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During the South Pasco Bassmasters (SPBM) February tournament at Lake Walk-in-Water, Norm Soash, left, and Bud Hudgens won first place by reeling in five bass, totaling 17.87 pounds. Soash and Hudgens, both Land O’ Lakes residents, caught their fish using junebug trick worms and junebug paddle tail worms. The team also won the tournament’s Big Bass Award, with catches of 6.81 pounds and 6.32 pounds, respectively. The next SPBM tournament is March 18 on the Lake Harris Chain.

A pair of local basketball standouts were chosen to participate in the Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association East-West Senior All-Star Game. Wharton High School’s Dae’Son Barnes and Steinbrenner High’s Trey Williams will both represent the West squad. Barnes is a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, and Williams is a 6-foot-1 point guard. The game’s date and time is pending.

• Imani Thomas, a 6-foot power forward for Academy at the Lakes, will continue her basketball career at Hillsborough Community College. A reliable double-double threat, Thomas is the first player in the Academy’s history to log 1,000-plus career points and rebounds. ESPN.com ranks Thomas as a three-star recruit, and the nation’s 71st-best forward for the 2017 class. “She is incredibly intelligent, a very smart player,” Academy’s coach Todd Huffman recently told The Laker/Lutz News. “She understands the game, and reads and reacts to situations with split-second adjustment.”

• Brett Bitter, a wide receiver for Steinbrenner High, has committed to play collegiate football at Liberty University, an FCS school in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 2016, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound wideout led the Warriors in receiving, tallying 43 receptions for 652 yards and seven touchdowns. He also added 35 tackles and two interceptions on defense. During his prep career, Bitter compiled 94 receptions, 1,479 yards and 13 touchdowns.

• Nate Springfield, a right-handed pitcher for Wiregrass Ranch High, has committed to play baseball at St. Petersburg College. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior led the Bulls in ERA (1.30), strikeouts (49) and innings pitched (49.1) in 2016. The Bulls’ 2017 season began Feb. 21.

Darryus Lowe, a former Land O’ Lakes High School defensive lineman, earned his first collegiate letter as a member of the Division III Luther (Iowa) College football team.

Lowe, a 2016 graduate of Land O’ Lakes, made an immediate impact as a freshman defensive tackle, tallying 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks for loss. At Land O’ Lakes, the 5-foot-10, 285-pound Lowe was one of the more disruptive defensive players in Pasco County. As a senior in the 2015 season, Lowe racked up 67 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble.

Jordan Sarhaddi, a sophomore at Sunlake High School, won the Premier Junior Golf Tour’s Crescent Oaks Junior Open on Feb. 12 in Tarpon Springs.In the Boys 16-19 Division, Sarhaddi finished plus-4, shooting a two-round total of 148 (79-69), five strokes lower than the second-place finisher. He made seven birdies during a final round, three-under par 69. The win earns Sarhaddi a Florida Junior Tour exemption.

CJ Van Eyk, a senior right-handed pitcher at Steinbrenner High School and Florida State commit, was selected as a 2017 first-team preseason high school All-American by Collegiate Baseball News.

Van Eyk was one of several dozen players nationwide selected to the list.

The site says players on the list “represent not only amazing athletic ability and talent in their respective positions, but they also are among the most sought after players by pro scouts and college recruiters.”

It’s not the only outlet hyping Van Eyk’s abilities.

He also was named to Maxpreps.com’s 2017 preseason All-American team, which encompasses 30 prep players nationwide.

Last year, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound ace helped spearhead Steinbrenner’s Class 8A state title, compiling a 12-1 record on the mound, with 130 strikeouts and a 0.77 ERA in 91 innings.

In October, Van Eyk was one of 20 players across the country selected to the USA Baseball 18U National Team.

Scouts laud Van Eyk for his low-90s fastball, along with his power curve and changeup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s annual “Hockey Day in Tampa Bay” will take place Feb. 18 at 9 a.m., at Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa.

The morning starts with the Chase Street Lightning Tournament on Ford Thunder Alley.

Also, for the first time ever on Hockey Day in Tampa Bay, the Lightning Alumni, featuring former captain Dave Andreychuk, will take on the Boston Bruins Alumni, featuring Ray Bourque.

The day will conclude with the Lightning High School Hockey Championship game.

Schedule of Events

• 9 a.m.: Start of Chase Street Lightning Tournament
  • Noon: Gear sale doors open
  • 12:30 p.m.: Regular doors open
  • 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: Sled Hockey Game with Lightning alumni
  • 2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m.: LHSHL All-Star Game
  • 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Lightning Made Skills Competition
  • 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins Alumni Game
  • 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: LHSHL Championship Game

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. All proceeds for the event will go to the Ritchie Foundation and Lightning Sled Hockey.

Mark Jones, a former wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is Carrollwood Day School’s new varsity head football coach, according to a school announcement.

Jones served as the team’s interim head coach during the 2016 season after the previous coach, Lane McLaughlin, was ousted before the season last August.

Under Jones’ interim title, the Patriots finished 2-6.

Jones has been with Carrollwood Day’s football program since 2014, when he became head coach of the middle school football team.  In 2015, he led the team to its first undefeated season in team history.

“I am extremely excited to have Mark Jones take over the CDS football program,” CDS athletic director Baker Mabry said, in a statement. “Coach Jones brings a lot of energy and passion to the position. He also understands and supports our mission of developing student athletes not only on the field, but in the classroom and in their personal lives,” Mabry added.

In a statement, Jones said he is “honored and humbled” to be named the Patriots’ varsity coach.

“I will lead by example, and I will stand firm in my core values and beliefs that are centered around faith, family and relationships,” Jones said. “Our program will be built on the foundation of doing what is right to the best of one’s ability.”

Jones was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He went on to play six seasons in the league, including stints with the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans.

A Pennsylvania native, Jones played college football at University of Tennessee, starring as a wide receiver, defensive back, and returner.

Spring football practices for high schools statewide begins April 24.

The board of directors for the Florida High School Athletic Association has selected four candidates to interview for the open executive director position, replacing Dr. James “Roger” Dearing. He announced his retirement last June and will step down once a new hire is made. Dearing has served in the post for eight years.

The interviews, which are open to the public, are scheduled for March 12, from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., at the Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building in Gainesville.

The finalists are:

• Eddie Bonine– executive director for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Bonine has 22 years of public school and state association administrative experience, including nine years as a state association executive director in Nevada and Louisiana.
• Margaret “Peggy” Jones– educational consultant, Indian River Schools in Florida. Dr. Jones has 26 years of public school and state association experience, including five years as an FHSAA associate executive director and 21 years in administrative positions for the Indian River Public School system.
• Hershel Lyons– chancellor of Florida’s K-12 Public Schools since 2013. Lyons has 28 years of administrative experience in the Alachua County Public School system.
• George Tomyn– retired former superintendent of Marion County Schools in Florida. Tomyn has 36 years of administrative experience in the Marion County Public School system.

Saint Leo University has announced it will induct eight new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame March 30 at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. Inductees for the Class of 2017 are:
Lauren Hudson Daniel ’09, women’s soccer; Matt Harkins ’95, men’s soccer; Erin Brunt Kinberger ’07, softball; Michelle Nogueras ’09, volleyball; Asmir Pervan ’06, men’s soccer; Jordan Prais ’10, men’s basketball; John Semeraro ’05, men’s golf; Bob Sullivan, coach/administrator.

“The Saint Leo Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2017 recognizes some outstanding student-athletes from recent years who displayed their abilities on a national level, as well as some individuals who paved the way for that success through their commitment to Saint Leo and the student-athlete experience,” according to Saint Leo Athletic Director Francis X. Reidy. “I congratulate the members of this year’s class of inductees, and welcome them into the Saint Leo Athletic Hall of Fame.” Reservations for the induction dinner and ceremony are $35 each, and can be purchased from Erin Mykleby, assistant athletics director, at (352) 588-8223 or .