Quick turnaround for AP, Sebring athletes

The football season ended Friday. For eight Avon Park athletes, basketball season starts tonight - four days later.

That's the predicament facing Avon Park coach Luther Clemons as his team prepares for the third annual Bill Jarrett Tip-Off Tournament, which begins tonight in the Red Devils gym.

"We just got the football players back," said Clemons, whose Red Devils play Mulberry at 7:30 p.m., preceded by Sebring-Clewiston at 6 p.m. "So it's kind of hard to say how we'll fare. It certainly makes it interesting."

Avon Park finished 17-8 last season, earning the No. 2 seed for the postseason, before stumbling against Hardee in the first round of the district tournament.

Now, the Red Devils are in a new district - Class 3A-District 9 - and should again contend for a playoff berth, competing against teams such as Lake Placid, Frostproof and Fort Meade.

Despite the lack of preparation time, Clemons said his players should begin to acclimate themselves with their new sport - and their new teammates - fairly quickly. The Red Devils competed in several tournaments in June because "we know we have to put in our time and we can't just go out and wait for the season to start," Clemons said.

Avon Park started three sophomores last season, but will have forward Alonzo Robertson, a receiver on the football team, in the lineup for tonight's preseason opener. Teddy Allen, who injured his hamstring during the football team's loss to Sebring on Friday night, is also expected to return later this month.

"There are probably eight of them that are missing," Clemons said, before breaking into a laugh. "Like I said, quite a few."

Sebring coach Princeton Harris and the Blue Streaks are facing a similar problem, with several players jumping from the gridiron to the hardwood in a matter of four days. Players like Devin Clarke, Tevin Toney and Michael Hankerson, all cornerstones of the Blue Streaks football team, are expected to play in tonight's preseason opener.

Sebring, which opens the regular season next Monday, is playing in a new classification this year - Class 5A-District 5 - against the likes of Osceola, Haines City and Winter Haven.

Be sure to check out Thursday's Highlands Today sports section for complete coverage of the two-day tournament.