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Sports

Donovan Plakyda poses for a photo on Oct. 27 with the FHSAA Class 3A District 11 trophy. The junior has dropped 14 strokes in an 18-hole format since his freshman season.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 11, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Donovan Plakyda

The junior for Lakewood Ranch boys' golf tied for fourth at the FHSAA Class 3A Region 3 championship on Nov. 4 as the Mustangs advanced to the state tournament.

  • East County
  • Sports
Bogdan Zverev poses for a photo on Nov. 10 after a Sarasota Sharks practice at Selby Aquatic Center. The senior is headed to Alabama next fall, but first, he's playing a major role for Sarasota boys' swimming and diving in pursuit of a state title.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 11, 2025
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Bogdan Zverev

The senior for Sarasota boys' swimming and diving brought home four golds at FHSAA regionals.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Premier Sports Campus has brought top soccer competitions to Lakewood Ranch over the years.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 10, 2025
US Soccer might be gone, but Lakewood Ranch remains a soccer destination

Premier Sports Campus once hosted the U-17 Men's National Team, but a national training facility in Georgia has changed the complex's focus.

  • East County
  • Sports
Joel Morris (center) prepares to receive the snap alongside senior running back/safety Jacobey Mobley (left). The senior quarterback threw for 23 touchdowns and 1,803 yards with no interceptions during the 2025 regular season.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 6, 2025
Resurgent quarterback guides Booker football to dominance

Senior quarterback Joel Morris led the Tornadoes to a 9-1 regular season after suffering a season-ending leg injury in 2024.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
A 200-feet marker and scoreboard are pictured at one of the fields in Twin Lakes Park, the home of Sarasota Little League.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 5, 2025
Sarasota Little League's moment of need is bigger than baseball

The league reported a disappearance of over $200,000 from its treasury on Oct. 29 and now needs help from the community.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Kevin Gyurka poses for a photo on Oct. 31 at Out-of-Door Academy's Thunder Stadium. The senior long-distance runner has won two races in the 2025 cross country season, and boasts five top-10 finishes in seven meets.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 5, 2025
Prominent ODA runner approaches his career finish line

Senior Kevin Gyurka has put his stamp on three Out-of-Door Academy sports programs.

  • East County
  • Sports
Parker Nippert poses for a photo during a Nov. 4 practice. The senior quarterback posted a completion rate higher than 70% for the sixth time this season in a Week 11 win over Manatee.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 4, 2025
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Parker Nippert

Breaking the Riverview single-season passing record, the senior quarterback led the Rams to an 8-1-1 regular season.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch's offensive line prepares to snap the ball against Bayshore during its Oct. 30 regular-season finale. The Mustangs still have yet to notch back-to-back winning seasons since 2010-11.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 4, 2025
Braden River, Lakewood Ranch football programs still searching for key to success

Both the Pirates and the Mustangs finished 2025 with losing records.

  • East County
  • Sports
Addison Shear poses for a photo on Nov. 3 before a Lakewood Ranch girls' cross country practice. The junior broke her 5K personal record by 54 seconds at the Tri-County Championships on Nov. 1.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 3, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Addison Shear

Smashing her personal record, the junior for Lakewood Ranch girls' cross country posted the team's best finish at the Tri-County Championship.

  • East County
  • Sports
Dr. Magdi El Shahawy gives his acceptance speech at the Sarasota High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 26 at Michael's on East. He's spent over 30 years working in athletic administration, with stints at Florida State, Michigan State, USC, Georgia and, currently, San Diego.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 30, 2025
Former defensive lineman leads group of stars into SHS Hall of Fame

Sarasota High School 1986 graduate Magdi El Shahawy has served as the University of San Diego's associate athletic director for academics after taking time off for family.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Sarasota Little League serves boys and girls 4-16 years of age at Twin Lakes Park on Clark Road.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • October 29, 2025
Sarasota Little League reports disappearance of $200,000

The baseball league president calls the loss a "betrayal" and seeks donations for its spring season as the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office investigates.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Senior midfielder Sofia Sepulveda (10) embraces junior midfielder Emily Simone (16), with junior midfielder Colette Maute (6) and sophomore midfielder Mia Alexander (12) joining in on the celebration. Riverview girls' soccer enters the 2025-26 season as back-to-back district champions.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 29, 2025
Storylines to watch as high school soccer returns to Sarasota

The Cardinal Mooney boys, Riverview girls and Sarasota Christian girls are among the teams with intriguing trajectories for 2025-26.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Sophomore midfielder Jordynn Roberts (left) aims for the ball at the feet of freshman defender Caroline Foster (right) during an Oct. 23 practice. After scoring 16 goals in her first year with Braden River, Roberts is back for more.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 29, 2025
With questions in net, BRHS girls soccer answers with scorers aplenty

The Braden River Pirates enter 2025-26 with their top three point leaders back from last season's regional finalist.

  • East County
  • Sports
Dru Hershberger poses for a photo on Oct. 28 at Selby Aquatic Center before a practice with Sarasota Sharks. The freshman won gold for Sarasota Christian in the 500-meter freestyle at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 28, 2025
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Dru Hershberger

The freshman for Sarasota Christian girls' swimming & diving brought home gold on Oct. 25 at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Zoe Gruber poses for a photo on Oct. 27 at Selby Aquatic Center during an afternoon practice with Sarasota Sharks. The junior racked up a team-high three gold medals at districts to guide the Thunder to a first-place finish.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 28, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Zoe Gruber

Winning four medals, the junior dominated for Out-of-Door Academy girls' swimming & diving on Oct. 25 at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.

  • East County
  • Sports
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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
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Longboat Key Police Deputy Chief Frank Rubino (left) accepts a framed display of medals, patches and pins that demonstrate his 45-year career in law enforcement.
  • December 13, 2025
Longboat deputy chief with 45 years of experience to retire
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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

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