Dr. Phillips High School

National No. 1 Olympia High School turns in unbeaten regular season

ORLANDO, Fla. – A come-from-behind win on the final day of the regular season kept Orlando’s Olympia High School atop the MaxPreps national high school baseball rankings this week.

The No. 1 Titans became just the second team in Central Florida history to make it through the regular season without a blemish on its record. But it’s an elusive trip to the state final four that would be most satisfying as playoff qualifiers get underway this week.

The Titans face Ocoee on Wednesday in their Class 8A, District 3 opener, just four days after local rival Dr. Phillips had their backs against the wall late in the season finale.

Olympia scored seven runs in the final three innings to win 9-5 (in eight innings) and improve to 100-12-1 since 2012, which happens to be the last time Olympia went unbeaten before losing in the region title game to finish 29-1.

(Read more about Olympia’s win over Dr. Phillips at Orlando Sentinel)

“They just believe they’re going to win,” Olympia coach Chuck Schall said. “Even at the end there when we’re down, there’s not a guy on that bench that doesn’t think we’re going to come back.”

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Carnahan Coverage: Linebacker Withney Simon still awaiting first scholarship offer

ORLANDO, Fla. – He’s done all that’s been asked of him yet Orlando Jones High School’s Withney Simon, the No. 2-rated linebacker in Central Florida, is unsure of his football future.

I caught up with Simon following the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl earlier this month at the Florida Citrus Bowl and asked him about his college options. He said that although he’s got the grades to qualify for football at the next level, he’s a bit surprised at how little interest he’s garnered from college programs.

( – Click here to read J.C.’s feature on Withney Simon for Orlando Sentinel – )

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Carnahan Coverage: Turnovers costly for Bloomingdale in playoff loss to Dr. Phillips

Junior quarterback Isaiah McIntyre could not hold back tears as he wandered aimlessly along the sideline following Bloomingdale’s 24-21 loss to Orlando Dr. Phillips in the opening round of the Class 8A region quarterfinals on Friday.

Bloomingdale was in the midst of a four-minute drive when McIntyre fumbled the football while pulling his right arm back to pass just 24 yards from the end zone with 57 seconds remaining. It was his second lost fumble of the half, each recovered by junior Tashaun Lindquist.

“On the final drive the ball just slipped out of my hands,” McIntyre said afterwards. “I wish we would’ve won this game because of our seniors. They really wanted it, but the ball slipped out of my hand.”

( – Click here to read J.C.’s recap of Bloomingdale at Dr. Phillips for Tampa Bay Times – )

For the all the great things McIntyre did for the Bulls on Friday, and throughout the season, he’ll likely have a hard time forgetting what went wrong in the final two quarters after leading his team to a 14-3 advantage at halftime.

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Carnahan Chronicles Radio: Interview with Danny Morales, local sports update, college and pro football talk

A friend from back home succumbed to a long illness earlier this week and I felt it was only right to dedicate this week’s edition of Carnahan Chronicles radio to his memory. See you when we get there, Jason Vann.

This week the show got underway with talk about the opening round of the high school football playoffs in Florida and the lone remaining girls volleyball team from the area still playing for a state title. I also gave mention to the UCF women’s soccer team hosting a match this weekend in the first round of the NCAA postseason and interviewed Valencia Voice editor-in-chief Danny Morales about UCF football’s win Friday over Tulsa.

( – Click here to listen to J.C. dedicate show, talk local sports, and interview Danny Morales – )

Producer Chris Vazquez joined me to talk about the biggest college and pro football games of the weekend, but the conversation took a bit of a turn each segment as we zeroed in on a couple topics that’ve created debate in our respective circles.

The first was whether the Florida State-Miami game is an even bigger rivalry for fans of the Seminoles than Florida State-Florida. The other was whether the Cleveland Browns should invest in Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel as the franchise’s quarterback of the future. Not sure we came to a clear conclusion, but talking it out is a good step in the right direction.

( – Click here to listen to J.C. and Chris talk FSU-Miami and college football this week – )

( – Click here to listen to J.C. and Chris talk Cleveland Browns QBs & NFL games this week – )

State of Florida Produces 9 Former Prep Players In NFL Draft

That brief moment of excitement I feel each year when preparing to watch the NFL Draft doesn’t linger for too long. I’m usually ready to channel surf or dip in and out of the room by the eighth pick. But this year I realized it’s all in the way you approach it.

I spent much of the draft last night in a recliner with a laptop, smartphone and remote control nearby. First thing I realized was that ESPN has been ruining this event for me for years. It wasn’t until I committed to the NFL Network’s broadcast that I no longer had the urge to throw my television through a wall due to the rabid jaw-flapping.

Then I got caught up in the information overload world of Twitter and Facebook, reading and responding to online posts about fan’s draft triumphs and despair, with plenty of doses of humor thrown in at each other’s expense.

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Carnahan Coverage: Thrilling Finish In Girls Lacrosse Opening Round

From time to time the high school sporting events I cover offer some unforgettable moments to write about. Last night was one of those nights.

Timber Creek High School trailed Dr. Phillips by three goals in a girls lacrosse first round play-in game with four minutes to play when the Wolves pulled off the unthinkable.

Haleigh Brooks tied the game at 16-16 to force overtime with just a single second to play before two goals by Ellie Yenor in the extra periods helped give Timber Creek a 19-18 win. Even more impressive was the number of defensive plays that were made to keep TCHS in the game down the stretch.

– (Click here to read my recap for Bright House Sports Network) –