SEBRING –– It may have been a preseason game, but Thursday night's finals of the Tip-Off Classic between Sebring and Cocoa had the feel and intensity of a postseason matchup. The Blue Streaks, led by Whitney Lee's outside shooting and the inside play of Hannah Shoop, held off the Tigers 53-51, in a physical affair at Sebring High School. Lee, a 5-foot-10 senior forward, scored a team-high 14 points, mostly on perimeter jumpers, while Shoop added 13 points, 10 rebounds and dished out five assists. ...more

November 10, 2007

SEBRING — Despite an off-shooting night and some opening game jitters, Sebring's Chelsea Davis buried a 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining to give the Blue Streaks a 49-46 win over LaBelle in the first round of the Tip-Off Classic on Tuesday night. ...more

November 8, 2007

SEBRING — Amanda Grinaldo's three booming shots on goal in Sebring's season-opening loss to LaBelle didn't get the Blue Streaks on the scoreboard, but they certainly showed signs of the freshman's promise. Two days later, Grinaldo turned that promise into a Sebring victory against Lake Placid, pulling off her first career hat trick in her second start and lifting the Blue Streaks to a 3-2 victory over the Class 3A Green Dragons on Thursday at Firemen's Field. "That's what we expect out of our freshman," grinned Sebring senior captain Sadie Adams. The Streaks' three unanswered goals were all Grinaldo's: She broke behind the Lake Placid defense to score just before the half in the 36th minute, then booted the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 55th and put Sebring on top with a shot from point-blank range in the 75th. ...more

November 3, 2007

SEBRING — Like they were running in slow motion. The Sebring Blue Streaks girls soccer team opened their season in less than grand fashion, looking very sluggish and unable to shake off the rust against a very spry LaBelle Cowboys team in a 3-0 loss in the season opener at Firemen's Field on Tuesday. The Blue Streaks, who were without key player Heather McIntyre, were outhustled and outplayed from the opening whistle, unable to consistently break through the Cowboy midfield defense. ...more

November 1, 2007

SEBRING –– Forget about a gold watch for retirement –– Steve Ashley would rather watch goals. Especially those off the feet of his Sebring girls soccer team, which opens the winter sports season tonight when they host LaBelle at 7 p.m. on Firemen's Field. The Blue Streak coach, who retired form the Highlands County school board this past May, is looking forward to the season ahead, and he's not the only one in his household doing so: Senior Rachel Ashley returns to the pitch for her senior season after two years on the Blue Streak basketball team. ...more

October 30, 2007

Gabriel Puente recovered from a weak first half and rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns to power LaBelle past Avon Park 28-12 at Joe Franza Stadium on Friday night. ...more

October 13, 2007

AVON PARK — It was a perfect night for football, but it was the cold chill of criticism that lingered after the lights went dim at Joe Franza Stadium on Friday night. ...more

October 12, 2007

AVON PARK — There's a saying in prize fighting: Everyone has a plan until they've been hit. Well, the Avon Park Red Devils have been hit from all sides — even from themselves — and now find themselves on the gridiron canvas. The question is whether they can pick themselves up and turn around what looks to be a lost season. Or is it? People seem to forget that the Red Devils were 6-1 at this time last season and went on to lose their final three games and the tiebreaker against arch-rival Sebring. ...more

October 12, 2007

VENUS — A remote 10-acre site off of County Road 731 was the site of the 49th growhouse operation to be dismantled in Highlands County since November. More than 100 marijuana plants were seized in this operation. Deysi Lavin Jimenez, 38, and Carlos David Morales, 32, both of 327 County Road 731, Venus, were charged with producing marijuana, possession of marijuana in excess of 25 pounds or 300 plants and possession of narcotics equipment. ...more

October 11, 2007

LAKE PLACID – The will and effort was there, but the ending didn't turn out as planned. Lake Placid's volleyball team had suffered only one regular-season loss heading into Monday night's match against LaBelle, and the Green Dragons were out for revenge, as the Cowboys had beaten them earlier in the season. ...more

October 3, 2007