Central Florida Athlete Spotlight
April 2008
Orlando Predators
The season started off 0-2, but that's a distant memory in The Jungle. The Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League haven't lost in a month, and are back in second place after four straight wins.
This past weekend on national television, Orlando moved to 4-2 with a 57-56 overtime thriller against the Chicago Rush. Quarterback Shane Stafford threw a touchdown on the final play of regulation to send it to OT. Then the Preds won it with a two-point conversion by Marlon Moye-Moore.
The Predators go to Grand Rapids this Sunday. The next game at Amway Arena (aka The Jungle) is Saturday, April 26.
March 2008
Hall of Fame Inductees
The Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame grew by four on February 20. That's the night we enshrined former Magic player Nick Anderson, TV broadcaster Pat Clarke, Stetson baseball coach Pete Dunn and DeLand native Chipper Jones. The induction ceremony on the Amway Arena's concourse continues a tradition that has honored nearly 75 Central Floridians who have made an impact in the sports world both on and off the playing field.
Anderson was the Magic's first ever draft pick in 1989, and is currently the team's community ambassador. Clarke, who now works at WESH- NewsChannel 2, has spent the last 23 years on Central Florida's airwaves. Dunn is one of only 34 college baseball coaches who have won more than 1,000 career games---and he's won them all at his alma mater. Jones grew up in Volusia County, was the 1999 National League MVP with the Braves, and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Stetson and area little leagues.
Congratulations to the four new inductees. They are shining examples of the best Central Florida sports have to offer.
January 2008
Dwight Howard
We could put Dwight Howard in the spotlight every month. But we chose this particular newsletter because the Magic superstar is an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. Howard gets the nod next month because fans around the world voted him into the starting line-up.
The 22-year old phenom leads the league in rebounding at about 15 boards a game. Howard also has the most games with a double-double this season (double figures in two different categories). Not only will he start on February 17th in New Orleans, but the 4th-year player will compete in the slam dunk competition.
December 2007
Boone and Osceola High Schools
Although they didn't win their final games of the season, congratulations to Boone and Osceola High Schools. Their football teams united our community by advancing to the Florida Citrus Bowl for their respective state 
championship games December 14- 15 in Orlando.
For Boone, it was the first state title game in the school's 56-year history. The Braves went undefeated in the regular season, then outlasted Dr. Phillips, Edgewater and Apopka in the 6A playoffs before bowing to the #1 team in the nation, Miami Northwestern, in the title game.
The Osceola Kowboys also ran through the regular season unbeaten. That included a November win in Lakeland that broke that school's 53-game winning streak. Osceola eventually fell to St. Thomas Aquinas in the 5A championship tilt.
Congratulations to the Braves and Kowboys! Maybe we'll see them again at the Citrus Bowl next December.
October 2007
Lake Mary Girls Golf Team
Last year they were close. This year they are champs. Congratulations to the Lake Mary Girls Golf Team. The Lady Rams won the 2A state title on Halloween in Lakeland. It's the school's first girls golf title and follows up on last year's second place finish.
Nicole Agnello led Lake Mary, finishing third individually. This might be only the beginning. Four Lady Rams are underclassmen and will return in 08 looking for back to back titles. Congrats to Lake Mary girls golf, the 2007 FHSAA 2A State Golf Champions!
August 2007
Ryan Lochte
The 2008 Summer Olympics are a little less than a year away in Beijing. It will be a long year of preparations and training for Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte, who swims into our Athlete Spotlight. The Spruce Creek High School graduate and former Florida Gator is one of the USA's best hopes for a gold medal.
Earlier this month, Lochte won two titles at the US Nationals in Indianapolis, taking both the 200 and 400- meter individual medleys. Lochte is the world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke. He's currently in Gainesville, training for next summer's Olympic Qualifier. It would be his second Olympics. The Gator grad won gold (800M Freestyle Relay) and silver (200 Indiv. Medley) in Athens at the 2004 Games. Best of luck to Central Florida's own Ryan Lochte!
April 2007
Zach Johnson Masters Champion
Seminole County claimed a World Series MVP when Sanford native David Eckstein and the St. Louis Cardinals won a title last fall. Now the county has a Masters champion. Heathrow member Zach Johnson finds our Sponsor Spotlight after his win earlier this month at Augusta National. The 31-year-old dueled Tiger Woods down the stretch, topping the Isleworth resident by two strokes to claim the green jacket. It was Johnson's first major win and second career championship. He's once again on pace to finish in the top 40 of the PGA Tour Money List, something he's achieved in all three of his years on tour.
Congratulations to Zach Johnson, Central Florida's newest Masters champion.
March 2007
Pine Castle Christian Academy Basketball
North Carolina has Tobacco Road, and you can start calling Central Florida “Championship Drive.” Five of our area high school teams brought home state titles from the FHSAA Basketball Finals in Lakeland over the last few weeks. Edgewater won its first girls championship, while The First Academy’s ladies repeated as 2A state champs. Lake Howell won the Boys’s 5A title, the first in school history.
And then there’s Pine Castle Christian Academy, our Athlete Spotlight for March. On February 23rd, the Lady Eagles knocked off Malone 38-37, thanks to a lay-up with just three seconds left on the clock. This is PCCA’s first-ever basketball state title (PCCA is the current reigning 1A Girls softball champ). As if that wasn't enough, a week later—with many of the Lady Eagles cheering in the stands—the PCCA boys went to Lakeland and knocked off Gainesville’s The Rock 55-46 and brought home the second hoops title in school history. Congratulations to PCCA, Division 1A Girls and 1A Boys FHSAA Basketball State Champions!
January 2007
Brandon Siler
Gainesville, Florida is now Titletown USA. The University of Florida is the first school in collegiate history to simultaneously hold national championships in football and men’s basketball during the same calendar year. Several players from Central Florida played key roles for the mighty Gators during their gridiron championship run. This month, our Athlete Spotlight shines on Gator linebacker Brandon Siler.
The Evans High School graduate had 77 tackles for the Gators this past season, including four tackles—one for a loss—during the 41-14 rout of Ohio State in the BCS Championship game. Siler was also a Butkus Award semifinalist, an award that goes to the nation’s best linebacker. The true junior is also second-team All-SEC and was selected first team Academic All-District III by ESPN The Magazine in 2005 (and he graduated from Evans with a 4.2 grade-point average). Now he’s turning his attention to the pros. Siler has declared for the NFL Draft and will almost certainly hear his name called during the early rounds on April 28th. Congratulations to Siler and our other Central Florida Gators!
December 2006
Lake Brantley Patriots Football
They didn’t win it all, but these Patriots made Central Florida very proud this football season. This month’s Athlete Spotlight—or Athletes Spotlight, in this case—shines on the Lake Brantley High School football team.
The Patriots became the first team in Seminole County history to play for a state football championship when they faced off against number one-ranked Miami Northwestern on Saturday, December 9, 2006. Although Northwestern proved to be too much, winning 34-14, the loss does not overshadow Lake Brantley’s great season. The Patriots won six games in row during their run to the title game. 3,000 fans attended a pregame pep rally, and 19 buses, including 9 fan buses, made the trek to South Florida for the game.
Congratulations to Lake Brantley Patriots football. Your school and community are proud to call you our own.
November 2006
Dallas Friday
There is no debate these days about the identity of the world’s best golfer, and there can similarly be no doubt about the world’s best female wakeboarder. And just as in golf, the world’s best has strong ties to Central Florida. This month’s Central Florida Athlete Spotlight shines on Orlando’s very own Dallas Friday.
The former Boone High school student won first place at the 2005 X-Games. And in 2004. And yet again in 2003. Dallas was national champ last year and world champ in 2004. We could list many, many more titles but it would take too long. ESPN has called her “The winningest female wakeboarder in history” (she won a 2004 ESPY award as Best Female Action Sports Athlete.) Actually, you can view a page filled with an exhaustive list of titles won at her Website, www.dallasfriday.com. All pretty remarkable for a 20-year old who took her first wakeboarding lesson just seven years ago.
Dallas experienced a severe compound leg fracture during competition in Singapore last month, and developed breathing complications during recovery. After a week in critical condition, she’s back on the road to recovery and walking with the aid of crutches. Dallas has told the Orlando Sentinel that she plans to get back on the water again; hopefully as soon as next summer. Here’s to a full recovery for our hometown star, the best in the world: Dallas Friday.
October 2006
Zachary and Taylor Elliott
We unveil a new Website feature this month: our new Central Florida Athlete Spotlight. Each month, you’ll learn more about our local sports stars. Some will be famous (Hill, Howard, O’Leary, and so on). Others will be up-and-comers.
With Central Florida temperatures still topping 90 degrees, this month’s Athlete Spotlight finds two local teenagers who have found a great way to chill out. Ocoee’s brother and sister combination of Zachary and Taylor Elliott are among the nation’s top ice skating pairs: Team Elliott won a bronze medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Association Junior National Championships earlier this year.
The teenagers hone their skills at Orlando’s RDV Sportsplex under the watchful eye of coach Lynn Hopping. And skating is only part of what makes Zachary and Taylor Central Florida standouts. Both are also very involved in their community. Zachary was named 2006 Volunteer of the Year by the VFW Ladies Auxiliary of Florida. He’s also the youngest certified hockey official in Central Florida. Taylor is a standout vocalist who also volunteers for several charitable organizations, including the American Lung Association and Toys for Tots. For more information on Team Elliot, please visit their Team Elliott Website.
