SPRING FOOTBALL SEASON OPENS IN FLORIDA

Keys coaches focusing on safety, technique

Holly is also stressing the “student” portion of “student athlete.” “From the academic side we are working hard to get a 3.5 team GPA by the end of the school year,” he said. “From a football perspective, as simple as this sounds, spring is about blocking and tackling.”

Coral Shores will play Coral Springs Charter in Tavernier on Friday, May 19.

In the Middle Keys, Marathon fielded 40 athletes who have begun working under new head coach Sean McDonald. The Fins are using their spring practice time to learn a new defense and to focus on making sure every player understands proper blocking and tackling techniques.

“Spring football sets the tone for the upcoming season,” said McDonald. “We want to make sure the players get prepared for the intensity of fall games, come out injury-free, and make sure the entire team and the coaches are working together.”

Marathon’s spring season culminates on Thursday, May 18 when they play Somerset South Homestead at home. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

At the southernmost high school, Conchs head coach Johnny Hughes counted 54 players last week, with several eighth-grade students making the trip across town from Horace O’Bryant School to get some reps in. Key West will use its spring sessions to install core offensive plays and base defense to prepare for next fall.

“Our goal is to improve basic fundamentals and technique,” Hughes said. The Conchs will be able to do this without the added worry of preparing for an opponent. Instead of a typical game, Key West will hold a Red vs. White intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, May 20.

Seen here in a preseason meet, Key West sprinter Savannah Chadic locked down wins in the 200m and 400m events at the Conchs’ regional meet. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly.

With a secondplace finish in the high jump at Marathon’s regional meet, Daysi Williams will represent the Dolphins at the state meet. CONTRIBUTED

With a secondplace finish in the 3,200m run at Marathon’s regional meet, Vance Bursa will represent the Dolphins at the state meet. CONTRIBUTED

With a secondplace finish in the pole vault at Marathon’s regional meet, Ava Merryman will represent the Dolphins at the state meet.

CONTRIBUTED

With a third-place finish in the shot put at Marathon’s regional meet, Nicole Merryman earned an at-large bid to represent the Dolphins at the state meet.

CONTRIBUTED

Anabel Portuondo took second in the pole vault at the regional meet for Key West, guaranteeing her a spot at states, where she is ranked 10th. Portuondo and Chadic will make the trip with the remaining members of the 4x100m team consisting of Chadic, Dazmine Jenkins, Valerie Thene, and Nikole Tomita as well as the 4x400m team of Chadic, Tomita, Jenesis Perloff and Caylaa Makimaa.

Joining the qualifying girls of Key West are Kevon Mills, Suharevskis Niks-Davis and Josh Canterbury. NiksDavis won the pole vault competition at regionals and is ranked eighth in the state while Canterbury took third and is ranked ninth. Mills was second in high jump at regionals and is ranked fifth in Florida 2A.

Coral Shores will send one athlete to the big show on May 18. Xavyer Arrington won the regional championship in discus, giving him a guaranteed spot in the state lineup. He is currently ranked sixth in discus, and if his track record of clutch performances is any indication, he should medal in the event. He came in sixth in shot put at regionals but qualified for the state meet with an at-large bid in that event, as the south Florida region is one of the most competitive in the state.

1A Marathon traveled to Fort Lauderdale to Westminster Academy for their regional events on May 6. The Fins did not have any regional champions, but four athletes did qualify for the state meet held on May 17 for the smaller 1A school division. Daysi Williams qualified by taking second place in the high jump, and teammate Ava Merryman came in second in pole vault. Nicole Merryman came in third in the shot put event, but her throw was long enough to nab an at-large spot at states. The trio of Lady Fins will travel to Jacksonville with Vance Bursa, whose 3,200m time was good enough for second place at the regional meet and a guaranteed spot at the starting line in less than a week.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

With an 8-4 win against St. Brendan on May 4, the Lady Conchs softball team are district champions. ELLA

Key West is home to a pair of district champion teams on the diamond.

The Lady Conchs softball team secured its title on May 4 by beating the Sabres of St. Brendan 8-4. Nevaeh Arnold pitched seven innings, surrendering four runs on six hits. Arnold struck out four in the outing. Offensively, the Conchs amassed a dozen hits in the win. Isabella Franco went 3 for 3 at the plate, adding a pair of RBIs to her stats. Madelyn Perusse, Ty Cervantes and Caroline Smith each registered two hits and Scarlet Niles, Miesha Hernandez and Tavyn Gage accounted for the rest of Key West’s 12 hits. The 16-3 Conchs faced Riviera Beach Suncoast in the regional quarterfinals on May 10, with a win sending them to the regional semifinals on May 16. Results were not available as of press time.

Marathon loses in semifinals

A loss to Palmer Trinity School on May 2 spelled the end of the road for Marathon in their playoff bracket. The Fins lost to the Falcons 14-3 in the district semifinal game, ending the season with an 8-6 record. They managed seven hits against Palmer, with two each from Madelyn Thornton and Sara Robinson, both eighth-graders. Maeve Merryman, Alba Rodriguez and Sage Brown added one hit each in the loss. Allison Garcia was credited with the loss but will have a chance at redemption in 2024.

Despite the loss, the Lady Fins’ program looks bright for the next few years. With no seniors on their roster, the entire Lady Fins team is set to return next season.