Basketball rules in cool center gym,
As youth basketball at the Anna Maria Island Community Center moves into the final weeks in the regular season, teams were jockeying for favorable seeding positions in order to make a deep run into the upcoming playoffs.
There’s no scoreboard watching needed in the two-team 8-10 division, where undefeated Calvary will play second-place Island Real Estate for the title.
The situation is a little more complicated in the 11-13 division. Unless first-place Gardner goes on a losing streak, it appears it will play the winner of Simpson versus Laade for the championship. Laade currently is one victory ahead of Simpson in the standings, but the teams would still meet in the semifinals.
The 14-17 divisional playoffs are too complicated to decipher. One thing is clear, with a 6-1 record thus far, the older Gardner team appears to have locked up the top spot. Alan Gilman and Ryan Gilman follow in the standings at 3-2 and 3-4 with Ray at 2-5 and Zele bringing up the rear at 1-4.
The playoffs get started Saturday, May 30, with championship games set to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, June 5.
Adult basketball rolls on
As adult basketball moves into its fifth week, it appears the teams are evenly matched. Team Mickan is on top of the standings with a 3-1 record and are closely followed by Gator Man Pools at 2-1. Team Spcondra follows at 2-2, while Team Ray at 1-2 and Team Kern at 1-3 bring up the rear.
In action May 19, Team Kern defeated Gator Man Pools 55-41 in the opening game of the evening behind 19 points from Scott Elisio and 14 points from Brandon Kern.
Aaron Dudukes led Gator Man Pools with 16 points, while Dale Smith added 11 points in the loss.
The second game of the night saw Antwawn Jackson go off for 40 points to lead Team Mickan to an 83-63 win over Team Ray. Tanoan Alexandrea led Team Ray with 22 points, while Jordan Demers added 13 in the loss.
The last game of the night saw Team Spcondra ease past Team Kern 63-51 behind 26 points from Mike Spcondra and 14 points from Joseph Bazo.
Team Kern was led in the loss by Brandon Kern’s 16 points and 14 points from Scott Elisio.
Adult soccer standings run tight
After three weeks of action, the standings in the Anna Maria Island Community Center’s adult soccer league are tight from top to bottom. Eason Builders is on top of the standings with a 3-0 record, closely followed by Sato Real Estate at 2-1. Slim’s Place and Lapensee Plumbing follow at 1-1-1, while Rebellion, 11-Man Gang, Wash Family Construction and Smiledeep all are tied at 1-2. The regular season concludes June 25 followed by playoffs and, ultimately on July 16, the Island Cup.
May 21 soccer action saw Eason Builders edge Rebellion 4-3 behind two goals and one assist from Omar Polar and single goals from Scott Eason and Bing Robinson.
Rebellion received goals from Matt Plummer, Brent Laudicina and Dave Greene in the loss.
The second game of the evening saw Wash Family Construction edge Smiledeep by the same 4-3 score. Former Manatee High standout Alisha Keene led the way with a hat trick. Kim Dowhun added one goal, while David Hiram finished with a pair of assists in the victory.
Danny Anderson led Smiledeep with two goals and an assist, while JT Goode added one goal in the loss.
Slim’s Place and LaPensee Plumbing battled to a 3-3 tie in the evening’s third match. Jeff Christenson led LaPensee with two goals, while Chris Curcharo notched the third goal in the tie.
Eric Pullen’s two goals and one goal from Will Case paced Slim’s Place in the tie.
Sato Real Estate blasted 11-Man Gang 9-2 behind four goals from Josh Sato and two goals from Chris Klotz. Teddy Llouloudis, James Lynch and Ali Thomas completed the scoring with a goal each in the victory.
Shawn Kaleta and Rico Beisser each scored one goal to lead 11-Man Gang in the loss.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royale Club men got out on the course for a nine-hole, individual-low-net match May 18. Omar Trolard carded a 7-under-par 25 to edge Al Pollock by one stroke and earn the day’s bragging rights. Hank Tremblay was alone in third at 5-under-par 27.
Later in the day, the men were back out on the course for a nine-hole, modified-Stableford System or quota-points match. The trio of Rich Papini, Scott Mitchell and Alex Gunn each finished at plus-3 to tie for individual honors on the day.
The team of John Estok, Mike Gille, Tom McDonnell and Blake Ress took team honors with a combined score of plus-4.
The Key Royale women took to the course May 19 for a nine-hole, individual low-net match with a side game of low puts.
Helen Pollock carded an 8-under-par 24 to take the top spot in Flight A. Sue Wheeler followed at 6-under-par 26, while Fran Barford was another stroke back in third place.
Markie Ksiazek torched the course to the tune of a 9-under-par 23 to take first place in Flight B by seven strokes over second-place finisher Janet Razze. Terry Westby was alone in third place at 1-under-par 31.
Barford took first place for low putts with 12, while Razze and Ksiazek tied for second with 13 putts. Wheeler and Karen Mitchell tied for third in low putts with 14.
The men were back on the course May 21 for a nine-hole team scramble. The team of Bill Lowman, Rich Papini, Charles Porter and Dan Richardson combined on an 8-under-par 24 to earn clubhouse bragging rights.
Horseshoe news
Two teams emerged from pool play during May 20 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. The team of Tom Skoloda and Tim Sofran rolled to an easy 21-10 victory over Hank Huyghe and Steve Doyle to earn a trip to the winner’s circle.
May 23 action saw Bob Heiger and Hank Huyghe overwhelm the team of Sam Samuels and Tim Sofran by a 24-4 score.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warm ups begin at 8:45 a.m. and everyone is welcome.
Anna Maria Island Community Center sports schedules
T-Ball, ages 5-7
May 26 6 p.m. Pink & Navy vs. Beach to Bay
May 29 6 p.m. Pink & Navy vs. Beach to Bay
Pitching Machine, ages 8-12
May 26 6 p.m. Higgins vs. Bell
May 29 7:15 p.m. Bates vs. Bell
Basketball
Ages 5-7
May 30 10 a.m. Dojo Martial Arts vs. Baugher
Ages 8-10
May 27 7 p.m. IRE vs. Calvary
May 30 11 a.m. IRE vs. Calvary
Ages 11-13
May 27 7 p.m. Gardner vs. Laade
May 30 noon Gardner vs. Monica
Ages 14-17
May 27 8 p.m. A. Gilman vs. Gardner
May 29 7 p.m. Ray vs. A. Gilman
May 29 8 p.m. R. Gilman vs. Zele
May 30 1 p.m. Playoffs: TBA
May 30 2 p.m. Playoffs: TBA
Adult basketball
June 2 7 p.m. Kern vs. Ray
June 2 8 p.m. Gator Man vs. Mickan
June 2 9 p.m. Mike vs. Ray
Adult soccer
May 28 6 p.m. Rebellion vs. Unity
May 28 7 p.m. Island Pest vs. Wash Family Const.
May 28 8 p.m. Lapensee Lion vs. Slim’s Place
May 28 9 p.m. 11 Man Gang vs. Sato Real Estate
Dragon boat racing
The Anna Maria Island Community Center’s dragon boat team competed May 16 in the Battle of the Bay Dragon Boat Festival in Marathon.
The battle featured races of 350 meters.
Twelve teams competed in three heats.
After competing in the first two heats and achieving one of the faster times, the center team qualified for the A Division Final Championship race.
The team placed fourth out of 12 teams.
Paddlers include Peggy Cummings, Barb Curtis, Ramona Hageman, Claire Keenan, Lynn Kravontka, Gail McCall, Juanita Nay, Wanda Raible, Brenda Rose, Melinda Bradway, Courtney Nunemaker, Linda Carter, Aoife Ritchie, Diane Goolsby, Claudette Azevedo, Anna Maria Forgetta, Linda Markanian, Lainey Fiore, Grace Meinhofer, Nancy Smith and Sandy Oates.
For more information about the center’s dragon boat team, call Melinda Bradway at 941-462-2626.