SEBRING –– Teamwork, fundamentals and playing for the betterment of the team is what basketball is all about, at least that's what Avon Park head coach Luther Clemons is trying to instill in his boys basketball team. And the message might have finally sunk in. The Red Devils ended 2007 on a positive note, defeating the Kissimmee Gateway Panthers 41-34 in the final day of the Jim Taveniere Holiday Tournament on Saturday, and in the process, may have found the blue print for success. ...more

December 31, 2007

SEBRING –– Princeton Harris can't remember when the annual Taveniere holiday basketball tournament started, but he has a pretty good idea of where his team will be when it finishes. "The Taveniere is my judge," said Harris, Sebring's boys basketball coach, who noted the tournament's been going since he graduated SHS in 1987. "I'll go into my office Saturday night and know where we're at, and what kind of things we need to work on the rest of the season." The eight-team tournament tips off Thursday, when Inlet Grove takes on Mulberry at 3 p.m. That game is followed by a 4:30 p.m. meeting between Gateway (Kissimmee) and George Jenkins, a 6 p.m. game between Avon Park and Lakeland, and, finally, the opening nightcap between host Sebring and Riviera Beach-Sun Coast at 7:30 p.m. ...more

December 26, 2007

CLEWISTON — Ali Lopez and Erica Resendiz scored two goals each to lead Lake Placid past Clewiston 4-0 in girls soccer on Thursday night. "It was a fantastic match," said Green Dragon coach Liz Sottile. "I moved some players around and we passed the ball well and played excellent defense." The non-district win improved Lake Placid to 4-3-4. "I'm really excited about the rest of the season," Sottile said. "Because we finally played to our potential." ...more

December 22, 2007

AVON PARK — The Avon Park boys basketball team is looking for a few last-minute Christmas gifts. But the only thing on the Red Devils' list is wins, as the team is looking forward to sporting their home colors at the 2007 T-Mac Christmas Shootout in Auburndale. Red Devil head coach Luther Clemons invites the opportunity for his squad to face quality competition. "This gives us a chance to face teams that we wouldn't normally get to play," Clemons said. "Playing high-caliber talent can only help us as we move forward toward the district tournament." ...more

December 19, 2007

AVON PARK — A dejected Red Devil head coach Luther Clemons showed his displeasure with his team after a 57-54 overtime loss to the Braden River Pirates in a Class 4A-District 10 showdown on Tuesday. "Coach cancelled practice tomorrow," AP center Cleveland Nobles said after leaving the locker room after the game. The reason for this type of reaction from their coach came when Virgil Cooper fouled Braden River's Marc McKeon with 0.6 seconds left in regulation and a 49-47 lead that put the forward on the charity stripe, where he drained both free throws to send the game into overtime. ...more

December 13, 2007

AVON PARK — The "never give up and never give in" credo was working for the Avon Park boys basketball team on Friday against Class 4A-District 10 rival DeSoto, but the shots still have to fall to turn that philosophy into a win. Those shots — which were 13 missed free throws by AP — were the difference in the Red Devils 50-43 loss to the Bulldogs. ...more

December 9, 2007

AVON PARK –– Shock and embarrassment were the feelings felt in the Avon Park locker room after being trounced by Orlando Christian Prep on their home floor on Friday. How they would respond was a mystery, until tip-off on Saturday. A totally different and energized Red Devil squad stunned the Pendleton Panthers for most of the game, using a quality inside game and hitting open jumpers to build an early 15-point lead. But the young team's tanks went empty in the final three minutes, as the Panthers pulled away for a 64-58 win in the final day of the Bill Jarrett Ford Tip-Off Classic. The turnaround could be attributed to an early-morning practice at the players' request. ...more

November 19, 2007

AVON PARK –– The sound eminating from an Avon Park boys basketball practice was by no means deafening, but the message was loud and clear. ...more

November 12, 2007