Prep roundup: Cardinal Mooney claims beach volleyball district title

THURSDAY

Beach Volleyball

Class A-District 20

Cardinal Mooney 3, Venice 0

SARASOTA – Senior Helena Hebda and junior Izzy Lang provided the early spark for host Cardinal Mooney late as the Cougars claimed the Class A-District 20 beach volleyball championship with a 3-0 victory over Venice.

Playing at No. 2, Hebda and Russell cruised past freshman Addie Lariviere and sophomore Melissa Apolonio of Venice 21-3 and 21-8 in the best of three sets. The Cougar duo held a commanding 14-0 lead at one point during the second set.

Hebda is the lone senior on a team that is 17-2, as it waits to see who its opponent will be Monday when the region playoffs begin. The Cougars will host the region opener on Monday at 4 p.m.

“Our chemistry was really good today,” Hebda said. “We did not let up, not even when we got a big lead. We remained persistent and kept up with our game plan.

“We executed really well. We were able to lift each other up and communicate.”

Russell is enjoying her opportunity to pair up with Hebda, who began playing beach volleyball at age 8.

“This is only, maybe, the third or fourth game we’ve played together,” Russell said. “We’re getting used to playing together. I thought we really clicked today.

“Helena is amazing to play with. Her hustle makes me hustle more. We build on each other’s energy.”

Kelsey Fisher and Kate Montesand made it 2-0 in favor of Cardinal Mooney by defeating Ali Estis and Allison Schapley 21-10, 21-16.

Playing at No. 5 for Cardinal Mooney, Charleston Hegmann and Layla Larrick made it 3-0 and closed the door on Venice, topping Julie Westlake and Kendra Kesteloot by the score of 21-9, 21-14.

Two other matches in progress were halted because the Cougars had already decided the final outcome.

Playing at No. 1, Venice junior Brighton Ferguson and senior teammate Jaylynn Gardner held a 21-15, 14-8 lead over Cardinal Mooney’s Zoe Kirby and Sydney Sparma.

At No. 3, Hilary Hupp and Jayda Lanham of Venice won the first set 21-14 before juniors Riley Greene and Katie Powers of Cardinal Mooney came back to win the second 21-15. The third set was tied at 6-6 when play ended.

Gretchen Hand, a former professional beach volleyball player, took over as head coach of the Cougars when former coach Chad Davis resigned on March 15.

“These girls have done everything we have asked of them,” Hand said. “I look forward to watching their growth as players and good people.”

― Jim Brockman

WEDNESDAY

BOYS LACROSSE

Class 1A-Region 3 quarterfinal

Cardinal Mooney 15, Barron Collier 4

SARASOTA -  After earning a top seed in the Regional Tournament for the first time, the Cardinal Mooney boys lacrosse team made quick work of eighth seeded Barron Collier with a dominating 15-4 win in a Region 1A-3 quarterfinal Wednesday night.

Three Mooney players scored hat tricks as the Cougars from Sarasota easily dispatched the Cougars from Naples with a dominating first half performance.

Hunter Sheffield and Jamison McCusker scored on Mooney's first two shots of the game as the home team raced out to a 10-1 halftime lead.

"We had a pretty decent first half," Mooney coach Derek Wagner said. "We executed several things that we wanted to work on. Against an opponent that you should beat by a decent margin you want to make sure that you do that. That's one of your goals going into the game, and we advanced. So at this point in time, that's the name of the game is just get a win and move on."

It was 7-0 Mooney before BC got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter with a goal from Joshua Segura. But Mooney answered with three goals in 44 seconds before the break.  McCusker and Giovani Zanoni both tallied their hat tricks before halftime, while goalie Jacob Brown was solid in the net.

"Jacob made a handful of really good saves that could have ultimately went in," Wagner said. "We played some good defense in front of him. We had a few defensive breakdowns, but that's why we have him there. He's a senior captain and we rely on him to make stops when we have those breakdowns. He played well those first three quarters."

Logan Alexander scored his hat trick in the third quarter as Mooney increased the margin to 15-2 by the end of the period.  Michael Kipley then replaced Brown in the net for the fourth quarter with a running clock.

McCusker added four assists along with his three goals. Hunter Sheffield and Carter Westendorf scored two goals apiece for Mooney, which improved to 14-5 on the season.  BC goalie Marcos Chahwan made 14 saves as Mooney fired 41 shots in his direction.

"If you look at our scoring, I think we have five or six guys that are over 20 plus points," Wagner said. "That's pretty good point distribution all across the board. We have some guys that are stepping up towards the end of the season and that's all we can ask for is everyone just give 100 percent no matter what position you're playing."

Seguar had two goals for Barron Collier, which ended its campaign with a 10-9 record.

"We ran into a tough team today," BC coach Brian Arpaia said. "They're a one seed for a reason. But we played hard. We did really well at face-offs, we had good possession time in the first half, we just weren't capitalizing on some shots. Their goalie played well, hat's off to him. And their offense is a fine-tuned machine.  They know how to run it and they run it well."

Cardinal Mooney will host Calvary Christian in the semifinals next week.

- Bruce Robins

BASEBALL

Parrish 9, Lakewood Ranch 1

AT : Parrish

TOP PLAYERS: (P) Calin Heath 3-3, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI, BB; Tyler Cripe 2-4, 2B, run; Jabrien Quiles 0-2, run, RBI, 2 BB; Elroy Serrata 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; (WP) Troy Guthrie (5 inns., 4 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts); (LR) Carter Sprague 2-3, run; (LP) Lochlan Radloff (4 inns., 2 hits, 4 runs-0 earned, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts)

RECORDS: Parrish 19-6, Lakewood Ranch 11-12-1

NEXT : Parrish hosts Brandon, Monday, 7p.m.; Lakewood Ranch hosts Palmetto, Thursday, 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

North Port 8, Braden River 7

AT: Braden River

TOP PLAYERS: (NP) Cailinne Kelly 2-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Lauren Boff 2-4, run, RBI; Konstantine Belgrade 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Katilin Kohlenberg 1-4, run; Emma Baskins 1-3, run, BB; Caitlyn Paige 1-3, run; (WP) Payson Rumley (5 inns., 3 hits, run, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts); (BR) Sheila Moreno 1-3, 2 runs, RBI; Kaydence Evans 1-4, 2 runs; Jada Phillips 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 4 RBI, BB; Mya Blue 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; (LP) Kaydence Evans (5.2 inns., 6 hits, 8 runs-0 earned, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts)

RECORDS: North Port 6-17, Braden River 9-11

NEXT: North Port hosts North Fort Myers, Thursday, 7 p.m.; Braden River at Manatee, Thursday, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

GIRLS LACROSSE

Class 1A-Region 3 quarterfinal

Saint Stephen's 16, Canterbury 0

BRADENTON - Multiple accidents Tuesday on I-75 had the Fort Myers Canterbury girls lacrosse team arriving late for its Class 1A-Region 3 quarterfinal match against Saint Stephen’s.

And when the Cougars arrived, they were run over by the high-performing Falcons.

Surprises are few whenever a No. 8 seed faces a No. 1, and there weren’t any on Saint Stephen’s home turf. Ashling Marshall and Sienna Cassella each scored six goals as the Falcons advanced to the regional semifinals with a 16-0 whitewash of Canterbury.

Staying at home, the 16-1 Falcons, winners of 10 straight after a loss to Manatee in March, will host fourth-seeded Gulf Coast, a 12-8 quarterfinal winner over St. Petersburg Catholic, on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Canterbury, which won its last four games to claim the district title, finishes at 7-7.

Unlike in their 16-4 district-clinching victory over St. Petersburg Catholic, a game in which head coach Pat Cassella felt his team was less than 100-percent engaged, the Falcons displayed no such lethargy against Canterbury. By the time the match was six minutes old, a goal by Cassella, and two by Marshall, had Saint Stephen’s up 3-0.

It would continue that way for the rest of the match, one that triggered a running clock when a goal from Haley Rosa, one of four scored by the junior midfielder, put the Falcons up 10-0 midway through the second quarter.

Saint Stephen’s continually buzzed the Cougars’ side of the field. The Falcons would finish with more than 30 shorts directed at Canterbury goalie Caroline Lucas. Meanwhile, her counterpart, Annesley Flint, was forced to make just three saves.

In his pre-match talk to his team, Cassella didn’t need to remind his players of their effort against St. Pete Catholic. “I think once you get to regionals, it’s a different level,” he said. “Everybody earned their way. (The Cougars) are district champions down there, and they had a good winning streak coming in, so we felt they had momentum. But our girls came out fast and hard today. We had a lot more intensity today, and it showed.”

The Falcons’ unrelenting offensive pressure negated the Cougars’ two top offensive players, midfielder Isabel Corwen, who came in with 38 goals, and midfielder Lucy Carter, who had 35.

The Falcons’ top offensive producers faced no such resistance. Saint Stephen’s ended the first quarter up 4-0, but goals by Cassella, three by Marshall, and two by Rosa, increased the Falcon lead to 10-0, triggering the running clock for the rest of the match.

“They got great passers, they catch every ball, and their shots are pretty exceptional,” Canterbury third-year coach Liz Corrente said. “It’s hard to defend that, but I’m really proud of my defense for holding their own against them.

“The goal we had originally set out for at the beginning of the season was to win the district championship,” she said. “We did that, so everything thereafter was gravy.”

In the end, it was the Falcons’ superior speed over the Cougars that was most evident.

“Our speed is one of our major assets here, and we use that to the best of our ability,” Cassella said. “We’re going to run as much as we can, and we’ve got great skill players. We try to run them into good offensive plays.”

- Doug Fernandes

FLAG FOOTBALL

Class 1A-Region 3 semifinal

Braden River 32, Keswick Christian 7

BRADENTON – Braden River High shrugged off an early surge on Tuesday night and maintained its march to a Class 1A flag football region final.

Sparked by senior Cydnee Brooks and sophomore Natalie Davis, the host Pirates (16-1) defeated St. Petersburg Keswick Christian, 32-7, in a region semifinal game.

The victory sets up a rematch between St. Petersburg High and the Pirates at Braden River next Tuesday night. St. Petersburg (13-2) is the only team to beat Braden River this season, winning by the slim margin of 19-14 during the regular season.

“St. Pete has a great team,” Pirates head coach Amanda Porco said. “I have a lot of respect for them and their coach. They have a lot of top-notch kids. They’re killing it over there.

“We’re just looking forward. The goal is to continue to win.”

Brooks ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for two more. She completed 18 of 28 passes for 229 yards. The team’s leading passer and rusher also ran for 85 yards and scored on runs of 3 and 12 yards.

Keswick (12-3) used its opening drive to get on the board first. Quarterback Robyn Cantwell connected on a 38-yard pass to Ava Graham to set up a 2-yard scoring pass to Graham on the next play for a 7-0 lead.

But it was all Braden River all the time thereafter.

“They came out and had a really good first drive,” Porco said. “Our kids responded. They were able to step up and do what was necessary to win the game.”

Davis scored on a 19-yard interception return early in the second quarter to give the Pirates the lead for good. She also intercepted a second pass and caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Brooks.

“I love being able to help out my team,” Davis said. “I am glad I could contribute to the win. Now we just keep moving on to the regional finals.”

The Pirates made their way to a region final last season before coming up short against eventual state champion Tampa Robinson. Now they must avenge their lone loss of the season in order to advance to the State Final Four.

“We have a lot of stuff on the table next Tuesday,” Brooks said.

― Jim Brockman

SOFTBALL

Sarasota 11, Venice 8

AT : Sarasota

TOP PLAYERS: (V) Raionna Smith 2-4, 2B, 2 runs; Myah Purdy 1-3, RBI; Kaylin Smith 1-4, RBI; Riley Sullivan 1-4, 2 runs; Madison Schilling 1-3, 2B, RBI; Alexandria Evancho 1-1, RBI; Molly Sullivan 1-5, run; Emily Beam 2-2, run, RBI; Kinley Rutherford 2-3, RBI; Zoey Lynn 3-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI; (LP) Layne Preece (2.2 inns., 10 hits, 11 runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout); (S) Abbey Johns 3-4, HR, 2 runs, 7 RBI; Ashlan Guengerich 2-3, 2 runs; Carley Ramsden 1-3, 3B, 2 runs; Gia Depastino 1-2, run; Gianna Williams 2-3, 2 runs; Sommer Speers 1-3, run; (WP) Gemma Mulhollen (4.1 inns., 8 hits, 4 runs-2 earned, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts)

RECORDS : Sarasota 10-8, Venice 11-10

NEXT : Sarasota hosts Inspiration Academy, Thursday, 7 p.m.; Venice hosts Bishop Verot, Thursday, 6 p.m.

BASEBALL

Bradenton Christian 5, Sarasota Christian 4

AT : Bradenton Christian

TOP PLAYERS: (BC) Brett Balais 2-3, 2B, 3 runs, BB, SB; Garrett Duquette 2-3, 2B, RBI; Landon Henderson 1-1, run, RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB; Connor Henderson 1-3, 2 RBI; (WP) Garrett Duquette (1 inn., 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts); (SC) Justin Brock 1-4, RBI; Alex Hefti 1-3, run, RBI, SB; Evan Poznanski 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Connor Lundy 1-2, run, BB; (LP) Evan Poznanski (.2 inns., 2 hits, run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts)

RECORDS : Bradenton Christian 13-10, Sarasota Christian 9-10-1

NEXT: Bradenton Christian hosts Bayshore, Friday, 7 p.m.; Sarasota Christian hosts Canterbury, Thursday, 6 p.m.

GIRLS TENNIS

Class 4A-Region 6 semifinal

Venice 6, Strawberry Crest 1

AT : Venice

TOP PLAYERS: Singles - Wernonika DeLong (V) d. Tiffany Chan (SC) 6-1, 6-0; Christine Wu (V) d. Rajvi Patel 6-0, 6-3; Srikruthi Neralla (SC) d. Sandra Piskor 3-6, 6-1, 10-5; Joy Jia (V) d. Harshitha Madabhushani (SC) 6-0, 6-0; Koreena Hickey (V) d. Sahana Saiganesh (SC) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles - DeLong/Wu (V) d. Chan/Madabhushani (SC) 4-0, 4-0; Tess Tchorbadjiev/Faye Klutke (V) d, Patel/Neralla 4-0, 4-0

RECORDS : Venice 17-0, Strawberry Crest 11-3

NEXT : Venice hosts Riverview, Thursday, 3 p.m. for region title

Class 2A-Region 6 semifinals

Lemon Bay 4, Estero 3

AT: Lemon Bay

TOP PLAYERS: Singles Megan Lay (E) d. Parker Zautcke (LB) 6-1, 6-4; Gianella Salas-Gechele (E) d. Avery Shirley (LB) 6-1, 6-2l Rosey Lowder (LB) d. Sofia Vargas Passos 6-2, 6-0; Sihara Padrino (LB) d. Charlotte Snow (E) 6-0, 6-1; Mckenzie DeLong (LB) d. No. 5 Estero player 6-0, 6-0

Doubles - Meghan Lay/Gianella Salas-Gechele (E) d. Zautcke/Shirley (LB) 4-1, 4-2; Lawder/Padrino (LB) d. Passos/Snow 4-0, 4-0

RECORDS: Lemon Bay 14-1, Estero 10-3

NEXT : Lemon Bay advances to the regional final, Thursday at 3 p.m. at Aubrey Rogers High School

BOYS TENNIS

Class 2A-Region 6 semifinals

Lemon Bay 4, Estero 0

AT: Lemon Bay

TOP PLAYERS: Singles - Steven Ethier (LB) d. Bradley Donofrio (E) 6-0, 6-0; James Hitt (LB) d. Philip Walczak (E) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles - Ethier/Hunter Andres (LB) d. Donofrio/Nicholas Snow (E) 4-0, 4-0; Nils Ruhland/Logan McGinty (LB) d. Jacobi WEinberg/John Harty (E) 5-3, 4-2

RECORDS: Lemon Bay 13-3, Estero 13-3

NEXT: Lemon Bay advances to the regional final, Thursday at 3 p.m. at Aubrey Rogers High School

MONDAY

BASEBALL

Venice 5, Palmetto 0

AT : Venice

TOP PLAYERS: (V) David Debrule 1-3, 2B, run, BB; Carter Cox 2-3, 2B, run, SB; August Backman 1-2, run, SB; Brodie Whitlock 2-3, run, RBI; (WP) Simon Yochum (4.2 inns., 1 hit. 0 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts); (P) Jayden Peters 1-3; (LP) Trey Lawrence (4 inns., 5 hits, 3 runs-1 earned, 1 walk. 3 strikeouts)

RECORDS: Venice 19-3, Palmetto 11-11

NEXT : Venice hosts Out-of-Door Academy, Thursday, 7 p.m.; Palmetto hosts Riverview, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Parrish 2, Charlotte 1

AT: Parrish

TOP PLAYERS: (P) Will Rawls 2-3, 3B, run, 3 BB, SB; Alex Tallo 1-6, 2B, RBI; Calin Heath 1-4, run, BB; Eloy Serrata 2-3, 2 BB; Matthew Thompson 1-4, RBI; (WP) Jacob Traeger (6 inns., 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts)

RECORDS: Parrish 18-6, Charlotte 12-11

NEXT : Parrish hosts Lakewood Ranch, Wednesday, 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Riverview 13, Southeast 0

AT : Riverview

TOP PLAYERS : (R) Isabella Thompson 3-4. 3B, 4 runs, 2 RBI; Ella Trandem 1-4, 2 runs, RBI; Allison Cole 4-4, 2B, run, 4 RBI; Nicolette Forkan 1-3, 2 RBI; K. Snider 1-1, run; Sierra Lipton 1-1, run; Izzy Bain 2-2, 2 runs; (WP) Allison Cole (2 inns., 0 hits, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts); (SE) Jocelyn Diaz 1-2; Lanette Rodriguez 1-2; (LP) Lanette Rodriguez (4 inns., 13 hits, 13 runs-8 earned, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts)

RECORDS : Riverview 16-5, Southeast 1-17

NEXT : Riverview at Charlotte, Friday, 7 p.m.; Southeast hosts Bayshore, Thursday, 6 p.m.

Riverdale 8, North Port 1

AT: North Port

TOP PLAYERS : (NP) Cailline Kelly 2-3, run; Lauren Boff 1-3, RBI; (LP) Konstantine Belgrade (3 inns., 2 hits, 7 runs-2 earned, 3 walks, 1 strikeout)

RECORDS: North Port 5-17, Riverdale 18-5

NEXT : North Port at Braden River, Thursday, 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Prep roundup: Cardinal Mooney claims beach volleyball district title