Numbers Game | It doesn't feel like it, but winter has already arrived

By the time you read this it will officially be winter. You'll probably pull this up online at some point Tuesday morning before you actually want to start working, or maybe you like to get the paper in print Tuesdays so you can see my face (hi!). As long as you aren't on bradenton.com/sports violently refreshing to read this before 11:48 p.m. on Monday - and, I mean, feel free - then it is be winter right now.

Even though it's, like, 75 degrees and these snowflake patterned lights strung up around downtown Bradenton don't make any sense it really is winter! You can tell because it's basketball time and the never-ending Florida football season is truly over. The Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) North-South All-Star Football Game is in the rearview and so is the Fightin' Willie Taggarts' bowl game.

Let's hit on those real quick so we can take a look at some winter sports before Christmas.

8

Points scored by Manatee County players at the FACA North-South All-Star Football Game Saturday in The Villages. All eight points were scored by Nickolas Null, who made two field goals and two extra points.

The Hurricane specialist handled kicking duties during the first half of his South team's 32-30 win against the North and switched to punting in the second half. His holder for the game was a familiar teammate and one of two other county players in the game.

Canes wide receiver Kavious Price, who led the area in receiving yards this year, lined up as a running back and wildcat quarterback, and also handled holding duties for Null. During one extra-point attempt, Price chased down a defender for a two-point saving tackle after a bad snap sailed over his head.

Palmetto running back Octavious James also played for the South, primarily being used as a power back.

12,573

Career total yards for Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty, who accounted for 446 yards in a 45-35 win against South Florida on Monday in the Miami Beach Bowl.

I was tempted to go with 2:30 because that's seriously what time in the afternoon the Miami Beach Bowl was played on a Monday. Zero also could have worked: The number of brawls in this year's edition after the Memphis-BYU fracas last year. Or one: The number of players named Wonderful Terry in this game.

Instead it goes to the quarterback who Taggart recruited to the Hilltoppers and has perhaps usurped the USF head coach as the top signcaller in WKU history. Taggart, who led Manatee to the 1992 Class 5A state championship, is third on Western Kentucky's all-time yardage list at 8,112 yards.

+23

Lakewood Ranch boys basketball's point differential per game. The Mustangs are 9-1 this season with all but one victory coming by at least 13 points.

The only loss for Ranch, which enters the week ranked 65th in the state by MaxPreps' Freeman rankings, came by nine points against Lehigh Acres Lehigh, which is No. 3 in the Freeman rankings, on Dec. 12. Three days later, Lakewood Ranch beat the Tigers by eight. Every other game for the Mustangs has been a rout.

Even Thursday, when Ranch traveled to Southeast to face the No. 2 public school in the county, Lakewood Ranch cruised to an 18-point victory. The Mustangs will get another chance to establish area supremacy Monday when they host Bradenton Christian, the second highest ranked county team in the Freeman rankings.

22

Combined Final Four appearances for a pair of coaches who attended Ranch girls basketball games last week to scout LaDazhia Williams.

Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw, who has led the Fighting Irish to six Final Fours and a national championship, was in Palmetto on Thursday to watch Williams score 16 points and block three shots in a blowout win against PHS. The next night Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma - he of the 10 national championships and 16 Final Fours - watched Williams score 22 in an 81-61 loss to Seffner Christian.

Williams, who plays both small forward and center for Lakewood Ranch, is the No. 43-ranked recruit in ESPN's Class of 2017 Super 60.

5

Consecutive district games without a loss for the Tigers boys soccer team, which has vaulted into second place in Class 4A-District 11 after a 1-2 start. PHS lost to both Venice and North Port in November, but since the calendar turned to December, Palmetto has been perfect. The Tigers opened the month with a win against Braden River before drawing with the Indians and beating Charlotte. On Dec. 10, PHS handed the Bobcats their only loss of the season.

Palmetto concluded its 4-1 month in the district with another win against the Pirates on Thursday to bring its record to 8-4-1 overall and 5-2-1 in 4A-11. The Tigers will be the No. 2 seed in the district tournament behind North Port, which finished the district season at 6-1-1.

3

Number of Florida teams which showed up in High School Football America's year-end Top 25 - a group headed by IMG.

The Ascenders finished at No. 7 in the poll, which is a computer poll accounting for strength of schedule and results. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, which beat BRHS in the state semifinal on its way to the Class 7A championship, finished at No. 13 and Miami Central rounded out the trio at No. 22. IMG went 9-0 during the regular season and 2-0 against teams from Florida.

Colquitt County from Moultrie, Ga., finished the year atop the poll.

David Wilson, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7057 or via email at dwilson@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter@DBWilson2.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Numbers Game | It doesn't feel like it, but winter has already arrived ."