Seminole County HOF; flag football expands; coaching changes; news and notes
It’s been more than two decades since a handful of Orlando area high schools introduced girls flag football as a spring sports option.
With teams now in place throughout Orange, Osceola, Lake and Volusia counties, it was only a matter of time before schools in Seminole County added the sport.
Lake Mary announced in May that it planned to field a team in 2024 with girls basketball coach Shrell Chamberlain leading the way.
Athletic directors at Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Oviedo and Seminole confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel last month that they also hope to have teams in place by spring.
Long-time Winter Park coach Johnny Miller, who launched the Wildcats program in the early 2000s, says the continued expansion of the sport will help boost the level of competition locally and is a “win-win for everybody.”
“This reminds me of back in the day when softball was slow-pitch and nobody wanted to go to fastpitch,” Miller said. “Then all of a sudden it took one team, then another team, and then finally everybody went to fastpitch and softball blew up and went crazy.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association began hosting flag football state tournaments in 2003 when less than 150 schools had varsity teams. This spring, 277 schools participated in the state series and 77 schools competed as independents.
Teams are typically made up of girls who play fall and winter sports such as volleyball, basketball and soccer. Oftentimes, those athletes are experiencing the sport for the first time.
“It’s becoming such a fun sport that I think girls are starting to like the opportunity, and hopefully it finds its own niche,” Miller said. “Nowadays girls can get college scholarships to play flag football, so it’s opened the door for those who may not get in because of basketball or whatever other sport they play.”
Miller anticipates a smooth learning curve for new Seminole County programs.
“The kind of talent they have in Seminole County with their girls sports programs, they’re going to catch on real quick and be real good real fast,” he said.
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Seminole County HOF
Lake Brantley graduates headlined the 2023 Seminole County Sports Hall of Fame induction class last month during a ceremony at Hagerty High School.
Former MLB player Rickie Weeks Jr. and FSU softball player Penny Siqueiros were recognized as the male and female athlete honorees.
The seven inductees included “Contributors” Jered Goodwin and Courtney Miller, along with Inclusion Award winner Samantha Rodriguez, a Special Olympian and marathon runner.
Goodwin, an Oviedo graduate, is a baseball scout and former high school coach. Miller is the long-time softball coach at Seminole State College.
Professional baseball player Hal King (1944-2019) and Golden Age Games founder Vic Arnett (1929-2019) were selected as the Legacy Award inductees.
King was an Oviedo native who played for the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns and Major League Baseball’s Angels, Astros, Braves and Reds.
Arnett was a Sanford community leader who established the first senior-games competition in 1975.
Elite 11 Football
West Orange rising senior quarterback Trever Jackson competed as one of 20 finalists last week at the three-day Elite 11 Finals in Redondo Beach, California.
Jackson topped the BreakAway Ball Score list, which combines a QB’s average velocity and average release time among throws made. He also won the Rail Shot Challenge, finished fifth in the accuracy competition and tied for fifth in the pro-day event.
Jackson overcame injury as a junior last fall while completing 59% of his passes for 1,559 yards, 16 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 306 yards and 6 TDs.
MLB Draft Combine
Several Orlando area baseball players are working out this week at the MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix, Arizona.
Among the 323 high school and college participants are shortstop Braden Holcomb (Foundation Academy) and right-handed pitchers Garrett Baumann (Hagerty), Logan Bevis (Montverde Academy) and Charlee Soto (Kissimmee Reborn Christian).
Holcomb, Baumann and Bevis were named to the Orlando Sentinel Baseball All-Area First Team this spring.
Twenty players from state colleges garnered invitations, including University of Miami outfielder Zach Levenson (Lake Howell) and Florida State pitcher Carson Montgomery (Windermere High).
Former Lake Mary standout Dylan Crews, a junior at LSU, is projected as the No. 1 overall pick next month in the MLB Draft.
Baseball changes
While Kissimmee Osceola and Foundation Academy made quick hires to fill baseball head coaching vacancies, West Orange is searching for its fifth coach since 2018.
Osceola replaced long-time coach Scott Birchler with Nikko Martrell, who started the Tohopekaliga program in 2019 after serving as an assistant coach at Gateway. Birchler announced his retirement last month.
Foundation turned to Dakoda Grove to take over for Jay Welsh after he stepped down following two seasons with the Lions. Grove, son of The First Academy coach Scott Grove, went 14-13 in his first season as a head coach this spring at Clermont East Ridge.
West Orange posted its opening earlier this month after Kyle Flanigan led the Warriors to a 15-11 record. The new hire will be the third coach in as many years for the program.
Basketball changes
Oviedo boys basketball and East River girls basketball teams will welcome new head coaches for the 2023-24 season.
Ian Young, a former Lake Howell standout who played 14 pro seasons around the globe, has come back home as the new Oviedo boys coach. He was previously a college assistant at Arkansas State.
Young averaged 11.9 points and 4 assists as a senior guard for Auburn in 2004-05.
Jason Vallery was Oviedo’s head coach for five seasons (2017-22) before reducing his role to program director as Elston Watson served as interim coach last season (16-12). Vallery, who has been a realtor, told the Sentinel he has moved into the construction and remodeling business.
Oviedo, state championships in 1957, 1992 and 2014, has finished .500 or better in a season each year since at least the 1980s.
East River’s Brittany Scott has transitioned to athletic director after just one season as head coach with the Falcons.
Scott arrived at East River after working as an assistant coach at FAMU. She previously coached in Broward County at West Broward, Coconut Creek and Northeast High.
Football hire
Trinity Prep announced this week the hiring of Brian Kells as its new football coach.
Kells spent the past 10 seasons building the program at Orange City University, where he went 55-46 with the Titans. He replaces former NFL quarterback and UCF coach Mike Kruczek, who finished 38-58 in 10 years at Trinity.
Kruczek is now an assistant at The Master’s Academy where his son, Garrett Kruczek, was hired earlier this year as head coach.
Odd and ends
Hagerty did not have to go far to find its new softball head coach. Tom Kreahling, who went 274-150 at Lake Howell over the past 16 seasons, steps in to replace David Stone. Stone led the Huskies to a state championship in 2018 and runner-up finish in 2014. He closed out his 12 years with the program by leading Hagerty to the Class 6A regionals finals this spring.
Olympia 2023 graduate Will McElveen was the only Floridian named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association boys All-America team this year. He’s an Ohio State signee and the son of former Titans athletic director Kevin McElveen. Big sister Emma is heading into her senior season of college play at USC Upstate of South Carolina.
Dr. Phillips basketball alum Ernest Udeh Jr. has committed to play for TCU via the transfer portal after one season at Kansas. The 6-11 post player averaged just 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 8.3 minutes played as a freshman but made 75.6% of his infrequent shot attempts (34 of 45).
A St. Cloud based girls volleyball club, Momentum Volleyball Academy, went 14-0 to win the 14U Club division at the 50th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships, which are being held through June 29 at the Orange County Convention Center and the ESPN World Wide of Sports complex. The Top Select Volleyball Club 14 Elite team went 10-1 and tied for third place in the top-tier Open Division.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
