Mount Dora Christian ends long wait for state
Mount Dora Christian Academy returns to the baseball state tournament for the first time in more than four decades today.
The school was known as Mount Dora Bible when it lost a 1974 state semifinal 44 years ago in its only previous final-four appearance.
MDC (19-10) plays Wakulla Christian (16-5) of Crawfordville in a Class 2A semifinal at 4 p.m. at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
“There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation for this game, and we’re just hoping we can play hard and come out with a W on Friday night,” third-year MDC coach
said. The Bulldogs will likely Wakulla senior pitcher
(9-1, 1.65 ERA), who Abrams said reaches 90 miles per hour.
His team hopes to counter with a lineup that’s thrived at the plate with three starters batting .400 or better, led by at .470. face
is batting .422 and .405.
Carpenter will cap a seven-year varsity career in the final four. He joined the team as a sixth-grader. Taylor moved in from Timber Creek and has gone 9-3 as a pitcher with a 1.97 earned-run average.
“I think the kids are confident that right now they can play with anyone in the state,” Abrams said.
Apopka scored touchdowns on the three of its first 10 plays and rolled to two lopsided wins at Deltona Pine Ridge.
The Blue Darters romped past Pine Ridge 35-7 in two quarters, then outscored Orange City University 42-13.
Apopka spread its touchdowns around among five different players in the half vs. Pine Ridge. scored on a
caught a 16-yard run, screen pass from and went 60 for a score, and caught an 11-yard TD pass to cap the firstquarter scoring. Apopka added TD runs by second-quarter and-
Darlington was 6-for-6 passing for 146 yards and two TDs.
The Pine Ridge TD came on a 73-yard pass from to
Davis-Hamilton scored three TDs vs. University, including a 70-yard run. Williams opened that half with a 63-yard TD run and scored again from 7 yards out.
University’s scored twice, including a 62-yard TD run to end the game.
Quarterback ran for the first high school football touchdown ever scored at Deputy Scott Pine Community Park for Windermere High School on Thursday.
That started what was a step in the right direction even in a loss for the first-year Wolverines, who did not score a TD in their 0-10 inaugural varsity season last fall.
Melbourne Holy Trinity quarterback threw for two TDs and ran for two more to help the Tigers beat Windermere 41-21 in a spring game. He passed for 182 yards.
Jackson completed 3 for 5 passes for 42 yards and ran for 75 yards on eight carries for Windermere. He broke several tackles on a 12-yard TD run that put the Wolverines up 7-0 just 1:50 into the game.
Jackson also led the Wolverines’ next touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown plunge by
for a 14-13 lead. “We had a lot of things that needed to get better,” Windermere coach said. “We can point to a lot of things that improved, but we still have a ways to go. That’s what the next three months are about.”
After a breakout 2017 football season with its first district title in 21 years, Jones showed in its spring game vs. visiting Viera that all eyes will be on its defense.
The Tigers have two seniors-tobe being recruited heavily by D-I schools — defensive end
and linebacker — and another junior in
getting some early looks. Those prospects had their moments as a Jones team that graduated 32 seniors showed its youth in a 14-0 loss at Tiger Field.
“That’s the beauty of coaching,” said Jones head coach
“We have a lot of young players on both sides of the ball, some freshman and sophomores with bug eyes out there in their first varsity action. Viera is a tough, quality team to show our guys what they need to do.”
Both teams reached region semifinals last fall. Timber Creek senior
hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of the Wolves’ 7-1 baseball region final over Vero Beach on Wednesday night.
An early edition of the game story misidentified the player.