Westminster Christian boys’ lacrosse sets school mark. Plus softball and post-season tennis

Miami Herald Staff Reports
·7 min read

Goalie Wade Parker clinched the win with a huge save late as the Westminster Christian boys’ lacrosse team edged Gulliver Prep 8-7 to capture the District 16-1A Championship.

It marks the Warriors’ first district championship in boys’ lacrosse in school history.

Westminster Christian (10-7) plays St. Andrew’s-Boca Raton in the next round of the post-season.

Westminster Christian 8, Gulliver Prep 7: Matt Handel 4 points, 2 goals, 2 assists; AJ Gonzalez 5 points, 3 goals, 2 assists; Wade Parker 13 saves; Brandon Micali 85-percent face off. WC (10-7).

Tennis region semifinals

Business as usual for the Doral Academy girls’ tennis team, defeating Ferguson 4-1 to advance to the region finals. The Firebirds will play Palmetto, which beat Miami Beach 5-0.

In the boys’ match-up, Coral Gables edged Doral Academy 4-3 in an exciting region semifinal, and the Cavaliers will now battle for the region title against Palmetto, which beat Miami Beach 4-0.

Longtime tennis coach Justin Puppo of Doral Academy: “This boys’ match was arguably the greatest high school tennis match I have ever been a part of and lasted over five hours with many twists and turns. Coral Gables [Nikolas Stoot and Henry Stoller] made an incredible comeback at the No.1 doubles position to take the match. Three of the matches were decided by Supertiebreakers.”

Also of note, Doral Academy’s No.1 boys’ player Ezequiel De La Plaza handed five-star recruit Nikolas Stoot of Coral Gables his first loss of the season at No.1 singles.

Coral Gables 4, Doral Academy 3: No.1 Ezequiel De La Plaza (Dor) d. Nikolas Stoot 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; No.2 Henry Stoller (CG) d. Carlos Grimaldi 7-6 (7-5), 6-7(5-7), 10-8; No.3 Krishang Badwall (CG) d. Romain Azais 6-2, 6-4; No.4 Max Kauffman (CG) d. Gabriel Cottone 6-2, 3-6, 10-8; No.5 Sam Uribe Vannucci (Dor) d. Thomas Rheault 6-1, 6-1. Doubles: No.1 Stoot/Stoller (CG) d. De La Plaza/Grimaldi 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 10-6; No.2 Cottone/Uribe Vannucci (Dor) d. Badwall/Kauffman 6-0, 6-3.

On the girls’ side, Doral Academy’s No.1 singles player Patricia Palencia continued her excellent play this senior season with a hard fought win over Ferguson star Camila Cardona. Also winning for the Firebirds included Payton Seidle Lubowitz, Stefany Zamora and Samantha Ruiz-Delarbol.

The Gulliver Prep girls’ tennis team won a regional semifinal.

GIRLS: Gulliver Prep 5, Mourning 0: No.1 Sophia Varabyeva won 6-1, 6-1; No.2 Valentina Rossi won 6-1, 6-0; No.3 Mia Suarez won 6-1, 6-4; No.4 Mika Ringel won 6-0, 6-1; No.5 Maya Quintero won 6-0, 6-2.

Pine Crest boys and girls won region semifinal matches.

BOYS: Pine Crest 4, North Broward Prep 1: No.1 Kenneth Chan (PC) won; No.2 Grant Martin (NBP) won; No.3 Jonathan Fromkin (PC) won; No.4 Ashwin Chawla (PC) won; No.5 Max Fleisher (PC) won.

GIRLS: Pine Crest 4, Dreyfoos School of the Arts-West Palm Beach 0: No.1 Michaela Landry won; No.2 Natasha Jerkunica won; No.3 Gia Cacenco won; No.4 Brynn Edwards won.

The Stoneman Douglas girls’ tennis team shut out Western in a region semifinal, and the Stoneman Douglas boys’ team did the same to Flanagan.

True North swept region semifinal matches in boys and girls. The boys’ team beat Downtown Doral 4-0, and the girls’ squad did the same over Miami Country Day.

True North semifinal winners: Boys: No.2 Mathew Shapiro, No.3 Caleb Chow, No.4 Gabriel Valdes, No.5 Zander Guevara. Girls: No.2 Daniella Chica, No.3 Sophie Pacheco, No.4 Maria Antanova, No.5 Luciana Chica.

The Titans boys’ team plays Ransom Everglades for a region title, and the girls will contest Divine Savior which upset Riviera Prep.

More post-season tennis

The Palmetto boys’ and girls’ tennis teams won district championships to qualify for the region semifinals.

Palmetto swept the boys’ and girls’ district team titles.
Palmetto swept the boys’ and girls’ district team titles.

Advancing to state from districts are Nikolas Stoot of Coral Gables at No.1 boys’ singles, Stoot and Henry Stoler at No.1 boys’ doubles, Ameia Sorey of Palmetto at No.1 girls’ singles and Sorey and Stephanie Hylton at No.1 girls’ doubles.

BOYS: Team: 1. Palmetto 19, Coral Gables 16, Ferguson 7, Coral Reef 6, Columbus 0, Braddock 0.

Finals: Palmetto 5, Coral Gables 2: No.1 Nikolas Stoot (CG) d. Stefan Correa 5-7, 7-5 (10-8); No.2 Michael Larinov (Plm) d. Henry Stoler 7-5, 4-6 (10-6); No.3 Matteo Sama (Plm) d. Krishang Badwal 6-4, 6-3; No.4 Alessio Guarino (Plm) d. Maxim Kauffman 4-6, 6-3 (10-3); No.5 Cason Campbell (Plm) d. Thomas Rheault 6-2, 6-2. Doubles: No.1 Stoot/Stoler (CG) d. Correa/Larionov 6-3, 6-3; No.2 Sama/Guarino (Plm) d. Badwal/Kauffman 6-2, 6-3.

GIRLS: Team: Palmetto 21, Ferguson 12, Coral Gables 9, Coral Reef 7, Braddock 0.

Finals: Palmetto 7, Ferguson 0: No.1 Ameia Sorey d. Camila Cardona 6-3, 6-3; No.2 Mia Sorrentino d. Catherine Cardona 6-2, 6-3; No.3 Stephanie Hylton d. Amaia Morgan 6-0, 6-0; No.4 Brooke Revuelta d. Yara Korse 6-0, 6-0; No.5 Alessia Franco d. Fassioli 6-0, 6-1. Doubles: No.1 Sorey/Hylton d. Cardona/Cardoa 6-2, 6-3; No.2 Revuelta/Sorrentino d. Cawley/Korse 6-0, 6-2.

Softball

The Somerset Academy Silver Palms softball team continues its outstanding season.

The Stallions defeated Riverdale-Fort Myers 10-0 to win the Gold bracket championship of the Bill Longhorn Memorial Tournament at North Collier Regional Park in Fort Myers.

Somserset Academy Silver Palms went 4-0 in the two-day event to improve to 19-2.

The Somerset Academy Silver Palms softball team won the Gold bracket championship of the Bill Longhorn Memorial Tournament in Fort Myers.
The Somerset Academy Silver Palms softball team won the Gold bracket championship of the Bill Longhorn Memorial Tournament in Fort Myers.

Somerset Academy Silver Palms 14, Bonita Springs 2: Ava Stevens 3-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB; Taylor Rebhan 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI; Gessy Hernandez 4-5, 4 RBI; Arlene Sordo 2-4, RBI; Kate Champion 2-2, 2 R; Coral Latshaw 2-3, 2 R; WP Edan Playa 6 IP, 3 H. SASP (16-2).

Somerset Academy Silver Palms 21, Robinson-Tampa 4: Ava Stevens 2-2, 2 BB, 3 R, 3 RBI; Taylor Rebhan 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI; Arlene Sordo 3-3, 3 RBI; Miah Gonzalez 203, 2 R, 2 RBI; Kate Champion 2-3, BB, 3 R. SASP (17-2).

Somerset Academy Silver Palms 14, Palmetto Ridge-Naples 2: Ava Stevens 5-5, 3 R, 2 RBI; Taylor Rebhan 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI; Kate Champion 3-3, 2 R, RBI; WP Ava Stevens (6-1) 6 IP, 6 K. SASP (18-2).

Somerset Academy Silver Palms 10, Riverdale-Fort Myers 0: Ava Stevens 4-4, R, RBI; Taylor Rebhan 1-2, R, 3 RBI; Coral Latshaw 3-3, 2 R, RBI; WP Edan Playa (13-1) 5 IP, 0 R, 6 K. SASP (19-2).

Boys’ volleyball

Mater Lakes Academy d. Downtown Doral 25-9, 25-9, 25-9: Jesus Montes 11 kills, 14 digs, 2 aces; Kevin Llerena 7 kills, 6 digs, 3 aces; Enzo Diaz 6 kills, 5 digs; Jonathan Falero 4 kills, 3 blocks. MLA (18-2).

St. Brendan d. ATM 25-18, 27-25, 23-25, 25-21: Sr. Dante Perez 5 kills, 4 aces, 5 digs, 2 blks; Sr. Jake Martin 3 kills, 1 ace, 2 digs, 1 blk; Sr. Angel Mercedes 2 kills, 3 blks; Sr. Nicholas Arauz 10 kills, 4 aces, 9 digs; Jr. Lucas Ramos 10 kills, 2 aces, 13 digs; Soph. Michael Hevia 4 kills, 5 aces, 26 asts, 3 digs.

Submit results

For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results along with top performers and their stats for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.

They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.

Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone

jvarsallone@miamiherald.com