Story ideas? Contact Tim Kirby Sports Editor 754-0421 tkuby@likecatyreportter.com Lake City Reporter SPORTS Thursday, March 26, 2009 www.lakecityreporter.com Section B BRIEFS YOUTH SWIMMING Registration to begin Monday Columbia Swim Team is now part of Gator Swim Club out of Gainesville and will be holding swim team registration at the' Columbia Aquatic Complex from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday through April 3. Bring a copy of your child's birth certificate and be prepared to swim. For details, call Paula Burns 755-9619 or Gator Swim Club at (352) 3754683. BABE RUTH BASEBALL Sign-up set for 13-15 age group Babe Ruth Baseball registration for ages 13-15 is 6-8 p.m., Friday, at the Babe Ruth field behind Summers Elementary. Fee of $75 includes jersey, cap, socks and insurance. A parent or guardian must accompany the player and provide a copy of his birth certificate. For details, call league president Tad Cervantes at 752-2976. JUNIOR OLYMPICS Qualifying event set for Friday A Junior Olympic skills competition for basketball and tennis is sey for 4-6 p.m., Friday, at Richardson Community Center. The competition is for ages 8-13. For details, call Nicole Smith or Adee Farmer at 754-7095, or visit www.jrolympicskills. com. ADULT SOFTBALL Sign-up extended through Friday Adult softball has been extended through Friday at Teen Town. Cost is $350 per team. For details, call Heyward Christie at 754-3607 or 754-3608. T-BALL Sign-up Saturday for new players Lake City/Columbia County Parks and Recreation Department has T-ball registration from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, at Teen Town for new players. Age division offered are 4-5 and 6-7 years old. Cost is $40 and proof of age is required. For details, call Heyward Christie at 754-3607 or 754-3608. From staff reports GAMES Today Fort White High softball vs. Chiefland High, 7 p.m. (JV-5) Friday Columbia High track at Bradford High meet, 10a.m. Columbia High baseball vs. Lake Weir High, 6 p.m. (JV-4 at Gainesville High) Columbia High softball at Lake Weir High, 6:30 p.m. Fort White High baseball vs. P.K. Yonge School, 7 p.m. (JV-4:30) Fort White High softball at Williston High, 7 p.m. (JV-5) Florida back to work Replacing Harvin will be one of spring's stories. By BRANDON FINLEY bfinley@lakecityreporter.com GAINESVILLE here was one big question on the minds of the Gator nation Wednesday as the University of Florida began its spring practice com- ing off of its second national championship in three seasons: Who would replace Percy Harvin as the team's go-to receiver? One practice certainly won't be enough to tell the tale, but the Gators got a look at some of the candidates early on vying for the position. David Nelson, Deonte Thompson, Carl Moore and others will try to become the new favorite target for Tim Tebow as Harvin left a year early for the NFL. Tebow arrived roughly 20 minutes before the rest of the Gators as he began working with new quarterback coach Scott Loeffler around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. When the rest of the team entered the practice facility shortly after 4 p.m. the quarterbacks continued to work on technique before the receivers joined them shortly after. It was Nelson, Thompson and Moore getting the first crack with the first team offense with Frankie Hammond Jr., Omarius Hines, Justin Williams and T.J. Lawrence getting work, as well as they continued to work on the far side of the field away from the fans and media. Replacing Harvin will be no easy task, but the group has speed and that's something that will remain in Florida's advantage. Williams, in particular, looked crisp after making a position change from safety last season, and caught most passes thrown his way during the practice JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter Florida head coach Urban Meyer answers questions in an interview with members of the media after practice. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter Florida's tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) is chased out of bounds by linebacker Dustin Doe (32). closing session. It's Thompson, though, that most people are expecting to make the biggest leap to fill Harvin's shoes, and he was in the locker room shortly before practice to give the receiver some advice. "He said just go do your thing," Thompson told reporters after the closing session. If there will be a drop-off from last year's receiving core, that also included Louis Murphy, another NFL talent, Thompson doesn't see one coming. "When they leave, we just keep reloading," Thompson said of UF's new receiving core. His quarterback agrees. "The year before they (Harvin and Murphy) weren't our top two targets either," Tebow said. "The wide receivers did a good job of coming out and stepping into those roles." Florida hopes for the same production this year from a group that will be learning from a new offensive coordinator as Steve Addazio takes over for Dan Mullen, who left the Gators to become the head coach at Mississippi State. Addazio's offense should look a lot like Mullen's, as many of the concepts will stay the same. "The fundamentals are in tact to what we have done before," Addazio said. Making the transition easier will be a team that. returns most of its starters from last season, and that makes the language of the offense easier to grasp than having to learn an entirely new system. One thing that will be new for the Gators is a new uptempo style offense that they'll try to incorporate into, their attack. ..Coach Urfban Myer % .A has hinted that the Gators might use it after seeing what the Oklahoma Sooners were able to do with that style offense last season. The Gators will also experiment with Tebow under center, and the former Heisman winner began taking snaps away from the usual shotgun during the first practice. "We want to have a package in there. Thirty- five snaps of the national championship game (against Ohio State) we were under center," Meyer said. 'We do have the ability to do that. We have the plays. We wanted him to do that. Last year, he just wasn't comfortable." Then again, that's what spring is for. COURTESY PHOTO Tigerettes headed to nationals The Columbia High Tigerettes will compete in the EDA 2009 National Dance Team Championship this weekend in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The 19-member competitive team, which is made up of varsity and JV Tigerettes, will compete in dance categories Pom and Variety. Team members are (front, from left) Stephanie Mathis and Autumn Tomlin. Seated (from left) are Casey Stevens, Caitlin Darby, Taylor Crews and Kaila Wolff. Standing (from left) are junior varsity coach Bridgett Hosford, Caroline Witt, Andrea Palone-Dryer, Dani Davis, Jordan Williams, Stephanie Bicknell, Rachquel Harper, Blake Chapman and varsity coach Wendy Stevens. Back row (from left) are Breanna Black, Shannon Alexander, Ashley Davis, Sarah Elkins and Breann Raulerson. Kirstin Charney also is on the team. Lady Tigers by a tail, . again Columbia beats Madison in final inning 11-10. By TIM KIRBY tkirby@lakecityreporter.com Columbia High softball's curfew kids were at it again Wednesday night The Lady Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to finally subdue visiting Madison County High, 11-10, in a three-hour marathon. The win came on the heels of 10-inning game on Tuesday. 'This is the third in a row we have won in our last at bat," CHS head coach Jimmy Williams said. 'We have got to learn to play complete games back to back. I am proud of them. They didn't quit I guess pressure is our name." After spotting the Cowgirls three runs in the first inning, Columbia came back to take a 7-3 lead by the end of the fourth. Madison County struck for three more runs in the fifth inning and the Lady Tigers responded with one. The teams matched runs in the sixth inning, but Madison went ahead with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. ,ni"da Roain started C mohjmbi)a's inn mg rally when she was hit by a pitch. Jessica Keene bunt- ed, but Roach was forced at second base. Kaitlin Scott walked and Michaela Burton punched a sin- gle to right field to load the bases. One out later, Megan Hill walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring in the tying run. Holly Crumpton bounced a ball off the first baseman's glove for the game-winning single. Burton walked three times prior to her single. She stole second each time and scored three runs. Stephanie Pilkington drove her in two times, with a double in the first inning and a single in the fourth. Hill finished with four runs batted in, with two squeeze bunts and an RBI- double to go with her bases- loaded walk. Payton Sund had an RBI-double, scored a run and stole two bases. Scott scored a pair of runs and stole a base. Crumpton also had a single in the first inning; she stole one base and scored a run. Roach singled and scored in the fourth inning. Hill and Keene went back and forth to the mound. Hill pitched the first inning, then Keene went 3i, innings. Hill relieved and got a fly-ball double play to put out the fire in the fifth inning. Keene came back to hit a batter, then Hill finished up. Hill got the win with a combined 3: innings with nine hits, seven runs, two walks and one strikeout. Keene gave up three hits and two earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts. Emily Hentges had a triple and two doubles for Madison County, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Brittany Browning had three hits with a double, run scored and RBI. "We need a day off," Williams said. Sdodo the CHS fans. Columbia (14-4) travels to Lake Weir High for a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday.