SIDELINES

+ Blazers top Cougars in basketball overtime
Josh Yoder scored a layup with four seconds remaining in overtime to lead Sarasota Christian to an 80-78 victory over Cardinal Mooney Jan. 28.

Blake Morrow scored 23 points and had seven assists, six rebounds and four steals to pace the Blazers. Henry Ford added 26 points and three rebounds.

Antonio Blakeney led the way for Cardinal Mooney with 33 points. Ryan McMahon added 13 points, and Parker Del Medico finished with 11 points.

+ Mooney Cougars tame the LWR Mustangs
The Cardinal Mooney High boys basketball team defeated Lakewood Ranch 62-57 in non-district action Jan. 25.

Antonio Blakeney scored 20 points and had seven rebounds to lead the way for the Cougars. Jamie Glassed added 18 points.

Justin Otis scored 16 points, and Chaz Grady added 12 points pace the Mustangs.

+ Thunder’s season comes to a close with loss
The Out-of-Door Academy boys soccer team saw its season come to a close with a 2-0 loss to Sarasota Christian in the Class 1A-District 8 quarterfinals Jan. 23. 

Peter Phaiphannarat and Joshua Markowski each scored one goal for the Blazers. Cam Murphy and Justis Slattery were each recorded an assist. Goalkeeper Brandon Shine had seven saves.

+ Area lifters advance to FHSAA Finals
Three local weightlifters finished in the top 3 at the District 8 meet Jan. 25, at Port Charlotte, to advance to the FHSAA Finals Feb. 9.

Booker’s Alexandria Bartley was the lone local individual champion, winning the 183-pound weight class. Bartley benched 185 pounds and lifted 165 pounds in the clean and jerk, finishing 60 pounds ahead of Port Charlotte’s Shannon Gribben.

Riverview’s Elexis Ousley finished second in the 154-pound weight class (145, 155).

Ousley’s teammate Shoshanah Bailey finished third in the unlimited weight class. (200,155).

+ Local tennis directors prepare for battle
Local tennis directors Travis Eckert and Nate Griffin will face Dave Siddons and Adam Zastempowski in the Battle of the Tennis Directors at 11 a.m. Feb. 10, at the Payne Park Tennis Center.

The match is free to the public. For more information, contact Bob Luxembourg at 371-0162.

+ Lady Blazers advance to title game
The Sarasota Christian School girls basketball team defeated Lakeside Christian 68-14 in the Class 2A-District 9 semifinals Jan. 29, to advance to Friday’s championship game.
Nicole Wittmer scored 17 points to lead the way for the Lady Blazers. Jordan Moon added 16 points. McKenzie Lantz had 11 points, and Annikka Jensen finished with 10 points.

+ Top-seed Lady Cougars rout Lady Falcons
The top-seeded Cardinal Mooney High girls basketball team routed St. Stephen’s 54-3 in the Class 3A-District 10 semifinals Jan. 29.

Camille Giardina scored 22 points to pace the Lady Cougars.

With the win, Cardinal Mooney will face Bradenton Christian for the district title Friday night.

+ Lady Rams’ Vastola hits a career milestone
Riverview High senior co-captain Gianna Vastola scored her 1,000th career point to lead the second-seed Lady Rams to a 65-32 victory over Palm Harbor University in the Class 8A-District 8 semifinals Jan. 29.

Vastola finished with 16 points on the night. Juhnae Richardson scored a game-high 19 points. Vastola and Richardson both hauled in 13 rebounds. Kehtura Merrick finished with 13 points.

With the win, Riveriew will travel to North Port Friday for the district championship.

+ FHSAA announces football districts
The Florida High School Athletic Association released the final state series assignments for football for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

The Out-of-Door Academy and St. Stephen’s will move up to Class 3A to join Cardinal Mooney while Booker moves up Class 5A.

Here are the complete districts for East County football teams:
• Class 8A-District 7 — Riverview, Manatee, Palm Harbor University and St. Petersburg
• Class 7A-District 10 — Braden River, Lakewood Ranch, North Port, Palmetto and Sarasota
• Class 5A-District 13 — Booker, Bayshore, Southeast, DeSoto County and Hardee
• Class 3A-District 6 — The Out-of-Door Academy, Cardinal Mooney, St. Stephen’s and Fort Myers Bishop Verot