Hot off the press….here are some new photos of the construction going on out at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. We will continue to update you on the progress out there with photos and information, so be sure to keep checking back here as we get closer to the big opening day.

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is here this week for the Boys and Girls Golf State Championships. Here is our photoset from the final day of competition for the Class 1A Girls Finals from The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland. Competition also took place at Providence Golf Club in Davenport, Ridgewood Lakes Golf Club in Davenport and The Golf Club at Bridgewater in Lakeland. For final results go here.

Here are the full results:

ADULT DIVISION

MEN

TOP 5 OVERALL: 
1.  O.J.. Marbra  Lakeland  5:22
2.  Andy Determan  Lakeland  5:36
3.  Chad Kirkman  Lakeland  5:36
4.  Dan Klassen  Lakeland  5:43
5.  Logan Senechek  Lakeland  6:14

TOP 3 MASTERS (40 AND OVER)
1. Rick Brabas   Lakeland  6:18
2.  Hector Medina  Winter Haven  6:44
3.  Kurt Jung   Lakeland  7:22

12-15
Kirkman; Senechek; Charles Stlaka Lakeland 6:24

16-19
Determan; Alexis Quirones Lakeland   7:22
Jesse Jaques   Lakeland  7:33

20-29
Eric Alvarado   Bartow   7:17
Herbert Martin  Lakeland  9:39

30-39
Klassen; Travis Esposito Lakeland  6:42
Steve Viers   Lakeland  7:58

40-49
Jung; Brian Jones  Lakeland  9:34
John Wilson   Lakeland  10:56

50-59
Medina

60 and OVER
Rob Mason   Lakeland  7:30

WOMEN

TOP 5 OVERALL
1.  Michelle LaPointe  Auburndale  6:38
2.  Katrina Hutchins  Lakeland  7:14
3.  Rhonda Foser  Lakeland  7:25
4.  Heather Meskimen  Lakeland  7:53
5.  Olivia Hunt   Lakeland  8:18

TOP 3 MASTERS
1.  Fosser
2.  Mariann Jaques  Lakeland  8:19
3.  Janet Lamoureux  Lakeland  8:37  

12-15
Meskimen; Hunt; Madeline Sotemayer Lakeland 9:18

20-29
Amanda Streets  Lakeland  9:21
Cassandra Castro  Lakeland  14:03

30-39
Hutchins; Melissa Roberts Lakeland  9:08
Sara Giles   Lakeland  9:21

40-49
Jacques; Lamoureux; Tammy Foerman Lakeland 8:44

60 and OVER
Linda Snavely   Lakeland  14:01

YOUTH DIVISION
BOYS

Kindergarten
Steel Polin   Highlands Grove 4:27
Joshua Thomas  Combee  4:39
Aaron Grant, Carlton Palmore   4:46
Zachary Pannone  Lincoln Avenue 4:54

First Grade
Brendan Moore  Lincoln Avenue 3:40
Thomas Townley  Southwest  3:46
Austin Cowans  Lincoln Avenue 3:47
Coilby Gardner  Highlands Grove 3:49
Horace Tucker, Carlton Palmore   4:08

Second Grade
Tyler Fine, Carlton Palmore    3:33
Lucas Manley, Scott Lake    3:34
Zack Lamoureux  Lincoln Avenue 3:45
Jacob Manley, Scott Lake    3:48
Jonathan Martinez  St. Paul  3:55

Third Grade
Makhi Marbra   Lincoln Avenue 6:12
Colin Phillips   St. Paul  6:13
Elijah Brown, Phillip O’Brien   6:31
Brock Barger   Lincoln Avenue 6:36
Andrew Mazur  Lincoln Avenue 6:37

Fourth Grade
Camron Austwick, Scott Lake   5:51
Shawn Daniels, Carlton Palmore   6:03
Darian Castro, Phillip O’Brien   6:11
Tomas Carrillo  Lincoln Avenue 6:14
Charlie Gardner  Highlands Grove 6:38

Fifth Grade
Lanard O’Neal, Carlton Palmore   5:45
Jalen Marbra   Lakeland Christian 5:48
Nikolas Meche, McKeel    5:49
Kevin Barthle, Phillip O’Brien   6:13
David Wemyss   Bartow   6:17

GIRLS
Kindergarten: Elizabeth Beardsley, Highlands Grove, 4:37; Autumn Foust, Highlands Grove, 4:54; Cameron Titus, Lincoln Avenue, 4:56; Hailey Gartrell, Lincoln Avenue, 4:59; Laura Willis, Carlton Palmore, 5:12

First Grade:  Issa Carrillo, Lincoln Avenue, 4:09; Britain Music, Dixeland, 4:17; Olivia Davis, Carlton Palmore, 4:28; Madison Mullen, Vallyview, 4:32; Kayleigh Linton, Lincoln Avenue, 4:38.

Second Grade: Vivian Streets, Carlton Palmore, 3:33; Sophie Jackson, Carlton Palmre, 4:04; Summer Rivera, Combee, 4:06; Madeleine Munz, Lincoln Avenue, 4:18; Eryn Orduna, N.E. Roberts, 4:20.

Third Grade:  Jasmine Tucker, Carlton Palmore, 7:15; Angel Mitchell, Philip O’Brien, 7:21; Emily Woodard, Phillip O’Brien, 7:25;, Holly Cameron, Lakeland Christian, 7:30; Gail Holcomb, Carlton Palmore, 7:33.

Fourth Grade: Emily English, Scott lake, 6:26; Nicole Wemyss, Bartow, 6:38; Tanner Esposito, Cleveland Court, 6:55; Chanei Williams, Phillip O’Brien, 6:55; Megan Hines, Highlands Grove, 7:13.

Fifth Grade:  Victoria June, Highlands Grove, 6:24; Marisha Williams, Phillip O’Brien, 6:25; Kaylee Cashman, Phillip O’Brien, 6:36; Elena Chamberland, Scott Lake, 6:47; Ariana Ocampo, Eagle Lake, 7:14.

If you are reading this AFTER 5pm, go here to see the story about the tradition of LHS Football and “Friday Night Lights” at Bryant Stadium.

On if the bullpen was questionable from the start

“I think so. I think it even started in spring training. I think it was chaotic in spring training. You know there was position moves and there was (Brandon) Inge floating around, and we just never got in sync. I think there is a lot of different reasons that happened. Even though we didn’t hit like people thought, I never bought into 1,000 runs and all that, but we hit good enough over the course of the year…..”

Here is the entire transcript. Again, it is a very interesting interview and definitely worth a look. Leyland never pinpoints one specific thing to blame on the bad season, but he talks about several areas that he thought were lacking.

What do you think happened to this very talented Tigers team? This is a team, on paper, that looked like they could be a World Series contender but ended up in the cellar of the American League Central Division.

By the way, countdown to 2009 Spring Training: 151 Days (roughly) until the Tigers first Spring Training game. We will have their Spring Training schedule posted here as soon as it is released.

Join Willie Hernandez, Dan Petry and Darrel Evans of the 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers, along with other former players for Fantasy Camp in Lakeland Florida. The Tigers are gearing up for their annual Fantasy Camp where fans can enjoy the atmosphere and excitement of playing baseball with former Major League players. Campers will swing for the fences, shag fly balls, field grounders and play catch on the same fields the pro’s use for spring training. All campers will receive an official certificate of participation.

Fantasy Camp Registration for either week (Jan. 18-25 or Jan.25-Feb1) includes:
• Roundtrip airfare from Detroit to Florida.
• Meals in the Tigertown cafeteria.
• Personalized home and away Detroit Tigers uniforms.
• Games in Tigertown everyday, the official spring training facility of the Detroit Tigers.
• A “Fantasy Game” with former Tiger greats at Joker Merchant Stadium.
• Your own personal clubhouse locker.
• Photograph Day and Autograph Night.
• 1984 Reunion Banquet.
• Membership in the Tigers Fantasy Camp Alumni Club-luncheon, Dinners, Opening Day Party, Newsletter.

Previous baseball skill is not required. Participants must be 21 years of age or older.  Call 313-471-2550 or visit the website for more information.

It sounds like a great Christmas gift to me!

Berto will also be live on ESPN this afternoon at 2pm for a live chat. If you are reading this after 2pm, you can still follow the link and see the chat transcript.

Here is the information from ESPN on Berto’s fight with Steve Forbes (no, not the Steve Forbes from Forbes Magazine) Saturday night:

Berto (22-0, 19 KOs) squares off with Steve Forbes (33-6, 9 KOs) on September 27 from the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. The fight can be seen on HBO starting at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Berto has already won two fights in 2008, the last a seventh-round KO of Miguel Angel Rodriguez in June. That win gave Berto the vacant WBC welterweight belt. Forbes will be the first fighter to challenge Berto. A Florida native, Berto has won nine of his last 11 fights via the knockout.

Here is your second (of many) updates on the progress of the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex construction. Clearing and grubbing are almost complete and construction is about to begin in several areas. I’m still not sure what grubbing is, but as you can see from the photo, it makes a big difference. This photo shows where the soccer fields will be, with Lake Myrtle and the Polk Parkway in the background. To the bottom left are the existing soccer fields and the dirt area at the bottom left is where some of the baseball fields will be. For the whole set of new aerial construction photos, click here. Things are starting to take shape out at Lake Myrtle and we will keep you updated, so be sure to check back here regularly.

Arguably, the state of Florida has some of the best college football programs in the nation, and there are Polk County players making an impact with each of the major programs.

In Gainesville, week after week, all you hear about is how the “Gator-Naughts” help Florida win games. The “Gator-Naughts” are all former Lakeland High School players who are making it big at UF. They are Chris Rainey, Maurkice Pouncey, Michael Pouncey and Ahmad Black and they have all contributed to both Gator wins so far this season.

Even more Polk County high school stars made their mark on the college game last night in South Florida’s big win over Kansas. While the Gators have the “Gator-Naughts”, someone might need to come up with a catchy nickname for the three South Florida stars who hail from Polk County. Quarterback Matt Grothe (Lake Gibson), Running Back Jamar Taylor (Lakeland) and Kicker Maikon Bonani (Lake Wales), led the Bulls to a 37-34 win over #12 Kansas. Bonani won the game with a 43-yard field goal as time expired in his first game on the college level.

This is just further proof that on every Friday night, at any given high school stadium around the county, you can see the future of many college programs and some future NFL stars.