Sports coverage from the Orlando Sentinel:
- FSU knocks down report it asked boosters to help fund Willie Taggart buyout October 23, 2019Florida State officials have defended coach Willie Taggart after reports the school is asking boosters to help fund his buyout. Online criticism of Taggart has intensified after the Seminoles fell 22-20 at improved Wake Forest on Saturday, with the Seminoles making several mistakes in the final...Iliana Limón Romero
- Seminole No. 1 in Florida high school football Class 8A rankings October 23, 2019With South Dade losing to Miami Carol City and slipping out of the top spot, Seminole High is now the No. 1 ranked team in this week’s Associated Press Class 8A state football rankings. The Seminoles (8-0) are also No. 1 in the Orlando Sentinel Super 16 area rankings. South Dade was 7-0 before...Buddy Collings
- Orlando area high school scores and top performers for Oct. 22 October 23, 2019Boys golf Class 3A, Region 1 tournament at Golden Ocala (par 72) Team Scores 1. Chiles (C) 284 2. Winter Park (WP) 299 3. Forest 304 4. Niceville (N) 306 5. Lake Mary 308 6. Spruce Creek 315 7. Creekside (C) 316 8. Bartram Trail 319 9. Fleming Island 321 10. Edgewater 322 11. Lyman 325 12. Leon...Jaret Kappelman, Dominique Smith
- Orlando area high school scores and top performers for Oct. 15 October 23, 2019Volleyball Winter Springs 3, Edgewater 0 Buzz: Lauren Klingenberg led the Bears (16-10) with 6 kills and 1 block in the 25-7, 25-13, 25-8 Class 6A, District 9 win over the Eagles (8-10). Oviedo 3, Seminole 0 Buzz: Raven Wrobleski had 13 kills and 17 digs, Lilly Gunter had 19 digs and Abigail Mason...Jaret Kappelman, Dominique Smith
- Lake Brantley returns to Sentinel Super 16 football rankings following upset win October 23, 2019Lake Brantley’s game-winning touchdown in the final seconds Thursday helped the Patriots make a return to the Sentinel Super 16 high school football rankings. Travis Lesko scored for the fourth time on a short run with just seven seconds to spare in a 28-21 upset win at West Orange, which entered...J.C. Carnahan
- FSU coach Willie Taggart won’t name starting QB, but job likely belongs to James Blackman October 23, 2019FSU coach Willie Taggart won’t name a starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against Syracuse or the remainder of the season. All signs, however, point to James Blackman getting the nod once again over Wisconsin grad transfer Alex Hornibrook when the Seminoles (3-4, 2-3 ACC) host the Orange (3-4,...Luis Torres
- UCF running backs expect to deliver for Knights despite Greg McCrae injury October 23, 2019UCF running backs are confident they won’t miss a beat with starter Greg McCrae sidelined for the Knights’ game at Temple on Saturday. “We’ve got to prepare like we normally do,” junior Otis Anderson said of facing the Owls without the Knights’ leading rusher. “Everybody prepares the same, no matter...Matt Murschel
- UF’s Dan Mullen tops in salary among FBS coaches in the state of Florida October 23, 2019The Florida Gators are the highest-ranked football team in the state of Florida right now, and their coach, Dan Mullen, is among the highest-paid Football Bowl Subdivision coaches in the country. Mullen, who is in his second season in charge of the Gators’ program, is paid an annual salary of $6.07...Matt Murschel
- FHSAA football playoff rankings retain Seminole, Edgewater, Jones as top seeds October 22, 2019Seminole High of Sanford enters Week 10 of the high school football regular season as one of the top ranked teams in the state, according to the latest Florida High School Athletic Association playoff rankings. The Class 8A Seminoles (8-0) own the highest ranking among area teams in the FHSAA Rating...J.C. Carnahan
- Orlando Magic 2019-20 season preview: Back for more October 22, 2019Coming off their most successful campaign in seven seasons, the Orlando Magic want to build on their momentum. Sparked by their defensive play, the Magic went 22-9 over the final 31 games last season as they won the Southeast Division, finished with a winning record and earned a berth in the Eastern...Roy Parry
- Magic finally have players who want to be in Orlando as much as we do | Commentary October 22, 2019They want to be here. Let me repeat that: They actually want to be here. In Orlando. With the Magic. That’s right, you heard me correctly. This Orlando Magic team is filled with players who could have pursued other options with other teams, but they chose to stay in Orlando. Refreshingly, a franchise...Mike Bianchi
- Arnold Palmer to be immortalized with postage stamp October 22, 2019The late Arnold Palmer’s legacy remains strong and will be celebrated with a nationwide postage stamp in 2020. The stamp will showcase Palmer’s furious golf swing and movie-star looks in the photograph taken by James Drake at the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Club near the nation’s capitol. Palmer,...Edgar Thompson
- Orlando area Week 10 high school football schedule October 22, 2019Rankings are from Sentinel Super 16: Thursday, Oct. 24 No. 15 West Orange at Ocoee, 7 Friday, Oct. 25 Orange City University at No. 1 Seminole 7 No. 2 Edgewater at Ocala Forest 7 Tavares at No. 3 Jones 7 No. 13 Lake Nona at No. 4 Kissimmee Osceola 7:30 No. 11 Lake Mary at No. 5 Apopka 7 No. 6 Dr....Buddy Collings
- Orlando area girls volleyball region pairings October 22, 2019Here are the pairings and seeding for high school girls volleyball region playoffs involving area schools. District champions, seeded 1-4 by MaxPreps power rating, host wild-card teams that qualified based on their rating in the first round. Region quarterfinal matches for Class 5A, 6A and 7A will...Buddy Collings
- Girls volleyball Super Six rankings and region playoff primer October 22, 2019The new Florida High School Athletic Association playoff format for girls volleyball replaced predetermined brackets with a seeding system based on MaxPreps power rankings. That change made every match count and added some suspense for coaches, players and fans who had to wait until Sunday to know...Buddy Collings
- Brian France’s NASCAR playoff vision looking good October 22, 2019Spoilers, tension, a sense of urgency. Heroes, villains. The NASCAR playoffs are playing out with all the drama Brian France envisioned for the elimination-style playoff system he helped launch in 2004. After multiple tweaks and changes since then, the NASCAR postseason now has what France liked...Jenna Fryer
- Bucs’ Terry Beckner Jr. suspended four games for violating PED policy October 22, 2019A second Bucs player has been suspended for using performance enhancing drugs. Defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., a seventh-round pick from Missouri, was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on PEDs, the league announced Monday. The seventh-round pick from Missouri had been on the...Rick Stroud
- TFA girls golfers turn back Lake Mary Prep challenge to win region tournament October 22, 2019After blowing past their opponents during last week’s district tournament and the prestigious Honda High School invitational a week prior, The First Academy’s girls golf team claimed more silverware on Monday. But this time there was some turbulence for the Royals in what may be the strongest girls...Mike Gramajo
- Orlando area high school scores, top performers for Oct. 21 October 22, 2019Boys golf Class 2A Region 2 At Dubsdread in Orlando Team scores 1. Bishop Moore Catholic (BM) 290 2. New Smyrna Beach (NSB) 320 3. Seabreeze (SB) 323 4. Lake Wales 363 5. North Marion 364 6. Vanguard (Ocala) 367 7. Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) 369 8. Lecanto 370 9. Zephyrhills 381 10. Weeki Wachee...
- 2019-20 High school wrestling tournament schedule October 22, 2019Here is the schedule for the 2019-20 high school wrestling season. As always, events and schedules are subject to change without our knowledge. If you have events that are not listed here, please forward them to bparsons@orlandosentinel.com. NOTE: Please disregard highlighted cities in the schedule,...Brant Parsons
- FSU coach Willie Taggart says Seminoles must find a way to make ‘winning plays’ October 21, 2019Florida State is in the midst of a troubling trend. It’s the inability to make what coach Willie Taggart called “winning plays” during his Monday news conference. On three occasions this season, FSU has failed to make a play that would have set the team up for a win. It’s left the Seminoles (3-4,...Luis Torres
- Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew running out of time to secure starting job October 21, 2019Gardner Minshew has two more weeks to make Jacksonville’s quarterback decision a difficult one. The rookie sensation has been rather ordinary the past two games, completing 47.5% of his passes for 418 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also was sacked four times. He came up big, though,...Mark Long
- Magic forward Aaron Gordon doesn’t need votes to know he’s one of NBA’s ‘most athletic’ players October 21, 2019It’s evident how much pride Orlando Magic power forward Aaron Gordon takes in his athleticism. During the 2016 NBA slam dunk competition, Gordon delivered arguably the event’s most memorable dunk with an assist from Magic mascot Stuff. Gordon jumped over Stuff, grabbed the ball from the mascot’s...Roy Parry
- UCF RB Greg McCrae to miss Temple game, but other injured Knights expected to play October 21, 2019UCF running back Greg McCrae will not play Saturday at Temple after suffering an apparent injury to his right knee during the Knights’ homecoming win over East Carolina Saturday. “Greg will not be available for this one,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said Monday when asked about the junior’s status. McCrae...Matt Murschel
- Nationals manager Dave Martinez’s family thrilled to see Lake Howell grad lead Washington to World Series October 21, 2019During a career that saw him play for nine Major League Baseball franchises in 16 seasons, Dave Martinez enjoyed some big moments. The Lake Howell High School graduate made his major-league debut for the Chicago Cubs at iconic Wrigley Field on June 15, 1986. He collected his 1,000th career hit...Stephen Ruiz
