By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Yes, the high school football season is coming to a close here, soon. Durant will be the only area team playing more than 10 games this season, but there is plenty to look forward to for high school sports fans out there. Let’s start with those football Cougars. Durant […]
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SHOW ME THE MAUNEY: No panic needed for Raider Nation
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor While college and professional sports are often referenced for having “coaching carousels,” high school sports have player carousels. Although rules sometimes are bent and recruiting sometimes takes place in the high school football mecca that is the state of Florida, most schools are challenged with making the best with […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: A great weekend for golf
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor This weekend, I will participate in an activity I enjoy but rarely get to experience. Saturday, I will dust off my golf clubs and shoes and tee off at the annual Plant City Lions Club Golf Tournament.
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Rivalries provide extra excitement for athletes
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Rivalries are special. No matter the sport or the level of competition, rivalries bring out the passion and excitement that make sports great. When I took this job and began researching our Plant City schools, the first result I came to was a photo gallery of last year’s football […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: All the fun without the mess
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor It all seemed familiar. Waking up early, putting on clothes I didn’t mind getting filthy (just in case) and heading out to a location where hundreds of runners gathered to get down and dirty. It was last Saturday, and I found myself at another mud run.
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Blast from the past
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor There once was a time when I was a runner. I’d wake up early and put in a few miles, shower, and then head off to high school. After classes were done, I’d practice again for three to five hours. I ran track as a middle distance runner in […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Athletic trainers needed at schools
By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer Everything happens for a reason. That was the message new Strawberry Crest head football coach John Kelly sent to his team after the Chargers’ season opener against crosstown rival Plant City. But the statement wasn’t in reference to the Chargers’ 21-7 win, which will go down as one of […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Five things of note for fall season
By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know it’s football season. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our extensive football preview guide, “Under Construction,” in this edition. But there are many other happenings coming up that are not related to the pigskin. Here’s the top […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Wrestling match satisfies childhood dream
By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer There was a time when I was obsessed with professional wrestling. Growing up, most of my friends (well, guy friends) were into it. I started watching and got hooked. Every flashy entrance. Every finishing move. Every championship title match. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Dealing with the learning curve
By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer Let me begin by saying that this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been covering high school sports for about five years, and I thought I had mastered the craft. Until I moved to Florida. It’s a whole different ballgame down here, compared to covering prep sports in Savannah, Ga.,while […]
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