Heat Cruise By Pacers

     The Miami Heat breezed by the Indiana Pacers 142-132 on Thursday night at Kaseya Center. Both clubs will face each other in the same venue on Saturday night. 

     Indiana(9-8) rolled out to a 20-7 advantage in the first four minutes of the contest and led 38-33 after the first quarter. The Pacers had a 10-5 spurt to begin the second quarter and were up 73-64 at halftime. It was the most points allowed by the Heat in the first half this season. 

     Miami(11-8) got a 16-9 spurt to begin the second half and cut the deficit to 82-80 at the 7:59 mark. Indiana still remained ahead 100-97 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat came out with a 26-9 run to start the fourth quarter and pulled ahead 123-109 with 4:31 left. 

     Jimmy Butler led Miami with a double-double of 36 points and 10 rebounds. Duncan Robinson contributed 16 points and Kyle Lowry added 15 points. The Heat had bench scoring from Jaime Jaquez Jr. with 24 points and Josh Richardson with 18 points. Tyrese Haliburton had a game-high 44 points and 10 assists for the Pacers. 

Panthers Press Canadiens

     The Florida Panthers downed the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 at Bell Centre on Thursday night. The Panthers finished up a three-game road trip in Canada with a 2-0-1 record. 

     After a scoreless first period, Florida(14-7-2) moved ahead 1-0 at the 7:07 mark of the second. Aleksander Barkov skated though the neutral zone, into the left circle and snapped a shot for his seventh goal of the year. It was the 250th career goal for Barkov in the National Hockey League. 

     Montreal(10-11-2) trailed 2-0 after they give up a goal just eight seconds into the third period. Carter Verhaeghe pushed the puck ahead from the red line. Sam Bennett carried it from the left point and fired a slap shot from the left circle for his third tally this season. 

     It became 3-0 for the Panthers at 3:12 of the third. Barkov sent a clearing pass from his own zone. Sam Reinhart entered the Habs zone and made a drop pass. Evan Rodrigues released a wrist shot from above the left circle and collected his fourth goal of the season. 

     The Cats kept their momentum and expanded it to a four-goal margin at the 5:49 mark with the man advantage. Rodrigues connected a cross-ice pass from the right side which was touched by Anton Lundell in the middle. Verhaeghe put in his 10th goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the inner left circle. 

     The Canadiens got on the scoreboard at 9:30 and they were down 4-1. Cole Caufield angled a pass from the right circle and Jonathan Kovacevic scored on a wrist shot from the top left circle. 

     Oliver Ekman-Larsson blasted a slap shot from the top left circle with 10.1 seconds left in the third to give the Panthers a 5-1 lead. Florida had four goals on 11 shots during the third period. 

Joey Wendle Signing With Mets

     Former Miami Marlins shortstop Joey Wendle has agreed to a contract with the New York Mets. It is expected to be a one-year deal worth $2 million. 

     Wendle played the past two seasons with the Marlins. He only had two home runs, 20 runs batted in and .212 batting average in 112 contests during 2023. 

Royals Ink Garrett Hampson

     Former Miami Marlins utility player Garrett Hampson has joined the Kansas City Royals. He signed a one-year contract worth $2 million.

     Hampson spent the 2023 season with the Marlins and helped the club reach the postseason. He had a .276 batting average with three home runs and 23 run batted in during 98 games. 

David Schultz Exits Lafayette

     Former Miami radio sportscaster David Schultz is leaving the afternoon host spot at KPEL-FM in Lafeyette, Louisiana. He began the position in April earlier this year. 

     He had a previous stint in Lafeyette. Schultz was the program director and morning host at KWLB-FM from September 2013 until March 2019. 

     Schultz, a SUNY-Oswego grad, once worked at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM from 2009 to 2011. He held different positions which included sports anchor, fill-in host, Florida Marlins reporter and Florida Panthers reporter. 

Miami Ratings November 2023

     The ratings were issued for Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports talk radio stations. The time span went from the second week of October until the second week in November. The top two competitors in the market set their highest ratings in the previous month. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM fell from a 2.3 to a 2.1 in the period. Inter Miami CF concluded their first season with Lionel Messi and did not make the postseason. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team continued their schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Florida Panthers came up with a 7-4-1 start to their campaign. The Miami Heat began the 2023-24 season with a 1-4 mark and were starting a long winning streak. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained at a 0.5 for the second straight month. The Miami Dolphins remained in front of the AFC East Division with a 6-3 record. The University of Florida Gators football team has a 5-2 record and then lost two straight SEC games. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM appeared in the local Miami ratings for the third straight month as it increased from a 0.3 to 0.4. It is unusual because this radio station is based in West Palm Beach. 

     The stream for WQAM returned to the ratings after a three-month absence. It went from a 0.0 to a 0.1 in the period. 

Bucks Advance Over Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 131-124 in an NBA In-Season Tournament game at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. The Heat had recently completed a stretch in which they played nine of the past 10 games on the road. 

     The Bucks clinched the top spot in East Group B with a 4-0 record. They will advance to the knockout round of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Miami ended up with a 2-2 record. 

     Milwaukee(13-5) exploded out to a 15-2 lead in the first five minutes of the contest. The Heat responded with a 16-4 spurt, but they trailed 31-22 after one quarter. Miami(10-8) fought back and led 62-59 at halftime. 

     The Heat remained in front 97-93 at the end of the third quarter. The Bucks went on a 15-9 stretch to start the fourth quarter and take the lead 108-106 with 7:33 to go. Milwaukee had a 13-6 run in the last three minutes of the contest to get the win. 

     Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Lowry dropped in 21 points while Josh Richardson compiled 20 points and seven assists. Caleb Martin and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each had 14 points each off the bench.

     Giannis Antetokounmpo had a double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee. Damian Lillard fell short of a double-double with 32 points and nine assists. 

Maple Leafs Topple Panthers

     The Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Florida Panthers 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Cats continued their three-game road swing. It was the first time that the Panthers played in Toronto since they eliminated them in the second round of 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Florida(13-7-21) had a 1-0 lead with 4:31 to go in the first period. Kevin Stenlund got his career-tying sixth goal of this season when he snapped a shot from the left of the crease. Jonah Gadjovich collected his first point in a Panthers uniform. 

     Toronto(11-6-3) tied it 1-1 with 7:06 remaining in the second period. Noah Gregor raced through the left circle and released a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his third tally of the year. The third period and overtime were scoreless for both clubs. 

     In the shootout, the Leafs converted in the second round by Auston Matthews on a backhand. The Cats avoided the defeat in the third round when Sam Reinhart put in a snap shot to the top shelf of the cage. Gregor gave Toronto the victory in the sixth round. 

Panthers Blitz Senators

     The Florida Panthers shut down the Ottawa Senators 5-0 at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday night. The Panthers began a three-game stretch through eastern Canada. 

     Florida(13-7-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the power play at the 1:28 mark of the first period. Aleksander Barkov angled a pass from the right wing. Matthew Tkachuk made a quick pass from the right goal line and Sam Reinhart snapped a shot from the low slot for his 14th goal of the season. 

     In the second period, the Panthers compiled two more power-play goals. Reinhart got his second tally of the contest on a snap shot at 5:59. Sam Bennett followed with his second tally of the year on a backhand shot at the 7:09 mark for a 3-0 advantage. 

     Ottawa(8-9-0) trailed 4-0 with 8:01 left in the third period. Dmitry Kulikov fed the puck from the left corner and Carter Verhaeghe powered in a one-time slap shot from the high slot for his ninth goal this season. Eetu Luostarinen increased it to 5-0 for the Cats on a backhand shot with 4:28 remaining in the third. 

Panthers To Honor Patric Hornqvist

     The Florida Panthers will honor former center Patric Hornqvist next week. The ceremony will take place prior to the Panthers home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 8 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. 

     Hornqvist played his final three NHL seasons with Florida from 2020-21 until 2022-23. He participated in 131 games with the club and chalked up 63 points. Hornqvist captured two Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. 

2023 FHSAA Playoffs Regional Final Results

     The 2023 FHSAA Playoff regional finals happened over the past weekend. Eight high schools from the South Florida tri-county region advanced to the state semifinals. 

     Class 4M in Region 3 had #1 Monarch defeat #2 Palm Beach Central 35-13. Region 4 resulted in #1 Columbus knocking off #3 Western 31-13. 

     Region 3 in Class 3M saw #1 St. Thomas Aquinas shut out #3 Coconut Creek 28-0. #1 Homestead edged #3 Miramar 22-17 in Region 4. 

     In Class 2M in Region 3, #1 American Heritage was able to defeat #2 Cardinal Gibbons 47-35. Region 4 had #1 Miami Norland get by #2 Miami Central 31-28 in overtime. 

     #1 Chaminade-Madonna dominated Region 3 in Class 1M with a 40-0 victory over #2 Cardinal Newman. In Region 4, #2 Archbishop Carroll surprised #1 Tru North Academy 38-35. 

Nets Cover Heat

     The Brooklyn Nets passed by the Miami Heat 112-97 at Barclays Center on Saturday night. It was the third contest for the Heat in the last four days. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo did not participate in the game for the Heat. 

     Brooklyn(7-8) broke out to a 26-22 in the opening quarter. The Nets continued to roll and had a 63-53 lead at halftime. Miami(10-7) remained behind by double digits 90-76 at the end of the third quarter. 

     Caleb Martin churned out a team-high 22 points coming off the bench for the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. dropped in 18 points in the defeat. 

     All five Nets starters chalked up double-figure scoring. Mikal Bridges poured in a game-high 24 points. Cameron Johnson compiled a double-double of 18 points along with 10 rebounds. 

South Florida High Schools In State Semifinals

     16 South Florida tri-county high schools played in the 2023 FHSAA regional finals. Eight teams moved on to the state semifinals. 

     Broward County dropped from eight teams to four. St. Thomas Aquinas, Monarch, American Heritage and Chaminade-Madonna prevailed. Cardinal Gibbons, Coconut Creek. Miramar and Western were defeated. 

     Dade County went from six high schools to four. Columbus, Homestead, Miami Norland and Archbishop Carroll advanced to the state semifinals. Miami Central and Tru North Academy fell. 

     Palm Beach County no longer have any squads in the FHSAA Football Playoffs. Both Palm Beach Central and Cardinal Newman had their seasons end. 

Miami Norland Rule Over Miami Central

     The defending FHSAA Class 2M state champions the Miami Central Rockets were dethroned by the Miami Norland Vikings 31-28 in overtime on Friday night in a regional final. It was a rematch between both teams in District 13 where the Vikings edged the Rockets during Week 8 in overtime. 

     Miami Central(8-4) moved out to 7-0 on a touchdown with two minutes left in the first quarter. Miami Norland(13-0) got into the end zone in the final minute of the second quarter to even it up 7-7.

     The Vikings collected three touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the third quarter and led 28-7. The Rockets bounced back with two touchdowns late the third and they trailed 28-21. Miami Central tied it up 28-28 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter on an eight-yard touchdown run by quarterback J.C. Evans. Miami Norland was able to kick a field goal in overtime to win the contest 31-28. 

American Heritage Outduels Cardinal Gibbons

     The American Heritage Patriots held off the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs 47-35 at Heritage Field in Plantation on Friday night. It was a matchup between two longtime district foes in this FHSAA Class 2M regional final. They met each other for the fourth time in the FHSAA Playoffs since 2016. 

     American Heritage(10-1) scooted out to a 14-0 at the end of the first quarter Cardinal Gibbons(9-4) scored in the first minute of the second quarter and reached the end zone again to tie it up 14-14. The Patriots regained the lead 21-14 before halftime. 

     The Pats outscored the Chiefs 14-7 in the third quarter for a 35-21 advantage. Both high schools got into the end zone twice during the final quarter. 

Jets Take Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Cats finished off a three-game homestand. 

     Winnipeg(12-5-2) got the only tally in the first period with 2:17 remaining. Nino Neiderreiter redirected a puck into the Panthers cage for his sixth goal of the year. 

     Florida(12-7-1) then were down 2-0 with 8:45 to go in the third period. Nikolaj Ehlers snapped a shot from the inner right circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his sixth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers got a power-play opportunity with 4:27 remaining in the third. They could not capitalize as Adam Lowry put in an empty-net goal from the neutral zone with 3:49 left for a 3-0 lead. 

Knicks Overcome Heat

     The NBA In-Season Tournament continued as the Miami Heat lost to the New York Knicks 100-98 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. The Heat, who have won nine of their last 11 games, fell to 2-1 in the East B Group standings and are tied with New York in the group. The Knicks, who have the advantage in point differential in group play, have been victorious in seven of their past nine games. 

     Miami(10-6) headed out to a 28-25 lead at the end of one quarter. New York(9-6) slipped by and had a 51-50 advantage at halftime. 

     The Heat scored 19 consecutive points to begin the second half and had a 69-51 lead at 7:33 of the third quarter. They would remain ahead 87-71 after three quarters of play. The Knicks had a 28-9 run in the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter and outscored the Heat 29-11 in the final frame. 

Monarch Moves By Palm Beach Central

       It was a Class 4M regional final clash as the Monarch Knights defeated the Palm Beach Central Broncos 35-13 on Friday night at Coconut Creek High School. Both entered the contest with the best records among public high schools in Broward County and Palm Beach County. 

     Monarch(11-2) get out in front 14-0 after the opening quarter. Palm Beach Central(10-3) cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:22 to go in the second quarter. The Knights responded and would get a touchdown run with 21 seconds left in the first half for a 21-7 advantage. Monarch increased their lead to 28-7 on another rushing score with 2:36 remaining in the third quarter. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Blanks Coconut Creek

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders were victorious over the Coconut Creek Cougars 28-0 on Friday night at Simmons Family Field in a FHSAA Class 3M regional final. The Raiders advanced to the state semifinal round for the 10th consecutive season. 

     Neither team scored during the first quarter.  St. Thomas Aquinas(12-1) rolled out to a 21-0 lead by the time it reached halftime.  Coconut Creek(10-3) surrendered another touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

Chaminade-Madonna Cracks Cardinal Newman

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions blanked the Cardinal Newman Crusaders 40-0 in a FHSAA Class 1M regional final at Vince Zappone Field in Hollywood on Friday night. It was a rematch between both high school from the last two years. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(12-0) got a comfortable lead with 20 points during the first quarter. It became a 26-point margin for the Lions before halftime. Cardinal Newman(9-2) gave up a 63-yard touchdown run by Davion Gause with 10:09 left in the third quarter and they were down 33-0. 

Dolphins Cook Jets

     The Miami Dolphins roared by the New York Jets 34-13 on Friday at MetLife Stadium. It was the first time that the National Football League held a football game played on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. 

     Miami(7-3) picked up a 38-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with 1:29 to go in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. The Fins made it 10-0 when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a seven-yard swing pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill on the right side of the field for a touchdown at 8:21 of the second quarter and a 10-0 advantage. 

     New York(4-6) closed it to 10-6 with 1:05 remaining in the second. Brandin Echols intercepted a pass and returned it to the end zone. 

     The Jets got the ball and a threw a Hail-Mary pass on the last play of the first half. It was intercepted by Jevon Holland and he raced 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins a 17-6 halftime lead. 

Hurricanes Zip By Boston College

     The University of Miami Hurricanes ended their regular season with a 45-20 victory over the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on Friday. The Canes are now eligible for a future bowl game in December. 

     Boston College(6-6, 3-5) begin the scoring early in the first quarter. Miami(7-5, 3-5) compiled 28 unanswered points in the remainder of the first half and had a 28-7 lead at halftime. 

Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz On Max

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz will be added to Max. Their Meadowlark Media program will begin to stream on Monday.

     Le Batard started the show with Stugotz when Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM launched in August 2004. It gained national syndication on ESPN Radio in September 2013. The program has been associated with Meadowlark Media since January 2021. 

Heat Cruise By Cavaliers

     The Miami Heat pounded the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-96 on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Heat continued their five-game road swing.

     Miami(10-5) roared out to a 37-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. They continued their momentum and led 69-55 at halftime. The Heat had an 18-11 spurt against Cleveland(8-7) at the beginning of the third quarter. 

     Eight of the Miami Heat players had double-digit scoring. Kyle Lowry led the way with 28 points while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 22 points. Craig Porter had a team-high 16 points for the Cavaliers. 

Bruins Beat Panthers

     The Boston Bruins took the Florida Panthers 3-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night. Both clubs are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. The Panthers had their six-game home winning streak stopped. 

     Boston(14-1-3) had a 1-0 advantage with 1:25 to go in the opening period. Charlie Coyle put in a backhand shot for his seventh goal of the campaign. 

     Florida(12-6-1) tied it 1-1 at the 9:27 mark of the second period when Anton Lundell deflected in a shot past Linus Ullmark for his second tally this year. Evan Rodrigues and Nick Cousins chalked up the assists on the play. 

     The B's reclaimed the lead 2-1 just 41 seconds later on the third goal this season by John Beecher. He moved around Sergei Bobrovsky. slid the puck toward the cage and it went off Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

     The Bruins expanded it to a two-goal margin. Jake DeBrusk stuffed in a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his second goal of the year with 5:41 remaining. 

2023 FHSAA Playoffs Regional Semifinal Results

     The regional finals of the 2023 FHSAA Playoffs happened this past week. 16 South Florida tri-county high schools will participate in the regional finals. 

     Region 3 in Class 4M had #1 Monarch defeat #4 Santaluces. #2 Palm Beach Central survived #6 Boca Raton 34-28 and they will visit Monarch in the next round. Region 4 saw #1 Columbus downed #4 South Dade 34-20 and #3 Western upended #2 Miami Palmetto 19-9. Columbus will host Western in the regional final. 

     Class 3M in Region 3 resulted in #1 St. Thomas Aquinas blanking #4 Blanche Ely 40-0. #3 Coconut Creek held off #7 West Boca Raton 24-17 and will travel to St. Thomas Aquinas next week. In Region 4, #3 Miramar handled #7 Belen Jesuit 31-7. #1 Homestead edged #4 Southridge 35-33 and will remain home against Miramar in the following round. 

     The two powerhouse squads in Class 2M in Region 3 advanced to the next round. #1 American Heritage easily beat #4 The King's Academy 49-7 and #2 Cardinal Gibbons knocked off #6 Calvary Christian Academy 34-9. It will be a district rematch between both Broward County teams in Plantation for a regional final. Region 4 had the top two seeds move on as #1 Miami Norland powered by Monsignor Pace 52-27 while #2 Miami Central bounced #3 Booker T. Washington 35-13. 

     All the South Florida home teams won in Class 1M. Region 3 had #1 Chaminade-Madonna dominate #4 Avant Garde Academy 67-0. They will host #2 Cardinal Newman, who got by #3 Benjamin 28-6. #1 Tru North Academy routed #4 Westminster Christian 48-16 and #2 Archbishop Carroll took out #3 Palmer Trinity 35-6 in Region 4. 

     There was just one South Florida high school in Class 1R. #4 Pahokee lost to the top seed #1 Williston 52-17 in the regional semifinal. 

Heat Pay Back Bulls

     The Miami Heat extracted revenge with 118-100 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Monday night. Both teams played at the same venue back on Saturday night with the Bulls victorious and snapping the Heat's seven-game winning streak.

     Miami(9-5) moved out to a 33-27 advantage after one quarter. The Heat added to their lead late in the second quarter and remained in front 65-53 by halftime. It was the most points scored by Miami in the first half this season. 

     Chicago(5-10) was still down 93-81 at the end of the third quarter. Miami moved out way ahead with a 13-3 run at the start of the fourth quarter to get a comfortable lead. 

     Bam Adebayo composed 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Jimmy Butler dropped in 16 points while Duncan Robinson scored 22 points. Heat reserve player Jaime Jaquez Jr. powered in 19 points. 

     Coby White led the Bulls with a club-high 20 points. Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and DeMar DeRozan added 15 points. 

Panthers Outscore Oilers

     The Florida Panthers returned from a three-game road trip of California and outlasted the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour made their home debuts with the team. 

     Edmonton(5-11-1) took a 1-0 lead at the 5:59 mark of the first period. Evan Bouchard backhanded a pass from the blue line. Leon Draisaitl fed the puck from the above the right circle and Connor McDavid one-timed a slap shot from the right goal line past Sergei Bobrovsky. It was just the fifth goal of the season for McDavid. 

     The Oilers expanded it to 2-1 at 9:00. Ryan McLeod pushed it from the right-wing boards and Derek Ryan connected a square pass. Evander Kane snapped a shot from the slot area for his eighth goal this season. 

     Florida(12-5-1) cut it to 2-1 on the power play with 9:24 left in the first. Montour touched the pass and Sam Reinhart send a cross-ice backhand pass from the left wing. Carter Verhaeghe settled the puck in the high slot and then released a wrist shot by Calvin Pickard for his eighth goal of the campaign. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 4:07 remaining in the period. Kevin Stenlund picked up a loose puck at the top of the zone following an Oilers clearing pass and carried it to the left circle. He dropped the puck off and Nico Mikkola scored his second tally this year on a snap shot from the left-circle dot. 

     In the second period, Edmonton reclaimed the lead 3-2 at 5:00. McDavid was able to score his second goal of the contest on a penalty shot. 

     It became 3-3 at the 6:08 mark. Verhaeghe kicked the puck to his left outside of the Panthers zone. Mikkola brought the puck through the neutral zone and down the left circle. His forehand shot found the inside of the cage for his second tally of the contest. It was the first time in his NHL career that Mikkola had scored twice in a game. 

     The Cats made it 4-3 with 6:18 to go in the second. Eetu Luostarinen passed from the right side of the nest and Stenlund put in a wrist shot from the low right circle for his fifth goal this year. 

     The Oilers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker late in the third period. Sam Bennett put the puck from the left circle into an empty net with 42.6 seconds remaining for a 5-3 lead. It was the first goal and first point for Bennett in the 2023-24 season. 

South Florida High Schools In Regional Finals

     There were 33 tri-county high schools that participated in the second week of the 2023 FHSAA Playoffs. 16 teams moved on to the regional finals.

     Palm Beach County had a dramatic drop from eight high schools to two. Palm Beach Central and Cardinal Newman were the only ones to win. Boca Raton, West Boca Raton, Pahokee, Benjamin, Santaluces and The King's Academy did not advance. 

     Broward County barely saw a change from 11 teams to eight. Cardinal Gibbons, American Heritage, St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade-Madonna, Monarch, Western, Coconut Creek and Miramar were all victorious. Blanche Ely, Calvary Christan Academy and Avant Garde Academy were defeated. 

     Dade County went from 14 high schools to six. Miami Central, Columbus, Homestead, Miami Norland, Tru North Academy and Archbishop Carroll won. Booker T. Washington, Southridge, South Dade, Miami Palmetto, Monsignor Pace, Palmer Trinity, Westminster Christian and Belen Jesuit lost.

Dolphins Swim By Raiders

     The Miami Dolphins squeezed by the Las Vegas Raiders 20-13 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins had a bye last week and previously played the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago in Frankfurt, Germany. The Raiders had won two straight contests with new interim head coach Anthony Pierce since he replaced Josh McDaniels. 

     Las Vegas(5-6) went in front 3-0 at 6:46 of the first quarter on a 34-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson. Miami(7-3) took the lead 7-3 with 2:03 left in the first. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill. 

     The Raiders reclaimed the lead 10-7 with one second to go in the quarter. Quarterback Aidan O'Connell found wide receiver Davante Adams for a 46-yard pass play.

     In the second quarter, Tagovailoa connected an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Salvon Ahmed on the right side for a 14-10 lead with 2:28 remaining. Carlson would nail a 47-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the first half and the Raiders trailed 14-13. 

     There was limited scoring during the second half by both clubs. Jason Sanders booted two field goals in the third quarter for a 20-13 advantage. 

Bulls Storm By Heat

     The Miami Heat were passed by the Chicago Bulls 102-97 at United Center on Saturday night. The Heat started a five-game road trip and had their seven-game winning streak snapped. 

     Miami(8-5) outscored the Bulls 26-14 during the first quarter. The Heat remained in front by halftime 50-40. Chicago(5-9) barely cut the lead and were down 76-68 at the end of the third quarter. Miami was up 82-72 with 8:39 to go in the fourth. The Bulls then went on a 30-15 run for the remainder of the contest. 

     Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 25 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo helped out with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Duncan Robinson added 17 points and seven assists in the loss. 

     All the Chicago starters were able to get double-digit scoring. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 23 points.

American Heritage Wallops The King's Academy

     The 2022 FHSAA Class 2M state finalist the American Heritage Patriots slammed The King's Academy Lions 49-7 in a regional semifinal at Heritage Field in Plantation on Saturday night. The flooded field conditions prevented the matchup to be played on Friday. 

     It was the first time that both teams met each other on the gridiron. The Patriots, won now have a seven-game winning streak, will host and challenge their district foe the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs in the regional final. 

     American Heritage(9-1) raced out to a 9-0 by the end of the first quarter. The King's Academy(9-3) got their only points in the contest on a 63-yard touchdown run by quarterback Joe Dailey within the first minute of the second quarter. The Patriots put up 40 unanswered points for the remainder of the game. 

Cardinal GIbbons Disposes Calvary Christian Academy

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs outperformed the Calvary Christian Academy Eagles 34-9 in a Class 2M regional semifinal on Saturday. The game was supposed to be played at Cardinal Gibbons High School on Friday night, but the venue was changed to Calvary Christian Field. 

     Calvary Christian Academy(8-4) was down 14-9 at the end of the first quarter. Cardinal Gibbons(9-3) scored two touchdowns during the second quarter and stayed ahead 28-9 at halftime. The Chiefs will clash with their longtime district foe the American Heritage Patriots next week in a regional final. 

Louisville Sneaks By Hurricanes

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were defeated by the University of Louisville Cardinals 38-31 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. The Canes will finish their regular season next week at Boston College. 

     Both schools were tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. Miami(6-5, 2-5) got ahead midway through the second quarter. Louisville(10-1, 7-1) scored a touchdown and missed an extra point in the final seconds of the first half and trailed 21-20. 

     There were two lead changes during the third quarter with the Canes ahead 28-23 at the end of the frame. The Cardinals took the lead 31-28 before the Hurricanes responded and got a 51-yard field goal by Andres Borregales for a 31-31 tie with 5:39 to go in the fourth quarter. The Cards pulled away 38-31 when Jack Plummer threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman with 4:17 left in the fourth. 

Panthers Shoot Down Ducks

     The Florida Panthers scooted by the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 at Honda Center on Friday night. Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour made their 2023-24 season debuts with the team. 

     Cats goalie Anthony Stolarz faced his former club for the first time. He spent the past four seasons with the Ducks. Former Florida players Radko Gudas and Frank Vatrano also played against their former club. 

The Panthers completed a three-game California road trip and will next host Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. 

     Florida(11-5-1) had a 1-0 advantage with 5:10 remaining in the first period. Anton Lundell fed the puck and Eetu Luostarinen placed in a wrist shot for his first tally this year. 

     In the second period, the Panthers expanded it to 2-0 with 1:54 left. Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped a shot for his fifth goal of the season. Lundell and Nick Cousins were credited with assists on the play. 

     Anaheim(9-7-0) cut it to 2-1 on the power play at the 7:39 mark of the third period. Cam Fowler angled a pass from the top of the zone and Adam Henrique one-timed a slap shot from the low right circle which was saved. Vatrano tapped the puck into the cage from the top of the crease for his 12th goal of the 2023-24 campaign. 

Miami Central Drops Booker T. Washington

     The defending FHSAA Class 2M state champions the Miami Central Rockets knocked off the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes 35-13 in a Class 2M regional semifinal at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami on Friday night. Both Dade County teams have captured numerous FHSAA state titles over the years. 

     Miami Central(8-3) scooted in front 14-7 over Booker T. Washington(8-3) at the end of the first quarter. Neither high school was able to score during the second quarter. The Rockets compiled 21 more points during the second half to put the contest away.

Palm Beach Central Holds Off Boca Raton

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos moved by the Boca Raton Bobcats 34-28 at Broncos Stadium on Friday night. It was a Class 4M clash between two Palm Beach County teams. 

     Palm Beach Central(10-2) had a 17-7 lead at halftime. The Broncos outscored the Bobcats 14-7 in the third quarter for 31-14 advantage after three quarters. Boca Raton(7-5) tried to mount a comeback in the fourth, however they fell short. 

Monarch Smacks Santaluces

     The Monarch Knights smashed the Santaluces Chiefs 52-27 in Butler Stadium at Deerfield Beach High School on Friday night in a Class 4M regional semifinal. The Knights advanced to a regional final for the first time in many years. 

     Monarch(10-2) scored the first 30 points in the first half and had a 30-0 lead. Santaluces(8-4) was able to get a touchdown before the end of the second quarter and were down 30-7 at halftime. The Chiefs scored in the third quarter and were behind 30-14. The Knights got into the end zone three minutes into the fourth quarter.  

St. Thomas Aquinas Blanks Blanche Ely

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders shut out the Blanche Ely Tigers 40-0 in a Class 3M regional semifinal on Friday night in Fort Lauderdale at Simmons Family Field. Both Broward County high schools have faced each other numerous times in the regular season and FHSAA Playoffs over the decades. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(11-1) broke out to a 23-0 lead by halftime. Blanche Ely(9-3) gave up a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter and trailed 33-0. 

Cardinal Newman Beats Benjamin

     The Cardinal Newman Crusaders defeated the Benjamin Buccaneers 28-6 at Sam Budnyk Field in a Class 1M regional semifinal on Friday night in West Palm Beach. Both high schools faced each other just three weeks ago with the Crusaders victorious 17-14 in Week 10. The defending FHSAA Class 1M state champions the Chaminade-Madonna Lions will host the regional final in Hollywood next week. 

     Cardinal Newman(9-1) made it 7-0 midway in the opening quarter. Benjamin(8-3) did get a field goal early in the second quarter. The Crusaders reached the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the second for a 14-3 halftime lead. Cardinal Newman continued their momentum in the second half and had a 28-6 lead. 

Chaminade-Madonna Crushes Avant Garde

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions defended their FHSAA Class 1M crown in a regional semifinal on Friday night as they blasted the Avant Garde Academy Sharks 67-0 at Vince Zappone Field in Hollywood. The Lions will take on the Cardinal Newman Crusaders at home in a regional final next week. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(11-0) piled on 45 points in the first quarter with five touchdowns. Avant Garde Academy(5-6) surrendered seven points in the second, seven points in the third and six points in the fourth. 

Miami Norland Outworks Monsignor Pace

     The Miami Norland Vikings outscored the Monsignor Pace Spartans 52-27 on Thursday night in a FHSAA Class 2M regional semifinal in Region 4. It was the first regional final played in South Florida. The Vikings will host either the Miami Central Rockets or the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes in a regional final next week. 

     Miami Norland(12-0) rumbled out to a 21-7 lead and later were up 31-14 after three quarters. Both clubs would score heavily in the fourth quarter. The Vikings compiled 31 points while Monsignor Pace(7-5) put up 13 points. 

Panthers Crowned By Kings

     The Florida Panthers were overthrown by the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. The Panthers continued their three-game road swing and will play tomorrow night in Anaheim against the Ducks. 

     Los Angeles(9-3-3) raced out to a 1-0 lead in the first period at the 1:20 mark. Kevin Fiala backhanded a shot for his third tally of the year. The Cats had just one shot in the first 10 minutes of the contest. 

     The Kings increased their lead to 2-0 with 6:07 left in the second period on a power-play goal. Anze Kopitar fired a slap shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal of the season. 

     In the third period, Florida(10-5-1) broke the shutout with 9:15 remaining. Sam Reinhart picked up his 13th goal this season on a snap shot past Cam Talbot. Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov collected assists on the play. 

Heat Beat Nets

     The Miami Heat outhustled the Brooklyn Nets 122-115 on Thursday night at Kaseya Center. It was the only home contest for Miami in a 10-game stretch. The Heat hosted the Nets in the same venue 15 days ago. 

     Miami(8-4), who have won seven straight games, had a 30-27 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat would remain up 60-52 at halftime. 

     Brooklyn(6-6) could not gain any ground and trailed 95-83 after three quarters. The Nets cut the lead down to seven points in the final two minutes of the final quarter.

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 36 points for Miami. Duncan Robinson added 26 points while Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points and seven rebounds. Mikal Bridges shared a team-high 23 points along with Lonnie Walker IV for Nets. 

Vikings Ink Myles Gaskin

     Former Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin has returned to the Minnesota Vikings for a second stint with the club. He was placed on their practice squad.

     He began the 2023 campaign with the Vikings and participated in one contest. Gaskin was signed off the Vikings practice squad by the Los Angeles Rams on October 17. He only played in one game with the Rams and had no carries. 

     Gaskin was with the Dolphins for four seasons from 2019 until 2022. He had 361 carries for 1,355 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 38 contests. 

Panthers Escape Sharks

     The Florida Panthers begin a three-game trip on the West Coast and speeded by the San Jose Sharks 5-3 at SAP Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers are 10-0-0 against San Jose since the 2018-19 season. 

     The Cats are playing three contests throughout California in a four-day stretch. The Sharks have the worst record in the National Hockey League. 

     Florida(10-4-1) got out to a 1-0 lead with 7:26 left in the first period. Ryan Lomberg picked up his second goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the top right circle past Mackenzie Blackwood. 

     San Jose(2-13-1) tied it 1-1 with 4:02 to go in the first. Former Panther Mike Hoffman scored his first goal with his new club with a snapped a shot from the right goal line by Anthony Stolarz. It was his first goal in 17 games, which snapped the second-longest drought of his NHL career. 

     The Panthers would get a power-play goal with 7:51 remaining in the second period for a 2-1 lead. Sam Reinhart pushed in a backhand shot from the top of the crease for his team-high 12th goal this season. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk were credited with assists on the play. 

     There was plenty of scoring during the third period as both teams combined for five goals. Tomas Hertl tapped in a one-time shot from the top of the crease on the man advantage for his third tally this year at the 6:11 mark to tie it up 2-2. 

     The Sharks took their only lead of the contest 70 seconds later on a delayed penalty. Luke Kunin steered the puck in from the blue paint on a backhand shot. 

     The Cats evened it up 3-3 with a power-play tally at 10:06. Carter Verhaeghe collected his seventh goal this season as he powered a one-time slap shot from the inner left circle. It was the 100th NHL goal for Verhaeghe. 

     It became 4-3 for Florida with 8:51 remaining in the frame. Kevin Stenlund redirected a long slap shot from the slot area. Aleksander Barkov finished things off with an empty-net tally for his sixth goal of the season with 2:13 left in the third and a Panthers 5-3 lead.

Heat Buzz Hornets

     The Miami Heat got a 111-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Tuesday night. Miami went a perfect 4-0 on their road trip. 

     It was the second game of the NBA In-Season Tournament for Miami, who now have a 2-0 record in their bracket. The Heat have rolled off six straight victories. 

     Charlotte(3-7) took a 32-24 lead after one quarter. Miami(7-4) came out with an 14-4 spurt in the beginning of the second quarter to take the lead. They concluded the second on a 17-4 run to lead 57-48 at halftime. 

     The Heat stayed in front 87-78 at the end of the third quarter. The Hornets came within four points of the lead 105-101 with 3:34 left in the final quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler dropped in 32 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo completed a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists. Duncan Robinson chalked up 18 points while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 17 points coming off the bench.  

     P.J. Washington led Charlote with a club-high 32 points. LaMelo Ball composed 28 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. 

Skip Schumaker National League Manager Of The Year

     Miami Marlins skipper Skip Schumaker has been named the 2023 National League Manager of the Year. Schumaker received 72 points with eight first-place votes, eight second-place votes and eight third-place votes. Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers finished second with 51 points and Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves ended with 48 points. 

     It was the first season as a Major League Baseball manager for Schumaker. He guided the club to an 84-76 record for the second National League Wild-Card position. They were swept in the first round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

     Schumaker led Miami to a postseason appearance in a complete 162-game regular season schedule for the first time since 2003. The Marlins made it to the National League Playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history. 

     He became the fourth Marlins manager to receive the National League Manager of the Year Award. The others were Jack McKeon in 2003, Joe Girardi in 2006 and Don Mattingly in 2020. 

Miami Dolphins Sign Anthony Schwartz

     The Miami Dolphins have signed former Broward County high school wide receiver Anthony Schwartz. He has been placed on their practice squad. 

     Schwartz played high school football with the American Heritage Patriots. He helped them capture three FHSAA Class 5A state championships in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Schwartz spent three seasons with the Auburn University Tigers.

     He was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Schwartz had 14 catches for 186 receiving yards and one touchdown in 25 games with Cleveland.

2023 FHSAA Playoffs First Round Results

     The first round of the 2023 FHSAA Playoffs happened this past week. 33 high schools from Palm Beach County, Broward County and Dade County will play in the next round. 

     Class 4M in Region 3 had a couple of close games. #2 Palm Beach Central shut out #7 Spanish River 36-0 while #6 Boca Raton upset #3 Jupiter 48-41. #1 Monarch had no problem with #8 Marjory Stoneman Douglas 40-7. #4 Santaluces was able to outscore #5 Palm Beach Gardens 35-28. 

     All the home teams in Region 4 were victorious. #1 Columbus blasted #8 Goleman 49-6, #2 Miami Palmetto knocked off #7 Doral Academy 21-7, #3 Western blanked #6 Cypress Bay 51-0 and #4 South Dade outlasted #5 West Broward 43-31. 

     Region 3 in Class 3M saw St. Thomas Aquinas dominate #8 Plantation 63-6 and #7 West Boca Raton stun #2 Atlantic 23-22. #4 Blanche Ely stopped Soul Bowl rival #5 Dillard 35-12. #3 Coconut Creek eliminated #6 Piper 42-6. 

     Region 4 had #1 Homestead down #8 McArthur 52-27 while #7 Belen Jesuit upend #2 South Broward 20-13. #3 Miramar blanked #6 American 23-0 and #4 Southridge handled #5 Hialeah 48-23. 

     Class 2M in Region 3 resulted in the top two seeds winning. #1 American Heritage pounded #8 North Broward Prep 63-13 and #2 Cardinal Gibbons took #7 Stranahan 42-12. #4 The King's Academy powered by #5 Somerset Academy Canyons 49-7. #6 Calvary Christian Academy got by #3 St. Andrew's 20-13.

     The top teams in Region 4 came out ahead. #1 Miami Norland routed #8 St. Brendan 56-0, #2 Miami Central topped #7 Miami Edison 31-13 and #3 Booker T. Washington passed by #6 North Miami Beach 34-8. #4 Monsignor Pace beat #5 Gulliver Prep 41-14. 

     There was just one high school from South Florida in Class 1R for Region 4. #4 Pahokee ended up blasting #5 Dixie County 56-0. 

     Several high schools from South Florida in Class 1M were off and will begin play this week. They include #1 Chaminade-Madonna, #2 Cardinal Newman, #3 Benjamin and #4 Avant Garde Academy in Region 3. Region 4 has #1 Tru North Academy, #2 Archbishop Carroll, #3 Palmer Trinity and #4 Westminster Christian. 

Craig Counsell Cubs New Manager

     Former Marlins shortstop Craig Counsell was introduced as the new manager of the Chicago Cubs. He signed a five-year contract worth around $40 million. He became the highest-paid manager in Major League Baseball. 

     He managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2015 to 2023. Counsell guided the club to three National League Central Division titles in 2018, 2021 and 2023. 

     Counsell played three seasons with the Florida Marlins from 1997 until 1999. He scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series to give the franchise their first world championship. 

Mike Vernon Inducted

     Former Florida Panthers goalie Mike Vernon was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night. The ceremony took place in Toronto. 

     Vernon played with the Panthers for one season in 1999-2000. He had an 18-13-2 record with a 2.54 goals-against-average in 34 games with Florida. The Panthers made the postseason that season and would not appear again for another 12 years. 

     He became the third Florida Panthers goalie in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Vernon joined Roberto Luongo and Ed Belfour. 

Heat Streak By Spurs

     The Miami Heat shuffled by the San Antonio Spurs 118-113 on Sunday night. The Heat, who have won five consecutive games, played on back-to-back days in different time zones by travelling west. 

     San Antonio(3-7) raced out to a 29-15 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Heat outscored the Spurs 35-24 during the second quarter and were down 53-50 by halftime. 

     Miami(6-4) kept it close and trailed 84-82 after three quarters. The Spurs led 103-93 with 6:46 left in the fourth quarter. The Heat went on a 25-10 run for the remainder of the game to pick up the victory. 

     Duncan Robinson exploded with a game-high 28 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo completed a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler composed 19 points and six rebounds. Josh Richardson, Kevin Love and Dru Smith all had 12 points each. Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama fell short of a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

South Florida High Schools In Second Round

     There were 56 tri-county South Florida high schools that entered the FHSAA Playoffs in 2023. 33 teams advanced to the next round of the postseason. Small schools in Class 1M did not play this past weekend because they have one less round in their classification. 

     Palm Beach County shifted from 14 teams to eight. Palm Beach Central, Santaluces, Boca Raton, West Boca Raton, The King's Academy and Pahokee moved on. Atlantic, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Spanish River, Somerset Academy Canyons and St. Andrew's fell. Cardinal Newman and Benjamin did not participate. 

     Broward County dropped from 21 high schools to 11. St. Thomas Aquinas, Blanche Ely, Cardinal Gibbons, American Heritage, Monarch, Western, Miramar, Coconut Creek and Calvary Christian Academy prevailed. Dillard, Piper, Stranahan, Plantation, McArthur, South Broward, West Broward, Cypress Bay, Marjory Stoneman Douglas and North Broward Prep lost. Chaminade-Madonna and Avant Garde Academy will wait until next week for their first playoff game. 

     Dade County went from 21 squads down to 14. Miami Central, Columbus, Booker T. Washington, Southridge, South Dade, Monsignor Pace, Miami Norland, Miami Palmetto, Homestead and Belen Jesuit were victorious. Miami Edison, Gulliver Prep, Hialeah, St. Brendan, Goleman, North Miami Beach and American were defeated. Tru North Academy, Palmer Trinity, Westminster Christian and Archbishop Carroll had the previous week off. 

Panthers Push By Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers closed out the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Sunday at Amerant Bank Arena. Both teams met each other eight days ago in Chicago. The Panthers have won four consecutive games. 

     It was the first appearance by Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard in South Florida. The Blackhawks had played the least amount of games than any NHL club heading into this contest. 

     Florida(9-4-1) quickly made it 1-0 just 39 seconds into the first period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson place in a deflected shot for his fourth goal with his new team. 

     Chicago(5-8-0) matched it at 7:04 of the opening frame. Jason Dickinson redirected a shot for his second tally in 2023-24.

     The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 8:06 left in the first on a power play. Sam Reinhart collected his team--high 10th goal of the season on a tip-in shot. 

     The Blackhawks evened it up 2-2 with 56 seconds remaining in the period. Bedard got his eighth goal of the year with a wrist shot from below the right circle after he stole the puck. 

     In the second period, the Cats moved again by the score of 3-2. Reinhart found the net once more at the seven-minute mark as he released a backhand shot. from the left goal line. 

     The Hawks answered back just a little over one minute later at 8:18. It was the second goal of the contest for Bedard when he skated alone down the left side and snapped a shot from the low left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his ninth goal. 

     Florida increased it to 4-3 with the man advantage at 2:44 of the third period. Carter Verhaeghe put in a wrist shot for his sixth tally this season. 

Florida State Drives By Hurricanes

     The Florida State University Seminoles held off the University of Miami Hurricanes 27-20 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. It was the first season in the newly formatted schedules that ACC colleges would face three annual conference opponents.

     Florida State(10-0, 8-0) scored the first 10 points in the initial 16 minutes of the contest. Miami(6-4, 2-4) would get a touchdown and a field goal in the final three minutes of the first half to tie it up 10-10. 

     Both schools exchanged field goal during the third quarter. The Seminoles added two touchdowns with 5:48 to go and 11:00 left in the fourth quarter. 

Heat Hounds Hawks

     The Miami Heat eased by the Atlanta Hawks 117-109 at State Farm Arena on Saturday night. The Heat have won four straight contests and are in a stretch of three road games in the next four days. 

     Miami((5-4) ripped out to a 41-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat stayed in front 63-52 at halftime. Atlanta(5-4) could not gain any traction and were down 93-82 after three quarters. The Hawks at lead nine points behind during the final quarter.

     Bam Adebayo composed a double-double for Miami with 26 points and 17 rebounds. Jamie Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points while Kyle Lowry put in 17 points. Josh Richardson came off the bench with 16 points. Trae Young led Atlanta with 27 points and 11 assists for a double-double. 

Luis Arraez Wins Silver Slugger Award

     Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins has won the Silver Slugger Award in Major League Baseball. He received the honor as the second baseman for the National League. 

     He was acquired in a trade by the Marlins during the offseason from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for pitcher Pablo Lopez. Arraez was the runaway winner of the National League batting title with an MLB -leading .354 and helped Miami reach the postseason in a 162-game schedule for the first time since 2003. He compiled a .316 batting average and did capture the American League batting title with the Twins in 2022. 

Miami Central Handles Miami Edison

     The defending FHSAA Class 2M state champions the Miami Central Rockets began their defense of the title with a 31-13 victory over the Miami Edison Red Raiders at Traz Powell Stadium on Friday night. It was a Class 2M regional final game in Dade County. 

     Miami Cental(7-3) scored the first three touchdowns of the contest for a 21-0 advantage. Miami Edison(6-5) found the end zone late in the second quarter and trailed 21-7 at halftime. 

     After a scoreless third quarter, the Red Raiders closed the gap to 21-13. The Rockets later got a field goal and a touchdown during the fourth quarter for an 18-point lead. Miami Central will play the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes at Traz Powell Stadium in a regional semifinal next week. 

Blanche Ely Bowls Over Dillard

     The Blanche Ely Tigers defeated the Dillard Panthers 35-12 in a Class 3M regional quarterfinal at Richard L. Williams Stadium in Pompano Beach on Friday night. It was a rematch from last week at the same venue where the Tigers captured the Soul Bowl over the Panthers 33-28. Both high schools have one of the longest and recognized rivalries in Broward County. 

     Dillard(5-6) struck quickly with a touchdown and had a 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. Blanche Ely(9-2) answered back as they reached the end zone twice in the second quarter for a 14-6 lead at halftime. 

     The Tigers scored the next two touchdowns in the second half for a 28-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. Blanche Ely will face the reigning four-time FHSAA state champions the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in Fort Lauderdale next week in a regional semifinal clash. 

Cardinal Gibbons Controls Stranahan

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs canned the Stranahan Dragons 42-12 at Dr. Bud Tight Field in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in a Class 2M regional quarterfinal game. Both teams participated in District 12 this season. 

     Cardinal Gibbons(8-3) rocketed out to a 35-0 halftime lead with 21 points in the opening quarter and 14 points in the second. The Chiefs got seven points in the third quarter while Stranahan(5-6) had six points for a 42-6 lead.  Cardinal Gibbons will host Calvary Christian Academy next week in a regional semifinal. 

American Heritage Routs North Broward Prep

     The American Heritage Patriots blew out the North Broward Prep Eagles 63-13 on Friday night at Heritage Field in Plantation. It was a Class 2M matchup between both Broward County private high schools. 

     American Heritage(8-1) rolled out to a 28-6 lead over North Broward Prep(5-6) after one quarter. The Patriots piled on 14 points in the second quarter and 21 points in the third quarter for a 63-13 advantage. The Pats will be at home next week for a regional semifinal against The King's Academy Lions. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Pounds Plantation

     The four-time defending FHSAA state champions the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders routed the Plantation Colonels 63-6 at Simmons Family Field in a Class 3M regional quarterfinal on Friday night. Both high schools were district foes in the past. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(10-1), who extended their winning streak to 10 games, roared out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Plantation(6-5) got their only points during the second quarter, but they were down 49-6 at halftime. 

     A running clock was implemented for the entire second half. STA added two more touchdowns for a 57-point margin. The Raiders will host the Blanche Ely Tigers in a regional semifinal contest next week in Fort Lauderdale. 

West Boca Raton Upsets Atlantic

     The West Boca Raton Bulls shocked the Atlantic Eagles 23-22 at Atlantic Stadium in Delray Beach on Friday night. It was a Class 3M regional quarterfinal contest between two Palm Beach County teams. 

     The Bulls played in their first postseason contest since 2013. West Boca Raton(9-2) won their first FHSAA Playoff game since 2007. 

     Atlantic(9-2) had a 7-0 lead after the first quarter. West Boca Raton(9-2) reached the end zone and tied it 7-7 in the second quarter before halftime. 

     The Eagles scored a touchdown and the Bulls picked up a safety during the third quarter for an Atlantic 14-9 lead. Atlantic was up 22-16 in the final minute of the fourth. Bulls wide receiver Kyle Andrews caught a hail-marry pass in the end zone with no time remaining in the game to tie it up 22-22. They booted the extra point and won the contest. West Boca Raton will travel to the Coconut Creek Cougars for a regional semifinal matchup next Friday. 

Boca Raton Stuns Jupiter

     The Jupiter Warriors had a rare FHSAA Playoff home game and were upended by the Boca Raton Bobcats 48-41 on Friday night. It was a Class 4M regional quarterfinal matchup between both Palm Beach County teams. 

      Jupiter(9-2) had a 14-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Both high schools combined for 37 points in the second quarter. Boca Raton(7-4) chalked up 24 points in the frame and had a 31-27 halftime lead. 

     Both squads were tied 34-34 after three quarters. The Bobcats outscored the Warriors 14-6 in the final quarter for the victory. Boca Raton will visit the Palm Beach Central Broncos for a regional semifinal next week. 

Santaluces Outscores Palm Beach Gardens

     The Palm Beach Gardens Gators went south and were outdueled by the Santaluces Chiefs 35-28 on Friday night in a Class 4M regional quarterfinal tilt. It was a battle between two Palm Beach County high schools. The Chiefs won their first FHSAA postseason game since 2001. 

     Santaluces(8-3) rolled out to a 21-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. Palm Beach Gardens(6-4) and their opponent both scored seven points each in the third quarter and the fourth quarter. The Chiefs will travel to face the Monarch Knights in a regional semifinal next Thursday. 

Palm Beach Central Dominates Spanish River

     The Palm Beach Central Broncos shut out the Spanish River Sharks 36-0 at Broncos Stadium in a Class 4M regional quarterfinal games on Friday night. Spanish River(7-4) was making their first appearance in the FHSAA Playoffs for the first time in several decades. 

     Palm Beach Central(9-2) broke out to a big lead at home and never looked back. The Broncos will host the Boca Raton Bobcats in a regional semifinal next week. 

Hurricanes Fall To Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes were defeated by the Florida Panthers 5-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday night. Both teams faced each other in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. The Panthers shocked and swept the Canes in four games. 

     Carolina(8-6-0) did have a great memory in Sunrise during the 2022-23 campaign. The Canes clinched the Metropolitain Division in the final regular season contest. 

     Florida(8-4-1) extended their winning streak to a season-high three games. They will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon to complete a two-game homestand. 

Monarch Mashes Marjory Stoneman Douglas

     The Monarch Knights powered by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles 40-7 in a FHSAA Class 4M regional quarterfinal at Coconut Creek High School on Thursday night. The Knights went on the road back in Week 5 and were victorious over the Eagles 26-7 in a 4M District 12 matchup. 

     Monarch(9-2) was able to get up 27-0 at the midway point of the contest. Marjory Stoneman Douglas(4-7) did reach the end zone once during the second half, but the Eagles came up short. The Knights will be at home in a regional semifinal next week versus the Santaluces Chiefs or the Palm Beach Gardens Gators. 

Booker T. Washington Downs North Miami Beach

     The Booker T. Washington Tornadoes knocked off the North Miami Beach Chargers 34-8 at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami on Thursday night. It was a Class 2M regional quarterfinal contest between both Dade County high schools. 

     Booker T. Washington(9-2) compiled two touchdowns during the first quarter to lead 14-0. North Miami Beach(4-7) managed just eight points in the game. The Tornadoes will either face the defending FHSAA Class 2M state champions the Miami Central Rockets or the Miami Edison Red Raiders. 

Western Works Cypress Bay

     The Cypress Bay Lightning went east on Southwest 14th Street into Davie and lost to the Western Wildcats 51-0 on Thursday night. It was a FHSAA Class 4M regional quarterfinal game between two Broward County squads from District 13. The Wildcats had blanked the Lightning 56-0 during Week 8. 

     Western(8-3) exploded with 23 points in the first quarter with three touchdowns and a safety. Cypress Bay(8-3) trailed 30-0 at halftime and 44-0 after three quarters. The Wildcats will challenge either Miami Palmetto or Doral Academy in the next round one week from now. 

Cardinals Release Damien Williams

     The Arizona Cardinals have released running back Damien Williams. He was on the club's practice squad since last week. Williams participated in three games with the Cards this season and had 11 carries for 43 rushing yards. 

     Williams was with the Miami Dolphins for four seasons from 2014 until 2017. He played in 58 contests and had 477 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 133 rushing attempts. 

Columbus Clobbers Goleman

     The defending FHSAA Class 4M state champions the Columbus Explorers destroyed the Goleman Gators 49-6 in a Class 4M regional quarterfinal on Thursday afternoon. It was the first 2023 FHSAA Playoff game held in South Florida. 

     It was a rematch between two high schools in Class 4M District 15 from two weeks ago. The Explorers handled the Gators 24-6 in Week 9 during the regular season. 

     Columbus(9-2) rolled out to a big lead and Goleman(4-7) could not keep up. The top-seeded Explorers in Region 4 will host either South Dade or West Broward next week in a regional semifinal. 

Heat Trap Grizzlies

     The Miami Heat slid by the Memphis Grizzlies 108-102 on Wednesday night at FedEx Forum. The Heat began a stretch in which they will play nine of their next 10 games on the road. 

     Miami(4-4) began the first quarter on a 18-10 spurt and were up 33-26 at the end of the frame. The Heat had a 54-46 advantage by halftime. 

     Memphis(1-7) got on an 18- 11 run to start the second half, however they trailed 77-76 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Grizzlies finally got the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. with a three-point shot. The Heat reclaimed the lead with 8:51 left in the fourth and remained in front for the rest of the way.

     Bam Adebayo led Miami with a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds. Kyle Lowry fell short of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Jimmy Butler added 15 points and Haywood Highsmith had 14 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. dropped in a team-high 28 points for Memphis.  

Panthers Get By Capitals

     The Washington Capitals fell to the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena. The Panthers completed a string of contests in which they had four road games in a five-game stretch. The Cats return home on Friday for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch against the Carolina Hurricanes.

     Washington(5-4-2) moved out to a 1-0 lead at the 10:42 mark of the first period. Anthony Mantha raced down the right wing and sent a diagonal pass. It went off Anton Lundell in the slot area and by Sergei Bobrovsky. Caps goalie Darcy Kuemper picked up the secondary assist on the play for his fifth career assist. 

     Florida(7-4-1) evened it up 1-1 with 7:11 left in the first. Matthew Tkachuk passed the puck from the right goal line. Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped a shot from the high slot for his third tally of the year.

     The Panthers pulled ahead 2-1 with 3:15 to go in the period. Aleksander Barkov chalked up his fourth goal of the season on a snap shot from the left circle. Sam Reinhart fed the puck on a backhand pass from the left corner. 

     In the second period, the Capitals tied it 2-2 at 6:13. Connor McMichael scored a shorthanded goal on a backhand shot. 

     The Caps would reclaim the lead 3-2 with 4:09 remaining in the second. Mantha compiled his second goal of the contest and third goal of the campaign on a wrist shot. 

     The Cats made it 3-3 at the 3:33 mark of the third period. Evan Rodrigues collected his third goal in a Panthers uniform on a deflected shot.

     Florida finished the game just 15 seconds into overtime. Rodrigues advanced the puck from behind his own cage to Barkov at the red line. Barkov connected a diagonal pass and Reinhart guided the puck in with a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his team-high ninth goal of the season. 

Jorge Soler Free Agent

     Miami Marlins outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler opted out of his contract with the Miami Marlins last week. He declined a $13 million player option for 2014. Soler did not receive a qualifying offer from Miami earlier this week. 

     Soler played the last two seasons with the Marlins and helped them to the postseason in 2023. He had 36 home runs, 75 runs batted in, .250 batting average and a .853 OPS last season. 

Skip Schumaker Manager Finalist

     Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker has been named a finalist for the National League Manager of the Year. He is up for the award with Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers and Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves. 

     Schumaker became a Major Baseball League manager for the first time when he was hired as a manager prior to the 2023 season. He led the Fish to a third-place finish in the National League East Division with an 84-78 record. It was the most victories by the Marlins since the 2009 season. 

2023 FHSAA Playoffs Local County Breakdown

     The 2023 FHSAA Playoffs in high school football will begin later on this week. All counties in South Florida will be represented. 

     Dade County chalked up 21 teams for the football playoffs. Large schools include Miami Central, Columbus, Mami Norland, Booker T. Washington, Homestead, South Dade, Miami Palmetto, Goleman, Southridge, Doral Academy, Gulliver Prep, Monsignor Pace, American, Hialeah, Belen Jesuit, St. Brendan and North Miami Beach. The small schools are Westminster Christian, Archbishop Carroll, Tru North Academy and Palmer Trinity.

     Broward County is represented very well with 21 high schools. Central Broward County consists of St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons, Blanche Ely, Dillard, Stranahan, American Heritage, Western, Cypress Bay, Piper, Plantation and Cavalry Christian Academy. The only teams from North Broward County are Monarch, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Coconut Creek and North Broward Prep. South Broward County has Chaminade-Madonna, Miramar, South Broward, West Broward, McArthur and Avant Garde Academy. 

     Palm Beach County ends up with 14 high schools in the postseason. South Palm Beach County has Atlantic, West Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Spanish River, St. Andrew's, Santaluces and Somerset Academy Canyons. The Central Palm Beach County area puts in Cardinal Newman, Palm Beach Central, The King's Academy and Pahokee. North Palm Beach County has Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Benjamin. 

     St. Lucie County has two teams with Treasure Coast and Fort Pierce Westwood. Jensen Beach is the only squad from Martin County. Indian River County has just one representative with Vero Beach. 

Heat Handle Lakers

    The Miami Heat dropped the Los Angeles Lakers 108-107 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat finished up a three-game homestand with wins in two straight games. The Lakers lost both games in the state of Florida for the first time since the 2016-17 season. 

     The Heat have won five of the last seven meetings against the Lakers since they faced each other in the 2020 NBA Finals. Miami has defeated Los Angeles in 19 of the last 29 regular season games when they have clashed. 

     Former Heat player LeBron James participated against his former club. James played in four seasons with Miami and captured two NBA titles along with four consecutive Eastern Conference championships.

     It was a high scoring first quarter as both teams were tied 33-33 at the end of one quarter. Miami(3-4) was able to get ahead 62-59 by halftime. The Heat had their highest-scoring first half so far this season. 

     The Heat went on a 21-10 run at the end of the third quarter to stay in front 90-79. Los Angeles(3-4) started the fourth quarter on a 7-2 spurt. The Lakers picked up eight consecutive points and trailed 108-107 with 2:39 left in the fourth. Neither team scored any points in the final stretch of the game.

     James led the Lakers with a game-high 30 points. Anthony Davis was held to nine points and six rebounds. Austin Reaves drained in 23 points and D'Angelo Russell scored 13 points. 

     Bam Adebayo put together a triple-double with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. It was his sixth career triple-double. Jimmy Butler was able to contribute 28 points and six assists while Tyler Herro had 22 points. 

Panthers Survive Blue Jackets

     The Florida Panthers got by the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena. This was the only home game in a five-game stretch for the Cats.

     Florida(6-4-1) rocketed out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period. Ryan Lomberg started it with his first goal of the year on a wrist shot at the 2:19 mark. 

     Gustav Forsling made it 2-0 just 50 seconds later on a slap shot for his second goal of the campaign. Aleksander Barkov gave them a 3-0 advantage at 6:09 as he placed in a backhand shot from the crease area for his third goal of the season. The Cats had outshot the Blue Jackets 16-1 just 11 minutes into the contest. 

     Columbus(4-5-3) climbed back into the game later in the first frame. Sean Kuraly found the net on a wrist shot with 4:19 remaining in the first. Boone Jenner added his sixth goal in 2023-24 on a snap shot with 1:09 left in the period to make it 3-2. 

     In the second period, the Blue Jackets evened it up 3-3 with the man advantage at 9:58. Kirill Marchenko placed in a backhand shot from the blue paint for his second tally. 

     They got their first lead of the contest with 7:30 left in the third period. Alexandre Texier was able to score his first goal this season on a wrist shot. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Nick Cousins helped them tie the game 4-4 with 56.4 seconds to go in the third with his second goal of the year. He stopped a clearing pass at the top right circle and fired a wrist shot from the slot area. 

     The Cats won the game at the 1:16 mark of overtime. Matthew Tkachuk sent a long lead pass from his own zone. Anton Lundell snapped a shot from the right circle which was saved. Carter Verhaeghe tapped in the rebound from the left of the crease for his fourth goal of the campaign. 

2023 FHSAA Class 4M Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 4M could be wide open for high schools in South Florida. 16 teams in the bracket are from the tri-county area. 

     Region 3 has the #1 Monarch Knights as the highest seed. They will begin their postseason hosting the #8 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles. Palm Beach County represents the rest of the region. The #5 Palm Beach Gardens Gators visit the #4 Santaluces Chiefs, the #7 Spanish River Sharks are at the #2 Palm Beach Central Broncos and the #6 Boca Raton Bobcats head for the #3 Jupiter Warriors. 

     The defending state champion #1 Columbus is the top seed in Region 4 and will host #8 Goleman. #2 Miami Palmetto is at home versus #7 Doral Academy while #5 West Broward goes to #4 South Dade. #6 Cypress Bay makes a short trip to #3 Western. 

2023 FHSAA Class 3M Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 3M has a dominant team facing the rest of the classification. It will be tough for some high school to knock off the defending four-time FHSAA state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. 

     The Raiders are the top seed in Region 3 and will take on the #8 Plantation Colonels. The #5 Dillard Panthers have a Soul Bowl rematch one week later in the same venue at the #4 Blanche Ely Tigers. The #7 West Boca Raton Bobcats stay in Palm Beach County at the #2 Atlantic Eagles. The #6 Piper Bengals visit the #3 Coconut Creek Cougars. 

     In Region 4, state finalist #1 Homestead hosts #8 McArthur while #3 Miramar is at home against #6 American. #5 Hialeah heads for #4 Southridge and #7 Belen Jesuit travels to #2 South Broward. 

2023 FHSAA Class 2M Football Playoff Brackets

     The FHSAA Class 2M football bracket is likely to be the most competitive of all the classifications in South Florida. It will have eight representatives from the tri-county area. 

     In Region 3, the state finalist #1 American Heritage will host #8 North Broward Prep while #2 Cardinal Gibbons will be home versus #7 Stranahan. #5 Somerset Academy Canyons will visit #4 The King's Academy and #6 Calvary Christian Academy heads to #3 St. Andrew's.

     Region 4 has #1 Miami Norland as the top seed and will take on #8 St. Brendan. The defending Class 2M state champion #2 Miami Central hosts #7 Miami Edison. #5 Gulliver Prep will be at #4 Monsignor Pace while #3 Booker T. Washington battles against #6 North Miami Beach. 

2023 FHSAA Class 1M Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 1M will have small sized high schools involved. South Florida will have the same exact specific teams in this classification from last year in the regional semifinals. 

     Region 3 will be the same first-round rematches in the same venues like in 2022. The defending Class 1M state champion #1 Chaminade-Madonna Lions will host the #4 Avant Garde Academy Sharks. The #3 Benjamin Buccaneers will head to the #2 Cardinal Newman Crusaders. 

     Region 4 haw the same clashes in the same locations from last year, however they are seeded differently. #4 Westminster Christian is at #1 Tru North Academy while #3 Palmer Trinity goes to #2 Archbishop Carroll. 

2023 FHSAA Lower Football Playoff Brackets

     The 2023 FHSAA football postseason brackets are set for lowest populated areas of the state. There are a few high schools in the South Florida area that appear. The classifications include Class 4S, Class 3S, Class 2S, Class 1S and Class 1R. 

     Pahokee is the only representative in Class 1R and was placed as the fourth seed in Region 4. The Blue Devils will host #5 Dixie County in the first round. There are no South Florida high schools in Class 1S and Class 2S. 

     The Treasure Coast area has two teams represented for Class 3S in Region 3. The #4 Jensen Beach Falcons will host the #5 Rockledge Raiders. The #6 Fort Pierce Westwood Panthers will visit #3 Sebring. 

     There are local high schools in Region 3 for Class 4S. The top seed #1 Treasure Coast Titans will be at home against the #8 Osceola Kowboys. The #4 Vero Beach Indians will travel to #5 Heritage. 

Marlins Hire Peter Bendix

     The Miami Marlins have hired Peter Bendix as their new president of baseball operations. Kim Ng was recently had the highest role in the Marlins baseball operations as general manager until she did not exercise her mutual option for the 2024 season. 

     Bendix joins the Marlins organization after a tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays. He started as an intern in 2009 and was their general manager since December 2021. 

Johnny Cueto Exits Marlins

     Starting pitcher Johnny Cueto will not be back with the Miami Marlins. The team did not exercise his $10.5 million option for the 2024 season. He will end up getting a $2.5 million buyout from the club. 

     Cueto was with the Marlins for just one season. He had a 1-4 record with a 6.02 earned run average in 52 1/3 innings during 13 contests with Miami. 

Matt Barnes Gone From Marlins

     Miami Marlins relief pitcher Matt Barnes will not be with the team for the 2024 campaign. He will receive a $2.25 million buyout instead of a $9 million option payment. 

     Barnes had 23 relief appearances with Miami in 2023. He compiled a 1-0 record with a 5.48 earned run average in 21 1/3 innings pitched. Barnes was with the Boston Red Sox from 2014 until 2022 and played for the 2018 World Series champions. 

Chiefs Battle Down Dolphins

     The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-14 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday. It was the first occasion in which a National Football League regular season game was played in Frankfurt. 

     Fins wide receiver Tyreek Hill faced his former team for the first time. The Dolphins and the Chiefs entered the contest tied for the best record in the AFC along with the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

     Kansas City(7-2) took a 7-0 lead at the 12:03 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an 11-yard swing pass to wide receiver Rashee Rice on the left side.   

     The Chiefs extended it 14-0 with 2:31 to go in the second quarter. Mahomes fired a 17-yard touchdown pass to running back Jerick McKinnon. 

     It became 21-0 for Kansas City with 33 seconds left in the second. Hill fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Mike Edwards. He lateraled it to Bryan Cook and he sprinted down the sideline 59 yards into the end zone. Miami(6-3) went scoreless the first half for the first time since Week 5 in 2021 against the Buffalo Bills. 

     The second half belonged to the Dolphins. Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. caught a 31-yard touchdown pass on the right side from quarter Tua Tagovailoa with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter to make it 21-7. 

     Miami cut it to 21-14 with 22 seconds left in the third. Running back Raheem Mostert rushed through the left side of the line and scored from 13 yards away. 

Blackhawks Whomp Panthers

     The Chicago Blackhawks whipped the Florida Panthers 5-2 at United Center on Saturday night. The Panthers completed a three-game road swing.

     Chicago(4-6-0) steamrolled over the Cats with three goals in the first period. Nick Foligno, Nikita Zaitsev and Taylor Hall found the net in the first 13 minutes of play. 

     It became 4-0 for the Blackhawks at the 5:29 mark of the second period. Connor Bedard started the scoring as he extended his goal streak to three games. 

     In the third period, Florida(5-4-1) picked up goals from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk to make it 5-2. Phillip Karashev capped things for Chicago on an empty-net tally with 10 seconds remaining. 

North Carolina State Outduels Hurricanes

     The North Carolina State University Wolfpack held off the University of Miami Hurricanes 20-6 at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday night. The Hurricanes will travel up to Tallahassee and face their main rival the Florida State University Seminoles next week. 

     Miami6-3, 2-3) got a field goal by Andres Borregales from 48 yards away at 7:03 of the first quarter. North Carolina State(6-3, 3-2) moved ahead 7-6 when M.J. Morris threw a 12-yard pass to Jordan Poole in the end zone with 2:17 to go in the first. 

     The Canes picked a 27-yard field goal from Borregales at the 13:13 mark of the second quarter and trailed 7-6. N,C, State had a 39-yard field goal by Brayden Naverson with 3:00 remaining in the second. and had a 10-6 lead. 

     It became 17-10 for North Carolina State when Kendrick Raphael rushed in from 31 yards out for the score with 5:03 left in the fourth quarter. Naverson booted a 19-yard field goal for the Wolfpack with 1:40 remaining to cap the victory. 

Boynton Beach Loses To Lake Worth

     It was a low-scoring game in Palm Beach County as the Lake Worth Trojans beat the Boynton Beach Tigers 5-0 at Bill Harvey Stadium on Friday night. It is very likely that both high schools played their final contests of the 2023 season and will not qualify for the FHSAA Playoffs. 

     Both teams were unable to reach the end zone in the game. Lake Worth(4-6) settled for a field goal and a safety against their opponent Boynton Beach(2-8). 

Monarch Shuts Out Deerfield Beach

     The Monarch Knights blanked the Deerfield Beach Bucks 14-0 at Butler Stadium on Friday night. The Knights will be in the FHSAA Playoffs while the Bucks will not be in the postseason in consecutive years for the first time this century. 

     Monarch(8-2) was able to reach the end zone twice for a 14-0 lead. Deerfield Beach(2-8), who finished 2023 on a five-game losing streak, could not got on the scoreboard. 

Blanche Ely Stops Dillard In Soul Bowl

     The Blanche Ely Tigers got by the Dillard Panthers 33-28 in the 2023 Soul Bowl at Richard L. Williams Stadium in Pompano Beach on Friday night. The Tigers won the Soul Bowl for the second straight year. The Panthers were victorious in the previous five occasions. 

     The Tigers lead the all-time Soul Bowl series 27-26-1. They had not won in consecutive seasons since 2015 and 2016. 

     Blanche Ely(8-2) had a 7-0 advantage after one quarter and were ahead 26-14 at halftime. The Tigers added another touchdown for a 19-point gap. Dillard(5-5) managed 14 points in the fourth quarter, but they fell short. 

Heat Dispose Wizards

     The Miami Heat pushed by the Washington Wizards 121-114 on Friday night at Kaseya Center. It was the first game of the NBA In-Season Tournament for Miami. 

     The Heat was able to snap a four-game losing streak. They will host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night for their next game. 

     Both teams were tied 34-34 at the end of one quarter. Miami(2-4) held a 60-54 advantage at halftime. The Heat extended their lead to 101-81 at the end of the third quarter. Washington(1-4) did outscore the Heat 33-20 in the final frame. 

     Tyler Herro compiled a double-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Miami. Jimmy Butler added 20 points and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson both had 18 points each. 

     Kyle Kozma led the Wizards with a team-high 22 points. Jordan Poole dropped in 19 points while Deni Avdija contributed 14 points. 

Pahokee Topples Glades Central In Muck Bowl

     The Pahokee Blue Devils defeated the Glades Central Raiders 55-22 in the 2023 Muck Bowl at Anquan Boldin Stadium in Pahokee on Friday night. The Blue Devils have been victorious during the last three meetings and in six of the last eight Muck Bowls. The Raiders have won 10 of the past 16 Muck Bowl contests since 2008. 

     Pahokee(5-4) had a ceremony prior to the game. They retired the number 6 jersey for Anquan Boldin and number 88 for Rickey Jackson.

     The Blue Devils had a 14-7 after one quarter and led 21-14 at halftime. Glades Central(2-7) surrendered 21 points during the third quarter and trailed 42-14. 

Cardinal Newman Cans Palm Beach Central

     The Cardinal Newman Crusaders knocked off the Palm Beach Central Broncos 28-7 at Broncos Stadium on Friday night. Both high schools will be in the FHSAA Playoffs next Friday. 

     The Crusaders ended by being the unofficial 561 Palm Beach Country champions. They were the only Palm Beach Country school to go undefeated against opponents in the county. 

     Cardinal Newman(8-1) raced out to a 21-0 lead by halftime. The Crusaders added another touchdown during the third quarter for a 28-point margin. Palm Beach Central(8-2) broke up the shutout in the final quarter. 

Panthers Blank Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers shut out the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night. The Panthers will be playing every other night for the next two weeks. The Cats have won 10 straight games against the Red Wings and have a 20-2-0 record against them in the last 22 meetings. 

     Aleksander Barkov set a new Florida Panthers franchise record playing in his 672nd game with the club. He surpassed former teammate Jonathan Huberdeau. It was the 39th career shutout for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     Neither team was able to score in the first period. Florida(5-3-1) made it 1-0 with 51.9 seconds left in the second period. Steven Lorentz released a wrist shot from the left wing for his first goal in a Panthers uniform. Niko Mikkola fed a pass for an assist. 

     Detroit(6-4-1) gave up an empty-net goal with 1:12 remaining in the third period. Anton Lundell snapped a shot from the right wing for his first tally this year. Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov picked up assists on the play. 

Dwyer Denies Palm Beach Lakes

     The Dwyer Panthers outlasted the Palm Beach Lakes Rams 32-24 at Blum Stadium on Thursday night. It is unlikely that both teams will make the FHSAA postseason. 

     Palm Beach Lakes(5-5) rolled out to an 8-0 lead at the 6:34 mark of the first quarter. Running back Xander Robuste went around the right end from one yard out followed by a two-point conversion. 

     Dwyer(4-6) bounced back with a two-yard touchdown run by running back Dylan Elie through the right side of the line with 4:04 to go in the first and they trailed 8-6.  

     The second quarter belonged to the Panthers. Oliver Robbins booted a field goal with 4:20 remaining to give them a 9-8 lead. Quarterback Koden Brown connected a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rodney Green Jr. on the front left side of the end zone and they led 15--8. 

     Robbins would kick a short field goal for Dwyer at the 6:14 mark of the third quarter for an 18-8 lead.  The Rams got another touchdown as Robuste sprinted in from seven yards away. They added another two-point conversion with 41.9 seconds left in third quarter and were down 18-16. 

     There was plenty of scoring in the fourth quarter. The Panthers found the end zone when Brown sneaked the ball in from one yard away at 10:38 to give them a nine-point margin. 

     Palm Beach Lakes answered back on the third rushing touchdown by Robuste with 6:13 to go and they trailed 25-24. Dwyer pulled away as defensive lineman Dylan Reiman intercepted a pass and returned it for a score and they had a 32-24 advantage with 1:45 left in the fourth. 

West Palm Beach Ratings October 2023

     The ratings were released for the West Palm Beach area sports talk radio stations. The time span went from the second week of September until the second week of October. There was a tie between the two registered radio stations in the market for the third time in the last four months. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM moved from a 0.2 to a 0.4 in the period. The Florida Atlantic University football team struggled losing three of their first four games and had a 2-3 record. The school played their first football game in the American Athletic Conference. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM was at a 0.2 for 13 consecutive months and rose to a 0.4. The Miami Marlins were able to reach the National League Playoffs as the second Wild-Card team. They were eliminated in two games during the first round by the Philadelphia Phillies. The University of Florida Gators football team had a 4-2 record and a 1-2 record in the SEC. 

Mark Pysyk Goes To AHL

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk has signed a professional tryout offer with the Wilks- Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League. He did sign a PTO with the Pittsburgh Penguins in August, but he did not make the squad. 

     Pysyk was with the Panthers for four seasons from 2016-17 until 2019-20. He put together 17 goals and 45 assists for 62 points in 292 games with Florida. 

Nets Belt Heat

     The Brooklyn Nets eased by the Miami Heat 109-105 at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. The Heat extended their losing streak to four games. 

     Miami(1-4) held a 32-29 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat were up by double-digits 56-46 going into halftime. 

     Brooklyn(2-2) barely outscored their opponent 29-27 in the third quarter, but they were down 83-75. The Nets went on a 14-3 run to begin the fourth quarter and did not trail for the remainder of the game.  

     Tyler Herro had a game-high 30 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 21 points along with 13 rebounds. Jimmy Butler was able to contribute 20 points and seven rebounds. 

     The Nets were led by Mikal Bridges with a club-high 21 points. Armoni Brooks and Lonnie Walker IV both came off the bench with 17 points each. 

Mike Bibby Enters Television

     Former Miami Heat guard Mike Bibby has joined the television field. He was named a studio analyst for Sacramento Kings games on NBC Sports California. 

     The Heat signed Bibby as a free agent on March 2, 2011. He helped Miami win the Eastern Conference title later that season and then lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Bibby compiled 9.9 points per game and 3.4 assists per game in 22 contests during his only season with the club. 

Inter MIami CF China Tour Cancelled

     The two Inter Miami CF exhibition games to be played in China has been cancelled. They were scheduled to play Qingdao Hainiu of the Chinese Super League on Sunday. The reason for the cancellation by the promoter NDN was the recent passing of a former China premier. 

     Inter Miami CF won the Leagues Cup and was a finalist in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this year. They were unable to reach the postseason in the Major League Soccer Cup.