The American High Patriots look good on both sides of the ball on paper but the new season will tell whether the football team can experience another successful regular season, and also erase the disappointing early round playoff exit. American won the district championship four consecutive years but their seasons ended in disappointment, as they were eliminated in the first round of the postseason under former coach Corey Bell...

  The Miami Lakes Optimist Club will be holding registration for the 2015 Fall baseball and softball season from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., on consecutive Saturdays, August 8, 15 and 22, at Miami Lakes Middle School, 6425 Miami Lakeway North. The Optimist Club welcomes returning and new players to play in an exciting season. New players must bring a copy of their birth certificates to the registration, which costs $145 per person. Only...

  Shula’s 3.0 Women’s Tennis team defeated every team in their bracket and made it to the recent state finals against Marion County. The women came in second and received the runner up trophy. Should Marion County not be able to send 8 members to national competition, Shula’s team will represent Florida in October. Team members include (front, kneeling) Judy Gallo and Paula Isola; (standing, from left) Andea Gil, Marta...

  As Adam Ruiz was wrestling with his ambivalence over which college to chose, Florida State University or University Central Florida, he created a sibling rival and a divided house.His older brother, Eric, attended FSU and wanted him to enroll at his alma mater, but his other brother, Brain, who attended UCF, was coaxing him to choose the school he graduated from. It was a tough decision for Adam Ruiz, but he choose to be a Knight...

  The Miami Lakes Heat All-Star softball team, from the Miami Lakes Optimist Club, got a surprise visitor last month to speak to them about playing college softball. Abi Valdes, who now attends Shorter University in Georgia, returned to her softball roots to encourage her younger peers to attend college and play softball at their July 14 practice. The Hawks player wanted to give back to the sport that she grew up playing since she was 7...