HERNANDO COUNTY SPORTS BRIEFS 282036
Vote early, vote often to help benefit NCT girls hoops
BROOKSVILLE – The Nature Coast Technical girls basketball team needs the community’s support with votes for new home and away uniforms, coaching shirts, shooting shirts, and school banners.
Allen Sportswear has created a contest to help give back to the athletic community. With current budget cuts it has become extremely difficult for teams to purchase new uniforms. This is an opportunity for a Hernando County school to earn fully customized free uniforms.
NCT Head Coach Emily Gore submitted an essay and the girl’s basketball team created a video (with Coach Ian Wald’s direction) about “What Makes a Champion?” for the competition which can be viewed at www.dressthechampions.com under the wild card category. Voting runs through April 19.
NCT fans are asked to vote early and vote often!
Youth baseball clinic set April 10
BROOKSVILLE – The Legends for Youth Baseball Clinic, sponsored by Hernando County Mining Association, is set from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Ernie Wever Youth Park, 301 Darby Lane, Brooksville, FL 34601.
The event hosted by the major League Baseball Alumni Association will provided a free lunch (hamburgers/hot dogs) beginning at noon.
For additional information, contact the City of Brooksville Recreation Department at 540-3835.
Screaming Eagles Football holds signups
BROOKSVILLE – The Screaming Eagles Youth Football League will be holding sign-ups children ages 7-15 (with weight limits) between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Veterans Memorial Park.
The cost is $185.00 that includes nine games, a playoff game, game jersey and a mouth piece.
For additional contact Will Thurmond 352-279-5926 or Larry Spiller at 352 -428-3790.
Super Kids Triathlon set May 21
SPRING HILL – The Spring Hill Kiwanis Club’s third annual Super Kids Triathlon is set for Saturday, May 21 at Weeki Wachee State Park beginning at 8 a.m.
Three age groups are available: 5-8 years old, 9-12 and 13-18.
To participate, signups are Friday, May 20 at 5-7 p.m. at Weeki Wachee State Park.
For additional information, contact Paul Reeves at 352-597-3536 or [email protected] or go online to www.kidssupertriathlon.com.
Lightning single-game playoff tickets on sale Wednesday
TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Lightning will place single-game tickets for home games during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 6. There could be a maximum of three or four games at the St. Pete Times Forum depending on final seeding. The Lightning’s playoff schedule will be announced at a later date.
In an unprecedented move, the Lightning will not raise playoff ticket pricing from the regular season’s “Silver” pricing scale. Ticket prices start at just $22 for terrace level corner and end zones while going up to $100 for plaza level centers plus applicable taxes and fees.
The Lightning are currently fifth in the NHL’s Eastern Conference with a 43-24-11 record, three points behind fourth-place Pittsburgh for home ice advantage in the first round.
The NHL’s conference quarterfinals are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 13, but the Lightning’s individual schedule may vary.
Even though single games will go on sale, the best way to catch all the playoff action is to lock in 2011-12 Lightning season tickets. Not only will fans freeze pricing from this season, but they will also have the opportunity to “Cheer Now, Pay Later” for the playoffs. Benefits also include concert and event priority, free tickets to the 2011 Lightning Launch Weekend Concert, guaranteed giveaways and more. An on-sale for single game tickets will be announced at a later date.
For additional information, call the Lightning at 1-813-301-6600 or skate to www.tampabaylightning.com.
Fans are invited to join the team and show their spirit by picking up a free Bolts Nation Fan Pack. They will receive a Bolts drawstring backpack filled with all of the promotional materials a Lightning fan will need to get ready for the playoffs, such as a T-shirt, magnet, sticker and more. Yard signs are also available for those who would like to display their support at their home or office. Bolts Nation Fan Packs can be picked up at the MetroPCS Client Services Lounge at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Key Club hosts flag football tourney at HHS
BROOKSVILLE – On Saturday, April 16, the Division 8 Key Club will host a Flag Football Tournament to benefit the Kiwanis Eliminate project. This event will be held at Hernando High School from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. The tourney will include carnival style games for younger kids as well as activities such as Rock Band or Guitar Hero and a Battle of the Bands type concert.
Concessions and event T-shirts will be sold with all proceeds going directly to the Eliminate project.
The Eliminate project was formed by Kiwanis International and UNICEF joining forces to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). This deadly disease steals the lives of nearly 60,000 innocent babies and a significant number of women each year.
For additional information about this event, or for sponsorship information, contact Eric Riser at [email protected] or visit www.tosavethebabies.weebly.com.
Spring Lake 5K set May 28
BROOKSVILLE – The 5th annual Spring Lake 5-K (3.1-mile) Run and 2-Mile Fun Run/Walk is set for The Arc Nature Coast, 5283 Neff Lake Rd., Brooksville beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 28.
Race registration begins at 7 a.m.
Prizes are awarded for the top three finishers in each age group. Entry fee is $25 and $20 for the Fun/Walk.
T-Shirt is guaranteed is registration fee is received by May 13.
To register or for further information, contact Nancy at The Arc Nature Coast at 352-544-2322, Ext. 109 or email to [email protected].
Vance to attend youth football summit
BROOKSVILLE – USA Football recently selected Wayne Vance of Spring Hill, to attend the 2011 NFL/USA Football Youth Football Summit from July 20-21 in Canton, Ohio.
Vance is the head coach and athletic director for the Spring Hill Athletic Association, comprised of approximately 140 youth football players from Hernando County.
Vance and youth football leaders from throughout the region attended USA Football’s West Florida Leadership Forum at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training facility on March 5.
Vance was selected at the event to represent the area at the youth football summit in Canton. USA Football’s West Florida Forum is among dozens of meetings that the non-profit holds across the country to share best practices within the youth football community.
USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the Buccaneers and the NFL.
USA Football’s 2011 State Leadership Forum schedule will reach hundreds of youth football league commissioners nationwide to impact approximately 20,000 coaches and 500,000 players.
“I look forward to the opportunity,” Vance said. “I’ve always wanted to go to Canton on my own.
“I hope to see what other leagues around the country are dealing with and get something useful to bring back and use in our little pond. I’m going to listen and learn.”
Quick Start Tennis returns April 11
BROOKSVILLE – The City of Brooksville Recreation Department is offering “Quick Stat” Tennis for children, ages 5-8, and is structured for kids to learn tennis, rally and play quickly in a way that are both enjoyable and rewarding.
Quick Start is offered from 5-6 p.m. beginning April 11 at McKethan Park in Brooksville. Cost is $50 per child for six weeks which includes a T-shirt.
For additional information, contact The City of Brooksville staff at 352-540-3835.
Sportsman’s Club offers safety courses
WEEKI WACHEE – The Hernando Sportsman’s Club, 16121 Commercial Way, Brooksville, FL 34614, is offering several firearm safety courses.
A firearms safety class is being offered on both May 4 and May 21 to meet the need for a firearms orientation program for new gun shooters. Completion of this class also provides required documentation to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit. The class starts at 9 a.m. and is approximately five hours long. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $50.
An NRA basic Rifle Class – A two-day rifle class will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on April 30, and May 1 and will include intensive lessons in the fundamentals of rifle shooting and several practical exercises on the firing range. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $125.
A NRA basic pistol marksmanship class will be held on May 15 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will include intensive lessons in safety, gun handling, and several practical exercises on the firing range. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $100.
For additional information, contact Heather Francis at the Hernando Sportsman’s Club at 352-597-9931 or online at www.hernandosportsmansclub.com
Breesman feted as Dunes’ Ladies’ Golf Champion
WEEKI WACHEE – The Dunes Women’s Golf League completed its Club Championship on March 24 with 40 out of 80 members playing. The best 2-of-3 scores determined the winners.
Barb Breesman was named Club Champion, with gross scores totaling 150.
Other winners were:
FLIGHT 1:
Low Gross: 1. Judy Procious (169), 2. Karen Stacy (173), 3. Betty Richmond (180).
Low Net: 1. Hazel Mazzuco (147), 2. Doris Pearce (151), 3. Carol VanDenBerg (152).
FLIGHT 2:
Low Gross: 1. Arista Nolff (179), 2. Judy Dalhaus (187), 3. Ros Moschinger (190).
Low Net: 1. Jackie MacDonald (145), 2. Bev Pickens (149), 3. Vicki Francis (150).
FLIGHT 3:
Low Gross: 1. Sue Um (184), 2. Pat Sodeman (191), 3. Bonnie Demianczyk (203).
Low Net: 1. Pat Milburn (145), 2. Elsie King (148), 3. Carol Allivato (154).
FLIGHT 4:
Low Gross: 1. Elaine Phillips (196), 2. Ruth Smith (208), 3. Maureen Sullivan (214).
Low Net: 1. Jean Berezuk (146), 2. Karen Berch (149), 3. Marge Williams (150).
The Dunes Women’s Golf League is open to any woman 18 or older with a USGA handicap index of 38.7 or lower. The league plays a variety of games and tournaments on Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. and participates in two travel leagues each spring/summer. The league welcomes new members.
If interested in playing, contact Karen Berch on 352-382-2867.
HCRD hosts adult kickball, flag football, softball tourneys
SPRING HILL – The Hernando County Recreation Department (HCRD) and Mayhem Sports is sponsoring a double-elimination Adult Kickball Tournament running from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, June 4 at Veterans Memorial Park.
The cost is $200 per team.
Teams consist of a minimum of four women and four men. Each team may field 10 players.
There will also be a field goal kicking contest and an award’s ceremony at Bar Envy following the event.
HCRD is also hosting a men’s flag football tourney on Saturday, May 21 at Delta Woods Park. Cost is $130 per team.
Looking ahead, HCRD is hosting a men’s softball tourney on Saturday, April 9, a coed softball tourney on Saturday, April 30, another men’s tourney on Saturday, May 14 and a church division softball tourney on Saturday, June 11.
To register, contact HCRD at 352-754-4031 and ask for Christie Williams or Harry Johnson.
Spotted seatrout season reopens
LAKELAND – The recreational harvest season for spotted seatrout in northern Florida has reopened. Spotted seatrout harvest was prohibited in February in Atlantic Ocean waters north of the Flagler-Volusia county line to the Florida-Georgia border and in Gulf of Mexico waters north of a line running due west from the westernmost point of Fred Howard Park Causeway, which is about 1.17 miles south of the Pinellas/Pasco county line, to the Florida-Alabama border. This one-month closure helps maintain spotted seatrout abundance.
The maximum daily bag limit for spotted seatrout in the reopened waters north of the established boundaries is five fish per person. In waters south of these boundaries, the daily limit is four fish per person.
The statewide slot limit for spotted seatrout is 15-20 inches total length, but anglers may keep one spotted seatrout larger than 20 inches as part of the daily bag limit.
Spotted seatrout may not be harvested by any multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait, and snagging or snatch-hooking spotted seatrout is illegal. Anglers may take spotted seatrout with hook-and-line gear and cast nets and must land the fish in a whole condition.
More information regarding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission saltwater fishing regulations is available online at MyFWC.com/Rules (click on “Fishing – Saltwater”).
Save Our Sons Golf Tournament
BROOKSVILLE – Shiloh Problem Solvers Street Outreach presents the Save Our Sons Golf Tournament Saturday, May 14 at Brooksville Country Club.
The four-person scramble will feature three adults and one youth. Registration is at noon with tee off at 1 p.m. The fee is $75 per adult; youths golf free. That includes 18 holes of golf, cart, green fees and a meal. The registration deadline is May 9.
Other contests will include: Longest Drive, Hole-in-One and Closest Putt. There will be cash prizes and trophies, as well as door prizes.
For more information, contact Pastor Clark at 352-345-9596.
WWE returns to the St. Pete Times Forum on May 1
TAMPA – World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) action returns to the St. Pete Times Forum at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 for Extreme Rules. The event will mark the first pay-per-view show to emanate from Tampa in 10 years.
An impressive lineup of superstars are scheduled to appear in a night of hard-hitting action and entertainment, including The Miz, Randy Orton, Kane, Edge, Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Wade Barrett and The Nexus, Jack Swagger, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool, Natalya and Kelly Kelly. The card is subject to change.
For more information on Extreme Rules, visit www.wwe.com.
Tickets are available at the St. Pete Times Forum box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets are $20, $45, $70, $95 and $275 (Gold Circle seating – first five ringside rows only).
Prices do not include facility fees or service charges.
For dinner reservations at Medallions Restaurant on the day of the event call 813-301-6926. For additional information call 813-301-2500 or visit www.sptimesforum.com. Advanced parking passes are available at www.ticketmaster.com and the box office.
Firearms safety classes
WEEKI WACHEE – A firearms safety class is being offered on both April 6 and April 16, at the Hernando Sportsman’s Club, 16121 Commercial Way, Brooksville, 34614, to meet the need for a firearm’s orientation program for new gun shooters.
Completion of this class also provides required documentation to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit. The class starts at 9 a.m. and is approximately five hours long. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $50.
For additional information, contact the Hernando Sportsman’s Club at 352-597-9931.
Do you live and breathe sports?
BROOKSVILLE – If you love sports – all kinds of athletics – perhaps you would like to write about local games for Hernando Today.
We are always looking for aspiring sports writers. You won’t make a lot of money, but you’ll attend games free and write a report on the game for publication.
Being a sports correspondent enables you to talk with the coaches and players.
If you’re not a journalist, we’ll help you tell your story so readers will understand the game.
We will give you tips on exciting sports writing style and story formatting.
Necessary tools?
Aspiring writers need a computer (preferably a laptop), a cell phone, dependable transportation and a willingness to learn.
If you are interested, talk with the sports editor, Tony Castro, by calling him at 352-544-5278.
HCRD seeks softball teams
BROOKSVILLE – Hernando County Parks and Recreation (HCRD) is looking for teams to play in the upcoming Men’s Adult Softball League. A maximum of 38 teams will be accepted. Games will be played Monday-Friday at Veterans Memorial Park and the Anderson Snow Sports Complex.
Come to the organization meeting at 6 p.m. April 11 at the HCRD office at 205 E. Fort Dade Ave., Brooksville, 34601, at to get all forms needed to sign up your team. Individual player can attend and get placed on teams already formed.
Players must be 18 or older. Cost is $569 per team.
For additional information, call HCRD at 352-540-6356 or 352-754-4031.
HCRD seeks flag football teams
BROOKSVILLE – Hernando County Parks and Recreation (HCRD) is looking for teams to play in its upcoming 4-on-4 Flag Football League. Games will be Friday nights at Delta Woods Park.
Players must be 18 and up. Teams need a minimum of six players and their own flag belts.
The league begins play April 29. The cost is $275 per team.
For more Information, call Harry Johnson at 352-540-6356 or 754-4031.
Bucs lower ticket prices
TAMPA – In response to fan feedback and the Tampa Bay region’s ongoing economic challenges, the Buccaneers are unveiling several new family friendly features aimed at maximizing the Bucs’ home field advantage for the 2011 season and beyond.
The Bucs are offering several pricing changes.
Ticket prices have been reduced by up to 20 percent, with adult tickets starting at $35 per game. In addition, youth tickets (16 and under) are now available for purchase in any upper-level section at 50 percent off adult prices, starting as low as $17.50.
Selected season parking has been discounted by up to 40 percent, now starting at only $13.50 per game.
Season pass holders will also receive 10 percent off of all stadium food, beverage and merchandise purchases.
The Buccaneers recently introduced a 10-month payment plan, which has debuted to rave reviews.
Next season, the Buccaneers will host several marquee matchups that include the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons.
For more information, call 866-582-BUCS (2827) or visit www.buccaneers.com.
Kids vs. Cops basketball
SPRING HILL – The fifth annual Kids vs. Cops fundraiser will take place April 21 at Fox Chapel Middle School.
The event, beginning at 6 p.m., will feature the Fox Chapel boys basketball team taking on members of the Hernando and Pasco County Sheriff Departments.
The Fox Chapel team will be representing Kaitlyn Jenkins, an 8-year-old battling terminal brain cancer. The police officers will play for Project Wisdom, a turnaround program for Fox Chapel students.
Admission is a $3 donation per person. Raffle tickets will be given per $3 donation for door prizes provided by local businesses and organizations.
For more information, call co-organizer DeBorah Chamberlain at 352-279-5432.
