Arnaud sliced a single inside the right-field line with two out which brought in Kevin Plawecki. Brandon Nimmo added a solo homer down the right-field line on a 1-1 count in the top of the seventh to make it 5-2.
     The Marlins placed four more runs on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. A.J. Ellis and Rojas combined for back-to-back solo home runs. It was capped by a Stanton home run to left field for his 56th homer of the season which leads the majors. Stanton reached 120 RBI as Gordon scored in front of him.

Marlins Get By Mets

     The Miami Marlins overcame the New York Mets 5-4 in 10 innings at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. The Fish have won three of their last four games.
     New York(65-86) scooted out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jose Reyes hit a solo home run to right field on a 1-1 count.
     The Marlins evened the contest during the fourth inning. Christian Yelich connected with a solo homer to left on a 2-1 pitch.
     In the sixth inning, the Mets regained the lead. Travis d'Arnaud blasted a two-run home run to center on the first pitch and Reyes scored in front of him on the play. New York made it 4-1 in the top of the ninth when Reyes knocked in Phillip Evans on a base hit to right.
     Miami(71-80) pulled off a comeback with three runs in the bottom of the ninth against former Marlins pitcher A.J. Ramos. Justin Bour smashed a solo homer to right field on a 2-2 pitch. A.J. Ellis drove in J.T. Realmuto with a single into right field. The Fish tied the game when Ichiro Suzuki knocked in Brian Anderson on a base hit to left.
     The Marlins got the victory in the 10th inning. Realmuto pounded a solo homer to left field on a 1-1 count.

Dillard At Deerfield Beach Preview

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks host the Dillard Panthers at Butler Stadium on Friday night. Both schools won district titles last year.
     Dillard(0-2) was at home for their first two games of the regular season. They were handled by Booker T. Washington 25-8 in the opener and fell to Western 20-16 in Week 2. The Panthers have a wide receiver core that includes Bryce Oliver, Joshua Freeman, Elijah Black and Dandre Jones. Running back Keyondre White will get most of the carries for Dillard.
     Deerfield Beach(1-1) started the regular season on the road against two powerhouses from different states. They went to Miami and topped the defending FHSAA Class 6A state champion Carol City 6-2, then visited New Jersey the following week and lost to St. Joseph Regional 44-21. The Bucks have a talented backfield with running backs Jakari Norwood and Jaylan Knighton. Quarterback duties are handled by Kyle Kaplan and Tyler Herring. They look to connect with wide receivers Cornelius McCoy, Donte Banton and Deajeun McDougle.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Panthers Split Doubleheader Against Predators

     The Florida Panthers were involved in their annual preseason doubleheader contests against the Nashville Predators. This year it was held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Panthers have faced the Predators in a preseason doubleheader every year since September 2011. The exception was 2012 due to the NHL lockout.
     Florida was able to win the first game 5-3 over the Predators. Connor Brickley had two goals in the initial contest for the Panthers and Denis Malgin scored into an empty net with 29 seconds remaining in the third period.
     Mike Matheson, Jonathan Ang and Malgin settled for two points while the Panthers 2017 first-round draft pick Owen Tippett had one assist. Nashville was led by P.K. Subban who had two assists and Viktor Arvidsson compiled one goal along with one assist.
     The Panthers lost the second game to the Preds 3-2 in overtime. Vincent Trocheck scored an unassisted power-play goal in the first period for a 1-0 lead. Jared McCann tied the contest 2-2 midway through the third period on an unassisted power-play goal. Nashville was victorious in overtime on a goal by Miikka Salomaki.

Miami Herald Limits Florida Panthers Beat

     The Miami Herald has decided to cut back on their day-by-day coverage of the Florida Panthers. Their beat reporter George Richards has been reassigned to another area of the sports department.
     Richards became the Florida Panthers beat writer for that newspaper while the National Hockey League was in a lockout in 2005. He replaced David J. Neal who was the Panthers beat writer from 1993 until the lockout.
     The newspaper had covered less road games of the team last season than any time during the 25-year history of the NHL franchise. Richards was not assigned to cover any road games out of the state of Florida in the first two months of the season until the Cats played in Chicago against the Blackhawks on November 29. Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant was fired by the club two days prior in Carolina with no local newspaper Florida Panthers beat writers at that game.

Park Vista At Atlantic Preview

     It is a rematch between the top two teams from District 10 in Class 8A last year as the Park Vista Cobras challenge the Atlantic Eagles in Delray Beach on Friday night. The Cobras beat the Eagles last season to capture the district title.
     A major storyline in this game is running back Corey Cola, Jr.  He transferred from Park Vista to Atlantic during the summer. The last time there was a transfer of a Park Vista player with major impact to another school rival was by quarterback Eddie Sullivan to Boca Raton after the 2007 season.
     Park Vista(1-1) began the season with two close contests. They lost their home opener to Dwyer 22-15 in overtime then went to West Boca Raton and won 27-21. The Cobras have John Smith to call the plays on offense as quarterback and have two-way standout player Atorian Perry who will be at wide receiver and defensive back.
     Atlantic(1-1) play their home opener following two games on the road to start the season. They were edged by Palm Beach Central 14-13 and defeated Dwyer 21-12.
     The Eagles have Antoine Williams II as quarterback and he looks to connect passes with wide receivers Corey Gammage, Cadarius Gaskin, Varrick Lurry-Davis, Javone Jackson, Kamereon Williams and Aydin Henningham. They are loaded in the backfield with running backs Shelley Singletary and Cola.

Dwyer At Palm Beach Gardens Preview

     The crosstown rivals battle it out in North Palm Beach County as the Dwyer Panthers head four miles south on Military Trail and face the Palm Beach Gardens Gators Friday night. The Panthers, who came back in the fourth quarter at home last year to beat the Gators 12-7, have won the last eight meetings between both schools.
     Dwyer(1-1) opened the season with a 22-15 overtime victory on the road against Park Vista. They returned home and were edge by Atlantic 21-12 in Week 2.
     After the season-ending injury to safety Cameron Jonas prior to the start of the season, the team returns no starters on defense from last season. Quarterback Trevor Omans calls the signals for the Panthers on offense. Dwyer has a combination of running backs Reggie Gasden and Cedric Tucker in the backfield. Omans looks to connect with wide receivers Derrick Smith, Cephus Smith, Zephanijah Fletcher and Andrew Kasten.
     Palm Beach Gardens(2-0) were dominate in their first two games of the season as they outscored their opponents 96-7. They went to John I. Leonard and smashed the Lancers 55-7 in Week 1 and shut out Royal Palm Beach at home during the following week 41-0.
     The Gators defense is led by safety and special teams return specialist Gurvan Hall. He transferred over from Palm Beach Lakes and helped the Rams finish as a district runner-up to Dwyer last season. Palm Beach Gardens have both Chris Sancilio and David Studstill at the quarterback position. Wide receivers Deonte Cooley, Armani Hayes, Jake Hockenson and Ponce Hollowell will try to get open down the field. Running backs Kevon Purnell and Pedro Epps are expected to get their share of carries.

Monday, September 18, 2017

High School Football Back This Week

     High school football will return to South Florida for the upcoming week in Palm Beach County and Broward County. Game to be played over the previous two weekends had to be postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Irma throughout the region.
     All high schools will resume their slate of contests on Friday as they face their Week 5 opponents. Most schools have rescheduled their delayed Week 4 games from last week for October 2 which is on a Monday.

Marlins Pound Mets

     The Miami Marlins returned home and disposed the New York Mets 13-1 at Marlins Park on Monday night. It was the first home game for the Marlins since Hurricane Irma ravaged South Florida last week. The Fish have won two of their last three games.
     In the 1st inning, Miami(70-80) moved out ahead. Justin Bour singled to right field to score Tomas Telis. Giancarlo Stanton scored on a wild pitch in the third inning.
     New York(65-85) scored their only run in the contest during the top of the fourth. Gavin Cecchini punched a base hit up the middle which scored Juan Lagares.
     The Fish made it 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Stanton crushed a three-run homer to center field on a 1-0 pitch. It was his 55th home run of the season and that leads Major League Baseball.
     The Marlins added seven runs in the fifth inning. A Dee Gordon two-run double to right-center field was able to score Ichiro Suzuki and Mike Aviles. Stanton followed with a single to left-center field and Gordon scored. Marcell Ozuna hit a base hit through the left side of the infield and Telis crossed the plate. Brian Anderson was the last player in the starting lineup to get on base as he tripled to deep center field for Stanton and Bour to score. Anderson then scored on a single by Ichiro to right field for a 12-1 lead.
     In the seventh inning, Miami concluded the scoring. Ozuna walloped his 34th home run of the year on a 0-1 pitch to left field.

Dolphins Escape From L.A.

     The Miami Dolphins nipped the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 at StudHub Center on Sunday. It was the season opener for the Fins because they had their home opener in Miami last week rescheduled due to Hurricanes Irma.
     The Chargers played their first home game in Los Angeles since 1960. They moved away from San Diego during the summer after a 56-year run.
     Miami(1-0) put up the first points on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Cody Parkey connected with a 30-yard field goal at 7:13.
     The second quarter belonged to Los Angeles(0-2) as they pulled ahead 10-3. Younghee Koo made a 41-yard field goal at the 13:46 mark. Running back Melvin Gordon would burst up the middle on a one-yard touchdown run with 5:05 remaining in the first half.
     Both teams exchanged touchdowns during the third quarter. Quarterback Jay Cutler threw his first touchdown pass since he joined the Dolphins in early August. Wide receiver Kenny Stills made a 29-yard reception for the score to tie it 10-10 at 12:15.
     The Chargers regained the lead 17-10 with 8:24 to go in the third. Tight end Antonio Gates caught a seven-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the end zone from quarterback Phillip Rivers. Gates set an NFL record for most touchdowns catches in  a career by a tight end with his 112th to surpass Tony Gonzalez.
     The Dolphins cut the margin several times in the second half on the foot of Parkey, who once kicked with the Jupiter Warriors while in high school. Parkey put through a 28-yard field goal at the 2:48 mark of the third quarter.
     He followed that with a 35-yard field goal with 6:32 remaining in the fourth. Parkey connected with the go-ahead field goal from 54 yards away with 1:10 left in the contest to give the Dolphins a 19-17 lead. Koo missed a field goal for Los Angeles in the final seconds of the game that gave Miami the victory.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Panthers Acquire Jamie McGinn For Jason Demers

     The Florida Panthers have dealt defenseman Jason Demers to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Jamie McGinn. Demers joined the Panthers as a free agent prior to the start of the 2016-17 season and he had nine goals along with 19 assists in 81 games for his lone season with Florida.
     McGinn played last season with the Coyotes and compiled nine goals and eight assists in 72 games. He previously has been with the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks during his nine-year NHL career.

Brewers Bomb Marlins

     The Miami Marlins finished their three-game series in Milwaukee, where they were designated as the home team due to Hurricane Irma, and lost to the Brewers 10-3 on Sunday. The Marlins have lost seven of eight games and 17 of their last 20 games.
     Just about all of the scoring in the contest happened in the fourth inning. Milwaukee(79-70) compiled eight runs in the top of the frame. Manny Pina drove in Travis Shaw with a base hit to center, then Hernan Perez placed an infield single for Jesus Aguilar to score. Domingo Santana would clear the bases with a three-run double to deep center field that scored Manny Pina, Brandon Woodruff and Perez.
     Shaw made it 4-0 as he knocked in Santana on a single into center. Aguilar followed with a base hit to left field which brought in Ryan Braun. Pina capped the eight-run spurt with a single to left field for Shaw to score.
     Miami(69-80) responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Derek Dietrich hooked a single to right field and Marcell Ozuna crossed the plate. Ichiro Suzuki later hit a two-run double into left field that scored Justin Bour and Dietrich.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Marlins Stop Brewers

     The Miami Marlins topped the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 at Miller Park on Saturday night. The Marlins, who were designated the home team due to Hurricane Irma, ended a six-game losing streak with the victory.
     Milwaukee(78-70) scored in the top of the first inning. Travis Shaw grounded out to second for Hernan Perez to score.
     The momentum changed when Miami(69-79) put up four runs. Christian Yelich drove in Dee Gordon with a base hit into center. Marcell Ozuna followed with a single to right which brought in Giancarlo Stanton. Justin Bour then hit a sacrifice fly into center field that scored Yelich. Miguel Rojas capped the frame with a RBI-single to center and Ozuna scored.
     The Fish made it 6-1 in the third inning. Derek Dietrich ripped a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch.
     The Brewers went deep twice in the top of the sixth inning. Ryan Braun connected on a solo home run to right on a 3-2 pitch and Shaw nailed a homer to right field on a 0-1 count.
     In the seventh inning, the Marlins got an insurance run. Gordon crossed the plate on a single by Bour to right field.
   

Friday, September 15, 2017

Brewers Outdistance Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 at Miller Park on Friday night. The Fish extended their losing streak to six games and have lost 16 of their last 18 games.
     The Marlins began a three-game series in which they are designated as the home team. They had to play the three games away from Miami due to the impact of Hurricane Irma in South Florida earlier this week.
     Miami(68-79) moved out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Justin Bour knocked in J.T. Realmuto with a base hit to go in front.
     Milwaukee(78-69) answered back when Stephen Vogt cracked a two-run homer to tie the contest at 2-2.
     The Brewers piled on eight runs in the top of the eighth and extended their margin to 10-2. It tied a season-high with most runs in an inning for Milwaukee which they got in Chicago against the Cubs on Saturday.
     Eric Thames started the big rally with a solo home run on the first pitch. Neil Walker smashed a grand-slam home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch. Domingo Santana later added a three-run homer on a 1-2 count to left-center field.

High School Football Games Cancelled Again

     High school football games to be played throughout South Florida have been postponed for the second consecutive week. No schools in Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County were opened this week due to the impact of Hurricane Irma.
      Football teams were also prohibited to hold any practices on school grounds in preparation of upcoming games. Several games to be held this week were district contests and may have to be made up.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Phillies Bash Marlins

     The Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game series sweep over the Miami Marlins with a 10-0 shutout victory at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday night. The Marlins have fallen in five consecutive games and 15 of their last 17 games.
     Miami(68-78) will head to Milwaukee and face the Brewers in a three-game series that was scheduled to be played in South Florida. The games were shifted away from Miami on Wednesday. The Marlins will be designated as the home team for all three games.
     Philadelphia(57-89) did their damage in the first two innings of the contest as they put together nine runs. In the first inning, Cesar Hernandez scored on a wild pitch with Rhys Hoskins at-bat. Freddy Galvis made it 2-0 as he crossed the plate on a passed ball.
     The Phillies began the seven-run rally in the bottom of the second as Jorge Alfaro belted a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 count. Three batters later, Galvis connected with a two-run homer to center on a 3-1 pitch that also scored Hernandez for a 5-0 lead.
     Hoskins continued with the hot bat over the past month as he smashed a two-run homer to right field on a 0-2 count for his 18th home run of the season. Odubel Herrera scored in front of him on the play. J.P. Crawford capped the frame as he drove in Nick Williams along with Maikel Franco with a base hit into center field and the Phils held a nine-run margin.
   

Matthew DeFranks New Florida Panthers Writer

     The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has named Matthew DeFranks as their new beat reporter on the Florida Panthers. He replaces Harvey Fialkov who covered the team from 2011 until August 2017.
     DeFranks has covered Florida Atlantic University athletics since 2016. He becomes the sixth person from that newspaper to cover the Panthers in 24 years. DeFranks joins a list of writers from the Sun-Sentinel that includes Dave Joseph, Ray Murray, Michael Russo, Steve Gorten and Harvey Fialkov.

Sports Stations On Hurricane Irma

     All six South Florida English-language sports talk format radio stations kept the public informed as they continuously broadcast the whereabouts and impact of Hurricane Irma for the past week. The six local stations piped in a simulcast of a local television station during the storm.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM had a simulcast of WFOR-TV Channel 4. They were the first South Florida sports station in the region that returned to their regular format. Afternoon co-host Marc Hochman began to host a show on Monday at 12:30 P.M. WQAM went with their entire local weekday lineup on Tuesday.
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM beamed in a simulcast of WPLG-TV Channel 10. They were unable to broadcast a signal from their transmitter until Thursday. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that is syndicated on ESPN Radio was not on the air for several days. ESPN talent like Elle Duncan, David Lloyd and others filled in earlier this week.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM piped in a simulcast of WTVJ-TV Channel 6. They went local and did broadcast the 610 WIOD=AM morning show with Jimmy Cefalo and Manny Munoz on Wednesday. Syndicated sports talk from Fox Sports Radio then followed them. WINZ weekday sports hosts Jeff DeForest and Andy Slater did not have a local show that day.
     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM was the main radio station in the area to broadcast WPTV-TV Channel 5. They switched back to the sports format on Monday at 2:30 P.M. when Josh Cohen, Jeremy Marks-Peltz and Mike Mreczko began to broadcast for the rest of the afternoon.
     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM was able to simulcast WPEC-TV Channel 12. They moved back to broadcasting the syndicated CBS Sports Radio Network on Tuesday morning.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM went off-the-air and stopped transmitting a signal on Sunday. They returned on Monday as they began to broadcast a Spanish-language music format and continued to do that as of Thursday.

   
   

Marlins Move Home Series To Milwaukee

     The Miami Marlins will move their upcoming weekend series against the Brewers to Milwaukee due the impact of Hurricane Irma on the South Florida region. Those games will be played at Miller Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
     Miami is to be designated as the home team in all three games. The Fish did play earlier this year in Milwaukee on June 29, June 30 and July 1. It is expected that the club returns to South Florida and host the New York Mets at Marlins Park starting Monday night. The Marlins once were displaced from being in Miami following a hurricane in 2004 and had to play the Montreal Expos in the White Sox home ballpark in Chicago.

Phillies Wallop Marlins

     The Philadelphia Phillies pounded the Miami Marlins 8-1 on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Miami(68-77) has lost four straight games and 14 of their last 16 games. Philadelphia(56-89) goes for the series sweep on Thursday.
     The only bright spot for the Marlins was during the third inning when they tied the contest 1-1. Christian Yelich cracked a solo home run to center field on a 2-1 pitch.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Braves Come Back On Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were edged by the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Saturday night at SunTrust Park. The Marlins have lost six of their seven games and 11 of 13.
     Miami(68-74) got out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton smashed a solo homer to center field on a 2-1 pitch for his major league leading 54th home run of the season.
     The Marlins added three more runs in the top of the fourth. J.T. Realmuto tripled to left-center field and Marcell Ozuna scored. Brian Anderson followed with a base hit to right for Realmuto to score. Miguel Rojas later grounded out to short and Anderson crossed the plate.
     Atlanta(63-78) mounted a comeback in bottom of the fourth. Johan Camargo ripped a two-run homer to left field on a 1-0 pitch. Ozzie Albies doubled to left field and Lane Adams scored.
     The Braves would have the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 5-5. Ender Inciarte walked and Dansby Swanson came home for the winning run.

Miami And Florida State Game Rescheduled

     The University of Miami Hurricanes football game against the Florida State University Seminoles in Tallahassee will be rescheduled. The impending storm Hurricane Irma and its possible impact on the state of Florida is the main reason.
     The contest between the Canes and Noles was scheduled for next week on September 16. The game will now be played on October 7. The Hurricanes home game against Georgia Tech was scheduled for October 12 which is a Thursday night. It will be played instead on October 14.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Marlins Swing By Braves

     The Miami Marlins ended a five-game losing streak with a 7-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on Friday night. It was the second game of a four-game series between both clubs.
     The Marlins mounted an attack during the top of the second. Miguel Rojas drove in Justin Bour with a base hit through the right side of the infield. Jose Urena followed with a single to right-center field which scored Ichiro Suzuki.
     Derek Dietrich expanded the Miami(68-73) lead in the third inning. He connected on a 1-1 pitch to right field for his 10th home run of the year.
     In the fourth inning, Atlanta(62-78) broke the shutout. Freddie Freeman smashed a solo homer on a 3-1 count for his 25th home run of the season.
     The Fish compiled four more runs in the ninth inning to put the contest away. Rojas drove in Ichiro on a double to deep center. Rojas eventually scored on a base hit by Dee Gordon into center field. Tyler Moore later lined a single into right field for Giancarlo Stanton and Gordon to score.

West Palm Beach Ratings August 2017

     A new era began in the West Palm Beach market as the region increased to three sports talk format radio stations. It now consists of ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM, 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM and Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM.
     640 The Hurricane dropped from a 0.5 to a 0.4 in the period. The station felt the impact of the New York Yankees as they try to make the playoffs. They continue to air syndicated shows from Fox Sports Radio and NBC Sports Radio Network.
     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone flipped to a sports talk format on July 31. After three months with a 0.0, the station ended up with a 0.1 in August. WBZT-AM has gone with piping in CBS Sports Radio Network during weekdays and weekends along with the Miami Marlins Radio Network. The Jeff DeForest Show from Miami can be heard in morning drive.

   

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Braves Come Back On Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves came from behind and topped the Miami Marlins 6-5 at SunTrust Park on Thursday night. The Fish extended their losing streak to five games and have fallen in 10 of their last 11 games.
     Miami(67-73) broke out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Christian Yelich drilled a single through the right side of the infield for Dee Gordon to score. Marcell Ozuna followed with a triple off the right-field fence and Yelich scored. Brian Anderson got his first career RBI on a base hit to shallow center field and brought in Ozuna.
     In the second inning, Atlanta(62-77) climbed back into the contest with two runs. Jace Peterson knocked in Rio Ruiz and Dansby Swanson with a single into left field.
     The Braves took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Ender Inciarte tripled to right-center field and then scored on a sacrifice fly Ozzie Albies. Matt Kemp later smashed a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch.
     The Marlins were able to tie it up in the seventh inning. Ozuna connected with a single into left-center field and Giancarlo Stanton crossed the plate.
     The Fish regained the lead 5-4 in the top of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki drove in Anderson with a base hit into shallow left field.
      The Bravos rallied in the bottom of the ninth for the victory. Albies pounded a double into left-center field and Nick Markakis scored. Two batters later, Kurt Suzuki lined a single down the left-field line and Freddie Freeman scored the winning run.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Nationals Sweep Marlins Again

     The Washington Nationals swept the Miami Marlins with an 8-1 win at Marilns Park on Wednesday night. It was the second time in two weeks that the Nationals took a three-game set. The Fish have lost nine of their last ten games and are now behind the Nats in the National League East by 18 games.
     Washington(85-54) attacked in the first inning with two runs. Ryan Zimmerman knocked in Trea Turner with a single into left field. Zimmerman then scored on a double by Howie Kendrick to left.
     The Nationals extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Zimmerman smacked a solo home run to right field on a 3-0 pitch.
     In the sixth inning, the Nats compiled two more runs. Anthony Rendon scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Jayson Werth. Jose Lobaton would walk with the bases loaded and Rendon crossed the plate.
     Michael A. Taylor socked a solo home run to left field on the first pitch during the top of the eighth. In the ninth inning, Trea Turner scored on a base hit by Anthony Rendon through the left side of the infield.
     Miami(67-72) got on the scoreboard during their final opportunity in the bottom of the ninth. Miguel Rojas grounded out to first for J.T. Realmuto to score.

Miami FC Tie New York Cosmos

     Miami FC continued their stranglehold of the NASL with a 3-3 tie to the New York Cosmos at Riccardo Silva Stadium on Wednesday night. Jamie Chavez scored three goals as Miami FC remain on top of the NASL Fall Season standings. They are now unbeaten in their last six games.
     The Cosmos took the early lead on a goal by Bledi Bardic in the 10th minute. Miami FC(5-1-2) bounced with a tally Jaime Chavez in the 44th minute to tie the contest. It was the fifth consecutive game that Chavez had scored a goal.
     Chavez nailed his second goal of the game on a rebound during the 63rd minute. New York(1-4-2) was able to even it again in the 80th minute on a shot by Pablo Vranjican
     In the 90th minute, Chavez accomplished the hat trick with his third goal of the contest and a 3-2 lead. The Cosmos would tie it 3-3 three minutes into injury time as Javi Marquez blasted a long shot from the left side.
   

Miami Ratings August 2017

     There was a new top sports format radio station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM stopped the consecutive five-month run of Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAX'Y-AM as the leader in the market.
     WQAM bumped up from a 0.8 to a 1.1 in August. The build up for the Miami Dolphins preseason and the anticipation of the University of Miami Hurricanes football regular season did help.
     The Ticket stayed the same with a 0.9 in the period. A big change happened in that organization when Curtis Stevenson replaced the departed Ethan Skolnick as the permanent afternoon co-host with Chris Perkins..
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained flat with a 0.2 during the month. Giancarlo Stanton set a record pace for home runs in the month of the August as the Miami Marlins had a stretch of winning 13 of 16 games.

Miami Hurricanes At Arkansas State Cancelled

     The University of Miami Hurricanes football game at Arkansas State has been cancelled due to the impending storm Hurricane Irma approaching South Florida. The contest was scheduled for Saturday.
     The Hurricanes will continue their schedule the following week. They travel to Tallahassee and face their cross-state rivals the Florida State University Seminoles on September 16.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Deerfield Beach At Blanche Ely Postponed

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks challenge the Blanche Ely Tigers in the annual McDougle Bowl at Pompano Beach has been postponed due to Hurricane Irma. The Bucks easily beat the Tigers 30-3 last season in the battle of northeast Broward County supremacy.
     Deerfield Beach(1-1) began the regular season facing two powerhouses. They went to Miami and upset the defending FHSAA Class 6A state champion Carol City 6-2 and then visited New Jersey where they lost to St. John Regional 44-21. It will be the third straight game that the school will play on the road.
     The Bucks have a strong backfield with running backs Jakari Norwood and Jaylan Knighton. They have two capable quarterbacks in Kyle Kaplan and Tyron Herring. Look for wide receiver Cornelius McCoy to make some receptions.
     Blanche Ely(0-2) has surrendered a combined 63 points in their first two regular season games. They loss to Stranahan 30-13 in their opening game on the road and then were shut out in Plantation 33-0 last week.
     The Tigers are led on offense by quarterback Yanez Rogers. He has the tools to run and throw the ball to any part of the field.

Flanagan At St. Thomas Aquinas Postponed

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will not host the Flanagan Falcons at Brian Piccolo Stadium in Fort Lauderdale this week. The game has been postponed because of the impending storm named Hurricane Irma.
     Flanagan(1-1) has given up 106 points in their first two regular season games. They edged McArthur 40-37 in the season opener and were dominated on road last week at Oxbridge Academy 69-0.
     The Falcons have quarterback Kamel Cameron to call the signals on offense. Running back Omar Marques is expected to get the load of handoffs while Damooni Morris and Brandon Beckford will also see action. Cameron looks to connect with wide receivers Wayne Ruby, Donavan Hubson, Carlos Hill and George David with passes.
     After getting by St. John Bosco 9-3 in overtime during their home opener, St. Thomas Aquinas(2-0) walloped Piper 40-0 last week. STA has a major advantage with seven home games this season.
     Curt Casteel holds the post at quarterback and has many weapons as wide receivers with Tavares Kelly, Elijah Moore, Teriq Philips and Cole Caterbone. The backfield consists of running back Daniel Carter and Samuel Llewellyn. The Raiders secondary is stacked with Asante Samuel Jr., Al Blades Jr., Trenell Troutman and Adetutu Daranijo.

Nationals Spoil Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. The Fish have fallen in eight of their nine games and are 17 games behind the Nats for first place in the National League East. Miami(67-71) did not advance a runner past second base until the ninth inning.
     In the second inning, the Nationals pulled ahead 1-0. Pedro Severino drove in Adam Lind with a base hit into right field.
     Washington(84-54) added to their lead in the eighth inning. Daniel Murphy lifted a solo homer to right field for his 22nd home run of the season.
     Miami broke the shutout during the bottom of the ninth. Tyler Moore knocked in Marcell Ozuna with a sacrifice fly into right field.

All Local High School Football Games Postponed

     All South Florida high school football games were canceled for the upcoming week. The reason is due to the Hurricane Irma which is expected to approach the region this weekend.
     Every high school football game that were slated for Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County have been postponed this week. It is unknown what contests will be made up in the future.

Dolphins Home Opener Rescheduled

     The Miami Dolphins home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scheduled for Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium will be moved to November 19 due to the impending Hurricane Irma approaching the state of the Florida.
     The Dolphins will not play their first regular season game at Hard Rock Stadium until October 8 against the Tennessee Titans. The Fins do have a home game prior to that against the New Orleans Saints on October 1, however both clubs will travel to London, England for that contest.
   

Monday, September 4, 2017

Local High School Football Radio Broadcasts

     There is only one South Florida radio station that will broadcast high school football games in 2017. It is the third straight year that this will happen. There were five different local radio stations that broadcast a weekly high school football game back in 2011.
     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM in West Palm Beach will be the lone station in the region that broadcasts local high school football contests. It is the eighth consecutive year that Good Karma Broadcasting announce games. Oxbridge Academy home games will be aired on Thursday nights while the Thunderwolves play their road games on Friday nights.

Nationals Break Away From Marlins

     The Washington Nationals put more space between them and the Miami Marlins in the division with a 7-2 victory at Marlins Park on Monday. The Marlins have dropped seven of their last eight games and now are behind the Nats in the National League East by 16 games.
     In the first inning, Miami(67-70) jumped up to a 1-0 lead. Christian Yelich grounded out for Dee Gordon to score.  
     Washington(83-54) took the lead 2-1 in the top of the second. Anthony Rendon smashed a two-run homer to left-center field and Ryan Zimmerman scored in front of him.
     The Nationals moved ahead for a two-run margin in the third inning. Daniel Murphy cracked a solo home run to right field.
     The Fish bounced back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Giancarlo Stanton came up a blasted his 53rd home run of the season down the right-field line.
     The Nationals expanded the gap with 4 runs in the top of the seventh for a 7-2 lead. Murphy slapped a ground-rule double over the left-center field wall which scored Raudy Read and Trea Turner. Two batters later, Rendon hit a double down the left-field line and Howie Kendrick along with Murphy crossed the plate.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Phillies Hook Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in 12 innings at Marlins Park on Sunday. The Fish have lost six of their last seven games.
     Both clubs were able to score one run in the fifth inning. Cesar Hernandez knocked in Cameron Perkins with a single into shallow left-center field for a 1-0 Philadelphia(52-84) lead.
     Miami(67-69) responded and tied it up in the bottom of the frame. Brian Anderson led off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch with Miguel Rojas at-bat.
     The Phillies regained the lead in the 12th inning. Nick Williams connected with a base hit to right field for Ricardo Pinto and Hernandez to cross the plate.

Giancarlo Stanton N.L. Player Of The Month

     Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has been named the National League Player of the Month. Stanton set the National League record with the most home runs in the month of August with 18. He also batted .349 with 37 RBI and a 1.332 OPS.
     Stanton surpassed two players who had the 17 August homers in the National League. Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants accomplished it in 1965 and Sammy Sosa did it in 2001.

Dolphins Claim Cody Parkey

     Former South Florida high school kicker Cody Parkey has been claimed by the Miami Dolphins. He was released by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday after one season with the club. He went 20 for 25 on field goals and make 20 of 21 extra points last season with the Browns.
     Parkey played high school football with the Jupiter Warriors where he was a kicker and punter. He moved on to Auburn University and the Tigers lost in the final minute of the 2013 BCS National Championship game to Florida State.
     He was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts in May 2014 as an undrafted free agent and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 2014 regular season. Parkey played two seasons with the Eagles and set the NFL points record for a rookie in 2014 with 150 points.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Miami FC Sails By Puerto Rico

     Miami FC returned home following a three-game road trip and blanked Puerto Rico FC 1-0 at Riccardo Silva Stadium on Saturday night. They now have a six-point lead in the NASL Fall Season standings.
     It continued a winning streak for Miami FC(5-0-2) that has reached five games. Jaime Chavez extended his goal-scoring streak to four games as he got the only goal in the contest during the 74th minute.

Jacoby Brissett Traded For Phillip Dorsett

     Two former South Florida high school players were traded for each other in the NFL on Saturday. The New England Patriots dealt quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
     Brissett was the starting quarterback of the Dwyer Panthers when they captured their first FHSAA state championship in school history back in 2009. He made stops in college at the University of Florida and North Carolina State. Brissett was picked by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL Draft and was on the team when they won Super Bowl 51 in February.
     Dorsett was a wide receiver and special teams returner for St. Thomas Aquinas. He helped the Raiders win several FHSAA state championships with the school in 2008 and 2010. Dorsett played college football with the University of Miami Hurricanes from 2011 until 2014. He was drafted by the Colts in 2015.

Hurricanes Down Bethune-Cookman

     The Miami Hurricanes had their home opener and disposed the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 41-13 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. It began the second season for Mark Richt as Miami head coach.
     The first quarter saw both teams exchange field goals for a 3-3 game. The second quarter would be different as the Hurricanes dominated.
     Running Mark Walton would cut through the right side for a five-yard touchdown run at 13:31. Quarterback Malik Rosier connected with wide receiver Lawrence Cager on a five-yard touchdown pass up the middle at the 8:31 mark. Rosier threw a high pass to wide receiver Darrell Langham on the left side of the end zone from five yards away to make it 24-3 with 5:43 remaining in the first half. Uriel Hernandez helped BCU with a 35-yard field goal with 53 second to go in the quarter.
     Miami(1-0) scored on their first possession of the second half. Walton capped it with a touchdown run to the left side from six yards out with at 12:30 of the third quarter. Wide receiver Michael Irvin II made his first career catch for the Hurricanes which was for 11 yards on the prior play.
     Bethune-Cookman(0-1) placed their first touchdown of the contest with 6:16 left and cut the deficit to 31-13. Running back Michael Jones blasted in with a one-yard touchdown run.
     The Canes moved ahead 38-13 with 1:08 left in the third. Rosier threw a 22-yard pass across the middle to wide receiver Braxton Berrios. Michael Badgley would add a 50-yard field goal at the 5:14 mark of the fourth quarter.
   

Friday, September 1, 2017

Phillies Silence Marlins

     Marlins starting pitcher Dillon Peters made his major league debut, pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight batters as Miami lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Friday night at Marlins Park. The Marlins extended their losing streak to five games.
     Miami(66-68) wasted no time to go ahead 1-0 in the first. Dee Gordon scored on a wild pitch thrown by the Phillies starting pitcher Nick Pivetta while Brian Anderson made his first major league at-bat.
     It was not until the ninth inning before Philadelphia(51-83) put up two runs to take the lead. Jorge Alfaro drove in Maikel Franco with a single into right field. Pedro Florimon later scored on a ground out by Andres Blanco to second.

Atlantic Escapes Dwyer

     The Atlantic Eagles needed three touchdowns in the first half to hold off the Dwyer Panthers 21-12 at Blum Stadium on Friday night. Both teams are former district rivals that made the FHSAA playoffs last season.
     Dwyer(1-1) scored on their first possession at 10:34 of the first quarter. Quarterback Trevor Omans threw a screen pass to the left side and running back Reggie Gadsen brought it into the end zone from 45 yards away to make it 6-0.
     It would be a measure of revenge that got Atlantic(1-1) the 7-6 lead. Wide receiver Varrick Lurry-Davis, who transferred from Dwyer to Atlantic earlier this year. caught a nine-yard touchdown on the right side of the end zone from quarterback Antoine Williams II at the 4:19 mark.
     The Eagles struck again with 44.8 seconds remaining in the first to go up 14-6. Running back Shelley Singletary rushed to the left side and scored from four yards out. It was set up on a 60-yard catch by running back Cadarius Gaskin on the previous play.
     In the second quarter, the Panthers closed the margin to 14-12 at 5:43. Backup quarterback Paul Whitely was called in from close range. He scrambled through the left side of the line and scored on a one-yard touchdown run.
     Williams got his second touchdown pass of the contest for the Eagles with 44.1 seconds left in the first half. Wide receiver Corey Gammage caught a 10-yard reception in the back right corner of the end zone.
     There were few scoring chances by both teams in the second half. The best opportunity was a 37-yard field goal by Dwyer that was blocked by Atlantic with 7:37 to go in the fourth quarter.

Dolphins Finish Vikings

     The Miami Dolphins easily handled the Minnesota Vikings 30-9 on Thursday night. It was the final preseason game for the Fins.
     More of players who participated are not expected to be in the starting lineups for both clubs. The Dolphins begin the 2017 regular season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10.