2023 FHSAA Football Title Recap

      South Florida high school football teams finished with three FHSAA state championships in 2023. The tri-county won four state titles in 2021 and 2022. South Florida had five crowns in 2020 and seven back in 2019. It has been a downward trend over the last five years. 

South Florida Sports Review 2023

     It was a great year for South Florida professional sports teams in 2023. Four of the five local sports clubs appeared in the postseason for the second straight year. Many teams were able to get deep into the postseason. 

     The Florida Panthers finished with the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Panthers upset the Presidents' Cup winner the Boston Bruins in seven games during the first round. The Cats stopped the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. Florida reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history. The Panthers were eliminated in the final round by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. 

     The Miami Heat ended up with the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference for the NBA Playoffs following the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Heat upended the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games during the first round, took care of the New York Knicks in six games during the second round and got by the Boston Celtics in seven games during the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat reached the NBA Finals for the second time in the last four seasons and eventually lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets. 

     The Miami Marlins ended up in the second wild-card spot for the National League Playoffs. It was the second time in the last four seasons that the Fish reached the postseason. They were swept in two games by the Philadelphia Phillies. 

     The Miami Dolphins got to the postseason again for the second straight year. The Fins finished will an 11-6 record for an AFC Wild-Card spot with the sixth seed. They were edged by the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East Division title in the final regular season game. 

     Inter Miami CF did not reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. The team signed Lionel Messi, captured the Leagues Cup and lost in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship game. 

     The biggest story involving local college sports was in men's basketball The University of Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Atlantic University Owls reached the Final Four for the first time and both lost in the national semifinals.  

Ravens Pummel Dolphins

     The top seed in the American Football Conference was on the line as the Miami Dolphins were pounded by the Baltimore Ravens 56-19 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens wrapped up the #1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC Playoffs two weeks from now.

     Miami(11-5) scored first in the contest and they were down 14-13 with 3:14 left in the second quarter. Baltimore(13-3) outscored the Dolphins 42-6 for the rest of the game. 

Georgia Dominates Florida State In Orange Bowl

     The University of Georgia Bulldogs slammed the Florida State University Seminoles 63-3 in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday. Both schools were on the outside of College Football Playoff final four teams for the national championship. 

     Georgia(13-1) scored the opening two touchdowns in the first 16 minutes of the contest for a 14-0 lead. Florida State(13-1) got their only points of the game on a 22-yard field goal at 12:39 of the second quarter.

     The Bulldogs would score 49 unanswered points for the remainder of the Orange Bowl. They held a 42-3 halftime lead and were well ahead 56-3 at the end of the third quarter. 

Panthers Take Habs

     The Florida Panthers played their final game of the 2023 calendar year and knocked off the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena. It capped oof a year for the Panthers where they captured the Eastern Conference title and reached the Stanley Cup Final for only the second time in franchise history. 

     After a scoreless first period, Florida(22-12-2) moved to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 4:05 mark of the second. Sam Bennett whisked a cross-ice pass from above the right circle. Evan Rodrigues carried the puck from the left wing to the top of the zone and snapped a shot. Eetu Luostarinen batted the puck on a volley from the top of the crease for his sixth goal this year. 

     Montreal(15-15-5) responded with a power-play goal at 7:01 to tie it up 1-1. Former Panther Mike Matheson angled a pass from the top of the zone to Nick Suzuki on the left wing. He passed it forward and Cole Caufield lifted a backhand shot from the left of the crease for his ninth goal of the campaign. The Cats had their six-game, penalty-killing streak snapped after having the previous 15 occasions stopped.

     In the third period, the Panthers pulled ahead 2-1 at 7:34 on a power-play goal. Oliver Ekman-Larsson connected a pass from the right point to Aaron Ekblad in the top left circle. He passed it down to the left goal line and Luostarinen roofed a backhand shot from the left of the crease for his second goal of the contest and his seventh tally of the season. It was Luostarinen's first career two-goal game. 

     Florida made it 3-1 with 4:34 to go in the frame. Carter Verhaeghe made a short pass from the left wing. Ekman-Larsson fired a slap shot that was redirected in by Bennett in the slot area for his sixth goal this season. 

      It became 4-1 for the Cats with 2:47 left in the third. Matthew Tkachuk fed a pass across the red line and Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the neutral one into an empty net for his 18th goal of the season for a 4-1 lead. 

Jazz Dance By Heat

     The Utah Jazz outscored the Miami Heat 117-109 on Saturday at Delta Center. It was the second contest of a five-game road trip out west for the Heat. 

     The Heat had a four-game winning streak snapped with the defeat. Miami played their final game of the calendar year.in which they won their seventh Eastern Conference championship back in May.  

     Miami(19-13) had a 28-27 edge after one quarter.  Utah(14-19) was able to get a slight advantage 54-53 by halftime. Both teams were tied 88-88 at the end of the third quarter. The Jazz went on a 24-13 run in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo collected a double-double with game-highs of 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat. Tyler Herro dropped in 25 points while Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup with just eight points. Kevin Love placed in 12 points and Duncan Robinson drained in 11 points. 

     Former Heat player Kelly Olynyk led Utah with 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for a double-double. Collin Sexton added 22 points and Keyonte George contributed 21 points. 

Reggie Wayne Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalist

     Reggie Wayne has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He did play for the University of Miami Hurricanes from 1997 until 2000 prior to reaching the National Football League. 

     Wayne was with the Indianapolis Colts during his entire NFL career from 2001 to 2014. He helped that club capture Super Bowl XLI and two AFC Championships. 

Rangers Downed By Panthers

     The New York Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Aleksander Barkov tied the Panthers franchise record for first place with 415 career assists alongside Jonathan Huberdeau. 

     The Panthers are in the middle of a stretch with four home games in five contests. The Rangers entered the game with the best record in the National Hockey League. 

     Florida(21-12-2) scooted out to a 2-0 lead. Evan Rodrigues put in a wrist shot with 1:15 remaining in the first period. Sam Reinhart made it a two-goal margin with a wrist shot at the 7:12 mark of the second period. 

     New York(24-9-1) came back to tie it up 2-2 with two goals in a 1:13 span. Artemi Panarin scored his 20th goal of the season on a snap shot at 13:23 of the second and Will Cuylle added a tally at 14:36 with a wrist shot. 

     The Panthers regained the lead 3-2 on the power play with 2:03 left in the second. Barkov took a shot from the top of the zone and it was tipped in by Reinhart past Jonathan Quick from the top of the crease for his second goal of the contest and 23rd goal this season.

     In the third period, the Rangers picked up a shorthanded goal with 7:45 left to even it up 3-3. Chris Kreider fed a cross-ice pass from the top right circle and Mika Zibanejad blasted a one-time slap shot from the left circle by Sergei Bobrovsky for his 14th goal of the campaign. 

     The Cats answered back with 6:23 to go in the third for a 4-3 lead. Carter Verhaeghe placed in a wrist shot from the high slot for his 17th goal this year. 

Heat Shake Warriors

     The Miami Heat defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-102 at Chase Center on Thursday night. The Heat, who began a five-game road trip against Western Conference opponents, won their first game in San Francisco since 2020.  

     The Warriors started a seven-game homestand. They had their eight-game home winning streak snapped. Miami won in the Bay Area for the 14th time in 23 occasions. 

     Golden State(15-16) jumped out to a 25-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami(19-12) had a 21-9 spurt to begin the second quarter and led 58-51 at halftime.  

     The Heat expanded their lead to 91-76 at the conclusion of the third quarter. Miami held at least a 15-point lead for the majority of the final quarter. 

     Tyler Herro composed 26 points and seven rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jamal Cain came off the bench and tied a career-high of 18 points. Jaime Jacquez Jr. was able to drop in 17 points. 

     Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 13 points and six assists. It was his second lowest scoring output of the season. Klay Thompson scored 13 points, Andrew Wiggins had 11 points and Chris Paul added nine points. 

Rutgers Shocks Miami

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were stunned by the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights 31-24 in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. The game marked the 65th anniversary of the Greatest Game Ever Played between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts for the 1958 NFL Championship at the venue.  

     The Hurricanes appeared in Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2018 and the second time in the school's history. It was the first meeting between Miami and Rutgers since they competed in the Big East Conference back in 2003. The Canes had won all 11 contests between both schools until today. 

     Rutgers(7-6) had a 7-0 lead with 6:54 remaining in the first quarter. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt plowed up the middle from one yard away. 

     In the second quarter, the Scarlet Knights expanded their lead to 14-0 at the 7:37 mark. Running back Kyle Monangai went around the right end from seven yards out. 

     Miami(7-6) scored with 3:19 left in the second and they trailed 14-7. Quarterback Jacurri Brown rambled to the left side and slid into the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown. 

     The Hurricanes cut it to 14-10 with no time remaining in the first half. Andres Borregales was able to kick a 35-yard field goal. 

     The Canes got their first lead of the game 17-14 at 10:33 of the third quarter. Wide receiver Xavier Restrepo caught a 30-yard touchdown pass on the right side of the end zone from Brown.

     The Scarlet Knights reclaimed the lead 21-17 with 5:06 to go in the third. Trevor Yeboah-Kodie blocked a punt and it was recovered by Timmy Ward in the end zone. 

     Rutgers moved it to 28-17 at the 11:51 mark of the fourth quarter. Brown sneaked the ball in from one year out for his second touchdown of the contest. Jai Patel added a 35-yard field goal with 2:35 left in the fourth for a 31-17 advantage. 

     Miami reached the end zone again with 27 seconds remaining and they were down 31-24. Brown busted up the middle on a one-yard touchdown run. 

West Palm Beach Ratings December 2023

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

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.5 for the second straight period. Florida Atlantic University basketball began their regular season following their appearance in the Final Four last season. They started the campaign with a 7-2 record. The FAU football team lost their final four contests and ended up with a 4-8 overall record in their first season with the American Athletic Conference. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM rose from a 0.3 to a 0.4 in the month. The University of Florida football team finished the regular season with a 6-6 record to make a bowl game. 

Andre Johnson Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalist

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Andre Johnson has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. He was of the Hurricanes when they captured the national champiionship in 2001. 

     Johnson played the majority of his NFL career with the Houston Texans. He was on that club from 2003 to 2014. 

Devin Hester Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalist

     Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester had been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is the third straight year that Hester is on the finalist list.  

     He has NFL records with most punt return touchdowns with 14 and most overall special-team touchdown returns with 20. Hester began his NFL career with the Bears from 2006 until 2013. 

     Hester played high school football with the Suncoast Chargers. He later participated in three seasons with the University of Miami Hurricanes. 

Luis Suarez Joins Inter Miami CF

     International forward Luis Suarez has joined the talented roster of Inter Miami CF. He inked a contract through the end of the 2024 Major League Soccer season. 

     It will be a reunion with his new team. Suarez previously played alongside Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets while with FC Barcelona. 

Panthers Hold Off Lightning

     The Florida Panthers pushed by Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 at Amalie Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers return home for two games prior to the new year.

     Florida(20-12-2) took a 1-0 lead at the 4:16 mark of the first period. Aaron Ekblad collected his first goal of the season on assists from Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. 

     The Panthers made it 2-0 at 1:23 of the second period. Sam Reinhart placed in a wrist shot for his 20th goal of the campaign. It was his seventh straight season with at least 20 goals. Evan Rodrigues and Barkov were credited with assists on the play. 

     Tampa Bay(17-14-5), who are tied for the most games played this season, cut it to 2-1 just 29 seconds into the third. Nikita Kucherov snapped a shot for his 24th goal this season. 

     It became 3-1 for the Cats with a shorthanded goal at 3:11. Reinhart released a wrist shot for his second tally of the game and 21st goal this year.

     The Lightning answered back quickly on the man advantage 20 seconds later and closed it to 3-2. Michael Eyssimont chalked up his sixth goal in 2023-24 on a wrist shot. 

49ers Waive Willie Snead IV

     The San Francisco 49ers have waived wide receiver Willie Snead IV. He participated in four games with them in 2023 and had two pass receptions for 14 yards. 

     Snead did play with the Glades Central Raiders during his freshman year in high school football before moving to Michigan. He later attended Ball State. 

Miami Ratings December 2023

     The Miami/Fort Lauderdale area received their ratings for sports talk radio stations. The time span went from the second week of November until the first week of December. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM dropped from a 2.1 to a 1.2 in the period as they lost almost half of their audience since October. The University of Miami football team ended up with a 7-5 record during the regular season and were invited to a bowl game. The Miami Heat got on a seven-game winning streak and were victorious in nine of 10 contests. The University of Miami Hurricanes basketball team began their 2023-24 campaign in the Top 10 and had a 7-1 record. The Florida Panthers stayed near the top of the Atlantic Division with a 15-8-2 mark. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.5 for the third straight month. The Miami Dolphins were ahead in the AFC East Division with a 9-3 record, which is their best record since 2001. The University of Florida Gators football team finished with a regular season record of 6-6 and were given a bowl game. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM showed up in the Miami ratings for the fourth consecutive month as it went from a 0.4 to a 0.1 in the period. They have generated a wider audience area with the Florida Atlantic University basketball ranked in the Top 20 with a 7-2 record. 

     The WQAM stream was in the ratings again as they stayed at a 0.1. There is more of an audience with receiving the signal on electronic devices. 

Kyle Keller Remains In Japan

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Kyle Keller is staying in Japan. He has signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants. Keller spent the last two seasons with the Hanshin Tigers. 

     Keller was taken by the Marlins in the 18th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He only made 10 relief appearances with Miami in 2019 and compiled a 0-0 record with a 3.38 earned run average. 

Inter MIami CF 2024 Season Opener

     Inter Miami CF will open up their 2024 Major League Soccer regular season schedule against Real Salt Lake on February 21 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. It is the earlier that the team will start a regular season in franchise history.

     It will be the opening game for the entire league. The rest of the MLS teams will begin their seasons three days later on a weekend. 

     This will be the fifth season that Inter Miami CF will be part of Major League Soccer. Lionel Messi will play his first full season with the club. 

Heat Topple 76ers

     The Miami Heat got by the Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat played on Christmas Day for the first time since 2020 and the second time since 2015. They are 9-0 on Christmas Day with Erik Spoelstra as their head coach. 

     Miami(18-12) had a 26-22 advantage at the end of one quarter. They were able to extend it to 63-49 by halftime. 

     Philadelphia(20-9) got some momentum at the start of the second half and were tied with the Heat 86-86 at the end of the third quarter. Miami went on an 18-7 spurt in the final six minutes of the final quarter. 

    Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami as he dropped in a career-high 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Tyler Herro added 22 points and Duncan Robinson had 16 points. Bam Adebayo contributed a double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds. 

     Tobias Harris ended up with a club-high 27 points for the Sixers. Kelly Oubre Jr. chalked up 22 points along with seven rebounds. Mo Bamba came off the bench with 18 points. 

South Florida New Large School Football Districts

     Broward County and Dade County will have new high school football districts for large schools in 2024 and 2025. Changes were made to FHSAA classifications and districts on December 12.  

     Class 7A will have three different districts in Region 4. District 14 consists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Coral Glades, Boca Raton and Spanish River. District 15 has Western, Cypress Bay, Taravella and Goleman while District 16 has Columbus, Miami Palmetto, Miami, South Dade and Coral Gables. 

     In Class 6A, there are four Region 4 districts in the bi-county area. District 13 will have Monarch, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Piper. South Plantation, Nova, Cooper City and South Broward are in District 14. District 15 lists Flanagan, West Broward, Miami Beach and Dr. Krop. District 16 consists of Homestead, Doral Academy, Southridge and Southwest Miami.  

     District 14 of Class 5A has a mix of Deerfield Beach, Blanche Ely and Coconut Creek along with Palm Beach County schools Atlantic and Forest Hill. The rest of Region 4 will have St. Thomas Aquinas, Boyd Anderson, McArthur and Hollywood Hills in District 15 while Miramar, Everglades, Pembroke Pines Charter, Mater Academy and North Miami are placed in District 16. 

Palm Beach County New Football Districts

     New districts for high school football will be implemented for 2024 and 2025. FHSAA classifications were changed on December 12. 

     Palm Beach County teams will be impacted. Class 7A will have Palm Beach Central, Wellington, Palm Beach Lakes and Jupiter for District 12 in Region 3. 

     There will be three different districts in Palm Beach County. District 13 has Park Vista, Santaluces, Lake Worth and John I. Leonard. District 14 consists of Boca Raton and Spanish River along with Broward County squads Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Coral Glades. 

     Class 6A has just one Palm Beach County district with Dwyer, Palm Beach Gardens, Seminole Ridge, Royal Palm Beach and West Boca Raton in District 12 of Region 3. 

     In Class 5A, Region 3 in District 14 has a split between high schools in different counties. They are Atlantic, Forest Hill, Deerfield Beach, Blanche Ely and Coconut Creek. 

     There is just one Palm Beach County district for Class 4A with District 14 inside Region 4. It has Boynton Beach, Suncoast, Dr. Joaquin Garcia, Dillard and Northeast. 

     Palm Beach County has three districts from Region 3 in Class 2A. Glades Central, Clewiston and Bishop Verot are in District 10. District 11 has The King's Academy, Somerset Academy Canyons and Inlet Grove while District 12 lists American Heritage, Calvary Christian Academy and North Broward Prep. 

     Class 1A had Cardinal Newman, Benjamin, Slam Palm Beach and John Carroll in District 12 for Region 3. In Region 4, there is St. Andrew's, St. John Paul II, Somerset Academy and Somerset Academy in District 13. There is only one high school in Class 1R with Pahokee in Region 4.

Dolphins Outduel Cowboys

     The Miami Dolphins edged the Dallas Cowboys 22-20 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins clinched an AFC postseason spot with the victory. The Cowboys dropped out from first place in the NFC East Division. 

     Last month was the 30th anniversary of the famous Thanksgiving Day game between both teams. Pete Stoyanovich attempted a 40-yard field goal that was blocked, but Leon Lett touched the ball and the Dolphins recovered it. Stoyanovich got a second attempt and kicked a game-winning 19-yard field goal with no time remaining for a 16-14 victory. The 2023 version of this game would also be competitive. 

     Dallas(10-5) fumbled the ball away at the Dolphins one-yard line when fullback Hunter Luepke tried to reach the end zone on a carry up the middle. Miami(11-4) eventually got a career-high 57-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with 2:50 left in the first quarter for a 3-0 advantage. 

     The Cowboys answered back on their next possession. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb up the middle. Lamb sprinted down the right sideline and it gave them a 7-3 lead with 1:30 to go in the first. 

     The Dolphins cut the deficit to 7-6 with 4:31 remaining in the second quarter. Sanders was able to boot a 52-yard field goal. 

     The Fins took a 13-7 lead with 17 seconds left in the first half. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a four-yard swing pass to running back Raheem Mostert on the left side. 

      In the third quarter, Miami expanded their lead to 16-7 at 8:59. Sanders nailed a 54-yard field goal for a nine-point margin. 

     Dallas made it 16-10 with 5:28 remaining in the third. Brandon Aubrey kicked a 43-yard field goal and extended his National Football League record of 32 straight field goals to begin an NFL career. It became 19-10 for Miami with 1:24 to go in the quarter on a Sanders 35-yard field goal. 

     The Cowboys closed it to 19-10 at the 12:31 mark of the fourth quarter. Aubrey was successful with a 33-yard field goal. 

     Dallas reclaimed the lead 20-19 with 3:27 left in the fourth. Prescott connected an eight-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks on the left side of the end zone. 

     It would come down to the final play of the game. Sanders kicked a 29-yard field goal for the one-point win. It was the fifth field goal of the game by Sanders. 

Panthers Gain Revenge On Golden Knights

     It was a rematch of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final as the Florida Panthers took the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. The last time these both teams met the Golden Knights defeated the Panthers four games to one in the best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup last season. 

     The contest was scoreless at the end of the first period. Vegas(21-9-5) moved to a 1-0 lead at 1:21 of the second period. Mark Stone got his 11th goal this season with a wrist shot. Ivan Barbashev was able to get the only assist. 

     Florida(19-12-2) tied it up 1-1 at the 8:58 mark. Sam Bennett snapped a shot from the right-circle dot for his fifth goal of the season. Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour were credited with assists on the play. 

     The Panthers made it 2-1 with 4:44 left in the second. Aleksander Barkov won a faceoff in the left circle and Evam Rodrigues passed it back. Gustav Forsling fired a slap shot from the left point for his fourth tally of the campaign. Barkov collected his 20th assist this year. 

     It became 2-2 with 22.3 seconds remaining in the period. Keegan Kolesar tapped a backhand pass in the neutral zone. Ben Hutton carried the puck around Aaron Ekblad down the left-wing boards. He sent a cross-ice pass from the left circle and Pavel Dorofeyev placed in a forehand shot from the right of the crease for the Vegas goal. 

     In the third period, Florida regained the lead 3-2 with the man advantage at the 6:10 mark. Matthew Tkachuk passed the puck from the right corner to Brandon Montour on the right point. He angled a pass and then Verhaeghe released a snap shot from the inner left circle for his 16th goal of the season. 

     The Cats added another power-play goal for a 4-2 lead at 8:09. Tkachuk pushed the puck from the right circle to Barkov in the right corner. He centered it and Sam Reinhart scored his 19th goal of the year on a wrist shot from the low right circle.   

Nationals Add Lewin Diaz

     The Washington Nationals have signed first baseman Lewin Diaz to a minor league contract. He will be invited to the Nationals spring training camp. 

     Diaz participated with the Marlins from 2020 to 2022. He chalked up 13 home runs, 27 runs batted in and a .181 batting average in 112 games while with Miami in three seasons. 

Heat Ease By Hawks

     The Miami Heat squeezed by the Atlanta Hawks 122-113 on Friday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat are off until Christmas Day when they host the Philadelphia 76ers. 

     Miami(17-12) ran out to a 33-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat were barely ahead 62-60 at halftime. Atlanta(12-16) scored 13 consecutive points to begin the second half, but they trailed 88-86 after three quarters. The Heat got a 18-11 spurt to extend their margin late in the fourth. 

     Tyler Herro scored a game-high 30 points while Duncan Robinson drained in 27 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo compiled 18 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Jaime Jaquez Jr. dropped in 19 points. Trae Young had a double-double for the Hawks with a game-high 30 points and 13 assists. 

Udonis Haslem Number 40 To Be Retired

     The Miami Heat will retire the number 40 jersey of longtime forward Udonis Haslem. It will be done during a halftime ceremony on January 19 between the Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center. 

     Haslem will be the eighth number to be retired by the Heat. It will join Alonzo Mourning(33), Tim Hardaway(10), Shaquille O'Neal(32), Chris Bosh(1) and Dwyane Wade(3). Michael Jordan(23) and Bill Russell(6) were retired by the organization, however they never played with the Heat. 

      It was a long tenure for Haslem with Miami. He played all 20 NBA seasons with the franchise. Haslem helped them to three NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013. He also was on seven Eastern Conference championship squads in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020 and 2023. 

Florida Panthers New Practice Facility

     The Florida Panthers made their inaugural skate at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. It is located off Federal Highway at the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial Auditorium. 

     The groundbreaking of the building happened in May 2021. Panthers Chief Executive Officer Matthew Caldwell mentioned during a press conference earlier this year in April that construction delays had the project behind and they would push the opening of the facility from the summer to the fall. 

     The Panthers are leaving their longtime practice headquarters at the Coral Springs Ice Complex off Sample Road. They have been located there since the late 1990s. 

     Baptist Health IcePlex will be the third home practice facility that the franchise has used in their 30-year history. The first place that the club practiced at was the Gold Coast Arena in Pompano Beach. 

Keiser University Wins NAIA National Championship

     The Keiser University Seahawks defeated the Northwestern College Red Raiders 31-21 to win the NAIA National Championship on Monday. It was held at Durham County Memorial Stadium in North Carolina. 

     It was the first football title for Keiser in school history. The football program was started in 2018 with former American Heritage and Oxbridge Academy head coach Doug Socha guiding the team. Many of the Seahawks players on the team once played high school football in South Florida. 

South Florida Smashes Syracuse In Boca Raton Bowl

     The University of South Florida Bulls blasted the Syracuse University Orange 45-0 in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium on Thursday night. It was the first time that a Power-5 representative appeared in this bowl contest.

     South Florida dominated the first two quarters and had a 31-0 lead by halftime. Syracuse surrendered 14 more points during the second half of play. 

Jeremy Loper Joining WNRQ-FM

     Former West Palm Beach talk show host and sportscaster Jeremy Loper will soon be joining WNRQ-FM in Nashville. He will begin as a morning co-host on that radio station in January.  

     Loper spent four years as a morning co-host at WPBZ-FM in West Palm Beach during the late 2000s and early 2010s. He was a morning co-host on WRKZ-FM in Columbus from 2012 until August 2012. Loper co-hosted a podcast with his wife Randi Rasar at Loper And Randi.com since December 2012. 

     He once was a sportscaster. Loper was a television play-by-play announcer of Merger of Alliance MMA and Iron Tiger Fight Series on CBS Sports Network beginning in June 2017. He co-hosted an MMA podcast on Fox Sports.com in the mid-2010s. 

Blues Surprise Panthers

     The St. Louis Blues beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers are coming off a five-game road trip. It was a rare three-day break for the club. 

     After a scoreless first period, St. Louis(16-15-1) made it 1-0 at the 4:50 mark of the second. Robert Thomas centered the puck from behind the cage and Jordan Kyrou placed in his seventh goal this season on a one-time slap shot from the low left circle. Pavel Buchnevich started the play with a forehand shot wide right of the net. 

     The Blues expanded it to 2-0 at 7:46. Thomas angled a pass from the high slot. Kyrou sent a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Buchnevich backhanded a shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 11th goal of the campaign.

     Florida(18-12-2) closed it to 2-1 with 6:13 to go in the second on a strange goal. Eetu Luostanien smacked the puck from the red line that was intended to go around the end wall. It caromed off the plexiglass near the Panthers bench and bounced into the Blues wipe-opoen net for Luostarinen"s fifth tally of the season. 

     St. Louis struck back with 3:17 left in the period for a 3-1 advantage. Brandon Saad sailed the puck from the end wall. Marco Scandella released a wrist shot from the left point and Alexey Toropchenko deflected it in from the left of the crease for his sixth goal in 2023-24. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 3:39 remaining in the third. Buchenevich lifted the puck from his own blue line into an empty net just 30 seconds later for a three-goal margin. 

Jesus Aguilar Going To Japan

     Former Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar is heading for Japan. He is about to sign a contract to play for the Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball. Aguilar was with the Oakland A's in 2023.

     Aguilar played with Miami for three seasons from 2020 to 2022. He helped the Marlins reach the postseason in 2020 for the first time in 17 years. Aguilar compiled 45 home runs, 176 runs batted in and a .747 OPS in 295 games with the team. 

NHL And Diamond Sports Group Have Agreement

     The National Hockey League and Diamond Sports Group have come to an agreement concerning television broadcast rights. Bally Sports will broadcast the 11 NHL teams it has contracts with for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Broadcast rights would revert to the NHL at the conclusion of the campaign. 

     The Florida Panthers games are currently on the regional sports network Bally Sports Florida. It is possible that Panthers contests could be produced and distributed by the National Hockey League or by another broadcasting company next season. 

Heat Erase Magic

     The Miami Heat powered by the Orlando Magic 115-106 at Kia Center on Wednesday night. It was the Heat's only road game during a seven-game stretch. The Magic had their nine-game home winning streak snapped and are still first in the Southeast Division. 

     It was the first Magic home game played at the newly branded Kia Center. The venue was known as Amway Center from 2010 until earlier today. 

     Miami(16-12) had a slight 25-24 lead after one quarter. The Heat had a strong second quarter outscoring the Magic 43-26 and they led 68-50 at halftime. 

     Orlando(16-10) barely cut into the deficit and were down 89-72 at the end of the third quarter. Miami began the final quarter with a 17-10 spurt. Orlando responded with a 22-5 run, however they fell short. 

     Tyler Herro dropped in a game-high 28 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points and Hayward Highsmith had a season-high 15 points. Cole Anthony came off the bench to lead the Magic with a team-high 20 points. 

Roddery Munoz Traded To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have acquired pitcher Roddery Munoz from the Pitttsburgh Pirates. The Fish will be giving back cash considerations. 

     Munoz has not yet pitched in the majors. He was in the Atlanta Braves minor league farm system from 2018 until 2023. He finished last season with the Rochester Red Wings, which is the Washington Nationals Triple-A affiliate. 

Early National Signing Day Dade County

     Early national signing day happened Wednesday in Dade County. There were many high school football players that made their selections where they will attend college. 

     Columbus defensive lineman Daylen Russell remains in the county with Miami. His teammate tight end Benjamin Blackburn will go across the country to Stanford. 

     Miami Central had several players make their decisions. Quarterback J.C. Evans selected James Madison, wide receiver Lewayne McCoy decided on Florida State, defensive lineman Armondo Blount signed with Miami, linebacker Lamar Smith went with Tennessee-Martin and linebacker Vince Shavers headed to Nebraska. 

     Miami Palmetto wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. moved on to Nebraska. Linebacker Char'Quez Lee and defensive back Lawrence Johnson stayed local at FAU. Linebacker Lathan Croley travels to Holy Cross while tight end Rodrigo Diaz-Martorell shifts to Columbia. 

Early National Signing Day Broward County

     Broward County had early national signing day for high school football players on Wednesday. Many different athletes made their decisions where they will play college football. 

     Chaminade-Madonna had wide receiver Jeremiah Smith selected Ohio State, wide receiver Joshisa Trader decided on Miami and defensive back Zaquan Patterson choose Miami. Quarterback Cedrick Bailey moved to North Carolina State and linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez shifted to Missouri. Five others players from that high school also signed. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas had 11 players made their decisions. Running back Jordan Lyle, wide receiver Chance Robinson, defensive back Ryan Mack and defensive back Romanus Frederique picked Miami. 

     Monarch quarterback A.J. Hairston goes to Massachusetts. Defensive lineman Gabriel Birnbaum and offensive lineman Holden Zeltner take short trips to FAU. Offensive lineman Melvin Puckett heads for Bethune-Cookman. 

     South Broward running back Chris Wheatley-Humphrey went with Miami. Cardinal Gibbons had five players move on to the next level. 

Early National Signing Day Palm Beach County

     Palm Beach County had early national signing day on Wednesday. This area generally has less decisions made by high school football players than other counties in Florida over the last couple of years. 

     Atlantic linebacker Jayden Parrish joins Florida State, wide receiver Da'Marion Alberic signs with Massachusetts and defensive end Marlon Huff inks with Tennessee State. Benjamin running back Chauncey Bowens moves to Georgia, defensive back Jacob Cosby-Mosley shifts to Wake Forest and offensive lineman Chase Malamala travels to Central Florida. 

     Cardinal Newman had several players go on to play college football. Defensive back Rickey Knight III heads to Florida State, wide receiver Kevin Levy goes to Rutgers, linebacker Devon Byrd scoots to South Florida and defensive back Josh Philostin moves to Indiana. 

     Pahokee wide receiver Hadley Gilmore choose Kentucky. American Heritage kicker Jake Weinberg lands at Florida State and tight end Ryan Vanscoy joins Army. St. Andrew's tight end Dylan Mayers leaves for Texas A&M. 

Red Wings Ink Michael Hutchinson

     The Detroit Red Wings have signed former Florida Panthers goalie Michael Hutchinson. It is a one-year, two-way contract that will last for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. 

     Hutchinson agreed to a professional tryout offer with the Grand Rapids Griffins in American Hockey League several months ago. He signed to a one-year deal with that club on Sunday. The Red Wings have seen numerous injuries to their goalies in their organization over the past week. 

Flames Fire On Panthers

     The Calgary Flames held off the Florida Panthers 3-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night. The Panthers completed a five-game road trip with a 2-3-0 record.

     Calgary(13-14-5) scooted out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:45 mark of the first period. Martin Pospisil collected his fourth goal of the campaign on a backhand shot.

     Florida(18-11-2) evened it up 1-1 on a power-play goal with 31 seconds remaining in the first. Sam Reinhart picked up his 18th goal of the season with a wrist shot. Former Flame Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov were credited with assists on the play. Neither team was able to score during the second period. 

     In the third period, the Flames added a shorthanded goal and reclaimed the lead 2-1 at 3:31. Mikael Backlund went in alone on a breakaway down the middle of the ice and backhanded a shot from the low slot for his seventh tally of the year. Noah Hanifin picked up the only assist on a lead pass from his own zone. 

     The Panthers had an extra attacker for a power play in the last two minutes of the contest. Blake Coleman was awarded a shorthanded goal when he had an open path to the net in the slot area and was chopped from behind by Brandon Montour for a 3-1 Calgary lead with 1:36 remaining. 

Timberwolves Chop Heat

     The Minnesota Timberwolves slipped by the Miami Heat 112-108 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat finished off a four-game homestand. The Timberwolves have the best record in the Western Conference and are tied for first overall in the NBA. 

     Miami(15-12) had a 33-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat kept the lead and were ahead 66-54 at halftime. Minnesota(20-5) outscored their opponent in the third quarter and still trailed 83-77. The Timberwolves moved ahead with a 16-5 run to begin the fourth quarter. 

     Tyler Herro led Miami with a team-high 25 points while Bam Adebayo added 22 points. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and Duncan Robinson drained in 14 points. Anthony Edwards chalked up a game-high 32 points along with eight rebounds for Minnesota. 

Jacques Martin Senators Interim Head Coach

     The Ottawa Senators have fired head coach D.J. Smith. Jacques Martin has been elevated to the interim head coach position. Martin recently was added as a senior advisor to the Senators coaching staff back on December 6. He previously was the Senators head coach from 1996 to 2004. 

     Martin was once the head coach of the Florida Panthers from 2005-06 until 2007-08. The team did not make the postseason during his three-season tenure. He had a 110-100-36 record with the Panthers. 

Dolphins Shut Out Jets

     The Miami Dolphins dominated the New York Jets 30-0 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins have a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East Division. The Jets will miss the postseason for the 13th consecutive season. 

     Miami(10-4) got out to a 7-0 lead at 7:37 of the first quarter. Running back Raheem Mostert rushed around the left end from two yards away. It became 10-0 when Jason Sanders kicked a 37-yard field goal one minute into the second quarter. 

     The Dolphins increased it to 17-0 at the 7:42 mark of the second. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the left sideline. 

     New York(5-9) trailed 24-0 with 1:03 left in the first half. Mostert picked up his second touchdown run when he waltzed into the left side the end zone from one yard out. 

     The Fins added to their lead in the second half. Sanders booted a 27-yard field goal with 8:39 to go in the third quarter. He later nailed a 35-yard field goal just 14 seconds into the final quarter for a 30-point gap. 

Michael Hutchinson Staying In Grand Rapids

     Former Florida Panthers goalie Michael Hutchinson will be staying with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He signed a one-year contract with the club after working the last couple of months on a professional tryout offer. 

     Hutchinson was with Florida for a part of one season in 2018-19. He participated in four games and had a 1-1-2 record with a 4.37 goals-against-average. 

Panthers Sweep Oilers

     The Florida Panthers handled the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 at Rogers Place on Saturday night. The Panthers ended a two-game losing streak. The Oilers have lost two straight contests following an eight-game winning streak. 

     Florida(18-10-2) stepped in front 1-0 at the 5:33 mark of the opening period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson passed the puck from the right point to Sam Bennett on the end wall. He skated to the right goal line and sent a cross-ice pass. Carter Verhaeghe got his 14th goal of the season on a wrist shot from top of the crease by Calvin Pickard. It was the Panthers first goal in the past three games. 

     The Cats compiled two goals in a 29-second span late in the frame. They increased it to 2-0 with 1:02 to go in the first. Bennet cycled the puck from the left wing to Verhaeghe behind the Oilers net. He angled a pass from the right corner and Brandon Montour scored his first tally of the year with a snap shot from the low slot. 

     It became 3-0 for the Panthers with 32.1 seconds to go in the period. Evan Rodrigues stole the puck from Evan Bouchard in the right corner. He passed it to Ekman-Larsson on the right point and his shot was saved. Aleksander Barkov flipped a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his 11th goal this season. 

     Edmonton(13-14-1) closed it to 3-1 at 8:08 of the second period. Connor McDavid backhanded a pass from the top left circle to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the high slot. His touch pass went to the right and Zach Hyman shoveled a backhand shot at the top of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 18th goal of the campaign. 

     Florida made it a three-goal margin again with 3:59 remaining in the second on a power-play goal. Bobrovsky handed it off to Montour behind the cage and he carried it to the neutral zone. Montour made a left-outlet pass to Bennett. He skated down the left side, through the left circle and slid a backhand shot from the crease area for his second tally of the contest and fourth goal of the season.  It was Bennett's first three-point game since February. 

     The Panthers increased it to 5-1 just 21 seconds into the third period. Matthew Tkachuk connected a diagonal pass near the red line. Verhaeghe hustled down the right side into the Oilers zone and released a wrist shot from the right-circle dot for his second goal of the game and 15th goal during the 2023-24 season. 

Heat Pay Back Bulls

     The Miami Heat paid back the Chicago Bulls 118-116 at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. Both teams faced each other on Thursday at the same venue with the Bulls victorious. 

     Miami(15-11) jumped to a 36-24 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Chicago(10-17) started the second quarter with a 22-13 spurt and trailed 58-57 at halftime. 

     The Heat made a 24-4 run at the conclusion of the third quarter and led a 91-80 lead. The Bulls back with a 24-13 spurt to tie it up 104-104 with 6:19 left in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler put in a 19-foot jump shot with no time remaining for the Heat to get the victory. 

     Butler guided Miami with a game-high 28 points. Kevin Love delivered 22 points from off the bench. Jaime Jaquez Jr. dropped in 18 points and Caleb Martin scored 17 points. 

     DeMar DeRozan had a team-high 27 points for the Bulls. Coby White added 22 points while Patrick Williams contributed 25 points. 

ESPN West Palm Program Changes

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM decided several months ago to make some minor changes of their weekday lineup and shake things up. It happened back in early October. 

     The KLV midday show would be renamed LaVicka, Theo and Stone. It consisted of Ken LaVicka along with WPTV-TV/WFLX-TV sportscaster Theo Dorsey and ESPN West Palm producer Stone Labanowitz, who was elevated to midday co-host. 

     Josh Cohen and The Hometeam afternoon show had some personnel adjustments. Cohen continued to be paired up with Din Thomas and Kristina Costanza, a.k.a., Tina, on Mondays and Tuesdays. Cohen had new co-hosts for programs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Ginette Javier returned to afternoons after serving as a part-time host on the KLV midday show. Christian Katt received a promotion from producer to afternoon co-host.    

     One major decision was made by ESPN Radio for national syndication back in early September that had a local impact. Former ESPN West Palm afternoon host Evan Cohen became the morning co-host of Unsportsmanlike with Michelle Smallmon and Chris Canty. ESPN West Palm would air that program in morning drive. Cohen was previously on the West Palm Beach radio airwaves from 2003 until December 2022. 

Canucks Can Panthers

     It was Roberto Luongo Night in Vancouver as the Canucks handled the Florida Panthers 4-0 at Rogers Place on Thursday night. Luongo was inducted into the Canucks Ring of Honor in a pregame ceremony. He played goalie for the Panthers and the Canucks during his NHL career. 

     The Panthers were shut out for the second straight game. The Cats now have a 1-2-0 record on their five-game road trip. Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko collected his sixth career shutout. 

     Vancouver(20-9-1) moved out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:03 mark of the first period. Andrei Kuzmenko got his sixth goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Canucks extended it to 2-0 with 6:08 remaining in the first. Dakota Joshua put in a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his fifth tally this year. 

     In the second period, Florida(17-10-2) gave up another goal at 10:08 and they were down 3-0. Bobrovsky gave the puck away on a bad pass and Joshua found a wide-open net with a wrist shot from the slot area for his second goal of the contest. 

     It became 4-0 for Vancouver on a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 4:20 left in the second. Brock Boeser backhanded a shot from the blue paint for his NHL-leading 22nd goal of the season. 

Bulls Rush By Heat

     The Chicago Bulls got a 124-116 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night at Kaseya Center. It was the first of two games played at the same venue by both teams over the next three days. They will face each other again on Saturday. 

     Chicago(10-16) rocketed with a 33-8 run at the start of the contest and they had a 36-22 advantage after one quarter. The Bulls had a 17-10 spurt in the beginning of the second quarter. Miami(14-11) pulled off a 26-7 run and were down 60-56 at halftime. Chicago had a 93-88 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Heat could not take the lead in the final quarter. 

     Jaime Jaquez Jr. came off the Miami bench with a club-high 22 points. Kyle Lowry dropped in 17 points while Jimmy Butler scored 20 points. Caleb Martin had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Nikola Vucevic compiled a double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Bulls. 

ESPN West Palm Moves Studios

     Good Karma Brands West Palm Beach and ESPN West Palm Beach 106.3 WUUB-FM moved their studios last week from Phillips Point. The new headquarters for the organization is now at The Square on South Rosemary Avenue in West Palm Beach.  

     It became the third location of Good Karma Brands in West Palm Beach. The business began in the West Palm Beach area 20 years ago and were originally located at the Seacoast Bank building on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. It was on the seventh floor of and then they moved to the eighth floor. 

Heat Breeze By Hornets

     The Miami Heat knocked off the Charlotte Hornets 115-104 at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. It was the second contest of back-to-back games between both clubs. 

     Charlotte(7-15) had a slight 23-22 lead after one quarter. Miami(14-10) passed them by and had a 56-45 advantage at halftime. The Heat extended it to a 21-point margin 91-70 at the end of the third quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler had a double-double for Miami with 15 points and 10 assists. Duncan Robinson dropped in a team-high 23 points. Kyle Lowry and Jaime Jaquez Jr. both contributed 17 points each. Terry Rozier was the Hornets leading scorer for the second straight game with 28 points. 

Jorge Alfaro Shifts To Cubs

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro has agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs and will be invited to their spring training camp in Arizona. He split his time in 2023 with MLB stints with the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox along with a minor league stop with the Marlins. 

     Alfaro spent three seasons with the Marlins in the majors from 2019 to 2021. His best season with the club was in 2019 with 18 home runs, 57 runs batted in and a .262 batting average in 130 contests. Alfaro contributed to the team reaching the postseason in 2020 for the first time in 17 years. 

Daniel Castano Heads To South Korea

     Pitcher Daniel Castano will be leaving the United States and moving to South Korea. He has inked a one-year contract with NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization. The deal is worth around $650,000.

     Castano reached the Miami Marlins major league roster at some point in the last four seasons. He compiled a 4.47 earned run average in 24 games during his tenure in Miami. 

Inter Miami CF International Schedule

     Inter Miami CF has scheduled international friendlies for 2024 prior to the Major League Soccer regular season. The team did have two games set up in China back in early November, however they were both canceled. 

     Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF will be involved in three international contests. Two of them will be at Kingdom Arena against Saudi Arabia Pro League teams Al-Halal SFC on January 29 followed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr FC on February 1. Inter Miami CF will then travel to China and face an all-star team from Hong Kong's second-tier league. 

Kraken Sink Panthers

     The Seattle Kraken took the Florida Panthers 4-0 at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night. The Panthers, who had their three-game winning streak stopped, continued their five-game road swing. It was the first NHL shutout for Kraken goalie Joey Daccord. 

     Neither club got on the scoreboard during the first frame. Seattle(7-14-7) scooted out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:10 mark of the second period. Kailer Yamamoto placed in a wrist shot for his fourth goal this season. 

     It became 2-0 for the Kraken at 5:59 of the third period. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare snapped a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his third tally of the campaign. 

     Florida(17-9-2) surrendered another goal at the 9:13 mark and were down 3-0. Former Panthers Alex Wennberg collected his fourth goal of the season on a snap shot. 

     Seattle made it a four-goal margin with 3:51 left in the third. Eeli Tolvanen put the puck into an empty net for his seventh goal of the year. 

Dylan Floro Lands With Nationals

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher Dylan Floro has signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. He has participated in the majors for eight seasons. 

     He split his time in 2023 with the Marlins and the Minnesota Twins. Floro joined Miami prior to the 2021 campaign. He had a 3.32 earned run average in 167 relief appearances during his three-year tenure with the Fish. 

FHSAA Changing Football Classifications

     The Florida High School Athletic Association board of directors voted to change the current setup of classifications in high school football. They eliminated the four Metro brands from Class 4M to Class 1M and the four Suburban brands from Class 4S to Class 1S after two seasons. 

     The seven new classifications would go from Class 7A down to Class 1A. Class 1R would remain intact from the last two years. The FHSAA had classifications from Class 8A down to Class 1A from 2011 until 2021.

Dolphins Squeezed By Titans

     The Miami Dolphins fell to the Tennessee Titans 28-27 at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night. The Dolphins, who lost their first home game this season, could not leap by the Baltimore Ravens for the top seed in the American Football Conference. 

     Miami(9-4) jumped out to a 7-0 at 8:25 of the first quarter. Defensive lineman Zach Sieler intercepted a pass and returned it five yards for a score. 

     Tennessee(5-8) evened it up 7-7 with 6:53 remaining in the second quarter. Running back Derrick Henry smashed through the right side of the line and reached the end zone from one yard out. The Titans took a 10-7 lead with five seconds to go as Nick Foles booted a 28-yard field goal. 

     Both clubs exchanged field goals in the third quarter. Jason Sanders tied it up for the Dolphins 13-13 at the 12:41 mark with a 31-yard field goal.

     The Fins pulled in front 20-13 with 5:34 left in the fourth. Running back Raheem Mostert went through the left side of the line and scored from three yards away. Mostert would add a five-yard touchdown run around the left end with 4:34 remaining for a 27-13 Dolphins advantage. 

     The Titans cut it to 27-21 with 2:40 to go in the quarter. Quarterback Will Levis found wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the front of the end zone on a three-yard touchdown pass. They followed it with a two-point conversion pass to wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the right side of the end zone. 

     Tennessee reclaimed the lead 28-27 with 1:49 left in the fourth. Henry shuffled to the left side of the end zone from three yards away for his second touchdown of the game. 

Heat Get By Hornets

     The Miami Heat edged the Charlotte Hornets 116-114 on Monday night at Spectrum Center. It was a short one-game road trip for the Heat.

     Miami(13-10) held a 29-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte(7-14) was down 59-50 by halftime. The Heat got their biggest lead of the contest 76-64 midway through the third quarter and led 89-77 at the end of the frame. The Hornets compiled a 20-9 run to begin the fourth quarter with were down 98-97 with 6:05 left. 

     Duncan Robinson chalked up 24 points and seven rebounds for Miami. Caleb Martin fell short of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 23 points and eight assists in the victory. Terry Rozier led the Hornets with game-highs of 34 points and 13 assists for a double-double. 

Sam Reinhart Third Star Of The Week

     Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart was named the Third Star of The Week by the National Hockey League. The time span went from December 3 to December 10. 

     Reinhart had a league-high seven assists over three games during that stretch. He placed a career-high four assists in one contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday. Reinhart leads the Panthers with 17 goals, 20 assists and 37 points this season. 

Christian Bethancourt Traded To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have acquired catcher Christian Bethancourt from the Cleveland Guardians. The Fish returned cash considerations in the deal. 

     Bethancourt was selected off waivers by Cleveland from the Tampa Bay Rays back on November 6. He played the last 1 1/2 seasons with the Rays. Bethancourt compiled 18 home runs, 48 runs batted in and a .235 batting average in 148 games during his time in Tampa Bay. 

Panthers Push By Blue Jackets

     The Florida Panthers disposed of the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 at Nationwide Arena on Sunday. It was the start of a five-game road trip for the Panthers, who have won three straight contests. Sam Reinhart finished with a career-high four assists in the game. 

     Florida(17-8-2) raced out to a 1-0 lead just 62 seconds into the first period. Gustav Forsling snapped a shot for his third goal this season. 

     Columbus(9-16-5) tied it 1-1 at the 7:06 mark when Yegor Chinakhov got his sixth tally of the year on a snap shot. 

     The Cats made it 2-1 in a matter of 22 seconds later. Carter Verhaeghe collected his 13th goal of the season on a deflected shot. There was no scoring by either club during the second period. 

     In the third period, the Panthers got a power-play goal as Aleksander Barkov poked in a shot at 13:13 for his 10th goal of the campaign. 

     The Blue Jackets closed it to 3-1 with 3:49 left in the third. Dmirti Voronkov placed in a wrist shot for his sixth goal in 2023-24. 

     Florida picked up two empty-net goal in the final moments of the game for a 5-3 lead. Matthew Tkachuk chalked up his fifth goal of the year with 55 seconds to go and Eetu Luostarinen got his fourth tally this year with one second remaining. 

South Florida High School Football State Champions

     South Florida high schools competed in four FHSAA state championship games on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee this past week. The local tri-county teams won three state titles this year. The South Florida region had four champions in 2021 and 2022. 

     Broward County ended up with two state titles. The Chaminade-Madonna Lions dominated with a 56-0 shutout victory over the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders in the FHSAA Class 1M state title game. The Lions picked up their third straight state championship. It was their sixth state title in the last seven years and their eighth state crown overall. The Lions extended their winning streak to 38 games and finished as the only undefeated high school in Broward County this year. 

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders defeated the Homestead Broncos 31-28 for the FHSAA Class 3M state championship. STA became the first Florida high school to win five consecutive state titles. The Raiders increased their overall total to a state-record 15 FHSAA football championships. They have captured eight state titles in the last 10 seasons and 12 state titles in the past 17 seasons. The Raiders have won 41 of their last 42 games. 

     Dade County was able to get one state championship in 2023. The Columbus Explorers became back-to-back champs as they doubled up the Mandarin Mustangs 38-19 in the FHSAA Class 4M state championship. The Explorers won their third state title in the last five seasons. The Miami Norland Vikings fell to the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers 28-20 in the FHSAA Class 2M state title game. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Wins 15th State Title

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders became the first Florida high school to win five consecutive FHSAA football state titles as they defeated the Homestead Broncos 31-28 in the FHSAA Class 3M state championship game at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Saturday. The Raiders captured a state-record 15th state championship. They have won eight state crowns in the past 10 years and 12 state titles in the last 17 seasons. 

     It was the third straight year that the Raiders eliminated the Broncos from the postseason. Homestead lost to them last year in the state finals and fell in the state semifinal back in 2021. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(14-1) got the scoreboard first in the contest and were up 3-0. They finished their first possession with Francesco Pileggi kicking a 22-yard field goal at 5:27 of the first quarter.

     The Raiders increased it to 10-0 with 2:42 left in the first. Quarterback Andrew Indorf tossed a swing pass to running back Jordan Lyle on the right side for a 17-yard touchdown. 

     STA make it 17-0 with 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Lyle sprinted through the right side of the line and scored from two yards away. 

     Homestead(12-2) broke the shutout with 4:11 to go in the third quarter and they were down 17-7. Quarterback Joshua Townsend connected a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaac Brown on the right side.

     The Broncos would recover an on-side kick. It led to a Townsend two-yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Cascuda on the front right side of the end zone with 2:32 remaining in the quarter and they trailed 17-14. 

     The Raiders answered back with 1:33 left in the third. Indorf found wide receiver Julius Jones on the right hash marks for a 47-yard touchdown pass and gave them a 24-14 lead. 

     In the fourth quarter, Homestead struck again just 19 seconds into the frame. Townsend fired a 43-yard strike to Brown on the left side of the end zone and they were behind 24-21. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas expanded their lead to 31-21 with 5:25 left in the fourth. Wide receiver Andreus Madison caught a 69-yard touchdown pass on the left hash marks from Indorf. 

     The Broncos responded with a touchdown with 2:15 remaining in the quarter for a 31-28 lead. Townsend scrambled out of the pocket to the left side and reached the end zone from 17 yards out. 

Berkeley Prep Upsets Miami Norland For 2M Title

     The Miami Norland lost to the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers 28-20 in the FHSAA Class 2M state championship contest on Saturday at Bragg Memorial Field. The Buccaneers captured their first state championship in school history. The Vikings attempted to win their third state in school history and their first since 2011. 

     There was no scoring by both teams in the opening quarter. Berkeley Prep(13-2) had a 7-0 lead at the 10:05 mark of the second quarter. Quarterback Cooper Hayes threw a 26-yard screen pass in the middle to wide receiver Dallas Golden.  

     Miami Norland(14-1) tied it up 7-7 at 6:46 of the quarter. Quarterback Ennio Yapoor connected a 29-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Ivory Aikens on the right sideline. 

     The Buccaneers recovered a fumble deep in Vikings territory. They took a 14-7 lead with 3:10 remaining in the second on the first play of the drive. Golden went around the left end and scored from 13 yards away.

     In the third quarter, Berkeley Prep increased their lead to 21-7 with 1:10 to go. Hayes found running back Joseph Troupe in the middle of the end zone on a seven-yard touchdown pass. 

     The Vikings cut the deficit to 21-13 with no time remaining in the third. Yapoor ran through the right side of the line from four yards out. 

     It became 28-13 for the Buccaneers at the 5:37 mark of the fourth quarter. Hayes sneaked up the middle of the line from one yard away. 

     Miami Norland made it 28-20 with 4:30 left in the fourth. Running back Juan Rodriguez caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Yapoor on a screen play to the right side. 

Cavaliers Cook Heat

     The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped the Miami Heat 111-99 at Kaseya Center on Friday night. The Heat play their next contest on Monday in Charlotte. 

     Miami(12-10) scooted out to a 25-17 lead at the end of one quarter. Cleveland(13-9) answered back and had a slight lead 53-52 at halftime. The Cavs went on a 16-1 run to begin the second half and were ahead 88-75 at the end of the third quarter.

     Kyle Lowry and Josh Richardson both shared the team-high of 17 points each for the Heat. Jimmy Butler had 16 points and Caleb Martin added 15 points. Donovan Mitchell helped the Cavaliers with a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds. 

Panthers Survive Penguins

     The Pittsburgh Penguins were edged by the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers honored former center Patric Hornqvist with a ceremony prior to the contest. 

     After a scoreless opening frame, Pittsburgh(11-12-3) pulled ahead 1-0 at 8:05 of the second period. Evgeni Malkin centered the puck from the right wing. Former Panther Reilly Smith went in alone in the low slot and backhanded a shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his seventh goal this season. 

     Florida(16-8-2) evened it up 1-1 with 2:06 left in the second when Oliver Ekman-Larsson poked in the puck from the right of the crease for his seventh goal of the year. Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe were credited with assists on the play. 

     The Panthers took the lead 2-1 at 6:10 of the third period. Lundell won the faceoff in the right circle and Evan Rodrigues fired a shot which was saved. Eetu Luostarinen put in the rebound on a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his third tally of the campaign. 

     The Penguins would pull their goalie for an extra attacker in the final minutes of the contest. Aleksander Barkov scored an empty-net goal from the neutral zone with 26.7 seconds to go in the third for a 3-1 lead. It was the ninth goal for Barkov in 2023-24. 

Miami Norland And Berkeley Prep Title Preview

     The Miami Norland Vikings clash with the Berkely Prep Buccaneeers for the FHSAA Class 2M state title on Saturday. The championship game will be played in Tallahassee on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, 

     Miami Norland(14-0) looks to win their first state championship since 2011. The undefeated Vikings have outscored their opponents 606-176 this season. They walloped St. Brendan 55-0 in the regional quarterfinal, moved by Monsignor Pace 52-27 in the regional semifinal, got by Miami Central in overtime 31-28 in the regional final and knocked off Bolles 28-7 in the state semifinal. 

     The Vikings will be led on offense by quarterback Ennio Yapoor. He is expected to look for wide receivers Isaiah Scott, Joaquin Reid, Jake Card, Ivory Aikens and Amare Lee down the field. Running backs Juan Rodriguez, Roger Adam and Marquise Blocker will get their rushing opportunities from the backfield. 

     Berkeley Prep(12-2) have outscored their opponents 414-194 this year. The Buccaneers blanked Middleton 21-0 in a regional quarterfinal, defeated Tampa Catholic 42-28 in a regional semifinal, edged Calvary Christian 31-27 in a regional final and upset American Heritage 17-14 in a state semifinal.

     Rico Garcia and Cooper Hayes can play quarterback for the Buccaneers. Wide receivers Dallas Golden, Tanner Dallmann and Josh Herrmann can make pass receptions downfield. Running backs Joseph Troupe, Golden, Jules Aurelien and Jacob Butler will have their share of carries. 

Columbus Repeats As Class 4M Champs

     The Columbus Explorers handled the Mandarin Mustangs 38-19 for the FHSAA Class 4M state championship on Friday at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Explorers repeated as state champions in this classification. They collected their third state title in the last five seasons. 

     The Mustangs attempted to win their second state title in school history. Both high schools met in the state finals back in 2018. 

     Columbus(13-2) scored on their first possession at the 8:04 mark. Linebacker Hector Chavez was brought in and sneaked the ball up the middle on a shotgun formation from two yards away for a 7-0 lead. 

     The Explorers expanded it to a 14-point margin with 5:22 left in the first. Running back Agyeman Addae raced through the right side of the line, bounced off a defender and scored on a 10-yard touchdown run. 

     Mandarin(11-4) answered back on their next drive with 1:09 to go in the quarter and were down 14-6. Quarterback Tramell Jones found wide receiver Jaime Ffrench Jr. on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the back right corner of the end zone. 

     In the second quarter, Columbus increased the lead to 21-6 at 10:18. Running back Edward Bandy rushed up the middle from six yards out for the score. 

     The Mustangs cut it to 21-13 with 33 seconds remaining in the second. On a fourth-and-one play, running back Tiant Wyche broke a tackle and angled left to reach the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown run. 

     It became 28-13 lead for Columbus at the 8:32 mark of the third quarter. Bandy busted through the middle from two yards away for his second touchdown of the contest. 

     Mandarin responded with a touchdown at 6:34 and trailed 28-19. Jones fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Ffrench on the right sideline. 

     The Explorers made it 35-19 just 19 seconds into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Alberto Mendoza threw a 25-yard strike to Bryce Fitzgerald on the right hash marks. Robert Czeremcha booted a 37-yard field goal with 8:54 left to give them a 38-19 lead. 

St. Thomas Aquinas and Homestead Title Preview

     It is a rematch for the FHSAA Class 3M state title as the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders challenge the Homestead Broncos on Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Raiders roared by the Broncos 38-31 for the state championship game in Fort Lauderdale last year.  

     St. Thomas Aquinas(13-1) will attempt to become the first Florida high school in FHSAA history to win five consecutive football state titles. In addition, STA looks to capture their 12th state crown in the last 17 seasons and a state-record 15th state championship. The Raiders have outscored their opponents 595-129 this year. They walloped Plantation 63-6 in the regional quarterfinal, shut out Blanche Ely 40-0 in the regional semifinal, blanked Coconut Creek 28-0 in the regional final and took care of Gaither 50-14 in the state semifinal. 

     The Raiders offense is led by quarterback Andrew Indorf. Their rushing attack consists of running backs Jordan Lyle, Justin Montgomery, Stacey Gauge and Tyrique Williams. Wide receivers James Madison II, Chance Robinson, Andreus Madison, Julius Jones and Ah'Mari Stevens. look to make receptions from Indorf. 

     Homestead(12-1) meets the Raiders in the postseason for the third straight year. They have outscored their opponents 457-200 this season. The Broncos defeated McArthur 52-27 in a regional quarterfinal, edged Southridge 35-33 in a regional semifinal, knocked off Miramar 22-17 in a regional final and held off Jones 42-35 in a state semifinal. 

     Quarterback Joshua Townsend will be the focal point of the Broncos offense with his passing and running. Running back Isaac Brown will get the bulk of the carries from the backfield. Wide receivers Cortez Mills, Kevin Cascuda, Fraquan Warren and James Randle are the primary targets for Townsend. 

Chaminade-Madonna Takes Class 1M Title

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions pounded the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders 56-0 in the FHSAA Class 1M state championship game. It was the first state title contest played on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Field in Tallahassee this week. 

     The Lions captured their third straight state crown, sixth state title in the past seven seasons and their eighth championship overall. It was eighth consecutive season that they participated in a state championship contest and the Lions now have a 38-game winning streak. The Marauders made their third state title appearance in school history. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(14-0) took a 7-0 lead on their first possession at the 11:30 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Cedric Bailey connected a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on the left sideline. It concluded a three-play, 69-yard drive for them.

     The Lions increased it to 14-0 with 5:23 left in the first. Bailey fired a 56-yard pass to wide receiver Joshisa Trader on the left hash marks and he easily reached the end zone. 

     It became 21-0 for Chaminade-Madonna, on a nine-play, 40-yard drive, with 54 seconds to go in the quarter. Running back Davion Gause went through the left side of the line and scored from four yards out.

     In the second quarter, the Lions continued to roll. They extended it to 28-0 at 10:14 of the frame when Bailey tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Trader in the back right corner of the end zone.  

     Chaminade-Madonna made it a 35-point margin with 6:16 remaining in the second. Bailey rifled an eight-yard pass to wide receiver Denairius Gray in the middle of end zone. 

     Clearwater Central Catholic(13-1) surrendered another touchdown with 15 seconds left in the first half and trailed 42-0. The Lions pulled off a trick play as Trader sent a two- yard pass to Bailey on the left side of the field. 

     A running clock was implemented for the entire second half. Lions running back Arwin Jackson plunged up the middle from one yard away with 3:21 to go int the third quarter. Chaminade-Madonna expanded it to 56-0 when running back Jaquari Lewis busted through the middle for a three-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left in the final quarter. 

2023 FHSAA Football Finals Announcers

     Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports Sun are televising the 2023 FHSAA Football Finals in Tallahassee over the next three days. It is the first time that the South Florida region can watch the state championship contests on local television since 2013. 

     There is a new broadcast crew with the change of the exclusive broadcast rights this year. They have Craig Minervini and Ariya Massoudi as play-by-play announcers, Forrest Conoly and William Floyd as the game analysts and Alexandra Decapua is the sideline reporter. Minervini is the studio host of Miami Marlins and Florida Panthers game broadcasts on Bally Sports Florida. He had filled in as the Marlins play-by-play announcer over the past two decades. 

Columbus and Mandarin Title Preview

     The Columbus Explorers clash with the Mandarin Mustangs in the FHSAA Class 4M state championship game at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Friday. The Explorers won a state championship in 2019 and 2022 while the Mustangs won the title in 2018. 

     Columbus(12-2) two previous losses this year were to 2023 state finalists Miami Norland and Homestead. The Explorers smashed Goleman 49-6 in a regional quarterfinal, eased by South Dade 34-20 in a regional semifinal, defeated Western 31-13 in a regional final and powered by Plant 27-7 in a state semifinal. They have outscored their opponents 419-150 this season. 

     Quarterback Alberto Mendoza calls the signals on offense for the Explorers. Running backs Edward Bandy, Agyeman Addae and Antwuan Simmons are expected to make numerous carries. Mendoza can connect passes to wide receivers Benjamin Blackburn, Jose Leon, Bryce Fitzgerald, J.J. Gomez, Tristan Pineda and Rocco Bradley. Defensive end Willis McGahee IV leads their defense. 

     Mandarin(11-3) have outscored their opponents 509-253 this year. The Mustangs handled Winter Park 29-16 in the regional quarterfinal, knocked off Lake Mary 36-10 in the regional semifinal, got by Seminole 28-24 in the regional final and charged by Monarch 51-21 in the state semifinal. 

     Mustangs quarterback Tramell Jones looks to guide them down the field. He will fire the ball to wide receivers Jaime Ffrench Jr., Ethan Sherman, Carlos Withercup, Tyrone Summerall and Willem Griego.  They have a rushing attack with running backs Tiant Wyche and Deshard Westcott. 

Heat Shoot By Raptors

     The Miami Heat raced by the Toronto Raptors 112-103 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat, who had a rare four-day break between games, ended a two-game road losing streak. 

     Miami(12-9) had a 66-64 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Toronto(9-12) passed them by and had a 66-64 lead at halftime. The Heat moved ahead at the conclusion of the third quarter 87-84. Miami had a 10-3 spurt to begin the fourth quarter and led the rest of the way.

     Caleb Martin led the Heat with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando Robinson also had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Duncan Robinson added 21 points and Jimmy Butler contributed 19 points. Pascal Siakam dropped in a game-high 30 points for the Raptors. 

Panthers Soar By Stars

     The Florida Panthers downed the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Wednesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers snapped a three-game home losing streak. 

     Florida(15-8-2) got out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:39 mark of the first period. Evan Rodrigues scored his fifth goal of the year on a snap shot from close range. 

     Dallas(14-9-3) tied it 1-1 with 6:18 to go in the first. Radek Faksa fired a slap shot for his for his second tally in 2023-24. 

     The Cats reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 1:46 remaining in the period. Sam Reinhart put in his 17th goal of the season as he snapped a shot from the low left circle. 

     In the second period, the Panthers struck quickly 24 seconds into the frame for a 3-1 lead. Carter Verhaeghe collected his 12th goal this season on a snap shot. 

     Two former Panthers would help the Stars even it up 3-3. Mason Marchment scored on the power play 39 seconds into the third period and Evgenii Dadonov followed at the 4:15 mark. 

     Florida made it 4-3 just 37 seconds later. Reinhart shot the puck and it went wide right of the cage. It bounced off the end wall and Aleksander Barkov flipped in a shot from the right of the crease for his eighth goal of the year. 

     The Panthers put in power-play goal at 8:00 for a two-goal margin. Rodrigues chalked up his second goal of the contest as he picked up the rebound and placed in a wrist shot from the slot area. 

     Dallas made it 5-4 on the man advantage with 7:34 remaining in the third. Thomas Harley smacked a slap shot from the left point for his sixth goal. 

Chaminade-Madonna And Clearwater Central Catholic Title Preview

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions face the Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders in the FHSAA Class 1M state championship game at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee on Thursday. It is a rematch from last year's title game between both high schools. The Lions knocked off the Marauders 49-14 in the 2022 state championship battle. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(13-0) reached the championship game for the eighth consecutive year. The Lions have captured five state titles in the last six seasons and six state championships overall. Chaminade-Madonna have outscored their opponents 631-137 this year. The Lions are currently on a 37-game winning streak. They blew out Avant Garde Academy 67-0 in the regional semifinal, blanked Cardinal Newman 40-0 in the regional final and easily defeated Archbishop Carroll 47-7 in the state semifinal. 

     The Lions have Cedric Bailey at quarterback to lead their offense. He will throw the ball to talented wide receivers Jeremiah Smith, Joshisa Trader, Kyle Washington and Denairius Gray. Running back Davion Gause is expected to get most of the carries followed by Arwin Jackson, Jaquari Lewis and Javarius Robinson. 

     Clearwater Central Catholic(13-0) returns to the state title contest for the second straight season. The Marauders have outscored their opponents 461-209 this season. They beat Indian Rocks Christian 42-14 in a regional semifinal, got by Carrollwood Day 45-41 in a regional final and held off Trinity Christian Academy 39-32 in a state semifinal. 

     Marauders quarterback Jershaun Newton can run and pass out of the pocket at anytime. The majority of carries will go to running backs Justin Stephens and Nasir Hutchinson. Newton looks to find wide receivers Caleb Goodloe, Shamar Rigby, Artevian McClellan and Koen Thill downfield. 

Mets Ink Jose Iglesias

     The New York Mets have signed shortstop Jose Iglesias to a minor league contract. He will be invited to their spring training camp in Port St. Lucie. 

     Iglesias had the same situation in early 2023 when he signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins. He did make the opening day roster and opted out of the contract on April 20. 

2023 FHSAA Football Finals Television Schedule

     The television broadcasts of the 2023 FHSAA Football Finals will be on the South Florida airwaves for the first time in 10 years later on this week. Seven games will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida while two contests will be on Bally Sports Sun. 

     Chaminade-Madonna will face Clearwater Central Catholic for the Class 1M state title on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. The Class 3S contest will be at 3 p.m. and the Class 1R game will be at 8 p.m. later that day. All three events will be on Bally Sports Florida. 

     Friday will have games on two different channels. The Class 1S title at 10 a.m. will be aired on Bally Sports Florida. Bally Sports Sun will have the Class 4M state championship between Columbus and Mandarin at 3 p.m. as both high schools try to win their second state titles. The Class 2S contest will not air live on Bally Sports Sun at 8 p.m. in the South Florida region due to the Miami Heat game broadcast. It will be showed several hours later on taped delay at 3 a.m. instead.      

     All three contests on Saturday will be at Bally Sports Florida. Miami Norland will clash with Berkeley Prep for the Class 2M state crown at 10 a.m. St. Thomas Aquinas will attempt to capture their fifth consecutive FHSAA state championship and state-record 15th overall as they challenge Homestead for the Class 3M state title at 3:00 p.m. The Class 4S title will air at 8 p.m. that evening. 

FHSAA Football Finals On South Florida Television

     The 2023 FHSAA Football Finals will be on local television for the South Florida region. It will be televised on Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports Sun later this week from December 7 to December 9. Both regional sports networks picked up the exclusive television rights for this year. Bally Sports.com has the exclusive streaming rights in 2023. 

     The South Florida audience of high school football fans have not seen any FHSAA football championship games on local television since 2013. Bright House Sports Network had the exclusive television rights of the FHSAA football contests in 2014 and 2015.They changed their brand name to Spectrum Sports in November 2016 and carried the games from 2016 until 2022. No South Florida cable system had access to that network. People would have to pay for the streaming of the contests if they did not attend in person. 

Jim Leyland Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

     Jim Leyland was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. Only managers, executives and umpires were in consideration by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee panel of 16 people. He will be inducted into the Cooperstown shrine on July 13. 

     Leyland became the first Marlins manager to lead the franchise to a world championship. He led the organization to the 1997 World Series during his first season with the team and guided them to a seven-game series win over the Cleveland Indians. It happened in the fifth season of existence for the club, which at one time was a Major League Baseball record. 

     He helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win three consecutive National League East Division titles from 1990 to 1992. Leyland won the American League pennant with the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and 2012. 

Mark Pysyk Moves To Flames

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk has signed a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames worth $725,000. He was assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate the Calgary Wranglers. 

     Pysyk signed a professional tryout offer with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL in early November. He was released from his PTO by the club last week and became a free agent. 

     He was with the Panthers for four seasons from 2016-17 until 2019-20. Pysyk compiled 62 points in 292 games with the team. 

Dolphins Invade Commanders

     The Miami Dolphins ripped by the Washington Commanders 45-15 at FedEx Field on Sunday. The Fins have a 9-3 record for the first time since 2001. The Dolphins extended their winning streak to three games and will host the Tennessee Titans next week.

     Miami(9-3) dominated the first quarter and had a 17-point lead. Although Washington(4-9) scored first early in the second quarter, the Dolphins held a 31-7 lead at halftime. 

2023 FHSAA Playoffs State Semifinal Results

     The 2023 FHSAA Playoffs state semifinals occurred on Friday. Five South Florida high schools from the tri-county area advanced to the state finals. All state championship contests will be played from December 7 to December 9 in Tallahassee. 

     Class 4M resulted in Columbus knocking off Plant 27-7. Monarch fell short of the title game as they fell to Mandarin 51-21. Columbus will take on Mandarin next Friday afternoon. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas punished Gaither 50-14 and Homestead got by Jones 42-35 in Class 3M. Both teams will face each other in a championship rematch from last year. next Saturday afternoon.

     In Class 2M, Miami Norland easily handled Bolles 28-7 while American Heritage was upset by Berkeley Prep 17-14. Miami Norland will challenge Berkeley Prep for the title next Saturday morning.
     Chaminade-Madonna was able to rout Archbishop Carroll 47-7 in Class 1M. They will play Clearwater Central Catholic for the state championship next Thursday morning. 

Pacers Revenge On Heat

     The Indiana Pacers gained revenge on the Miami Heat 144-129 on Saturday night at Kaseya Center. Both teams faced each other two nights ago in the same venue with the Heat victorious. It is a new NBA procedure to cut down on team traveling during the regular season. 

     Miami(11-9) leaped to a 31-25 lead by the end of the first quarter. Both clubs excelled during the second quarter with heavy scoring and were tied 65-65 at halftime. 

     Indiana(10-8) gained momentum in the third quarter and had a 106-98 lead at the end of the frame. The Pacers went on a 9-5 spurt at the start of the fourth quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler dropped in 33 points for Miami. Seven Heat players finished will double-digit scoring on the scoresheet. Caleb Martin contributed 18 points while Duncan Robinson had 17 points. Bruce Brown led Indiana with 30 points. 

Islanders Stun Panthers

     The Florida Panthers lost to the New York Islanders 4-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers, who began a three-game homestand, will not play for four days and challenge the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. 

     New YorkI(10-7-6) broke out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 7:24 to go in the first period. Anders Lee put in his fifth tally of the year on a deflected shot. 

     Florida(14-8-2) tied it 1-1 with 6:18 remaining in the first. Sam Reinhart chalked his team-high 16th goal of the season with a wrist shot. 

     The Islanders added two goals in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Pierre Engvail scored his third goal of the campaign at 4:37 on a wrist shot. It became a two-goal margin when Simon Holmstrom snapped a shot at the 9:12 mark. 

     The Cats closed it to 3-2 with 6:46 left in the period. Matthew Tkachuk released a snap shot from the top right circle and ended a 10-game goal drought with his fourth goal this season. 

     In the third period, the Isles moved ahead 4-2 at the 3:43 mark. They regained a two-goal gap when Julien Gauthier put in a wrist shot to get his first tally this year. 

     The Panthers cut it to 4-3 at 9:36 of the third. Carter Verhaeghe found the net with a backhand shot for his 11th goal of the season. 

Canadiens Extend Sam Montembeault

     The Montreal Canadiens have given goalie Sam Montembeault three-year contract extension worth $9.45 million. He has been with the Canadiens for the past three seasons. 

     Montembeault played two seasons with the Florida Panthers in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He compiled a 9-8-3 record in 25 games with a 3.20 goals-against-average. 

South Florida High Schools In State Finals

     Five South Florida tri-county high schools will be playing for a 2023 FHSAA state championship next week in Tallahassee. The region had eight teams involved in the state semifinals on Friday. 

     Broward County went from four teams down to two as St. Thomas Aquinas and Chaminade-Madonna returned to the state finals. American Heritage and Monarch were defeated. 

     Miami Norland, Columbus and Homestead advanced to the state championship game making it three squads from Dade County. The only high school to lose in the state semifinal was Archbishop Carroll. 

Homestead Holds Off Jones

     The Homestead Broncos handled the Jones Tigers 42-35 on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 3M state semifinal. The Broncos reached the championship game for the second straight year. It will be a rematch against the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders next week for the FHSAA Class 3M state title. 

     Homestead(12-1) scored first and had a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. Both Jones(10-4) and their opponent combined for 36 points during the second quarter, but the Broncos had a 28-21 halftime lead. Both high schools reached the end zone in the third quarter. Homestead got some breathing space with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter for a 42-28 lead. 

Mandarin Outduels Monarch

     The Mandarin Mustangs outlasted the Monarch Knights 51-21 on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 4M state semifinal at Coconut Creek High School. The Mustangs captured the FHSAA Class 8A state championship in 2018 and will look to win their second FHSAA state title in school history next week. 

     Monarch(11-3) raced out to a 7-0 lead three minutes into the contest. Mandarin(11-3) responded with a touchdown late in the first quarter, however they failed on a two-point conversion and they were down 7-6 lead. The Mustangs booted a field goal with three minutes left in the second quarter and had a 9-7 halftime lead.  

     There were four lead changes during the third quarter and Mandarin led 24-21. The Mustangs found the end zone four times in the fourth quarter to put the contest away. 

Miami Norland Takes Bolles

     The Miami Norland Vikings topped the Bolles Bulldogs 28-7 in a FHSAA Class 2M state semifinal on Friday night. The Vikings reached a title game for the first time since they captured the 2011 FHSAA Class 5A state championship with running back Duke Johnson. 

     Miami Norland(14-0) scored one touchdown in the first quarter and one touchdown in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead. Bolles(8-6) surrendered another touchdown and trailed 21-0 at the end of three quarters.