Two suggestions to the University of South Florida regarding its football program and fans: ...more

September 10, 2008

If last weekend's football game between the universities of South Florida and Central Florida marked the end of the four-year-old series, as USF has said, what a tremendous way to go out. ...more

September 10, 2008

FOOTBALL Springstead dominates Crystal River, 42-7, to give Head Coach Bill Vonada a school-record tying 49 career wins. ...more

September 5, 2008

Following the advice of his famous father's coaching staff, who are now his assistants, the university's head coach had stubbornly stuck with a "three yards and a cloud of dust" offense even when scores became lopsided against his team. After going 1-79 over the past eight seasons, the coach reached mandatory retirement age and the trustees who comprise the selection committee are down to two candidates, after passing on the two that most felt were at the top of the list. ...more

August 30, 2008

Upon approaching the newly christened Genesis Preparatory School football field on a Friday evening, much of the familiar sights and sounds generally associated with the high school game-night atmosphere are unmistakably absent. ...more

August 28, 2008

FOOTBALL   NCT defensive back Michael Fields has gone from zero varsity stats as a sophomore (when he suited for JV), to Hernando County's Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. So what's next? ...more

August 22, 2008

A summer scene of youngsters sweating it out on a hot baseball diamond or football gridiron is as common as afternoon showers in Florida. ...more

July 27, 2008

Back to the gridiron we go, controllers in hand and headsets at the ready. But how will this year's version of NCAA Football 09 for Xbox360 stack up to last year's? Only time will tell, but here are some early impressions. ...more

July 19, 2008

MANATEE COUNTY - Authorities say a marijuana run by William J. White Jr., 19, and Jakob Cunnien, 17, ended with White dead and two 18-year-olds in custody, one of them a rising gridiron star at Lakewood Ranch High School. ...more

July 16, 2008

AVON PARK — Eight-year old A.J. Mitchell stood in the proper stance and took off like a dart when the word "Go" was yelled, running his route with a huge smile on his face. It was a classic tale of grin meeting gridiron, as Mitchell got his first taste of football along with 70 kids from Highlands County, who braved the muggy mornings and participated in the C&C All-Star Football Clinic at Memorial Field. Chris Hawthorne and Gaingo Hipps of Avon Park, along with former Lake Placid and Florida Gator football player Zep Augustine, organized the fundamentals clinic and were pleased with the turnout. "We're trying to emphasize the fundamentals with all the kids," Augustine said. "We want to introduce the kids to competition and teach them to love the game of football." The kids were broken down into three age groups (ages 6-10, 11-13 and 14-16) and run through basic stretching and warm-up exercises before breaking them off with their position instructors. ...more

June 8, 2008