SIDELINES

+ Cougars rush past Thunder
Anthony Caiazzo rushed for nearly 275 yards and three touchdowns, as the visiting Cardinal Mooney High football team defeated The Out-of-Door Academy 27-17 Nov. 9, in the season finale for both teams.

ODA took a 7-0 lead, when quarterback Evan Wilson connected with Drew Fineberg for a 5-yard touchdown. Wilson extended the Thunder’s lead to 14-0 on a 36-yard run.

Cardinal Mooney responded with a 21-yard touchdown run by Caiazzo and a 43-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reese Vita to Casey Gunderson to pull within 14-3 at halftime.

Sean Kirshe hit a 25-yard field goal to extend the Thunder’s lead to 17-14 before Caiazzo scored a pair of second-half touchdowns to give Cardinal Mooney the victory.

+ Lady Rams defend state swim title
The Riverview High girls swim team defended its Class 3A swimming championship Nov. 9.

Senior freestyler Taylor Katz won the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles to lead the way for the Lady Rams, who finished 102 points ahead of co-runners-up Orlando Dr. Phillips and Lithia Newsome.

Katz also led off the 400 freestyle relay, which also finished first. Hannah James finished third in the 200 and 500 freestyles and also swam on the 400 freestyle relay along with Spence Atkins and Niamh O’Grady. Katz and James also finished second in the 200 freestyle along with Natalie Hegwein and Laura Toth. Across the pool, the Riverview boys team finished third. Alexander Katz finished second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 backstroke to pace the Rams. Liam McKane finished third in the 500 freestyle. The boys 400 freestyle relay finished third.

+ Cougar, Lady Tornado win state titles
Cardinal Mooney High’s Matt O’Donnell and Booker High’s Bethany Leap both captured individual state titles at the Class 1A Swimming & Diving Championships Nov. 10, at the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando.

O’Donnell won the boys 500-yard freestyle and Leap won the girls 100 breaststroke. O’Donnell also finished fourth in the 100 backstroke.

Booker’s Grace DiMeo finished second in the 100 butterfly and 10th in the 200 freestyle.

+ Sarasota wins regional title
The Sarasota High boys cross-county team scored 41 points to win the Class 3A-Region 2 Cross-Country Meet Nov. 10, in Lecanto.

Zackery Summerall finished first in 15:54.97 to win the individual championship. Courtland Bernard finished fifth in 16:13.09 followed by Ian Hull (eighth, 16:25.41), Adam Bradtmueller (ninth, 16:27.06) and Brandon Drumm (19th, 16:58.50).

The Sarasota High girls cross-country team scored 107 points to finish as the regional runner-up.
Angelina Grebe finished fourth in 18:57.00 to pace the Lady Sailors.

+ Riverview runners qualify for state meet
The Riverview High boys and girls cross-country teams qualified for the Class 4A Cross-Country State Meet Nov. 17, in Tallahassee after finishing fifth in the team standings at the Class 4A-Region 2 Cross-Country Meet Nov. 10.

Warran Grajalez finished 10th in 17:25.40 to pace the way for the Rams. Bryce Vokus finished 14th in 17:28.90. Jessica Lonas finished 18th in 21:15.30 to lead the way for the Lady Rams.

+ Three runners advance in Class 1A
Cardinal Mooney’s Grace CasaGrande and Cal Turner Davidson and The Out-of-Door Academy’s Peter Runge all advanced to the Class 1A state cross-country meet as individuals.

CasaGrande finished ninth in 19:10. On the boys side, Runge finished 10th in 17:03 and Turner Davidson finished 14th in 17:21.

+ Sarasota ends season on high note
Quarterback Hunter DeWitt threw three touchdown passes and ran in for another score to lead Sarasota High to a 43-13 victory over Bayshore in its season finale Nov. 9.

Shawn Bane Jr. hauled in touchdown passes of 76 and 80 yards and John Clancy caught a 5-yard touchdown pass.

Defensive back Austin Leach returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and defensive lineman Wicky Sanon recovered a fumble and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

+ Lady Rams blank rival Lady Sailors
The Riverview High girls soccer team defeated rival Sarasota 7-0 Oct. 29.

Katy Mixon recorded a hat trick to lead the way for the Lady Rams. Paige Reichenberger added a pair of goals and Ally Jones and Kasey Gamble each scored a goal. Goalkeeper Stephanie Tabar had two saves that night.

+ SMA posts shutout
The Sarasota Military Academy boys soccer team shut out St. Petersburg Canterbury 1-0 Nov. 11.
Logan Moriarty scored SMA’s lone goal.