That's the ticket ...

THURSDAY, Nov. 17 - SATURDAY, Nov. 19

The Lakewood Ranch boys basketball team is hosting a preseason tournament. The Mustangs will play Clearwater Central Catholic on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Wiregrass Ranch Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. The Mustangs lost in the Class 7A Region 3 final to St. Petersburg last season, but graduated just one player. This year’s squad should be even better, with senior guard Sam Hester and junior guard Damien Gordon leading the way.

FRIDAY, Nov. 18

The much-anticipated football rematch between Braden River and Venice is here. The Pirates fell to the Indians 42-35 on Oct. 14. Now, senior quarterback Louis Colosimo and his teammates head back down to Venice for a chance at redemption in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs. To do that, they’ll need to stop senior Venice running back Matthew “Speedy” Laroche, who ran for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Nov. 19

The Braden River boys basketball team will participate in the Bradenton Southeast Preseason Classic, a six-team tournament hosted by Southeast. It’s the first chance to see senior point guard Deoni Cason and junior forward Daniel Tart back in action since the Pirates lost to Palmetto in the Class 7A District 11 tournament semifinals. The Pirates play Hillsborough at 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Nov. 19

The third-annual Duathlon at the Bend will be held at Nathan Benderson Park. Not your traditional duathlon, this race combines rowing crew and distance running. New events added this year are Parent/Child races and Row Board. The races will begin at 8 a.m.