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Junior Nick Palmi was part of a valiant Osceola relief pitching effort in Saturday’s regional semifinal playoff game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome topseeded Park Vista, 3-1. PHOTO/CARRIE PALMI -
Leilana Decker, who will run the 1,600 meters and on the Longhorns’ 4x800 relay team, is one of eight Harmony athletes qualified for the Class 4A state track meet. PHOTO/KATIE WILLIAMS
A return trip to the FHSAA boys volleyball state tournament was on the line Tuesday night when the Celebration Storm (20-9) hosted the Horizon Hawks (17-9) in the Region 2 Final. The state championship begins Friday at Polk State College in Winter Haven, and the Storm will be in it!
Celebration, winners of seven consecutive matches, earned its way to the final with an impressive straight-set win over Dr. Phillips last Thursday in the semifinals. The second-seeded Storm got a team-leading 16 kills from senior captain Darion Graham had 32 attacks and just one error. Diego Rivera added 11 kills for the Storm, while Keith Harrison had 24 digs. Oliver Binet also had an outstanding match, contributing 38 assists, eight digs, and three service aces.
“When you get this stage of the season, you are going to face quality opponents,” Storm Coach Pedro Davila said, as his team will be looking for its first regional championship and trip to the state tournament since 2019. Then, the Storm defeated Apopka for the regional championship before bowing out to Archbishop McCarthy a five-set quarterfinal.
BASEBALL
At Lake Worth Saturday, the Osceola Kowboys (16-10) saw their baseball season come to an end with a tough 3-1 loss to regional top-seed Park Vista (22-3-1) in the Region 7A-3 semifinals.
Osceola took a 1-0 lead in the third when senior Jansel Nieves had a hit and scored the lone run for Osceola. However, the Cobras took the lead for good scoring three runs off Kowboys starting pitcher Samuel Rivas. Park Vista ace, Michael Malone (7-0) was dominating, striking out seven and walking just one in the complete-game effort. Junior Nick Palmi and senior Michelangelo Cruz kept Osceola in the game by pitching three innings of shutout ball in relief.
“Our kids were obviously disappointed but I told them they should only feel that way because the season was now over. They accomplished a lot this season,” OHS Coach Scott Birchler said. “This team won 16 games, won a district championship and made it to a regional semifinal. If you had told me at the beginning of the year, that we would accomplish that and hold one of the best teams in the state (Park Vista) to three runs on the road in the semis, I would have taken that effort in a heartbeat.”
“Each year is a different group of players and each team has their own personality,” Birchler added. “We had some good games this season and some games where we didn’t play very well. But the one thing about this group was that regardless of the score, they never gave up and played hard to the end. They really cared about the effort and about each other and that is really all you can ask for.”
TRACK
The season comes to an end this week with the FHSAA state championships in Jacksonville. On Saturday, a large contingent of county athletes –including regional champions Drea Thompson (Harmony – high jump), Shannon Levy (Osceola – 100 meters) and Johan Comacho (Tohopekaliga – 3200 meter run) — will compete in the Class 4A meet, at Hodges Field on the campus of the University of North Florida.
The county has three high jumpers ranked in the top 10 in the state. Thompson may be the county’s best bet for a state championship as she is currently ranked number one in Class 4A in the high jump with a top jump of 5’-7 ¼”. St. Cloud freshman Sanaa Charles is ranked tenth (5’-3 ¾”). On the boys’ side, St. Cloud’s Jahleek Lawrence ranked eighth with a best leap of 6’-5 ½”. Counting relays and individual events, Osceola County is being represented by 30 athletes in the 4A meet.
Gateway’s Amela Johnson, who won regional titles in both the 200 and 400 meter runs, will go for All-State honors when she participates in the Class 3A meet Friday. Johnson is ranked 12th in the state in the 400, which is her best event, and she will need to finish in the top eight to earn All-State recognition.
SPRING FOOTBALL Practices wind up this week, and five county schools play their annual spring games. Action kicked off Wednesday night with Osceola playing at Edgewater. Coach Eric Pinellas has a lot of holes to fill, as the Kowboys said goodbye to 15 seniors from their 2022 state semifinal team – including five that have signed Division I scholarship offers. Thursday, Celebration hosts George Jenkins and Friday’s games find Poinciana at Gateway and St. Cloud at Freedom. All games are slated for 7 p.m.
Two off-field events of note were scheduled. On Monday afternoon Osceola High held a signing ceremony. Five athletes, including Quanaya Jenkins (Girls Track/Field - Florida Memorial), Nyla Rocke (Girls Wrestling - North Iowa Area Community College), Davian Rivera (Wrestling - North Iowa Area Community College), Keira Suro (Girls Wrestling - Friends University), and Daniela Tabora Contreras (Girls Wrestling- Friends University) will sign their scholarship papers at the event.
“We’ve had a great year this year and singing days like this one are the big payoff for the student athletes and their families,” Osceola AD Rick Tribit said. “Monday’s signing brings to 30 the number of 2022-23 OHS Student athletes who will get the opportunity to chase their dreams at the next level and is a true testament to the hard work that our teachers, coaches, and counselors have put in coaching and mentoring them.”
Finally, the annual Orange Belt Conference Athletic Awards Banquet, honoring the brightest and best of high school athletics in the county, was for Heritage Park Wednesday. Among the highlights of the program will be the naming of the Male and Female Athletes of the Year and the Athletic Achievement Award – which goes to the school whose athletes have compiled the highest cumulative grade point average for the year. The prestigious Mike Fields Distinguished Leadership Award and Dean Cherry Coach of the Year awards will also be handed out. Harmony High School won its third consecutive All-Sports Team Champions Award and 11th overall.
