Jacob James golf prodigy at six … and more Southwest Sports!

compiled by Lauren Salinero


The Dr. Phillips High School football team battled West Orange High School once again for the Ole Orange Crate, a long-standing rivalry between the two teams. DPHS senior quarterback BeSean McCray threw a career-high of 295 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to senior Davarius Bargnare, who caught three passes for a career-high of 135 yards. As a team, the Panthers racked up a school record of 592 yards of offense and won the game 44-24.
Devodney Alford scored two of the touchdowns, and Brandon Fields got one in the end zone with a total game of three touchdowns for the Panthers.


The United States Tennis Association National Campus at Lake Nona hosted the USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships for 14-under and 18-under. The championships serve as the crown jewel of the USTA Junior Team Tennis season, as the nation’s top teams compete for a national title. It featured the top 32 teams from each age group and included hundreds of players from across the country, including Hawaii and the Caribbean. It was also the first time USTA National Campus hosted the event.

“The National Championships is a yearly capstone event, and we could not be more excited to host it at the USTA National Campus,” said Matt Barnhart, national manager for USTA Junior Team Tennis, prior to the event. “The players really enjoy the competition aspect, as well as getting the chance to bond with other players from all over the country, on and off the court.”
For complete results of the championships, as well as stories and
photos, visit www.ustajtt.com.


The Ocoee Youth Soccer League begins practice for its winter season Oct. 27. All practices are held at the Jim Beech Recreation Center, located at 1820 A D Mims Road in Ocoee. Season games will begin Nov. 11, and team picture day is Dec. 9 for all teams, as well as for individual photographs. The league is open to boys and girls between the ages of 4-14.

For more information, visit www.ocoeesoccer.net.


The Hemophilia Foundation of Greater Florida will sponsor its annual Orlando Creepy Crawl 5K and Vampire Mile on Oct. 29 at Lake Baldwin in Baldwin Park, located at 4990 New Broad St. in Orlando. Runners and walkers are invited to register now for this hair-raising event and encouraged to raise funds for the HFGH bleeding disorders community. Costumes are welcome, and wicked awards will be presented for the top team and individual fundraisers, most spirited team, best Halloween costumes, and top male and female runners in various age groups. The 5K will be officially timed for runners, and registration is $30.

Approximately 90 percent of the fundraising from HFGH’s events go toward supporting programs like the medically supervised Camp Spirit, family support weekends, health educational programs and financial emergency assistance.

For more information or to register, visit hemophilliaflorida.org/orlando.


The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour will hold its fourth annual Academy Cup at Celebration Golf Club on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8. Academy and non-academy players alike will be competing, with all individual rankings at stake. The competition will consist of some of the best players in the nation, as well as a team component.

HJGT administers events across the country. Its mission is “to accommodate the ladies and gentlemen of junior golf with an extraordinary experience in a competitive environment.”
To learn more about the organization, visit www.hjgt.org.


Holy Family Catholic School first-grader Jacob James of Summerport ranks No. 11 in Florida for the 6-and-under age group in U.S. Kids Golf Tour.

In most sports, it’s all about the numbers. Many times, it’s the highest score that wins, but in golf, the player with the lowest score takes home the trophy.

For golf prodigy Jacob James, the number is six, as in 6 years old. A first-grader at Holy Family Catholic School and resident of Summerport, James is currently ranked No. 11 in the 6-and-under age group for the U.S. Kids Golf Tour in the state of Florida, and he accomplished that while he was still age 5. James recently finished third in the Orlando U.S. Kids Summer Tour and took first place in the Jacksonville U.S. Kids Summer Tour. That win guarantees James a spot in the U.S. Kids World Championship that takes place at Pinehurst in August 2018.

While his friends at HFCS think of him as a normal classmate, Principal Sister Dorothy Sayers has another view: “I like to think all of our students are special in their own way, but there’s no denying Jacob has come out swinging,” she said.


(L. to r.) Coach Cindy, Kipton Roskaft, Matthew Caputo, Isabel and Olivia Reyes, Leonardo Melotti, Evan Rengifo, Jonah Granatstein, Winston Axtell and coach Marcelo return to the courts in preparation of the Junior Team Tennis fall season at Shadow Bay Park at Lake Cane Tennis Center.


During Dr. Phillips High School’s men’s golf game against Lake Nona High School, freshman Brendan Valdes shot the second-lowest round in school history, a 5-under-par-31. He was only one shot shy of Robbie Biggers’ round of 30 set back in 2004.

DPHS women’s cross country team took second place at the 15-team Embry Riddle Asics Classic. Senior Isabela Bartczak placed first overall in the field of 104 runners with a time of 19:37. Sophomore Roxanne Deisseroth’s 22:22 earned her a 13th-place finish, and senior Hannah Waddell placed in the top 15 with a time of 22:37. The junior varsity team did not qualify for the team title, as they only had four runners, but still came in with the top three places. Sophomore Geraldine Valencia took first with 24:45, followed by freshman Teaghan Connolly at 25:55 and sophomore Britney Damon at 26:28.


During Florida League’s 2016 Celebrity Golf Tournament, more than $40,000 was raised through silent and live auction items that were generously donated by local businesses and supporters of the Florida League. The auction features a dynamic array of goods, from vacation packages to signed memorabilia to restaurant gift cards to jewelry. Each donor is featured in the event program. To support the league with a tax-deductible donation, visit floridaleague.ejoinme.org/myevents/floridaleaguecelebritygolftournament2017/tabid/911706/default.aspx.

The tournament is Florida League’s signature fundraiser, as well as one of the most prestigious golf outings offered in Central Florida. The league exists to provide a place for college baseball players to hone their skills during the summer against elite competition in a family-friendly community-oriented environment. Many of the players live with host families over the two-month season and hope to gain exposure to professional scouts.

Although we try to ensure that all information presented above is the most current, correct and dependable available, we do rely on others for the source of our news. Therefore, the Southwest Orlando Bulletin and Cornerstone Publishing & Multi-Media LLC cannot be held responsible for the validity of the information presented here, nor does mentioning it constitute an endorsement. Sports information is welcome and may be mailed to P.O. Box 851, Windermere, FL 34786; or emailed to Lauren@kearneypublishing.com. ♥