Apopka flag football coach was a pioneer

Matt Houvouras experienced the birth and infancy of girls flag football as a championship sport in Florida while he was watching his own daughter grow up. He’s a proud poppa. Houvouras, the first high school coach in Florida to win 200 girls flag football games, announced his retirement from coaching on Wednesday.

He compiled a 210-40 record with 12 district titles, six undefeated regular seasons and five state tournament trips over 18 years. The 2004 Apopka team completed an 18-0 campaign by claiming the state championship in a sport that had only one year earlier become sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

“Getting to state with my daughter [Courtney] on the 2014 team is one of the great memories I have,” Houvouras said in an email reply to the Sentinel. “I am proud that we graduated all-state players so many times but maintained a high standard.”

Houvouras spread his retirement news via Twitter on Wednesday, the day after the Blue Darters concluded a 9-3 season with a 26-19 district semifinal loss to Wekiva in DeLand. He will continue to teach at Apopka.

“We have gone very hard for very long and at some point this season, it was like a switch flipped and I realized my time had come,” he tweeted.

Cattoor, Douglas make

all-state list: Bishop Moore guard Hunter Cattoor, a do-it-all senior who committed on Saturday to sign with Virginia Tech, was named to the Class 6A boys basketball all-state first team as chosen by Source Hoops and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches.

Eustis junior guard Bradley Douglas was a thirdteam pick.

Jones senior Kenan Blackshear, an FAU signee, was selected to the 5A second team.