SPORTS


Saturday, December 28, 2013


www.yoursun.net www.Facebook.com/SunCoastSports @SunCoastSports


Sports Editor: Mark Lawrence


* GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: All-area team


Confl icted cha


 For Krstec,
 peers offset_
 the tedium of
 long-distance
 runs for now
 ByZACH MILLER
 SPORTS WRrrER
 NORTH PORT -
Maddison Krstec doesn't
like running.
 That's right, the North
Port High School fresh-
man who won a district
championship, finished
as her regional runner-up
and led the Bobcats to a j
fifth-place finish at the
Class 4A state champi-
onship doesn't like cross
country that much.
 "It's kind ofboring,"
she said of long-distance
running. "I prefer the
shorter distance because Moh
you can see the person in "
front of you, it tells you B
when you need to pick
it up and when you can
slow down."
 She's looking forward .
to running the 800 and
400 meters in track this
spring, but even that
doesn't compare to her
excitement for the sport
she truly loves: soccer.
 Krstec has been playing .
soccer since she was 4,
and it's always been her
main sport. As good as
she was at cross country
this season setting the
school record in the 5k
and becoming the first
North Port freshman to
 KRSTEC I6

 ALL-AREA
 SCHEDULE
 Sunday: Volleyball
 Monday: Boys golf
 Tuesday: Girls golf
 Wednesday: Boys swimming
 Thursday: Girls swimming
 Friday: Boys cross country 14
 Today: Girls cross country '4l
 Sunday: Football


I


* BOYS BASKETBALL: Port Charlotte 52, Strawberry Crest 28


 Pirates shake off


 holiday blahs I


* BOYS BASKETBALL: Haines City 60, Charlotte 50


 Middle quarters


 doom Charlotte


 Specht sparks
 Port Charlotte
 to rout in its
 tourney opener
 By ROB SHORE
 SPORTS WRITER
 ENGLEWOOD Port
Charlotte High School's
first practice following
Christmas was nothing
to write the grandparents
about. But Pirates coach
Bill Specht is used to that
Yuletide lull by now.
 There was no sign of that
Friday.
 Tyler Specht scored a
game-high 14 points and
Kyle Collins added 10 as
Port Charlotte dominated
Strawberry Crest 52-28 at
the Lemon Bay Holiday
Shootout.
 "Yesterday's practice
wasn't the best," Coach
Specht said. "It's frustrat-
ing because you know the


UP NEXT
Port Charlotte: vs. Haines City at
Lemon Bay HS, today, 3:30 p.m.

way they should play, and
they don't always do it."
 Friday's rout of the
Chargers was probably
what the Pirates' coach
had been looking for.
 Port Charlotte (8-2) was
crisp early, making its first
four shots and executing
easily against a smaller
opponent. Nicksen Blanc
outworked the Chargers
inside for the Pirates'
opening basket, and Sean
Phillip followed with a
layup, fed as he sliced to
the hoop.
 Blanc finished with eight
points and 10 rebounds.
 But the Port Charlotte
guards got in the act in
the second quarter. Tyler
 PIRATES I 5


 oul' rn-lJ I DI U I- f-BY rIilE INE 'UIINI
Port Charlotte's Nicksen Blanc shoots over Strawberry
Crest's Shelton Faison during Friday's game.


 Fast-break
 points off of
 turnovers key
 Haines City
 By GARY BROWN
 SUN CORRESPONDENT
 ENGLEWOOD -If you
looked at only the first
and last quarters, you
might think Charlotte High
School won its Lemon Bay
Holiday Shootout game
with Haines City on Friday
afternoon.
 But the Tarpons lost
60-50, due mainly to
the Hornets outscoring
Charlotte 39-22 in the
second and third quarters.
 Charlotte (7-6) led 13-9
after the first quarter and
20-17 early in the second
quarter. But Haines
City (5-6) scored seven
consecutive points for a
24-20 advantage it never
gave up. The Hornets took


UP NEXT
Charlotte: vs. Strawberry Crest
at Lemon Bay HS, today, noon

advantage of their speed
and quickness to create
numerous turnovers and
fast breaks.
 "We just made too many
turnovers," Charlotte
coach Tom Massolio said.
"Too many mistakes and
you can't do that against
a good, athletic team like
them (Haines City) and
expect to win."
 Derwin James scored
10 of his game-high 15
points in the second and
third periods to spark
the Hornets' victory. The
6-foot-3 junior went inside
for layups and rebounds
while also scoring from the
outside. Brayan Morales, a
6-foot-2 senior, added 13
points and Jack Tisdale, a
 QUARTERS I 5


INDEX I Lottery 21 Community Calendar 21 NBA 2 1 NHL 2 1 Collegefootball 3 1 NFL 3 1 Scoreboard 41 Quickhits 41 College basketball 41 Preps 5-6


* COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
 Miami

 SCOREBOARD
 FRIDAY
 Military Bowl
 Marshall 31, Maryland 20
 Texas Bowl
 Syracuse 21, Minnesota 17
 Fight Hunger Bowl
 BYU vs. Washington, late
 TODAY
 Pinstripe At New York
 Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Rutgers
 (6-6), Noon (ESPN)
 Belk At Charlotte, N.C.
 Cincinnati (9-3) vs. N. Carolina
 (6-6), 3:20 p.m. (ESPN)
 Buffalo Wild Wings. At Tempe
 Kansas State (7-5) vs. Michigan
 (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)


 Cards'


 defense


 to test


 Miami

 By MATT PORTER
 Cox NEWSPAPERS
 ORLANDO -Teddy
Bridgewater will be
trouble. That's a given.
 While Louisville's star
quarterback has the
ability to slice and dice
Miami's defense in today's
Russell Athletic Bowl, the
Hurricanes' good-but-
not-great offense might
have problems, too.
 The Cardinals (11-1,
7-1 American Athletic
Conference) held 10 of
their 12 opponents to 17
points or fewer.
 Some of their defensive
statistics: third nationally
in average points allowed
(12.4), second in rushing
yards (86.25), eighth in
passing yards (171.7) and
 CARDINALS I 3

 RUSSELL ATHLETIC
 BOWL
 WHO: No. 18 Louisville (11-1)
 vs. Miami (9-3)
 WHEN: Today, 6:45 p.m.
 WHERE: Citrus Bowl, Orlando
 TV: ESPN
 RADIO: 99.3 FM
 TICKETS: Tickermaster.com