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Noah Ruggles, a senior kicker at Steinbrenner High, earned West team offensive MVP honors for his performance in the East-West Hillsborough County Senior All-Star Game. Ruggles notched field goals of 24 yards and 44 yards, scoring all of the East team’s points in a 9-6 loss on Dec. 3

Ruggles, who boasts scholarship offers from Vanderbilt University and Army, is widely regarded as one of the top high school kickers for the 2017 class. The consensus three-star recruit is ranked as the nation’s eighth-best kicker, according to recruiting service 247sports.com. Meanwhile, ESPN.com ranks Ruggles as the nation’s 13th-best kicker for 2017.

A pair of Wharton High boys cross-country runners shined at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Cross-Country Championships, held Dec. 3 at Appalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. Sophomore Tre Rivers, competing in the boys 15-16 (year old) division, placed fifth in the 5K (3.11 miles) race after crossing the finish line in 16:48. Freshman Casey Pleune, meanwhile, placed sixth in the boys 13-14 (year old) division, running a 4K (2.48 miles) in 13:11. Rivers and Pleune ran for the Tampa Trailblazers running club, which won third place team honors. Both are expected to compete on Wharton’s track team in 2017.

The Lutz Chiefs captured the Tampa Bay Youth Football League(TBYFL) Varsity Super Bowl on Nov. 19 after defeating the Tampa Bay Jaguars in overtime 12-6. The team, comprised of 13-year-olds and 14-year-olds, pulled out the victory after playing to a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation. The win marks the Chiefs first-ever TBYFL Super Bowl since joining the league in 2010. The team is coached by Zach Kilburn. Many Chiefs players wind up playing at various high schools in the area, including Steinbrenner, Gaither, Freedom and Wharton high schools.

Former Wiregrass Ranch High wide receiver Taylor Bleistein was recently named to the 2016 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference honorable mention following his freshman season at Hanover (Indiana) College, a Division III school. Through nine games, Bleistein was second on the team in receptions (40) and receiving yards (402), and third in all-purpose yards (616); he also added three touchdown receptions. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound receiver, meanwhile, is one of three Wiregrass Ranch High alumni playing DIII football. The others are defensive lineman Elijah Brooks-Davis (University of Sewanee in Tennessee) and safety John Harris-Scott (Trine University in Indiana).

Danielle Christian, a sophomore middle hitter for Pasco-Hernando State College, has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Tampa. Christian, a two-year starter and team captain, led PHSC in blocks (114), kills (218) and hitting efficiency (.301) this season. She was selected as a Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) defensive player of the week last season, was an All-Tournament Team selection for two straight seasons at the Conquistador Invitational Tournament, and was also an All-Tournament Team selection at the regional tournament last season.

“Danielle has grown as a student, athlete and leader while at PHSC; she will be an outstanding addition to the UT Spartan roster,” PHSC volleyball coach Kim Whitney said, in a release.

The Division I football offers are piling up for Carrollwood Day School sophomore quarterback Raymond Woodie III. On Nov. 27, Woodie III received an offer from Michigan State University, marking his ninth DI scholarship offer.  The 6-foot-1, 185-pound dual-threat QB also plays as a safety and cornerback at Carrollwood Day. Woodie III is lauded by various recruiting services for his arm strength and quickness. He is the son of University of South Florida defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie.

List of offers for CDS Prep’s Raymond Woodie III
University of Southern California
Central Michigan University
Florida International University
Florida A&M University
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State
University of Alabama-Birmingham
University of South Florida
Western Michigan University

Saint Leo University checked in at 16th among Division II schools in the first release of 2016-17 Learfield Directors’ Cup Division II standings, issued Nov. 23 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
With 96 points, Saint Leo has the highest ranking of any Sunshine State Conference institution in the first Learfield Directors’ Cup fall rankings. The first edition of the fall rankings includes points earned in the NCAA men’s and women’s cross-country championships, as well as the NCAA field hockey championship.
Florida Southern is Saint Leo’s closest SSC rival in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings in 43rd place with 48 points.
Meanwhile, Adams State (Colorado) is atop the Directors’ Cup standings with 190 points.
The Learfield Cup Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. The Directors’ Cup Committee is currently reviewing the scoring structure for 2016-17; it will be finalized prior to the winter sports standings. The next Directors’ Cup standings update is scheduled for Dec. 8.

Several students from the Wesley Chapel Martial Arts Academy collected first place honors at the Egypt Shriner’s Tae Kwon Do tournament on Nov. 5 in Town ‘N Country. From left: Jacob Williams, 8, first place in both Sparring and Forms; Joseph Levesque, 13, first place in Sparring; Raquel Tortorelli, 6, first place in Forms; Logan Laffey, 8, first place in both Sparring and Weapons; and, Andrew Levesque, 12, first place in both Sparring and Forms.

The Tampa Bay Tennis Team, representing the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Florida Section, finished second at the USTA 40 & Over 8.0 National Championships, held Nov. 4 through Nov. 6, in Surprise, Arizona. The group lost to a team from Daniel Island, South Carolina, 2-1 in the championship match. In front, left to right: Kerryn Ellson, Kay Caldwell, Mary Paul, Ann Douglas, Lynn O’Brien, Linda Wolf and Mary Miller. Back, left to right: John Green, David Biren, Albert Alhadeff, Thinh Duong and Brian Kenney.

The Saint Leo women’s basketball team has announced the addition of three players to the 2017-2018 roster: Delaney Bernard, of Greenwood Village, Colorado; Brandi Bain, of Castle Rock, Colorado; and, Montia Moon, of Long Island, New York.

• Delaney Bernard, a 5-foot-8 shooting guard, has averaged 13.6 points per game and has made 159 career threes on 35.0-percent shooting during her four-year varsity career.

Saint Leo head coach Anthony Crocitto said Bernard will play on the wing, and is a “great fit” to the program.

“Delaney is a top shooter in the class of 2017,” Crocitto said, in a release. “We recruit shooters and expect Delaney to have her shot ready upon arrival at Saint Leo.”

• Brandi Bain, a 5-foot-9 wing, is described by Crocitto as having “fantastic upside.”

“Her defense is exceptional, and she plays very unselfish basketball,” Crocitto said. “Brandi is already a solid fundamental player; we expect only growth from her moving forward.”

• Montia Moon, a 5-foot-5 guard and three-sport high school athlete, is a “workhorse,” according to Crocitto.

“Montia plays for one of the best high school programs in New York and is certainly well-coached, the Saint Leo coach said. “She can defend just about anyone at the guard position, and is a strong, quick blue-collar point guard who will give us more depth.”

Moon, Bain, and Bernard are the first signees for the 2017-18 season for Crocitto.