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Captain's Corner: Submerged structures yield good catches

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By Brent Gaskill, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Bottom fishing: Fishing on the bottom over submerged structure can be very productive now. Shrimp is the universal bait of choice during winter, attracting a variety of species. Top targets may include sheepshead, mangrove snapper, flounder, sea bass, trigger fish, porgies and white grunts — all excellent table fare.

Challenge: Gag grouper are on many of the same rocky formations, presenting a challenge on light tackle. The season remains closed, so all must be released, but it's fun trying to lift these hard fighting fish from the depths. Recently two would-be keepers were landed on 10-pound test spinning gear and live shrimp intended for sheepshead in 16 feet of water.

Hook and line hog fish: It is rare to hook hog fish on traditional tackle. Their delicate fillets are generally reserved for spear fishermen. But recreational fishermen and charter captains report landing multiple hog fish. A few were trophy size, well over 10 pounds. All were caught with live shrimp fished on the bottom with a knocker rig.

Brent Gaskill runs Summer Vacation Charters out of the St. Petersburg area and can be reached at captbrent@summervacationcharters.com and (727)510-1009.


Women's college basketball preview: USF Bulls vs. Seton Hall Pirates

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

USF women vs. Seton Hall

When/where: 7; USF Rec Center, Tampa

Radio: 1010-AM

Records: Seton Hall 7-13, 0-6 Big East; USF 11-9, 3-3

Notable: USF won at Seton Hall 68-49 just 11 days ago, and the Bulls need to stockpile wins to keep their hopes of postseason play going with tougher competition ahead, like a trip to Connecticut on Saturday. … Guard Inga Orekhova has hit 43 percent of her 3-point attempts (20-for-46). Despite playing in only five of USF's 20 games, she's just four 3-pointers off the team lead (Andrell Smith, 24-for-85). … The Bulls have gotten improved play from junior forward Tiffany Conner, who is close to catching guard Jasmine Wynne for the team's rebounding lead, averaging 5.6. … USF held Seton Hall to 27 percent shooting in the first meeting, with three Pirates starters failing to hit a field goal.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Posada goes out a Yankee

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NEW YORK — Jorge Posada was watching television when he saw speculation on which teams were interested in signing him as a free agent.

"They put my face on different uniforms," he said. "And it didn't look good."

He began a Yankee and ended as a Yankee, spending his entire 17-year career in pinstripes.

Flanked by his wife and children, with five World Series trophies on a table to his right, the five-time All-Star catcher retired at age 40 on Tuesday. He finished with a .273 average, a .374 on-base percentage and a .474 slugging percentage.

At a crowded Yankee Stadium news conference, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia were among those who watched Posada fight off tears as he sat on a dais with wife, Laura, 12-year-old son Jorge Jr. and 9-year-old daughter Paulina. It was clear the rest of the family also wanted to be Yankees lifers.

"This is so cool," Paulina said to her dad as she picked up the cardboard in front of her seat with her name and the famous interlocking "NY" logo. "I'm going to keep this."

Posada joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving only Jeter, 37, and Rivera, 42, from the core group that led the Yankees to four World Series titles from 1996-2000.

"Mariano said this is it. He says one more year. But Derek says he's got like three more to go. So we'll see," Posada said.

DEAL FOR LINCECUM: Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, 27, and the Giants reached a verbal agreement on a two-year contract worth $40.5 million.

CUBAN STAR: Cuban outfielder Yoenis Céspedes has established legal residency in the Dominican Republic, the final hurdle to becoming a free agent, agent Edgar Mercedes said.

DODGERS SALE: About 12 groups submitted initial bids to buy the club from Frank McCourt, including Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

A'S: Free-agent right-hander Bartolo Colon, 38, agreed to terms on a one-year contract.

BLUE JAYS: Right-hander Brandon Morrow, 27, agreed to a $21 million, three-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. … Free-agent right-hander Francisco Cordero, 36, agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

INDIANS: Manager Manny Acta said the pitcher known as Fausto Carmona won't make it to spring training. Carmona, 31, whose real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia, is accused of using a false identity to play baseball in the U.S. and faces a judicial process in the Dominican Republic.

ORIOLES: Infielder Wilson Betemit, 30, agreed to a two-year, $3.25 million contract.

Hedman closer to return for Tampa Bay Lightning

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TAMPA — Victor Hedman sat in the locker room after Tuesday's morning skate, sweaty and out of breath but feeling good.

The Lightning defenseman, out 13 games with a concussion, resumed full workouts last week, and with his symptoms gone he is shooting for a Tuesday return against the Capitals.

Coach Guy Boucher called Hedman's return "a possibility."

"The biggest symptom I have now is trying to breathe," Hedman said. "It's a matter of time before I get into game shape."

Getting back Hedman, 21, would be a huge boost to a team with nine injured players. The 6-foot-6, 229-pounder is averaging 22:28 and was part of the No. 1 pairing with Eric Brewer.

Hedman, injured Dec. 27 against the Flyers when he slid into the end boards, credited girlfriend, Sanna Grundberg, and their 4-month-old miniature French bulldog, Harry, with "pushing me to stay positive."

How does a dog keep someone motivated?

"During the day he's hyper," Hedman said. "When I'm sitting on the couch, he's looking at me. He wants to play all the time."

As for playing a game, Hedman can't wait.

"Hockey is my life," he said. "When you can't do what you love it's tough to be really happy."

DONE: RW Dana Tyrell has a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will have surgery Tuesday that will sideline him for six months, GM Steve Yzerman said.

It is the same ligament Tyrell had repaired two years ago.

Tyrell, 22, with five assists in 26 games and an average 10:30 of ice time, was hurt Jan. 15 against the Penguins when his foot lodged under a Pittsburgh player and his knee twisted.

Tyrell, who for two games tried to play through the injury, is expected to be ready for next season's training camp. Team medical director Ira Guttentag will perform the surgery.

ONE-TIMER: Mike Angelidis said he was as surprised as anyone when his first shot in his first NHL game went in.

"I was in shock," Angelidis said. "I was like, 'Did this really happen?' During the celebration I thought I was going to faint."

Angelidis, 26, who has played 377 minor-league games and was called up earlier in the day from AHL Norfolk, deserved the goal 13:20 into the first period after a terrific play in the neutral zone where he stripped a Columbus player of the puck and dashed toward the net to fire his backhander. It was Angelidis' only shot in 4:01 of ice time.

FINALLY: D Evan Oberg, on his seventh call-up from Norfolk, finally got into a game, playing 1:21 with a hit. It was his first NHL game since Feb. 19, 2011 with the Canucks.

The team calculated Oberg flew about 12,000 miles in his trips from and to Norfolk.

"Maybe I'd better sign up," he said of a frequent-flier program.

ODDS AND ENDS: G Mathieu Garon is 8-1-2 against the Blue Jackets. … Marty St. Louis' goal was his first at home since Nov. 26. … Forwards Tom Pyatt (leg) and Ryan Malone (upper body), and D Marc-Andre Bergeron were the official scratches.

League more careful with extra seats

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL is trying to avoid another super gaffe.

A year after hundreds of ticketed fans were left without seats at Cowboys Stadium, organizers have added only 254 temporary seats to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Feb. 5 game between the Giants and Patriots.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said officials decided in March the capacity for a stadium that normally seats about 63,000 for football would be expanded to roughly 68,000 for the Super Bowl — with most of the additional capacity coming from standing-room only tickets.

The league still could add padded seats to camera platforms among other options, but no more tickets are going on sale.

Hours before last year's Green Bay-Pittsburgh game, league officials said about 1,250 temporary seats were deemed unsafe. The league scrambled to find about 850 seats, forcing the rest to standing-room only locations to watch. Two days after the game, the displaced fans sued, alleging breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices.

TWO KINDS OF DRAMA: Chris Mara, son of the late Giants owner Wellington Mara, has had quite a week. He saw his team win the NFC title Sunday in San Francisco. In the crowd at Candlestick Park were Chris' daughters Kate and Rooney — yes, the same Rooney Mara nominated Tuesday for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. "I was sitting home by myself watching the broadcast and I gave a pretty big yell after I heard her name," Chris Mara said. "Then I cried a little and went to church and lit a few candles on the way to work and called her."

MIND YOUR BUSINESS: Making a rare mid-week address, Giants QB Eli Manning told teammates to take care of personal business early so they can focus on preparations for the game. "I just told them a little bit how to prepare for this," said Manning, one of 15 Giants who played in their Super Bowl XLII win over New England. "…We have to have great preparation. Prepare this week like you are playing the game this week."

Only Mike Sherman has had second interview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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By Stephen F. Holder and Rick Stroud, Times staff writers
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MOBILE, Ala. — One notable fact about the Bucs' coaching search was revealed Tuesday: Beyond Mike Sherman, none of the other candidates known to have interviewed have been contacted about follow-up interviews or to be eliminated from the process.

That leaves Sherman as the only known finalist from at least eight interviews. That could provide the strongest indication yet that Sherman has an inside track at the job.

One possible caveat: the Bucs could be secretly negotiating with another candidate, as they were last week with University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly. Barring that scenario, Sherman — the former Packers and Texas A&M coach — is the leader in a one-horse race.

News that the team is making progress will be welcomed by those affected by the length of the process.

That includes Panthers coach Ron Rivera, whose offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, is a candidate. Rivera, attending practices for the Senior Bowl, bemoaned that he hadn't heard anything since Chudzinski's interview. He hopes for a resolution — quick.

"Believe me, I'd love to know just so we can go forward," Rivera said. "We've got a lot of things we have to do and we've kind of put (them) off during this whole period."

Rivera noted his team's offense could change without Chudzinski, a main reason he'd like some closure.

On the interest in Chudzinski, Rivera said, "I think a lot of it is just curiosity. … I think a lot of people don't know about him. I think what's happening right now is people are trying to find out about him.

"I think when you look at the body of work, we just had some success."

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, also a candidate, attended Tuesday's practices but declined comment.

NO HIDING IT: Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, coaching the South in Saturday's game, was asked how closely he's watching the quarterbacks given his team's apparent lack of a franchise quarterback. He left little doubt the position is on his radar.

"I think everybody wants a franchise quarterback," he said. "If you don't have a franchise quarterback and you say you're not looking for one, then you usually won't be working very long. … The people who do have that guy are consistently winning. So, you're always looking for that guy, but it's easier said than done."

Former Florida Gator Janoris Jenkins seeks second chance at big time

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MOBILE, Ala. — Janoris Jenkins knows what it's like to feel Florida Field reverberate from the thunder of a roaring crowd.

There are few environments in football like those in the SEC, and for three years, the former University of Florida star cornerback enjoyed all that being a Gator entailed.

That ended when his unlawful actions got him bounced from the program, sending his career on a detour to North Alabama, where Saturdays arrived with slightly less fanfare.

"I went from Division I to Division II," Jenkins said. "It was a big difference. … I went from 95,000 (fans) to 3,500 a week. That's a big difference."

This week Jenkins begins working way back to the big stage — specifically, those in the NFL.

After being dismissed from UF for two marijuana-related arrests in a four-month span last year — he also faced fight-related charges in 2009— Jenkins played at North Alabama in the fall, hoping to remain relevant.

Scouts will have difficult questions this week. Jenkins welcomes them.

"I'm ready," he said. "I can face up to the fact that I did what I did. I'm ready to accept all challenges and just be honest. I'm ready to tell them what happened and how it went and hopefully we'll move on from there."

Why should anyone believe it won't happen again? For one, Jenkins had no additional incidents after transferring. He also says he made tangible changes that he is willing to detail.

"I took a step to Division II and decided to come back to college football, separate myself from the people I used to hang with," he said. "I just learned. I humbled myself. … I took a year (keeping) to myself, just doing positive things, giving back to the kids and things like that."

Jenkins has first-round talent given his speed, athleticism and ball skills. And he plays a premium position that tends to produce first-rounders given the depth of NFL wide-receiver talent. At North Alabama, quarterbacks did not throw in his direction. He ranked third on the team with 53 tackles but had just two interceptions.

Cornerback is a Bucs need, but given legal issues with Aqib Talib they might shy away from Jenkins.

"I think he is one of the most talented corners in this draft class," said Bucky Brooks, NFL Network draft analyst. "When I look at him, he reminds me of Asante Samuel in terms of his instincts and ball skills, his on-the-field swagger. He is very confident in his ability.

"From a skill standpoint, his hip movement, feet, quickness — you're talking about a Florida guy who played in the SEC and was a dominant player. He had close to first-round grades on him at the end of last year. He was somebody who was definitely on the radar in the scouting community."

And he didn't drop off the radar just because he played before smaller crowds in 2011. A three-year starter at Florida, Jenkins is taking a route similar to Bucs receiver Preston Parker, who ended up at North Alabama after off-field issues got him dismissed from Florida State. Parker went undrafted but became the Bucs' top slot-receiving option this season.

Jenkins will be drafted. Is he first-round material?

"Hopefully," he said. "Who knows? But wherever I go, I'm going to be happy. I made the mistake. I have to take the blame for it. Whoever gets me, I'll be glad to go there and they'll get all I have when I show up."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com.

Raiders turn to defense for coach

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Raiders reportedly agreed Tuesday to hire Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their coach, breaking more than three decades of offensive-minded head coaches for the franchise.

The hiring was first reported by Fox Sports and ESPN, with both saying final details were still being worked out. The Raiders had no immediate comment.

New general manager Reggie McKenzie decided on his coach two weeks after he was hired. He immediately fired Hue Jackson, who went 8-8 in his only season, and began the search.

McKenzie spent almost two decades with the Packers front office so his former colleagues in Green Bay were originally considered to be favorites. Allen, 39, is coming off his first season in the NFL as a coordinator. He had his second interview with McKenzie on Tuesday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Allen will be the first Raiders coach from the defensive side since Al Davis hired linebackers coach John Madden before the 1969 season. He coached until 1978 and won one Super Bowl.

Manning sad about Colts' big changes

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning still intends to play football. He's also no fan of the Colts' big offseason overhaul that included the firing of coach Jim Caldwell and other executives.

In an interview Tuesday in the Indianapolis Star, Manning touched on everything from his future to the difficulty he has had coping with all the changes.

"That's hard to see, all these people leaving, Manning said. "And I may be behind them. Who knows?"

He said last week's discussion about his "impending" retirement was premature. He poked fun at the frenzy surrounding a tweet from actor Rob Lowe.

"I never thought 'Sodapop Curtis' would announce my retirement," he said, referring to Lowe's character in the 1983 movie The Outsiders. "I always thought I would be the one to announce it."

CHARGERS: Former Bucs assistant Rich Bisaccia was promoted to assistant head coach-special teams and Ron Meeks was named secondary coach.

49ERS: The league said return man Kyle Williams did not take any illegal hits from the Giants in Sunday's NFC title game. Williams fumbled a punt in overtime of San Francisco's 20-17 loss. Afterward, New York's Jacquian Williams and Devin Thomas indicated they were trying to hit Williams given his history of concussions, including one Dec. 24.

VIKINGS: Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and a key lawmaker, Republican state Sen. Julie Rosen, said the team must build on the site of the Metrodome — its least favorite of three options — or state funding help won't happen this year.

PRO BOWL: Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton will replace Super Bowl-bound Tom Brady in Sunday's game.

LAKE HIRED: Boise State hired Jimmy Lake, a former Bucs assistant, to as secondary coach and coordinator of pass defense.

OBITUARY: JR Boone, who played for the Bears, 49ers and Packers and later coached Fresno State, died Sunday in Selma, Calif. He was 86.


Sports in brief: Holmes back on PGA Tour after brain surgery

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Antonya English and Greg Auman, Times staff writers; Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

golf

holmes back after brain surgery

SAN DIEGO — On a window sill in his closet is a chunk of bone that reminds J.B. Holmes why he's lucky to play golf for a living. It's part of his skull that was removed during brain surgery in September.

Holmes laughed Tuesday when he talked about this peculiar memento, even though there were a few nervous moments that made him wonder if he would ever get back to the PGA Tour.

"I asked the guy if I could have it," he said. "Because I grew it, so I figured I may as well keep it."

Holmes, 29, is thankful to be back on tour at the Farmers Insurance Open, his first tournament since he withdrew from the PGA Championship after opening with 80. He had been dealing with vertigo symptoms since May, and eventually was diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum known as Chiari malformations.

Holmes has lost track of the number of players who greeted him at Torrey Pines.

"It's great to see any fellow golfer, anybody you work with, come back from an injury — any kind of injury," Bubba Watson said. "But something like that … I mean, brain surgery is not easy. … Who cares if he misses the cut, makes the cut, if he wins. It's just good to see him back out here."

colleges

Gators top preseason baseball poll again

The Gators were picked No. 1 in Baseball America's preseason top 25 rankings for the second year in a row. Florida, national runnerup last season, returns the majority of its everyday lineup (including OF Preston Tucker, a Tampa native), key starting pitchers and relievers.

Miami is 18th, FSU 20th and UCF 21st. Full poll, 2C

Three-year deal for Mike Stoops: Mike Stoops has received a three-year contract that will pay him $600,000 annually to be the defensive coordinator for Oklahoma.

Later in the day, the Sooners announced Tim Kish — Stoops' former defensive coordinator at Arizona who succeeded him as interim coach — would be the linebackers coach. Also, the regents voted to approve a nepotism waiver because Stoops will be working with his brother, Bob.

Former Land O'Lakes QB leaves Bearcats: Former Land O'Lakes quarterback Stevie Weatherford, who redshirted this fall at Cincinnati, is no longer part of the Bearcats football program, a school spokesman confirmed.

Weatherford, who signed with Cincinnati last year after initially committing to USF, did not travel with the Bearcats for their bowl game and is no longer enrolled in classes.

Cincinnati's compliance office is not aware of him transferring to another school.

Weatherford's Land O'Lakes career ended early when he was suspended for throwing a bottle in the school commons. He was arrested in 2010 on felony charges of burglary and grand theft.

et cetera

Soccer: The Rowdies signed English forward/midfielder Luke Mulholland. He scored the winning goal as the Minnesota Stars knocked Tampa Bay out of the playoffs in October. Mulholland, 23, won the league's rookie of the year award while with third division club Wilmington.

Winter sports: Marcel Hirscher captured a World Cup night slalom before home fans in Schladming, Austria, his sixth victory of the season. Hirscher beat Stefano Gross by 0.22 seconds. It was his first victory in Austria. Ted Ligety of the United States was sixth.

Antonya English and Greg Auman, Times staff writers; Times wires

Federer, Nadal set for semifinal clash

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — The intensity was vintage Rafael Nadal.

On the stroke of midnight, he thrust his arms up and punched the air, sealing the victory that sets up the most anticipated semifinal at the Australian Open in quite some time.

Roger Federer did his part to put this in place. In the previous match on Rod Laver Arena, he beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal marking his 1,000th tour level match.

A Federer-Nadal semifinal had been looming since the draw for the season's first major — the first time the pair have been in the same half at a Grand Slam tournament since 2005.

Nadal was at his demonstrative best, rallying after losing the first set to beat Tomas Berdych 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-3.

Yelling "Vamos," disputing line calls, pumping his arms after winning big points and bounding around like a hyperactive kid, Nadal ripped winner after winner against Berdych in a four-hour, 16-minute display of pure intimidation.

He said he was nervous in the first set — he'd lost in the quarterfinals two straight years — but by the third and fourth sets things had changed.

"The character on court, the way to win the points … the level is very positive, much, much better than the end of the season," he said. "Semifinals is fantastic result for me."

Federer finished his match with one of his classic, one-handed backhands against Del Potro, one of two men who have beaten him in a major final. Nadal has done it six times.

Thursday's match will be the first time they have met at Melbourne Park since Nadal won the 2009 title in five sets. It will be played at 3:30 a.m. and ESPN2 will show a replay at noon.

On the women's side, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova will meet in the semifinals after both won in straight sets today.

Sharapova won 6-2, 6-3 against Ekaterina Makarova, who knocked out Serena Williams in the previous round. Kvitova earlier reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time with a 6-4, 6-4 win over unseeded Sara Errani.

Defending champion Kim Clijsters will meet third-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the other semifinal.

Magic wins, has new points king

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Dwight Howard reached a new high with the Magic.

Howard had 14 points to become Orlando's all-time leading scorer in a 102-83 victory over the Pacers Tuesday night.

"It's a humbling experience," said Howard, who went in needing eight points to pass Nick Anderson. "It does mean a lot. Not too many players in this league can say that they were their franchise's leading scorer."

Howard, fifth in the league with 20.1 points per game, picked up his third foul early in the second quarter and sat for most of the first half before breaking the mark early in the third with a dunk.

WIZARDS FIRE COACH: The NBA-worst Wizards fired coach Flip Saunders after a 2-15 start and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman.

Magic 102, Pacers 83

ORLANDO (102): Turkoglu 4-10 0-0 11, Anderson 8-14 3-5 24, Howard 6-11 2-4 14, Nelson 1-5 0-0 2, J.Richardson 1-6 0-0 2, Davis 4-6 5-6 13, Duhon 3-5 0-0 8, Redick 6-13 2-2 15, Clark 2-6 1-2 5, Q.Richardson 3-7 0-0 8. Totals 38-83 13-19 102.

INDIANA (83): Granger 5-13 4-4 16, West 3-8 0-0 6, Hibbert 5-16 6-6 16, Collison 5-10 1-1 11, George 3-8 0-0 7, Hansbrough 2-7 4-4 8, Hill 1-4 0-0 2, Amundson 0-2 0-0 0, Stephenson 4-6 0-0 8, Jones 3-4 3-3 9, Pendergraph 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-78 18-18 83.

Orlando 22 23 29 28— 102

Indiana 29 16 17 21— 83

3-Point GoalsOrlando 13-32 (Anderson 5-7, Turkoglu 3-7, Duhon 2-3, Q.Richardson 2-5, Redick 1-4, J.Richardson 0-3, Nelson 0-3), Indiana 3-11 (Granger 2-5, George 1-5, Stephenson 0-1). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsOrlando 52 (Howard 9), Indiana 46 (Hibbert 12). AssistsOrlando 22 (Turkoglu 8), Indiana 8 (Granger, Hibbert 3). Total FoulsOrlando 19, Indiana 17. TechnicalsIndiana defensive three second. A12,760 (18,165).

Knicks 111, Bobcats 78

NEW YORK (111): Anthony 0-7 1-1 1, Stoudemire 7-12 4-4 18, Chandler 9-10 2-4 20, Shumpert 1-9 1-2 3, Fields 6-12 5-6 18, Jeffries 3-5 4-4 11, Douglas 4-7 1-2 9, B.Walker 1-6 2-2 5, Bibby 1-3 1-2 4, Novak 3-3 0-0 9, Lin 2-2 4-4 8, Jordan 1-1 0-0 2, Balkman 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 39-78 26-33 111.

CHARLOTTE (78): Brown 6-13 3-3 15, Thomas 1-9 2-2 4, Mullens 3-8 0-0 6, K.Walker 7-17 6-6 22, Henderson 6-14 3-4 15, Diaw 1-6 2-2 4, Biyombo 0-5 0-0 0, Carroll 1-5 1-1 3, Higgins 1-2 4-4 6, Najera 1-2 0-0 3, Diop 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-82 21-22 78.

New York 26 26 21 38— 111

Charlotte 23 19 15 21— 78

3-Point GoalsNew York 7-19 (Novak 3-3, Jeffries 1-2, Bibby 1-3, Fields 1-3, B.Walker 1-5, Douglas 0-1, Anthony 0-2), Charlotte 3-11 (K.Walker 2-4, Najera 1-1, Brown 0-1, Carroll 0-2, Diaw 0-3). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsNew York 61 (Chandler 17), Charlotte 41 (Diaw 6). AssistsNew York 26 (Fields 5), Charlotte 10 (Higgins, K.Walker 2). Total FoulsNew York 21, Charlotte 22. TechnicalsThomas. Flagrant Fouls—Jeffries. A16,802 (19,077).

Heat 92, Cavaliers 85

CLEVELAND (85): Casspi 3-5 0-2 6, Jamison 2-6 0-0 5, Varejao 5-9 1-2 11, Irving 7-11 2-2 17, Parker 1-6 0-0 3, Samuels 7-10 1-2 15, Gee 3-7 0-1 7, Hollins 1-1 1-2 3, Gibson 2-6 2-2 8, Sessions 3-7 4-4 10. Totals 34-68 11-17 85.

MIAMI (92): James 8-21 1-4 18, Bosh 10-16 14-14 35, Anthony 1-2 0-0 2, Chalmers 2-4 4-4 9, Battier 1-6 0-0 3, Miller 2-6 0-0 4, Haslem 1-4 2-2 4, Cole 5-8 0-0 10, Pittman 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 2-3 2-2 7. Totals 32-70 23-26 92.

Cleveland 18 19 21 27— 85

Miami 17 20 24 31— 92

3-Point GoalsCleveland 6-16 (Gibson 2-4, Jamison 1-1, Gee 1-2, Irving 1-3, Parker 1-4, Casspi 0-1, Sessions 0-1), Miami 5-18 (Bosh 1-1, Jones 1-2, Chalmers 1-3, James 1-4, Battier 1-5, Cole 0-1, Miller 0-2). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsCleveland 43 (Varejao 11), Miami 38 (Haslem 10). AssistsCleveland 20 (Irving, Jamison 4), Miami 16 (James 5). Total FoulsCleveland 27, Miami 15. TechnicalsCleveland defensive three second. A19,600 (19,600).

Raptors 99, Suns 96

TORONTO (99): J.Johnson 7-12 4-4 18, Bargnani 10-21 12-12 36, Gray 1-4 0-0 2, Calderon 2-5 2-3 6, DeRozan 2-8 0-0 4, A.Johnson 2-5 1-2 5, Barbosa 7-14 2-2 19, Bayless 1-6 0-0 2, Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Butler 1-1 0-0 2, Kleiza 1-5 2-2 5, Forbes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-82 23-25 99.

PHOENIX (96): Hill 5-10 0-0 11, Morris 2-3 0-0 4, Gortat 9-16 3-5 21, Nash 8-14 0-0 17, Price 2-3 0-0 4, Frye 1-7 0-0 3, Dudley 2-7 1-2 6, Warrick 6-9 5-6 17, Telfair 1-6 2-2 4, Brown 2-4 2-2 7, Lopez 0-1 0-0 0, Redd 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 39-82 13-17 96.

Toronto 17 31 31 20— 99

Phoenix 27 25 19 25— 96

3-Point GoalsToronto 8-15 (Bargnani 4-6, Barbosa 3-3, Kleiza 1-3, J.Johnson 0-1, Bayless 0-2), Phoenix 5-16 (Hill 1-1, Brown 1-2, Nash 1-4, Dudley 1-4, Frye 1-4, Redd 0-1). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsToronto 52 (J.Johnson, Kleiza 10), Phoenix 45 (Gortat 12). AssistsToronto 18 (Calderon 11), Phoenix 23 (Nash 14). Total FoulsToronto 22, Phoenix 20. TechnicalsLopez, Nash. Ejected— Lopez. A15,404 (18,422).

Bears hang on to end skid

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Times wires
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. — After Baylor followed two perfect months with two straight losses, coach Scott Drew was glad to see his star player back on his game.

Perry Jones III had 21 points and tied his season high with 12 rebounds, leading the sixth-ranked Bears to a 77-65 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

It was Jones' highest scoring output in 11 games, helping Baylor (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) bounce back after consecutive losses to Kansas and Missouri.

"Welcome back, Perry Jones," Drew said. "After he tweaked that ankle in Kansas, for a game-and-a-half I think that affected him. He had two good practices and mentally got right and physically has gotten better.

"He's back to playing how he's capable of playing."

Pierre Jackson added 16 points and seven assists and Quincy Acy had 13 points and three blocks for the Bears, who shot 54 percent to top 50 percent for the fourth time in five games. They also made 9 of 18 3's after going in as the Big 12's best 3-point shooting team at 41 percent.

The Bears led throughout but needed a strong finish to put away the Sooners, who were within 62-60 in the final five minutes.

"We got a little sloppy on defense and started letting them get a couple easy, open looks. We got a couple offensive rebounds and easy putbacks and really tied down on defense and started defending and rebounding," Acy said. "That's going to be the key for us to win."

NO. 1 KENTUCKY 57, GEORGIA 44: Darius Miller came off the bench to score 19, and the visiting Wildcats (20-1, 6-0 SEC) cruised in their first game since returning to No. 1.

NO. 13 SAN DIEGO ST. 52, WYOMING 42: Jamaal Franklin had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the visiting Aztecs (18-2, 4-0 Mountain West), who won their 11th straight game.

NO. 20 MICHIGAN 66, PURDUE 64: Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 for the visiting Wolverines (16-5, 6-2 Big Ten), who held on when the Boilermakers' Robbie Hummel missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

MIAMI 64, GA. TECH 49: Kenny Kadji had 21 points for the Hurricanes (11-7, 2-3 ACC), who have won two of their past three and improved to 2-5 on the road.

NO. 22 KANSAS ST.: Coach Frank Martin said forward Jordan Henriquez was reinstated and is available for tonight's game at Texas Tech. Henriquez was suspended Thursday for conduct detrimental to the team.

Women

NO. 11 RUTGERS 65, NO. 23 DEPAUL 64: Khadijah Rushdan's layup with 1.5 seconds left capped a rally as the host Scarlet Knights (17-3, 6-1 Big East) came back from a 16-point deficit with 10 minutes left against the Blue Demons (15-6, 3-4).

OKLA. ST. 57, NO. 14 TEXAS A&M 53: Tiffany Bias had 14 points, including a tiebreaking layup with 28 seconds left, and the host Cowboys upset the Aggies (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) to beat a ranked team for the second time this season (Texas was the other one).

NO. 20 G'TOWN 64, W. VA. 54: Ta'Shauna "Sugar" Rodgers and Tia Magee scored 17 each for the visiting Hoyas (16-5, 5-3 Big East), who pulled away with a 16-4 second-half run.

Tampa Bay Lightning defeats Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TAMPA — Any other day, Mike Angelidis would have been the big story in the Lightning's 4-2 victory over the Blue Jackets Tuesday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The rookie, called up earlier in the day, scored his first goal on his first shot in his first NHL game.

"A dream come true," he said.

But even Angelidis gave it up for teammates Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

Each had a goal and an assist as Tampa Bay (21-23-4) raised its season-best winning streak to four games. And they combined on St. Louis' winning goal with a play so pretty St. Louis said it reminded him of 2006-07, when the pair tore up the league as linemates.

"They're such good leaders," Angelidis said. "They come out hard every game and battle. To watch guys like that shows me what I'm going to have to do to get to this level."

"I just think we both feel good about our games right now," St. Louis said. "When you do that you help one another. Sometimes you benefit from where the other guy's game is at, so it's one of those things."

Nate Thompson had an insurance goal and goaltender Mathieu Garon was solid with 22 saves.

Still, this was not one of the Lightning's best games. It was sloppy at times, not altogether surprising considering nine players are out with injuries and the lineup included five players who began the season in the minors.

But that is when one's best players need to step up.

St. Louis played a season-high 28:56. Lecavalier, camped in front of the net, scored a power-play goal by tipping in Bruno Gervais' blue-line shot.

Each also extended points streaks to six games in which St. Louis has two goals, 10 points and Lecavalier three and 10.

St. Louis' goal with 3:04 left in the second period made the score 3-1 and stirred memories.

The give-and-go began with St. Louis passing to Lecavalier and streaking for the net. Lecavalier's cross-ice pass from the bottom of the right faceoff circle was pinpoint to St. Louis at the left post for a tap-in.

"That was outstanding," St. Louis said. "It felt like '06 when we had that big year. It was one of those plays where you get a flashback … 'wow.' "

Added Lecavalier: "For him to back the D up and for him to give me that puck and drive the net and how quick he was, it was a nice play."

And it helped send Tampa Bay to the All-Star break with a three-spot leap to 11th in the East but still nine points out of the playoffs.

"We've isolated every game," coach Guy Boucher said, "and try to make it the masterpiece of the day."

It helps when two of his best players craft a masterpiece play.

Lightning1214
Blue Jackets1012

First Period1, Tampa Bay, Angelidis 1, 13:20. 2, Columbus, Lebda 1 (Brassard, Umberger), 15:07. PenaltiesNash, Clm (hooking), 5:59.

Second Period3, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 19 (Gervais, St. Louis), 8:19 (pp). 4, Tampa Bay, St. Louis 12 (Lecavalier), 16:56. PenaltiesClitsome, Clm (tripping), 3:19; MacKenzie, Clm (tripping), 7:23; Gilroy, TB (hooking), 14:35.

Third Period5, Columbus, Johansen 9 (Umberger), 5:40. 6, Tampa Bay, Thompson 5 (D.Moore, T.Smith), 11:29. PenaltiesTampa Bay bench, served by Purcell (too many men), 1:02; Gillies, Clm (kneeing), 6:19. Shots on GoalColumbus 5-6-13—24. Tampa Bay 12-12-7—31. Power-play opportunitiesColumbus 0 of 2; Tampa Bay 1 of 4. GoaliesColumbus, Sanford 8-11-4 (31 shots-27 saves). Tampa Bay, Garon 14-13-2 (24-22). A16,859 (19,204). T2:17.

First-timers

Mike Angelidis on Tuesday became the fifth Lightning player to score in his first NHL game:

PLAYERDATEOPPONENT
Mike AngelidisTuesdayBlue Jackets
Ryan CraigDec. 17, 2005Red Wings
Jimmie OlvestadOct. 5, 2001Islanders
Paul MaraApril 17, 1999Panthers
Alex SelivanovJan. 20, 1995Penguins

USF Bulls' three-game winning streak ends with 67-47 loss at No. 17 Marquette Golden Eagles

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By Rick Braun, Special to the Times
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MILWAUKEE — USF coach Stan Heath didn't have to take much time studying the game summary to see where the Bulls failed in their 67-47 loss at 17th-ranked Marquette on Tuesday night.

When your team suffers through a 22-5 disadvantage in turnovers, most other factors don't matter.

"We turned the ball over way too much, and they feed off that," Heath said. "We gave ourselves no chance."

The fact that the Bulls held the Golden Eagles to 39.7 percent shooting (23-for-58) did not matter. "You'd take that any day of the week," Heath said.

Because they kept turning the ball over, the Bulls (12-9, 5-3 Big East) saw their three-game winning streak end. Marquette outscored USF 20-3 off turnovers.

Coming off a victory at DePaul on Sunday that made them 4-2 on the road against the Blue Demons, the Bulls fell to 4-46 on the road against the rest of the Big East.

Marquette (17-4, 6-2) won its fifth straight game and gave coach Buzz Williams his 100th career victory.

Guard Darius Johnson-Odom led the Golden Eagles with 17 points, and forwards Jae Crowder and Davante Gardner had 15 each.

The lone offensive bright spot for the Bulls was junior forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. But the former King High standout had five turnovers, as did fellow post man Augustus Gilchrist.

"We didn't handle their post traps well at all," Heath said. "We tried to force it, and that's where a lot of our turnovers came from."

The Bulls had early problems with the 6-foot-8, 290-pound Gardner, who scored twice on post-ups and once on a putback for Marquette's first six points. Still, USF took a 7-6 lead thanks to a 3-pointer and another jumper by Hugh Robertson.

The Bulls were still within 26-21 after a 3-pointer by Fitzpatrick, but Marquette scored the final seven of the half, including a buzzer-beating rebound dunk on a fast break by sophomore forward Jamil Wilson.

That came after the Bulls were holding for what they thought would be the last shot of the half.

"We've been doing a great job of closing halves and getting momentum plays," Heath said. "I thought we executed well. We probably went a little early, but we had the lob easy to (Jawanza) Poland, who nine times out of 10 knocks that down.

"So I'm expecting two points our way, and it goes two points the other way. They go into the locker room smiling, and I go in yelling. That's a big momentum play."

Trailing 33-21 at the break, the Bulls would never get closer. The Golden Eagles put together another surge coming out of halftime, and Johnson-Odom's 3-pointer gave Marquette a 39-22 lead with 18:49 left in the game.

USF Bulls' 3-game win streak ends with 67-47 loss at No. 17 Marquette Golden Eagles

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By Rick Braun, Special to the Times
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MILWAUKEE — USF coach Stan Heath didn't have to take much time studying the game summary to see where the Bulls failed in their 67-47 loss at 17th-ranked Marquette on Tuesday night.

When your team suffers through a 22-5 disadvantage in turnovers, most other factors don't matter.

"We turned the ball over way too much, and they feed off that," Heath said. "We gave ourselves no chance."

The fact that the Bulls held the Golden Eagles to 39.7 percent shooting (23-for-58) did not matter. "You'd take that any day of the week," Heath said.

Because they kept turning the ball over, the Bulls (12-9, 5-3 Big East) saw their three-game winning streak end. Marquette outscored USF 20-3 off turnovers.

Coming off a victory at DePaul on Sunday that made them 4-2 on the road against the Blue Demons, the Bulls fell to 4-46 on the road against the rest of the Big East.

Marquette (17-4, 6-2) won its fifth straight game and gave coach Buzz Williams his 100th career victory.

Guard Darius Johnson-Odom led the Golden Eagles with 17 points, and forwards Jae Crowder and Davante Gardner had 15 each.

The lone offensive bright spot for the Bulls was junior forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. But the former King High standout had five turnovers, as did fellow post man Augustus Gilchrist.

"We didn't handle their post traps well at all," Heath said. "We tried to force it, and that's where a lot of our turnovers came from."

The Bulls had early problems with the 6-foot-8, 290-pound Gardner, who scored twice on post-ups and once on a putback for Marquette's first six points. Still, USF took a 7-6 lead thanks to a 3-pointer and another jumper by Hugh Robertson.

The Bulls were still within 26-21 after a 3-pointer by Fitzpatrick, but Marquette scored the final seven of the half, including a buzzer-beating rebound dunk on a fast break by sophomore forward Jamil Wilson.

That came after the Bulls were holding for what they thought would be the last shot of the half.

"We've been doing a great job of closing halves and getting momentum plays," Heath said. "I thought we executed well. We probably went a little early, but we had the lob easy to (Jawanza) Poland, who nine times out of 10 knocks that down.

"So I'm expecting two points our way, and it goes two points the other way. They go into the locker room smiling, and I go in yelling. That's a big momentum play."

Trailing 33-21 at the break, the Bulls would never get closer. The Golden Eagles put together another surge coming out of halftime, and Johnson-Odom's 3-pointer gave Marquette a 39-22 lead with 18:49 left in the game.


East Bay fishing report: redfish and trout fishing are strong

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By Captain Matthew Santiago
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Early Spring Action. It seems like the fish never really got into a strong wintertime pattern, which made trips the last few weeks range from mediocre to amazing. The good news is, barring any serious cold fronts, the fishing will soon get really good and much more consistent. It was great to get through a winter with virtually no snook loss, and I think 2012 will be considered a great snook comeback year.

Inshore. Redfish and trout fishing have been really strong around last week's low tides. Fishing a live shrimp under a popping cork on deep grass flats is producing great trout. Last week we saw several gator trout over 25 inches come to the boat. The trout have been pretty concentrated as well, so if you catch one or two you can bet there are plenty more around. Drifting a flat and stopping when you get a bite or two is a great way to locate the big schools of trout.

Redfishing has been hot as well. Fishing clear shallow flats on the higher part of the tides has been producing great results. The redfish move up shallow as the sun heats up the water and they have been reacting well to artificial's worked erratically across the flat. The clear water has made the fish a little spooky, so focus on being stealthy and making long cast. I find that getting out of the boat and wading this time of year allows you to get much closer to wary fish.

Offshore. Offshore the action has been nothing short of awesome. The mangrove snapper and grunt bite has been off the charts inside of 60 feet. Anchoring and lots of chumming has been the key to getting them fired up. The amberjack fishing has been red hot on virtually any structure from 60 to 120 feet. Any live bait free-lined or dropped to the bottom is almost guaranteed to get hammered by a hungry amberjack. Our last offshore trip also produced over 10 keeper-size scamps, a welcome surprise.

Bait. Watch for the fish to start transitioning to their spring hangouts, especially if we don't get any more serious cold fronts. Shrimp is still the hot bait inshore, but if you are set on getting yourself some whitebait for your well, then head to the Skyway. The bridge is loaded, no chumming required, just get up current of the bridge and look for the bait to be holding close to the pilings or cruising the shadow lines.

Capt. Matt Santiago can be reached at (813) 205-2327 or captainmattsantiago@gmail.com. The website is fishingguidetampa.com.

Mike Sherman meeting with Tampa Bay Buccaneers owners today

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman will have a second interview today with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Times confirmed.

The meeting is being conducted at a secret location outside of Tampa and Texas, where Sherman met with members of the Glazer family and general manager Mark Dominik a few weeks ago.

Sherman is the only known candidate to be a finalist and asked to return for a second interview. As of Tuesday, the Bucs had not contacted any of the candidates they interviewed to tell them they were no longer being considered.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported that Sherman was meeting with the Bucs owners today.

The Charlotte Obverver reported Wednesday there was a 'buzz' at the Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala., that Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski would receive a second interview with the Bucs. But Panthers coach Ron Rivera was unaware of a second meeting between the Bucs and Chudzinski.

"I haven't heard that," Rivera told the Times in Mobile, Monday. But the Panthers coach is hoping for a quick resolution.

"Believe me, I'd love to know just so we can go forward," Rivera said. "We've got a lot of things we have to do and we've kind of put (them) off during this whole period."

Tampa Bay Lightning mascot ThunderBug performer fired

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A woman performing as Tampa Bay Lightning mascot ThunderBug was fired, just one week after an incident in which she sprayed Silly String on a Bruins fan during a game.

Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett said the woman, who hasn't been identified, wasn't a full-time employee, but an event-to-event contract peformer the past two years. Others wear the mascot's outfit, and ThunderBug was in the stands for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jackets.

ThunderBug struck a chord with the crowd during last week's game with the Bruins, when a YouTube video shot from the stands showed the mascot spraying Silly String on a seated Boston fan. The fan then got up, and pushed the mascot in the aisle. Security was there, and the fan was briefly escorted up the steps before returning to his seat.

The mascot's actions weren't condoned by the team, but Wickett said last week's incident was just one reason the woman wasn't asked to return.

There has since been a Facebook page titled, "Save Tampa Bay Lightning's ThunderBug's Job."

Robinson's girls soccer team advances in 3A regional competition

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By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

TAMPA

It's been said that it's better to be lucky than good. In Robinson coach Billy Helms and his Knights' case, they're a combination of both.

"I'm pretty superstitious," Helms said with a chuckle. "To say the least."

A mix of skill — and their coach's laundry list of talismans — have gotten the Robinson girls soccer program in uncharted territory. After winning the first postseason match in school history Tuesday against Palmetto, Robinson will host Osceola tonight at 7 in the 3A regionals.

"He's quirky and kind of crazy," leading-scorer Charlotte Rothschild said. "But he's so relatable, and we all love him."

Helms listens to the same music on the way to the matches, wears the same blue belt and has sported the same custom-made bracelet all season with the Latin phrase "Nunc Est Tempus" — which means "Now Is the Time" — inscribed on the side.

"The kids razz me about it," Helms said of his superstitions. "But for me, it's normal."

Helms said his idiosyncrasies have helped form a bond among himself and the players.

"They know I'm quirky and have some strange things going on," he said. "But I think it shows them that I'm a human, too, just like them."

Helms has been the engine behind turning Robinson's soccer program around. In his first year two seasons ago, the Knights finished as district runnersup and reached the postseason for the first time in school history. The Knights (13-5-1) were bounced in the region quarterfinals in 2010 and fell during the district semis last year before winning their first district title ever this season.

"There's a renaissance of sorts going on here," Helms said. "There's a renewed spirit that you can feel around campus."

Helms credits an influx of club players to the Knights' success. He estimated nearly 20 girls play club on this year's roster, a figure that has tripled since 2010.

"We have quite a few girls left over from that 2010 team and keep adding nice pieces," Helms said.

Robinson went a perfect 9-0 in district play, outscoring its opponents 60-2. Robinson's attack features four double-digit scorers in Sam Ishee, Caroline King, Laura Osorio and Rothschild, who has scored six goals in the last three matches dating back to her hat trick in the district semis.

"We've come so far as a team since my freshman year," Rothschild said. "Now we're beating teams 8-0 that back then we couldn't even play with. Winning that first playoff game meant so much to me and this team."

Robinson will be looking to set another milestone tonight — a second postseason win. Either way, Helms will have a plastic bag containing socks he wore while playing for Gaither in 1989 in his book bag — a talisman he carries with him at each match.

And no, they haven't been washed.

"If in my mind I can justify doing something and that helps us win, then so be it," Helms said. "But I know the reality of it is it's all about what these girls do on the field. And they have been great this year."

Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.

Canoe and kayak rentals are back at Edward Medard Park in Plant City

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Canoe, kayak rentals are back: Visitors to Edward Medard Park can now rent a canoe or kayak to explore this scenic park in a different way. Four-hour rentals are offered at $25. A park entry fee will also apply at $2 per vehicle carrying up to eight people, and $1 for each additional person. Only cash, checks and traveler's checks are accepted. Edward Medard Park's winter hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The reservoir at the park, 6140 Turkey Creek Road in Plant City, had been closed since November 2009 for maintenance and repair project. It reopened Dec. 31 to boating and catch-and-release fishing.

In order to rent a canoe or kayak, you must be 18 and complete a liability release and rental agreement. Call (813) 757-3802.

Hall of Famer comes to Tampa: Chris Mullin teams up with MetroPCS for the USA Basketball Dream Tour in Tampa beginning today. Mullin will be available for photos at the appearances and can show off their basketball talents on the tour's traveling court.

The tour stops: Today — 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Discount Wireless, 7539 W Hillsborough Ave.; 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Cellular Touch Wireless, 9519 E Fowler Ave., Thonotosassa. Saturday — 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MetroPCS, 1251 E Fowler Ave.; 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Dale Mabry Corporate Store, 2907 N Dale Mabry Highway. Sunday — 1 to 4 p.m. at MetroPCS, 3100 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg.

For more details, visit www.metropcs.com/usabasketball.

Armwood football fundraiser: The Armwood Hawks, winners of the 2011 Class 4A state football championship, will hold a fundraiser at Tadpoles Feb. 2. The event will include a raffle and karaoke, and a percentage of the sales will go to the team. 115 E Brandon Blvd., Brandon.

Sharon Kennedy Wynne, Ernest Hooper

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