ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
Coming up at Orlando Speed World Dragway:
* Today (Saturday)-and-Sunday _ No Guts, No Glory 12.
* Wheels Up Wednesday _ “All Welcome Test and Tune and Grudge Racing” with gates opening at 6 p.m. and racing from 6 p.m.-to-10:30 p.m. $20 General Admission or $30 to race.
* Thursday-thru-Saturday (December 19-21) _ Kings of Grunge (Bikes).
* FUNDAY Sunday (December 22) _ “All Welcome Test and Tune and Grudge Racing” with gates opening at 10 a.m. and racing from 10:30 a.m.-to-5 p.m. $20 General Admission (kids 10-and-Under free) or $35 to race.
The Dragway Information Hotline is at (407) 568-5522 and the website is at _ www.raceosw.com/dragway/.
SpeedWorld is located 17 miles east of Orlando in Bithlo at 19164 East Colonial Drive, between Orlando and Titusville on Highway 50 at the 520 Cocoa Cutoff.
FHSAA STATE FOOTBALL
No. 2 seeded Lake Mary High School (12-2) will challenge top-seeded and defending state champion Venice High School (13-1) in the 2024 FHSAA Class 7A State Championship Game on South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami today (Saturday) at 12:30 p.m.
Go to _ https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/playoffs/state/florida _ for the live stream.
HOOPS WITH A HEART
For the first time since bring inaugurated by late Oviedo High Coach Ed Kershner, the Hoops with a Heart Invitational will be held at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando today (Saturday).
The 1-day event, which benefits former Bishop Moore coach Rob Graham, will accept donations as admission for Graham, who suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a game in 2005.
Here is the Boys schedule:
1:30 p.m. _ Boone vs. Seminole.
3:30 p.m. _ Cocoa vs. Lake Minneola.
5:30 p.m. _ Oviedo vs. Orlando Christian Prep.
7:30 p.m. _ Bishop Moore vs. Viera.
STETSON WOMEN
The Stetson women’s basketball team (4-5) will be at home at the Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center, where they remain undefeated, to host the High Point Panthers today (Saturday) at 1:30 p.m. as the opening game of a doubleheader with the men. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
UCF MEN
The UCF men’s basketball team (6-2) faces another road test in the penultimate game of its 2024 non-conference slate, when it will square off against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the Autonation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise today (Saturday) at 2 p.m. from Amerant Bank Arena and will be broadcast on ESPNU. Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
STETSON MEN
The Stetson men's basketball team (1-8) will remain at home at Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center today (Saturday) to take on FIU at 4 p.m. following the Women's Basketball's game against High Point. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Hatters will then head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to challenge LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Tuesday at 9 p.m.
UCF WOMEN
The UCF women’s basketball team (7-2) will return from a 9-day break to host High Point for their last non-conference game on Tuesday in Addition Financial Arena at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Knights learned this week that senior guard Kaitlin Peterson, who was the Big 12 Player of the Week for the week of November 25, is the leading scorer in the Big 12 and No. 8 nationally at 22.4 points per game and senior center Hannah Gusters is the No. 12 scorer (16.3) and No. 4 rebounder (8.9 per game) in the Big 12.
Also, sophomore forward Achol Akot is No. 5 in rebounding in the Big 12 at 8.6 per game and freshman guard Emely Rodriguez, who was the Big 12 Freshman of the Week the week of November 25, is No. 22 in the Big 12 in rebounding at 5.9 per game.
SANFORD ADULT SOFTBALL
Here is this week’s schedule in the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department Adult Softball Fall Season.
The Semi-Co-Ed/Fun League on Wednesday will wrap up with Fed Up challenging Pat’s Liquor at 6:30 p.m.; Fusion taking on the Badgers at 7:30 p.m.; and Wet Spot facing Throwbacks at 8:30 p.m. The West End Trading Company has completed its season.
Everyone is invited to watch the games for free at Pinehurst Park on West 24th Street.
For more information contact Dominic Pascuzzo, City of Sanford Recreation Supervisor, at the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120, extension 5004; Fax _ 407-688-5121; facebook.com/SanfordFLCityGovt; instagram.com/cityofsanfordfl; visit the city website _ www.sanfordfl.gov _ or email: [email protected].
SOAP BOX DERBY
One of the most popular events on the CFSBD calendar, especially with out of state competitors, is coming to Mike Kirby Park to close out 2024 when The City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and Central Florida Soap Box Derby hosts the 2-Day Holiday Rally on Saturday, December 28, and Sunday, December 29.
The entry fee is $115 for one entry or $200 total for a family of two or more drivers.
The final day to enter and pay in full is Thursday, December 19. No onsite registration.
Kirby Park will be open on Friday, December 27, from 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. for trailer drop-off.
RV’s are welcome, but you MUST make prior arrangements with the Rally Director.
Each Day, check in will be at 7 a.m., with racing beginning at 8:30 a.m., and will consist of a Double Elimination race for each class in the morning, followed by a lunch break and a Single Elimination race for each class in the afternoon.
Soap Box Derby racing is open to children ages 7 to 20 _ Stock, 7-to-13; Super Stock, 9-to-18; Masters, 10-to-20 _ with a limited number of loaner cars available for new participants.
Everyone, especially interested non-racers, is invited to attend any of the family friendly events, free of charge, at beautiful Mike Kirby Park located on the west side of Sanford on Oregon Avenue, north off of CR-46A (25th Street/H. E. Thomas Parkway) or east off of Rinehart Road, just south of the GreeneWay entry. The track is East of Bentley Elementary School.
For more information on Central Florida Soap Box Derby or to download a registration form, please check out the websites at www.soapboxderby.org or www.centralflorida.soapboxderby.org; [email protected], 407-353-6228, or call the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120. Information is also available at _ https://www.facebook.com/CentralFloridaSoapboxDerby/ _ especially photos and flyers.
STAFFDNA CURE BOWL
Get your tickets for the only bowl season matchup of conference champions!
C-USA Champion Jacksonville State Gamecocks (9-4) and the Mid-American Conference Champion Ohio Bobcats (10-3) will face off at Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is at noon on Friday, Dec. 20, on ESPN.
Tickets start at $39, and are on sale now. Go to _ https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/2200615FBF9E1C41 _ for ticket information.
POP-TARTS BOWL
The Miami Hurricanes and Iowa State Cyclones will square off in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports announced Sunday. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
No. 13 Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC) will be making a record seventh all-time appearance in the game, and its first since a 2020 Cheez-It Bowl matchup against Oklahoma State. The Hurricanes are 3-3 in their previous six appearances, four of which were played in Orlando.
No. 18 Iowa State (10-3, 7-2 Big 12), fresh off of an appearance in Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game, will be making its third Orlando bowl trip since 2019 — a run that includes a 2019 Camping World Bowl defeat to Notre Dame and a 2021 Cheez-It Bowl loss to Clemson.
The Hurricanes and Cyclones have never met on the gridiron.
The 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl will be the 35th edition of the game, which has been held at Camping World Stadium since 2001 after 11 years in South Florida. Last year, Kansas State defeated NC State 28-19 in the first edition of the bowl to feature Pop-Tarts as a title sponsor.
Pop-Tarts Bowl tickets are available now. Visit PopTartsBowl.com to buy or to learn more about group, premium, Family Fun Play and other ticket offers.
CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL
The South Carolina Gamecocks and Illinois Fighting Illini will square off in this season's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports announced Sunday. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC) will be making its fourth all-time appearance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and its first since a 34-24 win over Wisconsin to close the 2013-14 season. The Gamecocks also appeared in the Jan. 2, 2012 Citrus Bowl, a 30-13 win over Nebraska, and the 1975 game, a 20-7 defeat to Miami (Ohio).
No. 20 Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) will be appearing in the game for the second time and first since quarterback and game MVP Jeff George led the team to a 31-21 win over Virginia on New Year’s Day 1990.
The Gamecocks and Illini have never met on the gridiron.
This season's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will be the 79th edition of the game, an annual matchup of top SEC and Big Ten teams since 1993. Last season, Tennessee defeated Iowa 35-0 in the second edition of the Citrus Bowl to feature Cheez-It as a title sponsor.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl tickets are available now. Visit CheezItCitrusBowl.com to buy or to learn more about group, premium, Family Fun Play and other ticket offers.
