It didn’t take long for Judson Smith to find his passion. The 8-year-old Walden Lake Elementary student has been hitting golf balls since he was 3, but last fall, he decided to take up playing golf full-time, focusing on playing tournaments. He placed first in the 8-and-under division at Champions Gate earlier this summer and […]
Continue ReadingPlant City welcomes new assistant coaches
With 15 seniors, there won’t be many unfamiliar faces on the field for Plant City on Friday nights this fall. However, the sideline will be a different story entirely. This fall, the Raiders welcome five new assistant coaches under Wayne Ward, who enters his fourth year as head coach. The biggest changes are with the […]
Continue ReadingVSI Tampa Bay FC will play final home game
VSI Tampa Bay FC will play its last game in Plant City this Friday, Aug. 16, when it hosts the Charlotte Eagles, at Plant City Stadium. VSI still is looking for its first win this month, after dropping two road games last weekend to Harrisburg City and Pittsburgh. The loss to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Aug. […]
Continue ReadingRegistration open for NFL Punt, Pass and Kick Competition
All area youths ages 6 to 15 will have an opportunity to show off their football skills at the local edition of the national NFL Punt, Pass and Kick Competition. This is the 20th year the City of Plant City Recreation and Parks Department and the Plant City Optimist Club have partnered to host the […]
Continue ReadingAm-azing Talent
Kyle Martin had a golf club in his hand not long after he could walk. Now, all the hard work put in by the 2009 Plant City High School graduate is paying off. After retooling and refocusing his goals, Martin has improved significantly, finishing ninth in a field of professionals and amateurs three weeks ago, […]
Continue ReadingLocal pro making a difference in hometown
From the outside, Kenny Kelly looked like he had it made. After spending 11 years playing professional baseball, he finished the finance degree he started at the University of Miami while playing football. He got a job with Merrill Lynch after graduating in 2010, but something was missing from his life. “I had the corporate […]
Continue ReadingATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Treshaun Ward
Playing football is in Treshaun Ward’s genes. The 12-year-old’s uncle is Wayne Ward, head coach of Plant City High School and a former player at Virginia Tech. Treshaun plays running back, linebacker and safety for the Turkey Creek Trojans JV team, which he led to a Super Bowl win in Raymond James Stadium last year. […]
Continue ReadingAre you ready for some (youth) football?
The high school teams aren’t the only players lacing up their cleats and putting on pads this fall. Here are the 2013 schedules for Plant City’s four local youth football organizations, which are all members of the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference. Weigh-in and kickoff times are 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. for Mighty […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Walden Lake needs quality golf course
Healthy property values and happy residents are not the only things Walden Lake Golf & Country Club lost May 15, when it closed the Hills golf course. With the closing, Walden Lake and Plant City lost another golfing option for players in town and surrounding areas. When I took this job and moved down from […]
Continue ReadingVSI falls to Pittsburgh at home
VSI Tampa Bay fell 2-1 to the visiting Pittsburgh Riverhounds Friday at Plant City Stadium. After a forty-five minute delay to start the game, both teams took the field for a pressure filled match. VSI Tampa Bay, holding the eighth and final playoff spot, proved to be all the motivation Pittsburgh needed to propel them […]
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