Malcolm

Making a trip to the opening round of March Madness this week are Winthrop sophomore Chris Malcolm (Timber Creek), Florida junior Chandler Parsons (Lake Howell), Purdue senior Keaton Grant (Gateway) and Wofford senior Corey Godzinski (East Ridge).

Below is a look at the seasons each local product put together in 2009-10 and info on their respective opening round games…

– No. 16 Winthrop vs. No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Malcolm played just four minutes in the Big South Conference Tournament, grabbing one rebound for a team that last advanced to the Big Dance in his redshirt season of 2008. The 2007 Timber Creek graduate made one start in 29 games this season at Winthrop (19-13). In 6.7 minutes per game he averaged 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds on the year. The winner of tonight’s play-in game takes on No. 1 Duke in the South Region on Friday at 7:25 p.m.

Parsons

– No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 BYU, Thursday at 12:20 p.m.

Parsons played most of the way in each of Florida’s two Southeastern Conference Tournament games and scored 31 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out three assists and nabbed two steals in the split. The 2007 Lake Howell graduate started 17 of 33 games this season for the Gators (21-12). In 30.5 minutes of action he averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds on the year with 82 assists and 37 steals to his credit. The winner of Thursday’s game takes on either Kansas State or North Texas in the West Region on Saturday.

Grant

– No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 Siena, Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Grant played a combined 45 minutes in two Big Ten Tournament games but went just 1-for-10 from the field for five points in the split for the Boilermakers. He also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 2005 Kissimmee Gateway graduate started 22 of 32 games this season at Purdue (27-5), who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen a year ago. In 22.1 minutes of action he averaged 6.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and drained 27 3-pointers on the year. The winner of Friday’s game takes on either Texas A&M or Utah State on Sunday.

Godzinski

– No. 13 Wofford vs. No 4 Wisconsin, Friday at 2:50 p.m.

Godzinski played just 15 minutes in the Southern Conference Tournament, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds for a program making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 2006 East Ridge graduate started 15 of 31 games this season at Wofford (26-8). In 13.1 minutes of action he’s averaged 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game on the year. The winner of Friday’s game takes on either Temple or Cornell in the East Region on Sunday.

That’s why coaches have found ways to keep their kids encouraged after losses and focused after wins. Neighboring rivalries are nice to win, but finishing in one of the two top spots in your district will keep the dream of a state championship alive.

The football team at Boone High School knows this all too well. At 2-2 overall and now 1-0 in District 6 after a big 49-13 win over Gateway (1-3, 0-1), a new season may be just what’s needed.

Boone Braves –

Senior quarterback Sam Hutsell had a light workload last week, taking the night off after Boone built a 42-6 halftime lead. He rushed for 72 yards on five carries, one of which went for a score from 11 yards out early in the second quarter. Hutsell also broke off runs of 24, 20 and 17 yards by cutting, spinning and pushing his way through traffic. His only two completions of the game went to senior Jack Moch (9 yards) and sophomore Jason Torres (14 yards).

Carrying the load out of the backfield for the Braves were seniors Skyler Gromlich and Calvin Washington, and junior Blake Hererington.

Gromlich took his first handoff of the game late in the first quarter and scored on a 46-yard carry after bouncing off a defender and rumbling his way up field for the score. Washington scored on a 2-yard carry midway through the first quarter and had several carries of five yards to his credit. Hererington took a handoff for 18 yards before going 40 yards for a touchdown with 44-seconds to go in first half.

Seniors Tabarie Sullivan and Ryan Orlando led the special teams and defensive units. Sullivan returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown to end the first quarter and broke up a pass in the secondary while Orlando had a tackle-for-loss and blocked a punt late in the first quarter, which was recovered by senior Kyle Adams for a 1-yard score. Adams also had a tackle-for-loss in the win.

Delivering big hits on the night were junior James Erthal (on special teams), sophomore Austin Weller (sack), senior Mike Martinez (sack), senior Travis Armstead and junior Jake Pinder. Senior Garrett Lattin broke up a pass and senior offensive lineman Derrick Wood recovered a fumble in the first quarter.

Boone enters a bye week with a 2-2 overall mark and a big district game against Dr. Phillips looming. (Photo by Justin Kane)

Gateway Panthers –

The opening drive for Gateway proved to be their peak-performance on Friday night.

After being set-up by a 28-yard kick return by junior Dovanta Dobson, the Panthers offense started at Boone’s 46-yard line. From there junior quarterback Roger Allen connected with senior Richard Simpson for a 21-yard pickup. The very next play they hooked up again as Simpson went up overtop a defender and brought down the ensuing pass in the end zone for a 25-yard score. Then the kick was blocked and the visiting team never threatened again.

Simpson also had a run of 14 yard and Dobson a touchdown run of 33 yards.

Senior Michael Fulmore had a tackle-for-loss, juniors Angel Benavides and Carlos Delgado made touchdown saving tackles, and junior Dyshawn Markley broke up a pass.

– More Gateway at Boone coverage:

Short story and extra links at OSC

Heading into a bye week with the biggest game of their district schedule taking place at home in two weeks, against Dr. Phillips (considered by many the cream of the crop in Central Florida), the past week of competing and practicing may have come at no better time.

“We learned that we weren’t as good a team as we thought we were,” said senior defensive back Tabarie Sullivan. “So starting Monday we came out with a lot of intensity and we kept it up everyday knowing that we had to come back out and play another game.”

They did that with relative ease against the Panthers. They did it by getting the big plays on defense and special teams that the Wildcats turned into points against them a week ago. It proved to be a nice change of pace from a three-week season opening schedule that truly tested this team’s mettle.

Before that forgettable night at Winter Park it was an opening week loss at Olympia, followed by a triple-overtime win at home against Timber Creek, that now has this team licking its wounds at 2-2 overall while heading into a game that should eventually decide the District 6 title.

“It helps if you go out there and play good teams before your district schedule,” said senior quarterback Sam Hutsell. “That’s going to help us in the long run now that these games start to count.”

– More Gateway at Boone coverage:

Video highlights at WFTV 9

Short game recap at Orlando Sentinel

District standings at Varsity Sports

Derrick Wood (#72), Ryan Orlando (#35) and Mike McEwan (#61) lead Boone onto the field. (Photo by Justin Kane)