Dr. Phillips Junior Alizee Michaud wins First State Tennis Championship
Alizee Michaud overcame a mid-match ankle injury and battled back from a two-game deficit in the second set to sweep the Women’s Tennis State Championship, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). Michaud jumped out to a 4-1 lead on Joulia Likhanskaia of Winter Park in the first set but the two-time defending State Champion was not going down without a fight. Michaud took the first set, 6-3, but fell back, 0-2, in the second set. After breaking serve to cut the deficit to one game, Likhanskaia jumped back up, 4-2, with a break of her own. That pattern would continue as each broke each other’s serve, never giving either one an advantage. Michaud overcame another two-game deficit to tie the set at 5-5 before she went down with an ankle injury. After she received treatment and taped it up, she went back out and overcame another deficit to tie the set at 6-6 t force a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker was nothing short of dominating as Michaud rolled to a 7-1 victory for her first State Championship, only the school’s second line one title in its 26-year history since Erin Braeuning won in 1993.
Dr. Phillips High School is 26 years old and in that time earned a total of 141 District Championships. Last nightt Softball joined that group. They collected their first District title in program history and they did it with authority. DP (15-12) pounded out 14 hits, including home runs by sophomore Donna Ryan and junior Kaley Eastwood, in an 11-4 victory over visiting Boone. The Panthers got on the board in the first inning with a solo home run by Ryan and kept their foot on the gas all night, but there were some tense moments, especially in the fourth. With DP cruising along with a 6-0 lead, Boone cut the lead in half with a three-run home run but sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Jonesstruck out the next two batters to get DP back to the plate. In the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers went right back at Boone when Donna Ryan doubled down the left field line and Kaley Eastwood jacked a two-run home run over the right-center field fence to push the lead back to 8-3. After Boone scored again in the top of the fifth, DP responded once again with three more runs in the home half to secure the title. Ryan finished a remarkable night 3 for 4 with three runs scored, sophomore Sarah Kollas went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and scored twice, senior Sarah Lang was 2 for 4 with a run and sophomore Marisa Lagos put in a 2 for 3 performance with an RBI. Caitlyn Jones went the distance, allowing just four hits while striking out five. The Panthers will now host their first Regional playoff game next Thursday against the loser of the District 3 game between West Orange and Olympia. Let’s pack the stands!
Over at Freedom HS, our Women’s Lacrosse team jumped out to a 10-2 halftime and rolled to a 16-5 victory over Lake Nona to capture their third consecutive District Championship and fourth in five years. Michaela Decker had an incredible night with a team-high six goals and Elizabeth Hales put five in the net and assisted on another five. Hayleigh Martin netted three goals and Jessica Clark scored twice as the Panthers improved to 16-2. They will advance to the Regional Tournament and after a bye in the opening play-in round, they’ll await their second round opponent for April 26th.
Up the 429 at Apopka HS DP Flag Football saw the return of Central Florida’s three-time player of the year, Hannah Schaible, just in time to pass for two touchdowns and run for a third to lead the Panthers (10-2) to a 19-0 victory and the program’s third Metro Conference Championship in four years. After a scoreless first quarter, DP got on the board in the second but not without defensive help. Apopka drove down to the DP 18 yard line but the Panther defense stuffed the Blue Darters on fourth down to put the offense back on the field. Schaible then hooked up with Malia Harrison for a 22-yard gain and again for another 18 yards before running for a five-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead. After another defensive stop, DP went back to work as Schaible scrambled for a 24 yard gain, found Jade Cheek for a 15-yard reception on third and long and Malia Harrison for another 12 yards. On second and goal from the Apopka 8, Schaible connected with freshman Tiane Kong for a touchdown to double the lead to 12-0 at the half. A scoreless third quarter gave way to the fourth where the Panthers put the game out of reach. With just over two minutes left in the game, Schaible ran for 18, hit JShyra Reed for a ten-yard gain and ended the game with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jade Cheek. The win marked DP’s seventh shutout of the season.
