National signing day Feb. 1 took on an Island flavor when Holmes Beach resident Sydney Cornell signed with Stetson University in Deland to play soccer for the Lady Hatters. She chose the Hatters, who play in the Atlantic Sun Conference over other recruits from Nova Southeastern University, University of West Georgia and Oral Roberts.
Cornell, who was a four-year starter at Manatee High School at outside midfield and forward had an injury-plagued senior season that limited her to only two games, but still finished her high school career with 40 goals and 39 assists for the Hurricanes.
She was Freshman of the Year in her first season on the varsity team and was named to the local all-area team following her sophomore season. Cornell was an important cog on a talented team that won district titles her freshman and sophomore years. She also made the state Olympic Development Program team in 2013-14 and advanced in 2014 to the ODP Regional Camp in Alabama.
Cornell also got it done in the classroom. She carries a 3.9 grade point average and earned Manatee’s “White M” academic award in 2014 and 2015.
Cornell got her start in soccer when she was 5 in MAYSO’s recreational soccer league. Along the way, she played for other clubs, but really saw success when she played up a year for the U17 Braden River Rage, coached by George Ameres, also her high school coach. That team advanced to the Elite 8 of the U17 State Cup and won the 2014-15 Washington Area Girls Soccer tournament — a huge college showcase — in Washington, D.C.
Cornell has lived in Holmes Beach for 10 years with mom Denise Brigg and dad Robert Cornell. She attended Anna Maria Elementary for her third- to fifth-grade years, and played a few seasons of soccer, flag football and basketball at the Center of Anna Maria Island.
Cornell plans on majoring in business and graduate school for a degree in health care administration.
We offer congratulations and the best of luck at Stetson to Sydney.
Flag football continues at the Center
Youth flag football action continues at the Center of Anna Maria Island with all regular-season games played Saturdays.
The 8-10 division standings are tight, with Bark & Co. Real Estate at 3-1-1, a narrow lead over second place Truly Nolen at 3-1. Beach to Bay Construction follows at 2-1-1, while Lancaster Design is 2-2. Salty Printing at 2-3 and Slim’s Place and Cloud Pest Control, both with 1-3 records, complete the standings.
Truly Nolen cut into Bark’s lead in the standings with a 36-21 victory Feb. 4, but the 8-10 division game of the week was Beach to Bay Construction’s 32-28 victory over Lancaster Design. Gregory Jordan and Brennan Gunter led the way with two touchdowns each, while Will Wright added a pair of 2-point conversions and an extra point in the victory.
Peyton Harlan led Lancaster Design with two defensive touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and a 2-point conversion. Andrew Hyman added a defensive touchdown and Layla Yavlar scored an offensive touchdown to complete the Lancaster scoring.
The 11-13 standings are more defined. Miller Electric rides the top with a 4-0 record, followed by Planet Stone, a game behind at 3-1. Progressive Cabinetry is alone in third with a 2-2 record, while 1-3 Tyler’s Ice Cream and 0-4 Anna Maria Oyster Bar follow.
Miller showed why it’s unbeaten with a 34-13 victory over Progressive Cabinetry, but the game of the week was a defensive struggle that saw Planet Stone edge Tyler’s 13-7 behind a pair of touchdowns from Blake Balais and an extra point from Cole Titsworth.
Ava Alderson scored the lone touchdown for Tyler’s on a pass from Thomas Heckler.
The 14-17 standings are tight with Air & Energy on top at 3-1, closely followed by Sign-A-Rama and Intechgrate Systems, both with 2-1-1 records. Duncan Real Estate is still in search of a victory at 0-4.
Sign-A-Rama rolled to a 26-8 victory over Intechgrate Systems, but a 31-30 shootout win from Air & Energy over Duncan Real Estate was the game of the week. Cory Jacques led the way with two touchdowns, an extra point and an interception, while Silas Banyas, Rutger Langley and Roman Langley each scored touchdowns in the victory.
Jackson Hayes was the offensive sparkplug for Duncan, finishing with three touchdowns, an extra point and a 2-point conversion. Chris Snyder added one touchdown and 120 passing yards in the loss.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royale Club men got out on the course a few times last week, including two rounds Jan. 30.
The morning saw the men play a low-net-of-partners match over nine holes. The team of Dave Kruger and Jim Lathrop combined on a 3-under-par 61 to match Jim Auch and Chet Hutton, resulting in a tie for first place. Second place went to the team of Hank Tremlay and Andy Barger with 1-over-par 65.
Later in the day, the men played a nine-hole modified Stableford system or quota-points match that ended in three-way tie for first among Marty Hicks, Earl Ritchie and Greg Shorten, as all carded plus-4.
Hicks’ score helped teammates Bill Koche, Jack Lowry and Larry Pippel take the team title at plus-1.
The men were back on the course Feb. 2 for a nine-hole team scramble. Blazer, Gary Duncan, Tom Perkins and Gary Risner combined on a 4-under-par 28 to earn clubhouse bragging rights for the day. There was a tie for second, as the team of Tony Butzek, John Estok, Chuck Patrick and Gary Razze matched the 3-under-par 29 carded by Tim Friesen, Marty Hicks, Tom McDonnell and Frank Purritano.
Horseshoe news
Two teams emerged from pool play and battled for the day’s bragging rights during Feb. 1 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. The team of Bob Mason and Dom Livedoti threw a shutout, defeating Bob Rowley and Bob Brown 21-0 to win the day’s proceedings.
Five teams advanced to the knockout stage during Feb. 4 action. Walker Bob Palmer drew the first bye and watched as Hank Huyghe and Bob Lee eliminated Larry Delabber and John Crawford with a 21-12 victory. Art Kingstad and Livedoti advanced to the final three with a 21-15 win over Jim Klreiner and Roger Nigg.
Kingstad and Livedoti drew the bye into the finals and watched Huyghe-Lee take out Palmer by a 23-10 score. The finals saw Huyghe-Lee earn an easy 21-1 victory over Kingstad-Livedoti.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.