Alabama freshman basketball star Brandon Miller is the biggest story in college basketball right now. And for all the wrong reasons. Innocent in the eyes of the law, he’s drawn unwanted attention in the national spotlight because of his connection to a murder.

The climb to the top certainly wasn’t easy for Pace’s girls weightlifting team. There was a time where the Patriots were a long way from being a contender in the sport. But the climb reached the pinnacle on a Saturday in Lakeland in the middle of February, with the Patriots celebrating their first state title in program history.

A new name. A new school. The same story. You want more than anything for the cycle of young people dying by suicide to end. There just doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

MaxPreps has a much bigger role now in high school athletics than it once did. That status update is the result of the FHSAA partnering up with it when it comes to calculating rankings that determines who goes and who stays home when it comes to the postseason in all sports.

Haason Reddick leads the NFL in sacks. He’s having a postseason to remember. And on Sunday he’ll play in the Super Bowl with the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s a small world. When I first started writing here in Florida, covering sports for the Navarre Press – a role that has since stretched into the Press Gazette – Joe Surratt helped coach track with his wife, Mimi, at Navarre. I never imagined he’d one day become the head coach of a start-up high school program, especially at Central, which, for the record, I had no idea even existed when I arrived in the area.

A total of 258 picks. Only 48 selected. You do the math. The odds of being a women’s pro soccer player aren’t quite slim to none, but they are only a few houses down the street in the neighborhood.

I always find it interesting when fans lose their minds over a football recruit flipping his commitment. In some cases, you would think the world was on fire. What’s really funny is I saw someone the other day mention on social media that they must not teach loyalty at certain high schools.

I couldn’t help but have a potential fight catch my eye as a high school basketball game played out at a tournament over the holiday season. Tis the season to be merry. Check that, angry.

A year ago, a new adventure began with covering sports in this area. Our company bought the Press Gazette, and I’ll admit that I had my concerns about the extra responsibility and work that was now staring back at me.