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 and five-minute midday segment host at Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM. 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. 

Marlins Pick Up Christian Roa

     The Miami Marlins have claimed pitcher Christain Roa from the Cincinnati Reds. It was the first acquisition by the Fish since the end of the 2024 World Series on October 30. 

     Roa has never pitched in Major League Baseball. He spent this past season with the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville with a 4-5 record with a 5.55 earned run average in 23 games. 

Darren McCaughan Free Agent

     Miami Marlins pitcher Darren McCaughan has declared free agency. Minor league players are allowed to become free agent at the conclusion of the minor league baseball season. 

     McCaughan had an unusual 2024 campaign for journeyman pitcher. He began the year with the Miami Marlins. 

     He was purchased by the Cleveland Guardians from the Fish on May 9. McCaughan ended up with a 9.00 earned run average and a 0-0 in two contests

     McCaughan was claimed off waivers by the Marlins from the Guardians on July 7. He had a combined 0-0 record with a 5.75 earned run average in 10 games during his two stints in South Florida this year.

Bills Jump By Dolphins

     The Buffalo Bills leaped by the Miami Dolphins 30-27 at Highland Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins are now 4.5 games behind the Bills in the AFC East Division. 

     Miami(2-6)

     Buffalo(7-2) 

Atlanta United FC Escapes Inter Miami CF In Game 2

     Atlanta United FC stayed alive against Inter Miami CF 2-1 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs at Mercedez-Benz Stadium on Saturday night. Game 3 of the best-of-three series will be played in South Florida next Saturday.

     The Herons picked up the only goal during the first half for a 1-0 lead. Atlanta United FC goalkeeper Brad Guzan fanned on a clearing kick and David Martinez chipped in a left-footed shot from 19 yards away into an empty net for Inter Miami in the 40th minute. 

     In the second half, Atlanta United FC evened it up 1-1 in the 58th minute when Derick Williams put in a header from eight yards. They avoided elimination four minutes into stoppage time as Xande Silva fired an 18-yard shot with his right foot to make it 2-1. 

Heat Handle Wizards In Mexico City

     The Miami Heat easily topped from the Washington Wizards 118-98 on Saturday night. The contest was played in Mexico City in the 2024 NBA Mexico City Game. 

     Miami(3-2) raced out to a 31-21 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Heat extended their lead during the second quarter and were up 56-48 at halftime.  

     Washington(2-3) was outscored by 11 points in the third quarter and they were down 89-70. Miami put up more points than the Wizards in the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo of the Heat ended up with a game-high 32 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Jimmy Butler was able to contribute 18 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Herro and Alec Burks both added 15 points each in the victory. 

     The Wizards were led by Bilal Coulibaly who had club-highs of 22 points along with eight rebounds. Jordan Poole placed in 21 points in the loss. 

Panthers Sweep 2024 NHL Global Series Versus Stars

     The Florida Panthers swept the two-game NHL Global Series with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday. It was the second contest between both clubs in Tampere, Finland in the past two days. The Panthers next game will have them hosting the Nashville Predators in Sunrise on Thursday. 

     The Panthers got the only goal of the first period with 5:15 remaining. Sam Reinhart passed from the left wing. Niko Mikkola fired a slap shot from the left point and it was deflected in by Evan Rodrigues from the left side of the crease for his second goal in the last three games and his third goal of the 2024-25 campaign. 

     Florida(9-3-1) expanded it to 2-0 with the man advantage at the 8:47 mark of the second period. Aleksander Barkov angled a pass from the right wing to the top of the zone. Uvis Balinskis released a forehand shot and Matthew Tkachuk redirected the shot from the top of the crease by Casey DeSmith for his third goal of the season.

     The rest of the second period belonged to Dallas(7-4-0) as they scored twice to tie it up 2-2. Former Panthers player Evgenii Dadonov fired a wrist shot on the power play from the left circle through the legs of Spencer Knight for his second tally this year with 8:38 to go. Matt Duchene placed in a backhand shot just 34 seconds later to even it with his seventh goal. 

     In the third period, the Cats moved ahead 3-2 at 2:32 as A.J. Greer collected his first goal in a Panthers jersey when he snapped a shot from the top right circle. Tomas Nosek picked up his first point with Florida because he won a right-circle faceoff and dropped it behind him.

     Florida wrapped it up with one minute left in the third for a 4-2 lead. Reinhart chalked up his 10th goal this season on an empty-net tally from the neutral zone. Eetu Luostarinen was credited with an assist on the play. 

Hurricanes Zoom By Duke

     The University of Miami Hurricanes outscored the Duke University Blue Devils 53-31 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Hurricanes began the regular season with a 9-0 for the first time since the 2017 campaign. 

     The U sits on top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings along with SMU with the best conference record. They have the inside track to reach and play in the ACC Championship Game in early December.

     Miami(9-0, 5-0) had a 14-7 advantage at the conclusion of the first quarter. Duke leaped over them and led 21-17 at halftime. 

     The Hurricanes bounced back during the third quarter and had a 32-28 lead. The Hurricanes poured it on in the fourth quarter as they outscored Duke 21-3. 

Glades Central Edges Pahokee In 2024 Muck Bowl

     The Glades Central Raiders got by the Pahokee Blue Devils in overtime 23-16 in the 2024 Muck Bowl at Effie C. Grear Field in Belle Glade on Friday night. 

     Glades Central(9-0) have been victorious in 11 of the past 17 Muck Bowl games since 2008. Pahokee(6-3) had won the previous three Muck Bowls going back to 2021 along with six of the last eight Muck Bowls contests until tonight. 

     The Muck Bowl will not be the final regular season game to be played in Palm Beach County this year. Several local games were postponed due to a couple of hurricanes outside of the South Florida region in September and October. 

West Boca Raton Powers By Atlantic

     The West Boca Raton Bulls doubled up the Atlantic Eagles 28-14 in Boca Raton on Friday night. It was a clash between the two best southern Palm Beach County public high school teams over the past two seasons. 

     After a scoreless first quarter, West Boca Raton(9-0) moved out to a 14-6 advantage before halftime. Atlantic(7-2) cut the deficit to 21-14 in the third quarter. The Bulls got the only points in the fourth as they scored a touchdown. 

Monarch Outscores Blanche Ely

     The Blanche Ely Tigers lost to the Monarch Knights 52-42 at Richard L. Williams in Pompano Beach on Friday night. Both Broward County high schools are expected to participate in the FHSAA Playoffs. 

     It was a tie game between both teams 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. Monarch(6-3) put up 16 points for a 30-14 lead at halftime. 

     The Knights and Tigers added 14 points each during the third quarter. Blanche Ely(7-3) outdueled their opponent 14-8 in the final quarter, however they fell short 52-42. 

Panthers Top Stars In NHL Global Series

     The Florida Panthers defeated the Dallas Stars 6-4 at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland on Friday. It was the first contest of two games in the 2024 NHL Global Series between both teams. They will face each other in the same city tomorrow. Florida Panthers captain finished with one goal and three assists for four points. 

     Florida(8-3-1) blasted out to a 1-0 advantage just 28 seconds into the first period. Barkov, who was playing in his hometown, passed the puck from the right corner. Aaron Ekblad sent a shot from the right point and if was redirected in by Evan Rodrigues from the inner right circle for his second goal this season. 

     The Panthers increased it 2-0 at the 7:11 mark of the first. Rodrigues charged into the Stars zone on the right side and made a square pass to the middle where San Reinhart tapped the puck back. Barkov snapped a shot from the high slot by Jake Oettinger for his second goal of the campaign. 

     Dallas(7-3-0) answered back with 9:15 remining in the opening period and cut it to 2-1. Tyler Seguin took a shot from the end wall and it bounced off Sergei Bobrovsky's right leg into the cage for his fifth tally this year. 

    The Cats expanded it to a two-goal margin 3-1 on the power play with 4:08 to go in the first. Anton Lundell tipped in a shot for his sixth goal this season on assists from Ekblad and Sam Bennett. 

     In the second period, the Stars scored to pull within 3-2 at the 1:31 mark. Esa Lindell got his first goal of the season on a snap shot. 

     Reinhart helped the Panthers go up 4-2 at 6:07 on a shorthanded goal for his eighth tally. Barkov and Ekblad were able to pick up assists on the play. 

     Florida pulled away with two goals early in the third period and led 6-2. Mackie Samoskevich scored his second career goal at 2:31 and then Reinhart found the net for the second time in the contest at the 10:08 mark. 

Jorge Soler Traded To Angels

     The Atlanta Braves have dealt former Miami Marlins designated hitter/outfielder Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels. He will be joining his fourth club in the three-season period from 2023 to 2025. 

     Soler played for the Miami Marlins for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. He compiled 49 home runs, 109 runs batted in and a .231 batting average in 209 contests. 

Plantation Gets Mayor's Cup Over South Plantation

     The Plantation Colonels captured the annual Mayor's Cup against the South Plantation Paladins 38-0 at PAL Field in Plantation on Thursday night. Both teams finished up the 2024 regular season. The Colonels snapped a two-game losing streak. 

     Plantation(6-4) got out to a 19-0 lead by halftime. The Colonels scored on a fumble recovery with seven minutes remaining in the third and later reached the end zone on a 30-yard touchdown run with under one minute to go for a 31-0 advantage. South Plantation(4-6) surrendered a one-yard touchdown run with two minutes left in the fourth quarter and trailed 38-0. 

Palm Beach Gardens Break Inlet Grove

     The Palm Beach Gardens Gators triumphed over the Inlet Grove Hurricanes 35-7 on Thursday night in Riviera Beach. It was a battle between two Palm Beach County high schools. The Gators were able to snap a four-game losing streak. 

     Palm Beach Gardens(2-7) controlled most of the contest and moved out to a very comfortable lead. Inlet Grove(4-5) could just muster seven points in the game. 

     The Gators host the Dwyer Panthers in a District 12-6A clash and can eliminate their crosstown rival from the district title. The Hurricanes will remain in Riviera Beach and face the Palm Beach Christian Prep Saints on Wednesday.