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BASKETBALL
+ Vipers complete first tourney
The Plant City Vipers, playing with two squads for the first time, competed in its first tournament of the 2015 season from March 27 to 29.
Playing in the Youth Basketball Association of America Super Regional Championships, which were held all in Polk County, the Vipers’ varsity squad won two of its four games. The Vipers first beat Florida Elite, 77-34, and then topped the Polk Pride Elite, 55-45. The team then dropped its rematch with Polk Pride Elite, followed by a loss to the Lakeland Hawks.
The junior varsity squad, which had to play up one level in the ninth-grade bracket, lost all three of its games to the Florida Force, Lakeland Hawks and Lakeland Xpress Elite.
BODYBUILDING
+ Mr. and Miss Cougar named
Durant High School hosted its annual Mr. and Miss Cougar bodybuilding competition on Friday, March 27, and a pair of Cougar athletes took home the top honors.
The title of “Mr. Cougar” was awarded to Mike Daley, a midfielder on the boys lacrosse team. Shelby Keely, a guard-forward for the girls basketball team, was named “Miss Cougar.”
BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
+ Crest, Durant split last rivalry games
In the last Crest-Durant games of the season, both schools got to leave Cougar Path with another “W” in the win-loss column.
On the boys’ side, the Cougars (14-5; 9-0 district) continued their district dominance with a gutsy, 1-0 win over the visiting Chargers (12-8; 5-4 district). Both sides gave up four hits in this pitchers’ duel between Durant senior Bryce Gainer and Crest ace Mark Moclair. Gainer finished with the edge, giving up one walk to Moclair’s two and striking out nine batters to Moclair’s six.
Justin Nardello hit the walk-off RBI single in the seventh inning, scoring Brandon Wheat.
The softball game was a little more exciting from an offensive standpoint, with the Lady Chargers (11-7; 7-2 district) topping the Lady Cougars (7-11; 5-4 district) by a score of 11-8.
Crest overcame an early 5-2 deficit and big night at the plate from Madison Farrell, who went 4-for-4 with four runs acored and two RBI, thanks in part to a great effort by Kaylan Kelly. Kelly went 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs scored, one double and one triple.
Durant tied the game at 8-8 in the fifth inning, but Crest scored once in the sixth inning to go ahead for good, and twice in the seventh to make the lead more comfortable.