SABINA NARANJO

Niveah Howard

Freshman, Coral Shores

Niveah Howard may be young, but her times say otherwise. The sprinter clocked fantastic times in the 100 and 200 meter dashes in her first season racing for the ’Canes, and if her work ethic and determination are any indication, she will continue to improve over the next three seasons.

Ava Merryman

Freshman, Marathon

Ava Merryman earned a seventh-place medal at the state championships this year, breaking her own school record in the pole vault several times during the season. She claimed second place at both districts and regionals in the event and ran legs of the Dolphins’ 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams during the regular season and at districts.

SAMMY BATES

Freshman, Coral Shores

Sammy Bates posted solid times in the 800 meter race this season, making her a top competitor in the event. The distance specialist is also a contender in the 400 and will have three more seasons to improve her times and perhaps dabble in other distances as well.

Daysi Williams

Freshman, Marathon

Daysi Williams learned a new event, broke the school record, and qualified for the state championships in a little over one month’s time. The talented freshman finished fourth in the state in the high jump and with three more years of eligibility, she looks to be a contender in not just high jump but long jump, hurdles and sprinting events as well.

Junior, Coral Shores Volleyball

Coral Shores’ Sabina Naranjo is expected to be a big part of the Hurricanes’ volleyball team as she moves up from the JV squad, where she was the team MVP last season. A dual-threat athlete, Sabina won the award for most improved as a part of the girls varsity basketball team last season, her first playing basketball for Coral Shores.

Though it is the offseason, she has been hard at work; she is playing club volleyball for Miami Hype and has been a regular at Coral Shores volleyball open gyms. She plans to attend volleyball camp at Florida International University this summer.

Coral Shores volleyball coach Sam Ovalle is expecting Sabina to do big things for the Hurricanes this season and has taken notice of her work and improvement. Basketball coach Jarrod Mandozzi is expecting an even bigger junior season from Sabina, who was one of the Hurricanes’ leaders in threepoint field goal percentage as well as one of the team’s top defenders.

JUSTICE LEE ISOM

Freshman, Marathon

Justice Lee made steady gains all season long in the throwing events for Marathon, also participating in sprinting and jumping events when her team needed her to do so. Lee finished at districts with a fourth place medal in discus, fifth place in shot and sixth in javelin.

Nicole Merryman

Senior, Marathon

A two-time state qualifier, Merryman finished 11th in the state in shot put. She placed in all three throwing events at the district level, finishing second in shot and fifth in javelin and discus.

For her exemplary work ethic and year-round dedication to improvement, Sabina Naranjo is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

By: Tracy and Sean McDonald

With school out and prep sports at their slowest, summer is the perfect time to delve into some topics that the Sports Wrap does not quite have space for during other times of the year. This week, we look back on some teams of the past to try and determine the greatest football teams in Monroe County history. Ranked in no particular order, we chose 11 teams to signify the 11 athletes who take the field at one time for each team.

1953 Key West High School

In an era in which a 200-pound lineman was considered formidable, the 1953 Conchs took on larger squads all across South Florida, refusing to back down to any opponent despite being outmanned most weeks. Coached by Ed Beckman, the Conchs amassed an 8-0-2 record that season, reaching as far as sixth place in the state according to various polls. It would be, and still stands as, the only undefeated season in school history. Despite a polio outbreak on the island, the Conchs won the Gold Coast Conference football championship that year with a hardscrabble team that endured a multitude of injuries. According to old news footage, the Conchs’ eleven suffered every imaginable issue, from sprains to carbuncles. Notable players included Joe Pineda, Ralph White, Red Stickney, Norman Allen, Don Cruz and Glynn Archer.

1953 Douglass School Tigers

There must have been something in the water in the ’40s which made the young men who populated the gridiron in the ’50s a notably tough lot. In 1953, the island of Key West had two spectacular football teams. Prior to desegregation, Black students attended Frederick Douglass School, which later became Glynn Archer Elementary. Coach Alphonso Dean’s ’53 Tigers earned respect and is largely considered the best school in team history. Scarce records do not reveal the team’s wins for the season, but the highlight that year was a lopsided 39-0 victory over Stuart Vocational High. The team’s roster included Donald Carey, Hugh Bryant, Robert Whyms, Joseph Kee, Floyd Sweeting, Alfred Curry, Lionel Ashe, Kernel Albury and James Leland.

1978 CORAL SHORES HIGH SCHOOL

Coach Jim Mooney’s talented ’78 squad boasted three all-state players, including offensive linemen Clay Reed and Scott Stover as well as defensive back Mike Carrier. Their 7-3 record was the most wins for a Hurricanes team to that point.