- The defending state champion Branford volleyball team, currently ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Rural classification with a 7-1 season record, will be guests on "The Prep Zone Sports Show" at 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday on mainstreetdailynews.com.
- Defending Rural state champion Hawthorne football will host Miami Northwestern on Thursday in a game that will be livestreamed on mainstreetdailynews.com.
- 106.9 FM I Am Country will broadcast the Lecanto at Gainesville High School game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Last year, the Branford volleyball team won the FHSAA Rural state title. It was the first state championship in program history for the Buccaneers, who finished 24-4.
Some of the names have changed, including the coach, but the defending champs are still No. 1 in the MaxPreps Rural classification rankings.
Tonight from 6-7 p.m., the Lady Bucs and first-year head coach Hank Rone will be guests on “The Prep Zone Sports Show” from the locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville (39th Avenue).
The Bucs are 7-1 this season. Their only loss was in four sets at Class 2A Oak Hall School, who are still unbeaten. The Eagles, who are 9-0, were guests on the show last week.
Join Mainstreet Daily News sports director Mike Ridaught as he talks about Branford’s season so far, Rone’s first year with the program, and the pressures of defending a state title.
You can listen to the show ‘live’ and ‘archived’ online at ThePrepZone.com and Mainstreet Daily News (MDN).
Then on Thursday, the defending Rural state champion Hawthorne football team will host South Florida power Northwestern (Miami).
“C.I. (Hawthorne football coach Cornelius Ingram) and I met with several of our returning players after last season and told them we wanted to play a few ‘bangers,’” said Hawthorne Athletics Director Greg Bowie, who is also the team’s offensive coordinator. “We asked them to give us a list of programs they’d love the opportunity to compete against, and Northwestern was one of the schools that came up. There were a few other schools that expressed interest in playing us, but our open weeks didn’t line up. Fortunately, everything worked out with Northwestern, and we’re excited to have the opportunity.”
This clash of the titans was originally scheduled for Saturday at The Villages Charter School but was moved to Thursday at Hawthorne because Sept. 12 falls on Rosh Hashanah and Northwestern needed to play on a Thursday.
“I’m very appreciative of Miami NW for being willing to travel to Hawthorne,” Bowie said. “Bringing a team of their caliber to our community is huge for Hawthorne and North Central Florida. With the game being played on Thursday and most area teams playing on Friday, we are expecting a nice crowd and believe it will provide a great football atmosphere for everyone involved.”
The visiting Bulls (3-0), last year’s Class 3A state runner-up, are currently ranked No. 5 in Class 4A and 26th overall in Florida. They have wins against St. Pete Lakewood (20-18), Miami Jackson (42-0) and Hialeah (51-0).
Hawthorne, which is eyeing another championship run, is also 3-0. The Hornets, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 1A and 37th overall in the Sunshine State, defeated Bishop Moore (Orlando) on the road, 28-25 in overtime, and Newberry (8-0) and Hernando (Brooksville), 39-0, at home.
Join Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and former University of Wisconsin football player/coach Mac McCray (Color) beginning at 6:45 p.m. on MDN. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Our first three football game broadcasts on the radio have been decided by single digits.
Last Friday night, the host Suwannee Bulldogs edged Gainesville High, 15-14, at Live Oak’s Paul Langford Stadium, also known as “The Dog House.”
The Class 3A Bulldogs (3-0) have tripled their number of wins from last season when they finished 1-9.
GHS (0-3), which lost its opener at home to Belleview, 28-26, in overtime, followed by a 43-6 loss to rival Buchholz in Week 2, had plenty of off-the-field distractions last week leading up to their game.
Kicker/punter Sebastian Jimenez and three of his family members were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Aug. 22. He has since been released but did not play in Friday’s game.
After a pair of touchdowns against the Bulldogs, the Hurricanes went for two both times but finished just 1-for-2 and came up one point short.
“Hats off to Suwannee and the job that they did,” said first-year GHS coach Ashour Peera, who drove to the airport in Jacksonville on Friday night after the game to pick up Jimenez and his mom. “I mean, they fought just as hard. Not taking anything away from them, but we had plenty of opportunities where we could have won the game, and like I said before, we’re still learning how to finish a game, and it takes all four quarters.”
This Friday, the Hurricanes will look to get in the win column for the first time against Lecanto in the Class 4A-District 5 opener. The visiting Panthers (1-2) won last year’s meeting, 42-0, for their second straight victory in the series. GHS had won the previous four.
Join Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) and former Gator football player Hank Rone (Color).
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on 106.9 FM “I am Country,” followed by the kickoff at 7:30 p.m. In addition to radio, audio coverage of the game is available at IamCountryGainesville.com.