Lake Nona’s Kyle Herrera booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give the East a 20-17 come-from-behind win. Herrera also kicked a 32-yarder to close out the first half.

“I was already real nervous coming into it, then they tried to ice me twice,” Herrera said afterward. “I just threw my career on the line and put everything I had into it.”

East seniors watch as the ball clears the uprights. (Photo by Tim Citek)

Despite outgaining the West in total yards (326-207) the East seniors were forced to overcome six turnovers and a 17-7 deficit late in the second quarter before eventually pulling out the win.

The West built its lead by turning three of those turnovers into scores.

While trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis forced a fumble, which put the West in position to tie the game. It wasn’t long before Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro tucked the football and took off on a 30-yard touchdown run.

West Orange’s Marcus Isom went on to recover a fumble on a bad snap once the East regained possession, setting up a 27-yard field goal by Wekiva’s Kyle McGee. The West extended its lead with less than a minute to play in the second quarter when Wekiva’s Josh West jumped on a loose ball in the end zone following yet another fumble.

But while the West relied on the mistakes of its opponent, the East continued dusting itself off and feeding the ball to Lake Nona’s Jarius Pace and Winter Park’s Brandon Brown-Dukes out of the backfield.

The duo combined for eight carries of more than 10 yards on the night. When they weren’t fighting for extra yardage by making defenders miss by way of shifty moves, they were finding extra room to run thanks to an aggressive offensive line.

“It’s been a long time since I was able to get back in my groove and I felt like I was able to do that tonight,” said Pace, who missed much of the regular season due to injury. “God came through for me. The team came through. I’d like to give all the credit to the o-line for the outstanding blocking they did.”

Pace brushed off two fumbles to finish with 126 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had a 45-yard reception late in the fourth quarter. Brown-Dukes took 12 carries for 61 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown in the win.

The celebration gets underway for the East seniors. (Photo by Tim Citek)

“It’s a great experience to play with and against all these guys from throughout Orange County, because some of these guys we’ve never had the chance to play against (during the regular season),” said Brown-Dukes.

It was his catch-and-run for a touchdown with 8:31 to go in the third quarter that tied the game at 17-17. Following a 31-yard reception by Winter Park’s Lee Dunnam, on a throw from East River quarterback Josh Jones, Brown-Dukes hauled in a pass while alone in the flat and reached the end zone on a 22-yard gain after sidestepping a defender inside the five-yard line.

“When I turned my head and looked up it was wide open,” Brown-Dukes said. “It’s all natural instinct from there. I just decided to take a jab-step inside and come back out.”

Pace scored the opening points of the night when he took a handoff up the middle and went four yards for the touchdown with 1:18 to go in the first quarter.

He got the scoring drive started on a pitch-out to the right, where he stiff-armed a defender and raced 52 yards down the West sideline. Positive gains by Brown-Dukes, Central Florida Christian Academy’s Karl Bourne and East River’s Michael Elder continued to move the chains before Pace punched it in for the score.

– More Orange County Senior Bowl Highlights –

– Lake Nona’s Chris Compton caught a 23-yard pass from University’s Kyle Sellers with 24 seconds left in the second quarter… Sellers and Josh Jones combined to go 9-of-21 for 139 yards passing for the East.

– Edgewater’s Kelvin Gunning and Wekiva’s Demarius Daniels each intercepted a pass… Olympia’s Josh Cunningham got to the quarterback for a sack during the final seconds of the first half… West Orange’s Diego Quintanar recovered a fumble with two minutes left in the game, but the West replied by going three-and-out.

– Gunning, Ocoee’s Darien Oliver and Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis were among those breaking up passes while West Orange’s Kellen Williams made multiple timely tackles.

– Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro led the West in rushing with 65 yards on four carries… Calabro, Wekiva’s Greg Arnheim and Evans quarterback Dominique Tarver combined to go 7-of-20 for 63 yards passing… Ocoee’s Robenson Roche caught three passes for 18 yards.

– University’s Shane Berry made a clutch interception near the sideline on a pass inside the 10-yard line with a minute left in the second quarter… Winter Park’s Dominique Albert and Timber Creek’s Lavon Moten recorded sacks for the East.

– Stepping up to make big tackles for the East were Winter Park’s Matthew Moody, Lake Nona’s Alex Scott, Timber Creek’s Brandon Tyras, Freedom’s Colin Burke and Kavaris Green, and Colonial’s Larry McNeil and Chad Tajudeen… Colonial’s Ricky Gordon, Freedom’s David Gadson and Cypress Creek’s Nick Gonzalez broke up passes.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

Oak Ridge (8-3) is at Dr. Phillips (11-0), Winter Park (11-0) is at Seminole (9-2), and DeLand (9-2) is at Orange Park (7-4) in Class 6A games. Oviedo defeated Osceola 10-0 in Class 5A and hosts this week against Lakeland, who beat Hagerty 56-35. Bishop Moore (9-2) hosts two-time defending Class 2A champion Cocoa. Lake Highland Prep (9-2) defeated Fort Meyers Dunbar 20-6 in Class 2B and will host Island Coast.

Last week the season ended for a couple local teams. East River lost 27-7 on the road against Lakeland Lake Gibson in 5A and Jones lost to Cocoa 14-9.

In other action… South Daytona Warner Christian (11-0) defeated Orangewood Christian 60-6 in Class 1B. Daytona Beach Mainland lost to Orange Park 29-28 in Class 6A. The First Academy lost 42-20 against Jacksonville Trinity Christian in 2A.

All second round games begin at 7:30 p.m. Keep up with all the action at Varsity Sports, WFTV Channel 9 and Bright House Sports Network.

Below is a look back at last week’s first round involving state-ranked teams, with a little help from those that covered each game for the Orlando Sentinel.

– Class 6A –

Dr. Phillips 52, Olympia 3

The Panthers defeated Olympia for the fourth time over the past two seasons by building a 24-3 lead at halftime…

Wrote Kyle Hightower:

“Running back Demetrius Hart rushed for 118 yards and accounted for three touchdowns – two rushing, one receiving – to lead the Panthers… Quarterback Nick Patti was also spot-on, connecting on 5-of-8 passes for 181 yards and three scores. He also ran in another.”

Oak Ridge 34, Apopka 14

The Pioneers won their first playoff game since 1977 by getting out to a 28-7 lead at halftime…

Wrote Joe Williams:

“Dominating may not be a strong enough word to describe Oak Ridge in the first half. Oak Ridge had 286 yards of total offense to Apopka’s 53… Only a lapse on special teams allowed Apopka to score.”

Winter Park 35, Lake Brantley 21

Wildcats’ quarterback Sam Richardson got banged late in the first quarter while his team trailed by a touchdown, but returned to lead Winter Park to the win…

Wrote Buddy Collings:

“Winter Park again had difficulty holding a big fourth-quarter lead against Lake Brantley on Friday. But again the Wildcats were able to respond at crunch time. Undefeated Winter Park marched 80 yards to seal a 35-21 victory over the Patriots with an 8-yard touchdown run by Brandon Brown-Dukes with 1:44 remaining.”

Seminole 46, Timber Creek 14

The Seminoles took control late in the first half as T.J. Thompson passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns…

Wrote Carlos Pineda:

“The Seminoles broke away with 4 minutes, 37 seconds left in the second quarter when Ronnie Moore scored on a 53-yard run to give them a 17-7 lead.”

DeLand 6, Jacksonville Sandalwood 0

A touchdown run by Jo Jo Kemp in the first quarter, set up by a big interception return by De’Ante Saunders, held up for DeLand…

Wrote Craig Castille:

“LB Joe Herndon’s goalline interception on fourth down with 20 seconds remaining sealed a 6-0 victory for DeLand.”

– Class 4A –

Lakeland Kathleen 27, Edgewater 24

Edgewater could not hang on to a 23-12 lead at home with eight minutes remaining…

Wrote Bill Gronvold:

“A 92-yard pass play… with 1 minute, 12 seconds left Friday night lifted Lakeland Kathleen past host Edgewater. Aaron Baysdon caught the ball around midfield, broke two tackles and then ran the rest of the way for the score.”

– Class 2A –

Bishop Moore 25, Astronaut 7

The Hornets get the two-time defending state champs from Cocoa at home this week after getting out to a 25-0 lead on Friday…

Wrote Jeff Gardenour:

“Senior QB Mike Calabro passed for a TD and ran for another score, and Bishop Moore’s defense forced four turnovers in beating visiting Titusville Astronaut.”

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

A slow start for Boone (23-10) in its Class 6A title-game loss to Tampa Plant (24-6) only got worse as the match went along. The Braves fell 25-13, 25-13, 25-16 to a Plant team that won three-straight Class 5A titles from 2006-08 and came in as the defended 6A champs this time around.

Boone had not won a region playoff game in program history until this season.

“We had a slow start and could not get out of it and get back together,” senior Kristin Faust said. “We tried not to let it get in our heads but I think in a way it did because that’s all we were focused on.”

Boone had trouble finishing plays for points and was unable to answer serves consistently from Tampa Plant.

“They served us to the point where we were not able to serve-receive well,” Boone Coach Mike Ladewski said. “They served tough and made sure we weren’t able to run our offense.”

Plant also set the tone from the start.

“Keys to our success in the past have been having big wins in the first game,” explained Ladewski. “Getting that first win changes everything.”

After easily taking care of Miami Dr. Krop (25-3) in the semifinals 25-14, 25-15, 24-26, 25-19, the final game of the season was a major letdown as the Braves led only briefly in the second game.

“We started overthinking everything and we weren’t having fun and doing what we knew we had to do,” senior Rachel Mason said. “We kind of stopped playing as a team.”

Faust finished with just seven digs and four kills while senior Jesse Collins had 11 digs and sophomore Caroline Jordan added five kills.

“We were playing scared and were impatient when the ball wasn’t going down,” said senior Taylor Menk. “It was really hard to get back into it. We just all fell apart.”

Against Dr. Krop, Faust led the team with 15 kills and 15 digs. Menk had 36 assists, five kills and five service aces while Collins finished with 23 digs.

Arguably the best volleyball game at the state tournament last week at The Lakeland Center took place in a Class 3A semifinal between Bishop Moore (26-5) and Tampa Berkeley Prep (29-2).

Bishop Moore was vying for its first state volleyball title since going back-to-back in 1999-00. They’ll have to wait another year after losing to the eventual back-to-back state champions in five sets 26-24, 19-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9.

The match was packed full with long volleys and fantastic finishes for points. A total of eight players between the two teams recorded double-digit figures in digs, proving just how tough those points were to come by.

The loss for Bishop Moore brought to an end the prep careers of Madison Monserez, Denise Dearman and Carolina Rivas. Bishop Moore also lost to Berkeley Prep in four sets on Sept. 29.

“Our passing broke down a little bit in the fourth game but they did everything I asked of them and they never stopped fighting,” Bishop Moore Coach Tanya Jarvis said.

Bishop Moore appeared to grab momentum at the end of the opening game when Dearman pounded home a kill for the win. But they were unable to keep hold of the momentum.

“In the second game we started off way too slow and by the time we fought back it was a little too late,” said Jarvis, who played for the Hornets the last time they won a state title.

The Hornets controlled the pace in the third game, just as Berkeley did in the fourth game to set up the finale.

Dearman finished with 18 kills while Rivas had 57 assists and Monserez turned in a 21 dig, 14 kill effort. Lindsey Owens had 24 digs and 24 kills in the loss.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

On Friday a number of top-ranked teams from the Orlando area open the first round of the playoffs. With so much talent entered into the field, some intriguing matchups will get the postseason in motion.

– In Class 6A there are five local teams ranked in the state’s Top 10, led by No. 2 Dr. Phillips (10-0). No. 4 Winter Park (10-0), No. 5 Apopka (9-1), No. 9 East Ridge (8-2) and No. 10 Olympia (7-3) round out the list. East Ridge did not advance out of District 5.

This week Dr. Phillips hosts Olympia; Winter Park hosts No. 14 Lake Brantley (7-2); Apopka hosts Oak Ridge (7-3); No. 11 DeLand (8-2) hosts Jacksonville Sandalwood; and No. 13 Seminole (8-2) hosts Timber Creek (4-6).

– In Class 4A, No. 12 Edgewater (7-3) hosts Lakeland Kathleen. The Eagles won District 7 over second-year East River (9-1), who will be on the road against Lakeland Lake Gibson.

– In Class 2A, No. 5 Jones (9-1) is on the road against Cocoa while No. 6 Bishop Moore (8-2) hosts Titusville Astronaut. Bishop Moore won District 4 with a one-point win over the Tigers.

All games begin at 7:30 p.m. Keep up with all the action at Varsity Sports, WFTV Channel 9 and Bright House Sports Network.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

On Wednesday the Florida High School Athletic Association gets the games underway at the Lakeland Center with semifinal matches in the lower classifications. Winners from each game will advance to the state finals on Thursday.

– At 2 p.m. South Daytona’s Warner Christian Academy takes on St. Petersburg Canterbury School of Florida in Class 1A. Warner Christian, who won the title a year ago, advanced with wins over Orlando Christian Prep (3-0), Foundation Academy (3-1) and Bradenton Christian (3-0).

– At 6 p.m. Bishop Moore faces off with defending state champion Tampa Berkeley Prep in Class 3A. Bishop Moore made the final four following wins over Melbourne Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (3-0), Lake Highland Prep (3-0) and Ocala Trinity Catholic (3-0).

– At 8 p.m. The First Academy meets up with Tampa Preparatory in Class 2A, where TFA is the defending state champion. They earned tournament wins over Father Lopez (3-0), Orangewood Christian (3-0) and P.K. Young Developmental (3-1).

– On Friday at 8 p.m., Boone High School plays in its first state volleyball semifinal game against Miami Dr. Krop. The Braves had never won a region playoff game until this season. They made their way through the Class 6A bracket by way of wins over Oviedo (3-1), Lake Mary (3-2) and DeLand (3-1). The state final in 6A is scheduled for Saturday.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

Leading the group of five alumni and two contributors to the sports programs at Bishop Moore were Minnesota Twins catcher Drew Butera and ESPN reporter Jenn Brown.

Joining them in the Class of 2010 were Thomas Thompson, Christine Geltz, Danielle Guarneri, Dr. G. Vernon Hair and Don Rowe.

Butera graduated from Bishop Moore in 2002 and went on to play baseball at UCF. He helped the Twins win the American League Central Division and advance to the Major League Baseball postseason earlier this month.

Brown graduated from Bishop Moore in 1999 with more varsity letters than any student-athlete before her. She played seven sports in high school and earned 14 letters before going on to play four years of softball at the University of Florida.

Thompson (1960) was considered an all-around athlete who became the school’s first individual state record holder while competing in the 100-yard dash. He was also a star on the football field.

Geltz (1987) played a key role in helping launch the school’s tradition of soccer excellence as the captain and forward of the first girls soccer team at Bishop Moore.

Guarneri (1993) finished her high school career as a three-time All-American diver. She went on to dive at Texas A&M, where she became the first female diver in Aggie history to earn multi All-American honors.

Dr. Hair coached the boys basketball team from 1983-90 while the smaller Bishop Moore Hornets were matched up against what was then known as the larger Orange Belt Conference.

Rowe was a former feeder-school coach at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School in Winter Park during the 1960s and 70s, and was recognized as a booster for helping groom future Bishop Moore student-athletes who came up through the Catholic school leagues.

The Bishop Moore Catholic High School Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1992 and now has 40 members.

– Class of 1992 – Margaret Rose (Booster), John Ellis (Football, Basketball, Baseball)

– Class of 1993 – Glen Russell Pierson III (Football, Basketball, Track and Field), Mary Sheahan Grinwis (Swimming), Francis Patrick (Swimming), Tom Chambers (Football, Basketball, Track and Field), Jerry Richardson (Football, Basketball, Track and Field), Michael Fall (Soccer), Joseph McKenna (Football, Wrestling), Randy Jessee (Coach), Monsignor Charles Bartok (Priest), Angelo Massaro (Administrator)

– Class of 1994 – George Corrigan (Swimming), Rick Dunn (Baseball), Pat Knipe (Football, Basketball, Baseball), Steve Meisel (Swimming), Bob Spitulski (Football, Wrestling, Baseball), Mike Stapp (Football, Track and Field), George Telzrow (Soccer), Tom Bonniol (Coach), Jim Clark (Basketball), Bill & Joanne Brown (Boosters)

– Class of 1996 – Ben Cimock (Football, Basketball)

– Class of 2006 – Greg Brick (Coach), Greg Schmook (Coach), Larry Jehl (Booster), Dave Costello (Basketball, Baseball), Kristin Adamkiewicz Kirven (Soccer), Rob Graham (Basketball), Miguel Garcia (Basketball, Volleyball), Katie Arcario (Tennis), JoAnn Harkins (Tennis)

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

Leading the way under the direction of head coach Tanya Jarvis in 2010 have been seniors Denise Dearman, Madison Monserez and Carolina Rivas. Each one has already made plans to continue playing at the collegiate level.

Dearman (142 kills, 33.5 blocks through the first 15 games) is bound for Columbia while Monserez (207 digs, 101 kills and 17 aces) will be moving on to Florida after graduation. Both are four-year varsity players.

Rivas (493 assists, 102 digs, 22 kills and 16 aces) came over from The First Academy before her junior season and plans to continue at William and Mary.

All three have played volleyball extensively together as teammates on the Orlando Volleyball Academy’s 17 Asics.

Jarvis, a Bishop Moore and UCF volleyball alum, calls her group of athletes all amazing students who are a tight-knit group that values the ideals of teamwork.

She’s just been trying to provide the same kind of experience for her players that she once enjoyed as a Hornet.

Upon moving to Orlando from Salt Lake City, Utah early in her teenage years, Jarvis spent her first two years of high school at Dr. Phillips before joining many of her OVA club teammates at Bishop Moore.

“Those were two of the best years I can remember growing up,” said Jarvis, who took over the program three years ago.

“I wasn’t always sure I wanted to go into coaching,” she said. “But if I can give some of what I learned back to others, and help make them better, then it’s all worth it.”

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Bishop Moore Volleyball

Last weekend the Hornets finished third at the prestigious Berkley Premier Invitational in Tampa, losing in five sets to defending Class 3A champion Berkley Prep and national-power Mercy Academy out of Kentucky.

With impressive wins over Plant, Martin County and Alabama’s Huntsville, Bishop Moore Coach Tanya Jarvis has a pretty good idea where her team stands with less than a month left in the season.

“It was definitely the toughest competition we’ve faced all season,” Jarvis said. “We are viewing our third place finish as a success. To be able to play that type of competition was a great opportunity, and both our wins and losses made us stronger.”

Most teams must wait for postseason play to begin before being tested the way Bishop Moore (13-3) has thus far. The Hornets opened up at the Gator Town Classic by going 4-1, losing in the finals to Gainesville Buchholz. Next, they’ll co-host the competitive 48-team Dig Pink Festival at Orlando Sports Center Oct. 8-9.

Bishop Moore will then move on to round out the rest of the season at Dr. Phillips (Oct. 12), at home in a rematch with Buchholz (Oct 18) and senior night against Olympia (Oct. 19), then finally at Winter Park (Oct. 21).

It’s a schedule designed to present the same challenges teams face at the state tournament. A year ago Bishop Moore was bounced in the second round of Class 3A play in a five-set loss to state runners-up Holy Trinity.

“That shook us pretty well,” said Jarvis of the loss. “It’s lit the fire that’s been burning inside us.”

Just two players were lost to graduation from that team. This year’s squad is once again solid all the way around and considered perhaps the best overall team in Central Florida.

The roster features senior leaders in Denise Dearman, Madison Monserez and Carolina Rivas, who along with many of their teammates have played together in highly competitive club tournaments through the Orlando Volleyball Academy.

“Pressure is something that they deal with on a constant basis,” said Jarvis.

And that should set them up for some success down the road.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Butera made starts in three of the four games in place of American League MVP Joe Mauer, who was dealing with a sore shoulder. And he took advantage of the playing time as he went 4-for-10 in the series, hitting his second homerun of the season on Aug. 3 off Rays starting pitcher Jeff Niemann in the top of seventh inning to tie the game.

Drew Butera (Photo by Wayne Kryduba, Minnesota Twins)

Butera has been used in the lineup this season for his defense skills. In games that he’s caught, Twins pitchers have posted a 3.50 earned run average while primarily being teamed up with Twins starter Carl Pavano.

“He’s a crucial part of this team,” said Pavano. “We work well together. He frames the ball very well, calls a good game. He’s everything you need in a catcher.”

There’s still so much work to be done for the young backstop, though.

“My main focus is not to lose anything defensively, put down the right fingers, and try to control the running game,” said Butera. “For them to say they like throwing to me, that’s part of my goal and definitely shows that my work is paying off.”

Butera is in his rookie season with the Twins after making the roster as the No. 2 catcher out of Spring Training.

“He been doing a great job,” said Mauer of Butera. “He handles the pitching staff great. He can handle himself in this level, he’s proven that to everyone.”

When your backing up a four-time all-star, three-time batting champion and the face of the Twins organization it’s hard to get noticed and to get playing time. But Butera has had his moments. He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 9 against the Chicago White Sox and got his first major league hit against the Cleveland Indians on April 22.

The highlight of the year for Butera came on June 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies as he hit his first major league homer in a 13-10 win in 11 innings.

Butera signed with UCF out of Bishop Moore High School in the fall of 2002 after passing on a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted him in the 48th round of the MLB Draft. He had a great career as a Knight as he made the starting lineup immediately and helped lead UCF to the 2004 Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. UCF reached the NCAA Regional Championship Game in Tallahassee that year by upsetting No. 7 Florida State before eventually being eliminated by the Seminoles.

UCF finished with 47-18 record that year as Butera hit .282 on the season. In 2005, Butera had his best season as he hit .325 and was a Johnny Bench Award Semi-finalist. He would go on to be drafted in the fifth round by the New York Mets.

Now he’s in the majors, looking to get better everyday while staying involved in a playoff race. The Twins are currently battling it out with Chicago in the AL Central Division where they enter the weekend with a four-game lead over the White Sox.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

The Florida Gators, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, advanced to the field of eight for the sixth time in program history and first time since 2005. They defeated the Miami Hurricanes 4-3 in 10 Innings on Saturday night in front of a large crowd of 5,783 at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville.

The Hurricanes committed seven errors in the game, including one in the top of the 10th by right fielder Chris Pelaez, who misplayed a fly ball hit by freshman shortstop Nolan Fontana, out of West Orange High School. Fontana would end up scoring the game-winning run on a RBI double by Austin Maddox.

Lake Brantley High School alum Greg Larson entered the game in the bottom of the 10th with one on base and one out. The sophomore proceeded to catch freshman Michael Broad looking on strikes and then force sophomore Rony Rodriguez to ground out to Fontana at shortstop, who fired a bullet across the diamond to Preston Tucker at first base for the final out. Larson collected his third save and was greeted by teammates as the celebration began.

The Hurricanes made nine errors in their two games of Super Regional play, which as a result denied local kids such as freshman Steve Ewing out of University High School and Ethan Bornstein from Winter Park High School a chance to make it to Omaha. The Gators opened Super Regionals with a 7-2 win on Friday night.

Fontana and Larson join sophomore Ben McMahan and senior Clint Franklin as players from the Central Florida area with spots on the Florida roster. McMahon played his high school ball at Bishop Moore while Franklin played at Timber Creek.

Joining the Gators at the World Series are the Florida State Seminoles, who are making the trip for the 20th time in program history and 14th time under head coach Mike Martin. The Seminoles defeated Vanderbilt 7-6 in the decisive Game 3 of the team’s Super Regional matchup at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.

FSU, like the Gators, have four players from the Orlando area on its roster including senior outfielder Ohmed Danesh out of Dr. Phillips High School. Junior infielder Stuart Tapley and freshman Corben Madden both played baseball at Boone High School. Junior pitcher John Gast hails from Lake Brantley, where he was a teammate with Florida’s Larson from 2005-07.

For Gast, Tapley, and Danesh, this marks their second trip to Omaha in three years as FSU advanced in 2008, going 0-2 after losing to Stanford and Miami. The Seminoles open play this time around against TCU while Florida takes on No. 6 UCLA. The two state rivals could meet up early on as both are in the same bracket.

– More Local Players In College World Series –

Senior second baseman Mike Freeman out of Edgewater High School and sophomore shortstop Brad Miller from Olympia High School helped Clemson advance to the World Series. The Tigers take on No. 1 Arizona State to start the week’s final round of elimination play. Junior utility player Robert Beary out of Apopka started in 22 games for South Carolina, playing in 41 games on the year. The Gamecocks get underway against Oklahoma.