These are moments we’ll remember for many high school sports seasons to come

Every high school sports season leaves moments that will be remembered for years to come.

The 2016-17 prep year was no different as we saw moments across all three seasons that came from teams or individuals, and both on and off the field, that resonated.

So let’s get started with the important moments that shocked us, made us sad, put a smile on our faces and generated excitement, beginning with the fall season and wrapping up with the spring:

Braden River football players lend a helping hand

When Hurricane Hermine caused flooding throughout Manatee County and put a kibosh on that Friday’s slate of high school football games, there were a group of players at Braden River High that stayed in action.

Demetrius Lawson, Devontay Seabrooks and Paul Wiggins were upstairs in Lawson’s house when Palmetto resident Pat McClain drove down the flooded street in front of the house and got stuck. The three football players waded through the water and pushed McClain’s Nissan Quest vehicle onto dry land. There were other times that early September day that the trio helped steer vehicles away from their flooded road. Their heroics were later recognized at a Manatee County school board meeting.

Braden River football vs. Venice I

It was the most exciting game of the 2016 high school football season, and there was tons of offense for fans to enjoy. In 2015, the Pirates captured both the regular season and playoff meetings with the Indians at Braden River High. In 2016, Venice High exacted revenge at home in two meetings. But prior to the playoff game, the two sides engaged in a one-score game that came down to the final play. Quarterback Louis Colosimo torched Venice through the air for 469 yards, while Indians running back Matt “Speedy” Laroche was part of a running game that Braden River’s defense struggled to contain. Laroche ran for 325 yards and five touchdowns in the 42-35 victory. Colosimo was sacked on the game’s final play, unable to let go of a Hail Mary heave in the epic regular season encounter.

Key road victory

Manatee High’s volleyball program has excelled as of late, but the run to the Class 8A state final four this year came with the return of setter Gabby Coulter and doing something that doesn’t happen frequently — defeating Venice High inside the “Teepee,” the nickname given to the Indians’ gymnasium. Manatee dusted off Venice on the road for the first time since 2006. That four-set victory came in the regional semifinals, where JoJo Coulter tallied 23 kills and 14 digs, Stefani Keller added four blocks and Gabby Coulter contributed 42 assists. The Hurricanes then took Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas to five sets before falling in the 8A state semifinals.

Seeing red

A defining moment in the Class 5A boys soccer state championship match came just 20 minutes into the game. Forward Ricky Yanez picked up a red card, which altered how Lakewood Ranch High could play the remaining 60 minutes of an eventual 1-0 defeat to Weston Cypress Bay. The Mustangs still had their chances to get even and force extra time, but Pablo Vargas was a solo front man and it was tough to link the play to him without Yanez buzzing about up top.

Dominant run yields Final Four berth

Janelle Hochstetler didn’t need to wait long before getting Bradenton Christian’s girls basketball team to the state final four. In her second season, the Panthers were dominant. Their margin of victory was 29.4 points per game prior to playing in the Class 3A state semifinals for the first time since 2010. The Panthers dropped that game to Tampa Carrollwood Day, 73-37.

Record basketball crowd

Lakewood Ranch High’s boys basketball team waited a year for its revenge against St. Petersburg High. Avoiding the tight quarters at the Devil’s Den gym, the Mustangs hosted St. Pete High in a rematch from 2016 for the right to advance to the state final four. Lakewood Ranch drew a record crowd, too. The Mustangs polished off a 73-68 victory that came down to the final possessions in front of an estimated 1,300 fans. The victory sent Lakewood Ranch into the Class 8A state semifinals for the first time in program history.

Ending an undefeated season

Reversing previous meetings during the tennis season, the Out-of-Door Academy boys peeled off an unlikely victory at Saint Stephen’s in April. It just so happened that matchup was for the region championship and a spot in the state tournament. ODA’s upset victory over the Falcons, who were unbeaten at the time, came when Jake Krug, Connor Krug and Philip Chiritescu ran off singles victories and the Krugs earned a doubles victory.

Weightlifting state record shattered

Palmetto’s Sha’la McMillan has Olympic aspirations in weighlifting, and she left an indelible mark at this year’s state tournament despite not capturing the gold medal. McMillan set a new state record with a 275-pound clean-and-jerk en route to a runner-up finish behind Wellington’s LeeAnn Hewitt in the unlimited weight class.

Manatee High football vacancy

Just a few weeks before spring football practices started, a resignation occurred to send shockwaves throughout the state: Manatee High head football coach John Booth was leaving, meaning the tradition-rich Hurricanes were looking for a new head coach. That search took nearly two months and almost 130 applicants before former Tallahassee Lincoln head coach Yusuf Shakir was hired last week.

Bookending state titles

Saint Stephen’s football team won the Sunshine State Athletic Conference championship in the fall, before the boys track team captured the Class 1A state team title at IMG Academy at the beginning of May. The Falcons were the only team to secure an FHSAA state title, and the football team avenged its SSAC championship loss from the previous season.

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "These are moments we’ll remember for many high school sports seasons to come."