"Want Local Flavor? High School Sports are Hot!"

Boy, have things changed since my high school days. I ran back then, because the basketball coach made all his players run cross-country for conditioning (it worked). We ran on cinder tracks in our low-cut Chuck Taylor All Stars. Not today! We went to the Region 1-4A track meet in Winter Park yesterday and it was loads of fun. Flagler Palm Coast High School again showed themselves to be a force on the local running scene, by finishing a close second (only a 2 point margin) to Mandarin HS. They had to qualify last week in their District meet and they did so handily, then they spanked seven very good schools yesterday, to qualify for the Florida State HS meet in their division. The State meet is again at Winter Park HS, next Saturday, 05/05/07. Tickets are only $6 for the day. If you go, take an umbrella to keep the sun off, as the stands are not covered. (Take I-4 to Fairbanks exit - Left. Pass Rollins College to right on Northlake. Left on Mizell. Right on Edinburgh to the school.) "But, Frank, I don't have a kid on the team, or any kid in school, for that matter." No problemo. You watch FSU play Georgia Tech... and UF play Tennessee, right? And you watch the Jags, Bucs, Fish, Giants and Jets, right? And you watch... OK, you get my drift. You don't need a kid on the team to enjoy the games. These track athletes are amazing folks. We were connected to two of them yesterday. Brandon Mott qualified for States in the 200m and Florencia Silva, although she didn't quite make States, ran her career personal best in the girl's 1600m. There is history at this school. Alex (Sammy) Vazquez, Justin Harbor, and Anthony Morales have dominated middle distance and cross country since 2003, with several State titles and many records among them. You could always count on either a victory or a solid "top 5" from those guys in the 800m, 4x800m relay, 1600m, 3200m, and cross country. This year, watching Jarius Cooper (see above photo) in hurdles and sophomore C.J. Lockhart in the 400m and the relays has been a treat. My son, Zach, graduated from FPC in 2005, yet some of my fondest recent memories are from chasing the baseball and football teams, when he played. I watched him all the way through the years with T-Ball, Little League, Basketball, Pop Warner football, Tae Kwon Do, Wrestling, and Bi-athlon. Wrestling was the worst! Otherwise a cool spectator, when he wrestled, I came unglued. There is something profoundly "testosterony" (new word!) about watching your kid in close combat with another, that elevates the heart rate like no other event. In his final match of his rookie PAL season, he was down in points in the closing seconds, when from the depths he summoned enough to reverse and pin the kid at the buzzer. He won the meet... and "rookie of the year" honors. I know I flat-lined more than once during that match. When you're in the stands at a high school football game, I guarantee you a personal trip to "back in the day." The cheerleaders, the band (God, I love the drums!), the smell of hot dogs, the comfortable grooved metal bleachers... all create an undeniable "home town" ambiance. Baseball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, weight lifting - all amazing. And girl's softball? Compared to boy's baseball, it's like the difference between a rock concert and a string quartet. The girls put on a show that will blow you away! I'm startled by the quantum leap in speed, strength, and athleticism that these kids display, compared to when I was a high school jock. So stop saying there's nothing to do around here. Get out and support your local high school teams. Next year, watch out. The Matanzas Pirates will have their first senior class and should start to shine. Already, they have shown some amazing talent and their potential is growing. I can't wait until a Friday night football game between cross-town rivals, Matanzas vs. FPC!