Heat Stop Pelicans

     The Miami Heat beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-101 on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat ended a five-game home losing streak.
     Miami(8-13) rocketed out to a 37-17 lead after one quarter and were up 61-41 by halftime. New Orleans(11-12) cut into the deficit in the third quarter and trailed 81-75 after three quarters.
     The Heat were led by Josh Richardson with 20 points and Dwyane Wade with 18 points. Anthony Davis had a game-high 41 points along with nine rebounds for the Pelicans. Jrue Holiday also added 21 points.

St. Thomas Aquinas Gain Revenge On Venice

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders got payback as they topped the defending FHSAA Class 7A state champion Venice Indians 38-18 at Brian Piccolo Stadium in a state semifinal on Friday night. Venice ended the reign of the three-time defending state champions St. Thomas Aquinas last year in the same round. The Raiders defeated the Indians on the same field in Fort Lauderdale back in 2016.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(13-1), who have not lost a home playoff game since 2003, took the lead when they scored on the first play of their second possession in the contest. Daniel Carter sprinted down the right sideline and reached the end zone from 74 yards away at 8:57 of the first quarter.
     STA extended their lead to 14-0 with 6:06 left in the first. Quarterback Curt Casteel connected an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Xavier Restrepo on a crossing slant pattern from the left side.
     Indians defensive lineman John Marble was able to recover a fumble at the Raiders 49-yard line for Venice(12-2). It led to a 33-yard field goal by Zack Sessa at the 8:40 mark of the second quarter.
     The Raiders would gain an 18-point margin with 1:15 left in the first half. Carter rushed off-left guard and scored from two yards out for a 21-3 lead.
     Venice scored first in the second half. They picked up another field goal by Sessa from 31 yards away with four minutes to go in the third quarter.
     St. Thomas Aquinas got on the scoreboard with nine seconds to go in the third and made it 28-6. Running back Jaedon Henry dashed around the left end and scored on a four-yard run.
     The Indians fumbled the ball away at their own 27-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Raiders kicker Logan Lupo booted a 35-yard field goal at the 10:40 mark. STA added another touchdown when Carter caught a 32-yard pass from Casteel with 5:46 left for a 38-6 gap.
     Venice compiled two touchdowns in the final minutes of the contest. Quarterback Nico Dallacosta got to the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run with 4:04 remaining.

Panthers Come Back On Sabres

     The Florida Panthers pulled off a 3-2 comeback overtime victory on Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres at BB&T Center. It was the fourth game of an eight-game home stand for the Cats. They defeated Buffalo for the sixth consecutive time. The Sabres lost for the second straight night following a 10-game winning streak.
     In the first period, Jeff Skinner scored his 20th goal of the season for Buffalo(17-7-3) at 10:55 on assists from Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Florida(10-10-4) got a power-play goal from Jared McCann with 1:29 left in the first.
     The Sabres would regain the lead at the 2:41 of the second period. Reinhart scored with the man advantage.
     The Cats tied it again during the third period with 8:04 left. Jonathan Huberdeau fired a shot which was stopped and Evgenii Dadonov scored on the power play.
     The Panthers won the game in overtime. Huberdeau had the puck in the left circle and sent a cross-ice pass to Aleksander Barkov. He lifted a wrist shot over Linus Ullmark from the low right circle with at 2:24.

Kings Academy At Florida State University High Preview

     The Kings Academy Lions visit Tallahassee and take on the Florida State University High Seminoles on Friday night in a Class 3A state semifinal. The winner of this game will play the victor in the other state semifinal between Chaminade-Madonna and Clearwater Central Catholic on December 8 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
     Kings Academy(11-1) pulled out a 23-22 home victory over First Academy last week in the regional final. They topped Holy Trinity Episcopal 16-7 in a regional semifinal two weeks ago. The Lions have beaten their last three opponents by just a combined 11 points. TKA has outscored their opponents 436-142 this season and have not played a road game since October 19.
     Look for Lions quarterback Justin Wake to help their offense march down the field. He has numerous options to connect passes with which includes wide receivers Cory Corteau, Drew Luchey, Jeremiah Scroggins, Isaac Scroggins, Mark Witzen and Milton Bayonne. Their rushing opportunities will be split between running backs Presley Almond and Dillon Larson.
     Florida State University High(8-3) made it to the state semifinal last year and fell at Oxbridge Academy. The Seminoles shut out Pensacola Catholic 27-0 in a regional semifinal and downed Taylor County 30-22 in a regional final.

Miami Ratings November 2018

     The ratings were released for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM took over as the top sports format radio station. The region showed this month that their are now four serious competitors in the region.
     WAXY moved from a 0.8 to a 0.9 in the month. They finished on top alone for the first time since April. The Miami Heat continued with an adequate beginning and FIU football helped.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM went from a 0.9 to a 0.8 in November. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team and Miami Dolphins hit cold streaks in their regular seasons. It will be the final period with The Big O Orlando Alzugaray in the midday shift at that station.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM rose to a 0.3 after three straight months with a 0.2 mark. Carl Foster was let go after less than one month in the mid-afternoon spot. They still get an audience with the University of Florida Gators football team.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM jumped up to a 0.2 after having a 0.1 for the past three periods. The station based in West Palm Beach added an afternoon program with Andy Slater and reintroduced Kevin's Other Show with Kevin Rolston and Steve Diener in afternoon drive on Mondays.

Ducks Sail By Panthers

     The Anaheim Ducks dropped the Florida Panthers 3-2 at BB&T Center on Wednesday night. Both clubs are celebrating their 25th anniversary seasons in the National Hockey League. It was the third game of an eight-game home stand for the Panthers.
     It took just 15 seconds for Anaheim(12-10-5) to get on the scoreboard. Carter Rowney won the faceoff in the left circle and Brian Gibbons tapped it back to the left point. Josh Manson fired a slapshot that went off Borgan Kiselevich in the low slot and by James Reimer.
     In the second period, Florida(9-10-4) was able to even it up 1-1 at the 3:01 mark. Aleksander Barkov received the puck back from Jonathan Huberdeau behind the Ducks cage. His forehand pass went to the low right circle where Aaron Ekblad lifted a one-time shot past John Gibson.
     The Panthers scored on the power play to take their first lead of the contest at 9:23. Huberdeau took a slapshot from the high slot and it was redirected in by Evgenii Dadonov in the low slot. Keith Yandle was also credited with an assist on the play.
     The Ducks did not stand by and answered back with 7:02 to go. Adam Henrique sent the puck back to the left point where Marcus Pettersson was. His slapshot was deflected in by Nick Ritchie on the edge of the left circle.
     Anaheim broke the tie with 1:28 remaining in the third. There was a scramble for the puck around the Panthers net when Ryan Getzlaf gave the puck to Ritchie in the low slot and he scored on a wrist shot.

Hawks Slip By Heat

     The Atlanta Hawks barely got by the Miami Heat 115-113 at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. The Heat have lost eight of their last 10 games. The Hawks snapped a seven-game road losing streak.
     Miami(7-13) scooted out to a 38-35 lead after one quarter. Atlanta(5-16) answered back and outscored the Heat 33-14 in the second and moved ahead 68-52 by halftime. The Heat trailed 100-86 after three quarters then mounted a comeback, however they fell short in the end by two points.
     Josh Richardson popped in a game-high 22 points for Miami. Dwyane Wade added 18 points while Wayne Ellington had 15 points. Taurean Prince put in a team-high 18 points for Atlanta.

Chaminade-Madonna At Clearwater Central Catholic Preview

     The defending FHSAA Class 3A state champion Chaminade-Madonna Lions visit the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders on Friday night in a state semifinal. The winner of this contest will play at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on December 8 for the state title.
     Chaminade-Madonna(10-2) have won six straight games and received a bye in the first round based on the new playoff format. The Lions pounded Palmer Trinity 62-0 in the regional semifinal and handled American Heritage 14-3 last week in the regional final. They have outscored their opponents 431-119 and compiled five shutouts this season. They have allowed only three points in their last four contests.
     The Lions can move the ball with running backs Thaddius Franklin and Willie Davis IV on their rushing attack. Quarterback Daelen Menard has a slew of wide receivers to pass the ball to that includes John Dunmore, Jordan Cash and Rony Bourdeau.
     Clearwater Central Catholic(12-0) have outscored their opponents 473-139 this season. The Marauders dumped Tampa Catholic 30-3 in a regional semifinal and got defeated Berkeley Prep  35-7 in a regional final.

Jesuit At Cardinal Gibbons Preview

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs host the Jesuit Tigers at Dr. Bud Tight Field in a Class 5A state semifinal on Friday night. The winner will play for the state championship on December 7 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
     Jesuit(12-1) will be on the road for the first time in the playoffs. The Tigers blasted DeSoto County 44-0 in the regional quarterfinal, beat Immokalee 31-3 in the regional semifinal and defeated Jefferson 34-14 in the regional final. They have outscored their opponents 431-104 this season.
     Cardinal Gibbons(11-2) got revenge and disposed of district rival American Heritage 35-7 in the regional final last week. The Chiefs have won 11 straight games which included a regional quarterfinal win over Merritt Island 49-14 and a regional semifinal victory over Jones 30-27. They have outscored their last 11 opponents 366 -110.
     The Chiefs can depend on their rushing attack as running backs Vincent Davis and Tajae Davis will take turns carrying the ball from the backfield. Wide receivers Dimon Stewart, Troy Stellato, Dijon Senior, Nikolas Ogneneovic and Chris Benestad are the targets for quarterback Brody Palhegyi.

University School At Cocoa Preview

     The University School Sharks head up I-95 and challenge the Cocoa Tigers in a Class 4A state semifinal on Friday night. Both teams met in the same round on the same field last season and Tigers won 49-14.
     University School(11-1) have outscored their opponents 553-122 this season. They received a first-round bye based on the new playoff format for small schools. The Sharks downed Gulliver Prep 40-13 in a regional semifinal and defeated Glades Central 45-14 last week in a regional final. Their only loss this year was in the regular season finale to the defending FHSAA Class 3A state champions Chaminade-Madonna.
     The Sharks intends to use their rushing attack on most plays with running backs Kenny McIntosh and Michael Hurt carrying the ball. Quarterback Nick Vattiato can connect passes to a surplus of wide receivers that consists of Joshua Sanguinetti, Zay Flowers, Christian Wells and Jordan Irizarry.
     Cocoa(9-3) also had a first-round bye in the postseason. They shut out Astronaut 35-0 in the regional semifinal and knocked off Bishop Verot 38-13 in the regional final. The Tigers were a state finalist in 2017 and won the FHSAA Class 4A state title in 2016. Quarterback D.J. Arroyo will call the signals on offense for the Tigers.

Miami Northwestern At Naples Preview

     It is a playoff rematch as the Miami Northwestern Bulls head west to challenge the Naples Golden Eagles on Friday night in a Class 6A state semifinal. Both teams met in the same round last year at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami with the Bulls victorious 42-7.
     The defending FHSAA Class 6A state champion Miami Northwestern(8-5) had go the hard way to get to this point of the playoffs. The Bulls picked up road victories over Mainland 31-16 in the regional quarterfinal, Heritage 31-19 in the regional semifinal and Miami Central 19-15 in the regional final. They have averaged 27 points in their last five games and are looking to match their run of two consecutive state titles in 2006 and 2007.
     The Bulls can go with two different quarterbacks depending on the situation with Isaiah Velez and Kemani Brown. Running back Nathaniel Noel is expected to get the bulk of the carries from the backfield along with Javas Jackson and Timothy Burns. They have several targets to throw to which includes wide receivers Jacquez Stuart, Romello Brinson, Dwight Jackson, Sean Delaughter and Rayquan Berry.
     Naples(12-1) have won 11 straight games. They have compiled four shutouts and outscored their opponents 468-101 this season. The Golden Eagles toppled Lehigh 27-6 in a regional quarterfinal, beat Fort Myers 24-9 in a regional semifinal and blanked North Fort Myers 23-0. They will put an emphasis on their rushing attack with running backs Cesare Melluci, Chase Bertucci and Elan Sommala.

Venice At St. Thomas Aquinas Preview

     The Venice Indians face the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in a Class 7A state semifinal at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Friday night. It is the third consecutive year that they have met each other in the same round. The Raiders routed the Indians 46-8 at Fort Lauderdale in 2016 while the Indians stopped the defending three-time state champion Raiders 27-20 in Venice last year.
     Venice(12-1) is the defending FHSAA Class 7A state champions and have won 12 consecutive games since a loss in their season opener to Vero Beach. They have outscored their opponents 585-207 this year. The Indians topped Tampa Bay Tech 59-23 in the regional quarterfinal, got by district rival Braden River 28-21 in the regional semifinal and pounced on Bloomingdale 57-23 in the regional final. Quarterback Hayden Wolff will be looked upon to guide their offense.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(12-1) have not lost a home playoff game since 2003. The Raiders outscored South Miami 77-20 in a regional quarterfinal, bashed Fort Lauderdale 51-0 in a regional semifinal and shut out Dwyer 35-0 last week in a regional final. STA has outscored their opponents 628-92 this season. They have won eight straight games entering this contest and reached the state semifinal 13 of the last 15 seasons.
     The Raiders offense can keep their opponents unbalanced with a mix of running and passing. Quarterback Curt Casteel leads their passing attack and is expected to find Marcus Rosemy, Xavier Restrepo, Jamal Cooney, Jahvante Royal and The'andris Freeman downfield for pass completions. Running backs Daniel Carter and Nigel White will get their share of rushing opportunities.

Columbus At Deerfield Beach Preview

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks host the Columbus Explorers at Butler Stadium on Friday night in a Class 8A state semifinal. The winner will play in the Class 8A state championship at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on December 8.
     Columbus(13-0) is undefeated this season. The Explorers beat Coral Gables 38-21 in a regional quarterfinal, blanked Miami Palmetto 42-0 in a regional semifinal and defeated South Dade 54-28 in a regional final. They have outscored their last nine opponents 370-84. Running backs Henry Parrish Jr. and Demetries Ford will got the majority of the carries from the backfield.
     Deerfield Beach(12-1) returns to the state semifinal for the second time in three years. They were at home and lost to eventual state champion Miami Southridge in 2016. The Bucks have outscored their opponents 409-125 this season. They overcame Miramar 32-14 in the regional quarterfinal, shut out Plantation 23-0 in the regional semifinal and beat Palm Beach Central 24-13 last week in the regional final.
     The Bucks offense can split their plays between the run and the pass. Quarterback DeRohn King is their starting quarterback and can occasionally run out of the pocket. Running back Jaylan Knighton is expected to get the majority of rushing attempts for the team. Wide receivers Deajaun McDougle, Deshaun Davis, Bryce Gowdy, Donte Banton and Raphael Williams look to get open down the field.

2018 FHSAA Playoffs Regional Final Results

     The FHSAA playoffs played their regional final games in South Florida over this past weekend. 17 high schools were in these contests.
     Class 8A in Region 4 had #1 Deerfield Beach defeat #3 Palm Beach Central 24-13. In region 4, #1 Columbus handled #6 South Dade 54-28. Deerfield Beach will host Columbus in the state semiinal on Friday night. The Bucks were home in a state semifinal two years ago against Miami Southridge and lost.
     Class 7A in Region 4 saw #1 St. Thomas Aquinas blank #2 Dwyer 35-0. STA stopped the Panthers in the postseason for the third time in four seasons. They have won 14 regional final contests in the last 15 years. The Raiders will stay at home and play Venice in the state semifinal game for the third straight year.
     Region 4 of Class 6A was once again decided by two District 16 rivals. The defending FHSAA Class 6A state champion #6 Miami Northwestern upended #5 Miami Central 19-15. The Bulls head out west for the state semifinal and face Naples.
     Class 5A in Region 4 also had two District 16 rivals tangle. #2 Cardinal Gibbons knocked off the two-time defending Class 5A state champion #5 American Heritage 35-7. The Chiefs got revenge from losing a triple overtime game last year against the Patriots. Cardinal Gibbons will host Jesuit in the next round.
     Region 4 in Class 4A had #1 University School beat #3 Glades Central 45-14. It was the second straight season that the Raiders fell to the Sharks in the playoffs. University will have to travel north and challenge Cocoa in a state semifinal like they did last year.
     Class 3A in Region 4 saw the defending FHSAA Class 3A state champion Chaminade-Madonna get by #3 American Heritage 14-3. The Lions travel to Clearwater Central Catholic for a second straight season in the state semifinal. #1 Kings Academy stayed alive as they edged #2 First Academy 23-22. TKA heads up to Tallahassee and takes out Florida State University High in the following round.
     The defending Class 2A state champion #5 Champagnat Catholic topped Neumann 21-10 in a Region 4 regional final. They face Admiral Farragut in the state semifinal on Friday night. #2 Pahokee lost the regional final in Class 1A of Region 4 to Hawthorne 25-6.

Devils Can Not Hold Panthers

     The Florida Panthers topped the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in overtime at BB&T Center on Monday night. The Panthers have won the past six games between both clubs held in Sunrise.
     After a scoreless first period, New Jersey(9-10-4) took a 1-0 lead 1:23 into the second. Egor Yakovlev sent the puck from the left point across the blue line to Sami Vatanen on the right point. His slapshot was redirected by Miles Wood in the low slot past James Reimer for his second goal of the year.
     The Devils extended their margin to two goals when they scored a shorthanded goal. Aleksander Barkov lost track of the puck in the neutral zone and Blake Coleman picked it up. He skated alone on a breakaway through the slot and released a forehand shot for the tally at 6:01.
     Florida(9-9-4) was able to convert on a 5-on-3 power play at the 7:31 mark to cut the deficit to 2-1. Jonathan Huberdeau pushed the puck from the left wing around the left-corner boards. Evgenni Dadonov backhanded a pass from the end wall to the front and Alekander Barkov snapped a shot from the slot by Keith Kinkaid.
    The Panthers tied the contest with 8:17 left in the second period. MacKenzie Weegar caught a puck and brought in down at the red line. He moved it into the Devils zone and passed it to Jared McCann. He carried it to the high slot and scored on a wrist shot.
     In the third period, New Jersey got the go-ahead goal with 8:33 remaining. Vatanen fired a snap shot from the right point that was deflected in by Jesper Bratt from the crease for his second goal of the season.
     The Cats added an extra attacker in the last two minutes and it paid off. Huberdeau tied it 3-3 with 1:29 to go on a shot from the right circle following a Barkov shot from the right wing that was blocked. It was the fifth goal of the campaign and 100th NHL goal for Huberdeau.
     Mike Hoffman hit the left post on a snap shot from the right circle with 3:57 left in overtime. He still scored from the right-circle dot with 3:32 to go and won the game.

Dino Costa Returns To St. Louis

     Former South Florida sports radio talk host Dino Costa will be returning to St. Louis. He will soon begin a program on KFNS-AM, where he was previously at as a morning host from March 2016 to April 2016. Costa left his position last month as an overnight sports host on WNYM-AM in New York City.
     Costa had a brief stint with 1400 The Fan WFLL-AM in Fort Lauderdale as their afternoon host from April 2004 to July 2004. He came back to Florida in August 2014 as a mid-afternoon talk co-host with Pat Paolini on WAOC-AM in St. Augustine and left in late 2015. Costa had a long reign at SiriusXM Radio on Mad Dog Radio as an afternoon host from September 2009 until October 2013.

Heat Stomped By Raptors

     The Miami Heat were blasted by the Toronto Raptors 125-115 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night. The Heat have lost four of their last five games.
     Toronto(17-4) sprinted out to a 36-29 lead after one quarter and were up 63-54 at halftime. The Raptors began the second half on a 25-8 run and pulled away from Miami(7-12), even though Toronto was ahead 101-89 after three quarters.
     Dwyane Wade buried a game-high 35 points for the Heat. Josh Richardson added 19 while Bam Adebayo contributed a double-double of 16 points and 21 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 29 points and nine rebounds.

Dolphins Closed By Colts

     The Miami Dolphins were edged by the Indianapolis Colts 27-24 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Fins have lost two straight games and six of their last eight games.
     Miami(5-6) got ahead at the 12:22 mark. Quarterback Ryan Tannenhill tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to the right side for running back Kenyan Drake.
     Indianapolis(6-5) came back on scored on the next possession. Quarterback Andrew Luck threw a 14-yard pass to tight end Eric Ebron on the right side of the end zone at 9:37. Luck has now thrown a touchdown pass for 34 consecutive games.
     In the second quarter, the Colts moved in front 14-7 with 1:44 left. Luck found wide receiver Jack Doyle in the middle from one yard away. The Fins answered back 44 seconds later when Tannenhill connected a 74-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Leonte Carroo to tie the game.
     The Fins took the lead 17-14 at 9:14 of the third quarter. Jason Sanders was able to kick a 29-yard field goal. They made it 24-14 early in the fourth at the 13:36 mark. Drake raced up the middle and scored from 14 yards out.
     Indy made a comeback later in the quarter to win the contest. Adam Vinatieri booted a 46-yard field goal with 8:27 to go and closed the margin to seven points. Ebron later caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on the right side from Luck with 4:25 remaining. Vinatieri got a game-winning 32-yard field goal with no time remaining to give Indianapolis the victory.

Orlando Alzugaray Adds Podcast

     Orlando Alzugaray, a.k.a. The Big O, will launch a podcast on Monday. He continues as a weekend host on Mad Dog Radio at SiriusXM Radio. Alzugaray recently finished his second stint on Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM on November 13. He was the midday host at that station since August 2014.
     He was at WQAM from 1995 to September 2010 as a sports reporter and later became a midday host in the late 2000s. Alzugaray joined 640 Sports WMEN-AM as an afternoon host in October 2010 and stayed there until August 2014.

Hurricanes Defeat Pittsburgh

     The Miami Hurricanes handled the Pittsburgh Panthers 24-3 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. It was a revenge game for the Canes after losing the regular season finale last year in Pittsburgh. Pitt will play next week in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against Clemson.
     Bubba Baxa kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Hurricanes at 10:17 of the first quarter. DeeJay Dallas returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown with 9:08 left in the first half to give Miami(7-5, 4-4) a 10-0 lead.
     Pittsburgh(7-5, 6-2), the Coastal Division champions, got their only score at the 3:27 mark of the third quarter. Alex Kessman booted a 40-yard field goal and they trailed 10-3.
     The Hurricanes extended their margin less than a minute later at 2:49. Running back Travis Homer, a Oxbridge Academy grad, raced up the middle and reached the end zone from 64 yards out.
     In the fourth quarter, Miami put up final points of the contest to make it 24-3. Dallas rushed to the left side for a three-yard touchdown with 10:58 remaining.

Panthers Blow Lead To Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers returned from a six-game road trip and lost the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. It was the beginning of an eight-game homestand for the Panthers. They have fell in five of their last six games.
     Florida(8-9-4) scored during their first power play at 5:48. Jonathan Huberdeau moved the puck from the left wing to Keith Yandle at the top of the zone. He passed to the top right circle where Mike Hoffman blasted a one-time slapshot past Cam Ward. Hoffman now has a point in 17 of his last 18 games.
     The Panthers made it 2-0 with 6:20 left in the first. Colton Sceviour centered the puck from the left side to Jared McCann in the slot and he shoveled it in with a backhand shot.
     In the second period, Chicago(9-10-5) struck 49 seconds into the frame. Dominik Kahun was on the right side of the Panthers blue line and made a square pass to David Kampf. He skated around Aaron Ekblad in the right circle and lifted a shot from the crease by James Reimer.
     The Blackhawks evened it at the 5:34 mark. Brandon Saad carried the puck down the right side from the neutral zone to the edge of the right circle. His backhanded pass to the middle was tapped in Patrick Kane from the crease area.
     The Cats regained the lead 3-2 at 8:08. Evgenii Dadonov passed the puck around the right corner to Hoffman on the right wing. His cross-ice pass got to Ekblad in the top left circle and he took a one-time shot for his fourth goal of the season.
     It became a two-goal margin for the Panthers with 8:30 remaining in the second. Nick Bjugstad stopped the puck at the left point and made a diagonal pass to Huberdeau at the right-circle dot. He flicked a pass to the crease and Frank Vatrano redirected it into the Hawks cage.
     Chicago closed the lead during the third period. Alexandre Fortin brought the puck through the slot on a breakaway and scored an unassisted shorthanded goal on a rebound shot from the blue paint with 10:08 to go.
     The Blackhawks tied it up 4-4 with 0.8 seconds left in regulation. Kane had the puck on the end wall and backhanded it to the front. Alex Debrincat slid in the puck from the low slot with a forehand shot.
     Chicago got the victory during overtime at 2:32. Nick Schmaltz fed a pass to Erik Gustafsson and he scored on a snap shot from the high slot.

Heat Exhaust Bulls

     The Miami Heat stopped the Chicago Bulls 103-96 at United Center on Friday night. The Heat snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.
     Miami(7-11)) had a slight 28-26 lead after one quarter and put it into overdrive as they outscored the Bulls 32-13 in the second for a 60-39 advantage at halftime. Chicago(5-14) had a little bit of a surge during the third quarter and trailed 78-69.
     The Heat were led by Josh Richardson with 27 points. Hassan Whiteside compiled a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Bam Adebayo had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Justin Holiday put together a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls.

South Florida High Schools In State Semifinals

     Nine teams from South Florida advanced to the state semifinals of the FHSAA football playoffs. There were 17 high schools entering the regional finals.
     Kings Academy was the only team that moved on from Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Central, Dwyer, Glades Central, American Heritage and Pahokee all lost.
     Five Broward County schools advanced to the next round. It included Deerfield Beach, St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons, University School and Chaminade-Madonna. American Heritage was the only team that was defeated.
     Dade County dropped from five squads to three. Miami Northwestern, Columbus and Champagnat Catholic were victorious while Miami Central and South Dade fell.

Hurricanes Knock Off Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 at PNC Center on Friday night. Mike Hoffman had his franchise record 17-game point streak snapped. Jordan Martinook scored a hat trick for Canes.
     Carolina(11-8-3) got on the scoreboard with 38 seconds remaining in the first period with a Martinook goal by Roberto Luongo.
     Martinook added his second goal of the contest at 7:31 of the second period. Teuvo Teravainien scored a power-play goal for the Hurricanes just over one minute later at the 8:32 mark.
     Florida(8-9-3) compiled their only goal of the night with 5:56 left in the third period. Mike Matheson sent a pass to Troy Brouwer and he scored his fourth goal of the season on a breakaway. Martinook scored his third goal of the game into an empty net with two minutes to go.

St. Thomas Aquinas Blanks Dwyer

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders shut out the Dwyer Panthers 35-0 at Brian Piccolo Stadium in a Class 7A regional final on Friday night. It was the third in the last four seasons that St. Thomas Aquinas eliminated Dwyer in the FHSAA playoffs.
     The Raiders won their 14th regional final in the last 15 years. The only time they did not was when the Panthers beat them in a regional semifinal back in 2013.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(12-1) moved out in front 7-0 with 4:22 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Curt Casteel connected a pass up the middle to wide receiver Marcus Rosemy for a 63-yard touchdown.
     Dwyer(11-2) tried to go for a fourth-and-one at their own 48-yard line and they were stopped with just over four minutes remaining in the first. STA took over on downs and reached the end zone on their ensuing possession. Running back Nigel White busted through the right side of line and scored from one yard away to make it 14-0 at 11:31 of the second quarter.
     The Raiders extended their margin to 21 points on their next drive. Casteel fired a pass down the right side to wide receiver Xavier Restrepo and Rosemy caught the ball behind him in the end zone on a 30-yard pass play at 9:20.
     The Panthers surrendered another touchdown with 2:37 to go in the second. Running back Jaedon Henry plunged up the middle from one out for a 28-0 Raiders lead.
     In the third quarter, St. Thomas Aquinas continued to roll. They ran a play to the right with running back Daniel Carter. His lateraled back to Restrepo, who came from the right side, reversed it and sprinted to the left sideline for a 13-yard touchdown at the 5:51 mark. The Raiders 35-point lead caused a running clock for the remainder of the contest.

First Academy At Kings Academy Preview

     The Kings Academy Lions host the First Academy Royals in a Class 3A regional final at Kahlert Stadium. Both schools were the top two seeds in Region 2.
     First Academy(9-1) won their first nine games of the year and fell in the regular season finale to The Villages Charter. They bounced back with a 40-20 victory over Father Lopez last week in a regional semifinal. The Royals have outscored their opponents 398-149 this year.
     Kings Academy(10-1) knocked off Holy Trinity Episcopal 16-7 in a regional semifinal last week. Their only loss this year was to Gulliver Prep in Week 8 by seven points. TKA has outscored their opponents 413-120 this season. They compiled four shutouts in their first games of the regular season.
     Quarterback Justin Wake will control the Lions offense. He can connect passes to wide receivers Cory Croteau, Jeremiah Scroggins, Drew Luchey, Isaac Scroggins, Mark Witzen and Milton Bayonne. Running backs Dillon Larson and Presley Almond are expected to get the majority of the carries from the backfield.

Lightning Sock Panthers

     The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Wednesday night at Amalie Arena. It was the fifth game of a six-game road swing for the Cats.
     Tampa Bay(15-6-1) scored just 59 seconds into the contest. Alexander Petrovic turned the puck over at his own blue. Mathieu Joseph skated through the left circle and slipped in a backhand shot from the crease by Roberto Luongo.
     Florida(8-8-3) answered back almost immediately at 2:19. Micheal Haley lifted a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone. Troy Brouwer corralled it at the Lightning blue line scored on a wrist shot from the right circle past Louie Domingue. It was the first point for Haley this season.
     The Bolts regained the lead at the 9:22 mark. Victor Hedman fed a pass from the top of the zone and Nikita Kucherov blasted a one-time slapshot from the right circle for a power-play goal.
     The Lightning added to their margin during the second period. Yanni Gourde sent a pass to the left circle then Steven Stamkos returned it to him on the right side of the cage for the tap in at 2:37. They made it 4-1 when Adam Erne scored on a backhand rebound shot from the low slot at the 4:45 mark.
     The Panthers did convert on the power play with 1:35 left in the second. Jonathan Huberdeau threaded a pass through the crease and Alekander Barkov stuffed in a shot by the right side of the blue paint.
     In the third period, Tampa Bay extended the gap. Stamkos snapped a shot from close range at 1:30 and Ryan McDonagh redirected a pass from Stamkos at the 3:21 mark. Dan Girardi put in a soft wrist shot from the right wing by James Reimer with 5:35 left for his first goal of the year.
     Mike Hoffman would extend his Panthers record point streak to 16 games on the power play with 3:35 remaining. Keith Yandle slid the puck from the left point and Hoffman pounded a one-time slapshot from the top of the right circle.

Nets Overcome Heat

     Dwyane Wade played in his first game since the birth of his daughter as the Miami Heat lost to the Brooklyn Nets 104-92 on Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat have lost nine of their last 12 games along with five straight home games.
     The first quarter belonged to Brooklyn(8-10) as they got out to a 20-13 lead. Miami(6-11) bounced back in the second and were ahead 42-39 by halftime. The Heat still led 77-74 after three quarters. The Nets went on a 9-1 spurt to take a 83-78 lead early in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn made it a double-digit lead 100-90 with 1:57 left. It was the eighth time in the last nine games that Miami was outscored in the fourth.
     Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with a double-double of 21 points and 23 rebounds. Josh Richardson drained in 16 points while Rodney McGruder added 15. D'Angelo Russell had a team-high 20 points along with nine rebounds and six assists for Brooklyn.

Palm Beach Central At Deerfield Beach Preview

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos visit Butler Stadium and take on the Deerfield Beach Bucks on Friday night in a Class 8A regional final. Both teams captured district titles during the regular season.
     Palm Beach Central(11-1) have won 11 consecutive games since losing their season opener to Atlantic. The Broncos have not allowed more than 14 points in a game and have compiled five shutouts this year. They dropped district rival Wellington 44-14 in the regional quarterfinal and blanked Western 38-0 in the regional semifinal last week. They have outscored their opponents 359-85 this season.
     The Broncos can implement Mike Moreland or Anarjahe Douriet at quarterback depending on the situation. Running backs C.J. Stewart, Da'quan Hamilton, Tyler Willis and Derrick Cruickhank will get their rushing opportunities. Wide receivers Gen'Taris Oliver, Bryan Robinson, De'angelo Pompey, Kai Rosado and Kaishawn Curry look to get open down the field for passes.
     Deerfield Beach(11-1) had one blemish during the regular season which was a Week 7 loss at home against St. Thomas Aquinas. They have outscored their opponents 385-112 this year. The Bucks have shut out their opponent in three of the last four contests entering this game. They survived Miramar 32-14 in a regional quarterfinal and shut out Plantation 23-0 last week in a regional semifinal.
     Running back Jaylan Knighton leads the Bucks offense. He will get just about all of their rushing attempts from the backfield and he can score on any play. They have Tyler Herring in the quarterback position. He intends to pass the ball off to wide receivers Deajaun McDougle, Dashaun Davis, DeRohn King and Bryce Gowdy for completions.

Dwyer At St. Thomas Aquinas Preview

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders host the Dwyer Panthers at Brian Piccolo Stadium in a Class 7A regional final on Friday night in Fort Lauderdale. It will be the fourth FHSAA playoff meeting between both schools since 2013. 

     Dwyer(11-1) is currently on a 10-game winning streak since a Week 2 road loss to Atlantic. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 514-106 this season and their last eight opponents 378-49. They blanked West Broward 43-0 in a regional quarterfinal and topped district rival Palm Beach Lakes 55-27 in a regional semifinal last week.
     Panthers quarterback Gio Richardson intends to throw the ball and can run with the ball in situations for short yardage. He has numerous wide receivers to connect passes with which includes Jamari Gaines, Myron Levy, Colby Dempsey, Tanner Franklin and Reggie Gadsen. They have a crew of running backs with James Meeks, Cedric Tucker, Ernest Blackshear, Bobby Armes and Sataria Haliburton in the backfield.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(11-1) have won seven straight contests since a home loss to Miami Central in Week 5. The Raiders have appeared in the regional final every year since 2004, except in 2013 when they lost at Dwyer in a regional semifinal. STA has not lost a home playoff game since 2003. They loaded on South Miami 77-20 in the regional quarterfinal and shut out district rival Fort Lauderdale 51-0 in the regional semifinal last week. They have outscored their opponents 593-92 this year.
     The Raiders have Curt Casteel at quarterback to drive the team down the field. He has numerous targets for pass receptions that includes wide receivers Jamal Cooney, Marcus Rosemy, Xavier Restrepo and Jahvante Royal. Their rushing attack will split the carries between running backs Daniel Carter and Nigel White. 

Miami Northwestern At Miami Central Preview

     Longtime District 16 rivals face each other in the Class 6A regional final as the Miami Northwestern Bulls take on the Miami Central Rockets at Traz Powell Stadium on Friday night. The Rockets topped the Bulls 38-10 during the regular season in Week 9.
     Miami Northwestern(7-5) is the defending FHSAA Class 6A state champions. It has been a rocky year for the Bulls as they started 3-5, however they have won their last four straight games. They travelled far with road wins over Mainland 31-16 in the regional quarterfinal and Heritage 31-19 in the regional semifinal. They have averaged 30 points per game in their last four contests.
     The Bulls can go anytime with either Isaiah Velez or Kemani Brown at quarterback to call the signals. They will split their rushing opportunities between running backs Nathaniel Noel, Javas Jackson and Timothy Burns. Wide receivers Jacquez Stuart, Romello Brinson, Dwight Jackson, Sean Delaughter and Rayquan Berry look to make pass receptions.
     Miami Central(10-2) had two tough playoff games so far. The Rockets gained revenge on District 16 champion Carol City 30-21 in a regional semifinal last week. They struggled and pulled out a 35-20 victory at Dillard in a regional quarterfinal. They have outscored their opponents 482-191 this season. They lost their two games this year by a combined 11 points.
     The main emphasis for the Rockets offense is quarterback Maurice Underwood. He can pass to anywhere on the field and occasionally run out of the pocket for yardage. Running backs Lexington Joseph and Kejon Owens will get their share of rushing attempts from the backfield. Underwood has several targets to send the ball to which includes wide receivers Anthony Colonel, Jaylin Young, Anthony Frederick, Shamar Zaragoza and Geovanni Ribalta.

American Heritage At Cardinal Gibbons Preview

     Two District 16 rivals in Class 5A will face each other in a playoff rematch as the American Heritage Patriots travel across Broward County and challenge the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs at Dr. Bud Tight Field, known as The Furnace, in a regional final on Friday night. American Heritage won a triple overtime classic 58-57 over Cardinal Gibbons in a regional final last year. The Chiefs finally stopped an 11-game losing streak to the Patriots with a 24-14 road victory in Plantation earlier this season.
     American Heritage(10-1) is the two-time defending FHSAA Class 5A state champions and have captured the state title four of the last five years. The Patriots had to take the tough path with road wins over Fort Pierce Westwood 37-14 in a regional quarterfinal and Region 4 top seed Rockledge 31-14 in a regional semifinal. They have outscored their last four opponents 142-48.
     The Patriots have an offense that can split evenly between the run and the pass. Running backs Tyler Jones and Lavelton Williams will both get their rushing opportunities. Quarterback Edwin Rhodes looks to connect passes to wide receivers Douglas Emilien and Tyler March along with tight end Beau Johnson downfield.
     Cardinal Gibbons(10-2) have won 10 consecutive contests after losing two games to Miami Central and Milton to start the regular season. The Chiefs beat Merritt Island 49-14 in a regional quarterfinal and barely got by Jones 30-27 last week in a regional semifinal. They have outscored their last 10 opponents 331-103.
     The Chiefs returned just about all of their skilled players on offense from last year. Quarterback Nik Scalzo had an ACL injury and his season is over. Their other quarterback Brody Palhegyi can find wide receivers Dimon Stewart, Dijon Senior, Troy Stellato, Nikolas Ognenovic and Chris Benestad on passes. Running backs Vincent Davis and Tajae Davis are expected to get carries from the backfield.

Glades Central At University School Preview

     The University School Sharks host the Glades Central Raiders at AutoNation Field in a Class 4A regional final on Friday night. It will be the fourth time in the last two seasons that both teams will clash. University School won 13-7 in the 2017 season opener at Belle Glade, knocked off Glades Central 44-21 a regional semifinal last year and they beat the Raiders 35-6 in the 2018 regular season opener.
     Glades Central(9-3) have momentum with a seven-game winning streak. They finally defeated Booker T. Washington 18-16 in a regional semifinal at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami last week. The Raiders had lost all four playoff meetings against the Tornadoes from 2013 to 2016. They handled Coral Spring Charter 55-10 in the first round and have outscored their last seven opponents 242-83.
     The Raiders offense will rely more on their passing attack. Quarterback Davius Richard looks to find wide receivers Jymetre Hester, Ja'Vontae Williams, Odieu Hilaire and Densa Washington down the field for pass completions. Most of their rushing opportunities will be given to running back Jaheim Humphries.
     University School(10-1) had an undefeated season until they lost their regular season finale to Chaminade-Madonna 35-0. Following a first-round bye due to the new playoff format in Class 4A, the Sharks breezed by Gulliver Prep 40-13 last week in a regional semifinal. They have compiled four shutouts this year and outscored their opponents 508-108.
     The Sharks have an impressive backfield and can split the rushing attempts between running backs Kenny McIntosh and Michael Hurt. They have a slew of wide receivers with Joshua Sanguinetti, Zay Flowers, Jordan Irizarry and Christian Wells who can catch the ball from quarterback Nick Vattiato.

American Heritage At Chaminade-Madonna Preview

     The American Heritage Stallions head down the Florida Turnpike to challenge the Chaminade-Madonna Lions in a Class 3A regional final at Vince Zappone Field on Friday night. Both schools met in a regional semifinal last year with the Lions winning 38-0.
     American Heritage(9-3) is riding a four-game winning streak and edged Benjamin 23-19 last week in Palm Beach Gardens. They have outscored their last four opponents 123-39. The Stallions got a home win over Calvary Christian 42-14 in the first round. They have mainly faced teams outside of Palm Beach County this season and are use to long travel.
     The Stallions offense can come out with their rushing game which involves running backs Dallis Small and Steve Barrett. Wide receivers Conner Hindsley, Fredrick Cage, Winston Hill, Deion Small and Jamal Potts intend to receive the ball from quarterback Zachary Bohannon.
     Chaminade-Madonna(9-2) are the defending FHSAA Class 3A state champions and have won six straight games. After getting a bye in the first round due to the new playoff format for small schools, they dominated Palmer Trinity 62-0. The Lions compiled five shutouts in 2018 and have outscored opponents 417-116 this season. They have not allowed a point in their last three games.
     The one big connection between both schools is Lions wide receiver John Dunmore. He played his first two seasons at Chaminade-Madonna, went to American Heritage for his junior year and returned to the Lions for his senior year. Along with Dunmore, they have wide receivers Jordan Cash and Rony Bourdeau to make pass receptions from quarterback Daelen Menard. Running backs Thaddius Franklin and Willie Davis IV will get their rushing opportunities.

Panthers Stuff Senators

     The Florida Panthers continued their six-game road trip and erased the Ottawa Senators 7-5 at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday night. The Cats have been victorious in five of their last seven games.
     It was the first appearance by Mike Hoffman in Ottawa since he was traded by the Senators during the summer. He was able to extend his Panthers franchise point streak to 16 games in the final two minutes of the contest.
     The first period began with a quick goal by Ottawa(9-9-3) 1:53 in. Matt Duchene put in his ninth goal of the season on a assists from Christian Jaros and Thomas Chabot.  
     Florida(8-7-3) scored three straight goals within a seven-minute span. Troy Brouwer got his fourth goal of the year at 4:44 on a feed by Juho Lammikko.
      The Panthers took a 2-1 lead at the 6:35 mark on a power-play goal by Aleksander Barkov, his sixth goal of the season. Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle were credited with assists on the play.
     Dryden Hunt later soared the puck out of the Panthers zone. Jared McCann got the puck along at the top of the Senators zone, skated into the slot area and snapped in a shot at 11:03
     Evgenni Dadonov compiled his ninth goal of the season on assists from Barkov and Aaron Ekblad with ones second left in the first. Dadonov now has a point in 14 of the last 15 games.
     In the second period, the Senators closed the gap. Duchene put in his second goal of the game at 1:32. Drake Batherson added a goal with the man advantage at the 4:39 mark to make it 4-3.
     The Cats were able to gain their two-goal gap again. Micheal Haley scored in his first game with Florida this season at 8:49. Frank Vatrano then added a tally with 3:31 left in the period for a 6-3 lead.
     The Sens did not give up in the third period with goals by Zach Smith at 6:35 and Brady Tkachuk at 9:30.
     Hoffman burned his former team on a tally with 1:40 remaining for his ninth goal of the season to make it 7-5. Lammikko compiled his fourth assist in the game to tie a Florida franchise record.

LeBron James And Lakers Top Heat

     LeBron James made his return to Miami and scored 51 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Heat 113-97 at American Airlines Arena on Sunday night. His former teammates in Miami Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem did not play in the game. James won his first game in Miami after losing seven straight games in his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
     It was the second straight season the Los Angeles defeated the Heat in Miami. They had lost their previous eight games held in South Florida. The Lakers have won five of the last 19 meetings between both clubs.
     Los Angeles(9-7) started the contest on an 11-4 spurt and were ahead 34-21 after the first quarter. They still had a 15-point margin 67-52 at halftime. Miami(6-10) could not get any traction during the second half and they trailed 92-76 after three quarters.
     Wayne Ellington poured in a team-high 19 points for the Heat while Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson both had 17 points each. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope put in 19 points for Los Angeles.

Rangers Slip By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the New York Rangers 4-2 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. It was the third game of a six-game road trip for the Panthers.
     Henrik Lundqvist moved past Jacques Plante for seventh all-time in wins by a goalie with 438. The Rangers won their fifth straight home game.
     It took a short time for New York(10-8-2) to get on the scoreboard. Filip Chytil made it 1-0 on a goal at the 3:03 mark.
     Florida(7-7-3) was able to tie it 1-1 at 4:49. Mike Hoffman scored his eighth goal of the season on assists from Evgenii Dadonov and Aleksander Barkov. Hoffman extended his franchise record point streak to 15 games. Dadonov had a point in 13 of the last 14 games.
     The Panthers took their only lead of the contest on the power play with 9:49 to go in the first. Aaron Ekblad scored a goal in his third straight game. Mike Matheson and Hoffman were credited with assists on the play.
     The Blueshirts evened it up 2-2 with 8:11 remaining in the period. Brendan Smith put in his second goal of the year.
     In the second period, the Rangers pulled ahead again at 2:37. Mike Zibanejad was able to feed Vladislav Namestnikov for the tally.
     They made it a two-goal margin with 12:04 left in the third period. Chris Kreider snapped a shot past Roberto Luongo with the man advantage.

Hurricanes Outlast Virginia Tech

     The Miami Hurricanes pulled away from the Virginia Tech Hokies 38-14 on Saturday. The Canes were able to snap a four-game losing streak overall and against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.

Chris Kokell Adds NFL Show

     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM will add an NFL show hosted by Chris Kokell. The one-hour program will be on Sunday at noon. He will broadcast his first show on location at Renegades in West Palm Beach.
     Kokell joined 640 The Hurricane in June as a high school website reporter. He added duties as a Saturday late morning host in August. Kokell is currently a defensive coordinator for the Jensen Beach Falcons football team.
     He once was a head football coach for the Forest Hill Falcons and Olympic Heights Lions. He was a television game analyst for Friday night football games on CW 34 WTVX-TV in West Palm Beach during the 2014 alongside play-by-play announcer Alex Kushel.
     Kokell was a weekend co-host on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM for a couple of years during the mid 2010s. He was elevated to the evening co-host spot with Joe Colella in January 2017 and held the position until the summer before returning to coaching Jensen Beach. Kokell did announce the FHSAA Class 3A state championship playoff game in Orlando as a game analyst along with Florida Atlantic University play-by-play announcer Ken LaVicka on ESPN West Palm.

South Florida High Schools In Third Round

     17 South Florida high schools advanced to the third round of the 2018 FHSAA football playoffs. There were a total of 29 teams at the end of the second round.
     Palm Beach County went from nine teams to six. Palm Beach Central, Dwyer, Glades Central, American Heritage, Kings Academy and Pahokee advanced. Palm Beach Lakes, Benjamin and Glades Day lost.
     Broward County dropped from nine schools down to six. Deerfield Beach, St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons, American Heritage, University School and Chaminade-Madonna moved on. Plantation, Fort Lauderdale and Western had their seasons end.
     Dade County fell from 11 squads to five. Winners included Columbus, South Dade, Miami Central, Miami Northwestern and Champagnat Catholic. Teams who lost were Miami Palmetto, Miami Southridge, Carol City, Booker T. Washington, Gulliver Prep and Palmer Trinity.

2018 FHSAA Playoffs Second Round Results

     The FHSAA playoffs had their second round games throughout South Florida this past weekend. 28 South Florida high schools participated in the regional semifinals.
     Class 8A in Region 3 saw two shutouts in their contests. #1 Deerfield Beach downed #5 Plantation 23-0 in a Broward County clash. #3 Palm Beach Central had no trouble and blasted #7 Western 38-0. Deerfield Beach will host Palm Beach Central next week in the regional final.
     Region 4 got #1 Columbus to blank #5 Miami Palmetto 42-0 and #6 South Dade upend #2 Miami Southridge 21-13. South Dade travels to Columbus in the third round.
     Class 7A in Region 4 had the two top seeds get easy victories over district rivals. #1 St. Thomas Aquinas with no problems with #5 Fort Lauderdale 51-0. #2 Dwyer pulled away from #6 Palm Beach Lakes 55-27. Dwyer heads to Fort Lauderdale next week and faces St. Thomas Aquinas for the fourth time in the postseason since 2013.
     Class 6A in Region 4 saw a clash of District 16 teams as #5 Miami Central edged #1 Carol City 30-21. Defending Class 6A state champion #6 Miami Northwestern went on the road to defeat #2 Heritage 31-19. It will be a battle between two schools in the region without a district title as Miami Central takes on Miami Northwestern next week.
     Region 4 of Class 5A noticed #2 Cardinal Gibbons getting by #3 Jones 30-27 while #5 American Heritage took care of #1 Rockledge 31-14. Two district foes will have their playoff rematch from last year when Cardinal Gibbons host American Heritage next week in a regional final.
     Class 4A in Region 4 got an upset as #3 Glades Central surprised #2 Booker T. Washington 18-16. #1 University School defeated #5 Gulliver Prep 40-13. Glades Central goes to Broward County and challenges University School in a playoff rematch from last year and in addition it will be their fourth meeting in the last two seasons.
     Region 4 in Class 3A saw the defending Class 3A state champion #1 Chaminade-Madonna dominate #5 Palmer Trinity 62-0. #3 American Heritage knocked off #2 Benjamin 23-19 in a battle between Palm Beach County teams. It will be a playoff rematch as Chaminade-Madonna hosts American Heritage next week.
     Region 2 had #1 Kings Academy outlast #5 Holy Trinity 16-7. They will stay at home and face #2 The First Academy in the third round.
     Class 2A in Region 4 saw #2 Glades Day get smoked by #3 Neumann 55-14. The defending Class 2A state champion #5 Champagnat Catholic got by #1 Moore Haven 24-16 and will take on Neumann next week in the third round.
     The only South Florida high school in Class 1A was victorious. #2 Pahokee defeated #6 Wildwood 34-13 and they will now drive to #1 Hawthorne in the next round.

Dwyer Beats Palm Beach Lakes

     Dwyer quarterback Gio Richardson scored on five touchdown runs as the Panthers got a 55-27 victory over the Palm Beach Lakes Rams in a Class 7A regional semifinal at Blum Stadium on Friday night. The Panthers will face the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in regional final next week.
     Dwyer(11-1) was able to score on the first play of the contest 13 seconds into the first quarter. Defensive lineman Vernon Padgett intercepted a screen pass and returned it 32 yards to the end zone.
     The Rams then fumbled the ball away on the first play of their next possession at their own 15-yard line. They were fortunate when they regained the ball on an interception at the Rams 32-yard line. They scored on the second play of their next drive with a 34-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Jalen Hall at 8:35.
     Palm Beach Lakes(8-4) added to their momentum when Panthers running back Bobby Armes fumbled the ball and it was returned 62 yards by linebacker Dejuan Fripp for a score at the 5:09 mark to give them a 13-7 lead.  
     The Panthers tied the game 13-13 with 30.7 seconds left in the first quarter. Richardson busted through the middle of the line and scored from one yard away.
     In the second quarter, Palm Beach Lakes turned the ball over on a fumble and James Meeks took it back 57 yards for a touchdown at 9:33. Dwyer recovered an onside kick and then capped their next possession with a one-yard plunge by Richardson with 6:04 remaining.
     The Panthers extended it to a 22-point margin to make it 35-13 with 1:44 to go. Richardson was able to roll out to the right and scored from 15 yards out.
     Palm Beach Lakes cut the deficit to 35-21 with 41.4 seconds left. Hall threw a 14-yard pass to wide receiver De'Amante Oliver in the left back corner of the end zone.
     Dwyer dominated the third quarter with 14 more points for a 27-point gap. Richardson raced around the left end and down the left sideline on a 31-yard touchdown run at 6:42. Running back Ernest Blackshear added a two-yard run through the right side of the line with 27.7 seconds remaining in the quarter.
     Richardson compiled his fifth touchdown run of the game with 4:34 left in the final quarter. He faked a handoff and sprinted down the right hash marks from 15 yards away and gave them a 55-21 lead.
     The Rams closed the gap with 2:39 to go. Hall floated a 19-yard pass that wide receiver Antorey Williams made a simultaneous catch with a Dwyer defender in the back right corner of the end zone.

Pacers Stop Heat

     The Indiana Pacers got by the Miami Heat 99-91 on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Miami will play their next game at home against former Heat player LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
     Miami(6-9) rolled out to a 27-18 lead after one quarter. Indiana(9-6) erased the deficit and were up 50-43 at halftime. Both teams stayed close to each other in the second half.
     The Heat were led by Josh Richardson with a game-high 28 points. Hassan Whiteside got a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Tyreke Evans compiled a double-double for the Pacers with team-high 23 points along with 10 rebounds.

Glades Central Finally Tops Booker T. Washington

     The Glades Central Raiders beat the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes 18-16 at Traz Powell Stadium in a Class 4A regional semifinal on Thursday night. The Tornadoes had eliminated the Raiders from the FHSAA playoffs four consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2016. Glades Central defeated Booker T. Washington for the first time ever.
     There was not much scoring during the first half. Booker T. Washington(5-6) picked up a 27-yard field goal by Andres Borregales with 4:58 left in the first quarter. Glades Central(9-3) got a safety 11 seconds into the second quarter and trailed 3-2.
     The Tornadoes made it 10-2 with 1:20 remaining in the second. Defensive lineman Drew Irving stripped Raiders quarterback Davius Richard of the ball and returned it 30 yards for a score.
     In the third quarter, the Raiders closed the gap to 10-5 when Jose Garcia kicked a field goal at the 5:45 mark. Glades Central took their first lead of the contest just 21 seconds later when defensive back Elie Fils-Aime made a interception and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown to give them an 11-10 lead.
     The Raiders defense later recovered a fumble at the Tornadoes 10-yard line. They capitalized on it as wide receiver Odieu Hilaire caught an eight-yard swing pass on the right side from Richard and he dove into the end zone with 2:16 left in the third to make it 18-10.
     Booker T. Washington stayed in the contest during the fourth quarter. Quarterback Torrey Morrison rushed to the left side for a touchdown from two yards away with 3:40 remaining. They were unable to score on a two-point conversion pass to tie the game.

Panthers Jumped By Blue Jackets

     Mike Hoffman set a Panthers franchise record with a 14-game point streak as Florida lost 7-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night. He broke the record set by Pavel Bure during the 1999-2000 season. Evgenii Dadonov had his 12-game point streak stopped.
     The Panthers had their five-game winning streak snapped and are now 2-12-1 all-time in Columbus. It was the second game of a six-game road trip for the Cats.
     It took just 1:44 into the first period for Florida(7-6-3) to get on the scoreboard. Nick Bjugstad scored his fourth goal of the season with assists from Mike Matheson and Denis Malgin.
     Hoffman set the team record for a point streak at the 6:45 mark during a power play. Aaron Ekblad put the puck in the net for the second straight game. Hoffman and Matheson were credited with assists on the play.
     The second period would belong to Columbus(11-6-2). Cam Atkinson scored a shorthanded goal from the left circle past Roberto Luongo 28 seconds into the frame. Brandon Dubinsky added a tally on a deflection in the crease at 3:46 and Pierre-Luc Dubois nailed a goal at 6:16.
     The Panthers stopped the Columbus rush with 6:48 to go in the period as Keith Yandle snapped a shot from the top of the zone through traffic for his fourth goal of the campaign. Vincent Trocheck got the primary assist and Jonathan Huberdeau got the secondary assist.
     The Blue Jackets took the lead back 4-3 at 4:01 of the third period. Zac Dalpe carried the puck into the Panthers zone, stopped in the slot area and backhanded it ahead. Markus Hannikainen scored on a spinning forehand shot from the crease.
     Columbus made it a two-goal margin at the 8:59 mark. Anthony Duclair split the defense at the red line on a breakaway. He came in alone and then poked the puck from the crease area. They added another tally to make it 6-3 on a goal by Josh Anderson with 7:03 remaining.
     Florida decided to pull their goalie for an extra attacker with 5:30 to go. It did not work as Boone Jenner scored into an empty net with 5:09 left.

Western At Palm Beach Central Preview

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos host the Western Wildcats in a Class 8A regional semifinal on Friday night. The Wildcats upset the Broncos 14-12 last year in the second round.
     Western(9-2) lost the District 12 title to Plantation on a three-way tiebreaker based on playoff points. They gained revenge from their playoff loss last year against Atlantic with a 21-7 victory last week. The Wildcats lost their two games by a combined five points. They have outscored their opponents 315-107 this year.
     Palm Beach Central(10-1) have won 10 consecutive games following a loss to Atlantic 14-0 in the regular season opener. The Broncos knocked off district rival Wellington 44-14 in the first round last week. They have outscored their opponents 421-85 and compiled four shutouts this year. They have not allowed more than 14 points in a contest this season.
     The Broncos defense is led by defensive back Akeem Dent. They have a choice to use two different quarterbacks during the course of a game with Mike Moreland and Anarjahe Douriet. Wide receivers Bryan Robinson, Gen'Taris Oliver, De'angelo Pompey, Kai Rosado and Kaishawn Curry look to make pass receptions from them. Running backs C.J. Stewart, Da'quan Hamilton, Tyler Willis and Derrick Cruickshank intend to gain yardage from the backfield.

American Heritage At Benjamin Preview

     The American Heritage Stallions visit the Benjamin Buccaneers in Palm Beach Gardens on Friday night in a Class 3A regional semifinal. Both schools are in Palm Beach County and have rarely faced each other over the past decade.
     American Heritage(8-3) won their first five games of the regular season then lost three straight games. The Stallions enter this game on a three-game win streak and outscored those opponents 100-20. They comprised their schedule this year of teams outside of Palm Beach County except for Glades Central. They defeated Calvary Christian 42-14 in the first round last week.
     The Stallions can mix up their offense with the run and the pass. Running backs Dallis Small and Steve Barrett will get their rushing opportunities from the backfield. Quarterback Zachary Bohannon can pass the ball to wide receivers Conner Hindsley, Winston Hill, Fredrick Cage, Deion Small and Jamal Potts.
     Benjamin(9-1) won their first nine games of the year and fell on the road to Kings Academy 22-21 in the season finale. The Buccaneers had a first-round bye due to the new playoff format in Class 3A. They have outscored their opponents 341-95 this season.
     The Buccaneers will rely more on their passing attack. Quarterback Santino Marucci can throw the ball to several wide receivers that includes Kalir Elam, Joseph Mariani, Roshaune Downie and Tommy Rooney. Running backs Joseph Labovick and Joshua Pierre-Louis are expected to get the bulk of the carries.

Fort Lauderdale At St. Thomas Aquinas Preview

     The Fort Lauderdale Flying L's face the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders on Friday night in a Class 7A regional semifinal at Brian Piccolo Stadium. The Raiders blanked the Flying L's 49-0 in a district game during Week 8.
     Fort Lauderdale(9-2) won their first FHSAA playoff game in 50 years last week with a 54-7 rout over Doral Academy. Their only loss besides to St. Thomas Aquinas was a road loss to Vero Beach. The Flying L's have outscored their last four opponents 139-34.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(10-1) have won every game this year with the exception of a home loss to Miami Central in Week 5. STA is on a six-game winning streak and last week pounded South Miami 77-20. The Raiders have won 13 regional semifinal contests since 2004 and lost to Dwyer during the second round in 2013. They have outscored their opponents 542-92 this season. Aquinas has averaged 57 points in their last five games.
     The Raiders come out with an offensive attack that is even strength between running and passing the ball. Running backs Daniel Carter and Nigel White will both get their rushing opportunities. Quarterback Curt Casteel intends to find wide receivers Marcus Rosemy, Jamal Cooney, Xavier Restrepo and Jahvante Royal down the field on passing attempts.

Miami Central At Carol City Preview

     Two District 16 rivals in Dade County will decide which school will advance in the FHSAA playoffs as the Miami Central Rockets tangle with the Carol City Chiefs at Traz Powell Stadium on Friday night in a Class 6A regional semifinal. The Chiefs topped the Rockets 36-28 in Week 10 for the district title.
     Miami Central(9-2) began the regular season with road victories in the first five weeks against Cardinal Gibbons, Booker T. Washington and St. Thomas Aquinas. Their only two losses this year to Carol City and St. John's was by a combined 11 points. The Rockets struggled to a 35-20 win at Dillard last week. They have outscored their opponents 452-170 this season.
     The focal point of the Rockets offense comes down to quarterback Maurice Underwood. Their rushing attack will depend on running backs Lexington Joseph and Kejon Owens with carries from the backfield. Underwood will look downfield to wide receivers Jaylin Young, Anthony Colonel, Anthony Frederick, Shamar Zaragoza and Geovanni Ribalta for pass completions.
     Carol City(9-2) would now be undefeated, however they had to forfeit their first two regular games which were non-district contests against American Heritage and Columbus. The Chiefs have won nine consecutive games and were the 2016 FHSAA Class 6A state champions. They have outscored their last nine opponents 387-72. They shut out district rival Norland 34-0 last week.

Plantation At Deerfield Beach Preview

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks host the Plantation Colonels on Friday night in a Class 8A regional semifinal at Butler Stadium. Both Broward County teams won district championships this season.
     Plantation(10-1) won District 12 with the highest playoff points to break the three-way tie. The Colonels enter this contest on a four-game winning streak and have outscored their opponents 396-88 this season. They defeated former local rival Piper 23-12 last week.
     Deerfield Beach(10-1) were undefeated until a home loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in Week 7. The Bucks finished the regular season with back-to-back shutouts. They held off Miramar 32-14 last week and have outscored opponents 352-112 this year.
     The Bucks will rely on running back Jaylan Knighton for the majority of their rushing attack. He has the capability to score on any running play. Their core of wide receivers can have an impact with Deajaun McDougle, Dashaun Davis, Bryce Gowdy and DeRohn King catching the ball from quarterback Tyler Herring.

Glades Central At Booker T. Washington Preview

     The Glades Central Raiders make a trip to Dade County and take on the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes in a Class 4A regional semifinal at Traz Powell Stadium on Thursday night. Both schools have a strong tradition of winning state championships over the years.
     They met each other in the FHSAA playoffs four consecutive years from 2013 until 2016 with Booker T. Washington victorious every time. The Raiders have never beaten the Tornadoes in their history.
     Glades Central Raiders(8-3) have compiled six straight wins. The Raiders beat Pahokee 22-12 in the Muck Bowl two weeks ago and squashed Coral Springs Charter 55-10 last week. They have outscored their last six opponents 224-67.
     The Raiders offense look towards quarterback Davius Richard to bring the team down the field. Their impact will be with their passing attack as wide receivers Jymetre Hester, Ja'Vontae Williams, Odieu Hilaire and Densa Washington are expected to get open for Richard. Running back Jaheim Humphries gets most of the carries from the backfield.
     Do not let the regular season record of Booker T. Washington(5-5) deceive anyone. Their losses have been to quality playoff teams that includes Miami Central, Columbus, Miami Northwestern, Chaminade-Madonna and Carol City. They have not played a contest in three weeks. They had a bye in the final week of the regular season and received a first-round bye last week due to the new Class 4A playoff format.

Palm Beach Lakes At Dwyer Preview

     The Palm Beach Lakes Rams go seven miles north on Military Trail and take on the Dwyer Panthers at Blum Stadium in a Class 7A regional semifinal on Friday night. The Panthers beat the Rams 41-13 on the same field during Week 4 in a district game.
     Palm Beach Lakes(8-3) lost three of their first four games of the regular season to Pahokee, Dwyer and Trinity Christian Academy. The Rams have since stringed together seven straight victories and included a surprising 6-3 win over McArthur last week. They have outscored their opponents 229-50 in their last seven games.
     Dwyer(10-1) ride into this contest with a nine-game winning streak following a loss to Atlantic in Week 2. The Panthers have outscored their opponents 459-79 this season. They have outscored their last seven opponents 323-22. Dwyer easily blanked West Broward 43-0 last week.
     Panthers quarterback Gio Richardson will dictate the pace for their offense. Wide receiver Tanner Franklin played for Palm Beach Lakes last year and transferred to Dwyer during the summer. He along with wide receivers Reggie Gadsen, Jamari Gaines, Nick Bingo and Connor Nagle are expected to make pass receptions from Richardson. They have numerous options at running back which includes James Meeks, Ernest Blackshear, Cedric Tucker, Bobby Armes and Sataria Haliburton.

Heat Rip Nets

     The Miami Heat stopped a three-game losing streak and easily handled the Brooklyn Nets 120-105 at Barclays Center on Wednesday night. Miami led a game from wire-to-wire for the first time since March 10 against Washington. The Heat are in the middle of a two-game road swing and return to South Florida on Sunday to face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
     Miami(6-8) dominated the first quarter and led 37-21. Brooklyn(6-9) cut a little bit into the margin and were down 61-49 at the half. The Heat surged ahead 90-72 after three quarters. The Nets cut the lead down to single digits with a 14-3 run to make it 105-97 with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter.
     Tyler Johnson connected with a season-high 24 points and Goran Dragic knocked in 21 points for the Heat. Josh Richardson placed in 15 points while Hassan Whiteside got a double-double with 14 points along with 10 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie had a team-high 18 points for Brooklyn.

Hubbard Radio 640 The Hurricane New Owner

     Hubbard Radio has finalized their deal to acquire 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM and along with five other West Palm Beach radio stations from Alpha Media. An agreement had been made by both organizations in late September. 640 The Hurricane has been operated by Alpha Media since February 2016.
     WMEN was flipped to a sports talk format by James Crystal Enterprises in March 2008. Atalaya Capital Management headed by Mark Jorgenson purchased the radio station in an auction in April 2015.

South Florida High Schools In Second Round

     29 South Florida high schools advanced to the second round of the 2018 FHSAA football playoffs. There were 50 representatives heading into the postseason. 

     Palm Beach County went from 12 teams to nine. Dwyer, Palm Beach Central, Palm Beach Lakes, Glades Central, American Heritage and Glades Day advanced. Pahokee, Benjamin and Kings Academy had a bye in the first round. Atlantic, Wellington and Cardinal Newman lost. 

     Broward County dropped from 17 high schools to nine. Deerfield Beach, St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons. Fort Lauderdale, American Heritage, Plantation and Western moved forward. Chaminade-Madonna and University School were the only school that had the week off. Dillard, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs Charter, Calvary Christian, Piper, West Broward, Miramar and McArthur ended their seasons.
     Dade County fell from 21 to 11 participants. Programs that included Carol City, Miami Central, Miami Northwestern, Columbus, Miami Southridge, South Dade, Miami Palmetto, Gulliver Prep, Palmer Trinity and Champagnat Catholic advanced. Booker T. Washington had a bye based on the new playoff format for small schools. Norland, Belen Jesuit, Hialeah, Coral Gables, North Miami, Doral Academy, Monsignor Pace, South Miami, Westminster Christian and Miami Christian fell. 

Orlando Alzugaray Gone From WQAM

     Orlando Alzugaray is no longer with Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He did his final midday program on Tuesday and will continue as a weekend host at Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM Radio. He will still write for The Athletic Miami, which he started at in August.
     It ended the second reign for Alzugaray, a.k.a. The Big O, at that radio station. His recent run there started in August 2014. He did work as an afternoon host on 640 Sports WMEN-AM from October 2010 until August 2014.
     He first got noticed locally as a sports reporter on News Radio 610 WIOD-AM along 940 WINZ-AM in 1993 and stayed there almost two years. He moved to San Francisco and worked as a sports host on the first national Spanish language sports talk station in the United States. The organization went out of business after less than one year.
     Alzugaray returned to Miami and joined WQAM in 1995 as a sports reporter and weekend host. He later became the midday host and Miami Dolphins pregame studio host in the late 2000s. He was moved to the late morning shift when Michael Irvin became a part of WQAM in July 2010. Alzugaray was demoted to host the evening program when Gino Torretta joined the station in August 2010. He decided to leave the station in September 2010 after two weeks in that position.

Panthers Edge Flyers

     The Florida Panthers slipped by the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. Mike Hoffman tied a Florida franchise record as he equaled Pavel Bure with a 13-game point streak. Bure set the mark for the Panthers in the 1999-2000 season
     The Cats extended their winning streak to five games. It was the beginning of a six-game road trip for the Panthers.
     Florida(7-5-3) compiled two goals during the second period. Aarron Ekblad scored his first goal of the season with the man advantage at 8:15. Frank Vatrano and Hoffrman were credited with assists on the play.
     The Panthers made it a two-goal margin with 2:25 left in the second. Evgenii Dadonov kept his point streak alive at 12 games when he scored his eighth goal of the season. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was able to get the only assist.
     In the third period, Philadelphia(9-8-1) got a tally at 3:55. Jakub Voracek put in his fifth goal of the campaign on a set up by Oskar Lindblom and Sean Couturier.

76ers Burn Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 124-114 on Monday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat finished off a four-game home stand. Their next game is at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
     Philadelphia(9-6) led 32-26 after one quarter and were barely up 64-62 by halftime. Miami(5-8) stayed behind 96-90 after three quarters and never could get in front during the fourth.
     Joel Embiid had a game-high 35 points and 17 rebounds for the Sixers. J.J. Redick added 25 points and Ben Simmons had 13 points. Goran Dragic put in 22 points while Josh Richardson dropped 17 points for the Heat. Hassan Whiteside compiled a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Packers Dump Dolphins

     The Green Bay Packers mangled the Miami Dolphins 31-12 at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The Dolphns have their bye next week and will not play until November 25 at Indianapolis.
     In the first quarter, Green Bay(4-4-1) struck first. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davante Adams at 6:07. The Fins made it 7-3 on a 37-yard field goal by Jason Sanders with 1:18 left.
     The Packers scored again when running back Aaron Jones rushed up the middle from two yards out at the 14:53 mark of the second quarter. Miami (5-5) got field goals by Sanders from 25 yards at 10:29 and 47 yards at 2:49. Sanders booted a 40-yard field goal for the Fins early in the third quarter at the 11:43 mark.
     Green Bay would score on their two possession of the second half. Jones raced to the right and scored from 10 yards away with 9:33 to go in the third. Adams later caught a 25-yard TD pass from Rodgers with 7:25 remaining and increased the gap to 28-12. Mason Crosby put the only points up on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter at 8:53 on a 38-yard field goal.

Panthers Streak By Senators

     The Florida Panthers extended their winning streak to four games as they topped the Ottawa Senators 5-1 on Sunday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers will head out of South Florida to begin a six-game road trip.
     It was the first time Mike Hoffman played against his former team that he was with for seven seasons. He was traded during the summer from Ottawa to San Jose and then to Florida.
     Ottawa(7-8-3) scrambled out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 1:25 left in the first period. Chris Tierney made a pass from the right wing to the middle and Ryan Dzingel ripped a wrist shot past James Reimer.
     Florida(6-5-3) was able to even it up 1-1 at the 3:05 mark. Hoffman made a cross-ice pass from the right circle to the left circle where Evgenii Dadonov was. Dadonov placed a pass to the slot and Aleksander Barkov snapped a shot by Mike McKenna. Hoffman increased his point streak to 12 games while Dadonov extended his point streak to 11 games. Pavel Bure has the Panthers franchise record of 13 games done during the 1999-2000 season.
     The Panthers continued their momentum with a power-play goal at 6:01 and took their first lead of the contest. Vincent Trocheck connected a pass from the right circle to Keith Yandle at the top of the zone. He skated in a couple of feet, took a a wrist shot and Jonathan Huberdeau redirected it in the low slot area.
     The Sens trailed 3-1 with 5:03 remaining in the second. Hoffman passed to Bogdan Kiselevich in his own zone. Kiselevich rainbowed a high to the neutral zone. Barkov outmuscled Christian Jaros for the puck at the Senators blue line, skated toward the slot on a short breakaway and scored.
     Florida increased the gap to 4-1 with 3:57 to go.  Juho Lammikko sent the puck from the right point around the boards to Colton Sceviour behind the Senators. He passed it to the crease and Troy Brouwer lifted the puck in for the tally. It was the first NHL point for Lammikko.
     The explosion continued for Florida with another goal with 1:49 left in the period.  Huberdeau angled a pass to Frank Vatrano in the slot and he scored on a wrist shot. It was the fifth goal of the campaign for Vatrano.

Hurricanes Fall To Georgia Tech

     The Miami Hurricanes saw their season continue to slip as they were defeated by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 27-21 in Atlanta on Saturday night. The Hurricanes have lost four consecutive games to Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.

Wizards Take Down Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Washington Wizards 116-110 at American Airlines Arena on Saturday night. The Heat played their third game at home in the last four days.
     Miami(5-7) blasted out to a 35-25 lead after the first quarter and had a 61-58 lead at halftime. Washington(3-9) was down 85-83 after three quarter and then outscored the Heat 33-25 in the fourth to get the victory.
     Josh Richardson drained in 24 points while Rodney McGruder dropped in 22 points for Miami. Hassan Whiteside nailed a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. John Wall had a game-high 28 points and nine assists for the Wizards. Dwight Howard compiled a double-double of 11 points and 17 rebounds.

Panthers Get By Islanders

     The Florida Panthers outlasted the New York Islanders 4-2 at BB&T Center on Satruday night. The Panthers extended their winning streak to a season-high three games.
     Things began well for Florida(5-5-3) as they got up 1-0 at 6:20. Jared McCann had the puck on the end wall, had it touched by Nick Bjugstad and McCann centered it. Denis Malgin poked the puck past Robin Lehner from the low slot for his first goal of the campaign.
     New York(8-6-2) struck back just over a minute later at the 7:28 mark. Anders Lee made a lead pass from the neutral zone to Mathew Barzal. He skated in alone though the slot, faked a forehand shot and placed a backhand shot by Roberto Luongo.
     In the second period, the Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 8:10. Scott Mayfield sent a shot from the right point that hit off Keith Yandle in the left circle. It bounced to Brock Nelson in the high slot and he scored on a snap shot.
     The Cats evened it up with 46 seconds left in the second. Mike Matheson blasted a slapshot from the left point which deflected off Evgenii Dadonov and off the back half-wall. Mike Hoffman backhanded the puck to the crease and it deflected off Ryan Pulock's right skate and into the Islanders cage. Hoffman extended his point-scoring streak to 11 games while Dadonov now has a 10-game point streak.
     The Panthers made it 3-2 on a 4-on-3 power play at 4:43 of the third period. Yandle was at the top of the zone, waited and passed it to Alekander Barkov at the top left circle. He put in a wrist shot for his third tally of the season. Troy Brouwer put in an empty-net goal with 00.3 seconds remaining to clinch the win.

2018 FHSAA Playoffs First Round Results

     The 2018 FHSAA football playoffs began this past weekend in South Florida. There were 50 high schools that represented Palm Beach County, Broward County and Dade County.
     Six small schools teams had the week off based on the new playoff format where first seeds and second seeds from Class 4A to Class 1A received a bye.  They included University School, Booker T. Washington, Chaminade-Madonna, Benjamin, Kings Academy and Pahokee.
     Class 8A in Region 3 had a major upset as state finalist #2 Atlantic lost the #7 Western 21-7. The Eagles had defeated the Wildcats in a regional final on the same field last year. #1 Deerfield Beach were down in their game and came back to get the victory over #8 Miramar 32-14. It was the second straight season that the Patriots lost in the first round. #3 Palm Beach Central topped district rival #6 Wellington 44-14 and ended the high school career of Marc-Antony Richards. #4 Plantation held off former local rival #5 Piper 23-12. Deerfield Beach will host Plantation and Western travels up to Palm Beach County and face Palm Beach Central.
     Region 4 in Class 8A saw #1 Columbus outclass #8 Coral Gables 38-21, #2 Miami Southridge handled # 7 North Miami 35-21, # 6 South Dade blasted #3 Hialeah 49-14  and #4 Belen Jesuit fell to #5 Miami Palmetto 45-7. The top seed #1 Columbus hosts Miami Palmetto while South Dade heads for #2 Miami Southridge.
     Class 7A in Region 4 had two blowout victories among the top two seeds as #1 St. Thomas Aquinas pounded #8 North Miami 77-20 and #2 Dwyer blanked #7 West Broward 43-0. #3 McArthur was surprised by #6 Palm Beach Lakes 6-3 while #5 Fort Lauderdale won their first FHSAA playoff game in 50 years with a 54-7 victory over #4 Doral Academy. District rivals face each other in the next round when Fort Lauderdale takes on St. Thomas Aquinas and Palm Beach Lakes heads to Dwyer.
     Dade County dominated Class 6A in Region 4 over the weekend. #1 Carol City shut out #8 Norland, #5 Miami Central survived #4 Dillard 35-20 and #6 Miami Northwestern beat #3 Mainland 31-16. Carol City will host Miami Central at Traz Powell Stadium next week while Miami Northwestern make another long trip up the coast and face #2 Heritage.
     Class 5A in Region 4 got #2 Cardinal Gibbons to knock off Merritt Island 49-14. #5 American Heritage defeated #5 Fort Pierce Westwood 37-14 and #8 Coconut Creek lost to #1 Rockledge 35-13. American Heritage goes up I-95 to challenge Rockledge while Cardinal Gibbons stays at home against Jones in the second round.
     Region 4 of Class 4A had #3 Glades Central crush #6 Coral Springs Charter 55-10 and #5 Gulliver Prep upended #4 Monsignor Pace 27-14. #1 University School will host Gulliver Prep while Glades Central travels to Dade County and takes on #2 Booker T. Washington next week.
     Class 3A in Region 4 had #3 American Heritage topped #6 Calvary Christian 42-14 while #5 Palmer Trinity toppled #4 Westminster Christian 22-10. Palmer Trinity faces the defending Class 3A state champion #1 Chaminade-Madonna. American Heritage stays in Palm Beach County and takes on #2 Benjamin in the regional semifinal games.
     #3 Cardinal Newman was upset by #6 Holy Trinity 34-30 in Region 2. #1 Kings Academy hosts Holy Trinity in the next round.
     The defending Class 2A state champion #5 Champagnat Catholic edged #4 Miami Christian 20-19 while #3 Glades Day stopped #6 First Baptist 49-39. Glades Day goes up to #2 Moore Haven and Champagnat Catholic heads to #1 Neumann in Region 4.
     The only South Florida high school that qualified for the FHSAA postseason in Class 1A had a bye in the first round. #2 Pahokee welcomes #6 Wildwood to The Muck next week.

Miami Central Survives Dillard

     The Miami Central Rockets escaped Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium with a 35-20 victory over the Dillard Panthers on Friday night in a Class 6A regional quarterfinal. The Rockets face District 16 champion Carol City next week. The Panthers lost in the first round at home for the fourth consecutive year to a District 16 school.
     Miami Central(9-2) went up 6-0 at the 9:32 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Maurice Underwood angled through the right side of the line and scored from one yard away.
     Dillard(8-3) defensive back Omari Hill intercepted a long pass to the left side intended for wide receiver Anthony Colonel early in the second quarter. They finished their ensuing drive when quarterback Tyrese McConn connected a 50-yard touchdown pass up the middle at 10:19 for a 7-6 lead.
     The Rockets answered back quickly with 8:17 to go. Running back Lexington Joseph swept to the left side and reached the end zone from 28 yards out.
     Rockets defensive back Darius Conley would pick off a pass near midfield on the Panthers next possession. Miami Central extended their lead to 21-6 with three minutes remaining. Wide receiver Jaylin Young capped the drive with an 18-yard pass reception from Underwood.
     The Panthers made it competitive again with 1:31 left in the first half and they trailed 21-14. McConn fired a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Lamont Scott in the back left corner of the end zone.
     There was only one scoring play during the third quarter. Underwood threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Young on the left side at 6:09 for a 14-point margin.
     In the fourth quarter, Dillard closed the gap to 28-20 at the 9:18 mark. Running back Method Bradley caught a short pass to the right on a circle pattern and raced untouched for a 12-yard touchdown.
     The Rockets put the game away with 7:06 remaining. Underwood made a shovel pass to Joseph and he sprinted through the middle from 15 yards away for his second touchdown of the contest.

Pacers Speed By Heat

     The Indiana Pacers breezed by the Miami Heat 110-102 on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat, who had a two-game winning streak snapped, introduced and played in their new Miami Vice style jerseys for the contest.
     Miami(5-6) was slightly ahead 26-24 after one quarter and extended their lead to 59-51 by halftime. Indiana(8-5) rallied and went up 84-80 after three quarters. The Pacers were able to withhold a rush by Miami to win the game.
     Kelly Olynyk had 20 points and Josh Richardson added 18 points for the Heat. Hassan Whiteside put together a double-double of 11 points and 20 rebounds. Victor Oladipo compiled a game-high 22 points and eight assists for Indiana.

Miramar At Deerfield Beach Preview

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks host the Miramar Patriots in a Class 8A regional quarterfinal at Butler Stadium on Friday night. Both schools have been considered the top two Class 8A teams in Broward County for the past decade.
     Miramar(6-4) finished in a three-way tie with Plantation and Western for first place in District 12, however they did not have the highest playoff points after a regular season finale loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. The Patriots began the season 0-3 with defeats to Miami Northwestern, American Heritage and Plantation. They were victorious in their next six games.
     Deerfield Beach(9-1) were undefeated in the regular season after six games until a home loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. The Bucks have outscored their opponents 320-98 this year. They come into this contest with consecutive shutouts over District 11 rivals Monarch along with Piper and had a bye last week.
     The Bucks intends to use running back Jaylan Knighton on most of their rushing attempts from the backfield. Quarterback Tyler Herring has a slew of wide receivers to threw the ball to which includes Dashaun Davis, Deajaun McDougle, Bryce Gowdy and DeRohn King.

Panthers Drill Oilers

     The Florida Panthers returned home and stopped the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 at BB&T Center on Thursday night. The Cats won their second straight contest for the first time this season. It was the first home game for the Panthers in Sunrise since October 20.
     The Panthers had played their previous two games at Helsinki, Finland against the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL Global Series. The Oilers lost their last three games of the four-game road trip.
     After no scoring in the first period, Florida(4-5-3) made it 1-0 at 6:45 of the second. Mike Hoffman was in the slot area, dropped the puck to Aleksander Barkov and he steered it ahead to Evgenii Dadonov in the crease. He approached the net, jumped around Cam Talbot and place the puck into the cage.
     The Panthers extended it to 2-0 at the 9:12 mark. Nick Bjugstad backhanded the puck from the top of the zone to Bogdan Kiselevich on the left wing. His wrist shot went off the hip of Kevin Gravel then Bjugstad marched in and scored on a snap shot.
     In the third period, Edmonton(8-7-1) got on the scoreboard 23 seconds in. Connor McDavid carried the puck down the right wing to the right-circle dot. He backhanded a cross-ice pass and Leon Draisaitl put in a one-time shot from the low slot by Roberto Luongo.
     Florida regained a two-goal margin on the power play at 3:43. Keith Yandle make a pass from the top of the zone to Vincent Trocheck on the right wing. He connected a cross-ice pass to Jonathan Huberdeau and he blasted in a slapshot for the tally. Colton Sceviour added an empty-net goal on a backhand shot from the red line with 48.2 seconds remaining.

American Heritage At Fort Pierce Westwood Preview

     The American Heritage Patriots begin their attempt for a third straight FHSAA Class 5A state championship as they make the long trip and face the Fort Pierce Westwood Panthers on Friday night. The Patriots get a rare occurrence and will be the visiting team for a regional quarterfinal game.
     American Heritage(8-1) finished in second place behind Cardinal Gibbons in District 16. They started the regular season with a tough schedule with a forfeit win over Carol City followed by victories over St. Joseph Regional, Miramar, Coconut Creek and defending Class 3A state champion Chaminade-Madonna. The Patriots have outscored their opponents 245-125 this season.
     They will look toward their rushing game with running backs Tyler Jones and Lavelton Williams. Wide receivers Tyler March, Douglas Emilien and tight end Beau Johnson are expected to make pass receptions from quarterback Edwin Rhodes.
     Fort Pierce Westwood(7-3) captured the District 15 crown. The Panthers began the season winning four of their first five games then lost to Vero Beach. They had district wins over Port St. Lucie and Suncoast.