SARASOTA — Beonca Godfrey felt the Avon Park girls basketball team had the momentum and a big enough lead heading into the fourth quarter against DeSoto on Tuesday during the opening round of the Class 4A-District 10 tournament. "I really thought we were controlling the tempo and had everything working going into the fourth," Godfrey said. "[DeSoto] just never quit." ...more

January 31, 2008

Beonca Godfrey scored a team-high 15 points and hit a key free throw down the stretch to lead Avon Park to a 49-44 win over the DeSoto Bulldogs in the opening round of the Class 4A-District 10 tournament on Tuesday. ...more

January 29, 2008

AVON PARK — The Booker girls basketball team showed Avon Park a different face on Friday. One of defense and speed — a cat-like quickness and reflexes that blew past the host Red Devils in a 53-40 win that could be a precursor to the Class 4A-District 10 tournament. Booker's 2-3 defense battered the Avon Park guards around as if they were in a storm, forcing 32 turnovers during the game, which led to countless easy baskets for the Tornadoes. ...more

January 13, 2008

LB Michael Boley has become the Falcons' biggest playmaker on defense. He has the ability to make plays all over the field, much like Derrick Brooks and Cato June, but his best trait may be his blitzing. He is fast, and the Falcons make good use of his skills. They line him up on the strong side much the way the Bucs do with June, so the Bucs should have a tight end there to help when he attempts to invade their backfield on a blitz. With a chip-blocker left in as well, the Bucs should be able to pick up not only Boley but Keith Brooking and the occasional blitzing defensive back. It's imperative that the Bucs are sound against the blitz this week. The Falcons take a lot of chances on defense, and Boley, in particular, has the ability to get to the quarterback and make him pay with a heavy hit. ...more

December 16, 2007

AVON PARK — Size is going to be a key factor for both Lake Placid and Avon Park girls basketball teams this season, but in different ways altogether. While the Red Devils have plenty of size in the post, the Green Dragons are lacking presence in the middle, a trend that was on full display during Avon Park's 40-18 win over Lake Placid on Tuesday at APHS. The Red Devils got good production inside from forwards Breanna Tate and Daija Barrett, who hauled in countless rebounds, while Avon Park's defense held the visiting Green Dragons to four points in a second quarter that saw the Red Devils build a 14-point lead at half time. ...more

November 29, 2007

AVON PARK –– The last words Avon Park girls basketball head coach Paulette Daley said before she walked off the court during the Class 4A-District 10 championship game against Sebring last season have built the foundation and set the tone for the Red Devils this year. "We'll be back," said a confident Daley. Those words are the rallying cry for the more focused and discipline squad that is devoid of senior leadership, but has the tools to push the defending-district-champion Blue Streaks to the limit. "It was a very challenging year," said Daley, who led Avon park to a 14-5 overall record last season. "The second year should be smoother, since the girls know my system and they know full well that the district title slipped out of their hands." The "oh-so-close" moniker was placed on the Red Devils last season after holding the undefeated Blue Streaks to 16 points in the first half of the district championship game, but couldn't capitalize on Sebring's off night, as the score was tied at intermission. ...more

November 13, 2007

AVON PARK — Danielle Tomlinson's temper didn't get the best of her. Instead, it may have gotten the best out of her. The Avon Park junior, whose self-described "really bad" passing early in Monday's match somehow spurred the rest of her game on, had four kills and four aces to lead the Red Devils to a three-set sweep of Clewiston, 25-18, 25-18, 25-19. ...more

October 10, 2007