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Digging into districts

Highlands Today file photo

Lake Placid's Marissa Baldwin, shown here going up for a block earlier this season against McKeel Academy, and the Green Dragons will be looking for their fifth consecutive district title when they begin play Wednesday in Mulberry.

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Highlands Today Staff Report

Published: October 26, 2009

SEBRING - The Blue Streaks want another crack at Haines City.

Whether they'll ever get that chance remains to be seen.

Sebring, which hasn't lost since dropping a heartbreaking five-set decision to the Hornets on Sept. 29, will open Class 5A-District 5 tournament play tonight against Lake Wales at 7 p.m. in Haines City.

The second-seeded Blue Streaks, who finished 9-3 in the district, dominated Lake Wales in their most recent meeting, on Oct. 15. A win tonight would set up an intriguing semifinal matchup against Osceola - a team that cannot be overlooked, Sebring coach Venessa Sinness said last week.

"We beat Osceola twice this year but that means nothing," she said. "After beating them in five sets on Oct. 13, the girls were like 'we have to play them hard otherwise we're not even going to get a chance at Haines City again.'"

And the Blue Streaks have been looking forward to that potential rematch for more than a month. They twice lost to Haines City in five sets this season, once when they led 2-0 and again when they hung tight and faltered late.

"It's a very big motivation," Sinness said of playing Haines City. "But at the same time, you can't underestimate Osceola, and you've got to play one game at a time."

Lake Placid seeks fifth straight district title

LAKE PLACID - After going 13-0 in Class 3A-District 9 play this season, the Lake Placid Green Dragons seem poised to capture an unprecedented fifth straight district title.

Just don't mention that to coach Marilyn Jones.

"I'm always looking forward to No. 5, but see me after districts," Jones said earlier this month. "I don't want to jinx us. But we do have the talent, and it wouldn't surprise me. We just have to keep playing."

As the district's No. 1 seed, the Green Dragons received a first-round bye for the tournament in Mulberry. They'll face the winner of Avon Park/Frostproof, which plays on Tuesday night.

Led by Sierra Weaver and Kayla Summerfield, Lake Placid's only three losses this season have come against rival Sebring and Okeechobee.

"They want to get another title; they want to put up another banner," Jones said. "I'm feeling confident, and I'm excited about it. It's exciting watching them play when they're playing well."

AP with tough path to finals

AVON PARK - The Red Devils, who lost several seniors from last year's team, have a difficult road to the district title game.

Avon Park will play Frostproof on Tuesday in Mulberry. The winner will face top-seeded Lake Placid, which finished its district schedule 13-0.

"I think it's anybody's game right now," Red Devils coach Stephanie Devlin said last week. "I know Lake Placid is undefeated and I know everybody is gunning for them. We just need to play as well as we can the first game and move on."

Despite significant inexperience - freshmen Teresa Devlin and Ashley Chacon are both starters - the Red Devils put together perhaps their most impressive performance of the season two weeks ago against Tenoroc.

"I know a lot of teams have similar records as we do and it'll be interesting to see what happens," Devlin said.

The Highlands Today sports staff can be reached at 863-386-5837 or sports@highlandstoday.com

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