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For the first time since the 1990s, Keystone Heights has a new head football coach.

But that doesn't mean the foundations of Keystone football are changing all that much.

"Schematically, the offense will look a little different," new head coach Steve Reynolds said, "but ultimately, the core values we teach the kids, the hard work and overcoming adversity, those core values stay the same."

The Clay County school promoted defensive coordinator Reynolds as their new coach Monday. He moves into the head coaching job in place of longtime coach Chuck Dickinson, who stepped away from the sidelines after 24 seasons but remains with the program as athletic director.

Keystone Heights finished 2-8 last season in District 6-2S, competing against Bradford, Palatka and Tocoi Creek, although the team won 10 games in 2021.

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A veteran of the Northeast Florida scene, Reynolds previously coached at Bradford from 2012-2013, then moved into Clay County with Oakleaf, leading the Knights in 2016 and 2017. He compiled a 9-11 won-lost record at Bradford and an 8-11 mark at Oakleaf.

Reynolds, who graduated from Bradford in 2004 and played college football at Jacksonville University, also coached at St. Johns Country Day before spending the last three seasons on the Keystone staff.

Keystone has persisted as a stronghold of the ground game under Dickinson's tenure, rolling up 4,007 rushing yards two seasons ago compared to 298 through the air. Reynolds, however, said the 2023 Keystone squad can expect to open up a bit more, starting with plans for 7-on-7 activities.

Whatever the run-pass mix this season, Reynolds said he's planning to keep up Dickinson's emphasis on building strong relationships and team spirit, a characteristic that caught his attention even during his playing days at nearby Bradford.

Also continuing, Reynolds said, will be the emphasis on the school's strength program. That unit, under Keystone coaching veteran Lantz Lowery, has brought back Florida High School Athletic Association boys weightlifting championships in 2021 and 2022.

"We often have kids where it takes them the full six years [as a combined middle-senior high school] to fully develop to where they're ready," Reynolds said. "We don't give up on them."

Reynolds' hiring fills the last open position in Clay County football. Fleming Island hired Bartram Trail assistant Chad Parker at the turn of the new year, and Oakleaf named Jackson's Christopher Foy as the Knights' new coach in December. Now, Reynolds is ready to begin his next chapter barely a mile from his home.

"Keystone Heights is a tight-knit, close community," Reynolds said. "It's a very special thing here, and I'm glad to not only be a part of it but have a chance to lead this team."

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University head softball coach Jordan Clark announced the Owls' 2023 signing class on Wednesday. Clark brings in a promising group of seven student-athletes that will build the program heading into the future. "What an exciting day to officially welcome our 2023 incoming class," Clark said. "This class shows that the future of FAU Softball is bright, and we are thrilled that they will help us transition into the American Athletic Conference with depth, competitiveness, and high skill sets. This is a big class, and we knew that we needed to replace a graduating class that was big in size that also had a lot of game experience. We believe this class will bring energy both on and off the field. They come from amazing families who match our program values, and we know they will help us continue to raise the bar for FAU Softball on the field, in the classroom and in the community."

Madisen Antioco, INF/OF, New Port Richey, Fla., J.W. Mitchell High School "Madisen is small in stature but plays big," Clark said. "She is spunky and can play multiple positions. Her versatility both offensively and defensively separates her from others. She is an amazing student and an even better person. She will make our program better with the standards she holds for herself and others around her. We are so excited to welcome Madisen into our Owl family."

Antioco was a two-time all-conference honoree during her career at J.W. Mitchell High School. She was part of a team that was regional champions and made the state final four.

Kiley Channell, INF, Keystone Heights, Fla., Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School "Kiley is a super competitive athlete who is a high-level hitter with soft hands defensively," Clark said. "She was someone who caught our eyes right away in the recruiting process with how hard she played and the highlight reels she put together on defense. She won't overpower you in size but makes up with it for how hard she works and how much she loves the game. We are so excited to welcome Kiley to our Owl family."

During her career at Keystone Heights, Channell was a two-time first-team all-county honoree as well as a third-team all-state recipient. A two-sport athlete, Channell was also a two-time first team all-county selection and District 4A Player of the Year in basketball.

Izabella Cimino, INF, Farmingdale, N.Y., Farmingdale High School "Izabella is a strong and physical athlete that has the ability to hit for power and develop into a big weapon on offense," Clark said. "Her athleticism allows her to play multiple positions and be a true utility on the infield. The sky is the limit for Izabella, and we are so excited to see her grow and develop her into the player we know she can be. We are so excited to welcome Izabella into our Owl family."

At Farmingdale, Cimino was an all-division honoree for softball in 2019 and an all-conference recipient in 2020. Another two-sport athlete, Cimino earned all-division, all-conference and all-county awards for swimming.

Corin Dammeier, C, Franklin, Ind., Franklin Community High School "Corin has a cannon behind the plate and high confidence in her ability to throw runners out and lead a defense," Clark said. "Her ability to drive the ball in the gaps and get herself on base will be a huge plus for our offense. She is extremely intelligent in the classroom, and we expect her to do big things at FAU on and off the field. We are so excited to welcome Corin to our Owl family."

Dammeier is a Franklin Community record holder in four categories – batting average (.514), on-base percentage (.581), runners caught stealing and runners picked off. For her efforts, she received all-conference and daily journal all-county honors.

Hannah Green, OF, Kansas City, Mo., Liberty High School "Hannah is our first player from the Kansas City area," Clark said. "We expect Hannah to steal bases and add pressure to opposing defenses right away. She is a true triple threat, and we are excited to see her grow and develop in our system. She has the ability to track down balls gap toe gap and isn't afraid to take charge in the outfield. We are so excited to welcome Hannah to our Owl family."

Over the course of her career at Liberty, Green was a first team all-conference honoree as well as a two-time first team all-district and two-time all-region recipient.

Brooklyn Lorenzo, UTL/INF, Miami Lakes, Fla., Barbara Goleman High School "Brooklyn is passionate, extremely competitive, and athletic," Clark said. "She plays with a chip on her shoulder and makes everyone else around her love the game. She will bring athleticism and speed to our infield where she can play just about every position on the field. We are so excited to welcome Brooklyn to our Owl family."

At Barbara Goleman, Lorenzo was a first-team all-county selection for three consecutive years.

Maddie Mayo, INF/OF, Tallahasse, Fla., Florida State University High School "Maddie is extremely versatile and can play infield/outfield as well as hit for power," Clark said. "She plays high level travel softball for one of the best teams in the country. She is a true competitor that has the ability to make a big difference in our program. We are so excited to welcome Maddie into our Owl family."

Mayo has earned All-Big Bend honors in three seasons in addition to three all-state honors, highlighted by her First Team FACA All-State recognition. Clark and the Owls will begin their 2023 season on Feb. 9 at home against Mississippi State.

To stay up to date on all things FAU softball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUSoftball.

PALMETTO, Fla.- Another head coaching vacancy opened up in Southwest Florida.

Longtime Palmetto head coach Dave Marino retired, thus ending 13 years at the helm as the Tigers head coach. Palmetto just completed a 6-4 campaign in which the Tigers qualified for the Class 4S playoffs, losing to Lehigh 31-24 in the opening round.

Marino stepping away comes as a surprise to many around the state as the Palmetto bench boss led a team that featured one of the top quarterbacks in the region in sophomore Zander Smith. Smith threw for 1,638 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Tigers started off the 2022 season somewhat rough, going 2-3 with losses up against Braden River, Sarasota and Clearwater Academy International. Once the team returned to the field after Hurricane Ian, Palmetto went 4-0 heading into the postseason.

Keystone Heights tabs former Bradford/Oakleaf head coach Steve Reynolds as lead man

Since 1999, Charles Dickinson was always the voice as the head coach of the Keystone Heights Indians.

When he stepped down as the head coach after the 2022 season, finding a lead man that has already been in the same position was what the school was looking for. They found their man in Steve Reynolds.

The former Bradford/Oakleaf head coach was named Keystone Heights’ lead man, according to an announcement made by the school. Reynolds was at Bradford for two seasons, leading the team to a record of 10-11 and one playoff appearance between 2013-2014.

When Reynolds was the head coach at Oakleaf in 2016-2017, he had a record of 9-11 in his two-year stint.

Oakleaf defensive coordinator Ben White named next Menendez head coach

It was a busy day in Northeast Florida when it came to head coaching hirings and Menendez High School was another that found the right fit.

Oakleaf defensive coordinator Ben White was officially announced the next head coach at Menendez, according to an announcement by the school Monday afternoon. The Falcons went 5-5 in the 2022 campaign.

White takes over a Menendez program that had its moments of promise throughout last season. The Falcons’ five wins were over Ridgeview, Pine Ridge, Gainesville, Clay and Matanzas.

Oakleaf’s defense yielded 27.8 points per game in 2022, but the unit racked up 24 sacks, 10 interceptions and recovered six fumbles. White takes over a Menendez team that played well defensively (176 points allowed in 2022), but struggled to score points at 18.5 per game.

Oak Ridge hires Jones’ assistant Andrew Anderson as new head coach

The Oak Ridge Pioneers didn’t have to go too far at all in finding its next head coach.

Jones High School assistant Andrew Anderson was named the next head coach at Oak Ridge High School, per an announcement from the school on Tuesday.

Anderson comes over from a Fightin’ Tigers program that is coming off a 11-3 campaign and reached the Class 3S state semifinals. The former Jones assistant will now head up an Oak Ridge team that went 1-9 in 2022, with the only win coming over Lake Buena Vista.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.

Play "Indecent" Explores Story Behind Censorship on Broadway of 1923 Yiddish Play for Obscenity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(NEW YORK)—The National Coalition Against Censorship, PEN America, and the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, organizations dedicated to artistic, intellectual, and academic freedom, today expressed deep concern over the cancellation of the student production of the play, Indecent, by the administration at Douglas Anderson School of Performing Arts in Duval County, FL. The groups urged school officials to rescind their decision and work with students to stage the play as planned. Scheduled to open in March, school officials this month pulled it from production—a few weeks after casting had been decided—due to “adult sexual dialog that is inappropriate for cast members and student audiences.”

In a statement, the organizations said: “Indecent is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 2015 play by Paula Vogel that possesses rich educational and artistic merit. It has been produced Off-Broadway, on Broadway, and has been broadcast on PBS. It explores the story behind the 1907 Yiddish play, God of Vengeance, and how it was censored on Broadway in 1923 for obscenity, in part, over its depictions of lesbian relationships. Indecent takes inspiration from the origins and story of God of Vengeance, its subsequent obscenity trial, and its aftermath, to explore themes of LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, censorship, and antisemitism in the early 20th Century—themes which have striking relevance to the issues facing society today.

As is demonstrated through its past productions of RENT and Chicago, Douglas Anderson School of Performing Arts has staged other popular theater productions with likely as much, if not more, ‘sexual dialog’ as is conveyed in Indecent. If vaguely-defined adult sexual dialog’ is reason enough to ban plays from school productions, these, and many other canonical productions would be banned from student theaters—Romeo and Juliet for depicting sexually active teens, Oedipus Rex for its incestual themes, and other works that have serious literary and artistic value for students and community members.

Finally, the cancellation of the play is also deeply hurtful to LGBTQ+ students, including members of the cast, who see the rejection of the play as a denial of the historical experience of LGBTQ+ people and the persistence of discrimination against them.

For these reasons, we urge Douglas Anderson School of the Performing Arts to resume its preparations for the performance of this important play.”

National Coalition Against Censorship

Since its inception in 1974, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has functioned as a first responder in protecting freedom of expression, a fundamental human right and a keystone of democracy. Representing 59 trusted education, publishing, and arts organizations, NCAC encourages and facilitates dialogue between diverse voices and perspectives, including those that have historically been silenced.

Dramatists Legal Defense Fund

The Dramatists Guild, founded in 1919, created the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund to advocate and to educate, and to provide the public with a new resource in defense of the First Amendment, fair copyright laws, and a robust public domain. In light of dwindling public funding for the arts, the DLDF advocates not only for dramatists, but for theaters and other theater artists (as well as audiences, schools, students, and the culture at large), all of whom are confronting censorship and other issues of public import related to the dramatic arts.

PEN America

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. It champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Its mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Founded in 1922, PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.

Contact: Suzanne Trimel, STrimell@PEN.org, 201-247-5057

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 24 Penn State women's gymnastics team (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) will compete in Rec Hall for the first time in 2023 on Friday at 6 p.m. when it takes on Liu, Penn, and SCSU in a quad meet.

The meet will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.

LIU (No. 34) and Penn (No. 39) both appear in the top 40 in the RoadToNationals rankings as teams head into the second week of the season. The Nittany Lions have already bested Penn in competition earlier this year at the Keystone Classic on Jan. 6. The Quakers boast the 18^th-ranked score in the nation on beam thus far in 2023, however, Penn State's 17^th-best bar ranking and 24^th-best floor exercise score pace each team competing in Rec Hall on Friday night.

TUNE IN LIVE Live Stream (BTN+) | Live Results

A LOOK BACK AT OPENING WEEKEND

The Nittany Lions are coming off an opening weekend where they posted their best opening-meet score since 2012. The Nittany Lions then improved on their 195.475 from the Keystone Classic on Friday and scored a 195.875 at No. 13 Denver on Sunday.

Penn State's freshmen stole the show, as Amani Herring scored an incredible 9.925 on balance beam in her very first event of her first collegiate competition. Fellow newcomer Ava Piedrahita won the all-around with a score of 39.175 in her initial collegiate meet as well.

As a team, The Nittany Lions rank inside the top 35 in the country in every event following opening weekend.

VAULT – No. 35

The Nittany Lions posted three scores of 9.800 or better on the vault over the weekend, with Piedrahita (9.825), Jessica Johanson (9.825), and Herring (9.800) leading the way for Penn State.

BARS – No. 17

Penn State's top event over the weekend was its performance on the parallel bars. The Nittany Lions were paced by a huge season-best 9.900 score by junior transfer Gabbie Gallentine at the Denver tri-meet, while fellow junior Maddie Johnston posted two scores of 9.825 or better, with a season-high 9.850 performance at the Denver tri-meet supporting Gallentine's big 9.900.

BALANCE BEAM – No. 26

The Nittany Lions' 26^th-best beam ranking is fronted by not one, but two freshmen. Herring stuck a 9.925 in her first event at her first collegiate meet to post Penn State's highest score on any event thus far into the season. Haleigh Gibble's career-best 9.850 is the second-highest score for the Nittany Lions as they head into Rec Hall tomorrow night.

Johanson's 9.700 on beam at Denver helped her to a 39.200 all-around score and her first ever all-around victory in just the second time she had competed on the balance beam in her career.

FLOOR – No. 24

The Nittany Lions scored 49.000 or better on the floor in both meets on opening weekend.

Johanson set another career-best mark, this time on the floor, with a 9.875 at both the Keystone Classic and Denver. 2022 NCAA Regional qualifier Isabella Salcedo competed on the floor for the first time in 2023 at the Keystone Classic and scored a 9.825 for the Nittany Lions.

Piedrahita used a 9.850 floor score at the Keystone Classic to solidify an all-around win with 39.175 points in her first collegiate competition.

All-Around

A Nittany Lion won the all-around title in each of the first two meets of the season.

Piedrahita took home the victory at the Keystone Classic with a 39.175 and Johanson posted a 39.200 to win the event at Denver. Additionally, Maddie Johnston competed well in all four events in both meets on opening weekend.

NEW FACES

The Nittany Lions added five gymnasts to the roster for the 2023 season. Herring, along with fellow freshmen Gibble, Piedrahita, and Katie Leary, joined Penn State's squad for the 2023 season.

Penn State also added junior transfer Gabbie Gallentine. The Florida transfer comes to Happy Valley after two years with the Gators and brings a career-best 9.95 bars score to bolster the Penn State group.

All five newcomers will see competition in Rec Hall for the first time on Friday night.

FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS

Penn State will hit the road following the opening weekend quad meet, and travel to Minnesota, for its first Big Ten dual meet of the 2023 campaign, on January 21 at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).