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East County | Sports

The Thunder football team beat LPCA 33-14 on Nov. 10 to win the SSAA Class 4A championship.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 18, 2024
The top 10 moments of the 2023-2024 East County high school sports year

The year featured championship wins and several other programs on the rise.

  • East County
  • Sports
Nate Strawderman (right) gives instructions to Bradenton Christian quarterback Caden Ott. Strawderman is going The Out-of-Door Academy football program as an associate head coach and passing game coordinator. He will also be an assistant athletic director at the school.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 17, 2024
Out-of-Door Academy adds passing game guru

Nate Strawderman, 26, joins the Lakewood Ranch school after coaching at Bradenton Christian School.

  • East County
  • Sports
Sisters Ashley Pater and Brooke Pater hold up Ashley's NCAA Division I beach volleyball title, which she won as a freshman at the University of Southern California. Both sisters won national championships in 2024.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 13, 2024
Lakewood Ranch sisters capture NCAA beach volleyball titles

Ashley Pater won the DI title at USC, while Brooke Pater won the DII title at the University of Tampa.

  • East County
  • Sports
Connor Ryan, 6, is enjoying the Chargers summer camp at the Premier Sports Campus.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • June 12, 2024
Lakewood Ranch soccer club charges ahead with new director

The Lakewood Ranch Chargers is a nonprofit soccer club based out of the Premier Sports Campus.

  • East County
  • News
Lakewood Ranch High junior girls golfer Emily Storm took medalist honors in the program's win against Venice High and Saint Stephen's Episcopal.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 11, 2024
East County Athlete of the Week: Emily Storm

The Lakewood Ranch High rising junior golfer has been on a summer hot streak.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch High's Jenna Khalil (second from left) was in the stroke seat in the Sarasota Crew girls U16 8+ boat at the US Rowing Youth National Championships, between coxswain Sophia Karanjai and rowers Claire Xia and Annalise Naylor. The boat finished seventh in the A Final (7:32.17).
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 10, 2024
East County rowers race against the best at Youth Nationals in Sarasota

The USRowing Youth National Championships was held June 6-9 at Nathan Benderson Park.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer star Broden Beorlegui said that he's always had a knack for scoring.
  • By Dani Hernandez, Observer Intern
  • June 6, 2024
Lakewood Ranch youth soccer star shows he can compete at the highest level

Broden Beorlegui, 16, chases his dream of being a professional player.

  • East County
  • Sports
The Parrish Community High softball team (20-8) celebrates a FHSAA Class 5A title game win, 3-2 over Gainesville High (24-5), on May 24. It is the team's second-straight state title and was aided by six East County players.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • June 3, 2024
Dodgeball day key to Parrish Community High's softball state title

The Bulls (20-8) won the FHSAA Class 5A title game 3-2 over Gainesville High (24-5) on May 24.

  • East County
  • Sports
Bulls senior Lane Tomlinson (8) brushes off a George Jenkins High defender on a big play. Parrish Community High's win against George Jenkins High on Nov. 3 clinched the team's first playoff appearance.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 29, 2024
East County prep sports year provides moments of humanity

Columnist Ryan Kohn shares his favorite moments from the school year.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch High senior running back CJ McRae II.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 28, 2024
East County Athlete of the Week: CJ McRae II

The Lakewood Ranch High senior running back is set for a big 2024.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch High junior Sam Obine-Galvin (middle) will row at his first USRowing Youth Nationals at Nathan Benderson Park June 6-9 in the Sarasota Crew first varsity boys 8+ boat.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 27, 2024
Sarasota Crew rowers set for Youth Nationals

The USRowing event will descend onto Nathan Benderson Park on June 6-9.

  • East County
  • Sports
ODA linebacker Heath DeRusso holds the football aloft after recovering a fumble against Sarasota Christian in the team's spring game. DeRusso said the team is feeling no extra pressure after winning a SSAA Class 4A title last season.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 22, 2024
ODA football uses spring season to reload

The Thunder program wants back-to-back SSAA titles, and the journey begins now.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch High softball's Grace Shaw-Rockey hit .444 as a senior in 2024. She will play for the University of North Florida next season.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 14, 2024
Lakewood Ranch High softball saves seemingly lost season with district title

Junior pitcher Lexi Meneely keyed the Mustangs' district title run.

  • East County
  • Sports
The Out-of-Door Academy sophomore Kevin Gyurka and junior Collin Dillingham prep for the state meet at a May 11 practice. Both runners have the chance to set school records at the meet, Gyurka in the 3,200-meter run and Dillingham in the 800-meter run.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 13, 2024
ODA boys track and field athletes eye more school records

The Out-of-Door Academy has set three school records in 2024 and is hoping to set three more at the state meet.

  • East County
  • Sports
Braden River High then-junior quarterback Lucas Despot threw a touchdown pass to Yahshua Edwards against Lakewood Ranch High in 2023. New Pirates Head Coach Eric Sanders wants Despot to lead more in 2024.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • May 7, 2024
East Bradenton football programs spring forward

As the spring practice season begins, here is what fans of Braden River High, Lakewood Ranch High and ODA should watch.

  • East County
  • Sports
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Latest in East County

1
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
2
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
3
Greenbrook's David, Hannah and Jaime Marco all had a part in creating Jaime Marco's new book “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.”
  • December 12, 2025
Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'
4
SMR's new coffee table book, "Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land" is available locally and on Amazon.
  • December 10, 2025
'Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land' is a fun history lesson
5
Carrie Walden, the Project Edge classroom instructor, is teaching 10 students including Mia Pardella and Justin Torres in the Project Edge program at MTC East.
  • December 10, 2025
MTC program teaches students with disabilities skills to enter workforce

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