Georgia Takes Michigan In Orange Bowl

     The University of Georgia Bulldogs easily handled the University of Michigan Wolverines 34-11 in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night. Georgia dominated the CFP national semifinal game and had a 27-3 halftime lead. Michigan reached the end zone for the first time with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

     The Bulldogs will take on the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship game on January 10. Both schools faced each other in the Southeastern Conference championship contest earlier in the month with the Crimson Tide victorious. They both clashed during the national title game back in 2017. 

Heat End Rockets

     The Miami Heat disposed of the Houston Rockets 120-110 at Toyota Center on Friday night. It was the last game of the 2021 calendar year for both teams. 

     Miami(23-13) outscored the Rockets 41-30 during the first quarter. The Heat stayed ahead 74-60 at halftime. Houston(10-26) kept pace and were down 100-87 after three quarters. 

     Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 37 points for the Heat. Kyle Guy added 17 points off the bench while Tyler Herro fell short of a double-double with 19 points and nine assists. Christian Wood had 18 points for the Rockets. 

2021 FHSAA Football Title Recap

     South Florida high school football teams ended up with four FHSAA state championships in 2021. It was a drop from five state titles that the region won in 2020 and seven state titles back in 2019. 

     The FHSAA state championship contests were held at two different cities for the second time in three years. The first weekend had games of Class 3A, Class 2A and Class 1A happened at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee. Five state title games from Class 4A up to Class 8A were held at DRV PNK Stadium at Fort Lauderdale in the following week. 

     It was the first time since 2006 that the South Florida region hosted the FHSAA football state championships. It was held in Miami at what is now known as Hard Rock Stadium. 

     Three Broward County schools ended up winning state titles. St. Thomas Aquinas easily handled Tampa Bay Tech 42-14 for the FHSAA Class 7A state championship. The Raiders captured their state-record 13th state football title. STA won their third straight title which matched what they did from 2014 to 2016. It was their sixth title in eight seasons and 10th title in 15 years for STA. 

     Cardinal Gibbons was able to edge Cocoa 21-19 for the FHSAA Class 4A state title. The Chiefs won back-to-back titles and made it three state championships in four seasons. 

     Chaminade-Madonna returned to the top of the mountain as they blanked Berkeley Prep 21-0 for the Class 3A crown. The Lions won their fourth state title in the last five years. They reached the state championship game for the sixth consecutive season.

     Dade County only saw just one state championship team. Miami Central dropped in classification defeated Merritt Island 49-14 in the FHSAA Class 5A state title game for their third straight championship. The Rockets had won the Class 6A state title in 2019 and 2020. They now top all Dade County high schools with eight state football championships. 

     Only one local high school lost in the football finals. Champagnat Catholic could not get their third straight Class 2A state title and lost to Trinity Christian Academy 41-23. The Lions appeared in their sixth straight title game. 

South Florida Sports Review 2021

     It was an average year for South Florida professional sports teams in 2021. Just two professional local sports clubs made the postseason. Four of the five local teams reached the postseason in 2020. 

     The Miami Heat finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-32 record. They fell in the first round to the eventual NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks. 

     The Florida Panthers had a successful regular season and ended up second in the revised Central Division. They compiled the fourth-most points in the National Hockey League with 79 points. Florida made the postseason in consecutive years for only the second time in franchise history. The Panthers were eliminated in the opening round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who captured their second straight Stanley Cup championship. 

     The Miami Marlins could not repeat their success from 2020. They were a disappointment with a 57-105 record and finished fourth in the National League East. It was the third time in franchise history that the Marlins reached at least 100 losses. 

     The Miami Dolphins set a new NFL record during the 2021 campaign. The Fins won their season opener. They then lost seven straight games followed by seven consecutive victories. The Dolphins were eliminated from the postseason in their second-to-last contest. 

     Inter Miami CF completed their second season in Major League Soccer. They fell short of the postseason after showing up in the MLS playoffs last year. 

Panthers Dominate Lightning

     The Florida Panthers pounded the Tampa Bay Lightning 9-3 on Thursday night at FLA Live Arena. It was the final game of the 2021 calendar year for the Panthers.

     It was the second time in Florida Panthers franchise history that they scored nine goals in a contest. The previous time was a 10-5 victory over the Boston Bruins on November 25, 1997. That was the first game after the Doug MacLean firing and Bryan Murray was the interim head coach of the Panthers. 

     Jonathan Huberdeau reached the five-point mark in a game for the fourth time in his NHL career.  He compiled four assists in a contest on the third occasion. 

     Florida(20-7-4) jumped out to a 3-0 lead during the first period. The Cats got out 1-0 with the 11th goal this season by Anthony Duclair at the 2:10 mark. 

     Huberdeau scored a power-play goal, his 11th tally of the season, with 8:38 left in the first period. Frank Vatrano made it a three-goal margin with 5:39 to go on his seventh goal of the campaign. 

     Tampa Bay(21-7-4) cut it to 3-1 with 4:29 remaining. Zach Bogosian broke the shutout with his second goal.

     The Panthers added three more goals to lead 6-2 at the end of two periods. Eetu Luostarinen found the neat at 3:02. for his eighth tally this season. 

     The Lightning kept pace at the 6:19 mark. Steven Stamkos marked his 15th goal of the season for the Bolts and they trailed 4-2. 

     The Cats were able to extend the gap late in the second. Maxim Mamin chalked up his fourth goal with 2:34 remaining and Anton Lundell added his seventh goal of the campaign with 37 seconds left. 

      After a power-play goal by Brayden Point at 4:27 of the third period for the Lightning, the Panthers answered back with three more goals. Duclair picked up his second goal of the contest 11 seconds later. Aarron Ekblad got his ninth goal at 6:46 while Aleksander Barkov scored a shorthanded goal with 7:29 left for his 11th tally this year. 

West Palm Beach Ratings December 2021

     The ratings were issued for the West Palm Beach sports radio stations. The time frame went from the second week of November until the first week of December. 

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM was approaching the end of their longtime consistent weekday lineup. Evan Cohen worked his last complete period as their afternoon host. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM fell from a 0.7 to a 0.4 in the period. Florida Atlantic University football lost their last four contests of the regular season and did not qualify for a bowl game. They had Fox Sports Radio on weekdays for 22 hours. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM stayed at a 0.2 for the second straight month. The University of Florida football team finished off a disappointing regular season, even though they stopped rival Florida State in the season finale. The station continued their use of CBS Sports Radio Network. 

Miami Ratings December 2021

     Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports talk format radio stations were issued their ratings. The time span went from the second week of November to the first week of December. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM moved from a 1.2 to a 1.1 in the period. Midday host Jonathan Zaslow had his first complete period with the station. The Florida Panthers continued their strong start to begin the season. The Miami Dolphins began a winning streak to climb out of the AFC East Division basement. The University of Miami football team ended their regular season.

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM went from a 0.5 to a 0.4 in the month. The drop was due to the midday block of out-of-town shows like BetQL Network in late mornings and Jim Rome from CBS Sports Radio in middays. The Miami Heat slowed down from their good start of the regular season. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained at a 0.2 for the fourth consecutive month. The University of Florida football team ended regular season with a 2-6 Southeastern Conference mark and a 6-6 record overall. They did defeat rival Florida State in the regular season finale to get a bowl bid. 

Panthers Knock Off Rangers

     The Florida Panthers returned to the ice on Wednesday night and defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 at FLA Live Arena. It was the Panthers first regular season game since their home contest against the Los Angeles Kings on December 16. The Panthers had numerous players placed on the National Hockey League COVID-19 protocol during the almost two-week time span. 

     The Panthers pulled off a third-period comeback for the sixth time this season, which is the most in the NHL. Florida have a league-leading 15 home wins this year. 

     In the first period, New York(19-8-4) rolled out to 1-0 lead with 8:52 left. Artemi Panarin picked up his 10th goal of the season. 

     Florida(19-7-4) tied it up 1-1 at the 5:09 mark of the second period. Anton Lundell got his sixth goal this year on assists from Gustav Forsling and Ryan Lomberg. 

     The Rangers reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 7:17 to go in the second. Mika Zibanejad scored his eighth goal of the campaign. 

     The third period would belong to the Panthers as they added three goals in an 8:44 span and moved ahead 4-2. Eetu Luostarinen connected a cross-ice pass from the left wing and MacKenzie Weegar collected his first goal this season on a wrist shot from high slot at 5:56. 

     It became 3-2 for Florida with 9:29 remaining. Radko Gudas sent a diagonal pass from his own zone to Carter Verhaeghe at the red line. He charged into the Rangers zone on the left side and snapped a shot from above the left circle by Igor Shesterkin for his eighth goal. 

     The Cats extended it to 4-2 with 5:20 to go. Sam Bennett backhanded a pass from the right circle and Anthony Duclair scored on a snap shot from the slot area for his 10th goal this season. 

      The Blueshirts kept it interesting and closed it to 4-3 with 44.4 seconds left. Panarin fired the puck from the left wing and it was redirected by both Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko in the slot. Chris Kreider tapped it by Sergei Bobrovsky from the right of the crease for his 19th goal of the season. 

Heat And Spurs Game Postponed

     The Miami Heat contest at the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night was postponed. The Heat did not have the league-required eight available players to start the game. The game will be rescheduled for February 3. 

     It was the beginning of a long road trip for the Miami Heat. They will play their next game on Friday night against the Houston Rockets. 

Heat Beat Wizards

     The Miami Heat got a 119-112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night at FTX Arena. The Heat make a long trip and face the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow. 

     Miami(22-13) rolled out to a 38-24 lead at the end of one quarter. The Heat were able to stay ahead 65-51 by halftime. Washington(17-17) could not charge during the third quarter and trailed 91-73.

     Tyler Herro dropped in a game-high 32 points while Duncan Robinson added 26 points for Miami. Jimmy Butler comprised a double-double with 25 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Wizards with a team-high 24 points and Kyle Kuzma had 22 points.

Ruth Riley Hunter Miami Heat TV Game Analyst

     Ruth Riley Hunter filled in for John Crotty as the Miami Heat television game analyst on the Bally Sports Florida broadcast between the Heat and the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. It is the first time that Hunter worked alongside longtime Miami Heat television play-by-play announcer Eric Reid. 

     Hunter has appeared on television during Heat road games as a studio analyst in recent seasons. She joined the organization as the Miami Heat radio game analyst in 2018-19. Hunter once played for the Miami Sol of the WNBA in 2001 and 2002. 

John Vanbiesbrouck USA Hockey General Manager

     Former Florida Panthers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck has been elevated to general manager of the USA hockey team. They will compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing, China in February. 

     He worked in USA Hockey as assistant director of hockey operations. Vanbiesbrouck replaces Bill Guerin as general manager. After the National Hockey League decided not to send their players to the Winter Olympics, it was not necessary for NHL personnel to hold any position for olympic hockey teams. 

     Vanbiesbrouck was with the Florida Panthers in the first five seasons of their franchise history. He at one time did hold most of the goalie records of the club. Vanbiesbrouck was a radio game analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein on Westwood One when they announced ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 

Dolphins Walk By Saints

     The Miami Dolphins easily topped the New Orleans Saints 20-3 at the Caesars Superdome on Monday night. The Dolphins have their longest winning streak since 1985 and are now hold the AFC third wild-card spot. 

     The Fins have won seven consecutive victories. They reached a winning record for the first time since the first game of the 2021 regular season. 

     Miami(8-7) got on the scoreboard at the 10:33 mark of the first quarter. Defensive back Nik Needham intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards for the touchdown. Jason Sanders added a 48-yard field goal with 2:16 left in the first for a 10-0 lead. 

     New Orleans(7-8) picked up their only points of the contest with 2:49 to go in the second quarter and made it 10-3. Brett Maher was able to boot a 38-yard field goal. 

     In the third quarter, the Dolphins put it back to a seven-point margin at 5:15. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on a one-yard pass in the middle of the zone. Sanders increased it to 20-3 on a 34-yard field goal at the 12:04 mark of the fourth quarter. 

Miami Hurricanes Withdraw From Sun Bowl

     The University of Miami Hurricanes football team has withdrawn from their Sun Bowl appearance on Sunday. It was due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the players on their roster. The Hurricanes were to play Washington State University on December 31. 

     The Canes were the fifth college football team to pull out of a bowl game in 2021. It is uncertain if a replacement opponent will be found for the Sun Bowl. 

NHL Adds Taxi Squads

     The National Hockey League have decided to bring back taxi squads to all team rosters. It will be implemented from today until the NHL All-Star Game break in early February. 

     The tremendous number of COVID-19 cases among NHL players recently has made the league deal with the matter this way. Taxi squads were used during the entire 2020-21 season.

Heat Dismantle Magic

     The Miami Heat downed the Orlando Magic 93-83 at FTX Arena on Sunday. The Heat continued their four-game homestand during the holiday season. 

     Orlando(7-27) had a 24-22 edge at the end of one quarter. Miami(21-13) then led by 42-39 at halftime. The Heat outscored the Magic 30-21 in the third quarter to go up 72-60. 

     Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Caleb Martin dropped in 17 points while Max Strus and Gabe Vincent both had 13 points each. Omer Yurtseven compiled a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Gary Harris led the Magic with a game-high 20 points. 

50th Anniversary Of Longest NFL Game

     Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the longest game ever played in National Football League history. The Miami Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in double overtime in an AFC Division Playoff game on Christmas Day in 1971. 

     The length of the contest was 82 minutes and 40 seconds. Garo Yepremian ended it as he kicked a 37-yard field goal more than seven minutes into double overtime. 

Panthers At Hurricanes Game Postponed

     The Florida Panthers contest at the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night have been postponed. It is the fourth game in the past week that involved the Panthers to be postponed. All postponed games are expected to be made up during the olympic break in February. 

     The National Hockey League decided to extend the holiday break to December 27. It is due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases accumulated by NHL players. 

Dodgers Ink Tomas Telis

     The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed catcher Tomas Telis to a minor league contract. He has not been in the majors for the past three seasons. 

     Telis was with the Miami Marlins from 2015 to 2018. He had one home run, 14 runs batted in and a .225 batting average in 98 games with the club. 

Andre Fernandez Returns To Miami Herald

     Andre Fernandez has returned to the city of Miami and became the deputy sports editor of the Miami Herald earlier this month. He recently was the Tallahassee Democrat Florida State University beat reporter since June. 

     Fernandez held the position of lead high school sports reporter for the Miami Herald until early 2018. He was elevated to Miami Marlins beat writer for the 2018 season. 

     He became the Miami Heat beat reporter for The Athletic Miami in September 2018. Fernandez held that position until June 2020. 

     Fernandez co-hosted the FrontPage305 podcast with Manny Navarro and Walter Villa in 2020 and 2021. He also did freelance work as a writer at South Florida sporting events during that time span. 

Heat Pay Back Pistons

     The Miami Heat gained revenge on the Detroit Pistons 115-112 at FTX Arena on Thursday night. The Heat were upended by the Pistons four days ago in Detroit. The next game for Miami will be after Christmas at home versus the Orlando Magic on Sunday. 

     The game was tied 29-29 at the end of one quarter. Detroit(5-26) ended up having a 61-55 advantage at halftime. Miami(20-13) came back and held a slight lead 88-87 after three quarters. The Pistons had a 110-105 lead with 2:40 left, however the Heat scored seven straight points on their way to a 10-2 run which ended the game. 

     Tyler Herro led the Heat with 29 points. Max Strus contributed 26 points while Kyle Lowry added 21 points. Udonis Haslem came off the bench and scored a season-high seven points. Trey Lyles had a club-high 28 points for the Pistons and Saddiq Bey compiled a double-double of 23 points along with 10 rebounds.  

Miami Heat Sign Zylan Cheatham

     The Miami Heat have signed power forward Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day contract. It is a hardship exception due to the numerous Heat players on the health and safety protocol list. 

     Cheatham did play four games with the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019-20 season. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in those contests. 

Xavien Howard In Pro Bowl

     The National Football League announced the players that were selected to the Pro Bowl. It will be held in Las Vegas on February 6.

     Cornerback Xavien Howard was the only player from the Miami Dolphins that was chosen for the game. Howard has spent his entire six-season NFL career with Miami. He has compiled four interceptions in 13 contests this season. 

NHL Players Not In Olympics

     The National Hockey League announced that their players will not participate in the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. It is due to the increasing amount of COVID cases. Panthers players, such as Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, will not play in the Olympics.

     The NHL will use the scheduled olympic break between February 6 to February 22 to play postponed games and future postponed games. The Panthers recently had three games postponed and they will be made up during that time span. 

Heat Outhustle Pacers

     The Miami Heat picked up a 125-96 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at FTX Arena. The Heat tied a franchise record with 23 three-point shots made. They are now tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks.

     Miami(19-13) had a 33-21 advantage after one quarter and went on a 17-9 spurt to go up 50-30. The Heat stretched the gap to 69-45 by halftime. Indiana(13-19) fell behind even more and trailed 98-69 after three quarters. 

     Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro both had a game-high 26 points each for Miami. Max Strus poured in 18 points and Kyle Lowry fell short of a triple-double with eight points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis scored 12 points and Caris LeVert shared a team-high 17 points for the Pacers. 

Mark Kotsay New Oakland A's Manager

     The Oakland A's have hired Mark Kotsay as their new manager. He has been a part of the A's baseball operations since the 2016 season. He spent the 2021 campaign as their third-base coach. 

     Kotsay was once an outfielder for the Florida Marlins from 1997 until 2000. He compiled 31 home runs, 179 runs batted in and a .280 batting average in 468 games with the club. 

South Florida Sports Radio Shows Dwindle

     The six sports formatted radio stations in the South Florida area has seen a drop in local programming over the past 12 months. There will be only seven local weekday programs heard five days a week on the radio airwaves as of January 3 next year. It will be the lowest amount of weekday shows in the region since 2001.

     AM 560 Sports WQAM has the most daily shows with three. They have the Joe Rose Show with Zach Krantz in morning drive. Jonathan Zaslow is in middays followed by Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder in afternoon drive. 

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM has Brendan Tobin and Leroy Hoard in the morning. They use a simulcast of Hochman and Crowder in afternoons. 

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM rolls out a new weekday lineup. Ken LaVicka along with Chris Kokell have a midday show. The HomeTeam with Josh Cohen, Din Thomas and Kristina Costanza airs in the afternoon.

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM has only one weekday program. It is the Andy Slater Show which happens in mid-afternoons. 

     There are two local sports radio stations that do not have a local weekday program. They are Fox Sports 940 Miami WINZ-AM and Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM. 

Jason Demers Enters KHL

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Jason Demers has joined the Kontinental Hockey League. He has agreed to a contract to play with Ak Bars Kazan for the rest of the 2021-22 campaign. Demers spent the last four seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. 

     Demers was with the Florida Panthers for only one season in 2016-17. He had nine goals and 19 assists in 81 games with the club. 

ESPN West Palm Changes Weekday Lineup

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM released their new weekday schedule. The new weekday lineup will go into effect as of January 3.

     Evan Cohen, who will be ending his afternoon show on Wednesday, will do a five-minute segment on the radio station at 11:55AM and at 5:55PM. Cohen has been with the parent company Good Karma Brands since 2003. 

     The Ken LaVicka Show with Chris Kokell will expand an extra hour from noon to 2PM. The program launched as a one-hour midday program on April 5. LaVicka continues as the radio play-by-play of Florida Atlantic University. Kokell rejoined ESPN West Palm in October 2020. 

     Josh Cohen And The Hometeam with Din Thomas and Tina will have their program moved one hour back and air from 4PM to 5:55PM. It will replace the one-hour afternoon show hosted by Evan Cohen. The new afternoon drive program consists of Josh Cohen, Din Thomas and Kristina Costanza as on-air talent. 

     Cohen once was the afternoon host on WZZR-FM from September 1999 to March 2012. He joined ESPN West Palm in February 2013 as a weekend host.

      He was the evening host from September 2013 until December 2013. Cohen moved to middays in January 2014 and landed in the late morning shift in April 2016. Cohen has held the mid-afternoon spot since May 2018. 

      ESPN Radio 106.3 will pipe in the ESPN Radio national feed at certain times. It will be aired in morning drive, late mornings and mid-afternoons. 

Tommy Tighe Miami Heat Play-By-Play Announcer

     The Miami Heat Radio Network studio co-host Tommy Tighe worked as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Heat away game at the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. It was the first time that Tighe handled radio play-by-play in a Miami Heat regular season game during his 11-year tenure. 

     Ron Rothstein was brought in to be the radio game analyst on the contest. Tighe and Rothstein did their broadcast from a studio in South Florida. Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM morning co-host Brendan Tobin joined as a studio co-host for the broadcast. 

     Heat radio voice Jason Jackson has missed the last four games because he is currently on the NBA health and safety protocol list. Miami Heat Radio Network studio co-host Jonathan Zaslow announced play-by-play for the first three games of the Heat four-game road trip. 

     Tighe was a studio host at Westwood One during the 1990s and 2000s. He was involved in NFL game broadcasts, college basketball broadcasts and college football broadcasts while there. Tighe joined CBS Radio as a sportscaster in 1987. 

     He has been the Miami Radio Network studio host since January 2010 when Jeremy Marks-Peltz left the position for ESPN Radio 760 WEFL-AM in West Palm Beach. Zaslow was added as a studio co-host alongside Tighe prior to the 2010-11 season. 

Heat Fall To Pistons

     The Detroit Pistons upset the Miami Heat 100-90 at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night. The Heat finished off a four-game road swing. The Pistons were able to snap a 14-game losing streak, which is one game shy of tying a franchise record. 

     Miami(18-13) had a 23-20 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Heat still were ahead 48-46 at the midway point. Detroit(5-24) outscored the Heat 33-19 during the third quarter to go up 79-67. Miami cut the deficit down to five points at the 4:17 mark of fourth quarter with the Pistons leading 91-86. 

     Max Strus pumped in a team-high 24 points for the Heat. Kyle Lowry compiled a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists. Dewayne Dedmon was the only other player with double-digit scoring of 11 points. Siddiq Bay led the Pistons with a game-high 26 points. 

Dolphins Get By Jets

     The Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets 31-24 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. It was the Dolphins sixth consecutive victory. The Fins swept the season series against the Jets for the second straight year. This has not happened since 1996 and 1997. Miami has won eight of the last nine meetings between both clubs. 

     Former Miami Norland and University of Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson was playing in his second game with the Dolphins. He ended with 22 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the win. 

     New York(3-11) broke out of the gate quickly to gain a 10-0 lead. Running back Braxton Berrios rushed the ball in from two yards out at the 7:02 mark of the first quarter. Eddie Pineiro ended up kicking a 27-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the first. 

     Miami(7-7) cut the lead to 10-7 at 13:42 of the second quarter. Johnson busted through the right side on a one-yard touchdown at 13:47. 

     The Jets answered back several minutes later with 9:30 remaining in the second. Zach Wilson went in on a quarterback sneak from one yard out and they led 17-7.  Jason Sanders booted a 24-yard field goal with 2:02 remaining in the first half and the Fins trailed 17-10. 

     The Dolphins took control in the second half. Johnson collected his second touchdown of the contest as he powered his way up the middle and reached the end zone from six yards at the 9:29 mark of the third quarter to tie it 17-17. 

     Miami took the lead for the first time in the game 24-17 just 37 seconds into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to defensive lineman and eligible running back Christian Wilkins on the front left side of the end zone. 

     New York evened it up 24-24 with 7:45 to go in the fourth. Defensive back Brandin Echols intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. 

     The Fins would reclaim the lead 31-24 with 3;37 left in the quarter. Tagovailoa connected an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeVante Parker. 

Evan Cohen Stopping ESPN West Palm Show

     Evan Cohen announced on Friday that he will be stop hosting his one-hour afternoon show on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM. His final program will be on December 22. He is expected to contribute content to that radio station in the foreseeable future. Cohen will continue as the morning co-host on Mad Dog Radio at SiriusXM Radio. 

     He has been a part of the Good Karma Brands organization since 2003 and begin as a salesperson. Cohen did an evening show on ESPN Radio 760 WEFL-AM and he eventually became the afternoon show host in 2006, bumping Craig Karmazin and Steve Politziner to early evenings. He later added the role as program director. 

     Cohen and his program began to simulcast on ESPN West Palm in February 2013 and then it was only on the FM frequency as of September 2013. Cohen's show changed from a two-hour show to a one-hour show with no commercials in May 2018. 

     Cohen, a University of Wisconsin 2003 grad, also held other positions while in South Florida. He was the Florida Atlantic University men's basketball play-by-play announcer and backup football play-by-play announcer. 

     He was the University of Miami Hurricanes Radio Network halftime and postgame studio co-host. Cohen added duties as a weekend host at 560 WQAM-AM. He also was a weekend late night host at Fox Sports Radio. 

     Cohen then worked at WPTV-TV Channel 5 in West Palm Beach. He started as a contributor on their Sunday night sports show and later became a sports anchor and sports reporter. 

Venice Downs Apopka For Class 8A Title

     The Venice Indians outlasted the Apopka Blue Darters 35-7 on Saturday in the FHSAA Class 8A state championship at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Indians, who moved up in classification from Class 7A during the offseason, captured their third state title in school history and their first since 2017. 

     Venice(14-1) moved out to 7-0 lead on their first possession at the 8:54 mark. Wide receiver Omari Hayes took a handoff and sprinted down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown. 

     Apopka(12-3) punted on the ensuing drive and Venice fumbled the ball away on the punt return at their own five-yard line. Three plays later, running back Zeldrick Roberts pushed through the right side of the line on a two-yard touchdown at 6:13 to tie it 7-7. 

     The Indians responded on their next possession with 3:14 left in the first. Quarterback Ryan Browne connected a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keyon Sears on the right side of the end zone and they led 14-7. 

     It became 21-7 for Venice with 2:21 to go in the second quarter. Blue Darters quarterback Andrew McClain tossed a screen pass to the right side that was tipped and intercepted by defensive lineman Damon Wilson in the end zone for a touchdown. 

     In the third quarter, the Indians increased their lead to 28-7 at the 9:05 mark. Sears was wide open and caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Browne on the front right side of the end zone. 

     The Indians had a 28-point margin with 9:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Browne completed a 58-yard pass to wide receiver Jeshawn Platt for the score.

South Florida High School Football State Champions

     South Florida high schools were involved in five FHSAA state championship games over the past two weekends. Local teams came away with four state titles. 

     Broward County schools ended up going 3-for-3 in the high school football finals. St, Thomas Aquinas captured a state-record 13th FHSAA state championship with a 42-14 victory over Tampa Bay Tech for the Class 7A title. The Raiders have complied 10 state titles in the last 15 seasons. Cardinal Gibbons won their third title in the past four years as the Chiefs got by Cocoa 21-19 in the Class 4A state title game. Chaminade-Madonna got their fourth state championship in the last five years with a 21-0 win against Berkeley Prep.

     Dade County teams ended up splitting their two state title games they were involved in. Miami Central got their eighth state championship in 12 years as the Rockets topped Merritt Island 49-14 for the Class 5A crown. Champagnat Catholic failed to get their third straight Class 2A state title as the Lions fell to Trinity Christian Academy 41-23. 

Dave Lowry Jets Interim Head Coach

     Former Florida Panthers left wing Dave Lowry has been named the interim head coach of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets head coach Paul Maurice resigned on Friday. Lowry was hired by Winnipeg as an assistant coach prior to the 2021-22 campaign. 

     Lowry played with the Floirida Panthers in the first five seasons of the franchise. He helped the Panthers capture the Eastern Conference title in 1996. Lowry was the club's leading scorer will 10 goals and 17 points during the Stanley Cup Playoffs that year. 

St.Thomas Aquinas Wins 13th State Title

     The St. Thoams Aquinas Raiders collected their state-record 13th Florida high school football title as they pounded the Tampa Bay Tech Titans 42-14 for the FHSAA Class 7A state championship on Friday night at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. It was the third straight title for STA which matched their string of championships from 2014 to 2016. The Raiders captured their 10th state championship in the last 15 seasons.

     St. Thomas Aquinas((14-1) scored on their first possession of the contest at the 8:05 mark of the first quarter. Running back Anthony Hankerson rambled up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown and the Raiders were up 6-0. 

     The Titans had a bad punt snap deep in their territory and the Raiders took over at the 14-yard line. Hankerson would get his second touchdown as he rushed through the right side of the line from two yards away for a 14-0 lead with 3:42 remaining in the quarter. 

     After a short Titans punt from their end zone, STA started the next drive at the Titans 12-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Zion Turner sneaked up the middle from one yard out to make it 21-0 with 49 seconds left in the first. 

     Tampa Bay Tech(14-1) cut the deficit to 21-7 at 9:25 of the second quarter. Quarterback Xavione Washington tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Gaines III on the right side of the end zone. 

     The Raiders increased their lead to 28-7 with 5:33 to go in the second. Wide receiver Camden Brown made a jumping catch on the right side of the end zone from Turner for a 21-yard touchdown completion. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas made it 35-7 on their first drive of the second half. Turner found wide receiver Isaiah Hardge wide-open in the front of the end zone on a 21-yard strike at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter. 

     Raiders linebacker Jordan Smith intercepted a pass and returned it to their 44-yard line. The possession was capped by Hankerson as he sprinted around the right end and scored from 16 yards away with 2:23 remaining in the third for a 42-7 lead. It was Hankerson's third touchdown run in the contest. A running clock was implemented for the rest of the game.

     The Titans did reach the end zone with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter and they were down 42-14. Running back Ronald Sims smashed up the middle on a one-yard touchdown. 

Miami Central Routs Merritt Island For Class 5A Title

     The Miami Central Rockets blasted the Merritt Island Mustangs 49-14 in the FHSAA Class 5A state championship game at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. The Rockets, who dropped to a lower classification after two straight Class 6A state titles, won their eighth state championship since 2010. They have the most football championships than any high school in Dade County. 

     Miami Central(12-2) got out to a 7-0 lead with 1:25 to go in the first quarter. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins raced around the left end and scored from 12 yards away. 

     The Rockets struck again on the first play of their next possession with 22 seconds left in the first. Jenkins fired a 50-yard pass to wide receiver Joshua Trader on a left hash marks behind the secondary and they had a 14-0 lead. 

     Merritt Island(13-2) got on scoreboard at the 6:13 mark of the second quarter and trailed 14-7. Quarterback Brady Denaburg connected a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dallas Donahue on the front left side of the end zone. 

     The Miami Central defense made an impact on several plays late in the first half. Trader intercepted a pass and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown and gave them a 21-7 lead with 3:12 to go in the quarter. 

     The Rockets increased their lead to 28-7 with 1:33 remaining. Dylan Tulloch came in as quarterback and released a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Lamar Seymore on the right hash marks for a touchdown. 

     It became 35-7 for Miami Central with 1:05 left in the second. Defensive back Trent Henry intercepted the ball and returned it 49 yards for the score. 

     In the third quarter, the Rockets used a flea-flicker play to go up 42-7 at the 8:50 mark. Jenkins rifled a 41-yard touchdown pass to Trader. It was the third touchdown for Trader in the game. A running clock was used for the remainder of the contest. 

     Miami Central made it a 42-point margin with 2:50 remaining in the third. Running back Ean Pope broke through on a 72-yard touchdown run. 

     The Mustangs would reach the end zone again at 7:25 of the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Bridger Koby caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Denaburg and Merritt Island was down 49-14. 

Heat Outlast Magic

     The Miami Heat defeated the Orlando Magic 115-105 on Friday night at Amway Center. The Heat have won four of their last five games. 

     Miami(18-12) broke out to a 31-22 lead at the end of one quarter and were up 66-57 at halftime. Orlando(5-25) could not gain any ground during the second half and trailed 93-83 after three quarters.

     Max Strus came off the bench and scored a game-high 32 points for the Heat. Gabe Vincent added 27 points while P.J. Tucker had 15 points. Kyle Lowry compiled a double-double of 11 points along with 15 rebounds. Franz Wagner dropped in a club-high 27 points for the Magic. 

Florida Panthers Games Postponed

     Several Florida Panthers games have been postponed over the next nine days. It was done because numerous players on their roster that have been put on the National Hockey League COVID protocol list. 

     The Panthers will be off until at least after Christmas Day. Three games that have been postponed is Florida at the Minnesota Wild on December 18, visiting the Chicago Blackhawks on December 21 and at home against the Nashville Predators on December 23. Those contests are expected to be rescheduled for later on this season. 

Venice And Apopka Title Preview

     The Venice Indians tangle with the Apopka Blue Darters in the FHSAA Class 8A state championship game on Saturday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. It will be the first of two contests on Saturday that will not involve any South Florida high school. 

     Venice(13-1) looks to capture their first state title since 2017 and their third overall. They have won six straight games and outscored their opponents 629-148 this year. The Indians have been known for their deep playoff runs in the last five seasons. They routed Plant City 55-7 in the regional quarterfinal, smashed Riverview Sarasota 56-14 in the regional semifinal, dominated West Orange 49-7 in the regional final and defeated Columbus 35-7 in the state semifinal.  

     The Indians offense has quarterback Ryan Browne to bring them down the field. He can throw the ball to wide receivers Jeshawn Platt, Omari Hayes, Keyon Sears and tight end Austin Bray. Running backs Demarion Escort, Alvin Johnson, Jamarice Wilder and Austin Debrun will get their rushing opportunities. 

     Apopka(12-2) has won three state championships and have not had one since 2014. The Blue Darters have outscored their opponents 421-95 this season and been victorious in their last eight contests. Apopka has compiled six shutouts this year. They blanked Creekside 42-0 in a regional quarterfinal, beat Bartram Trail 34-3 in a regional semifinal, edged defending Class 8A state champion Seminole 28-27 in overtime during a regional final and handled Treasure Coast 21-0 in a state semifinal. 

Cardinal Gibbons Takes Cocoa And Class 4A Title

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs held off the Cocoa Tigers 21-19 in the FHSAA Class 4A state championship game at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night. The Chiefs repeated as Class 4A state champs and captured their third state title in the past four years.

     Cardinal Gibbons(11-2) jumped out to a 7-0 lead at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Dylan Rizk fired a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jesse Anderson on the left side and he dived to touch the front left pylon in the end zone. 

     Cocoa(11-2) would even it up 7-7 with 28 seconds left in the first. Running back O.J. Ross rushed through the left side of the line from two yards away. 

     There would be no scoring during the second and third quarters. It came down to the fourth quarter for both schools. 

     The Chiefs offense mainly went with a rushing attack in the second half. Running back Kamari Moulton busted up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown at 10:41 of the fourth quarter to give them a 14-7 lead. 

     The Tigers responded on their next possession as quarterback Davin Wydner carried the ball to the left side and scored on a one-yard touchdown run at the 7:25 mark. Cocoa missed on a two-point conversion run to the left and they trailed 14-13. 

     Moulton scored his second touchdown of the contest with 2:22 left in the quarter to give them a 21-13 advantage. He angled around the left end and reached the end zone from seven yards out. 

     Cocoa had the opportunity to close the gap and they did. Wydner scrambled to the right sideline and tossed a long 72-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kyon Calhoun on the right hash marks with 1:57 to go in the fourth to make it 21-19. The Tigers decided to go for a two-conversion run to the left side again and it was stopped by the Chiefs defense. 

Kings Rule Panthers

     The Los Angeles Kings stopped the Florida Panthers 4-1 at FLA Live Center on Thursday night. The Panthers had five players placed in the National Hockey League COVID protocol and their roster was shorthanded with 16 skaters. 

     The Panthers lost three straight games in regulation time for the first time this season. The Cats are 3-3-0 at home since they were victorious in 11 consecutive home games to begin the 2021-22 regular season. 

     Florida(18-7-4) struck first with 4:05 left in the first period. Matt Kiersted got his first NHL goal of the year on assists from Sam Reinhart and Jonathan Huberdeau. Reinhart now had five points in the last four contests.

     Los Angeles(13-10-5) tied it up with 2:55 remaining in the first. Olli Maata collected his first tally of the campaign. 

     In the second period, the Kings moved ahead 2-1 at the 3:27 mark as Anze Kopitar netted his ninth goal this season and ended a 13-game goalless slump. It was his 59th career game-winning goal which is tied for second in Los Angeles Kings franchise history. 

     Dustin Brown extended it to 3-1 for Los Angeles on his fourth goal this season with 7:02 left in the second. It became 4-1 when Arthur Kaliyev found the net at 7:02 of the third period for his sixth tally. 

Miami Dolphins Add Damon Arnette

     The Miami Dolphins have added defensive back Damon Arnette to their practice squad. He was released by the Las Vegas Raiders back in November after playing in four games this season. Arnette was drafted by the team in 2020 and had no interceptions in 13 contests. 

     Arnette was with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders as a wide receiver and defensive back. He helped the school win two FHSAA Class 7A state championships in 2012 and 2014. Arnette went on to play college football with Ohio State. 

Phillip Dorsett Signs Extension

     Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett has signed an extension with the Houston Texans. It is a one-year deal through the 2022 season worth $1.035 million. 

     Dorsett played high school football with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and captured three FHSAA state titles in 2007, 2008 and 2010. He spent four seasons with the University of Miami Hurricanes. 

     He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as the 29th overall selection in 2015 and was there for two seasons. He was traded to the New England Patriots for former Dwyer quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Dorsett won one Super Bowl title and two AFC championship while in New England. 

     Dorsett was on the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 and did not participate in a contest. He has split his time with the Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans during the 2021 season.  

Heat Handle 76ers

     The Miami Heat knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers 101-96 at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. The Heat are in the middle of a four-game road swing. 

     Miami(17-12) went on a 23-9 run to end the first quarter and led 29-18. The Heat held off the Sixers and were up 58-49 at halftime.  Philadelphia(15-14) trailed 81-70 after three quarters. The 76ers were able to tie in 96-96 with 1:24 left in the fourth, but the Heat scored the final five points. 

     Gabe Vincent dropped in a team-high 26 points and Duncan Robinson added 21 points along with eight rebounds for the Heat. Kyle Lowry pumped in 14 points while Dewayne Dedmon compiled a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds. 

     Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 points and Tobias Harris had 24 points. Joel Embiid put together a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. 

Early National Signing Day Dade County

     Dade County had national signing day on Wednesday. There were a slew of announcement made by players in the county of where they will participate in college football. 

Early National Signing Day Broward County

     Broward County had national signing day for high school football players on Wednesday. There were plenty of signings throughout the entire county of where players will attend college. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas had numerous players made their selections. Wide receiver Camden Brown will head to Auburn, tight end Mason Taylor choose LSU, offensive lineman Julian Armella selected Florida State and defensive back Jerrod Cameron Jr. moves to Coastal Carolina. 

     American Heritage had several players make their decisions. Defensive back Earl Little Jr. moves on to Alabama, defensive lineman Marvin Jones Jr. goes to Georgia, Richard Thomas Jr. lands at Indiana, defensive lineman Belizaire Bellette travels to Syracuse, wide receiver Jacolby Spells shifts to West Virginia and offensive lineman Miguel Cedeno heads to Rice. 

     Cardinal Gibbons had offensive lineman John Bock II remain local at Florida International University. Former defensive lineman Khris Bogle transfers from Alabama to Michigan State. 

     Chaminade-Madonna had defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and defensive back Ryan Turner sign with Ohio State. Defensive lineman Jaamal Johnson named Central Florida and defensive lineman Chalede Jackson selected Georgetown. Former wide receiver Elijah Canion is transferring from Auburn to Purdue. 

     Dillard had defensive Nyjalik Kelly stay local at Miami, wide receiver Dewayne Mortimer picked Louisville, defensive back D'Mon Brinson heads to Connecticut and linebacker Christian Murphy goes to Western Carolina. 

     Deerfield Beach defensive lineman Alton Tarber went with Oklahoma. Defensive lineman Jordan Jeudy and wide receiver Joseph Kennerly both jump to Morgan State. 

     Other Broward County players signed their national letter of intent. They included Coconut Creek defensive back Trevell Mullen to Indiana, Stranahan linebacker Omar Graham Jr. to Florida State, Miramar running back Desmond Reid to Western Carolina, Miramar defensive end Claudel Bazile to Liberty and Western defensive back Websley Etienne to Arkansas State. 

Early National Signing Day Palm Beach County

     It was national signing day for Palm Beach County high school football players on Wednesday. The area has been known over the past four years for the limited number of decisions by players on the first day of the early signing period. 

     Schools from The Muck had several players make their decisions. Glades Central offensive linemen Ja'Kavion Nonar and Keon Kindred both selected Maryland. Pahokee defensive back Amari Smith will go to Western Kentucky. 

      Benjamin tight end Sean Rooney, son of former U.S. congressman Tom Rooney and great grandson of longtime Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, will head for Villanova. Park Vista long snapper Kinney Dozier leaves for Norfolk State. 

     Several former Palm Beach County high school football players also indicated that they would use the transfer portal. Former Palm Beach Central wide receiver Bryan Robinson is transferring from Florida State to Marshall while ex Palm Beach Gardens linebacker VanDarius Cowan switches from West Virginia to Maryland. Former Palm Beach Gardens and University of Miami defensive back Gurvan Hall shifts to Utah State. Former Atlantic defensive lineman Jason Mercier goes from FIU to Jackson State. 

St. Thomas Aquinas And Tampa Bay Tech Title Preview

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders take on the Tampa Bay Tach Titans in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship game on Friday night at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Raiders are the final South Florida high school to play in a state championship contest this year. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(13-1) is the two-time defending Class 7A state champion and look to match their three-year championship run from 2014 to 2016. STA is looking to capture a state-record 13th state football title. They are appearing in the state title game for the 14th time in the last 18 years. The Raiders, who will travel just have six miles to the stadium, have outscored their opponents 598-157 this season. After a three-point loss to Jesuit in Week 2, the Raiders have compiled 12 straight victories. They smashed Atlantic 43-7 in the regional quarterfinal, handled Miramar 42-12 in the regional semifinal, pounded Homestead 55-7 in the regional final and blasted Buchholz 45-7 in the state semifinal. 

     The Raiders offense is led by quarterback Zion Turner. He can throw the ball and occasionally run out of the pocket. Running backs Anthony Hankerson, Xavier Terrell, Gemari Sands and Cecil Stone are expected to advance the ball with their rushing attack. Tight end Mason Taylor along with wide receivers Camden Brown, Isaiah Hardge, Jaylan Sanchez and James Madison II look to make pass receptions from Turner down the field. 

     Tampa Bay Tech(14-0) will be making their first state championship game appearance in school history. The undefeated Titans have outscored their opponents 479-174 this year. They took Largo 30-7 in a regional quarterfinal, got by Palmetto 26-18 in a regional semifinal, beat Wharton 42-6 in a regional final and sailed by Lake Gibson 42-24 in a state semifinal. 

     Titans quarterback Xavione Washington can toss the ball around and rush with it. Running backs James Evans and Ronald Sims look to gain yardage on carries. Washington is expected to complete passes to wide receivers Greg Gaines III, Javion McKay, John Ponder and Santonyo Isaac. 

Miami Central And Merritt Island Title Preview

     The Miami Central Rockets face the Merritt Island Mustangs in the FHSAA Class 5A state championship contest at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. The Rockets are the only Dade County squad playing in a state championship game this week. 

     Miami Central(11-2) have won the last two Class 6A state titles and were moved down to the lower classification during the offseason. The Rockets will be attempting to capture their 8th state championship in school history. They have won 11 games since losing their first two contests this year and have outscored their opponents 536-170 this season. The Rockets routed North Miami Beach 49-6 in a regional quarterfinal, eliminated defending state champion American Heritage 41-28 in a regional semifinal, knocked off Killian 39-13 in a regional final and bounced Baker County 54-21 in a state semifinal. 

     The Rockets are strong in the quarterback position with Keyone Jenkins starting and Dylan Tulloch backing him up. Running backs Ean Pope, Ghana Oboh and Jonathan Harris will get their rushing opportunities. Wide receivers Zaylan Reese, Lamar Seymore, Joshua Trader, Corey Washington and Cataurus Hicks are expected to make catches down the field from Jenkins. 

     Merritt Island(13-1) have outscored their opponents 376-93 this season. The Mustangs have compiled five shutouts this year and been victorious in their last nine games. They dominated Leesburg 50-0 in the regional quarterfinal, held off Rockledge 20-6 in the regional semifinal, shut out Satellite 20-0 in the regional final and slipped by Sebring 12-10 in the state semifinal. 

     The Mustangs offense is led by quarterback Brady Denaburg. Running backs Dominic Sheilds and Elijah Edwards will split the number of carries from the backfield. Wide receivers Dallas Donahue, Bridger Koby, Ryder Varis, C.J. Bragg and Abel Wellborn look to make pass receptions from Denaburg. 

Cardinal Gibbons And Cocoa Title Preview

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs challenge the Cocoa Tigers for the FHSAA Class 4A state championship at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night. It will be the first football state title game played in South Florida since 2006. The FHSAA football finals were held at what is now known as Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. 

     Cardinal Gibbons(10-2) is the defending Class 4A state champions and look to capture their third state title in the last four seasons. The Chiefs have the shortest trip of any team this weekend with their campus being four miles east of the venue. They have outscored their opponents 404-200 this year and won their last five contests. Cardinal Gibbons blanked Pine Crest 42-0 in the regional semifinal, edged Gulliver Prep 36-33 in the regional final and beat Lakewood 36-18 in the state semifinal. 

     Chiefs quarterback Dylan Rizk transferred from American Heritage in Delray Beach during the offseason and has guided their offense. Running backs Kamari Moulton and Willie Reed will get their rushing opportunities from the backfield. Rizk can connect passes to wide receivers Davon Kiser, Elisha Edwards, Gabriel Morgan, Jesse Anderson, Komani Beneby and Patrick Stepleton. 

     Cocoa(11-1) have outscored their opponents 416-245 this season. They have won nine consecutive games since their one-point loss to Venice in Week 3. The Tigers routed South Sumter 41-0 in a regional semifinal, knocked off the The Village Charter 54-21 in a regional final and defeated Bolles 35-24 in a state semifinal. 

     The main emphasis of the Tigers offense is their rushing attack with running back O.J. Ross. Quarterback Davin Wydner will attempt to find wide receivers Jamaryae Robinson, Donte Cook, Damargio Grimes, Eumari Dixon and Kyon Calhoun on passes downfield. 

Senators Shock Panthers

     The Ottawa Senators surprised the Florida Panthers 8-2 on Tuesday night at FLA Live Arena. The Panthers were coming off a three-game road trip versus Western Conference opponents. 

     Ottawa(9-16-1) had the first nine shots on goal and got out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:38 mark of the first period. Austin Watson picked up his second tally of the campaign on assists from Nick Paul and Thomas Chabot. 

     Florida(18-6-4) tied it up 1-1 with 6:55 remaining in the first. Lucas Carlsson pushed it ahead from the left point to Sam Reinhart on the left wing. He backhanded it from the low left circle and Jonathan Huberdeau put in a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his 10th goal of the season. Huberdeau was able to extend his point streak up to six games. 

     In the second period, the Senators reclaimed the lead 2-1 on a shorthanded goal at 1:30. Connor Brown sent a lead pass from his own zone and Dylan Gambrell scored on a breakaway with a snap shot for his first goal in an Ottawa uniform. 

     The Panthers evened it 2-2 with 4:27 go in the second. Reinhart intercepted a pass near the Senators net and made a back pass. Anton Lundell took a shot from the slot area which was saved and Reinhart slid in the rebound from the left of the crease for his ninth goal this season. 

     The Sens pulled ahead 39 seconds later. Josh Norris dashed through the center circle, raced into the inner right circle and placed in a forehand hand from the crease for his 13th goal this year. 

     It became 4-2 for Ottawa with 2:24 left in the period. Brown angled a pass back from the low left circle and Tim Stutzle snapped a shot from the high slot 

     Ottawa expanded to 5-2 just 23 seconds into the third period. Norris got his second goal of the contest on a Drake Batheson assist. 

     The Senators made it a four-goal margin at the 6:10 mark of the third. Norris stole the puck from Spencer Knight behind the Panthers cage and centered it. Batherson would release a wrist shot from the slot area for his ninth goal of the season. 

     Brady Tkachuk added a 5-on-3 power-play tally from the left of the crease with 5:36 remaining. Paul added another 5-on-3 power-play goal with 5:03 left to make it 8-2. 

Dan Radakovich New Miami Athletic Director

     The University of Miami Hurricanes introduced Dan Radakovich as their new athletic director on Tuesday. He takes over the position from Blake James. 

     Radakovich was once a student at the University of Miami and graduated with a M.B.A. He became a part of the Miami athletic department as a business manager from 1983 to 1985.

     He later was the athletic director for Georgia Tech from 2006 until 2012. Radakovich joined another Atlantic Coast Conference school Clemson University as athletic director and held the position from 2012 to 2021. Clemson won two CFP national championships with him at the helm. 

Cavaliers Slow Down Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-94 on Monday night at Rocker Mortgage FieldHouse. It was the start of a four-game road trip for the Heat. Duncan Robinson set a Miami Heat franchise history playing in his 175th consecutive game and passed Glen Rice. 

     Miami(16-12) had a slight 25-23 advantage after one quarter. Cleveland(17-12) went on a 18-3 spurt near the end of the second quarter and led 55-44 by halftime. The Heat made a push late in the third quarter, however they trailed 78-73 at the end of the frame. The Cavs pulled away midway through the fourth. 

     P.J. Tucker fell short of a double-double with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds for Miami. Kyle Lowry placed in 22 points while Tyler Herro dropped in 12 points. Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 23 points and nine rebounds. 

Jason Jackson Missing From Broadcast Booth

     Miami Heat radio play-by-play announcer Jason Jackson was not heard on the Heat game broadcast at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. He has been placed in the NBA health and safety protocol. The Heat started a four-game road trip and Jackson will not return this week.

     AM 560 Sports WQAM midday host and Miami Heat studio co-host Jonathan Zaslow announced the contest on Monday from South Florida. He is expected to be the Heat radio play-by-play announcer for the entire four-game road swing. Zaslow filled in for former Heat radio voice Mike Inglis for three games in February last season because Inglis was at the marriage of his daughter. 

Panthers Claim Jonas Johansson

     The Florida Panthers have claimed Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. He started his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres and was traded to Colorado on March 20.

     Johanssson has participated in nine games this season for the Avalanche. He compiled a 3-2-1 record with a 3.89 goals-against-average and a .880 save percentage. 

Good Karma Brands Buys New York, LA & Chicago Stations

     Good Karma Brands has made a $15 million deal to buy WEPN-AM in New York City, KSPN-AM in Los Angeles and WMVP-AM in Chicago from ESPN. They will pay $1 million at the close of the deal followed by 14 quarterly payments of $500,000, which totals $14 million. 

     The sale is expected to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission early next year. All three radio stations will continue to remain ESPN Radio affiliates, use ESPN Radio Network national programming and broadcast local sports shows.

     Good Karma Brands did implement a local marketing agreement with ESPN for the one Chicago radio station back in September 2019. The organization will now do the same thing and have an LMA with WEPN-FM in New York City.

     It is a major step for Good Karma Brands in the radio industry. Their entrance into the New York City radio market has a significant ring for Chief Executive Officer Craig Karmazin and President Steve Politziner. They both grew up as childhood friends outside of New York City in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  

     Good Karma Brands owns radio stations in West Palm Beach, Milwaukee, Madison and Cleveland. Their West Palm Beach cluster consists of ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM and Deportes Radio 760 AM WEFL-AM. They also have a local branding arrangement of the WPTV-TV Channel 5 and WFLX-TV Channel 29 sports departments. 

Burakovsky Hat Trick And Avs Stop Panthers

     Andre Burakovsky compiled his first career hat trick as the Colorado Avalanche topped the Florida Panthers 3-2 at Ball Arena on Sunday night. It concluded a three-game road trip for the Panthers against Western Conference teams. 

     There would be no scoring until late in the second period. Colorado(16-7-2) made it 1-0 on the power play with 22.5 seconds remaining. Nathan MacKinnon was poke-checked in the right circle and Mikko Rantanen backhanded it to the middle. Burakovsky snapped a shot from the slot area past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Avalanche increased it to 2-0 at the 2:03 mark of the third period. Rantanen connected a pass from the right wing and Burakovsky backhanded a shot from the right of the crease for his second tally of the contest. 

     Florida(19-5-4) cut it to 2-1 at 7:41 of the third on the power play. Frank Vatrano moved the puck from the left point to Carter Verhaeghe in the low left circle. He sent a rink-wide pass across and Joe Thornton took an acute forehand shot from low right circle for his third goal with his new team. Thornton passed Mark Recchi for 12th all-time in NHL history with his 1,534th point. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 9:45 left. Gustav Forsling advanced the puck with a pass ahead to Verhaeghe at the Avs blue line. He sent a cross-ice pass and Brandon Montour scored on a wrist shot from the high slot for his fourth goal of the campaign. 

     Colorado regained the lead 3-2 with 8:17 to go in the frame as Burakovsky got the hat trick. MacKinnon entered the Panthers zone and made a drop pass at the top of the zone. Burakovsky ripped a snap shot from the high slot area for his third goal of the game and 12th goal of the season. It was his fifth goal in the last two games. 

Heat Dispose Bulls

     The Miami Heat knocked off the Chicago Bulls 118-92 on Saturday night at FTX Arena. The Heat concluded a three-game homestand and next play in Cleveland on Monday. 

     Miami(16-11) started on a 21-11 spurt and led 39-25 after one quarter. The Heat held a 65-52 advantage at halftime. Chicago(17-10) could not keep up during the second half and trailed 86-70 after three quarters. The Bulls were outscored 32-22 in the final frame. 

     Duncan Robinson dropped in a team-high 26 points for Miami. Dewayne Dedmon compiled a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Herro drained in 17 points while Kyle Lowry got a double-double of 16 points along with 14 assists. Zach LaVine scored a game-high 33 points for Chicago. 

Manny Diaz Joins Penn State

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz has joined the Penn State University coaching staff. He will work as their defensive coordinator. 

     Diaz was recently let go by Miami back on Monday and replaced by Mario Crristobal. Diaz had a 21-15 record with the Canes in the past three seasons. 

Chaminade-Madonna Blanks Berkeley Prep For 3A Title

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions shut out the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers 21-0 in the FHSAA Class 3A state championship contest on Friday night at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee. The Lions captured their fourth Class 3A state title in the last five years and sixth overall.  

     The Lions were making their sixth consecutive championship game appearance. The Buccaneers showed up in their first state title game in school history.  

     Chaminade-Madonna(11-1) moved out to a 7-0 lead on the final play of the first quarter. Running back Davion Guise busted up the middle from two yards away. 

     The Lions made it 14-0 at the 9:26 mark of the third quarter. Quarterback Cedrick Bailey connected a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in the middle of the field. 

     Berkeley Prep(12-1) surrendered another score with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter and trailed 21-0. Guise sprinted around the right end and down the right hash marks from 22 yards out. 

Panthers Go Through Coyotes

     The Florida Panthers jumped on the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 at Gila River Arena on Friday night. It was the Panthers first road win since October 29 at Detroit. The Cats snapped a seven-game road winless streak with the victory. 

     All the scoring by both teams was done during the first period. Florida(19-4-4) moved out to a 1-0 lead at the 5:05 mark. Patric Hornqvist lifted a wrist shot from the right circle for his fourth goal of the campaign. The Panthers made it 2-0 just 10 seconds later when Sam Bennett fired a forehand shot from the high slot for his ninth goal of the season. 

     Arizona(5-19-2) closed it to 2-1 with 3:07 remaining in the first. Phil Kessel snapped a shot from the top right circle for a power-play goal. It was just the fourth goal this year for Kessel. 

     It became 3-1 for Florida with 24.3 seconds left on a power-play tally. Sam Reinhart scored on a snap shot from the high slot area for his eighth goal this season. 

Steven Kampfer Staying Overseas

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Steven Kampfer will not be returning to the National Hockey League this season. He has signed a contract extension with Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League. Kampfer has 17 points in 36 games this season with that club. 

     Kampfer was with the Florida Panthers for three seasons from October 2014 to November 2016. He had two goals and six assists in 73 games with the team. 

Trinity Christian Academy Tops Champagnat Catholic For 2A Crown

     The Champagnat Catholic Lions lost to the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors 41-23 in the FHSAA Class 2A state championship game at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee on Thursday night. The Conquerors won their second straight title and ninth overall. Trinity Christian Academy captured the Class 3A state title last year. 

     The Lions ended their two-year run as FHSAA Class 2A state champions. Champagnat Catholic was making their sixth consecutive state championship appearance.

     Champagnat Catholic(10-3) got out to a 7-0 at the 9:31 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Ennio Yapoor threw a pass to the right side and wide receiver Kelvin Blount sprinted diagonally down the field for the score from 40 yards away. 

     Trinity Christian Academy(10-4) quickly responded on their next possession at 8:22. Running back Treyaun Webb rushed up the middle 43 yards for a touchdown. 

     The Conquerors made it 14-7 with 3:48 left in the first. Quarterback Colin Hurley fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Seth Bialek on the left hash marks. 

     In the third quarter, Trinity Christian Academy increased their lead to 21-7 at the 9:29 mark. Webb raced in on a 12-yard touchdown run. 

     TCA added another touchdown at 9:57 of the fourth quarter for a 27-7 lead. Running back Darnell Rogers scrambled through the left side of the line from four yards away. 

     The Lions cut the deficit to 27-15 with 7:44 remaining in the fourth. Yapoor rambled through the right side of the line from 10 yards out. They were able to make the two-point conversion. 

     The Conquerors added on to their lead with 2:53 left in the fourth quarter to make it 34-15. Rogers again scored as he plunged up the middle from one yard away. 

     Champagnat Catholic reached the end zone one more time 40 seconds later and trailed 34-23. Trinity Christian Academy got great field position from an on-side kick and eventually Rogers scored his third touchdown of the contest with 1:51 to go in the fourth. 

No South Florida Television For FHSAA Title Games

     The FHSAA football state championship games will not be broadcast on South Florida television. It is the ninth consecutive year that this will occur. 

     Spectrum Sports in Central Florida has been the exclusive television carrier of the FHSAA football finals since 2013. The contests will be streamed from Spectrum Sports on the FHSAA website. 

     There is a bright spot for South Florida residents this year. Five state championship games will be held at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale next week. Teams from Class 8A down to Class 4A will be involved. South Florida has not been the home of any FHSAA state title contests since 2006 in what is now known as Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. 

Brendan Tobin Adds BetQL Show

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM morning co-host Brendan Tobin will co-host Tapped Out with Sean Levine on BetQL Network. The mixed martial arts and boxing weekly show will launch on December 11 from 5PM to 7PM. 

     Tobin will continue his Sunday morning show Fighter's Fury on The Ticket. He joined the radio station back in 2008. Tobin has worked as a morning show producer, sports anchor and morning show on-air sidekick. He added duties as a Sunday morning host in 2010. 

     He began to co-host an early afternoon program with Leroy Hoard and Brian London in 2016. Tobin, Hoard and London were moved to the morning shift in August 2019. London left the program in November 2019. 

Chaminade-Madonna And Berkeley Prep Title Preview

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions challenge the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers in the FHSAA Class 3A state championship game on Friday night at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee. Both schools met each other in the state semifinal last year and the Lions won 23-21. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(10-1) will be looking for their fourth state title in the last five seasons. They reached the Class 3A state championship game for the sixth consecutive year. The Lions have outscored their opponents 370-104 and have been victorious in nine straight games since their two-point loss to American Heritage in Week 2. They blanked Miami Edison 45-0 in a regional semifinal, routed Cardinal Newman 48-0 in a regional final and slammed Florida State University High 38-3 in a state semifinal. 

     Running backs Davion Guise, Duane Thomas Jr. and Jeremiah Avrilien will get their carries with the Lions rushing attack. Quarterback Cedrick Bailey looks to find his primary targets which are wide receivers Edwin Joseph, Jeremiah Smith and Thomas down the field. 

     Berkeley Prep(12-0) are undefeated and have compiled five shutouts this year. The Buccaneers have outscored opponents 478-128 this season. They shut out Bishop Verot 42-0 in the regional semifinal, defeated Clearwater Central Catholic 36-22 in the regional final and got by Lakeland Christian 42-14 in the state semifinal. 

     The Buccaneers will mainly rush the ball with running backs Travis Bates and Xavier Townsend. They have quarterback Troy Reader to call the signals and he can throw the ball to wide receivers Drew Canody, C.J. Hawkins and Townsend. 

Heat Down Bucks

     The Miami Heat held off the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks 113-104 at FTX Arena on Wednesday night. Miami won two of the three games in the season series. The Heat tied a franchise record with 22 three-point shots made in a game. 

     Miami(15-11) jumped out to a 14-7 lead, however they were down 26-24 after one quarter. Milwaukee(16-10) was able to stay ahead 51-44 by halftime. The Heat outscored the Bucks 39-26 in the third quarter to go up 83-77. 

     Kyle Lowry compiled a double-double with 22 points and 13 assists for the Heat. Caleb Martin had a career-high 28 points along with eight rebounds. P.J.Tucker added 18 points and eight assists while Max Strus dropped in 16 points. 

     Jrue Holiday put up a team-high 27 points and Khris Middleton pumped in 20 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to score 15 points. Bobby Portis stepped up with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Bobby Hart Waived By Buffalo Bills

     The Buffalo Bills have waived offensive lineman Bobby Hart. He signed to the Bills practice squad back on November 19 and did not play a regular season game. Hart was with the Tennessee Titans earlier in the 2021 seasons and was involved in three contests. 

     Hart played high school football with the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs and the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. He went on to attend Florida State University. Hart has played in three seasons with the New York Giants from 2015 to 2017 and three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018 to 2020. 

Champagnat Catholic And Trinity Christian Academy Title Preview

     The two-time defending FHSAA Class 2A state champion Champagnat Catholic Lions tangle with the reigning FHSAA Class 3A state champion Trinity Chistian Academy Conquerors at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee for the Class 2A state title on Thursday night. It is the first high school football state championship game to be played over the next two weeks. 

     Champagnat Catholic(10-2) is making their sixth consecutive championship final appearance. They have won four state championships in the last five seasons. The Lions have outscored their opponents 411-261 this season and won their last seven contests. They handled Glades Day 35-7 in the regional semifinal, held off John Carroll 38-28 in the regional final and knocked off First Baptist Academy 27-8 in the state semifinal final. 

     The Lions have Ennio Yapoor to lead their offense. He can run the ball out of the pocket and connect passes to wide receivers Benson Prosper, Marvin Sims, Shayon Walton, Jaylin Terzado, Kimonthy Massie Jr. and Kelvin Blount. Look for rushing opportunities for running backs Jordan Jones, Juan Rodriguez and Mike Caldwell Jr. 

     Trinity Christian Academy(9-4) look to win their second straight state title and ninth overall. They have outscored their opponents 377-266 this year. The Conquerors lost their last three regular season contests and then won three straight playoff games. They walloped St. John Paul II 44-7 in a regional semifinal, defeated Munroe 39-22 in a regional final and beat Orlando Christian Prep 29-21 in a state semifinal. 

     The Conquerors have Colin Hurley at quarterback to take them down the field. Running backs Darnell Rogers and Treyaun Webb will split the carries from the backfield. Hurley can toss the ball to wide receivers Fred Highsmith, Xander Ross, Darias James and Seth Bialek. 

Blues Edge Panthers

     The Florida Panthers began a three-game road swing with a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Tuesday night. This contest completed a home-and-home series between both clubs. 

     Florida(17-4-4) raced out to a 1-0 lead at 6:49 mark. Carter Verhaeghe pushed the puck from the left-wing board back to Maxim Mamin on the top left circle. His diagonal pass was guided in on a backhand shot by Aleksander Barkov from the right of the crease past Ville Husso for his 10th goal of the season. Barkov was making his return after missing eight games. 

     In the second period, St. Louis(13-8-4) tied it up 1-1 at 4:20.  Ivan Barbashev moved the puck from the right corner. Pavel Buchnevich fed the puck from the right of the cage and Vladimir Tarasenko snapped a shot from the right-circle dot by Spencer Knight for his eighth goal this season. 

     The tie did not last long as the Panthers got on the scoreboard again 52 seconds later to go up 2-1. Mamin centered the puck from below the left circle and Verhaeghe had his shot blocked in the slot area. Brandon Montour followed and fired a wrist shot from above the right circle for his third tally of the campaign.  

     It became 2-2 with 6:26 left in the second as the Blues scored on a power play. Jordan Kyrou connected a cross-ice pass from the left circle to the right circle. Tarasenko sent the puck toward the net and Brayden Schenn redirected it in from the crease for his fourth goal this year. 

     St. Louis got their first lead of the contest 3-2 at 6:48 of the third period. Logan Brown centered the puck from the left corner and Barbashev took a snap shot from the low slot that was deflected in by Brandon Saad for his 11th goal of the season. 

     The Cats evened it up 3-3 with 5:32 remaining. Jonathan Huberdeau threaded a pass from the right circle to the left circle. Radko Gudas angled a pass to the right of the crease and Huberdeau tipped it in. It was his 10th point in the last four games and now he has 18 points in 13 contests. 

     The Blues quickly scored 53 seconds into overtime to win the game. Colton Parayko received a pass from Kyrou at the center circle. Buchnevich then rocketed into the Panthers zone, through the left circle, around the Panthers net and placed in a wraparound shot for his 10th goal with his new team. 

Mario Cristobal New Miami Hurricanes Head Coach

     The University of Miami Hurricanes athletic department introduced Mario Cristobal as their new head football coach. He takes over for Manny Diaz, who held that position for three years and had a 21-15 record.  

     Cristbal was the head coach of crosstown Florida International University from 2007 until 2012. He spent the last four seasons as the University of Oregon head coach and finished with a 35-13 record. 

     He did play high school football with the Columbus Explorers. Cristobal was with the University of Miami from 1988 to 1992. He was able to capture two national championships with the Canes. 

Kevin Connauton Claimed By Flyers

     The Philadelphia Flyers have claimed defenseman Kevin Connauton off waivers from the Florida Panthers. He will be joining his sixth club in his National Hockey League career. 

     Connauton was with the Florida Panthers for the past two seasons. He was involved in seven games and compiled one assist in 2019-20. Connauton participated in 13 games this season with the Panthers and had no points. 

Good Karma Brands Promotes Stephanie Prince

     Stephanie Prince has been elevated from market manager to vice president of Good Karma Brands in West Palm Beach. Their local cluster of radio stations includes ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM and ESPN Deportes Radio 760 AM WEFL-AM. 

     Prince has been with the company in West Palm Beach since 2006. She became the director of sales and marketing at WEFL-AM in August 2007. Good Karma Brands acquired WUUB-FM in February 2013 and she held the same role there. Prince was promoted to general manager for both radio stations in September 2017. 

Grizzlies Pour On Heat

     The Memphis Grizzlies downed the Miami Heat 105-90 on Monday night at FTX Arena. The Heat were coming off a three-game road trip. The Grizzlies won their fifth consecutive game by going wire-to-wire. 

     Memphis(14-10) had a 34-25 advantage at the end of one quarter and were ahead 60-49 at halftime. Miami(14-11) fell further behind 82-67 at the end of three quarters. 

     The Heat were led by Tyler Herro with game-high 24 points. Kyle Lowry added 17 points along with eight assists. Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson were both held to 10 points each. Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane each had 21 points for Memphis. 

West Palm Beach Ratings November 2021

     West Palm Beach sports talk format radio stations were issued their monthly ratings. The time span went from the second week of October to the second week of November. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.7 in the period and matched a five-year high again. The audience has continued listening to Fox Sports Radio around the clock along with mid-afternoon weekday host Andy Slater. There was no longer any New York Yankees broadcasts aired and Florida Atlantic University football had a 5-4 record heading into their final three games of the regular season. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM moved up to a 0.2 in the month. They were at a 0.0 for nine consecutive months. It was just the second time in the last 21 months that the radio station was above a 0.0. This was their first complete period that they did not have any local weekday programming following the departure of Jeff DeForrest. 

Jonathan Huberdeau First Star Of The Week

     Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau has been named the National Hockey League First Star of The Week. The time period went from November 29 to December 5. 

     Huberdeau collected one goal and eight assists in the last three Panthers games. Huberdeau had two multi-point game during the week. He matched his career high of four assists and five points versus the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday. 

     Florida got consecutive victories last week after being down by three-goal deficits. The Cats overcame a three-game deficit in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-4 on November 30. They trailed 3-0 after one period to the Buffalo Sabres on December 2 and overtook them to win 7-4. 

Michigan And Georgia In Orange Bowl

     The final four schools in the College Football Playoff were announced on Sunday. The #2 University of Michigan Wolverines will challenge the #3 University of Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 31. 

     The winner of that contest will face either #1 Alabama or #4 Cincinnati, who will be involved in the Cotton Bowl that same day. The CFP national championship game will be held on January 10 in Indianapolis. 

Dolphins Outlast Giants

     The Miami Dolphins handled the New York Giants 20-9 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins extended their winning streak to five games. 

Bucks Control Heat

     The defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks ran over the Miami Heat 124-102 at Fiserv Forum on Saturday night. The Heat completed a three-game road trip through the Midwest. 

     Milwaukee(15-9) got out to a 34-24 lead after one quarter and were up 69-52 at halftime. Miami(14-10) could not cut it down during the third quarter and trailed 105-76. 

     Max Strus put up a game-high 25 points for the Heat. Tyler Herro fell short of a double-double with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Bobby Portis nailed a double-double of 19 points along with 16 rebounds for Milwaukee. Khris Middleton added 22 points and nine rebounds Pat Connaughton dropped in a team-high 23 points. 

Panthers Beat Blues

     The Florida Panthers knocked off the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday at FLA Live Arena. The Panthers increased their home record to 14-1-0 this season and have been victorious in 25 of their last 27 regular season home games. 

     Florida finished off a stretch in which they played eight of their last nine games at home. It was the first game of a home-and-home series against the Blues. 

     The previous time the Panthers and the Blues tangled was on March 9, 2020. It was the last game prior to the pandemic stoppage of the National Hockey League during the 2019-20 regular season. The Blues entered the contest having won six of their last seven games in Sunrise. 

     St. Louis(12-8-4) pulled out to a 1-0 lead at the 5:24 mark of the first period. Ivan Barbashev backhanded the puck from the right point to the middle and Dakota Joshua skated through the slot. He backhanded a lateral pass and Logan Brown tapped it in from the edge of the blue paint. It was the second tally by Brown in three games and his third career goal. 

     Florida(17-4-3) tied it up 1-1 at 7:04. Maxim Mamin cleared the puck ahead to Lucas Carlsson in the neutral zone. He brought it into the Blues zone, dropped a pass and Mamin released a wrist shot from the high slot for his second goal of the campaign. 

     In the second period, the Blues regained the lead 2-1 with 13:24 to go. Ryan O'Reilly stole the puck from Radko Gudas on the end wall and centered it from the right corner. Walman blasted a slap shot from the high slot area by Sergei Bobrovsky for his first goal this year and second NHL goal. 

     The Cats evened it 2-2 with 2:00 left in the second. Jonathan Huberdeau angled a pass back from the low right circle and Carlsson sent a snap shot which was saved by Ville Husso. Sam Reinhart poked in the rebound from the blue paint for his seventh goal of the season. Carlsson now has four points in the last two contests while Huberdeau has eight assists and nine points in the past three games. 

     St. Louis took the lead for the third time of the contest at the 4:29 mark of the third period to make it 3-2. O'Reilly charged into the Panthers zone and connected a left-outlet pass from the top of the zone. Brandon Saad placed in a one-time forehand shot from the inner left circle for his 10th goal this season. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie for an attacker and immediately scored with 2:34 left in the third. Anton Lundell won a left-circle faceoff and Mamin rifled a slap shot. It was the first multi-point game for Mamin in his NHL career.  

     The game went into a shootout. Lundell converted on the Panthers first attempt with a snap shot through the five-hole. Jordan Kyrou would hit the right point on the Blues first attempt. Huberdeau was then stopped on a stick save. Brown evened up the shootout as he roofed a backhand shot. Reinhart got the puck in the cage for Florida on a snap shot and then O'Reilly missed with a forehand shot on the third attempt by St. Louis.                            

2021 FHSAA State Championship Games Set

     The slate of the 2021 FHSAA football state championship games has been set. Class 3A down to Class 1A will be played next week at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee. The five state title games from Class 8A to Class 4A will occur in two weeks at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. 

     The Class 2A contest will happen on Thursday night between two-time defending champion Champagnat Catholic and Trinity Christian Academy. It will be followed by the Class 3A state title game between Chaminade-Madonna and Berkeley Prep on Friday night. Madison County and Hawthorne will face each other for the Class 1A crown on Saturday night. 

     South Florida will be the host of FHSAA state championship games for the first time since 2006. The last time it was held locally was at the venue now known as Hard Rock Stadium. Local high schools from South Florida will be involved in the first three state title games. 

     Defending state champion Cardinal Gibbons opens it up against Cocoa for the Class 4A title on December 16 at 7PM. The Class 5A state title contest has two-time defending Class 6A champion Miami Central challenging Merritt Island on December 17 at 1PM. The two-time defending Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas goes up against Tampa Bay Tech on December 17 at 7PM. 

     The last two state championship games will involve high schools from out of the South Florida area on December 18. Venice and Apopka clash for the Class 8A state title at 1PM while Jesuit and Pine Forest follow for the Class 6A crown at 7PM. 

2021 FHSAA Playoffs State Semifinal Results

     The state semifinals of the 2021 FHSAA Playoffs were played on Friday night. There were seven South Florida high schools that entered the state semifinals and five teams advanced to state championship games. 

     There will be no local teams in the Class 8A state title tilt. The state semifinals resulted in the Venice Indians knocking off the Columbus Explorers 35-7. The Treasure Coast Titans hosted and were blanked by the Apopka Blue Darters 21-10. Venice will be going for their first state title since 2017 while Apopka attempts to capture their first state championship since 2014. 

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders blasted the Buchholz Bobcats 45-7 in the Class 7A state semifinal at Brian Piccolo Stadium. The Raiders reached the state title game for the fourth straight year and the 14th time in the last 18 seasons. STA will attempt to capture a state-record 13th FHSAA football state championship against Tampa Bay Tech. 

     In the Class 6A state semifinal, Miami Northwestern Bulls went to Tampa and fell to the Jesuit Tigers 37-12. No local high schools will be involved for the state title game as Jesuit challenges Pine Forest. 

     The Miami Central Rockets were able to outscore the Baker County Wildcats 54-21 at Traz Powell Stadium in the Class 5A state semifinal. They will try to win their three consecutive state title as they face Merritt Island in the championship contest. The Rockets captured the Class 6A state championship in 2019 and 2020. 

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs got a home victory over the Lakewood Spartans 36-18 in the Class 4A state semifinal at Fort Lauderdale. They will have the shortest trip of all Florida high schools to the state championship game at DRV PNK Stadium. The Chiefs look to win their second straight Class 4A state title and third overall in the last four seasons versus Cocoa. 

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions routed the Florida State University High Seminoles 38-3 at Hollywood in the Class 3A state semifinal. The Lions reached the state championship games for the sixth consecutive year. They won three straight Class 3A state title from 2017 to 2019 and challenge Berkeley Prep next week.     

     In Class 2A, the Champagnat Catholic Lions defeated the First Baptist Academy Lions 27-8 in Naples to advance into the championship round. The Lions will attempt next week to capture their third consecutive Class 2A state championship and fourth state title in the last five seasons when they take on Trinity Christian Academy. It will be the sixth straight appearance by Champagnat Catholic in the state title contest. 

South Florida High Schools In State Championship

     Five South Florida high schools reached the state championship game in the 2021 FHSAA Football Playoffs. There were seven teams that made it to the state semifinals. Six South Florida schools advanced to the championship round in 2020 and seven local teams showed up in 2019. 

     All three Broward County representatives were victorious in the state semifinal round. St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons and Chaminade-Madonna all won home games. 

     Two Dade County teams advanced to the championship contest. Miami Central and Champagnat Catholic were able to win while Miami Northwestern and Columbus fell. 

     There were no Palm Beach County high schools in the state semifinals. One team from St. Lucie County appeared in a state semifinal, however Treasure Coast was defeated.