SCF Softball Sweeps Webber in the Final Scrimmage

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team had a strong outing in their final scrimmage before the season starts as they swept Webber International University at home by scores of 7-1 and 7-2.

"Overall, we had great energy," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "It took us too long to adjust our hitting in the first game and need to button up routine mistake, but overall good team wins with many contributors."

"The team's overall performance was commendable," said freshman Chantel Schurr. "I believe that we all had each other's backs whether it came to tiny mistakes or even congratulating each other on good plays or hits."

"We started off rusty at first, but once we started a rally we were unstoppable," said freshman Gabi Nicholson. "We overall played a great game together."

"There was no doubt that I think everyone had first game jitters," said sophomore Remi Hebert. "After the third inning, I think everyone got them out of the way and finally relaxed when we played. The team's offense and defense today was really good and everyone was making good contact." 

Game one saw the Manatees finally wake their bats up in the bottom of the fourth after a two-run shot by Nicholson and 2-for-3 two-double game for Schurr.

"I just relaxed and really had fun at the plate and on the field," said Nicholson on her game. "I appreciate my coaches for allowing me to push to go to the next level."

"In all honesty, I believe I had some good at-bat performances," said Schurr on her game. "Instead of thinking and becoming overwhelmed, I simply played the game. As you can see, the bat finds the ball when you simply relax, and it's been a long time since I've just let go of my stress. It was great to fall in love with the simple joys of having fun."

Hebert would get the win after a three-hit complete game with seven strikeouts.

"On the mound today, my catcher (Presley O'Kimosh) was working really hard behind the plate for me and did a great job," said Herbert on her game. "The team's offense and defense made me pitch really relaxed and I knew they had my back. It's a great feeling when you're on the mound and you know your team is working behind you and has your back."

Game two came in clutch on the mound as sophomore Samantha Hampton would get the win, while classmate Gracie Mullett got the save. Schurr and Nicholson also had some big hit games as well as freshman Liv Siebert on the base paths.

"We really just came together as a team and started to have each others back," said Nicholson. "Even if one of us just struck out, then the next at-bat would help our teammates pick us up and that's what makes us true teammates with true teamwork."

"I believe that one of the turning points was our ability to string hits together," said Schurr. "In the hitting element of the game, I believe everyone did their job. Our defense could have been a little better tonight, but I believe we made up for our mistakes supported one another."

"The pitchers did a good job attacking the strike zone today," said Schuerman on her pitchers. "Our defense made mistakes, but were able to overcome them. I expect Remi, Sam and Gracie to be leaders on in the circle."

"I believe good things happen at the plate when you make pitch to pitch adjustments," said Schuerman on her batters.

Up Next:

The Manatees will officially open the season with the three-day Adidas JUCO Kickoff Classic in Clearwater. They will play two of the three days as they will open with Georgia Military (@3 pm) and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (@5 pm) on day one before facing St. John's River State (@4 pm) and Seminole State College (@6:30 pm) on day two.

*Side Note: This was the first interviews I did with Schuerman, Hebert, Nicholson and Schurr this season and the official first for Nicholson and Schurr for their SCF debuts.

SCF Softball Readies for Season Opener with Last Scrimmage

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team have put 2021 on the back burner and now set their sights on the 2022 season as they open with a scrimmage at the SCF Softball Complex. The Manatees will welcome Webber International University (NAIA) for a doubleheader Wednesday night, January 19 at 4 and 6 pm. It will be their last scrimmage before the season starts.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees came off finishing last season 17-18-1 overall with a 10-10 record in the Suncoast Conference. It was the first time in a long history that they had more losses than wins on their and the first time they had a tie on their record.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Mandy Schuerman. Schuerman enters her eighth season as head softball coach for the Manatees. While the 2021 season was the first bad season for Schuerman, the former Florida Gator did manage to reach a recent milestone of getting 200 wins as head coach. Currently, she is 214-129-1 in her career. The next win milestone for Schuerman is 300.

As far as from the rest of the coaching staff, longtime assistant coach Michelle Puls has moved up in the the ranks as she was named the head athletic director after Matt Ennis accepted a different role after 11.5 years with the Manatees. Tony Cummins will return as the associate head coach as well as DJ Bennett being a volunteer assistant coach.

Additionally, Schuerman was able to add a former alum to her coaching staff: Cheyenne "Shy" Nunez. Nunez played for Schuerman for two seasons (2018-19) where she broke and set the record for most stolen bases in a single season (38), while ending with 61 in her career. After transferring to USC Upstate before the pandemic ended the season, Nunez decided to part ways and transfer to USF in Tampa where she received her bachelor's degree in sociology before taking the position as an assistant coach.

Out With the Old, In With the New:

The team will be without 10 players as they have graduated and/or transferred: Lauren Hutcherson, Emily Hughes, Lilly Salazar, Ally Hulme, Kristin Kopp, Maddie Koczersut, Madi Schaefer, Kiersten Adams, Carly Bogart and Ciarra Morales. Hutcherson, Hughes, Hulme, Kopp Koczersut and Bogart were the only transfers that will be continuing playing softball.

Hutcherson was the main power hitter for the team after finishing her sophomore campaign batting .345 with six home runs and 36 RBI while maintaining a .895 fielding percentage. She will be transferring to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina with three years of eligibility remaining.

A primary contact hitter, Hughes finished batting .258 with two home runs and 14 RBI. She will be joining Hutcherson in South Carolina as she will be attending Newberry College (NCAA DII) in neighboring Newberry, South Carolina with three years of eligibility remaining. Hughes is the second player in program history to transfer to Newberry since Devon Morrison (2016-17)

Hulme, the lead ace pitcher, finished her sophomore campaign 10-6 with a 2.78 ERA and 117 strikeouts. She will be attending Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, Florida with three years of eligibility. Additionally, Hulme is the second Manatee to join FGCU softball since Erica Ward (2017-18).

Kopp will join fellow SCF alum Ashlee Zientek (2019-20) as she transfers to Ursuline College (NCAA DII) in Pepper Pike, Ohio with three years of eligibility remaining. Kopp finished her sophomore campaign batting .207 with two home runs and 10 RBI, while going 2-0 with a 5.17 ERA and eight strikeouts on the mound.

Koczersut will be transferring to Cumberland University (NAIA) with three years of eligibility. She finished her sophomore campaign batting .268 with three home runs and eight RBI.

Schaefer has transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) on an academic scholarship. She finished her sophomore campaign batting .158 with a home run and four RBI.

Bogart has decided to remain in the NJCAA as she will transfer to St. John's River State in Palatka with one year of eligibility remaining. Bogart finished her sophomore campaign with the Manatees as she batted .221 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Key Returners:

Schuerman was able to bring back six returners to her squad: Gracie Mullet, Remi Hebert, Mya Achenbach, Allie Bloski, Hannah Murray and Samantha Hampton.

Mullet, an outfielder/pitcher, finished her freshman year batting .253 with 10 RBI, while going 0-1 with an 11.38 ERA and five strikeouts on the mound.

Hebert, another outfielder/pitcher, finished batting .241 with two home runs and eight RBI while going 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA and 33 strikeouts on the mound.

Achenbach, an outfielder who also serves in the United States Air Force, is the only returner that made it on an all-conference team last season. After not starting the season until Suncoast Conference play, the Tower City, Pennsylvania native finished her freshman campaign batting .380 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 18 stolen bases while being named on the All-Suncoast Second Team.

Bloski was limited to two games and went 0-for-2.

Murray finished her freshman campaign batting .250 with two home runs and six RBI, while maintaining a .881 fielding percentage.

Hampton, a pitcher/designated player, is the only Manatee to return for a third year after finishing her redshirt year going 3-7 with a 4.89 ERA, one save and 25 strikeouts.

New Bloods:

To help the returners, Schuerman was able to land 13 new players on the squad: Jordan O'Brien, Presley O'Kimosh, Olivia "Liv" Seibert, Tori Copeland, Stephanie Snyder, Renee Dixon, Mikayla Desantis, Molly Starinsky, Gabi Nicholson, Rylee Trice, Chantel Schurr and Sam Carlin. O'Brien, Siebert, Snyder, Desantis, Carlin and Poole are all local products, while Copeland, Starinsky and Schurr joined the team as transfers. Additionally, freshman Haylie Poole joins the team as a pinch runner/utility player after redshirting with the indoor volleyball team.

Jordan O'Brien:

O'Brien is an infielder and local product that graduated from Venice High School. As a member of the Indians' varsity squad, she helped lead them to two strong seasons. While her junior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Brien's senior year proved to be the strongest as she finished with a .386 batting average with four home runs and 29 RBI, while helping the Indians to a 24-5 overall record with a 1-0 record in the FHSAA 6A District and to the regional finals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Presley O'Kimosh:

A catcher/utility player, O'Kimosh joins the team from East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Florida. For the last two seasons on Varsity, O'Kimosh helped lead the Indians to the FHSAA 6A District 11 tournament her senior year while batting .333 with a home run and 16 RBI.

Olivia "Liv" Seibert:

Seibert, an outfielder, joins her teammate, O'Brien, after graduating from Venice High School while playing the last two seasons on varsity. Like O'Brien, Seibert also helped the Indians to the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament with her senior year being her most productive as she batted .286 with a home run, 11 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

Tori Copeland:

Copeland, an infielder from Lakeland, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Warner University (NAIA) with one year of eligibility remaining.

As a member of the Lions, Copeland played in five games (two starts) while batting .250 with one RBI. Additionally she helped the Lions to a 30-18 record with a trip to the Sun Conference Tournament.

Prior to Warner, she played all four years at the varsity level for Lakeland High School. There she was team captain for three years and a one-time team offensive MVP for the Dreadnaughts. Her junior year was her most productive as she lead the Dreadnaughts in four categories: hits (31), runs (25), RBI (25) and triples (3) while maintaining a .914 fielding percentage.

Stephanie Snyder:

Snyder, another local product and utility player, joins the Manatees from Sarasota High School. As a member of the Sailors, she helped the them to a 12-10 overall record with a 5-1 record in the FHSAA 6A District while leading them to the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Renee Dixon:

Dixon, a first baseman, joins after graduating from St. Cloud High School. As a two-year member of varsity for the Bulldogs, she finished her senior year batting .250 with two home runs and 12 RBI, while leading them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 6A District 7 Tournament.

Mikayla Desantis:

Another local product, Desantis, a catcher/utility player, joins after graduating from Riverview Sarasota High School. As a three-year member on the varsity squad, Desantis' senior season was her best productive year as she batted .281 with a 25 hits, a home run, 12 RBI and 12 stolen bases, while helping the Rams them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 12 Tournament.

Molly Starinsky:

An outfielder from Ohio, Starinsky joins the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Suncoast Conference rival Polk State with one to two years of eligibility remaining. While being a member of the Eagles, she played in four games where she produced two stolen bases.

Prior to Polk State, Starinsky was a member of the softball team at Hillard Bradley High School in Hillard, Ohio. There, she helped the Jaguars her junior year to the playoffs of the OHSAA Conference Tournament.

Gabi Nicholson:

Nicholson, a catcher/utility player, joins the Manatees after graduating from Clarksville Academy in Clarksville, Tennessee. She helped the Cougars to the TSSAA District Tournament.

Rylee Trice:

Trice is an outfielder that joins the Manatees from Durant High School in Plant City. In her lone season on varsity, she finished her senior year batting .404 with 21 hits, a home run and 16 RBI, while leading the Hawks to the regional finals of the FHSAA 6A State Softball Tournament.

Chantel Schurr:

Schurr, a native of New Orleans, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Jones County CC (NJCAA DII Region 23) with two years of eligibility remaining. while her first season was cut short due to COVID-19, her second season proved no boundaries as she played in 15 games (two starts) batting .333 with three RBI. Schurr also helped the Bobcats to a 47-9 overall record with a 22-6 record in the MACCC, while being ranked #2 in the nation in the NJCAA DII National Polls. Additionally, the Bobcats won the MACCC Tournament and NJCAA Region 23 State Tournament before finishing runner-up in the 2021 DII JUCO Softball World Series.

Prior to Jones County CC, Schurr played for Fontainebleu High School in Mandeville, Louisiana under head coach Darryl Tassin where she won all-districts and team MVP.

Sam Carlin:

Carlin, a pitcher/outfielder, joins her fellow teammate Desantis from Riverview High School. Carlin played all four years with the Rams with her sophomore year being on JV before being called back up to the varsity roster for her junior and senior year. In three seasons on varsity, she batted .298 with 34 hits, four home runs and 23 RBI, while leading them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 12 Tournament.

Fun Fact(s) (2012-Present):

The Manatees are 8-2 when opening the season and 8-2 in their home openers.

Personal Opinon:

When it was found out that we would open the season at home, I was thinking that it is very unusual that we open the season at home because in the past we would always open the season with the JUCO Kickoff Classic, but then I came to realize that it made sense so they can get their jitters out of the way 

Scouting Webber International:

Webber International represent the NAIA Sun Conference and are lead by head coach Kristy Burton, who enters her fourth season as head coach for the team and was the 2021 Sun Conference Softball Coach of the Year.

The Lady Warriors are coming off of finishing last season 30-24 overall with a 15-9 record in the Sun Conference and finish 2-2 in the Sun Conference Tournament.

Key returners for the Lady Warriors include senior Mary-Margaret "MiMi" Maggard (.382, 55 hits, four home runs and 25 RBI) and sophomore Kayla Swinson (13-6, 2.47 ERA, 35 walks and 67 strikeouts).

Series History:

The Manatees are 1-0-1 against the Lady Warriors. The first time both teams met was last season at Webber where the Manatees won the first game 5-1 before ending the second game in a 6-6 tie. Coincidentally, the win over Webber was Schuerman's 200th win as a head coach.

It is not clear whether GameChanger will provide livestats, but the game will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network.

Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Readies for Challenging Home Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-8, 0-1 Southern) are setting their sights to bounce back at home for Southern Conference Play as they welcome #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0 Southern) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium for their home conference opener Monday night, January 17 at 7 pm. This is a makeup game from January 8 as the original game was postponed due to the potential tracings of COVID-19.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of opening Southern Conference play on the road as they fell to Hillsborough 97-94. Originally, they were scheduled to face Indian River State as their conference opener before it was rescheduled.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0)

2. #16 FSW (14-2, 1-0)

3. HCC (8-8, 2-1)

4. SCF (11-8, 0-1)

5. Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2)

1,000 in the Grasps:

Sophomore James "Pop" Weathers has been one of the big benefactors for the Manatees' offense and defense. Weathers is currently averaging 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In the conference opener against HCC, he had a season-high 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Currently in his career, the Baton Rouge native has 733 points and 363 this season. He will need 267 points to reach 1,000 points in his career, but additionally Weathers is 443 points away from surpassing the single season points record held by SCF alum and current Cleveland State University player D'Moi Hodge (805, 2018-20).

The French Phenom:

In the game against HCC, freshman Pierre-Gabriel "PG" Gouffran had one of his best offensive outings this season as he gained a little more playing time. Gouffran, a native of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada finished with his first collegiate double-double of 15 points 13 rebounds and three blocks. Currently, he is averaging 2.9 points and three rebounds per game.

Big Man Issues:

The Manatees have remained having big man issues as they have been without sophomore Kwo Agwa for three straight games. Agwa, who is averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, has been dealing with issues involving the Canadian border being shutdown for non-essential use.

Because of the situations, head coach Tom Parks has utilized Gouffran and freshman Ronnail Tape to fill in until Agwa returns. Tape. who is the usually backup for Agwa, started the conference opener and had two points and two rebounds against HCC. Tape is averaging 1.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Wild Factors:

Along with Tape, freshmen Jacari White, Ametri Moss and Cobey Harraway have stepped in for their roles.

White, who has played off the bench as the primary 3-point specialist, is averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He had nine points, two rebounds and five assists in the conference opener against HCC.

Moss is averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game. He had 13 points, three rebounds and one assist against HCC.

Harraway is averaging 10.6 points and three rebounds per game. The Bradenton native had 12 points and three rebounds against HCC.

Scouting Indian River State:

The Pioneers are currently ranked #7 in the nation and are coming off of defeating Webber International University's JV team at home by a score of 112-34. They opened conference with a 97-89 win over HCC. They were originally scheduled to face #18 FSW this past Wednesday night, but the game was postponed to another date.

Freshmen Bendji Pierre (19.5 ppg and 7.6 rpg) and Tyree Bryan (13.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg) and sophomores AJ Cajuste (16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 7.1 apg), Jonathan Cisse (11.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg) and Kyle Feit (15.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 1.1 spg) all play big roles in the rotation.

Series History:

The Manatees are 5-15 against the Pioneers.

The game will air livestream on the SCF Sports Network

Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Falls in Conference Opener

 Tampa, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-8, 0-1 Southern) fought hard, but evidentially they would fall to Hillsborough (8-8, 2-1 Suncoast) in their conference opener in Tampa by a score of 97-94. With the loss, the Manatees are now 15-18 against the Hawks.

The first half put the Manatees off to a slow start as they were down 6-0 in the first three minutes until freshman Ametri Moss was able to put the first points up for the Manatees. Soon the Manatees started to creep up and were able to cut the deficit down to single digits, thanks to strong rebounding and put backs by freshman Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran and baskets by sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers. Eventually, the Manatees would the tie the first half at 45 apiece.

The second half saw the Manatees struggle briefly, but they continued to fight to the end and managed to take a one-point lead on a few moments, but the Hawks continued to push back, even with the Manatees fighting opportunity. With less than six seconds left in the game, the Manatees were down 97-94. Freshman Jacari would try to tie the game with a 3-pointer, but it would be to no avail as the Hawks would take the win at home.

Five Manatees scored in double figures. It was Weathers that lead the Manatees offense as he finished with a season-high 29 points (12-for-17 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 4-for-6 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Gouffran would follow Weathers with one of his best offensive games as he finished with his first collegiate double-double of a season-high 15 points (6-for-9 FG, 3-for-4 FT), 13 rebounds (seven offensive) and three blocks, while freshman Cobey Harraway would added 14 points (5-for-6 FG, 1-for-3 3PT, 3-for-5 FT), five rebounds and a block.

Sophomore Clarence Cummings III would finish with 12 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-5 FT), four rebounds and one assist and two blocks, while Moss rounded out the order with 11 points (5-for-10 FG, 1-for-3 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks. 

White added nine points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-6 3PT), one rebound, five assists, one assist and two blocks.

Sophomore Darik Tannis-Harriet (two points, one rebound and three assists) and freshman Ronnail Tape (two points, two rebounds and one steal) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

The Manatees played their third straight game without sophomore Kwo Agwas as he is still facing visa issues.

With his 29 points, Weathers now has 733 and needs 267 to reach the 1,000 career point milestone.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

#16 Florida Southwestern (14-2, 1-0 Southern) defeated Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2 Southern) 95-73. The Buccaneers will face HCC Monday night, January 17.

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #7 Indian River State (16-2, 1-0)

2. #16 FSW (14-2, 1-0)

3. HCC (8-8, 2-1)

4. SCF (11-8, 0-1)

5. Miami Dade (8-9, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees will officially have their home conference opener as they welcome #7 Indian River State Monday night, January 17 at 7 pm. The game will be a makeup from January 8.

SCF Baseball Set for Season Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team has now put the 2021 season to the side and will now focus on the 2022 season. The Manatees will open on neutral grounds as they travel to Fort Myers for the weekend (1/28-30) to play Miami Dade (6:30 pm), Ranger College (1:30 pm) and Gulf Coast State (10 am) at Terry Park and City of Palms Park, hosted by Florida Southwestern State.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees finished last season 34-21 overall with an 18-12 record in the Suncoast Conference. While they were also ranked as high as #11 in the NJCAA Top 20 Polls, they would fail to qualify for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. It was the first time in a long time that the team did not reach the state tournament.

The team is lead by head coach Tim Hill II or Coach 21 as most people call him. Hill II enters his 10th season as head coach for the Manatees. During his head coaching career, he has put together a 313-143-2 record.

Even while the Manatees didn't make the playoffs, the team did make a historical moment as the program secured 2,000 wins as a program alone.

Loss and Gains:

After the season, the Manatees lost 13 players that have moved on to the next level: Cole Ayers, Rook Ellington, Jacob Steinberg, Tucker Mitchell, AJ Fritz, David Barrett, Jack Anderson, Cameron Lee, Tony Rossi, Clay Callan, Matt Gelorme, Daniel Batcher, Aidan Gallagher, Sean Dertinger and Dylan Vega. Ayers and Mitchell were the only two players that were selected in the MLB Draft (Mitchell: 14th Round, 404th pick by Texas Rangers; Ayers: 16th round, 483rd pick by New York Yankees).

Ellington (Murray State), Steinberg (James Madison), Fritz (Pittsburgh), Barrett (Florida State), Anderson (Pittsburgh), Lee (High Point), Rossi (Charlotte), Callan (Daytona State: NJCAA), Gelorme (Tennessee Tech), Batcher (Florida Gulf Coast), Gallager (SUNY Oswego: NCAA DIII), Dertinger (SUNY Oswego: NCAA DIII) and Vega (South Florida) have all decided to continue playing collegiately at the higher levels with their remaining years of eligibility.

While Hill II did lose other players like Jakob Mattos, Richard Rodriguez, Joel Perez and Charlie Davidson, he did manage to sign 24 newcomers to the squad with nine being transfers.

Christian Gordon:

A left-handed pitcher from Monroe, Virginia, Gordon joins the Manatees as a transfer from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with one year of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Flames, he appeared in five games where he threw a 11.61 ERA with five strikeouts and six walks.

Prior to Liberty University, Gordon played for Liberty Christian Academy where, in three years of varsity, he went 7-3 overall in his career with a 1.24 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 15 walks, while batting a career .467 with 21 hits, three home runs and 16 RBI.

His junior year was his most productive as he went 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 94 strikeouts while batting .455 with three home runs and 15 RBI. He even threw a no-hitter in one of his games. As a sophomore for the Bulldogs, Gordon helped them win the 2017 VHSAA Class 4A State Championship.

Additionally, before enrolling at Liberty University, he was drafted in the 38th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nick Gottilla:

A left-handed pitcher from Davenport, Iowa, Gottilla joins as a transfer from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with one year of eligibility remaining in the NJCAA. As a member of the Knights, he appeared in 16 games in two seasons where he threw 12.2 innings with 13 strikeouts and eight walks.

Prior to UCF, Gottilla played for Assumption High School in Davenport where he was a two-sport athlete playing football as well as baseball. He helped lead the Knights his senior year to the 2019 IHSAA 3A State Tournament Semifinals while being named Conference Player of the Year and a member of the IHSAA All-State First Team, All-Iowa First Team and IHSAA Elite All-State Team.

Kyle Harbison:

A catcher from Georgetown, Kentucky, Harbison joins after transferring from Indiana State University with one year of eligibility. As a member of the Sycamores for two seasons, he batted a career .250 with two hits and an RBI.

Prior to Indiana State, Harbison played for Scott County High School for four years with two of them at the varsity level. He batted a career .338 with 14 RBI and 143 putouts with the Cardinals, while being named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award his senior year.

Gabe Wright:

Wright is an outfielder from Indianapolis and joins the Manatees after graduating from Brebeuf Jesuit High School in Indianapolis. There, he was a two-sport athlete playing football and baseball.

As a football player, Wright played as a wide receiver and cornerback and in four seasons on the Braves' varsity where he had 1,766 total yards, 24 total touchdowns (18 receiving) and four interceptions, while leading them to four straight playoff appearances, which included a trip to the 2018 ISHAA State Tournament Regional Finals.

As a baseball player, Wright played three years on varsity where he had a career .329 batting average, 28 hits, five home runs, 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases while leading the Braves to the ISHAA 3A State Tournament his junior year.

Ben Gilbert:

Gilbert is a outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Babson Park, Florida that joined the Manatees as a double transfer after transferring from Suncoast Conference rival Hillsborough Community College with one year of eligibility. As a member of the Hawks, Gilbert played his lone season where he went 1-2 on the mound with a 3.38 ERA, two saves, 11 walks and 16 strikeouts, while batting .308 with 36 hits and seven RBI.

Prior to HCC, Gilbert played his freshman year at Ole Miss. As a member of the Rebels, Gilbert made four appearances on the mound during the 2020 season where he threw 6.2 innings with a 9.45 ERA, one walk and eight strikeouts before COVID-19 shut the season.

Gilbert was four-year letter winner for Lake Wales High School in Babson Park at the varsity level before committing to Ole Miss. On the mound, he was 17-5 in his career with a 2.21 ERA, 78 walks and 189 strikeouts and batted .404 in his career with 126 hits, one home run and 55 RBI.

As far as accolades, Gilbert was the FHSAA 6A Player of the Year and was a member of the Perfect Game Preseason All-Region First Team (2019) and Preseason Underclassmen All-American Honorable Mention (2017-18) and a 2019 FACA All-Star. He was also ranked the #237 prospect in the nation via Perfect Game.

Miguel Larreal:

An infielder from Orlando, Larrel joins the Manatees with fellow team Gilbert after transferring from Suncoast Conference rival Hillsborough. As a member of the Hawks, Larreal in two seasons batted .278 in his career with 40 hits and 23 RBI. His sophomore year was his breakthrough year as he batted .317 with 33 hits, 20 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Prior to HCC, Larreal played for Boone High School in Orlando. As a member of the Braves, he batted a career .377 with 52 hits, 20 RBI and 17 stolen bases in his last two years of varsity while helping them to the regionals of the FHSAA 9A State Tournament. 

Jackson Hauck:

A right-handed pitcher from Cincinnati, Ohio, Hauck joins the Manatees after graduating from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. As a member of the Bombers, he helped lead them to the 2021 OHSAA Division I State Tournament his senior year, while going 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA, 16 walks and 42 strikeouts.

Michael Murphy:

Murphy, a local left-handed pitcher from Manatee High School in Bradenton, rejoins the Manatees after opting not to play this past season. He was originally on the 2020 spring roster before opting due to COVID-19.

As a member of the Hurricanes, Murphy played three seasons on varsity before graduating in 2019. Outside of Manatee, he has played in several 16U and 17U national championship (WWBA, BCS and Southeast) and was named a member of the all-tournament teams, including the Perfect Game Preseason All-American and All-Region Team in the Florida Region.

Lucas Ismali:

A three-way player from Duendin, Florida, Ismali joins the Manatees after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh with two to three years of eligibility. He redshirted his freshman year before transferring to SCF.

Prior to Pitt, Ismali played for three seasons at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs where he helped the team win three district championships and a regional final appearance. He was also selected team offensive MVP and all-county team before wrapping up his career with a .400 average, 3 home runs, and over 20 stolen bases.

Brandon Fields:

Fields, an outfielder from Orlando, joins the Manatees as a transfer from the University of South Carolina with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Gamecocks, he played in only six games (one start) and was primarily a pinch runner or defensive substitution.

Prior to South Carolina, Fields graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando and like Wright, he was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball.

As a football player, Fields played as a running back for one season on varsity where he had 290 yards (22.3 yards per game) with three touchdowns his sophomore year, while helping the Panthers to win the 2017 FHSAA 8A State Championship over Atlantic High School.

As a baseball player, Fields played on the Panthers varsity squad for three years where he finished batting .359 in his career with eight home runs, 45 RBI and 51 stolen bases while helping them to two straight appearances to the FHSAA 9A State Tournament, which included a trip to the state semifinals of the 2018 FHSAA 9A State Tournament.

Josh Beck:

A left-handed pitcher from Lititz, Pennsylvania, Beck joins after graduating from Lancaster Catholic High School. As a member of the Crusaders, he put together a 3-3 career record with a 1.83 ERA, 82 walks and 143 strikeouts in three years of varsity. Additionally, Beck helped the Crusaders to the PHSAA State tournament appearances, which including winning the PHSAA 3A Championship his freshman year.

Jake Dorn:

Dorn is a left-handed pitcher from Davie, Florida that joined after graduating from Cooper City High School. In three years of varsity, Dorn compiled a career 3-3 record with a 4.04 ERA, 43 walks and 82 strikeouts for the Cowboys, while helping them to the regional quarterfinals of the 2021 FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Gavin Adams:

A right-handed pitcher from Boynton Beach, Florida, Adams joins the Manatees after graduating from St. John Paul II Academy in Boca Raton. As a member of the Eagles, he finished his career 6-4 with a 1.73 ERA, 36 walks and 86 strikeouts, while also batting .250 with 26 hits and 17 RBI. In two seasons on varsity, Adams helped the Eagles to regional finals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Nick Gorby:

A left-handed pitcher from Vero Beach, Florida, Gorby joins the team after transferring from Texas Tech University with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Red Raiders, he appeared in three games, throwing 3.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA, three walks and one strikeout. Additionally, he went with the Red Raiders to the Lubbock Super Regionals of the 2021 NCAA College Baseball World Series before falling to then #9 Stanford.

Prior to Texas Tech, Gorby played his senior season at Vero Beach High School where he was the FSHAA Pitcher of the Year after going 4-0 while throwing 23 innings, recording 41 strikeouts and a 0.30 ERA his final high school year.

Additionally, Gorby has played in the Perfect Game National Showcase (2019), World Showcase (2020), WWBA Underclass World Championship (2016), WWBA 15U National Championship (2017), WWBA Sophomore World Championship (2017), WWBA 17U National Championship (2019) and 17U BCS National Championship (2019), while being named named to 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American and First Team All-Region teams and Underclassmen All-American Teams (2017-19), Team USA (2017) and WWBA All-Tournament Team (2017).

Furthermore, he was ranked the 119th pitcher in the national overall, the 11th left-handed pitcher, 27th and fourth left-handed pitcher in Florida where his fastball ranked first.

JJ Taylor:

Taylor, an infielder from Fort Pierce, Florida, joins the Manatees after graduating from John Carroll Catholic High School. In two seasons of varsity, he finished with a .267 batting average with 16 hits and six RBI. Additionally, Taylor helped the Rams to the state semifinals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Cole Cothren:

An infielder from Plant City, Florida, Cothren joins the Manatees after transferring from Montreat College (NAIA) in Montreat, North Carolina. As a member of the Cavaliers, he batted .348 with 32 hits and 24 RBI in 29 games.

Prior to Montreat, Cothren graduated from Plant City High School where he was a two-sport athlete playing golf as well as baseball.

Cothren played golf for Lakeland Christian High School for five seasons before switching to baseball and had five first place finishes for the Vikings. After switching the golf club for a baseball bat, Cothren played a career .384 with 88 hits and 62 RBI for the Raiders.

Ben Brown:

A local outfielder from North Port, Florida, Brown joins SCF after graduating from North Port High School. In three seasons of varsity playing for the Bobcats, Brown finished his high school career batting .366 with 41 hits, one home run and 17 RBI, while helping them get to the FHSAA 6A District Tournament quarterfinals.

Austin Dearing:

An outfielder from Huntington, West Virginia, Dearing joins the team after transferring from Marshall University with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Thundering Herd, Dearing played in 12 games (four starts) where he batted .190 with four hits and one RBI.

Prior to Marshall, Dearing, like Wright, Fields and Cothren, was a two-sport athlete at Hurricane High School where he played both baseball and basketball.

As a member of the Hurricane's boys basketball team, Dearing played all four years at the varsity level where he averaged 14.1 points (1,251 career points), 4.8 rebounds (427 career rebounds), 1.8 assists (164 career assists) and 1.1 steals (102 career steals) per game in 89 career games. His senior year was a breakthrough year as he averaged 23.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 22 games, while being named team captain. In fact, Dearing scored in double digits in all 22 games, with five of them being 30 points or more and had seven double-doubles.

As a member of the baseball team, Dearing helped Hurricane win the 2018 WVSSAC AAA State Championship his sophomore year and was the 2020 GPOY his senior year.

Tyler Logan:

A local right-handed pitcher from Parrish, Florida, Logan joins after graduating from Palmetto High School. He finished on the mound with the Tigers his junior with a 5.73 ERA in three appearances with six walks and five strikeouts.

Kelsen Johnson:

A catcher from Lithia, Florida, Johnson joins after graduating from Newsome High School. As a member of the Wolves varsity team, Johnson batted .309 with 67 hits, 37 walks, two home runs and 43 RBI. During his sophomore year, he helped the Wolves to the regional semifinals of the 2019 FHSAA 9A State Tournament.

Colin Jackson:

A right-handed pitcher from Tampa, Florida, Jackson joins the team after graduating from Gaither High School. In two seasons of varsity playing for the Cowboys, Jackson finished with a 10-2 career record with a 1.29 ERA, 19 walks and 100 strikeouts, while helping his team to the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Carson Long:

A local infielder from Sarasota, Long joins the team after graduating from Sarasota High School and reunites with fellow Sailor teammates Owen Ayers and brother Harrison Long. As a member of the Sailors, Carson Long played three years of varsity while helping them to FHSAA 6A State Tournament Regional Quarterfinals. Additionally, Carson Long follows in the footsteps of his other cousin, current USF grad student Nick Long.

Trace Goforth:

A right-handed pitcher and local product from Palmetto High School, Goforth joins the Manatees after transferring from Pensacola State College (NJCAA) with one to two years of eligibility remaining. As a member of the Pirates, Goforth made one appearance on the mound where he threw one scoreless inning.

Prior to Pensacola, Goforth played three years of varsity for Palmetto High School where he went 12-3 in his career with a 2.40 ERA, 56 walks and 106 strikeouts.

Goforth also joins his fellow high school teammate in Logan.

Aidan Troy:

A three-way local product from Sarasota, Florida, Troy joins the Manatees after graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School. He plays primarily as a pitcher, but can play in the infield and outfield positions.

As a member of the Cougars for three seasons of varsity, Troy finished his career batting .457 with 61 hits, two home runs and 29 RBI, while going 1-1 on the mound with a 3.41 ERA, 22 walks and 37 strikeouts. Additionally, he helped lead the Cougars to 2021 FHSAA 3A State Tournament his senior year.

Key Returners:

Hill was able to bring back 10 returners from last season: Harrison Long, Kevin Karstetter, Jake Jackson, Owen Ayers, Eli Thurmond, Brayden Woodburn, Jack Pacetti, Nick Consentino and Derek Francis.

Long will enter his second season with the Manatees after transferring from Jacksonville University. Last season, leg injuries plagued his season, but Long managed to finish batting .288 with 40 hits, four home runs and 29 RBI.

Karstetter finished last season batting .296 with 60 hits, three home runs and 47 RBI while earning a spot on the All-Suncoast Conference Second Team. After this season, Karstetter will be enrolling at the University of Houston with up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Jackson, who will enroll at Liberty University after this season with three years of eligibility remaining, is coming off of finishing his freshman campaign batting .368 with 49 hits, two home runs and 31 RBI while being named a member of the All-Suncoast Conference First Team.

Ayers, the switch-hitting outfielder/catcher from Sarasota, is entering his third season with the Manatees after finishing last season batting .274 with 57 hits, seven home runs and 41 RBI. He will be committing to Marshall University next season with two years of eligibility remaining.

After rotating between being a starter and relief pitcher, Thurmond, another local pitcher from Bradenton Christian School, will enter his second season after finishing last year 4-1 with a 2..96 ERA, four saves, 25 walks and 50 strikeouts.

Although he will sit out and redshirt this season due to injury, Woodburn finished his freshman campaign batting .306 with 52 hits, four home runs and 38 RBI. He was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team.

Pacetti joined the Manatees last season after transferring from the University of Cincinnati, but did not make an appearance on the mound after getting surgery on his arm, so this will be his official debut with the Manatees.

Like Thurmond, Consentino rotated between being a starter and relief pitcher. He finished last season 1-2 with a 6.51 ERA, one save, 19 walks and 31 strikeouts.

Francis joined the team last season as a transfer from another JUCO. He redshirted on the team, but was ultimately the bullpen catcher for the 2021 season.

Scouting Miami Dade:

The Sharks are lead by head coach Adrian Morales, who enters his fourth season as head coach. They are coming off of finishing last season 39-16 overall with a 14-8 record in the Southern Conference. They would win the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament to qualify for the NJCAA Baseball World Series in Colorado.

The Sharks will bring back 12 returners, which include Wooyeoul Shin and Jose Pichardo.

The Manatees are 8-12 against the Sharks.

Scouting Ranger College:

Ranger College represents NJCAA Region 5/North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) and are lead by Scott Norwood, who enters his fourth season as head coach. The Rangers finished last season 15-39 overall with a 9-23 record in conference.

This will be the first time the Manatees encounter the Rangers.

Scouting Gulf Coast State:

The Commodores are lead by first-year head coach Tyler Younger and are coming off of finishing last season 24-24 overall with an 8-16 record in the Panhandle Conference. They did not qualify for the FCSAA State Tournament.

Avery Stephens returns on the mound for the Commodores after finishing last season 7-4 with a 4.96 ERA, 19 walks and 69 strikeouts.

At the plate, Tyler Borges will be returning after finishing his freshman campaign batting .311 with one home run, 17 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

The Manatees are 6-2 against the Commodores

Livestats will be available on GameChanger.

SCF BVB Readies for 2022

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team look to move past the 2021 season and set their sights on the 2022 season with extensive additions for their schedule.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees come off of finishing last season 6-4 overall. Their four losses were against NCAA DII teams Florida Southern and St. Leo.

The team is lead by head coach Lynn Burnett, who enters her third season as head coach for the Manatees. Burnett is also the head coach for the indoor volleyball team. She is joined by first-year assistant coach Emily Kalmink.

New Bloods:

With the departures of Leilani Wilcox-Nanai, Lisa Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema and Gracee Carpino, Burnett was able to secure two official newcomers to the roster: Anna Chechelnytska and Yeva Serdiuk.

Anna Chechelnytska:

A native of Ukraine, Chechelnytska, a sophomore, joined the Manatees fall 2021 after transferring from conference rival St. Pete College. She played indoor volleyball for the Lady Titans and finished the shortened spring 2021 season tied for second on the team in kills (75) and third on the team in digs (67). This will be her lone season with the team as she has committed and will transfer to Stetson University with three years of eligibility remaining.

Yeva Serdiuk:

Serdiuk is a true freshman and joins fellow countrywoman Chechelnytska from Ukraine. In her beach career, Serdiuk primarily teamed up with her partner Daria Romaniuk and competed in several beach tournaments in Europe, primarily at the FIVB in Ukraine and Hungary.

Key Returners:

As far as returners, Burnett was able to bring back three returners from the beach team last season: Ana Broadhead, Kayla David and Carolina Moffatt. Additionally, she added members from the indoor volleyball team: Essence Bundrage, Kaylee Forman, Shelby McGee, Giulia Rodrigues, Lana Sandanom, Lison Stoffel and Taryn Wright.

Schedule Breakdown:

The Manatees will first play an exhibition at home against Ave Maria (NAIA) (January 29) before opening the season at home against St. Pete (February 4) and then going on to face Webber International (NAIA) in a doubleheader on the road (February 5).

After another home match against SPC (February 11), the Manatees will be on the road in neutral grounds for the next six matches as they first travel to Palm Beach to face off against to take on St. John's River State and Lake Sumter State (February 18) and Tavares to take on Lake Sumter State again and Palm Beach State at Hickory Point Beach (March) before traveling to Lakeland to take on Florida Southern College (NCAA DII) (March 5).

After another morning home match against Eckerd (NCAA DII) (March 18), the Manatee will head out of state for the first time as they travel to Macon, Georgia for the two-day Bears Beach Bash (March 26-27), hosted by Mercer University (NCAA DI). They will take on St. Leo (NCAA DII), host Mercer, Carson-Newman (NCAA DII) and Jacksonville University (NCAA DI) before returning home for their sophomore day matches against Palm Beach State and St. John's River State (April 8) to conclude the regular season.

From there, it's back to Tavares, Florida for the first annual two-day AVCA Two-Year College Tournament at Hickory Point Beach (April 14-15) before heading to Palatka for the JUCO Pairs Championship (April 29-30).

4th Herd Set for Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - After a hard-fought battle in non-conference play to close 2021, the SCF basketball team (11-7) will look to open the new year on the winning side as they set their sites on Southern Conference play. The Manatees will travel to Tampa to face Hillsborough (7-8, 1-1 Suncoast) at the Dale Mabry Campus Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, January 15 at 4 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of falling to Pensacola State (83-62) and Seward County (79-77 OT) to close 2021 and non-conference play. They ended up finishing 2021 with a 21-16 record. This includes the games from the shortened spring season earlier in 2021.

Earlier, the Manatees were schedule to take on Miami Dade to open conference on the road and Indian River State for their conference home opener, but the games were postponed due to tracings of COVID-19 among the players. The games were later set for two Mondays (vs Indian River State: 1/17/22 @ 7 pm; @ Miami Dade: 1/24/22 @ 7 pm).

Southern Conference Standings:

1. #12 Indian River State (15-2, 1-0)

2. #18 FSW (13-2, 1-0)

3. Hillsborough (7-8, 1-1)

4. SCF (11-7)

5. Miami Dade (8-8 0-2)

1,000 Storms:

For sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers, he is 334 paints away from reaching 1,000 points in his career. Weathers is currently averaging 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, five assists and 1.3 steals per game. At the SCF Holiday Classic, he had a combined 32 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and four steals.

Missing the Calgary Kid:

Sophomore Kwo Agwa has made some noise lately since his return to the starting lineup. Agwa, who was named the NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week at one point is averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, Agwa was unable to be with the team during the SCF Holiday Classic as he had paperwork issues that also involved the Canada border being on travel restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron Variant of COVID-19.

As far as the big man role to fill in for Agwa until he gets back, freshmen Ronnail Tape and Sam Faraday earned their first starts at the classic. Tape started the first game where he had six rebounds, while Faraday, who started the second game, had three points and a season-high seven rebounds. Tape, who is the primary backup for Agwa, is averaging 1.4 points and three rebounds per game, while Faraday is averaging 0.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Wild Card Factors:

Freshmen Jacari White, Cobey Harraway and Ametri Moss have played strong roles in the rotations. 

White, who has a played off the bench this season, is averaging 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He averaged 17.5 points, three rebounds and one steal per game at the classic. Primarily, White is the main 3-point specialist as he is averaging 2.1 3-pointers per game.

Harraway is averaging 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He averaged nine points, three rebounds and three steals in two games at the SCF Holiday Classic.

Moss is averaging 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists per game. He averaged 18.5 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists per game at the SCF Holiday Classic.

Scouting HCC:

The Hawks opened their portion of Southern Conference play on the road as they fell to #12 Indian River State 97-89 before defeating Miami Dade 66-62 in their conference home opener. They were originally scheduled to face #18 FSW for their next game, but it was postponed to a later date due to COVID-19 tracings.

Sophomore Japhet Mador leads the way averaging 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists, while classmates Trevor Chandler (12.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg) and Edgar Ziegler (11 ppg and 2.8 rpg) and freshman Georden Rogers (16.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg) also play big factors for the Hawks rotation.

Series History:

The Manatees are 15-17 against the Hawks. 

The game will air livestream on the Sharks Youtube page (link below)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQzMKai0FDVTRzmg9UbJIxA

4th Herd Closes 2021 with Two Losses

 Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-7) closed out 2021 with two losses at the SCF Holiday Classic as they fell to Pensacola State (9-7) 83-62 and Seward County CC (7-7, 4-4 KJCCC) 79-77 in overtime Thursday and Friday night. With the losses, the Manatees are now 1-3 against the Pirates and 0-1 against the Saints.

Head Coach Tom Parks was unavailable for comments on both games.

SCF vs Pensacola:

Prior to SCF playing Pensacola, Seward County CC played against Polk State (10-5) in an earlier game where they lost by a score of 77-69.

Throughout the entire game, it was all in the favor of the Pirates as they controlled the majority of the game. While the Manatees tried to get a few offensive sparks in the second half, it was not enough as the Pirates would seal the deal with a win.

Three players scored in double figures for the Manatees. It was sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers that lead the way as he finished with 18 points (6-for-11 FG, 1-for-3 3PT, 5-for-7 FT), four rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. Freshman Ametri Moss would follow with 15 points (5-for-10 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 4-for-4 FT) and one rebound, while classmate Jacari White rounded out the order with 12 points (5-for-13 FG, 2-for-5 3PT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Sophomore Clarence Cummings III and freshman Cobey Harraway each finished with eight points. Cummings III (1-for-7 FG, 6-for-7 FT) added four rebounds and one block, while Harraway (2-for-9 FG, 2-for-4 3PT, 2-for-2 FT) added three rebounds and one assist.

Sophomores Javon Bell (one steal) and Darik Tannis-Harriet (two rebounds) and freshmen Ronnail Tape (six rebounds), Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran (one point, three rebounds and two assists) and Sam Faraday (one rebound) also contributed in the game.

For the Pirates, Zondrick Garrett lead the way with 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while Naim Miller added a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds and Jarveil Gainey and Truth Harris each had 14 points. Gainey added six rebounds, two assists and two steals, while added two rebounds and four assists.

SCF vs Seward County:

Prior to SCF’s game, Polk State would defeat Pensacola State 62-59 in their second game.

The first half saw the Manatees off to a very slow start as they were down on a 7-0 Seward run in the first two minutes until a Faraday 3-pointer gave the Manatees their first points of the game. As Parks tried to strategize the team to get points on the board, White and Moss would answer the call as they would secure several 3-point shots in success. The Saints would eventually take the first half 35-31.

The Manatees would not give up as White, Moss and Weathers answered the call to get the Manatees an opportunity to try and get the win. Eventually, the Manatees tied the game at 69 a piece. With less than 10 seconds in the second half, White would try to get the Manatees the win with a 3-point attempt, but it would not go in and would send the game to overtime.

Overtime turned out to be the dagger as the Saints hit the game-winner with 0.4 seconds left and claimed the win.

Three Manatees scored in double figures. It was White that lead the Manatees offensively as he finished with a game-high 23 points (8-for-15 FG, 5-for-9 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Moss would follow with a season-high 22 points (7-for-14 FG, 4-for-78 3PT, 4-for-6 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block, while Weathers rounded out the order with 14 points (4-for-10 FG, 6-for-10 FT) three rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.

Harraway (nine points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals), Cummings III (six points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks), Faraday (three points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block) and Bell (five rebounds, one assist, four steals and one block) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

With his 32 total points combined in both games, Weathers now has 722 in his career and 334 this season. He needs 278 to reach 1,000 career points and needs 472 to break the single season points record held by D’Moi Hodge (805, 2018-20)

The Manatees were without sophomores Kwo Agwa and Christian Nieto. Agwa was not in the starting lineup as he was handling personal issues. Nieto was also handling personal issues.

Head assistant coach Travis Nesby was also not with the team as he tested positive for COVID-19.

Up Next:

2021 has ended and the Manatees will now set their sights on 2022 and Southern Conference play. They will open on the road against Miami Dade College (7-7) Wednesday night, January 5, 2022.

SCF Tennis Opens Season at Home

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF tennis team will open the 2022 season at home as they welcome Southeastern University (NAIA) to the SCF Tennis Complex Friday afternoon, February 4 at 4:30 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees come off finishing last season 1-8 overall with a 0-6 record in the Region 8 Standings. They would compete in the FCSAA State Tournament in San Lando where they would secure an automatic bid to qualify for the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament in Mesa, Arizona. They would finish in the Top 10 (T-7th) from there.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Chloe Murphy, who enters her fifth year as head coach for the team. She is joined by assistant coach Erin Bryce.

Key Losses, New Gains, Big Returns:

The Manatees will be without Alexis Booker, Mackenzie Vraspir, Britain 'Brie' Botsford, Allie Beck and Karla Menendez. Botsford (Savannah College of Art and Design (NAIA)) and Menendez (University of West Georgia (NCAA DII)) have decided to continue playing tennis collegiately.

Murphy was able to land five newcomers to join the team: Jessica Bustamante, Kathrin Didovich, Carlota 'Carly' Gascon Martinez, Jenna Gusto, Natalia Vuckovic and Sakurako Suzuki. Gascon Martinez joined the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Eastern Florida State, while Suzuki joined the team during the spring semester.

All four returners for the Manatees are coming back: Kia Carvalho-Landell, Sarah Forsyth, Luna Mouton and Lou De Freitas Bonet.

Carvalho-Landell has been one of the key benefactors of the team after becoming runner-up in the state tournament at #5 singles and even went as far as semifinals of the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament. She is likely to move up from #5 singles to #2 singles.

National Ranking:

In mentioning of Carvalho-Landell and Gascon Martinez, the sophomore duo is ranked #4 in the nation after their strong performances in the ITA Regionals in St. Pete (Runner-up) and the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia (semifinalists). Additonally, Carvalho-Landell and Gascon Martinez were ranked in NJCAA Top 5 in singles action (#30: Carvalho-Landell; #33: Gascon Martinez).

De Freitas Bonet is ranked #12 in the NJCAA Top 50 in singles and ranked #17 in the NJCAA Top 25 in doubles with Forsyth.

Scouting Southeastern:

The Lady Flames are lead by head coach Drew Dickens, who enters his fourth season as head coach and coming off finishing last season 5-7 overall with a 2-4 record in the Sun Conference. They did not qualify for the Sun Conference Tournament or NAIA National Tournament.

Dickens will bring back the majority of the entire roster which includes sophomore Abigail Damon and junior Beatrice Letizia. Both Damon and Letizia had seven wins in dual singles action. In fact, they were the only two players that had more wins than loss on their singles records.

Series History:

The series between SCF and Southeastern is tied at 1-1.

Fans can keep up with the SCF tennis team on their Twitter: @TennisSCF

4th Herd Closes Final Home Games of 2021

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-5) will look to close out 2021 with their final two non-conference games of the season at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. The Manatees will welcome Pensacola State (8-6) Wednesday night, December 29 and Seward County CC (6-6, 4-4 KJCCC DI) Thursday night, December 30. Both games will start at 7 pm.

This will be the first time the Manatees play Seward and the fourth against Pensacola (Pensacola is 3-0 against the Manatees).

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of two straight home games after a stressful road weekend previously as they defeated St. Pete College 88-65 before upsetting then #18 Santa Fe College 99-84. It was the third time this season that the Manatees upset an NJCAA Top 25 Team and the fifth time overall in program history. They had two earlier wins over South Georgia State (then #21) and Georgia Highlands (then #24).

Record Breaker:

Sophomore James ‘Pop’ Weathers continues his offensive game in his role as point guard. Weathers is currently averaging 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. In the last two home games, he had 20 points, five rebounds and four assists against SPC and a double-double of 18 points, 11 assists rebounds and five rebounds against Santa Fe.

Additionally, Weathers currently has 672 career points and needs 328 to reach 1,000 career points. Furthermore, he has 302 points this season and could possibly break the record for most points in a single season, a record that has been held by the all-time leader in points D'Moi Hodge (805, 2018-20), but he'll need 504 more points this season to do so.

Returning Role:

After the departure of Djordje Gobovic, sophomore Kwo Agwa quietly made his way back to the starting lineup in a new role. Agwa is currently averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The Calgary, Alberta native had two straight double-doubles against SPC and Santa Fe where he scored a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds and five blocks against SPC and scored 13 points with a career-high 14 rebounds and six blocks.

Four Wild:

Freshmen Jacari White and Cobey Harraway have been playing key parts in their roles of the rotation. White is averaging 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, while Harraway is averaging 10.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. In the last two home games, White averaged 19 points and five rebounds per game, which included a season-high 24 points against Santa Fe, while Harraway, despite being held to five points against Santa Fe, averaged nine points, two rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Additionally, classmate Ametri Moss and sophomore Clarence Cummings III have also played key parts in the starting lineup. Moss is averaging 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while Cummings III is averaging 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Moss averaged 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and three assists per game in the last two games, while Cummings III averaged eight points, 6.5 rebounds, five assists and three steals per game.

Welcome Back:

Sophomore Javon Bell returned to the rotation after serving a six-game suspension for academics. Bell, who played against Santa Fe, had 14 points, three rebounds and one block. Currently, the Lakeland native is averaging 9.7 points, three rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game after his return.

Scouting Pensacola:

The Pirates are coming off of competing and splitting in the two-day Panhandle Classic at Chipola College where they fell to Jones College (66-39) before defeating Gadsden State Community College (60-48). They were on a four-game losing streak before defeating Gadsden State.

Freshmen Zondrick Garrett and Truth Harris lead the Pirates offensively. Garrett is averaging 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, while Harris averages 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 4.9 assists per game. 

Scouting Seward County:

Seward County CC represents NJCAA Region VI (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC)) and hail from Liberal, Kansas. They are lead by head coach Rylee Hernandez, who enters his second season as head coach for the team.

The Saints are coming off of a loss against Garden City CC (96-83) before getting wins over Cowley College (66-56) and Northwest Kansas Tech (73-61). They will play Polk State (8-5) at 5:30 pm Wednesday night, December 29 at Hal Chasey Gymnasium prior to playing SCF.

Freshman Erik Pratt leads the Saints as he is averaging 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, while classmates Taye Donald (10.8 ppg, 3.3 apg and 2.2 spg), Kevin Cooper (10.3 ppg and 6.6 rpg) and Wilson Dubinsky (12.1 ppg and 1.3 spg) follow along with Pratt.

How to Keep Up:

Both games will air on the SCF Sports Network page and fans can keep up with both games on the SCF Manatees or SCF Basketball Twitter pages.

SCF Athletics: @SCFManatees

SCF Basketball: @SCF_Basketball

Livestream Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

4th Herd Sends #18 Santa Fe Marching with Upset Win

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (11-5) got a much needed revenge rematch Saturday afternoon at Hal Chasey Gymnasium as they upset #18 Santa Fe College (10-2) 99-84. With the win, the Manatees are now 5-13 against the Saints.

“It feels really good to get the win, but more importantly it feels good how we won,” said head coach Tom Parks. "I thought we did a really good job playing together and stuck to our defensive game plan, even though they scored 84 points, despite them being a high-scoring team. I thought some of the stuff we worked on offensively in a very short amount of time looked really good today and I thought we caught them off-guard in some areas, so I'm just proud that are guys really put a lot into the game plan while we prepped it for a day. We really wanted to focus on St. Pete this past Thursday, so we only focused on Santa Fe for a day where we watched film yesterday, had a good shoot around today, but it was just nice to see us take the right process and come out with a win."

"It felt really good to get the win over Santa Fe," said freshman Jacari White. "When we played them at their place, we weren't as together as we played today, and we really showed them how we scored when we almost hit 100 points and that really showed the team what we had."

The first half saw the Manatees gain an early 10-4 lead with sophomore Kwo Agwa getting eight rebounds in the first half, but soon there were several ties and lead changes between the two teams with the Saints taking the lead by as much as 12 points, but the Manatees would eventually would tie the game before the Saints took the first half 44-42.

The second half saw in the favor of the Manatees and after careful tweaks in plays on both ends of the floor, the Manatees took advantage of several scoring opportunities behind the 3-point line, thanks to White and sophomore Javon Bell, and strong offensive rebounding by Agwa. In the end, after a final 3-point shot by Bell, the Manatees were able to seal the deal and get the win to split the series with the Saints.

Six Manatees scored in double figures with two getting a double-double. It was White that lead the Manatees offense as he finished with a season-high 24 points (7-for-10 FG, 6-for-7 3PT, 4-for-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists and a block.

"I just had confidence in my work on the court," said White on his game. "I get in the gym late night and just kept shooting and it really showed today."

"Jacari is a really good basketball player," said Parks on White. "I think when you have a player like 'Pop', who has the ball in his hands a lot, you kind of get stuck watching 'Pop', but Jacari did a really good job getting his feet ready to shoot. He's a microwave and can heat up really fast and when he makes a couple of baskets, he can roll off five or six in a row, so I wasn't surprised because I coach him every day, but I'm proud of how he performed and I thought overall.

Agwa and sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers would follow behind White with a double-double each. Awga had 13 points (5-for-10 FG, 3-for-4 FT), 14 rebounds (seven offensive), two assists and six blocks, while Weathers had 18 points (5-for-9 FG, 3-for-5 3PT, 5-for-5 FT), 11 assists, five rebounds and one block.

"Pop did a really good job getting his teammates involved and trusting his teammates' shots," said Parks on Weathers. "If you really lock in on Pop and how he plays when he passes the ball and tells them to shoot, he has a lot of confidence for it when he tries to create plays for his teammates and I think he's really starting to trust his teammates more, which is nice."

"I think Kwo is doing an unbelievable job rebounding on both ends of the floor," said Parks on Agwa. "But I'm very impressed with his rebounding on the offensive end. Kwo is playing outside of his position right now and he's doing an unbelievable job and even though he's outside of his position, he's really good at that spot, but we're continually trying to enhance his game and get him on the perimeter, but it's hard to have someone like that who impacts the game so much around the basket like standing on the 3-point line, but I'm proud of how he responded, even while he's up-and-down in terms of his consistency and it was really nice to see him have his best game as a Manatee on Thursday and then follow it up with a 14-rebound game, which is tough to do."

"What I'm really proud of Kwo honestly is I didn't take him out in the second half and while he suffered a knee injury prior to his signing with us, which took a while for him to get back, he's someone you have to be cautious with how much you play him and he's finally at the point where he feels healthy and a lot better and not as stiff and I'm proud he gave us that effort for 20 minutes, which didn't really fall off. He really played with great energy and effort the entire game."

Bell and freshman Ametri Moss each finished with 14 points. Bell (5-for-14 FG, 4-for-10 3PT) added three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal, while Moss (5-for-12 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 2-for-2 FT) added four rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Clarence Cummings III would round out the order with 11 points (4-for-9 FG, 3-for-4 FT), five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

"Coach Parks always tell to not stop shooting the ball," said Bell on his game. "I had to keep letting the ball fly so I can trust it and he can trust it."

Freshmen Cobey Harraway (five points, one assist and one block) and Ronnail Tape (one rebound) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

1. This was the third time this season that the Manatees have upset an NJCAA Top 25 team and the fifth time in program history.

2. Bell returned to the rotation after missing the last six games due to suspension.

"I'm happy I got to be back with the team today," said Bell on his return. "My teammates were even happier to have me back when they were passing me the ball and they kept me going, so everybody eats on offense and I loved it."

"I feel like we've been without Javon so much that I woke up and didn't even think about it," said Parks on Bell's return. "When coach Trav (Nesby) was in my office, he said 'we got number one back' and I was like 'oh shoot that's right, we can play Javon now' and it was nice to look down the bench and put him in the game. He put a ton of work on his jumpshot during the offseason. He had a hitch in his shot before and hats off to coach Trav and Nav (Gill) when he was here to work a lot with our guys during the summer."

"Javon lives in the gym and when he doesn't have a ride, he walks and he'll put countless hours on the shooting machine and when he doesn't use it, he follow up with his rebounding and get it back at the three. He worked hard on his three this year and I'm proud he could come back like that and go in the break with some confidence."

3. Weathers' 18 points put him at 672 and needs 328 to reach 1,000 career points.

4. This was Agwa's second straight double-double and his rebounds (both total and offensive) and total blocks were both career-highs.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

#6 Indian River State (12-2) were upset by Polk State (8-4) losing by a score of 86-84. The Pioneers will face Florida State College at Jacksonville (0-5) Wednesday night, December 15.

#25 FSW (10-2) defeated Gulf Coast State (9-4) 68-61. The Buccaneers will face Polk State on the road Wednesday night, December 15.

Miami Dade (7-6) defeated Barry University JV 102-64. The Sharks will face St. Pete (4-7) Saturday afternoon, December 18.

Hillsborough (5-6) fell to Polk State 75-73 this past Wednesday. The Hawks will host St. Pete Tuesday night, December 14.

Remaining Southern Conference Non-Conference Schedule:

12/14:

HCC vs SPC

12/15:

#6 Indian River State vs Florida State College at Jacksonville

#25 FSW vs Polk State

12/16:

#6 Indian River State vs North Florida Prep

12/18:

HCC @ RV Albany Tech

Miami Dade @ SPC

12/29:

Miami Dade @ ASA Miami

#25 FSW vs Illinois Central

12/30:

Miami Dade vs Illinois Central

#25 FSW vs ASA Miami

#6 Indian River State vs #15 Shelton State

HCC @ #18 Santa Fe

12/31:

#6 Indian River State vs Southern Union State

1/3/22:

Miami Dade @ Florida Memorial JV

1/4/22:

#25 FSW vs 212 Academy

Up Next:

The Manatees will look to close 2021 with two more wins in non-conference play as they welcome Pensacola State (8-6) Wednesday night, December 29 and Seward County CC (5-7) Thursday night, December 30. Seward County will play Polk State Wednesday afternoon, December 29 at Hal Chasey Gymnasium prior to playing SCF.

4th Herd Takes Sweep over SPC

Bradenton, Fla - After struggling this past weekend, the SCF basketball team (10-5) were able to snap their skid as they defeated St. Pete College (4-7) 88-65 at Hal Chasey Gymnasium Thursday night. With the win, the Manatees swept the Titans and are now 15-19 overall (2012-present).

“It feels really good to get a win tonight against St. Pete,” said head coach Tom Parks. "I just feel like St. Pete is one of those teams that can prepare you for a toughness test. They are very tough and very scrappy and never stop playing. If you can blow it open late in the second half, it speaks volumes to our guys. St. Pete doesn't let people get those kind of large leads and obviously going against coach (Earnest) Crumbley, someone who I have a ton of respect for and look up to as a coach and human being who process-oriented in doing things the right way, it means a lot."

"Overall I feel like we always talk about we're going against ourselves. We had a lot of issues lately trying to score the ball against man and zone defense, in which SPC showed a little bit of both and I thought we did a good job. We started off slow and that's what we have been doing a lot offensively, which was fairly new and so it was nice to take after those first six to figure it out and score more baskets to where we can reach the high 80s, 90s and hopefully break 100s in those games as long we be a little bit more in attack mode offensively."

“It felt pretty good to get the sweep over SPC tonight, especially against a great hall of fame coach,” said sophomore James ‘Pop’ Weathers. "We knew the type of players he was going to put on the court and had it all figured out. We came out a little slow in the first half and we called timeout so we can talk about what we needed to do to pick up the pace. Once the second half started, we hit 52 points and played pretty well."

“I feel like we were supposed to beat them earlier and it was a hard fought game,” said sophomore Kwo Agwa. "We executed to the end and it was good that we got the win. We did have a few hiccups, but we got the job done and that was a pretty good win at the end of the day."

“It felt great, especially going into Saturday's game against Santa Fe for revenge,’ said freshman Cobey Harraway. "We can just tell that we have improved compared to the first game against St. Pete as it was really close. Tonight, we took the lead, ran with it in the second half and kept our foot on their neck and didn't let up, so it felt good to get the win."

"Overall, we started off slow in 10 minutes of the first half, but we started to pick it up and scored 16 points in five minutes and really got it going and the momentum took us into the second half."

The first half was a slow start for the Manatees as they were not shooting the ball as much, but then 16-point run in five minutes helped the team regain their confidence on the floor and pushed their lead up. The Manatees were able to take the first half 36-26.

The second half proved to be the dagger as strong rebounding and putbacks by Agwa, two big 3-pointers by Harraway and freshman Jacari White and dunks by Weathers and freshman Ametri Moss gave the Manatees a big boost in offense as they sealed the deal for the win.

Five Manatees scored in double figures for the game, and it was Agwa that lead the way as he finished with his first double-double of the season as the Calgary native, who made his way back to the starting lineup, had a career-high 23 points (8-for-10 FG, 7-for-7 FT), 10 rebounds (five offensive), one steal and a career-high five blocks.

“I just feel like when I play with more energy, the results speak for themself,” said Agwa on his game. "When the points, rebounds and blocks come when I play hard, I never lose focus on it."

“Statistically, Kwo had a good year as a freshman, but he is capable of so much more,” said Parks on Agwa. "The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team is we didn't have somebody to hold him accountable, so if he played bad or good, then he still played. When he played good, he helped us win and when he played bad, other guys stepped up even though we still had him on the floor and this year, with our depth, we were able to put Kwo on the bench and that was a big learning moment for him to understand that it didn't matter how he did last year, it was more he had to be consistent this year. While he did not have a ton of opportunities early in the season, when the guy in front of you is doing their job, it's hard to find extra minutes. Overall, I thought he did a good accepting the challenge of playing in a different position around the basket with the departure of Djordje (Gobovic) and I'm just really happy for Kwo because he's someone that can really impact the game in many and I'm happy he took advantage of the opportunity in a new role today."

Weathers would follow Agwa with 20 points (6-for-18 FG, 8-for-10 FT), five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while White finished with 14 points (5-for-11 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

“I could have shot the ball better,” said Weathers on his game. "Yet at the end of the day, it's still a team win. I found ways to get my teammates involved as well as myself, so with those two elements working together, it helped us get this win."

Harraway finished with 13 points (4-for-7 FG, 2-for-3 3PT, 3-for-4 FT), four rebounds, one assist and three steals, while Moss, who was one rebound shy of a double-double, rounded out the order with 10 points (3-for-10 FG, 4-for-4 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

“It was for sure tough in the first half for me,” said Harraway on his game. "Obviously, I wanted to be good individually, but when the team is up 10 points going into the second half the team always comes first. Obviously, I was held to one point in the first half, which is unlike me, but I told myself in the locker room in my head 'you're good, you're not acting like yourself' and during the second half, I pushed myself to wake up to do what I needed to do to get my offense going."

Sophomores Clarence Cummings III (five points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals) and Darik Tannis-Harriet (one point) and freshmen Ronnail Tape (two points, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal), Sam Faraday (three rebounds) and Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran (one rebound) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

Weathers’ 20 points put him at 654 and needs 346 to reach 1,000 career points.

Up Next:

The Manatees remain at home as they welcome #18 Santa Fe (10-1) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, December 11 at 2 pm.

4th Herd Nearing Closing 2021 at Home

Bradenton, Fla- After another challenging weekend, the #24 SCF basketball team (9-5) return home for four straight games at Hal Chasey Gymnasium to close 2021. The Manatees will first welcome St. Petersburg (4-6) Thursday night December 9, and #18 Santa Fe (10-1) Saturday afternoon, December 11 at 2 pm for the first half of it. The games will be rematches from earlier this season.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a tough weekend after the Florida vs Georgia Thanksgiving Classic as they fell to Daytona State (73-72) at home in a rematch via buzzer beater and a lost to then #19/#23 Santa Fe (80-65) on the road.

Popping Up a Storm:

Sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers remains in tact to reach the milestone of 1,000 career points and becoming the second player under Coach Tom Parks' era to do so. Weathers has 634 career points so far and needs 366 to reach the milestone.

Currently, he is averaging 18.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. During the weekend, Weathers had 44 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

Deadman's Hand:

Alongside Weathers, sophomore Clarence Cummings III and freshmen Jacari White, Cobey Harraway, Ametri Moss and Ronnail Tape have played big parts in their roles in the lineup.

Cummings III is averaging 8.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

White is averaging 10 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

Harraway is averaging 11 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

Moss is averaging 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and two assists per game.

While he is averaging only 1.7 points per game, Tape continues his strong rebounding as he averaging three rebounds per game.

Scouting St. Pete:

The Titans are coming off of a 88-47 win over Pro Holmes Academy to snap and avoid a losing skid after falling in games against #22 Florida Southwestern (78-51) and Hillsborough (49-48).

Freshman Zane Nelson leads the team averaging 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Nelson played off the bench against Pro Holmes Academy where he finished with six points and two rebounds.

Sophomore Martin Mercedes is behind Nelson averaging 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, despite not playing against Pro Holmes Academy.

Scouting Santa Fe:

The Saints are currently ranked #18 in the NJCAA Top 25 polls and are coming off of a beating SCF earlier in the season.

Freshmen Bradley Douglas (15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game) and Hasan Abdul-Hakim (14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game) lead the path for the Saints on both ends of the floor. Classmate Nicolas McClain (11 points, 5.7 rebounds and two steals per game) also plays a vital role for the Saints.

Series History:

The Manatees are currently 4-13 against the Saints, which includes the earlier loss this season. The last time the Manatees played the Saints was on November 16 and December 7, 2019 by scores of 101-92 and 84-80.

Both games against SPC and Santa Fe will air on the SCF Sports Network.

Links:

https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Buzzer-Beater Faulters 4th Herd vs Daytona State

Bradenton, Fla - The #24 SCF basketball team (9-4) were taken in shock against Daytona State (5-6) at Hal Chasey Gymnasium as a buzzer-beater would be the heartbreaker for their 73-72 loss.

The Manatees were at a slow start in the first half as they started to fall behind, primarily with the Falcons putting freshman Djordje Gobovic in early foul trouble. The Manatees would fall behind 35-32 in the first half.

At the start of the second half, the Manatees started to build themselves up as they managed to get their first lead and were up by as much as eight points, but the Falcons started to creep up the score and eventually would get the buzzer-beater by sophomore Reggie Quezada.

Sophomore James 'Pop' Weathers would lead the Manatees offensively, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double. Weathers ended the night with 17 points (4-for-10 FG, 2-for-6 3PT, 7-for-8 FT), nine rebounds and four assists. Harraway would follow with his first collegiate double-double of 15 points (6-for-15 FG, 2-for-9 3PT, 1-for-2 FT) and 11 rebounds. He also added three assists, two blocks and two steals. Freshman Ametri Moss would round out the order with 10 points (4-for-7 FG, 2-for-2 3PT), two rebounds and two assists.

Gobovic would finish with nine points (4-for-9 FG, 1-for-2 FT), four rebounds and two assists before fouling out, while sophomore Clarence Cummings III finished with eight points (3-for-10 FG, 2-for-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

sophomores Kwo Agwa (four points, two rebounds and one assist) and Christian Nieto (one rebound and two steals) and freshmen Jacari White (five points, two rebounds and two assists), Ronnail Tape (one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal), Sam Faraday (two points and one rebound) and Pierre-Gabriel Gouffran (two points and one rebound) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

Weathers' 17 points put him at 607 and needs 393 to reach 1,000 career points.

Other Southern Conference Scores:

Hillsborough (5-4) were forced to cancel their scheduled game against Carolina Christian College. The Hawks will welcome Albany Tech Saturday afternoon, December 4.

Weekly Southern Conference Schedule:

12/4:

#7 Indian River State @ Pasco-Hernando State

HCC vs Albany Tech

#22 Florida Southwestern vs Daytona State

Miami Dade @ #24 Eastern Florida State

12/7:

#7 Indian River State @ ASA Miami

12/8:

Miami Dade vs Miami Triple Threat

Hillsborough vs Polk State

12/10:

#22 FSW vs South Georgia Tech @ Gulf Coast State

Miami Dade vs ASA Miami

Up Next:

The Manatees will travel to Gainsville for their next road game as they face #19/#23 Santa Fe College (9-1) Saturday afternoon, December 4 at 2 pm.

SCF Tennis Finalizes Season

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF tennis team has set aside the 2021 season and will look on to the 2022 season and hopefully another trip to nationals.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees come off finishing last season 1-8 overall with a 0-6 record in the Region 8 Standings. They would compete in the FCSAA State Tournament in San Lando where they would secure an automatic bid to qualify for the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament in Mesa, Arizona. They would finish in the Top 10 (T-7th) from there.

The Manatees are lead by head coach Chloe Murphy, who enters her fifth year as head coach for the team. She is joined by assistant coach Erin Bryce.

Key Losses, New Gains, Big Returns:

The Manatees will be without Alexis Booker, Mackenzie Vraspir, Britain 'Brie' Botsford, Allie Beck and Karla Menendez. Botsford (Savannah College of Art and Design (NAIA)) and Menendez (University of West Georgia (NCAA DII)) have decided to continue playing tennis collegiately.

Murphy was able to land five newcomers to join the team: Jessica Bustamante, Kathrin Didovich, Carlota 'Carly' Gascon Martinez, Jenna Gusto and Natalia Vuckovic. Gascon Martinez joined the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Eastern Florida State.

All four returners for the Manatees are coming back: Kia Carvalho-Landell, Sarah Forsyth, Luna Mouton and Lou De Frietas Bonet.

Carvalho-Landell has been one of the key benefactors of the team after becoming runner-up in the state tournament at #5 singles and even went as far as semifinals of the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament. She is likely to move up from #5 singles to #3 singles. She finished 7-5 in singles action.

National Ranking:

In mentioning of Carvalho-Landell and Gascon Martinez, the sophomore duo was ranked #4 in the nation after their strong performances in the ITA Regionals in St. Pete (Runner-up) and the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia (semifinalists). Carvalho-Landell and Gascon Martinez were also ranked in NJCAA Top 5 in singles action (#30: Carvalho-Landell; #33: Gascon Martinez).

Additionally, De Freitas Bonet was ranked #12 in the NJCAA Top 50 in singles and ranked #17 in the NJCAA Top 25 in doubles with Forsyth.

Schedule Breakdown:

The Manatees will begin with five matches on the road against five NCAA DII teams: Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern, Saint Leo, Embry-Riddle and the University of Tampa. The match against Tampa will be the season opener for the Manatees.

The Manatees will then have their home opener as they welcome NAIA Southeastern University (2/4) before playing another scrimmage against NCAA DII Rollins College.

After the scrimmage with Rollin, the Manatees will open conference play on the road against Eastern Florida State in Melbourne (2/11) before playing their final scrimmage against NCAA DII Flagler College.

They will resume conference play with a road match against Hillsborough (2/18) before returning home to welcome Central Alabama CC (2/22) and resuming conference play on the road against St. Pete (2/25).

The Manatees will then have another break as they will host six straight home matches. Three of the matches will close non-conference play: NAIA Florida National (3/2), Abraham Baldwin (3/11) and the University of West Georgia (3/22).

The Manatees will close conference play with three final home matches against HCC, SPC and Eastern Florida, with the final match being sophomore day for Carvalho-Landell, Mouton, De Freitas Bonet, Forsyth and Gascon Martinez, before closing the season with a scrimmage against NCAA DII Palm Beach Atlantic.

After the regular season, the Manatees will play in states and hopefully nationals afterwards.