South Florida High Schools In State Semifinals

     There were 15 South Florida high school tri-county teams that played in the regional finals of the 2024 FHSAA Playoffs on Friday night. Nine teams advanced to the state semifinals. 

     Two Palm Beach County representatives moved on to the next round as Cardinal Newman and West Boca Raton were victorious. Atlantic was the only team that lost. 

     Three teams from Broward County advanced as St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade-Madonna and American Heritage won. Western and West Broward fell in their contests. 

     Four high schools from Dade County prvailed with Columbus, Miami Northwestern, Southridge and Booker T. Washington. Miami Norland, Miami Edison and Immaculata-La Salle were defeated. 

Syracuse Costs Hurricanes ACC Title Game

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were halted by the Syracuse University Orange 42-38 at JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday. The Hurricanes failed to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. 

     The Canes finished third in the conference standings.  They were trying for their second appearance in the ACC title contest since they joined the conference in 2004.

     Miami(10-2, 6-2) reached the end zone in their first possession at the 10:46 mark. Running back Mark Fletcher was able to rush it in from two yards out.

     It became 14-0 for the Canes with 3:43 left in the first. Quarterback Cam Ward threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Xavier Restrepo on the right sideline. 

     The Hurricanes increased their lead to 21-0 at 12:57 of the second quarter. Tight end Elijah Arroyo caught a three-yard pass from Ward in the front of the end zone. 

     Syracuse(9-3, 5-3) cut it to 21-7 at the 10:54 mark of the second. Running back LeQuint Allen Jr. bumped his way up the middle from eight yards.

     The Orange closed it to 21-14 with 3:41 remaining in the first half. Quarterback Kyle McCord tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jackson Meeks on the left side of the end zone. 

     In the second half, Syracuse tied it up 21-21 just 39 seconds into the third quarter. McCord connected a 25-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Trebor Pena in the front right corner of the end zone. 

     The U regained the lead 28-21 at 11:02 of the third. Fletcher rumbled in on another two-yard touchdown run 

     It became a tie game 28-28 with 7:47 to go in the quarter. Meeks received an eight-yard touchdown pass from McCord. 

     The Orange capitalized on a turnover by the Canes offense with 1:47 left in the third. Defensive back Devin Grant stripped Restrepo of the ball and returned it 56 yards for a score to give them their first lead of the contest 35-28. 

     Miami evened it up 35-35 at the 13:02 mark of the fourth quarter. Running back Damien Martinez plunged up the middle from two yards away on a touchdown run.

     Syracuse answered back on their next possession to go ahead 42-35 at 9:16. Allen raced through the right side of the line from three yards out. 

     The Canes were held out of the end zone on their next drive. Andres Borregales was able to kick a 27-yard field goal and they trailed 42-38 with 3:43 remaining. 

Panthers Top Hurricanes Again

     The Florida Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. Both teams faced each other in Raleigh yesterday where the Panthers were victorious 6-3. The Panthers extended their winning streak to three games. 

     After a scoreless first period, Florida(15-9-1) broke out to a 1-0 advantage at the 6:42 mark of the second period. A loose puck came out to Aaron Ekblad on the right wing and he released a wrist shot by Spencer Martin for his first goal of the year. 

     The Panthers expanded it to 2-0 on a power-play goal with 0.8 seconds left in the second. Aleksander Barkov won a faceoff in the left circle and sent a cross-ice pass from the left wing. Matthew Tkachuk tapped a one-time pass from the right of the crease and Mackie Samoskevich swept in the puck from the left of the crease for his fifth goal this season. 

     Carolina(16-7-1) would surrender four more goals during the third period. The Cats would get tallies from Sam Bennett, Barkov(power-play goal), Adam Boqvist and Evan Rodrigues(power-play goal). 

Elieser Hernandez Staying In South Korea

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Elieser Hernandez will be remaining in South Korea. He has re-signed with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization. He participated in 11 games with that club last season and had a 4.01 earned run average. 

     Hermandez was with the Marlins for five seasons from 2018 to 2022. He finished with a 10-21 record and a 5.04 earned run average while in Miami. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Outscores Atlantic

     The #2 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders barely survived the #1 Atlantic Eagles 49-42 in double overtime at Atlantic Stadium on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 5A regional final. The Raiders knocked off the Eagles from the postseason at Hilltopper Stadium in Delray Beach back in the 2004 and 2005, which was the final high school football game ever played at that venue. 

     Atlantic(11-2) blasted out to a 20-0 lead with three touchdowns by the end of the first quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas(10-3) slowly cut into the lead and trailed 28-14 at halftime. 

     Both teams found the end zone in the third quarter with the Eagles up 35-21. The Raiders collected 14 points in the fourth quarter to even it up 35-35.

     In overtime, the Eagles pulled ahead 42-35 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Lincoln Graf to wide receiver Teddy Hoffman. The Raiders answered back on a touchdown pass by quarterback Andrew Inhoff to tie it up 42-42. 

     STA would get their first lead of the game in double overtime 49-42. They were able to reach the end zone on a running play. Atlantic was unable to match it to give St. Thomas Aquinas the victory. 

West Boca Raton Blanks Wiregrass Ranch

     The #1 West Boca Raton Bulls shut out the #3 Wiregrass Ranch Bulls 17-0 in Boca Raton on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 6A regional final. The Bulls will face Southridge in a state semifinal next week. 

     West Boca Raton(13-0) chalked up 10 points during the first quarter for a 10-0 lead. They were able to add another touchdown against Wiregrass Ranch(11-2) in the second quarter for a 17-point halftime lead. 

Cardinal Newman Handles First Baptist Academy

     The #1 Cardinal Newman Crusaders knocked off the #2 First Baptist Academy Lions 20-3 at Sam Budnyk Field in West Palm Beach on Friday night. It was a FHSAA Class 1A clash between both high schools in Region 3. 

     Cardinal Newman(10-1) reached the end zone during the opening quarter. In the second quarter, defensive back Gabriel Avin intercepted a pass and returned it back for a score at the eight-minute mark for a 13-0 advantage. 

     First Baptist Academy(9-3) picked up a field goal in the last minute of the second quarter and trailed 13-3. The Crusaders made it 20-3 just three minutes into the second half when wide receiver Jyron Hughley caught a touchdown pass. 

Miami Northwestern Stomps Cypress Lake

     The #1 Miami Northwestern Bulls crushed the #6 Cypress Lake Panthers 55-0 in a FHSSA Class 3A regional final on Friday night. The Bulls advanced to the state semifinal game. 

     Miami Northwestern(10-2) rocketed out to a 34-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Bulls had a 41-point halftime advantage. Cypress Lake(7-6) gave up 14 points and they were down 55-0 at the conclusion of the third quarter. 

American Heritage Pushes By Miami Norland

     The #1 American Heritage Patriots handled the #2 Miami Norland Vikings 35-14 on Friday night at Heritage Field in Plantation. It was a clash between two teams in a FHSAA Class 4A regional final. 

     Both high schools were tied 7-7 after one quarter and tied 14-14 at halftime. American Heritage(10-2) added a touchdown during the third quarter to take a 21-14 lead. Miami Norland(9-3) surrendered 14 more points in the fourth quarter. 

Chaminade-Madonna Torches Miami Edison

     The #1 Chaminade-Madonna Lions walloped the #3 Miami Edison Red Raiders 49-6 at Vince Zappone Field in Hollywood on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 1A regional final. The Lions are two victories away from capturing their fourth consecutive state title. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(11-2) put up two touchdowns for a 14-3 lead in the opening quarter and four touchdowns in the second quarter for a 42-6 halftime lead. Miami Edison(8-5) was unable to reach the end zone during the game. 

Columbus Gets By Western

     The #1 Columbus Explorers edged the #7 Western Wildcats 27-25 on Friday in a FHSAA Class 7A regional final. The Explorers are two wins away from winning their third straight state championship. 

     Columbus(9-3) picked up the first points of the contest and led 7-0 in the first quarter. Western(6-7) overtook them in the second quarter and were up 14-10 at halftime. 

     The Wildcats got a field goal during the third quarter for a 17-10 advantage. The Explorers outscored their opponent 17-8 in the fourth quarter to win the game 27-25. 

Heat Jump Over Raptors

     The Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors 121-111 on Friday night at Kaseya Center. They will meet again in Toronto on Sunday in back-to-back games. 

     Toronto(5-15) led the low scoring first quarter 21-20. The Raptors continued to stay ahead 61-58 at halftime. 

     Miami(9-8) outscored their opponent 38-23 during the third quarter and led 96-84 after three quarters. The Heat still controlled the lead in the fourth quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler helped Miami with a game-high 26 points along with six rebounds. Tyler Herro was able to score 23 points. Bam Adebayo finished with a triple-double of 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. 

     RJ Barrett had a team-high 25 points for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes placed in a triple-double with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. John Poeltl scored 24 points in the contest. 

Panthers Top Hurricanes

     The Florida Panthers took the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 at Lenovo Center on Friday. It is a home-and-home series between both clubs over the next two days with the Panthers hosting the Canes on Saturday. 

Packers Explode On Dolphins

     The Green Bay Packers sprinted by the Miami Dolphins 30-17 at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night. The Fins played at the oldest continuous venue in the National Football League. 

     Green Bay(9-3) got out to a 7-0 lead at the 12:00 mark of the first quarter. Wide Receiver Jayden Reed caught a three-yard touchdown pass on the right side from quarterback Jorden Love. 

     The Packers increased their lead to 14-0 with 55 seconds left in the first. Running back Josh Jacobs rushed through the left side of the line from one yard away.

     Miami(5-7) got on the scoreboard at 8:44 of the second quarter and trailed 14-3. Jason Sanders booted a 33-yard field goal. 

     It became 21-3 for Green Bay with 1:36 to go in the second. Love connected a 12-yard swing pass to Reed on the left side for the score. The Packers added a 46-yard field goal by Brandon McManus with no time remaining in the first half for a 24-3 advantage. 

     In the third quarter, the Packers expanded their margin to 24 points at the 7:42 mark. McManus was able to kick a 24-yard field goal. 

     The Dolphins stayed in the contest with 2:43 to go in the third. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back De'Von Achane on the left side. Tagovailoa threw a pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for the two-point conversion and they trailed 27-11. 

     The fourth quarter had Green Bay putting up another field goal at 5:02. McManus kicked a 33-yard field goal and they led 30-11. 

     The Fins cut the deficit to 30-17 with 3:04 remaining in the fourth. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught a deflected ball from Tagovailoa in the front of the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Miami failed on their two-point conversion pass. 

Heat Survive Hornets

     The Miami Heat held off the Charlotte Hornets 98-94 at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night. The Heat played their third game in four days prior to the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The Heat are now 5-0 when they hold opponents to under 100 points in a contest this season. 

     Both teams came out of the gate tied at 26-26 after one quarter. Miami(8-8) outscored the Hornets 24-13 during the second quarter and were up 50-39 at halftime. 

     The Heat extended their margin to 18 points 66-48 with 6:42 to go in the third quarter and led 75-58 at the end of the frame. Charlotte(6-12) cut into the deficit by 10 points during the fourth quarter and trailed 82-75 with 6:14 remaining. The Hornets took a 94-92 lead with 42.1 seconds left. The Heat leaped past them on their next possession with 28.1 seconds remaining. 

     Duncan Robinson collected 27 points and led Miami in scoring. Tyler Herro showed up with 22 points. Bam Adebayo fell short of a triple-double with eight points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.  

     LaMelo Ball ended up leading the Hornets with 32 points along with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Brandon Miller was able to contribute 21 points. 

Panthers Zoom By Maple Leafs

     The Florida Panthers zipped by the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak and entered this contest losing six of their last seven games. 

     Former Panthers players Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz returned to Sunrise and received their 2023-24 Stanley Cup championship rings prior to the game. Both teams are in the top two spots in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs had their four-game winning streak snapped. 

     Florida(13-9-1) leaped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first period. Carter Verhaeghe pushed the puck back from down low. Aaron Ekblad angled a pass from the top of the zone. Aleksander Barkov scored his fifth goal of the season on a one-time slap shot from the right circle at the 4:46 mark during the power play.

     The Cats made it a two-goal margin 2-0 just 50 seconds later. Eetu Luostarinen crashed the net from the left goal line on a shot. Mackie Samoskevich got his fourth career goal with a snap shot from the left of the crease. 

     Toronto(13-7-2) surrendered a shorthanded goal with 2:56 left in the second period and were down by three goals. Barkov carried the puck through the neutral zone and dropped it off at the top of the Maple Leafs zone. Sam Reinhart snapped a shot from the high slot area past Stolarz for his 17th goal of the campaign. 

     The Maple Leafs later scored on the power play with 1:29 to go in the second and trailed 3-1. John Tavares won a left-circle faceoff and advanced the puck. Mitch Marner released a wrist shot from the crease area past Sergei Bobrovsky for his ninth goal this season. 

     In the third period, the Cats extended their lead 4-1 with 5:23 left on the power play. Evan Rodrigues dumped the puck from the red line into the Toronto zone. Sam Bennett chased and touched the puck on the left wing. Verhaeghe fired a rising wrist shot from the left circle for his sixth tally in 2024-25. 

     Toronto pulled their goalie with 3:13 remaining in the third. Bennett scored an empty-net goal from above the right circle with 1:28 left. Verhaeghe chalked up his third point of the contest on the play. 

Javier Mascherano New Inter Miami CF Head Coach

     Inter Miami CF has named Javier Mascherano as their new head coach. He replaces Gerardo "Tata" Martino, who left the team just six days ago. Mascherano recently coached the Argentina Under-20 squad and the 2024 Argentina Olympic Team. 

     Mascherano is best known for his playing career. He participated at FC Barcelona alongside current Inter Miami CF players Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. He spent time as a teammate of Messi's while with Argentina. 

Miami Ratings November 2024

     The ratings were rolled out for sports talk format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. The time span went from the second week of October until the first week of November. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM moved from a 1.6 to a 1.5 in the period. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers began their 2024-25 campaign. They had the best record in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference during the first month into the regular season with a 9-3-1 mark. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team were in the Top 10 among college football teams and remained undefeated overall along with being inside the Atlantic Coast Conference. Inter Miami CF set the Major League Soccer record for the most points in a regular season and faced Atlanta United CF in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Miami Heat started their regular season will an average start of 3-4. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM went from a 0.6 to a 0.5 in the month. The Miami Dolphins were at 2-6 and had lost three straight contests along with six of their last seven games. NASCAR had its annual auto races held at Miami-Homestead Speedway and they eventually finished off their season a couple of weeks later. The University of Florida Gators football team was average with a 4-4 record and lost to the University of Georgia Bulldogs during their final clash in Jacksonville over the next three years. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.2. The Florida Atlantic University Owls football team were winless in the American Athletic Conference with a 0-4 conference record. They had lost three consecutive games for a 2-6 overall record. 

     In terms of streaming, WQAM fell to a 0.0 following two months at a 0.1. WKIS-FM-HD2 dropped from a 0.1 to a 0.0. WZTU-FM-HD2 remained at a 0.0 for the second straight period following three months at a 0.1. 

Bucks Get By Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks pushed by the Miami Heat 106-103 in the NBA Cup group stage on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. Miami now has a group record of 1-2. The Heat are in a stretch of three contests in four nights prior to Thanksgiving Day. 

     Milwaukee(9-9) sprinted out to a 31-20 advantage by the conclusion of the first quarter. The Bucks continued to have their momentum during the second quarter and they led 65-51 at halftime. 

     Miami(7-8) mounted a comeback and trailed 85-80 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat tied it up 96-96 with 4:02 remaining in the fourth. Milwaukee went on a 10-7 run down the stretch and put the game away. 

     Jimmy Butler had a club-high 23 points for Miami. Tyler Herro scored 18 points while Terry Rozier came off the bench with 17 points. Bam Adebayo was able to put in 16 points. 

     The Bucks were led by Damian Lillard. He finished with game-highs of 37 points and 12 assists. Brook Lopez added 13 points and Bobby Portis poured in 11 points. 

Lewin Diaz Remains In Asia

     Lewin Diaz will still reside with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization as he has inked a one-year contract worth around $600,000. He joined the club back in August. 

     The former Marlins first baseman was with the Fish for three seasons from 2020 until 2022. Diaz chalked up 13 home runs, 27 runs batted in and a .181 batting average in 112 games with Miami. 

Panthers Taken By Capitals

     The Florida Panthers were beaten by the Washington Capitals 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night. The Panthers have fallen in four straight contests and six of their last seven games. Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin did not play tonight due to a left femur fracture he suffered last week. 

     Florida(12-9-1) roared out to a 1-0 at the seven-minute mark of the opening frame. Carter Verhaeghe made a clearing pass from the Cats zone. Sam Bennett carried the puck through center ice and angled a pass from the top of the zone. Nico Mikkola placed in a wrist shot from the low left circle by Logan Thompson for his first tally this year. The last time Mikkola scored a regular season goal was on November 20, 2023 against the Edmonton Oilers. 

     Washington(14-6-1) tied it up 1-1 with 2:11 remaining in the first. Jakob Chychrun ripped a diagonal pass from the right point. Lars Eller roofed a forehand shot from the left of the crease over Spencer Knight for his fifth goal of the campaign. 

     In the third period, the Capitals got a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 1:18 for a 2-1 advantage. Tom Wilson pushed the puck ahead from the right point to Dylan Strome on the right wing. He passed to the top of the zone and Chychrun scored on a wrist shot for his sixth goal in a Washington uniform. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:15 to go. The Caps increased it to 3-1 with 1:28 left in the third. Eller skated the puck through the neutral zone and backhanded a shot from the inner right circle into an empty net for his second goal of the contest and sixth goal of the season. Ivan Miroshnichenko hustled and poked in another empty-net goal, from the blue paint, for the Capitals with 22.9 seconds remaining for a three-goal margin. 

Jon Berti Released By Yankees

     Former Miami Marlins infielder Jon Berti was not tendered a contract and released by the club. He is now a free agent. Berti just participated in 25 regular season games with the Bronx Bombers in 2024 and had a .273 batting average. 

     Berti was with the Miami Marlins for five seasons from 2019 until 2023. He compiled 23 home runs, 118 runs batted in and a .258 batting average in 432 contests. Berti helped the Fish reach the postseason in 2020 and 2023. 

Heat Shift By Mavericks

     The Miami Heat outmuscled the Dallas Mavericks 123-118 in overtime at Kaseya Center on Sunday night. The Heat had a rare five days off during the regular season between games. 

     They ended up winning their second straight home contest. The Mavericks had their four-game winning streak snapped. 

     Miami(7-7) rolled out to a 33-28 advantage at the conclusion of the opening quarter. The Heat still held a five-point lead 56-51 at halftime. 

     Dallas(9-8) was down 89-84 at the end of the third quarter. It took the Mavericks four minutes into the fourth quarter to cut the lead and even it up 103-103. The game would eventually go into overtime. Miami outscored the Mavs 9-4 in the extra session. 

     Jimmy Butler fell short of a double-double with a game-high 33 points along with nine rebounds and six assists. Bam Adebayo completed a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds while Tyler Herro added 18 points and 10 rebounds. 

     Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with a team-high 27 points and six assists. P.J. Washington delivered a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Klay Thompson was able to pour in 20 points in the loss.

Dolphins Hammer Patriots

     The Miami Dolphins blew by the New England Patriots 34-15 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins, who now have a three-game winning streak, will next visit the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa now has a 7-0 record versus the Patriots. 

     The Fins are not likely to catch the Buffalo Bills to win the AFC East Division and have a chance to leap the Denver Broncos for the final AFC Wild-Card spot. The Fins are four games back in the division and 1 1/2 games behind for the last AFC postseason position. 

     Neither club was able to score in the first quarter. Miami(5-6) piled on 24 points during the second quarter for a 24-0 halftime lead over New England(3-9). 

     Wide receiver Jonnu Smith caught a seven-yard pass in the middle from Tagovailoa at the 14:10 mark. They would increase it to 14-0 when Tagovailoa tossed a nine-yard swing pass to running DeVon Achane on the left side at 7:50.   

     It would be a similar play later with 1:50 to go in the second as Tagovailoa threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Achane on the right side for a 21-0 lead. Jason Sanders booted a 21-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half for a 24-0 advantage. 

     In the third quarter, Miami made it a 31-point margin at 1:37 left. Tagovailoa connected a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

     The Patriots broke shutout at the 13:45 mark of the fourth quarter and trailed 31-7. Quarterback Drake Maye launched a 38-yard strike to tight end Austin Cooper in front of the end zone. 

     New England struck again on defense at 10:10. Defensive back Christian Gonzalez recovered a fumble in the middle of the field and returned it 63 yards down the far sideline for a score. They picked up a two-point conversion as Maye found running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone and the Pats were down 31-15. 

     The Dolphins had the last scoring play in the contest. Sanders kicked a 51-yard field goal with 3:33 left for his second field goal of the game to give them a 34-15 lead. 

Sharks Retire Joe Thornton Number

     The San Jose Sharks retired the number 19 jersey of center Joe Thornton at SAP Center on Saturday night. He spent 15 seasons with that organization. 

     Thornton played his final NHL season with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. He finished with five goals and five assists for 10 points in 34 games with the Panthers. 

2024 FHSAA Playoffs Second Round Results

     The second round of the 2024 FHSAA Playoffs occurred on Thursday night and Friday night. 15 high schools from Palm Beach County, Broward County and Dade County will play in the regional finals next week.

     In Region 3 of Class 7A, #1 Palm Beach Central was edged by #4 Vero Beach 21-20 while #3 Jupiter was slammed by #2 Dr. Phillips 35-0. Region 4 had #1 Columbus defeat #5 South Dade 28-7 and #7 Western shock #3 Boca Raton 42-0. 

     Class 6A in Region 3 resulted in #1 West Boca Raton 38-7 victory over #4 Mitchell. In Region 4, #1 Southridge got by #4 Monarch 20-14 while #3 West Broward beat #2 Piper 35-16.

     Class 5A saw the top two seeds victorious. #1 Atlantic knocked off #4 Miramar 35-29 and #2 St. Thomas Aquinas took down #3 Blanche Ely 53-32.

     Class 4A ended up with the two home teams winning. #1 American Heritage came back on #5 Dillard 24-14 while #2 Miami Norland blanked #3 Archbishop McCarthy 31-0. 

     In Class 3A, there was only one contest in the South Florida tri-county area. #1 Miami Northwestern blew out #4 Lely 64-12.

     Region 3 in Class 2A had only one game with #1 Cardinal Mooney doubling up #5 The King's Academy 56-28. In Region 4, #1 Booker T. Washington shut out #4 Cardinal Gibbons 47-0 while #2 Immaculata-La Salle got by #3 Monsignor Pace 20-14. 

     Class 1A of Region 3 finished with #1 Cardinal Newman blanking #4 Community School of Naples 42-0 and #2 First Baptist Academy stopping #3 Benjamin 34-20. Chaminade-Madonna walloped #4 St. Andrew's 70-0 in Region 4 and #3 Miami Edison squeezed by #2 Tru North Academy 47-39. 

     South Florida had one representative from the entire region in Class Rural. #6 Pahokee had their season ended by #3 Union County 28-18. 

Avalanche Streak By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were outscored by the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers have lost three straight contests and five of the past sux games. The Avalanche increased their winning streak to three games. 

     Carter Verhaeghe gave Florida(12-8-1) a 1-0 lead on a snap shot just 52 seconds into the contest. Jonathan Drouin tied it up 1-1for the Avs on a deflected shot at 9:13. The Cats retook the lead 2-1 with 4:16 remaining in the first on a tally by Aleksander Barkov with a backhand shot.  

     Colorado(12-9-0) piled on four unanswered second-period goals for a 5--2 lead. Drouin, Logan O'Connor, Samuel Girard and Mikko Rantanen all found the net. Sam Bennett gave the Panthers a power-play goal with 1:20 left and they trailed 5-3. 

     In the third period, the Avalanche got goals from Oliver Kylington with 4:11 to go and Valeri Nichushkin getting an empty-net tally with 2:45 remaining. for a 7-3 advantage. Anton Lundell collected his seventh goal of the season for the Cats with 1:43 to go. 

Hurricanes Cover Wake Forest

     The University of Miami Hurricanes handled the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons 42-14 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. The Hurricanes, who were coming off a bye week, will finish with their first 10-win season since 2017.  

     The Canes remain among the top three teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. They are looking to finish in first or second place and participate in the ACC championship game. 

     Miami(10-1, 6-1) scored on their first possession at the 8:32 mark of the first quarter for a 7-0 advantage. Quarterback Cam Ward threw a 13-yard swing pass to wide receiver Jacolby George on the right sideline for a touchdown. It was the sixth touchdown reception for George this season. 

     Wake Forest((4-7, 2-5) responded with 5:31 left in the first to tie it up 7-7. Quarterback Hank Bachmeier fired a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mich Mays Jr. on the left sideline. 

     The Hurricanes made it 10-7 with 1:52 remaining in the quarter. Andres Borregales was able to kick a 40-yard field goal. He had made 14 of 15 field-goal attempts at that point of time this year. 

     In the second quarter, the U extended their lead to 17-7 at 7:50. Defensive back Mishael Powell intercepted a pass and returned it 76 yards for a score. 

     The Demon Deacons answered back 15 seconds later on the ensuing play and closed it to 17-14. Demond Claiborne ran back the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. 

     Miami was able to get on the scoreboard near the end of the first half. Borregales booted a 25-yard field goal with four seconds to go for a 20-14 lead.    

     Neither team scored during the third quarter. Miami extended it to 28-14 at the 7:58 mark of the fourth quarter when Ward plunged in up the middle from one yard out. He found Elijah Arroyo on a two-point conversion pass. 

     The Canes got possession of the ball quickly for their next drive. Running back Jordan Lyle rambled in on a run from 18 yards away with 6:24 remaining and they had a 35-14 advantage.

     It became 42-14 for the Hurricanes with 1:53 left in the fourth. George caught a bubble-screen pass from Ward on the left hash marks and sprinted 15 yards for the touchdown. 

South Florida High Schools In Third Round

     There were 32 tri-county South Florida high schools that played in the second round of the 2024 FHSAA Football Playoffs. 15 teams advanced to the third round of the postseason. 

     Palm Beach County dropped from 10 teams to three. Only Atlantic, West Boca Raton and Cardinal Newman were victorious. A slew of squads lost that included Palm Beach Central, Boca Raton, Pahokee, Jupiter, Benjamin, The King's Academy and St. Andrew's. 

     Broward County fell from 12 high schools to five. St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade-Madonna, Amercian Heritage, Western and West Broward won. Cardinal Gibbons, Blanche Ely, Dillard, Monarch, Miramar, Piper and Archbishop McCarthy were defeated. 

     Dade County representatives went from 10 teams to seven. Booker T. Washington, Miami Norland, Miami Northwestern, Miami Edison, Columbus, Southridge and Immaculata-La Salle prevailed. Monsignor Pace, South Dade and Tru North Academy fell. 

Paul Severino Gone From Marlins

     Miami Marlins television play-by-play announcer Paul Severino will not be returning to the broadcast booth for the 2025 season. His contract was not renewed by the club and the newly rebranded FanDuel Sports Network Florida. 

     Severino was at his post for the past eight seasons. He joined as the Marlins television voice in 2017 on Fox Sports Florida and replaced Rich Waltz. The team reached the postseason on two occasions in 2020 and 2023 while Severino was with the club. 

     He once was a sports anchor and studio host at ESPN. He became a studio host at MLB Network in 2011 and later added the same duties at NHL Network. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Escapes Blanche Ely

     The #2 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders survived a scare and defeated the #3 Blanche Ely Tigers 53-32 at Simmons Family Field in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 5A regional semifinal. The Raiders will continue their state-record, five-consecutive championship reign postseason run when they travel to the Atlantic Eagles next week. 

     Blanche Ely(8-4) was able to get out in front 12-10 by the conclusion of the first quarter. Both teams exchanged touchdowns in second quarter and it was tied 18-18 at halftime.

     St. Thomas Aquinas(9-3) piled on three touchdowns during the third quarter and led 39-18. STA scored early in the fourth quarter and were up 46-18. Both teams scored two touchdowns each in the fourth quarter.

American Heritage Come Back On Dillard

     The #1 American Heritage Patriots overcame the #5 Dillard Panthers 24-14 in a FHSAA Class 4A regional semifinal at Heritage Field in Plantation on Friday night. The Patriots. who have won eight straight games, will host a regional final contest next week versus the Miami Norland Vikings. 

     Dillard(9-3) moved out to a 14-0 lead with seven points in the first quarter and seven points in the second quarter. It would change in the second half as American Heritage(9-2) placed 10 points during the third quarter. The Patriots chalked up two more touchdowns in the final quarter. 

Palm Beach Central Edged By Vero Beach

     The #1 Palm Beach Central Broncos were stunned by the Vero Beach Indians 21-20 at Broncos Stadium in a FHSAA Class 7A regional semifinal on Friday night in Palm Beach County. It surprisingly turned to be a low-scoring contest in the first half. 

     Vero Beach(8-3) made it 7-0 with under one minute remaining in the second quarter on a touchdown pass. Palm Beach Central(10-2) pulled it to 7-6 on a touchdown run just two minutes into the third quarter. They unfortunately missed on the extra point. 

     After a scoreless third quarter, both high schools combined for 21 points in the final four minutes of the game. The Broncos took their first lead 13-7 on a running touchdown with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Indians answered back and reclaimed the lead 14-13 with four minutes to go. Palm Beach Central responded with a touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the fourth for a 20-14 lead. Vero Beach reached the end zone during the final seconds of the contest for a 21-20 advantage. 

Chaminade-Madonna Routs St. Andrew's

     The #1 Chaminade-Madonna Lions dominated the #4 St. Andrew's Scots 70-0 in a FHSAA Class 1A regional semifinal at Vince Zappone Field on Friday night. The Lions are three wins away from the fourth consecutive state championship. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(10-2) rocketed out to a 35-0 lead by halftime. St. Andrew's(6-6) never came close to scoring points in the contest. 

Atlantic Rolls By Miramar

     The #1 Atlantic Eagles outpowered the #4 Miramar Patriots 35-29 on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 5A regional semifinal at Atlantic Stadium in Delray Beach. The Eagles will host a regional final next week against the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. 

     Miramar(7-5) stayed in the contest and trailed 14-8 at halftime. Atlantic(11-1) outscored their opponent 21-7 during the third quarter and led 35-15 lead. The Patriots put up 14 points in the fourth quarter and fell short by six points. 

Miami Norland Cans Archbishop McCarthy

     The #2 Miami Norland Vikings picked up a 31-0 victory over the #6 Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks on Thursday night. It was a clash between both high schools in a FHSAA Class 4A regional semifinal matchup. 

     Miami Norland(9-2) got seven points in the first quarter, three points in the second quarter and seven points in the third quarter for a 17-0 advantage. Archbishop McCarthy((7-5) gave up 14 points during the final quarter. 

Booker T. Washington Blasts Cardinal Gibbons

     The #1 Booker T. Washington Tornadoes wiped out the #4 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs 47-0 at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami on Thursday night. It was a FHSAA Class 2A regional semifinal between both teams. The Tornadoes extended their winning streak to five straight games. 

     Booker T. Washington(9-2) blasted out to a 37-0 lead at halftime. Cardinal Gibbons(7-5) surrendered 10 more points during the second half. 

Blackhawks Slow Down Panthers

     The Chicago Blackhawks stopped the Florida Panthers 3-1 at United Center on Thursday night. The Panthers have lost four of their last five games. The Blackhawks entered tonight's contest with the worst record in the National Hockey League. 

     The Cats concluded a two-game road swing and will host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. The Blackhawks broke up a three-game losing streak with their victory. Florida came into the game not in first place inside the Atlantic Division for the first time since October 17. 

     Chicago(7-12-1) sprinted out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 2:46 mark. Tyler Bertuzzi fed a pass and Teuvo Teravainen snapped a shot for his fifth tally of the campaign. 

     The Blackhawks expanded their lead to 2-0 with 9:53 remaining in the second period. Nick Foligno pushed the push ahead from his own blue line and Pat Maroon zipped a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Craig Smith raced out the middle alone with the puck and lifted a backhand shot over Spencer Knight for his fifth goal this year. 

     Florida(12-7-1) cut the lead to 2-1 just 34 seconds later. Sam Reinhart collected his 15th goal of the season on a wrist shot. Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling were credited with assists on the play. 

     It became 3-1 for the Blackhawks with 1:00 to go in the third. Foligno got his sixth goal of the year when he steered the puck into an empty net. 

Jacob Stallings Stays With Rockies

     One-time Miami Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings will be continuing with the Colorado Rockies in 2025. He has signed a one-year contract worth around $2.5 million. The contract also includes a mutual option for the 2026 campaign. 

     Stallings was with the Marlins for two seasons for 2022 to 2023. He participated in 202 contests and compiled a .210 batting average with seven home runs and 54 runs batted in. 

Tim Boyle Joining Giants

     Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tim Boyle has joined the New York Giants. He has been assigned to their practice squad. 

     Boyle participated in two games with Miami earlier this season. He had 15 pass completions for 153 passing yards and no touchdowns. 

Geron Christian Back With Browns

     Offensive lineman Geron Christian has returned to the Cleveland Browns. He was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams. 

     Christian has been in the NFL since the 2018 season. He was claimed by the Miami Dolphins from the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2023. Christian never played a contest with the Fins. 

Gerardo "Tata" Martino Leaves Inter Miami CF

     Inter Miami CF head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has resigned his position with the team. Martino joined the organization in June 2023. He guided Inter Miami CF to the Leagues Cup in 2023. 

     It was an impressive season for Inter Miami CF this year. They won the MLS Supporters' Shield for the best regular season record in 2024 and set a Major League Soccer record with the most points in a season. The Herons finished with a 22-4-8 record for 74 points during the regular season. Inter Miami CF was upset by Atlanta United FC in a three-game series during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. 

     He had coached current Inter Miami CF star players Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba while at FC Barcelona. Martino helped Atlanta United FC capture the MLS Cup in 2018. 

Jets Pay Back Panthers

     The Winnipeg Jets gained revenge on the Florida Panthers 6-3 with a Mark Scheifele hat trick at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night. Both teams faced each other just three days ago in South Florida during this home-and-home situation. 

     It is the beginning of a short two-game road trip for the Cats. The Jets were able to snap a two-game losing streak. 

     Winnipeg(16-3-0) raced out to a 1-0 lead with 5:47 left in the first period. Kyle Connor skated in though the slot and roofed a backhand shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 12th goal of the season. 

     The Jets extended their lead to 2-0 with 2:40 to go in the first. Josh Morrissey pushed the puck ahead from the neutral zone. Gabe Vilardi made a drop pass from the left wing. Scheifele placed in a wrist shot from the top left circle for his 10th goal of the campaign. 

     In the second period, Winnipeg made it 3-0 on the power play with 4:19 remaining. Morrissey angled a pass from the top of the zone and Nikolaj Ehlers connected a pass from the right circle. Scheifele collected his second goal of the contest and 13th tally this season when he snapped a shot from the left circle. 

     Florida(12-6-1) broke the shutout with 2:36 left in the period. Tomas Nosek cycled the puck from the end wall and Nate Schmidt passed from the right wing. A.J. Greer released a wrist shot from the top of the zone that went through traffic and by Connor Hellebuyck for his second goal in a Panthers uniform. 

     The Panthers scored with the man advantage at the 7:10 mark of the third period and closed it to 3-2. Aleksander Barkov moved the puck from the top right circle and Matthew Tkachuk made a touch pass from the right goal line. Sam Reinhart put in a forehand shot from the inner right circle for his 14th goal of the season. 

     The Jets made it a two-goal margin again 4-2 at 9:46. Ehlers zipped a pass from the right point down low. Connor centered the puck from the right goal line and Scheifele one-timed a shot from the left of the crease for his third goal of the game and 12th goal this season. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie for an extra attacker on the power play and scored with 3:22 left in the third. Carter Verhaeghe angled a pass from the left wing. Sam Bennett was able to pass from the end wall. Tkachuk released a wrist shot from the right wing for his fifth goal in 2024-25. 

     The game was put away by Winnipeg with 1:37 to go in the contest. Morgan Barron chalked up a shorthanded goal into an empty net as he banked a shot off the side boards from his own zone. He picked up another empty-net tally from his own blue line with 1:16 left for his second goal of the season. 

2024 FHSAA Playoffs First Round Results

     The first round of the 2024 FHSAA Playoffs happened last week. 32 high schools from Palm Beach County, Broward County and Dade County will play in the next round. 

     Class 7A in Region 3 saw several blowout games. #1 Palm Beach Central blanked #8 Fort Pierce Central 38-0. #2 Jupiter toppled #7 Treasure Coast 27-0 while #4 Vero Beach outlasted #5 Lake Nona 21-7. 

     In Region 4, #1 Columbus blasted #8 Spanish River 56-8. #2 Miami Palmetto was upset by #7 Western 26-10. #3 Boca Raton squeezed by #6 Goleman 27-21 and #5 South Dade put down #4 Santaluces 48-13. 

     Class 6A in Region 3 had #1 West Boca Raton smashing #8 Steinbrenner 42-17. #6 Royal Palm Beach had their season ended by #3 Wiregrass Ranch by the same score 42-17. 

     The top-seeded team in Region 4 #1 Southridge easily handled #8 South Broward 37-6. #2 Piper knocked off #7 Doral Academy 33-14 and #5 Monarch defeated #4 Homestead 28-21. #3 West Broward beat #6 Flanagan 34-7. 

     Region 4 in Class 5A had all the South Florida home teams win. #1 Atlantic outhustled #8 Mater Academy 49-13 while #2 St. Thomas Aquinas dominated #7 North Miami 58-0. #3 Blanche Ely held off #6 Coconut Creek 34-27 and #4 Miramar strolled by #5 Heritage 26-10. 

     Class 4A in Region 4 had #1 American Heritage wallop #8 Jensen Beach 40-7. #3 Plantation was upended by #6 Archbishop McCarthy 7-0. #2 Miami Norland powered by #7 Hialeah 39-7 and #5 Dillard beat #4 John Carroll Catholic 43-20. 

     In Class 3A of Region 4, #1 Miami Northwestern pounded #8 Barron Collier 69-0. #5 Miami Jackson was edged by #4 Lely 43-39 while #3 Somerset Academy fell to #6 Cypress Lake 27-7. #2 Key West breezed by #7 Estero 42-7. 

     The South Florida area was almost swept in Region 3 of Class 2A. #8 Somerset Academy Canyons lost to #1 Cardinal Mooney 55-27, #3 Glades Central was defeated by #6 Lakewood 14-7 and #5 The King's Academy got by #4 Calvary Christian Academy 28-26.

     Region 4 had the top seed #1 Booker T. Washington victorious over #8 North Miami Beach 31-13 and #4 Cardinal Gibbons get by #5 Carol City 17-14. #3 Monsignor Pace handled #6 Ransom Everglades 40-10 while #2 Immaculata-La Salle slipped by #7 Gulliver Prep 27-21. 

     Class 1A in Region 3 resulted in #1 Cardinal Newman destroying #8 Evangelical Christian 51-0. #3 Benjamin finished with a 42-0 shutout of #6 Northside Christian. 

     Region 4 saw #1 Chaminade-Madonna dismantle #8 St. John Paul II 63-0 and #4 St. Andrew's outbattle #5 Archbishop Carroll 31-20. #3 Miami Edison smashed #6 Somerset Academy Key 42-0 and #2 Tru North Academy topped #7 Palmer Trinity 42-0. 

     Class Rural had only one South Florida team in the classification. #6 Pahokee was able to shut out #11 Chipley 42-0. 

Heat Speed By 76ers

     The Miami Heat canned the Philadelphia 76ers 106-89 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat are coming off a six-game road trip. Sixers forward Caleb Martin made his return to Miami and face his former team. 

     Philadelphia(2-11) zipped out to a 33-25 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. The Sixers had a slight 56-53 advantage at halftime. Jimmy Butler of the Heat had 19 points in the first half. 

     Miami(6-7) controlled the third quarter as they outscored the 76ers 35-16 for an 88-72 lead. The Heat had more than a double-digit lead through the final quarter. 

     The Heat got a game-high 30 points along with 10 rebounds from Butler. Tyler Herro drained in 18 points while Duncan Robinson poured in 13 points. 

     Paul George led the 76ers with 18 points. Jared McCain was able to drop in 20 points and Martin finished with 12 points. Joel Embiid was able to add 11 points and eight rebounds. 

Pacers Sweep Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Indiana Pacers 119-110 on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It was the second time in three days that both clubs face each other at the same venue. Their contest on Friday night involved the group stage of the NBA Cup. 

     Indiana(6-7) moved out to a 28-20 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. Miami(5-7) cut the deficit and trailed 52-49 at halftime.  

     The Pacers extended their lead to 85-75 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat tied it up 97-97 with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, however Indiana finished the contest on a 22 -13 run. 

     Bam Adebayo chalked up 24 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Herro added 28 points for Miami. Duncan Robinson was able to drop in 20 points. 

     Myles Turner helped Indiana with a game-high 34 points along with nine rebounds while Pascal Siakam placed in 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton had a double-double of 16 points and 13 assists. 

Dolphins Attack Raiders

     The Miami Dolphins defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 34-19 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins have won two straight games. The Raiders came off a bye week. 

     Miami(4-6) led 7-3 by the end of the first quarter. Both teams exchanged in the second quarter and the Fins led 10-6 at halftime. 

     Las Vegas(2-8) kept on pace to begin the second half and were down 17-12 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Dolphins pulled away scoring 10 points in the final 3:19 of the contest. 

Panthers Destroy Jets

     The Florida Panthers flew by the Winnipeg Jets 5-0 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Jets were off to one of the best starts in National Hockey League history after 16 games. The Panthers avoided a three-game losing streak and completed a five-game homestand. 

     It will be a short time before both clubs meet again. They will face each other in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. 

     Florida(12-5-1) took a 1-0 lead with 5:01 remaining in the first period. A.J. Greer connected a cross-ice pass from the right point. Gustav Forsling shot the puck from the upper left circle and Mackie Samoskevich redirected it from the top of the crease past Connor Hellybuyck for his third career goal. 

     It became 2-0 for the Panthers at the 2:07 mark of the second period. Sam Reinhart touched the puck behind his own cage. Sam Bennett carried the puck through the middle of the ice and backhanded a shot from the inner right circle which was saved. Nate Schmidt followed with a forehand shot from the left circle for his third tally in a Panthers uniform. 

     The Cats made it 3-0 with 7:39 to go in the second. Aleksander Barkov snapped a shot from the slot area and Evan Rodrigues scored his fifth goal of the year with a snap shot from the left of the crease. Aaron Ekblad was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     Winnipeg(15-3-0) then trailed by four goals on a shorthanded goal with 5:24 left in the period. Reinhart shot the puck from the inner right circle off the left post. Barkov followed with a backhand shot from the crease area for his third goal of the campaign. 

     In the third period, Florida expanded their lead to 5-0 in a 4-on-4 situation at 3:23. Reinhart zipped a pass from the right corner and Barkov sent a diagonal pass from above the right circle. Dmitry Kulikov tapped the puck into the net from low slot for his third tally of the year.  

South Florida High Schools In Second Round

     There were 59 tri-county South Florida high schools that entered the 2024 FHSAA Football Playoffs. 32 teams advanced to the second round of the postseason. 

     Palm Beach County went from 16 teams to 10. Atlantic, Palm Beach Central, Boca Raton, West Boca Raton, Jupiter, Pahokee, Cardinal Newman, Benjamin, The King's Academy and St. Andrew's moved to the next round. Glades Central, Santaluces, Spanish River, Royal Palm Beach, Somerset Academy Canyons and St. John Paul II fell. 

     Broward County dropped from 19 high schools to 12. St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons, Chaminade-Madonna, American Heritage, Blanche Ely, Dillard, Monarch, Miramar, Piper, Western, West Broward and Archbishop McCarthy prevailed. Plantation, Coconut Creek, Somerset Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, Flanagan, South Broward and Somerset Academy Key lost. 

     Dade County shifted from 24 teams to 10. Columbus, Booker T. Washington, Miami Northwestern, Miami Edison, Miami Norland, Monsignor Pace, South Dade, Southridge, Tru North Academy and Immaculata-La Salle won. Carol City, North Miami Beach, North Miami, Doral Academy, Hialeah, Homestead, Mater Academy, Miami Jackson, Miami Palmetto, Ransom Everglades, Archbishop Carroll, Goleman, Gulliver Prep and Palmer Trinity were defeated. 

Palm Beach Central Downs Fort Pierce Central

     The #1 Palm Beach Central Broncos blanked the #8 Fort Pierce Central Cobras 38-0 at Broncos Stadium on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal contest inside Region 3. The Broncos have won 10 straight games and will host the Vero Beach Indians next week. 

     Palm Beach Central(10-1) rolled out to a 24-0 lead by halftime. The Broncos put up seven points in the third and seven points in the fourth versus Fort Pierce Central(5-6) and led 38-0. A running clock was implemented for the remainder of the game.

Connor Williams Retiring

     Offensive lineman Connor Williams is retiring from the National Football League. He was with the Seattle Seahawks this season and played in nine games. 

     Williams spent two seasons with the Miami Dolphins in 2022 and 2023. He was able to participate in 26 contests with the Fins. 

St. Thomas Aquinas Routs North Miami

     In Group 4, the #2 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders smashed the #7 North Miami Pioneers 58-0 in a FHSAA Class 5A regional quarterfinal in Group 4 on Friday night at Simmons Family Field in Fort Lauderdale. STA is four victories away from a FHSAA record sixth consecutive football state title and state-record 16th overall state championship. 

     St. Thomas Aquinas(8-3) did get out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Raiders continued to add on the points for a 58-point margin over North Miami(6-5). 

Chaminade-Madonna Blanks St. John Paul II

     The #1 Chaminade-Madonna Lions shut out the #8 St. John Paul II Eagles 63-0 in a FHSAA Class 7A at Vince Zappone Field in Hollywood on Friday night. The Lions, who have won ninth straight games, continue their march to a fourth consecutive state championship. The Eagles lost their final four games in 2024. 

     Chaminade-Madonna(9-2) rushed out to a 49-0 lead. A running clock was used during the second half. St. John Paul II(4-6) gave up two more touchdowns to the Lions. 

Atlantic Squashes Mater Academy

     The #1 Atlantic Eagles shut down the #8 Mater Academy Lions 49-13 in a FHSAA Class 5A regional quarterfinal at Atlantic Stadium on Friday night. The top-seeded Eagles advanced to the next round in Group 4. 

     Atlantic(10-1) had a 7-0 over Mater Academy(6-5) in the opening quarter and sprinted out to a 35-7 halftime advantage. The Eagles outscored the Lions 14-6 during the third quarter. 

Plantation Upended By Archbishop McCarthy

     The #3 Plantation Colonels were upset by the #6 Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks 7-0 at PAL Field in a FHSAA Class 4A regional quarterfinal from Region 4. It was the only first-round contest played in Broward County on Thursday night. 

     Archbishop McCarthy(7-4) scored the only touchdown of the game against Plantation(6-5) during the second quarter. All four high schools, which included the Mavericks and the Colonels, from District 15-4A qualified for the postseason this year. 

Heat Explode On Pacers

     The Miami Heat pushed by the Indiana Pacers 124-111 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night. It was the second game of the NBA Cup for the Heat. who now have a 1-1 group record. 

     It was the first of two contests to be played in Indianapolis this weekend. Both clubs will face each other again on Sunday. 

     The National Basketball Association began the implement back-to-back games in the same venue between the same two teams a couple of years ago. The main reasons were travel constraints and financial circumstances.

     Indiana(5-7) stomped out to a 29-26 advantage at the end of the first quarter.  Miami(5-6) went by them and led 61-55 at halftime. 

     The Heat were able to stay ahead 98-85 by the conclusion of the third quarter. They retained at least a double-digit lead in the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo piled on 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Tyler Herro dropped in 20 points while Kevin Love added 15 points along with seven rebounds. 

     The Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton with 18 points and eight rebounds. Pascal Siakam was able to place in 14 points. 

Nick Wize Expands At WDAE

     Former West Palm Beach radio program director Nick Wize has added duties at WDAE-FM and WDAE-AM in Tampa as their program director. Wize has hosted Saturday shows on WDAE. He will continue as an afternoon host, assistant program director and music director at sister-station WFLZ-FM. 

     Wize did have a stint in local radio in South Florida. He spent time as the program director at Wild 95.5 WLDI-FM in West Palm Beach. 

Panthers Swept By Devils

     The Florida Panthers were the victims of a two-game sweep at home with a 6-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Both teams faced each other two nights ago in the same venue during a rare occurrence of NHL back-to-back meetings. 

     Jesper Bratt delivered a hat trick for New Jersey(12-6-2) with three goals. Florida(11-5-1) never led during the entire contest. They were able to tie it up on two occasions 1-1 and 2-2. 

Columbus Dominates Spanish RIver

     The #1 Columbus Explorers routed the #8 Spanish River Sharks 56-8 in Dade County on Thursday night in a Region 4 FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal. Columbus(7-3) has captured a state championship in the past two seasons while Spanish River(7-4) reached the postseason for the second straight time. 

     It was one of the first four football postseason game played in South Florida this year. All other first-round contests in the FHSAA Playoffs will occur tomorrow. It stated oof the new state playoff classifications implemented by the Florida Athletic Association in 2024.

Sabres Reacqiure James Reimer

     The Buffalo Sabres have claimed James Reimer off waivers. He played two games for the Anaheim Ducks this season, surrendered nine goals, had an .864 save percentage and finished with a 0-2-0 record.

     He signed as a free agent with the Sabres back on July 2. Reimer never played a regular season contest with them and was claimed off waivers by the Ducks on October 7. 

     Reimer had a stint with the Florida Panthers for three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. The Cats did not reach the postseason during that stretch. He chalked up a 53-42-16 record with a 2.45 goals-against-average and .912 save percentage in 123 games with Florida. 

Michael Hutchinson Going To Europe

     Former Florida Panthers goalie Michael Hutchinson will not be playing in the National Hockey League any more this season. He has signed a contract with SaiPa in Finland for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. 

     He did receive a professional tryout offer from the New Jersey Devils prior to the season. Hutchinson was with the Panthers for four games during 2018-19 and had a 1-1-2 record. 

Devils Drop Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night. The Panthers had their seven-game winning streak snapped. 

     Both clubs will meet each other again in the same venue on Thursday night. It is a rare situation set up by the National Hockey League for financial reasons. 

     The Panthers remained first in the Atlantic Division. The Devils were able to leap into first place inside the Metropolitan Division. 

     New Jersey(11-6-2) reached out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:30 mark of the opening frame. Jack Hughes released a one-time slap shot from the low right circle for his eighth goal of the 2024-25 season following assists from Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton. Hughes was able to chalk up his 300th NHL point in his 325th career game, which is the fastest done in Devils franchise history passing Kirk Muller who did it in 332 contests. 

     In the second period, Florida(11-4-1) tied it up 1-1 on the power play at 8:41. Aleksander Barkov passed form the right wing. Uvis Balinskis took a shot from the right point and Sam Reinhart redirected it from the slot area for his 12th goal of the campaign. Aleksander Barkov was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     The Devils reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 2:31 remaining in the second. Dawson Mercer fed the puck from the neutral zone and Timo Meier placed a snap shot from the high slot by Spencer Knight for his seventh tally this year. 

     New Jersey extended their lead to 3-1 with 4:53 to go in the third period. Nico Hischier entered the Panthers zone and angles a pass to his left from the high slot. Paul Cotter scored his seventh goal this season on a wrist shot from the left-circle dot. Hamilton collected his second assist on the sequence. Ondrej Palat added an empty-net goal with 1:02 left in the third for a 4-1 advantage. 

Pistons Drive By Heat In NBA Cup Opener

     The Detroit Pistons passed by the Miami Heat 123-121 in overtime at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night. It was the opening game for both teams in the NBA Cup. Each club will play three more games to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament. 

     Detroit(5-7) rolled out to a 32-21 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Pistons remained in front with a 57-52 halftime lead. 

     Miami(4-6) could not chip at the deficit and trailed 91-82 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat were down 109-99 with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter. They went on a 12-2 run to tie it up 111-111 with 32.2 seconds to go. 

     The contest went into overtime. Tyler Herro put in a six-foot bank shot from the right side with 1.8 seconds left. Detroit got an uncontested dunk from Jalen Duren on an inbound pass by Cade Cunningham with 1.1 seconds remaining to even it up 121-121. Miami received a technical foul when head coach Erik Spoelstra called a time out that the team did not have. Malik Beasley placed in the technical foul shot to put the game away. 

     Tyler Herro tied the Heat franchise record with 10 three-point shots made and ended up with a game-high 40 points. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson showed up off the bench and dropped in 14 points each. 

     Cade Cunningham ended up leading the Pistons with 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. His new teammate Tobias Harris scored 18 points while Beasley added 21 points. 

Ichiro Suzuki Nominated For Baseball Hall Of Fame

     The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the 2025 nominees for the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the players is former Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. The BBWAA will made their announcement of the newest members to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 21. 

     He played with the Marlins for three seasons from 2015 to 2017. Ichiro finished with a .256 batting average, .640 OPS, five home runs, 63 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases with Miami in 432 games. 

     Ichiro was in the majors from 2001 until 2019. He had stints with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in 2001. Ichiro helped Seattle set the American League record for most wins in a season that year. He finished with career marks of 3,089 base hits, 690 stolen bases and a .311 batting average. 

Dolphins Surprise Rams

     The Miami Dolphins knocked off the Los Angeles Rams 23-15 at SoFi Stadium on Monday night. The Dolphins snapped a three-game winning streak while the Rams had their three-game winning streak stopped.  

     Miami(3-6) rambled out to a 7-0 lead at the 12:01 mark of the first quarter. Running back Malik Washington rushed around the right end from 18 yards out. The Fins got a 50-yard field goal from Jason Sanders just 53 seconds into the second quarter for a 10-0 lead. 

     Los Angeles(4-5) cut at the deficit later in the second and were down 10-6. Joshua Karty kicked a 34-yard field goal with 5:46 to go and a 55-yard field goal with no time remaining in the first half. 

     The Dolphins expanded their lead to 17-6 with 5:32 left in the third quarter. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill on the left side of the end zone. 

     The Rams trailed 17-9 at the 14:55 mark of the fourth quarter when Karty booted a 53-yard field goal. The Fins answered back on a 37-yard field goal by Sanders with 9:07 remaining. Karty had a field goal form 22 yards with 6:31 to go in the fourth and led 20-12. Sanders responded with a 50-yard field goal with 2:38 left. It was followed by a 31-yard field goal by Karty with 39 seconds to go and Miami led 23-15. Karty put up all of the scoring for Los Angeles with five overall field goals. 

Pedro Guerrero Marlins Hitting Coach

     The Miami Marlins have named Pedro Guerrero as their new hitting coach. He was the assistant hitting coach with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2018 to 2021 and the San Francisco Giants from 2022 to 2024. 

     Guerrero is best known for playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He helped that franchise win the 1981 World Series and was voted as World Series Tri-Most Valuable Player. 

Clayton McCullough New Miami Marlins Manager

     The Miami Marlins have hired Clayton McCullough as their new manager. He takes over for Skip Schumaker at the helm. 

     McCullough has spent the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers as their first base coach. The Dodgers recently captured the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees on October 30. 

2024 FHSAA Class 7A Football Playoff Brackets

     The largest populated high schools in the state compete in the Class 7A classification. There are 15 South Florida teams from the five different counties. 

     In Region 3, the #1 Palm Beach Central Broncos shows up as the top seed and hosts #8 Fort Pierce Central. The #4 Vero Beach Indians will be at home versus #5 Lake Nona. The #6 Treasure Coast Titans are at the #3 Jupiter Warriors. 

     Region 4 has the two-time defending state champions the #1 Columbus Explorers hosting the #8 Spanish River Sharks. #5 South Dade visit the #4 Santaluces Chiefs, #7 Western goes to #2 Miami Palmetto and #6 Goleman is at the #3 Boca Raton Bobcats. 

2024 FHSAA Class 6A Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 6A is represented by high schools that are large size. There are 10 teams from the South Florida tri-county area that will compete in this classification. 

     The #1 West Boca Raton Bulls are the top seed in Region 3 and will host #8 Steinbrenner. The #6 Royal Palm Beach Wildcats return to the postseason and goes to #3 Wireless Ranch. 

     In Region 4, the #4 Monarch Knights host the #5 Homestead Broncos while #8 South Broward is at #1 Southridge. #2 Piper is at home against #7 Doral Academy and #6 Flanagan travels to #3 South Broward. 

2024 FHSAA Class 5A Football Playoff Brackets

     The larger size high schools show up in the Class 5A classification. It will involve eight local high schools in South Florida. 

     Region 4 has the five-time defending state championships the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders who will be looking for a state-record 16th FHSAA state title. STA is the #2 seed and hosts #7 North Miami. The #1 Atlantic Eagles are slated as the top seed and will host #8 Mater Academy. Broward County neighbors battle it out as the #6 Coconut Creek Cougars visit the #3 Blanche Ely Tigers. #5 Heritage travels to #4 Miramar. 

2024 FHSAA Class 4A Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 4A has some local high schools playing in its classification. There are teams from five different counties in South Florida that will participate. 

     In Region 4, the top-seeded #1 American Heritage Patriots will host the #8 Jensen Beach Falcons. #5 John Carroll Catholic heads for the #4 Dillard Panthers while #6 Archbishop McCarthy is at the #3 Plantation Colonels. It is a Dade County battle as #7 Hialeah is at the #2 Miami Norland Vikings. 

2024 FHSAA Class 3A Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 3A is represented by high schools that are around medium size. This classification has the least amount of South Florida high schools involved with the exception of Class Rural for the 2024 FHSAA Playoffs. 

     Region 4 has the #1 Miami Northwestern Bulls hosting #8 Barron Collier. The #5 Miami Jackson Generals are at #4 Lely. #6 Cypress Lake goes to #3 Somerset Academy and #7 Estero makes the long trip to the #2 Key West Conchs. 

2024 FHSAA Class 2A Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 2A will have several medium sized high schools in their classification. 12 high school football teams are from the South Florida tri-county area. 

     In Region 3. the #3 Glade Central Raiders host #6 Lakewood. It will also have the #8 Somerset Academy Canyons Cougars at #1 Cardinal Mooney while #5 The King's Academy Lions visit #4 Calvary Christian Academy Eagles. 

     All teams in Region 4 are from South Florida. The top-seeded #1 Booker T. Washington Tornadoes host #8 North Miami Beach. #5 Carol City Chiefs heads for #4 Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs. #6 Ransom Everglades travels to #3 Monsignor Pace and #7 Gulliver Prep goes to #2 Immaculata-La Salle. 

2024 FHSAA Class 1A Football Playoff Brackets

     Class 1A is part of the numerous classification changes by the FHSAA in 2024. It will have the smaller size high schools throughout the state. 

     Region 3 has two teams from Palm Beach County involved. The #1 Cardinal Newman Crusaders will host #8 Evangelical Christian. The #3 Benjamin Buccaneers will be at home against #6 Northside Christian. 

     Region 4 will have eight high schools from the South Florida tri-county area. The #1 Chaminade-Madonna Lions will begin their path toward a fourth consecutive state championship when they host #8 St. Paul John II Eagles. #7 Palmer Trinity is at #2 Tru North Academy, #6 Somerset Academy Key visits the #3 Miami Edison Red Raiders and the #5 St. Andrew's Scots travel to #4 Archbishop Carroll. 

2024 FHSAA Class Rural Football Playoff Brackets

     The 2024 football postseason brackets have been rolled out for the lower populated areas of the state.  Class Rural consists of only 16 teams that will be involved in four rounds of playoffs. The Class Rural state championship will be held at The Villages on December 6. 

     There is just one high school from the South Florida area in Class Rural. The Pahokee Blue Devils are seeded sixth and will host #11 Chipley in the regional semifinals. 

2024 FHSAA Playoffs Local County Breakdown

     The 2024 FHSAA Playoffs in high school football will be played later on this week. All counties in the South Florida region will be represented in the postseason. 

     Dade County finished up with 24 teams for the football playoffs. High schools include Miami Northwestern, Columbus, Miami Norland, Miami Palmetto, Miami Jackson, Doral Academy, Mater Academy, North Miami, Miami Edison, Booker T. Washington, Carol City, Hialeah, North Miami Beach, Homestead, South Dade, Southridge. Gulliver Prep, Monsignor Pace, Ransom Everglades, Goleman, Immaculata-La Salle, Archbishop Carroll, Palmer Trinity and Tru North Academy. The Florida Keys area had one high school with Key West.

     Broward County is represented by 19 high schools. They consist of St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade-Madonna, American Heritage, Cardinal Gibbons, Blanche Ely, Coconut Creek, Dillard, Plantation, Miramar, Monarch, Western, Piper, Flanagan, South Broward, West Broward, Somerset Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, Archbishop McCarthy and Somerset Academy Key.

     Palm Beach County ended up with 16 teams in the postseason. South Palm Beach County had Atlantic, West Boca Raton, Santaluces, Spanish River, Boca Raton, Somerset Academy Canyons, St. Andrew's and St. John Paul II. Central Palm Beach County included Palm Beach Central, Cardinal Newman, Glades Central, Pahokee, The King's Academy and Royal Palm Beach. Jupiter and Benjamin were the only teams from North Palm Beach County. 

     St/ Lucie County chalked up three teams with Treasure Coast, Fort Pierce Central and John Carroll Catholic. Martin County only was represented by Jensen Beach. The only squad from Indian River County was Vero Beach. 

Heat Burn Timberwolves

     The Miami Heat got by the Minnesota Timberwolves 95-94 at Target Center on Sunday night. The Heat played their third game of the six-game road swing and snapped a three-game losing streak. 

     Miami(4-5) ran out to a 27-20 lead during the first quarter. The Heat still led the contest 52-51 at halftime. 

     It was a low-scoring third quarter as Minnesota(6-4) outscored their opponent 20-16 and led 71-68. The Heat went on a 15-6 run in the final 4:58 of the fourth quarter to pick up the victory. Nikita Jovic placed in the go-ahead free throw with 7.1 seconds remaining. 

     Tyler Herro had a game-high 26 points along with six rebounds for Miami. Jovic came off the bench and dropped in 15 points. Bam Adebayo finished with nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 

     Anthony Edwards poured in 22 points for the Timberwolves in the defeat. His new teammate Julius Randle ended up with 17 points, six assists and six rebounds. 

Inter Miami CF Eliminated By Atlanta United FC

     Inter Miami CF were stunned by Atlanta United FC 3-2 in Game 3 of the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Chase Bank in Fort Lauderdale. The Herons lost the best-of-three series 2-1 and were eliminated from the postseason. Inter Miami CF won the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield as they set a Major League Soccer regular season record with the most points in a campaign. 

     There was plenty of scoring between both teams during the first half of play. Matias Rojas gave Inter Miami CF a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. 

     Atlanta United FC roared back with two goals in a two-minute span to take a 2-1 lead. Jamal Thiare scored for them in the 19th minute and 21st minute. 

     In the second half, Lionel Messi helped the Herons tie the game 2-2 during the 65th minute Luis Suarez picked up the assist on that tally. 

     The shocking upset was completed by Atlanta United FC just 11 minutes later. They regained the lead 3-2 when Bartosz Slisz scored in the 76th minute. 

Panthers Hold Off Flyers

     The Florida Panthers handled the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers, who expanded their winning streak to seven games, continued their five-game homestand. The Cats will host the New Jersey Devils in separate games next week on Tuesday and Thursday. 

     Sergei Bobrovsky continued to climb the NHL all-time wins lists for a goalie. He surpassed Grant Fuhr for 12th place with his 404th career victory. 

     Philadelphia(5-8-2) started out with a 1-0 lead at the 4:57 mark of the first period. Bobby Brink took a shot from the low right circle which Sergei Bobrovsky saved. Scott Laughton poked the rebound from the right of the crease and Joel Farabee put in a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his third tally of the year. 

     Florida(11-3-1) tied it up 1-1 at 5:32 of the second period. Aleksander Barkov backhanded a pass from the center-zone dot. Evan Rodrigues carried it into the Flyers zone to the left wing. Nate Schmidt then blasted a one-time slap shot from the left point past Samuel Errson for his second goal in a Panthers uniform. 

     The Panthers jumped to a 2-1 lead at the 8:40 mark of the second. Dmitry Kulikov slid the puck to Rodrigues in the left circle. He centered it and Kulikov placed in a snap shot from the slot area for his second goal this season. Sam Reinhart was credited with a secondary assist on the play and extended his point streak to seven games. 

     The Flyers made it 2-2 with seven minutes to go in the second. Rasmus Ristolainen dropped a pass as he entered the Panthers zone. Tomas Konecny passed from the right point and Anthony Richard collected his second goal on a wrist shot from the top of the zone. 

     The Cats regained the lead 3-2 with 5:03 remaining in the period. Niko Mikkola sent a square pass from the high slot. Carter Verhaeghe made a diagonal touch pass from the left circle and Sam Bennett rifled a slap shot from the right of the crease for his ninth goal of the campaign. It turned out to be the 300th NHL point for Bennett. 

     In the third period, Philadelphia evened it up 3-3 with 10:13 to go. Nick Seeler cleared the puck from behind his own net with an outlet pass to his left. Laughton pushed a cross-ice pass at the Flyers blue line. Garnet Hathaway carried the puck down the ice into the Panthers zone. He backhanded a shot from the low left circle that went off the right skate of Uvis Balinskis and into the Panthers cage for his second goal of the year. 

     The Panthers prevailed in the shootout. Barkov steered in a one-handed backhand shot on Florida's first attempt. Former Panther Owen Tippett tied the shootout on the Flyers second attempt with a delayed forehand shot. The Cats finished it off in the fifth round when Rodrigues backhanded the puck into the cage. 

Hurricanes Upset By Georgia Tech

     The University of Miami Hurricanes were shocked by the Georgia Tech University Yellow Jackets 28-23 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday. The Canes were ranked fourth nationally entering this contest. 

     Miami(9-1, 5-1) got out to a 10-7 lead by the conclusion of the opening quarter. Georgia Tech)(6-4, 4-3) picked up the only points of the second quarter and led 14-10 at halftime. 

     The Yellow Jackets outscored The U 7-6 during the third quarter for a 21-16 lead. The Hurricanes gave up a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, however they answered back and pulled it to 28-23 with 6:07 remaining. 

Nuggets Shake Heat

     The Denver Nuggets took the Miami Heat 135-122 at Ball Arena on Friday night. It was a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals between both clubs. The Heat have lost three straight games and continued the long road trip. 

     Denver(6-3) blitzed the Heat and outscored them 40-27 in the first quarter. They still had a stranglehold of the lead 71-60 at halftime. Miami(3-5) was behind even more 104-90 at the conclusion of the third quarter.  

     Tyler Herro placed club-highs for the Heat with 24 points and 11 assists. Bam Adebayo fell short of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds. Duncan Robinson poured in 20 points while Terry Rozier along with Haywood Highsmith had 17 points each. 

     Nikola Jovic compiled a triple-double for the Nuggets with game-highs of 30 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Jamal Murray answered with 28 points and Michael Porter Jr. got 21 points. 

American Heritage Falls To Frostproof

     The American Heritage Stallions were eliminated by the Frostproof Bulldogs 21-0 at Scott Maurer Memorial Field in The Corral on Friday night in Delray Beach. The Bulldogs advanced in the SSAC Atlantic State Championship Semifinals and will host the Fernandina Beach Pirates in the state title game next week. 

     This was the only high school football game played in the tri-county South Florida area on Friday night. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton forced the Florida High School Athletic Association to reschedule and begin the FHSAA Football Playoffs next week. 

     Frostproof(8-3) was able to get out in front and had a 14-0 lead over American Heritage(8-3) by halftime. They had one touchdown in the first quarter and one touchdown in the second quarter. The Bulldogs reached the end zone again during the fourth. 

Palm Beach Gardens Rolls By Dwyer

     The Palm Beach Gardens breezed by the Dwyer Panthers 28-13 on Thursday night at Mullinax Ford Stadium. Both high schools are five miles apart from each other on Military Trail in northern Palm Beach County.

      It was the first time that the Gators and the Panthers faced each other in a regular season finale. The game was postponed back on the weekend of October 11 due to the effect of Hurricane Milton on the region. 

     Palm Beach Gardens(3-7) won their third straight contest in the longtime neighborhood rivalry between both teams. Dwyer(3-7) was victorious on 11 consecutive occasions from 2008 to 2021. 

Atlantic Clinches District 14-5A Over Coconut Creek

     The Atlantic Eagles wrapped up the District 14-5A title with a 34-25 victory over the Coconut Creek Cougars at Atlantic Stadium on Thursday night in Delray Beach. The Eagles finished ahead of the Blanche Ely Tigers in the district standings. 

     Atlantic(9-1, 3-0) barely held a 7-6 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. Coconut Creek(4-5, 1-2) responded in the second quarter and had a 18-14 halftime lead. 

     The Cougars reached the end zone one minute into the second half, but the Eagles answered back. Running back Dylan Elie raced in on a four-yard touchdown run followed by a 15 -yard touchdown pass by quarterback Lincoln Graf to wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann and they led 28-25 by the end of the third quarter. Atlantic added another touchdown when running back Jamar Dean got into the end zone from nine yards away with five minutes left in the final quarter. 

Cardinal GIbbons Wallops Deerfield Beach

     The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs dismantled the Deerfield Beach Bucks 48-6 at Dr. Bud Tight Field in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night. The Bucks finished with their worst season in the 21st century while the Chiefs will enter the FHSAA postseason next week as District 13-2A champions. 

     Cardinal Gibbons(6-4) rocketed out to a 21-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Deerfield Beach(1-8) did get on the scoreboard with a touchdown in the second quarter, however they were down 34-6 at halftime. The Chiefs outscored the Bucks 7-6 during the third quarter and had a comfortable 41-12 lead. 

Dillard Takes District Title Versus Dr. Joaquin Garcia

     The Dillard Panthers clinched the District 14-4A title with a 30-0 victory over the Dr. Joaquin Garcia Bulldogs at Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Both teams were undefeated in the district entering the contest. 

     It was a valiant effort for Dr. Joaquin Garcia(7-3, 3-1) this year. The Bulldogs high school football program was just playing in their second season and first year in a district. 

     Dillard(8-2, 4-0) got seven points in the first quarter and 14 points in the second quarter for a 21-0 halftime lead. The Panthers added another touchdown during the third quarter for a 27-point lead. 

Panthers Party On Predators

     The Florida Panthers rushed by the Nashville Predators 6-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. The Cats were coming off a five-game road trip, which included the final two contests held in Finland. The Panthers were starting a five-game homestand in Sunrise. 

     It was the first time that Steven Stamkos faced Florida in a Predators uniform. The last time he saw them on the ice was when his former team the Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated during Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stamkos entered the contest with career marks of 51 goals, 48 assists, 99 points and 22 power-play goals in a combined 82 regular season and postseason games against the Panthers. 

     Florida(10-3-1) blasted out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:33 mark of the first period. Nico Mikkola poked the puck ahead from his own blue line. Aleksander Barkov connected a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. 

Sam Reinhart caried the puck through the right circle, around the cage and put in a wraparound shot for his 11tth goal of the season. 

     The Cats expanded it to 2-0 at 5:14. Uvis Balinskis sent a square pass and Carter Verhaeghe cleared the zone with a lead pass. Matthew Tkachuk entered the Predators zone and snapped a shot from the right-circle dot which was stopped by Scott Wedgewood. He placed in a wrist shot on the rebound from the right of the crease for his fourth tally of the campaign. 

     The Panthers made it 3-0 just 1:56 into the second period. Anton Lundell pushed the puck from the left wing and Sam Bennett banked a pass from the end wall. Evan Rodrigues skated back from the right goal line and released a snap shot from the low right circle for his fourth goal this year. 

     Nashville(4-9-1), who came into the contest with the worst record in the Western Conference, surrendered a power-play goal and trailed 4-0 with 8:42 remaining in the second. Barkov angled a pass from the right circle and Balinskis shot the puck from the top of the zone. Verhaeghe got to the loose puck and lifted a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his third tally this season. 

     The Predators broke the shutout with 6:08 left in the period.to make it 4-1 Filip Forsberg backhanded a pass from the right wing. Roman Josi passed to his left in the high slot and Stamkos collected his fourth goal with his new team on a one-time slap shot from the low left circle by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     Florida regained a four-goal margin with 27.4 seconds to go in the frame. Barkov slid a pass from the right circle and Verhaeghe got his second goal of the contest on a forehand shot from the low slot. Tkachuk was credited with a secondary assist on the play. Barkov and Verhaeghe chalked up their third points in the contest. 

Anthony Maldonado Off To A's

     Miami Marlins relief pitcher Anthony Maldonado has been picked up on waivers by the A's. His new club with be playing their home games in Sacramento for the next three seasons. 

     Maldonado got to the majors for the first time in his career with the Fish. He had a 1-1 record with a 5.68 earned run average in 16 contests. 

Utica Devils Dump Kevin Dineen

     The Utica Devils have let go head coach Kevin Dineen. The club is the American Hockey League affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. 

     Dineen once held the post of head coach with the Florida Panthers. He finished with a 56-62-28 record in three seasons for Florida. He guided the Panthers to their first division title in franchise history during the 2011-12 NHL campaign. 

Heat Blow Lead To Suns

     The Miami Heat blew a 15-point margin in the second half and lost to the Phoenix Suns 115-112 on Wednesday night at Footprint Center. It was the beginning of a six-game road swing for the Heat. The Suns tied their best start in franchise history after eight games. 

     Phoenix(7-1) broke out to a 26-25 lead after one quarter. Miami(3-4) moved ahead and led 58-55 at halftime. 

     The Heat led 84-69 with 3:13 left in the third quarter and maintained an 87-84 advantage at the end of the frame. The Suns outscored Miami by six points during the fourth quarter.    

     Tyler Herro led the Heat with 28 points and six assists. Bam Adebayo compiled 12 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Jimmy Butler had 15 points along with seven rebounds. 

     Kevin Durant dropped in a game-high 32 points along with eight rebounds for the Suns. Devin Booker added 22 points and nine assists. Jusuf Nurkic got 20 points and grabbed on to a game-high 18 rebounds. 

Dillard Stomps Suncoast

     The Dillard Panthers pounded the Suncoast Chargers 56-0 on Monday night in Riviera Beach. It was a District 14-4A matchup between both teams. 

     Dillard(7-2, 3-0) sprinted out to a 20-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Suncoast(3-7, 1-3) gave up nine points in the second quarter and trailed 29-0 at halftime. The Panthers added 15 points during the third quarter for a running clock to be implemented. They scored two more touchdowns in the final quarter for a 56-point margin. 

     The Panthers will host the Dr. Joaquin Garcia Bulldogs on Thursday for the District 14-4A title. The Chargers have concluded their regular season schedule. 

Skip Schumaker Hired By Rangers

     The Texas Rangers have hired former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. He will work as a senior advisor with the club. 

     Schumaker spent the past two seasons at the helm managing the Marlins. He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2023 with a 84-78 record and capturing a National League Wild-Card spot. It was the first time that the Marlins reached the postseason during a 162-game season in 20 years The team ended up with a 62-100 record this past season. 

Sixto Sanchez Becomes Free Agent

     Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez declared himself as a free agent on Monday. He was taken off the Marlins roster and sent down to their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville. 

     He was part of a four-player with the Philadelphia Phillies for J.T. Realmuto on Feburary 7, 2019. Sanchez only reached the majors with Miami in 2020 and 2024. He had a 3-5 record and a 4.70 earned run average in 21 games with the Marlins.  

John McMillon Claimed By Phillies

     John McMillon has been picked up off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent most of the 2024 campaign with Jacksonville which is the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. 

     McMillon made 10 relief appearance for the Marlins this season. He finished up with a 2-1 record and a 1.50 earned run average. 

Blue Jays Claim Michael Petersen

     The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed Miami Marlins relief pitcher Michaeel Petersen off waivers. He split the 2024 season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Marlins. It was his first year in the majors. 

     Miami picked up Petersen off waivers on September 10. He had a 0-1 record and a 4.76 earned run average in five contests with the Fish. Petersen chalked up a 3-0 record with 6.43 earned run average in 11 games with Dodgers earlier in the 2024 campaign. 

Emerson Lotzia Exits WZLX-FM

     The Rich Shertenlieb morning show on WZLX-FM in Boston was a job cut made by iHeartMedia. One-time West Palm Beach television sportscaster Emerson Lotzia was an on-air contributor to that program since May. 

     Lotzia continues his role in Boston as The Sweat podcast co-host at DraftKings. He was a sports anchor for WPTV-TV Channel 5 and WFLX-TV Channel 29 in West Palm Beach from 2013 to December 2015. Lotzia then was a studio co-host of After Hours on NESN. 

Zac Blobner Out At WDAE

     Former Miami sports talk radio host Zac Blobner is no longer the midday co-host at WDAE-AM and WDAE-FM in Tampa. He joined them in 2017 as a producer. Blobner would later become a weekend host, morning show producer and midday co-host at WDAE. 

     Blobner did co-host the Sunshine Sports Showdown with Brandon Kravitz on Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM in Miami from April 2020 until late 2020. The program was also simulcasted on WFXJ-AM in Jacksonville and WYGM-FM in Orlando. 

Pitbull Stadium Hosting FHSAA Football Finals

     The Florida High School Athletic Association announced that South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium on the Florida Intenational University campus in Miami will be the host of the FHSAA Football Finals for the next three years. They will have seven classification championship games this year consisting of Class 7A to Class 1A from December 11 to December 14. 

     Dade County will host the FHSAA state championship games for the first time since 2006. They were held at Dolphin Stadium in 2005 and 2006. Florida International University did host several lower classification championship contests in 2005. 

FHSAA Football Playoffs Pushed Back

     The Florida High School Athletic Association has pushed back their football postseason. The FHSAA Playoffs has been rescheduled to start not this coming weekend. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton forced some high schools to postpone games and play them later in the future to up until this week. 

     The FHSAA Playoffs will begin on November 14 instead of this Thursday. There will be five rounds of postseason play in seven classifications from Class 7A down to Class 1A. The Class Rural will have four rounds. 

     It was announced that South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium on the Florida International University campus in Miami will host seven FHSAA football finals from December 11 to December 14. That venue lasted hosted a FHSAA championship contests in 2005. Dade County has not been the home of FHSAA football state title games since 2006 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Class Rural championship will occur December 6 from The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium in The Villages. 

Steve Diener Adds Duties

     Steve Diener has increased his role at Hubbard Radio in West Palm Beach with another additional role. He recently became the weekend late evening disc jockey at Sunny 107.9 FM WEAT-FM. 

     Diener continues as the assistant program director at Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM and ended his run as a five-minute midday segment host. He was elevated from morning producer to morning co-host at 850 WFTL-AM in August. 

Kings Dethorne Heat

     The Miami Heat were barely beat by the Sacramento Kings 111-110 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat lost for the third time in four home games this season. The Kings won in Miami for just the sixth time in 37 occasions. 

      It was the only home game for the Heat in an eight-game stretch. They will begin a six-game road trip on Wednesday in Phoenix. 

     Tonight's game had a rare 8:15 p.m. start time. All 30 NBA teams played in 15 different contests on Monday in 15-minute starting intervals.

     Miami(3-3) had a slight 25-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat were able to extend their lead to 61-48 by halftime. 

     Sacramento(4-3) answered back and outscored Miami 37-17 during the third quarter for an 85-78 advantage. Domantas Sabonis put in a seven-foot shot from the lane with 0.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Kings a 111-110 lead. 

     Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro led the Heat as they both scored a club-high 27 points each. Bam Adebayo fell short of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. 

     De'Aaron Fox ended up with a game-high 28 points for the Kings. Sabonis had a double-double of 16 points along with 16 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan dropped in 26 points in the win. 

Roddery Munoz Claimed By Cardinals

     Miami Marlins starting pitcher Roddery Munoz was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. He is joining a pitching staff that intents to be restructured. 

     Munoz reached the majors for the first time during the 2024 regular season. He finished with a 2-7 record in 18 games pitched and a 6.53 earned run average.