The 2021 high school football season resembles a chess match with several pieces moving about the board.
The 2021 high school football season resembles a chess match with several pieces moving about the board.
From an observer’s viewpoint, the Lake Wales varsity football team checked several boxes off its Week 1 to-do list on Friday.
This week marks the transition from Week 0 to Week 1 for Polk County high school varsity football programs.
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Ridge Community continues to be a varsity baseball team to watch as district tournaments begin this week. The Bolts (18-3-1) had a pair of four-run innings en route to a 12-7 regular-season victory against Frostproof on April 21.
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In a sports environment where pandemic-related adjustments continue, long jump is one event where the paths of Haines City High track and field teammates Aquila Kerr and Kiera Taylor still intersect.
Davenport High School released the schedule for its inaugural varsity football season this fall.
The Haines City Hornets posted a 1-2 record in pool play during the 2021 Polk County Baseball Tournament, which was conducted over four days last week at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.
After devoting articles to the recent NBA G League bubble season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, it is fitting to mention the recent developments regarding now-former Lakeland Magic head coach Stan Heath.
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Davenport High announced the hiring of head coaches for its new volleyball, cheerleading, track and field and cross-country programs last week.
A quartet of high school weightlifters – three from Haines City and one representing Ridge Community – are returning to St. Cloud High School for the upcoming Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A boys state finals.
Polk State women’s soccer rallied from a 2-0 deficit to soar past the Daytona State Falcons 4-2 April 17 in Lakeland. The Falcons rank No. 14 in NJCAA D1.
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The Ridge Community High softball team hosted Lake Wales Thursday, April 1, and the host Bolts fell to the visiting Highlanders 18-5.
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The Florida High School Athletic Association’s initial baseball and softball power rankings coincided with some impressive varsity performances by the Ridge Community and Haines City teams.
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The Haines City Hornets picked up a pair of fourth-place team finishes at the George Jenkins Classic on March 20 in Lakeland.
A major talking point for the Florida High School Athletic Association – reclassification – gained some clarity this month and that included new districts and regions for the 2021 varsity football season.
LAKELAND — The Bartow High boys basketball team dominated Ocala Forest in the FHSAA Class 6A State Semifinals Thursday night, topping the Wildcats 63-24 at the RP Funding Center.
BRADENTON — The latest World Golf Championship event has gone to nine venues with five title names since it began in 1999. What hasn’t changed is a field that pulls in players from all over the world, some of whom have next to no name recognition.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sam Hauser never got to experience playing in front of a packed John Paul Jones Arena because of attendance limitations caused by the pandemic, but the senior transfer made sure he and Virginia would have something to celebrate after his final home game.
SUNRISE — Martin Necas scored 1:59 into overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Monday night.
MIAMI — Veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy is moving on after one season with the Miami Dolphins, and he’s not happy about it.
ORLANDO — Luka Doncic had 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Kristaps Porzingis played a nearly flawless second half and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Orlando Magic 130-124 on Monday night.
Trey Mancini stepped up to the plate for the first time since discovering a cancer that could have killed him.
Hack-a-Shaq is coming to All Elite Wrestling.
SEBRING – The Sebring Blue Streaks boys weightlifting team muscled their way past the visiting Lake Placid Green Dragons in a highly spirited and energetic match between the two teams.
The Freshwater Fishing Forecast for the second half of the first week of March will give anglers the lowest rates fishing days of the month, and a typical winter weather forecast starting with minor cold fronts, one entering the state today and the second one on Saturday.
The staff for the athletics department at soon-to-be-opened Davenport High School continues to take shape.
Coach Olin Gee and his wife, Linda Gee, are retiring after a combined 62 years teaching in public schools in Polk County.
The Florida High School Athletic Association individual wrestling tournament starts out at an elevated level for the Celebration and Ridge Community varsity programs. That’s due in part to the Storm and Bolts sharing the same district with the championship-caliber Osceola Kowboys.
Polk County Public Schools staff announced Wednesday, Jan. 27, that the school district will limit attendance at athletic events for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year in an effort to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
Three of Polk State College’s five athletics programs returned to action within the past week, with a fourth set to begin play this week.
The Class 7A-District 6 group is of particular local interest as Florida High School Athletic Association district soccer tournaments soon get underway.
After a quiet debut the day prior, Major Arena Soccer League star Ian Bennett erupted for three goals in the second half Jan. 3 to lift the Florida Tropics to a 7-5 win over the St. Louis Ambush Sunday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Polk County Public Schools staff announced last week the district is temporarily suspending all athletics programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the pandemic set in, Winter Haven resident Yvette Fox couldn't go to the gym to workout, so she took some old weights out of storage and converted her garage into a gym.
The Florida Tropics Presented by Bond Clinic will start their defense of their first ever Eastern Conference championship on Saturday, Jan. 2, when the St. Louis Ambush visit the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
The Polk Senior Games Board of Directors has announced that the 2021 Polk Senior Games have been cancelled. The decision was made because of the safety concerns and the many unknowns caused by the pandemic.
The Florida High School Athletic Association’s Board of Directors held its second regularly scheduled meeting of the 2020-21 school year on Nov. 16 in Gainesville.
Keymari Odum, a senior for the Ridge Community High School football team, moved from playing quarterback for the Bolts to wide receiver.
Ridge Community High School’s varsity football team would certainly prefer to play – and win – a state playoff game this week. But the Bolts have put together a strikingly accomplished season that goes deeper than one matchup.
High school varsity football has entered the critical month of November.
AUBURNDALE – The Florida Tropics SC, Presented by Bond Clinic, showed up with plenty of treats for their fans this Halloween weekend, scoring six times in the first half and five more in the second to cruise past Sporting Tampa Bay FC Nov. 1 at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, 11-1.
When it comes to the Florida High School Athletic Association state series, girls varsity volleyball is among the 2020 fall sports that followed a more simplified format.
Despite being at Winter Haven Christian for just two months, Elissa MacDonald has already made an immediate impact, setting the girls record in cross country at the school and winning four medals so far this season.
The first meeting of new Polk County rivals in the United Premier Soccer League went to the Florida Tropics.
The FHSAA released girls volleyball district tournament brackets last Wednesday, Sept. 30. Member schools had until Sept. 18 to opt out of the state series, while a blind draw was utilized to determine the initial matchups.
HAINES CITY – Winter Haven Police Department officers won first place in the “Hoops & Heroes” fundraiser basketball tournament, held Oct. 2 to benefit the Ridge Community High School Lady Bolts basketball team.
CHAMPIONSGATE – In 2019, when Melissa Chivers started a girls golf group, her goal was to eventually have 30 students.
Freshman defensive tackle Gervon Dexter made the most of his playing time in the University of Florida’s 51-35 victory at Ole Miss last Saturday.
Poinciana High was scheduled to open its 2020 varsity season last Saturday at Celebration, but results were unavailable at press time. Meanwhile, the Storm dropped a five-set decision to Orlando University High on Sept. 15 and two days later they rebounded to defeat Cornerstone Charter Academy 3-0.
