KEY WEST PITCHER FELIX ONG COMMITS TO UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA KEYS WEEKLY SPORTS

THE GATORS HAVE ‘NO IDEA WHAT’S COMING,’ SAYS CONCHS COACH

“The UF baseball team has no idea what’s coming.”

That’s what Key West High School baseball coach Ralph Henriquez said about the University of Florida’s baseball commit, Felix Ong.

Ong, a class of 2024 commit, is a starting pitcher for the Key West Conchs. He is 6’5”, 210 pounds, and has a career earned run average of 3.0 In 58.1 innings pitched, Ong struck out 86 batters and held opponents to a .243 batting average. He has eight career wins and two losses as a starter.

“Felix is a workhorse; he’s a guy who is never going to give up. … He’s going to outwork you,” Henriquez said. “He’s excited about being a Gator, pitching in the blue and orange and helping them win.”

Ong has played baseball for about 10 years and says playing at UF, his father’s alma mater, is a lifelong dream.

“It’s a great program,” Ong said. “I’m excited to learn from the great coaching staff and play in front of an amazing crowd.”

He wants to bring energy to the Gators and make an impact from his first year.

“I hope to get an opportunity to step on the field my freshman year and help them win,” Ong said.

When asked why he chose to commit to the Gators, Ong mentioned a specific comment made by UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

“We started talking in the fall,” Ong said. “He told me I had an opportunity to earn a job, not just have one, and that meant the most to me … knowing I would have to compete.”

Local fans have tracked Ong, a Key West native, across the years and between the fields at the Clayton Sterling Baseball Complex. By the time he reached high school and its legendary Rex Weech Field, Ong had already developed a loyal fan base and several lifelong teammates.

“Playing in Key West is the best,” Ong said, “We get to play for

Photographer Ella Hall Heads To Lsu

INTERN -TURNED - PRO JOINS THE SCHOOL’S SPORTS MEDIA PROGRAM

The pandemic was still in its infancy in mid-2020 when I received an email from Ella Hall.

The soon-to-be sophomore at Key West High School was interested in an internship at the Keys Weekly newspaper, and as editor, I was interested in increasing our coverage of the high school community.

At a lunch meeting at Key Plaza Creperie, I met a shy, soft-spoken student who was interested in writing and photography. Though hesitant about her age, we gave it a shot, and Ella started contributing stories about issues of interest at the high school.

Fast-forward two years, and Ella’s sports photos have become a mainstay of our weekly Sports Wrap pages for Key West athletics in all seasons.

our community and not just the team. … These guys are your brothers; you grew up with them. There is no transferring; there is nothing else but this, and that is the best part.”

However, being situated at MM 0, the southernmost point of America, makes it hard to be noticed.

“You honestly have to be better than the guys being recruited from other places,” Ong said. “Even if you are just as good as someone from a more known school, you probably won’t get noticed or seen. … You always have to be one step above everyone else.”

“We face our adversities down here in Key West, but I tell our kids, if you can play, they will find you,” Henriquez said. “You can only control how hard you work and what happens in between the lines.”

Ong’s advice for Key West kids who want to make it to the next level is simple: Work for it.

“Put your head down; work when no one is watching and believe in yourself,” Ong said. “You are only as good as you believe you are.”

Ong’s ultimate goal is to make it to the major league and become one of the best pitchers in the nation. For now, his focus is on finishing his high school career and preparing to make an impact in Gainesville.

We editors here at the Keys Weekly — myself, Alex Rickert and Jim McCarthy — couldn’t help but feel like proud parents when we got word about Ella on two fronts. First, our young intern-turned-paid-sports-photographer had been accepted, not only to Louisiana State University, but to its sports media program, a feat nearly unheard-of for an incoming freshman. Second, we learned that Ella’s sports photos from the Keys Weekly made her a finalist in the Florida Scholastic Press Association’s annual competition.

“Paired with the work of our writers, Ella’s photography was the hallmark of our Key West High School sports coverage this year,” said Rickert, who oversees our sports coverage each week. “She may say that working for the paper allowed her to better her skills, but from the first photo package she submitted, she left little room for improvement. The Keys Weekly Sports Wrap will not be the same without her.”

Keys Weekly graphic designer, Javier Reyes, agreed.

“Ella’s photography, especially during night games, captured a level of contrast and depth that perfectly accentuated the drama and intensity of the athletes,” he said.

I caught up with Ella last week at Key West High School. Her keys and ID were attached to a purple and gold LSU lanyard with the French-inspired motto, “Geaux Tigers,” and an LSU water bottle was never out of reach.

She’s ready for Baton Rouge, and it’s a good thing, as she leaves just a few days after graduation in May. By the time her fellow first-year students arrive in the fall, she’ll be a pro at navigating the 35,000-student campus.

She hopes to work most closely with LSU’s football team, which would allow her to travel with the team. But another avenue would allow her to shoot all sports and their home games.

“Football is my favorite, but I love basketball, too, although sometimes I get too into the game and forget that I’m working,” she said, laughing. “In Key West, Conch baseball also was obviously one of my favorites given the atmosphere surrounding those games in this community.

“My ultimate goal is to become an NFL content creator or to work for a specific NFL team,” she said.

The Keys Weekly team wishes Ella all the very best and thanks her for sharing her skills with us and our readers.

As I wrote, in part, in my college reference letter for her, “I don’t know what college admissions officers want to read about applicants these days, but I do know what future employers want to see in potential hires, and Ella Hall has it all. I can’t think of a better candidate for your or any school.” All the best, Ella.

“Geaux Tigers”