PREP ROUNDUP: Lemon Bay in control at County Championship

On Day 2 of the Charlotte County Championship, this time at Twin Isles Country Club, Lemon Bay edge host Charlotte by two strokes, 164 to 166, to push its overall lead to 14 strokes with Port Charlotte 31 strokes off the lead.

While the Pirates are off the pace, top golfer Carlisle Mitchell continued to match Lemon Bay’s Wyatt Seckel stroke for stroke as both turned in the Tuesday’s low round of 36.

Seckel and Mitchell are tied for the lead overall with two-day totals of 73. Lemon Bay’s Vance Shea, Monday’s low scorer, is three strokes back at 76.

Lemon Bay’s Tye Yovanovich and the Charlotte duo of Tanner White and Miguel Guzman follow at 82.

Lemon Bay has positioned itself well for the overall win as action moves to the Mantas’ home course, The Palms at Rotonda, for the final round next Wednesday.

SWIMMING

Gulf Coast at Charlotte: At South County pool, the Tarpons routed the visiting Sharks as they celebrated Senior Night.

Charlotte won all but four events, including the boys and girls 200 medley relays and 400 freestyle relays.

Junior Jaxson Moenning had a strong showing, recovering from injury to win the 100 and 200 freestyles, while being a part of the winning 200 freestyle relay quartet.

Since it was Senior Night, the Tarpon seniors chose which events they would compete in, with several choosing events they don’t normally do. Among those experimenting was Reagan Dunn, who finished third in diving.

The Tarpons and Sharks also engaged in mixed relays, for entertainment purposes, only. The mixed relay teams competed alongside the regular relay foursomes, but their scores did not count.

Charlotte’s 200 mixed medley team of Zoe Schwartz (back), Johnathan Rawlings (breast), Dunn (fly) and Kasey Roy (free) would have won either boys or girls relay event. Charlotte’s 200 mixed relay team of Brady Hackenberg, Matthew Morales, Marley Dillow and Bree Slorp competed alongside the boys’ relay and turned in a time that would have been good for second. Lastly, Bella Slagter, Moenning, Bora Douglass and Lauren Trabucchi raced to a would-be second place in the 400 freestyle relay.

Charlotte will jump back in the South County pool on Saturday when it plays host to Riverview and Sarasota.

FOOTBALL

Schouten earns national honor: Former Lemon Bay standout Henry Schouten was named the National Defensive Player of the Week by D2football.com for his play this past Saturday.

The Bentley University junior linebacker totaled 19 tackles, recovered a fumble he forced, and tallied a sack during Bentley’s home-opening win, 34-24, over Southern Connecticut.

Schouten was also named the Northeast-10 Player of the Week.

His 19 tackles are the most by a Falcon since Salvatore Lupoli Jr. amassed 23 tackles at Saint Anselm (Oct. 7, 2023).