Bennett selected for hall of fame

Lake Nona girls water polo coach is among seven to be inducted

Ten days after his Lake Nona girls water polo team won its second consecutive state championship, Lions coach Alex Bennett was announced as one of seven new inductees for the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Tuesday.

Bennett has coached 11 state title teams, including nine at Gulliver Prep of Miami, in a career that began in the spring of 1997. He is also the swimming and diving coach for the Lions.

“I haven’t really taken it all in yet,” Bennett said after the honor was announced. “I do think it’s pretty cool that they’re recognizing someone in the aquatics field outside of swimming and diving. Hopefully, I’m not the last one. Certainly there are some other [water polo] coaches and certainly some players who are deserving of this.”

Bennett, 47, was the Orlando Sentinel girls coach of the year for all sports in the 2020-21 school year after leading Lake Nona to the first FHSAA team championship in school history.

He also has won the Florida Dairy Farmers water polo state coach of the year award and has earned honors from the Miami Herald and USA Water polo. He has served on the National Federation of High Schools and FHSAA Water Polo Advisory Committees

Bennett is one of just two coaches selected for the 2022 Hall of Fame class, joining Kelly Beckham, who recently retired from Gainesville High after racking up nearly 800 career boys basketball wins.

Flag football

Freshman phenom Ronnice Berry scored every Dr. Phillips point as the Panthers rallied from down 18 to win 19-18 against Riverview of Hillsborough County in a girls flag football region quarterfinal on Tuesday night.

Berry’s third touchdown catch of the night, with 43 seconds to go on a fourth-and-goal play from 15 yards out, lifted DP (16-1) to the victory. She had 11 catches to set a school record with 106 receptions for the season.

Sophomore quarterback Olivia Cadiz threw all three TD passes for DP.

The Panthers, seeded No. 4 in Class 2A Region 2, will play a Thursday semifinal against another Tampa area team.

DP will host Valrico Bloomingdale (11-5) or travel to state No. 1 Lithia Newsome (16-1) depending on the outcome of those teams’ Wednesday matchup.

Jones (13-2) rolled to a 27-6 win against Lincoln Park Academy on Tuesday. The Tigers, who dealt DP its only loss, will be home on Thursday at 7 p.m. for a Class 1A Region 3 semifinal against Riviera Beach Suncoast (13-6).

Winter Park (11-3) saw its eightgame win streak and season end with a 13-6 loss to Port Orange Spruce Creek. In other Tuesday 2A games, Timber Creek (12-3) fell to Tallahassee Chiles 14-7, and Harmony (15-3) was blanked 12-0 by Lake Worth Park Vista.

Beach volleyball

The four Orlando area teams that advanced to this weekend’s FHSAA girls beach volleyball state tournament in Tallahassee are in the same quadrant of the 16-team bracket.

Undefeated Hagerty (13-0) faces Orangewood Christian (13-1) and Timber Creek (8-6) takes on Tohopekaliga (7-4) in matches that start at 10 a.m. Friday at the Florida State University Beach Volleyball Courts.

The winners will match up at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. Semifinals are set for 10 a.m. Saturday, setting up a 3 p.m. championship match.

Boys volleyball

Region semifinals will be played Friday, with nine Orlando area teams still in the running for state tournament berths.

Friday winners advance to Tuesday region finals.

The eight-team state tournament will be played May 13-14 at Archbishop McCarthy in South Florida.

All Friday matches are set to start at 7 p.m., according to the FHSAA website.

Friday region semifinals Region 1

Spruce Creek (15-13) at Lake Mary (24-1)

Seminole (8-15) at Bartram Trail (11-3)

Region 2

Lake Brantley (19-9) at Winter Park (23-2)

Bishop Moore (12-14) at Timber Creek (17-8)

Region 3

Windermere (20-5) at Freedom (25-3)

Celebration (21-2) at Tampa Bay HEAT (24-0)

Tuesday scores

Lake Mary 3, North Marion 0 Sanford Seminole 3, Creekside 2 Winter Park 3, Winter Springs 0 Lake Brantley 3, Apopka 1 Bishop Moore 3, Lyman 2 Timber Creek 3, Lake Howell 2 Freedom 3, Olympia 0 Windermere 3, Lake Nona 1 Tampa Heat 3, Tohopekaliga 1 Celebration 3, St. Cloud 0