Here’s another update on how former Osceola County athletes are performing at the next level:
If you were watching ESPNU two weekends ago before the college softball and baseball tournaments started, you could have been watching former Harmony High standout and 2025 Orange Belt Conference Female Athlete of the Year Kinzie James playing flag football for the University of Florida Club team play in the championship game of the Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic, the national championship of Flag Football. James was a starting defensive back and reserve wide receiver for the Gators. The sport is being considered for Varsity status by the NCAA, and a number of players from the county have signed with NAIA schools to play.
Another Harmony alum, Cade Walter, is a redshirt freshman on the diamond for Jacksonville University. He homered twice in the Dolphins’ opening game of the season, ended up second on squad with seven round-trippers and 40 runs scored, including the winning run in the 11th inning of a 5-4 win over UCF on April 13.
Former News-Gazette Player of the Year Nick Palmi has parlayed a great baseball season at Hillsborough Community College into a Division I scholarship offer at Florida Atlantic. In 52 games with the Hawks, Palmi hit .413 and led the team in home runs (14), RBI (62), doubles (19), triples (5) and extra base hits (36); while slashing a healthy .500/.767/1.267.
After completing his college playing career with Concordia and the University of West Alabama, former Harmony receiver Caeleb Bass went to rookie camp with the Indianapolis Colts (NFL) and was later signed by the Houston Gamblers of the UFL. His HHS quarterback Nate Herstich played college football at Upper Iowa and Bluefield University (2020-24) and is now the quarterbacks/wide receivers coach for Bluefield. John Moschouris and Garrett Simon—two Longhorns players and assistant coaches under Don Simon—will be moving on to become assistant coaches at Tohopekaliga this season.
Former OHS Kowboys wrestler Anderson Heap earned a spot in last month’s NCAA Championships and was selected MVP of Davidson’s 2025 team.
Gateway High track Coach Matt Distler has several former athletes competing at the next level. Joshua Fuller, Jason Bracero and Santiago Rodriguez are all competing track for St. Leo University; while Darius Young is running for St. Thomas University.
Although he has battled injuries during his collegiate career, former two-time Harmony state place-winner Rey Ortiz has been a mainstay on the varsity roster of Presbyterian College which competes in the Southern Conference. Ortiz most recently wrestled at the 149-pound weight class.
Former Longhorns wrestling and football standout Carter Harris is now the high school wrestling coach at Independence High School (Iowa).
St. Cloud High and Florida State track alum Zach Cloud is now an assistant track and cross country coach for Lenoir Rhyne University.
Valeria Lopez is finishing up her sophomore season at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The former Storm All-County and All-OBC tennis selection is a varsity starter for Palm Beach in both singles and doubles. Former Celebration standout Luis Hernandez spent his freshman year splitting time as a starter for Roanoke College. Owen Wheelock, a NeoCity Academy standout, plays for Huntingdon College.
In women’s wrestling, former Kowboys standout Carbia Timas was a NWCA All-America (4th place) at Allan College and was national qualifier at 155; and Kiera Soto wrestled for North Iowa Area Community College.
Daniel Casillas from Tohopekaliga just finished his senior football season with Morgan State University, where he earned All-MEAC honors and was a three-year starter on the offensive line. He has one season of eligibility left. Other Tiger football athletes playing at the next level include Ethan “Biggie” Johnson (Ana Maria College), Nick Rawls (Bethune Cookman), Terrell Robinson (Webber), Chris Charity and Chris Guerrier (Olivet College), Anthony Paradiso Jr. (Army), Isaiah Brutus (Eastern Kentucky), Nashawn Noel (Wayne State) and Andy Hines, who played at Eastern Kentucky, entered the transfer portal and is now at South Alabama.
Tohopekaliga alum Anthony Segarra is a sophomore starting infielder, hitting .322 for College of Southern Maryland. Hudson Moberly is a freshman starting at catcher for Millsaps College. He took a .275 batting average into this weekend’s games. Freshman Fernando Ferrer is reserve infielder for Maryland Eastern Shore.
