It’s been a memorable spring season for Plant City’s high school teams.
Of the six local baseball and softball teams, five advanced to regionals. All three softball teams won their respective regional quarterfinal games, and Durant baseball advanced all the way to the state championship.
The Plant City High flag football team and boys tennis team had another successful season, and all three schools sent athletes to the state track-and-field championships, with Strawberry Crest leading the way with five individual athletes and one relay team.
There were plenty of specific moments that stood out this spring, but here’s five of the top moments that shaped this memorable couple of months.
5. BROTHERLY LOVE
Harrison and Spencer Heysek have played tennis together their whole lives, but that will change next fall, as the brothers — two of a set of triplets — will play at separate colleges.
The Heysek brothers have headlined the PCHS tennis team throughout their high school careers, including helping to lead the Raiders to a runner-up finish in the district tournament and a regional tournament appearance as seniors.
Both battled injuries this season, but when both were on the court for the Raiders, either as individuals or doubles — they were tough to beat.
Spencer will continue his playing career at Florida Southern, while Harrison is verbally committed to Florida Atlantic University and is ranked in the top 50 in the state, according to tennisrecruiting.net.
4. BATON GIRLS
When Strawberry Crest’s Ambria Keys, Yasmine Gardiner, Sequoya Williams and Brittany Barber got together on the track, they were practically unbeatable.
The 4×100 team teamed up for the final time this season, making it all the way to the state championship, after placing first at the Class 3A Region 3 meet. While their 11th-place finish in Jacksonville was disappointing, it was at the region meet where they shined. The foursome placed third in qualifying with a time of 49.27 seconds before shaving nearly a second off that time in the finals to take first.
Barber and Gardiner, both seniors, also had top-five finishes at regionals as individuals in the 100m dash. Gardiner placed second in the 200m dash.
Rising seniors Keys and Williams will be the anchors of the 4×100 Strawberry Crest team next season, but the team will certainly miss having all four standouts on one relay team.
3. BUCKING BARTOW
When the Class 7A region softball tournament brackets were released, many wrote-off Plant City High’s chances before the Lady Raiders even took the field.
PCHS was matched up with Bartow, a perennial power that finished as state runner-up in 2012. But someone forgot to tell PCHS that they were supposed to lose the game.
The Lady Raiders came to play April 24, in the region quarterfinals. They were fueled by the doubts and the fact that they were able to host Bartow, after the FHSAA penalized the program from hosting a playoff game after a violation in 2012.
PCHS jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Bartow battled back to tie the game in the sixth. But the Lady Raiders didn’t relent, putting three runs on the board in the seventh before closing the door on Bartow with a 1-2-3 inning.
Sophomore Noelle Dietrich had a stellar game, pitching a complete game and only allowing two runs, while bringing in the winning run in the seventh on a sac fly.
The run for PCHS would come to an end the next game in the region semifinals with a 8-0 loss to Lake Region, but the Lady Raiders certainly left their mark this year, proving that any team can win on any given night.
2. OVER THE HUMP
The Strawberry Crest softball team entered the season on a mission. The Lady Chargers had their season come to an abrupt end in the district tournament in 2012 with an upset loss to Leto.
When they found themselves in a similar situation this year, with a district semifinal meeting with Leto, they were determined not to suffer the same fate.
SCHS got over the hump by beating Leto and went on to defeat Sickles for the program’s first district tournament championship. The Lady Chargers defeated Palmetto 5-0 in the region quarterfinals before having their season come to an end with a 5-1 loss to Lakewood Ranch, in the region semifinals. They ended the year with just three losses.
With a talented class of rising seniors, SCHS will enter the 2014 season as heavy favorites to repeat as district champs and be strong contenders for a state championship run.
1. MAKING HISTORY
Few can argue with this one.
What the Durant Cougars baseball team was able to accomplish this season was so impressive, they could have their own top 10 list.
This year’s team showed what hard work and dedication can get.
Durant won the program’s first region championship and not only advanced to the state final four for the first time, but also went all the way to the state championship. A loss to Lake Brantley in the title game certainly was disappointing for the Cougars, but it doesn’t take anything away from the season they had.
Ace Tyler Danish finishing his senior season with an astonishing 0.00 ERA highlights the year, but there are plenty of other non-Danish moments that will be remembered with this season.
Losing Danish and three other seniors, including No. 2 pitcher Chaz Fowler, will be tough to overcome, but the Cougars have a strong junior class that will return for their senior seasons. After getting a taste of big things this year, who knows what may happen next spring.