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Prep Sports Seasons Starting To Heat Up

District And Regional Tournaments Dominate The Coming Weeks

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: October 23, 2009

There is little denial that football is high school's glamour game, attracting the brightest spotlights and receiving the most extensive coverage. But next week, the guys of the gridiron will have to play more of a supporting role on the crowded autumn prep sports' stage as a number of other sports enter postseason competition.

Area golfers, swimmers, divers and volleyball players will all be vying to keep their respective seasons and championship hopes alive in either district or regional competition from Monday through Saturday.

GOLF

Focusing on North Pinellas, boys golf gets first dibs at the limelight with the Class 2A, Region 4 tournament on Monday at Riverview's Summerfield Crossings Golf Club. All three teams that qualified out of the District 2A-12 field last Monday are from the area, Palm Harbor, East Lake and Dunedin.

Dunedin coach Richard Edmonds did not hesitate to call that district tournament the toughest in the state, adding all three teams are well equipped to compete come Monday. In districts, Palm Harbor's Matt Cote led all golfers with a 73 and Dunedin's Westin Jensen placed second with a 75.

Girls golf follows up the boys on Tuesday with the Region 2A-4 tournament at Heritage Springs Country Club, in the Trinity area of southwestern Pasco County. In team competition, East Lake and Palm Harbor will represent North Pinellas.

While Dunedin does not have a girls golf team, per se, Justine Knox will attempt to qualify for states in individual competition. The junior lit up the district tournament by shooting the overall low score, a 4-under 66.

VOLLEYBALL

Later in the day Tuesday, the action will move inside for the start of district volleyball tournaments.

As always, North Pinellas is represented strongly by East Lake, Palm Harbor and Countryside. While the East Lake and Palm Harbor squads typically have to battle each other in-district, Palm Harbor's bump up to Class 6A represents a large alteration of the area volleyball landscape.

The Lady Eagles will be the District 5A-11 No. 1 seed and heavy favorites for a title heading into the Tuesday-Friday tournament hosted by Seminole High.

Palm Harbor (No.1) and Countryside (No. 2) will battle to reach the District 6A-7 championship game as the league's top teams. St. Petersburg High hosts the Tuesday-Friday event.

SWIMMING

Capping the whirlwind week of tournament and playoff contests is swimming and diving – sports in which North Pinellas athletes annually excel.

Countryside, East Lake and Palm Harbor take part in District 3A-5 meets at the Long Center in Clearwater. Diving jumps off first Friday afternoon at 1 and swimmers take the blocks throughout the day Saturday. The Palm Harbor boys are defending state champs and District 3A-5 is regarded as perhaps the state's elite.

Tarpon Springs and Dunedin swimmers and divers hit the pool at the Sarasota YMCA for District 2A-9 meets on Saturday. Diving begins and noon and swimming starts at 9 a.m., with final races at 5:30 p.m. Tarpon Springs has had an all-around solid year from both its boys and girls swimmers and are fully capable of sending athletes onto regional competition.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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