Mooney and Braden River advance to Suncoast semifinals

Cardinal Mooney has proved to be a heart-throbbing Giant Killer after two games of the Suncoast Holiday tournament at Sarasota Riverview High School.

The Cougars notched their second straight victory over a highly touted foe when it came from behind to defeat Tampa Sickles 54-50 in second round action Thursday to advance to the semifinals.

Braden River also earned a ticket to the round of four, but did it in convincing fashion with a 50-28 rout over South Fort Myers.

Braden River's Trevon Young and Cardinal Mooney sophomore Antonio Blakeney continued to show they are among the top players in the area, perhaps the two best.

Mirabella makes it official: She is returning to Braden River next season

Courtney Mirabella says she will be back

Braden River softball fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Courtney Mirabella has made it official. She is coming back for her senior year.

The phenom pitcher had been debating whether to graduate school early next winter and head to North Carolina State. The coaching staff there had been urging her to enroll early and promised to put her in the pitching rotation.

After months of deliberations with her family, the right hander decided to return to Braden River. She said it was more about her pitching career than missing out on her senior year of high school and all that comes with it.

"The idea of pitching against 22 and 23 year-olds right now didn't appeal to me," Mirabella said. "I didn't feel comfortable with that and decided against it. I would also like to win a state championship next season. We didn't make it to states this year and I was disappointed."

Mirabella continued to be one of the ace strikeout pitchers in the state last season. She finished fifth with 241 strikeouts, but was first in strikeouts per inning averaging 1.96 per inning.

Mirabella among state leaders in strikeouts

Courtney Mirabella certainly gets the most out of her time on the mound, particularly when it come to striking out hitters.

With 191 strikeouts in 95 innings, the Braden River High junior is averaging 2.01 strikeouts per inning, which ranks her among the top three in the state, according to statistics published by Max Preps.

The righthander is efficient in every way possible. She has compiled a 1.12 ERA and is 13-2 for the Pirates, who head into next week's Class 7A-District-11 tournament as the top seeded team.

Braden River, which reached the State Final Four last year, opens play at home on Wednesday against the winner of the Venice-Port Charlotte game. Expect Mirabella to be on the mound.

Rosters set for PAL Manatee-Sarasota County Senior Basketball Showcase

Some of the top seniors from Manatee and Sarasota County will go against each other Saturday in the annual PAL Senior Basketball Showcase at Bayshore High.

The girls game tips off at 4:30 p.m. and the boys are scheduled to begin play at 6 p.m. Bayshore High's Jamaal Sanders will coach the Manatee County girls squad and Bruins head coach Shawn Campbell will coach the boys team.

Sarasota High girls coach Rob Jutras will coach the Sarasota County girls and Sarasota Christian head coach Phil Helmuth will coach the Sarasota County boys.

The Manatee County girls will feature Palmetto High's Blair Thomas and Lakewood Ranch's Gabriella Diaz-Granados two of the area's top scorers. Out-Of-Door-Academy's 1,000 point career scorer Mara Falahee will play for Sarasota County.

The Manatee County boys roster includes a trio from Braden River, which had the county's best record, in sharp shooting guard Tre' Bryant, Jeff Casseus and Tommy Bernhardt. The roster also includes Bradenton Christian leader scorer Joey Carolla. Out-Of-Door Academy 1,000 point scorer Maura Falahee will play for Sarasota County.

Here are the rosters:

MANATEE COUNTY:

Boys:

Bayshore: David Cruz, Vincent Scanes, Navjot Gill, Tyderian Jenkins, David Scavella, Jesus Ayvar

Bradeton Christian: Joey Carolla, Cameron Van Buren,

Braden River: Tre' Bryant, Tommy Bernhardt, Jeff Casseus, Eric Foster, Austin Lee

Lakewood Ranch: Brian Cobb, Zach Ainge, Winston Bridges

Manatee: Austin Gordon, Zach Haughy, Ryan Schroeder, Osiris Shabazz-Stephenson

Palmetto: Terreance Mann

Southeast: Cy'kobe Johnson

Girls:

Bayshore: Elissa Alvarez, Quinnia Streeter-Thurman

Lakewood Ranch: Gabriella Diaz-Granados

Palmetto: Blair Thomas, Kayla Moore

Southeast- Tiffany West

SARASOTA COUNTY:

Boys:

Booker: Jamal Gaines

Cardinal Mooney: Danny Stokes, Dylan Blakely, Nick Stallings, Cole Collins

North Port: Larry Taylor, Joe Wilber, Jeff Dormil

Out-Of-Door-Academy: Fred Porter

Riverview: Vince Cherry, Jeremy Jones, Eric Traver

Sarasota: Fernando Rivera, Jacob Carter, Alonzo Boezem, Tanner Weigand

Sarasota Christian: Logan Mayer

Venice: David Voigt, Nate Curtner, Zach Flerlage

Girls:

Booker: Breanna Browning

North Port: Keosha Harris, Ashley Mashaw

Out-Of-Door-Academy: Mara Falahee

Riverview: Brittany Mobley, Heather Horne, Lauren Wilson

Sarasota: Juliana Calvallaro, Kelly Jutras, Tarayn Burns, Mariah Williams

Venice: Laura Hackett, Hannaah Revels, Brooke Shipps,

Braden River football trio take JUCO route

Three Braden River football players recently signed letters of intent to play junior college next season.

Offensive lineman Jeff Casseus and wide receiver Troy Gatling have signed with New Mexico Military Academy and quarterback Steven Ross has accepted a scholarship to play at Hutchinson Community College (Kansas), according to Braden River head coach Don Purvis.

The 6-7, 270 pound Casseus, who was also a standout with the Pirates basketball team, is expected to play tackle and the 6-3, 185 pound Gatling will continue to work at receiver, Purvis said.

"New Mexico Military has sent a lot of guys on to Division I schools (FBS) and that is what those two want to do," Purvis said. "Ross' dad played at Hutchinson and they want to use at quarterback, which is the position he wants to play. Those were factors on why he wanted to go there."

Mirabella strikes out 17 for third highest mark in win over Manatee

Courtney Mirabella struck out 17 and tossed a three-hitter to lead Braden River to a key 3-1 Class 7A-District 11 victory over visiting Manatee on Friday night.

It was the third highest strikeout total for the Bradenton Herald reigning Player of The Year. The junior right hander's all time high is 21 strikeouts in an 11 inning game and 18 in a seven inning contest.

The Pirates are undefeated in district play and 9-1 overall with their only defeat coming to Bartow, which is ranked first in the state and third nationally by MaxPreps.

Mirabella struck out 18 against last year's Class 4A State champion Eau Gaille and had 21 against Naples Barron Collier in last year's region tournament.

Braden River's Ross most likely done for hoops season

The Braden River boys basketball team, which opens region play tonight at home against Port St. Lucie, will again be without two year starting point guard Steven Ross.

The senior is most likely done for the season, the Bradenton Herald has learned. Ross was suspended prior to the district tournament for what school officials described as undisclosed reasons. Apparently he is not coming back.

Braden River managed to win the district title without Ross, who was the quarterback for the Pirates football team last season. But the regions could get a lot tougher particularly if they win tonight to set up a possible meeting with Stuart Martin County next Tuesday.

The Pirates have done a good job adjusting with Tre’ Bryant and Tommy Bernhardt sharing a lot of the point guard duties. Bryant, Braden River’s leading scorer, has shown his multi-talented skills by continuing to provide scoring while helping to run the offense.

Lot more than district title at stake for Braden River

There is a lot at stake for the Braden River boys basketball team this Friday night when it plays Venice for the Class 7A-District 11 championship.

In fact you might say there is more on the line than just a second straight district title for the Pirates, though that means a lot. But this veteran team has higher goals and a win over Venice would certainly help in many ways.

This game is to clear a much easier path to the Region 3 final and eventual trip to the state final four.

The two top teams in this region appear to be Braden River (22-4) and Stuart Martin County (22-3).

If Braden River beats Venice and gets by its first round region opponent it would be home for the region semifinal most likely against Stuart Martin County, which finished 10-0 in its district.

If the Pirates lose to Venice and go into the regions as district tournament runner-up they would likely have to go to Stuart Martin County for their region quarterfinal game and that is something they want to avoid at all costs.

Here is a little bonus. The District 12 championship game is Saturday night so if the Pirates beat Venice, Braden River head coach Matt Nesser and his staff will be able to scout that game.

The other top teams in Class 7A-Region 3 appear to be Wiregrass (17-9), Tampa Chamberlain (13-7), St. Petersburg (16-9) and Clearwater (18-10).

Braden River 5th in FABC rankings but won't mean much if don't win tonight

On the eve of its biggest game of the season, the Braden River High boys basketball moved up to the fifth in the latest Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) Class 7A ranking

The Pirates (20-4) were seventh in the previous poll. But all of that won't mean much if they don't beat Punta Gorda Charlotte (16-110 tonight in a class 7A-District 11 semifinal round game.

Braden River defeated Charlotte both times they met during the regular season, earning a 42-41 victory on the road and then winning handily at home 60-40.

The game is at Braden River where the Pirates are 9-1 this season. It bodes well for this young program that is gunning for its second straight district championship, but head coach Matt Nesser is taking nothing for granted.

"Defense is the key. We are a blue collar team and have to play good defense if we are going to win," he said.

Take a look at Tommy Bernhardt's impossible shot that stunned Southeast

Braden River senior Tommy Bernhardt has carved out a reputation this season for making big shots . But none might have been more dramatic than the three-quarter court shot he nailed against Southeast this season as the halftime buzzer sounded. You be the judge, but this is the longest shot made this season around these parts.

"Harpoon" event returns to Manatee County with cherished memories

BRADENTON- The Youth Foundation Basketball Showcase has had several names and now has a new venue, but the memories it created will live forever.

It was the event where host Southeast in 2004 ended Jacksonville Ribault’s 120 game win streak against Florida schools before what is believed to be the biggest crowd ever to watch a high school basketball game in Manatee County for either boys or girls.

And then there was 2002 when little Casey Baker stole the ball with a few seconds left and lofted a shot that enabled Southeast to knock off undefeated Clearwater the state’s top ranked team and national power.

It was the shot heard round the world for girls’ basketball in these parts and to top it off Baker went on to set a school record for steals at Marshall University.

It’s now called the Manasota High School Basketball Showcase and will be held at Bayshore on Saturday. It’s still under the direction of Howard "Harpoon" Karasick, who is putting on his 24^th edition of this event, which was held in Manatee County on two previous occasions.

Regardless of the name and site, this could be another day of big upsets, particularly in the two last games, where the Southeast girls take on two time defending Tampa Catholic and in the nightcap when Braden River faces Sarasota Riverview in a matchup of the area’s two best teams.

For Southeast (13-3) it will mean taking on defending state champions on two straight nights. The Seminoles play host to defending Class 4A State champion St. Petersburg Lakewood on Friday in a district game and then face Tampa Catholic, the two time 3A defending state champs.

Southeast lost to Tampa Catholic in the region final the last two years. The Noles are now in 5A with St. Pete Lakewood, but would like nothing better than to extract some revenge over a team that broke their hearts twice in a row.

But this event seems to bring out the best in the Southeast girls and turn their head coach John Harder into a miracle worker.

“This is the first time we are playing state champs on back to back nights and I never heard of anyone doing that in less than 24 hours,” Harder said. “I am not some genius who wants to upset the world, but they said it would be better for the community if we did it so we are going to do it. It will certainly get us ready for the post season.

“We were up by two points at the end last year and lost to Tampa Catholic and our kids haven’t forgotten that. I want our girls to feel like they are preparing for the end of the season run and this will do it.”

Braden River (10-1) is unbeaten against area teams from Manatee down through Charlotte County. Its only loss is to Miami Carol City, a team host Riverview (11-2) beat in the same Christmas Tournament.

“We thought we could get to play them in their tournament but lost. Now we get that chance and are looking forward to it,” Braden River head coach Matt Nesser said. “We want to play the best and consider them maybe the best in the area. They are athletic and have good size and don’t make a lot of mistakes.”

To get his team ready for the post season, Nesser put together a road heavy schedule and has played only three home games so far this season. In their last game, the Pirates earned a come from 42-41 victory on the road at Punta Gorda Charlotte, which is a tough place to play.

“We haven’t played our best basketball yet. In order to be a championship team you need to play hard for an entire 32 minutes and we did that maybe in one or two games,” Nesser said.

The coach says his three starters from the football team still haven’t gotten their basketball legs yet and it has affected the shooting of point guard Steven Ross.

The Pirates are led by shooting guard Tre’ Bryant, who is averaging 17 points per game. Travon Young, the 6-5 junior, continues to be the Pirates big presence inside averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tommy Bernhardt, a senior guard, is averaging a shade over 10 points per outing.

Riverview is led by 6-3 versatile guard Eric Traver, who is averaging 16.6 points per game and is surrounded by a lot of talent.

What: Manasota High School Basketball Showcase:

Where: Bayshore High

When: Saturday

Admission: $3.00 gets you in for all the games. Kids under 10 are free.

Schedule:

10:30 am (girls) Bayshore vs Clearwater

12 Noon (girls) Lakewood Ranch vs North Port

1:30 pm (boys) Palmetto vs Bayshore

3 pm (girls) Riverview vs St. Petersburg

4:30 pm (boys) Southeast vs Lakewood Ranch

6 pm (girls) Southeast vs Tampa Catholic

7:30 pm (boys) Braden River vs Riverview

Braden River sets gate record in Lakewood Ranch game

Braden River High set a school record in its game against Lakewood Ranch with gate receipts more than $18,500, according to athletic director Bob Bowling.

The paid attendance was 3,100 though Bowling and most others felt the actual crowd was significantly larger, perhaps in the 5,000 fan range.

It was still the best crowd and largest ever home gate for any sport in Braden River history. It also had the atmosphere of a college game with lines of cars waiting to get into the parking lot and student tailgaters setting up along school grounds.

Unfortunately, for the Pirates they came out on the short end of a 28-18 score against their arch rival. But it was a victory for school coffers.

Ranch's Cobb tears ACL, but hopes to return before hoops season ends

Tough news for Brian Cobb and the Lakewood Ranch High boys basketball team.

Figured to be one of the top players in Southwest Florida heading into his senior year, the 6-6, 210 pound forward received a bad break this summer when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.

Cobb had surgery two weeks ago and hopes to be back for the last five or six games of the regular season, thought there are no guarantees.

Cobb was a first team Bradenton Herald All-Area selection. He topped the Mustangs in numerous categories including scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), and blocked shots (3.5 bpg) and averaged 2.1 steals.

He is getting most of his interest from Lynn University and Jacksonville University. Cobb said the coaches at both those schools told him to get healthy and don't worry about anything else.

"I am going to visit Lynn as soon as I am able to get up and walk around again," Cobb said. "The doctors told me it would be about six to eight months till I can play again. I am hoping to be able to play before the regular season ends."

Mirabella named Miracle Sports 4A Pitcher of The Year

Braden River ace Courtney Mirabella, one of the most highly touted prospects in the country, was named the Miracle Sports Class 4A Pitcher of The Year for 2010.

The righthander, who was the Bradenton Herald’s Player of The Year, finished her sophomore season with a 22-4 record and an astonishing 0.50 ERA with 313 strikeouts in 165 innings, leading the Pirates to their first state tournament appearance.

Two of Mirabella’s teammates were named to the 4A second team: Freshman shortstop Kenya Yancy (.484 batting average with 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored) and sophomore catcher Ashley Allard, who was known for her defensive prowess while hitting .360 with 19 ribbies and 20 runs scored.

Bradenton Christian outfielder Rachel Brown was named to the Class A first team. The junior, who played numerous positions, led her team with a .672 batting average.

Lakewood Ranch righthander Brittany Kilduff was selected to the 4A second team. The right hander finished her senior season with a 9-3 record and a 1.34 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 78 innings.

Braden River sophomore third baseman Jessica Cadorette and Lakewood Ranch sophomore outfielder Jennifer Trotter were named honorable mention. Cadorette batted .375 while Trotter hit .433 with 15 extra base hits.

Bryant leads PAL to state title

Braden River guard Tre Bryant earned Most Valuable Player honors in leading the Manatee PAL boys 17 year-Old and Under basketball team to the USSSA Division II State Tournament title last weekend.

The six-foot Bryant, who gained a reputation last season for his deadly long range shooting, showed his versatility in leading the Manatee team to five victories without a loss while averaging more than 18 points per game.

Other Manatee PAL players who stood out were Tommy Bernhardt from Braden River and Palmetto’s Terrance Mann, who were among the team’s leading scorers and Braden River’s Jeff Casseus, who led in rebounds.

The other players on the team were Braden River’s Eric Foster, Denard Richardson Jr., Ryan Hintz and Troy Davis; Palmetto’s Jalen Seel and Tyrone Johnson, Cameron VanBuren from Bradenton Christian and Nigel Edwards from Lakewood Ranch.

Manatee PAL Basketball director Ralph Bryant said the team plans to travel to Greensboro, North Carolina next month for the national tournament.

The Manatee 17U PAL team participated in five tournaments winning two and placing second in two others.

Kerns to walk on at Kent State

Braden River kicker Kadin Kerns will walk on at Kent State and hope to earn a job and eventual scholarship, school officials in the athletic department there said.

Kent State has a strong kicking game with returnees Freddy Cortez, who does field goals and kickoffs and punter Matt Rinehart.

Last year as a sophomore, Cortez converted 11 of 17 field goal attempts and was 8 for 12 on those from 30 or more yards out, including 3 of 6 from more than 40 yards away with his longest from 45 yards out.

In 2010 he became the first kicker in school history to finish a season perfect on extra points converting 31 of 31. He also averaged 58.4 yards on kickoffs.

Rinehart, a rising senior, is a two-time first team All Mid-American Conference and last season averaged 42.7 yards per punt, which is the highest in school history.

Last year Kerns made 15 of 17 extra point conversion attempts and converted eight of 10 field goal attempts.

Banner year for East Manatee Schools

The Braden River softball team wasn’t able to bring home a state championship, but the final out in the Pirates semifinal round loss culminated a standout year for Manatee County’s two newest public schools.

Braden River and its arch rival Lakewood Ranch arguably brought East Manatee County its best year in athletics, particularly in the traditional team sports.

Lakewood Ranch won district titles in girls’ soccer and softball and advanced to regions as district runner up in boys and girls basketball, boys soccer and baseball. Braden River won a region title in softball and district titles in volleyball and boys basketball.

Lakewood Ranch also finished in second in the state in boys golf and girls country and its boys tennis team won a region and district championship. The Braden River volleyball advanced to the region final.

The Braden River softball team seemed to be in good position to win a state titles joining Lakewood Ranch’s 2004 baseball squad as the only teams from East Manatee to win a state title.