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David Furones’ 2024 NFL mock draft: Do Dolphins pick at 21 or trade up/down?
The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s 2024 NFL mock draft series continues with Miami Dolphins beat writer David Furones’ first-round selections. Trades were factored into this mock draft. The NFL draft is April 25-27 in Detroit. For columnist Chris Perkins’ picks released last week, click here.
1) Chicago Bears (from Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Maybe there’s some hubbub over a possible switch in the coming weeks, but the consensus No. 1 selection is ultimately made.
Top needs: QB, Edge Rusher, WR
2) Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Some may say Drake Maye, but the Heisman winner goes second — and why would Washington trash one UNC quarterback (Sam Howell) for another?
Top needs: QB, OT, Edge
3) New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
So Maye ends up tied to the start of new Pats coach Jerod Mayo’s tenure.
Top needs: QB, OT, WR
4) Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
They get some trade offers, but the opportunity to draft the best prospect regardless of position is too good to pass up.
Top needs: WR, CB, Edge
5) Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Maybe they luck into Harrison if a QB-needy team trades up to 4, but Chargers snag a very good wideout for Justin Herbert after losing Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason.
Top needs: WR, OL, CB
6) New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Pass-happy league? Three quarterbacks and three receivers. Could be tempting to take J.J. McCarthy, but Daniel Jones gets one more shot with a new playmaker.
Top needs: WR, Interior OL, S
7) Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
Quarterback Will Levis took some shots as a rookie, as evidenced against the Dolphins last December; now gets needed protection.
Top needs: OT, Edge, WR
8) Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
The Falcons field trade offers here but take the first defender of the draft — and South Florida gets on the board in 2024 with the St. Thomas Aquinas grad.
Top needs: Edge, CB, DT
9) Las Vegas Raiders (mock trade with Chicago Bears): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Vegas decides it needs to slide in front of Minnesota at 11 to snag McCarthy, and Chicago helps the Raiders do it at the expense of a division rival, while adding draft capital.
Top needs: OT, QB, DL
10) New York Jets: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
This ends up being a home run pick for the Jets, adding maybe the draft’s most ready player as quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to win now.
Top needs: TE, S, WR
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11) Minnesota Vikings: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
They need a quarterback now, but with four gone, they don’t reach for Michael Penix or Bo Nix — not with another pick later in the first and not when defensive coordinator Brian Flores can take the first cornerback in the draft.
Top needs: QB, IOL, DL
12) Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
A bit of a reach, but after trying to trade down and without another pick until No. 76, coach Sean Payton sees some Drew Brees in Nix.
Top needs: QB, CB, DL
13) Chicago Bears (mock trade with Las Vegas Raiders): Jared Verse, Edge Rusher, Florida State
Also calculated in Bears’ trade down: No one’s taking the guy they would’ve picked at 8.
Top needs: Edge, WR, OT
14) New Orleans Saints: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
New Orleans needs a left tackle since Trevor Penning hasn’t worked as a Terron Armstead replacement.
Top needs: OT, WR, DL
15) Indianapolis Colts: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
They consider giving quarterback Anthony Richardson another target, but have Mitchell higher on their board than Brian Thomas and fill need.
Top needs: CB, WR, TE
16) Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, T-G, Washington
Fautanu kicks inside to guard, stays in Seattle and plays under his same college offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb. It’s too perfect.
Top needs: IOL, DL, LB
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
“Sacksonville” is back as Jags pair top pass rusher with Josh Allen (not the Bills QB), who was signed to an extension Wednesday morning.
Top needs: DB, DL, Edge
18) Cincinnati Bengals: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
With quarterback Joe Burrow’s injury history, Cincinnati needs to protect him, and the Bengals do with a physical blocker.
Top needs: OT, DT, CB
19) Los Angeles Rams: Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
Aaron Donald just retired, so yeah, the Rams will try to pick it right back up immediately on the interior of the defensive line.
Top needs: DT, Edge, CB
20) Pittsburgh Steelers: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
Massive right tackle opens door for 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones to become left tackle moving forward, although receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is considered here.
Top needs: OL, WR, CB
21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (mock trade with Miami Dolphins): Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Dolphins see a lot of draft targets still on the board and trade down five spots with their in-state friends in the NFC. The Bucs are motivated to move ahead of the Eagles, another team that needs to improve its secondary, and in the process, Miami adds a third-round pick since Tampa has two. The Dolphins no longer have the big gap in the 2024 draft from No. 55 in the second round to No. 157 in the fifth.
Top needs: CB, Edge, IOL
22) Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Philly still gets a cornerback, and the fastest one in the draft (4.28-second 40-yard dash).
Top needs: CB, IOL, WR
23) Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland through Houston): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
This is why the Vikings didn’t fret the early quarterback run, knowing they still had a second first-rounder.
Top needs: QB, IOL, DL
24) Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
With veteran left tackle Tyron Smith now on the Jets, Guyton fills the void nicely.
Top needs: OL, RB, DT
25) Green Bay Packers: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
David Bakhtiari is gone in Green Bay, and the Packers need protection for quarterback Jordan Love.
Top needs: OT, DT, LB
26) Miami Dolphins (mock trade with Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Graham Barton, G-T-C, Duke
After the trade down, Barton is right there for the taking. A versatile blocker whose athleticism bodes well for coach Mike McDaniel’s zone-blocking scheme, he could fill a void left from right guard Robert Hunt’s departure in free agency.
Top needs: OL, DL, Edge
27) Arizona Cardinals (from Houston): Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State
Cards need to address defense after going wide receiver early.
Top needs: Edge, CB, LB
28) Buffalo Bills: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
A fine receiving prospect falls right in the Bills’ lap after trading Stefon Diggs to Houston.
Top needs: WR, S, Edge
29) Detroit Lions: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
With Cam Sutton released, this makes sense, and coach Dan Campbell takes another Iowa defender after selecting lineback Jack Campbell last year.
Top needs: DB, Edge, WR
30) Baltimore Ravens: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C-G, Oregon
Played center last season, but Ravens need him at guard after losing two starters there.
Top needs: OL, Edge, WR
31) San Francisco 49ers: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
The writing’s on the wall for Brandon Aiyuk to leave after this year, so they get his replacement in the building.
Top needs: OL, CB, WR
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Keon Coleman, WR, FSU
The Chiefs keep giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes playmakers. Despite their Super Bowl win, they’re not forgetting how many drops they had in 2023.
Top needs: WR, OT, CB
More 2024 NFL draft coverageDolphins have added tight ends in free agency; do they still look for another in draft?
Dolphins NFL draft options: Tight ends
Dolphins could draft a high-quality O-lineman (Armstead’s successor?) in first two rounds
Dolphins NFL draft options: Offensive line
Dolphins NFL draft options: Running backs
Dolphins NFL draft options: Wide receivers
The South Florida Sun Sentinel continues its nine-part series previewing top players in the 2024 NFL draft (April 25-27) with the wide receivers.
It’s a deep and talented crop of wide receivers this year, which follows a recent NFL trend.
There could be as many as five wide receivers, most of whom feature good size, selected in the first round this year.
Last year there were four wide receivers selected in the first round, the year before (2022) there were six, and three years ago (2021) there were five.
The Miami Dolphins have a top-heavy wide receivers corps led by All Pro Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who form one of the league’s best 1-2 combinations.
After that, however, the Dolphins quickly go from average to below average among slot receiver Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, Erik Ezukanma, Braylon Sanders, Anthony Schwartz and Matthew Sexton.
An injury to Hill or Waddle and this crew will likely struggle — which was the case last season.
The Dolphins have a first-round pick for the first time in coach Mike McDaniel’s three years in charge as Miami has the 21st selection. Aside from that, the Dolphins have a second-round pick (No. 55), a fifth (No. 158), two sixth rounders (Nos. 184 and 198), and one seventh (No. 241).
Here’s a breakdown of the top wide receivers in the draft:
Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio StateHarrison (6-3, 209), the first team All-America whose father, Marvin Sr., is a Hall of Fame wide receiver, is the consensus No. 1 receiver in the draft. Excellent route-running, good hands and a high football IQ are what make Harrison so consistently good.
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Nabers (6-0, 200) is smooth and athletic with a flair for spectacular plays. He can also play from the slot. He accelerates quickly and is adept at short, medium and deep passes.
Rome Odunze, WashingtonOdunze (6-3, 212) is a big-bodied wide receiver who has that rare combination of play-making speed and a top-level ability to make contested catches. He’s not an elite route-runner but he knows how to get open and make the catch.
Brian Thomas Jr., LSUThomas (6-3, 209) led the nation with 17 touchdowns, and he did so largely using his size, athleticism, and well-rounded game. Thomas can go deep, play inside and make catches in traffic.
Adonai Mitchell, TexasMitchell (6-2, 205), a Georgia transfer, combines smooth movement with size and an ability to go get the ball with his wide range. He’s thin, but he can jump and knows how to use his length.
Best of the restFlorida State’s Keon Coleman, a Michigan State transfer, should be an upper second-round pick; Georgia’s Ladd McConkey is an excellent route-runner from the slot and is elusive; Florida’s Ricky Pearsall is a top-notch slot receiver; Oregon’s Troy Franklin is a big-play receiver who averaged 17.1 yards per exception last season; Michigan’s Roman Wilson is speedy with good hands.
Class grade: AThis is a deep, talented class that features as many as three top 10 talents at the top (Harrison Jr., Nabers, and Odunze), high-quality talent through two rounds, and starting-caliber talent through three rounds.
Teams in needChicago, New England, Arizona, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Tennessee, New York Jets, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Detroit, Baltimore, Kansas City.
Dolphins’ focusThe Dolphins could take one of several approaches in the first or second round. They could draft a No. 3 wide receiver to make the offense better this season. They could draft a wide receiver to plan for the future in the event Waddle departs in two years as a free agent. They could draft a wide receiver to be a starter in the slot. Or, the Dolphins could decline to draft a wide receiver.
All are in the realm of possibility with the offensive-minded Dolphins, a team that has more pressing needs at the top of the depth chart at other positions but could use some quality depth at wide receiver.
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Winderman’s view: Heat now at the leading-men-or-bust portion of their season
ATLANTA — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 117-111 double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks:
– That Tyler Herro continues to step up is encouraging.
– As is Jimmy Butler playing more in attack mode.
– Bam Adebayo hitting threes.
– And Nikola Jovic continues to emerge.
– But on the other end of the spectrum, the Heat’s role players continue to show their limitations.
– Jaime Jaquez Jr. appears to be hitting a wall.
– Caleb Martin couldn’t hit a shot in this one.
– Kevin Love has ceded minutes at backup center to Jovic.
– Which only confirms the obvious: It will be about the Heat’s leading men going forward.
– Including when Terry Rozier returns from his neck spasms.
– The playoffs are about leading men, anyway.
– When rotations get tighter.
– Which could leave Jaquez on the outside.
– So, in many ways, we’re back to where we started:
– Butler, Adebayo, Herro … or bust.
– This time no Duncan Robinson and Rozier.
– Robinson likely to miss multiple games with the return of his back issue.
– Rozier back perhaps as soon as Wednesday night against the Mavericks at Kaseya Center.
– This time the wheel of lineups stopped on Adebayo, Jovic, Butler, Herro and Martin, another supporting player who struggled Tuesday night.
– It was the fourth time the Heat opened with that lineup, entering at 1-2.
– It was Herro’s first start since Feb. 23, the game he went out late in the fourth quarter in New Orleans and then missed the next 20 games before returning this past Friday.
– Tuesday’s starting unit also started that game in New Orleans.
– Jovic extended his career-best streak to 15 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer.
– Love and Jaquez entered together in the Heat’s first substitution.
– Haywood Highsmith followed, playing as the best of the Heat’s complementary components..
– And then former Hawk Delon Wright for nine deep.
– Which stood as the extent of the primary rotation.
– Former Hawks Patty Mills out of the mix.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra addressed at the morning shootaround the mindset of this closing week.
– “Again, that’s the discipline,” he said. “There are so many different emotions that are going through our team and all the other teams that are grappling for position. It’s no different. It’s how you manage those emotions and how much you’re able to just focus on the task at hand.”
– He added, “There are so many different scenarios. You could go dizzy looking at all of that. And all it does is get you off the task and the process.”
– Of that needed mindset, Rozier said, “You can only focus on one game at a time. But we know what’s at stake, we know that we need to win every game from this point on. We have three, four games left. We know how important it is.”
– Rozier added, “Nobody is going to feel sorry for ourselves. We kind of dug ourselves in this hole, so we got to do everything we can to get out of it.”
– That was offered before Rozier was ruled out.
– Asked whether Herro, now three games back in his return from foot tendinitis after missing 20 games, was up to play both ends of this back-to-back set, Spoelstra said, “We’ll find out. We’re treating everything and everybody day to day. His body will let us know. He’s come out of these two games in a great place and we’ll just see how he feels after tonight’s game. We’ll make that decision.”
– The game opened the Heat’s 13th and final back-to-back of the season. The Heat entered the set 7-5 on the first nights, 6-6 on the second of such back-to-backs.
– It was the 239th double-figure scoring game for Herro, tying Hassan Whiteside for 14th place on the Heat all-time list.
– With his first defensive rebound, Highsmith set a single-season high. His previous high had been 131 in 2022-23.
Tyler Herro’s 33 power Heat to grueling, critical 117-111 2OT victory in Atlanta
ATLANTA – While much changed with the Miami Heat’s playoff outlook with Sunday night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Heat exited that game knowing that victories in their final four games gave them their best shot for direct entry into the NBA playoffs, or, at worst, a guarantee of opening the play-in round at home.
One down – Tuesday night’s 117-111 grueling double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena – three to go: Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks and then a season-ending pair against the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday and Sunday.
No, not the most optimal scenario, with the Heat still outside of the top six in the East, with those six seeds advancing directly to the best-of-seven first round of the playoffs.
But now with enough home cooking, the Heat at least can assure being at Kaseya Center for next Tuesday’s start of the play-in round, where one victory in two chances punches a playoff ticket.
“We’ve just got to win the rest,” forward Jimmy Butler said. “We’ve just got to do our job on our home court.”
With Terry Rozier out due to the neck spasms that first presented themselves Sunday and with Duncan Robinson again sidelined by a back issue, the Heat got 33 points from Tyler Herro, 25 from Butler, 23 from Nikola Jovic and 13 from Haywood Highsmith to survive and close out their road schedule at 24-17.
Asked his biggest takeaway from the night, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was succinct.
“That we got the win,” he said.
No, not the most optimal way to open the back-to-back set that concludes Wednesday night – with Herro and Bam Adebayo playing 48 minutes, Butler 44 – but it beat the alternative.
“Our guys,” Spoelstra said, “were exhausted.”
So Herro dug deep and the Heat held on.
“It did last a long time,” Jovic joked about the 2-hour, 35-minute marathon. “But that’s what we’re built for.
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:
1. Playoff race: The game had meaning beyond the current standings.
Should the Hawks win the Nos. 9-10 play-in game against the Chicago Bulls (that matchup already is locked in), they could stand as a potential Heat opponent in a winner-take-all matchup at the end of the East play-in tournament a week from Friday.
The Hawks won in Miami last year in the first round of the play-in tournament, forcing the Heat into a winner-take-all game against the Bulls that the Heat won.
“It’s obviously that time of the year where you’re paying attention to the standings,” Herro said.
As for other Tuesday results, the Pacers’ victory in Toronto all but ended the Heat’s pursuit of Indiana, with the 76ers’ victory over the Pistons keeping the heat on the Heat in the race for No. 7 in the East and hosting the play-in opener next Tuesday.
“It’s bringing out all the emotions that competition brings out,” Spoelstra said.
2. Closing time: The Heat led 30-27 at the end of the opening period and 59-47 at halftime, after going up 15 in the second period. The Heat went up 14 early in the third, but with seven turnovers, found themselves in an 80-80 tie going into the fourth.
Regulation ended tied 101-101 when the best the Heat could muster before the fourth-quarter buzzer was an errant 28-foot Herro heave.
The Heat then forced the second overtime with late 3-pointers in the first overtime from Jovic and Highsmith.
Herro then scored the first four points of the second overtime, putting the Heat up 111-107 with 1:50 remaining, with a Highsmith floater making it 113-107. Jovic later provided a security basket for a 115-109 Heat lead.
“And it was just a tremendous effort to have to overcome a lot of things,” Spoelstra said. “Tyler and Niko and H (Highsmith) made some big plays.”
3. Another twist: In the absences of Robinson and Rozier, the Heat moved to a starting backcourt of Herro and Caleb Martin.
It was Herro’s first start since he limped off the court in the Feb. 23 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, missing the next 20 games before Friday night’s return in the road victory over the Houston Rockets.
It was Martin’s first start since the Feb. 26 road victory over the Sacramento Kings, in the first of those 20 games missed by Herro.
The first five was rounded out by Butler, Adebayo and Jovic, the fourth time the Heat started the unit this season, having previously gone 1-2 with that opening quintet.
It was an uneven effort for Adebayo, who closed with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds and seven assists.
4. Stepping up: Herro opened 6 of 7 from the field and kept going from there, up to 16 points at halftime.
If there was any doubt about Herro moving back into the starting lineup full-time, this answered any question.
His play off the bounce created switches that freed teammates, adding the type of creativity the team missed in his absence.
“We needed somewhere else for the ball to go,” Spoelstra said of the Hawks loading defensively against Butler, “and it was Tyler.”
Herro closed 13 of 25 from the field, but just 4 of 13 on 3-pointers. He also had five rebounds and four assists.
“My teammate and my coaches trust me to step back in,” Herro said.
Herro hinted he was not initially cleared to play in back-to-back sets.
“He was totally exhausted by that second overtime. He has been cleared for everything,” Spoelstra said of Tuesday night’s minutes load on Herro.
Or, perhaps, not.
“I’m going to hide and duck with the training staff,” Spoelstra said of the flight home.
5. Another and another: Adebayo drained a pair of first-half 3-pointers, one from the right corner early and then one he banked in from the top of the arc in the second period.
Those conversions gave him the third multi-3 game of his career, with all three coming over the past 11 games.
Those were the only 3-pointers Adebayo attempted, with the Heat closed 18 of 45 from beyond the arc.
Rodón, Verdugo lead Yankees over Marlins for 10-2 start, matching New York’s best
By LARRY FLEISHER
NEW YORK — Carlos Rodón allowed two unearned runs in six-plus innings, Alex Verdugo homered and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 Tuesday night to match their best 12-game start.
New York won its fourth straight and improved to a major league-best 10-2, equaling the starts of the Yankees in 1922, 1949 and 2003 — all pennant-winning teams. The Yankees also started with four straight series wins for the second straight season — the only time they won their first five series was 1926.
“You can’t take them off the board and they matter now as much as any time,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Any time you can play a stretch of games like this, you sure sign up for it. You’d take it.”
Miami dropped to 1-11 for the first time since losing 11 in a row after an opening victory in 1998. The Marlins are the first team to lose 11 of their first 12 since Baltimore in 2010.
Rodón (1-0) allowed four hits in six-plus innings for his fourth win in 12 decisions since signing a $162 million, six-year contract. He is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three starts.
“A step in the right direction today, just keep going,” Rodón said. “Confidence is growing for sure.”
Verdugo admired his first Yankee Stadium homer in pinstripes, dropping to one knee after swinging at A.J. Puk’s 1-0 sweeper. He watched the ball land a few rows back of the short porch in right and raised his arm midway through the home run trot.
After reaching the dugout, Verdugo was met by teammates jumping up and down and barking — a reference to his calling teammates “dawgs” following the opening four-game sweep at Houston.
“I love it, I love it,” said Verdugo, who was wearing a gray T-shirt that said: “Bronx Dawgs”. “I got (Anthony) Rizzo throwing up the little ‘arf, arf, arf,’ so it’s a lot of fun. They’re running with it and we love it.”
Verdugo hit his second homer with the Yankees, a night after getting three hits and reaching four times.
Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI double in the fifth after being robbed of a potential extra-base hit in the third by Bryan De La Cruz’s leaping catch at the left field warning track. Juan Soto, batting .348, reached three times and had an RBI single in the sixth.
After Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s grounder went under Rizzo’s glove and Tim Anderson reached on an infield single to load the bases in the seventh, pinch-hitters Jesús Sánchez (run-scoring grounder) and Nick Gordon (sacrifice fly) drove in runs against Ian Hamilton, ending Miami’s 16-inning scoreless streak.
“I feel like we’re putting together good at-bats, just not consistently enough,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said.
Hamilton also pitched a scoreless eighth and Clay Holmes pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
Defending NL batting champion Luis Arráez struck out twice for his second multiple-strikeout game this season. He had two multi-strikeout games last season when he batted .354 in 147 games.
Puk (0-3) allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said Gerrit Cole (right elbow inflammation) recovered well after resuming throwing Monday. … 3B DJ LeMahieu (bruised right foot) has begun fielding side to side grounders.
UP NEXT
RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00 ERA)) starts Wednesday night for the Yankees against Miami LHP Ryan Weathers (0-1, 4.00).
Anthony Stolarz gets assist, Panthers blank Senators for third shutout over Ottawa this season
By TIM REYNOLDS
SUNRISE — Anthony Stolarz skated out of his net, controlled a loose puck and set up the opening goal of the night for Florida.
And then he turned that goal into the eventual game-winner.
Stolarz stopped 25 shots and got his second assist of the season, Anton Lundell and Nick Cousins scored, and the Florida Panthers shut out the Ottawa Senators for the third time with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday night.
“I’d like to add a goal to that, but I think at the end of the day the shutouts are the most important thing,” Stolarz said.
It was the second instance of Florida shutting out a team three times in one season, the other coming when the Panthers blanked Montreal three times in 2017-18. And it was a needed win for playoff-bound Florida, with the Panthers winning for just the fourth time in their last 13 games (4-7-2).
“I’d take 2-0 over 7-6 all day long,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.
The Panthers (49-24-6) pushed their point total to 104, now three points back of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead and three points ahead of Toronto in the race for the division’s No. 2 spot.
All three of the Atlantic’s top teams played Tuesday; the Bruins lost 4-1 at Carolina and have 107 points, while Toronto beat New Jersey 4-2. The Maple Leafs have 101 points and four games remaining, one more than Florida — and those two clubs end the regular season against one another in a possible first-round playoff preview.
“All we can do now is prepare the right way,” Florida forward Sam Bennett said.
Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots for Ottawa, which has four games left and will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The Senators were 0-3-1 against Florida this season, getting outscored 16-2 in those contests.
“I thought it was a hard-fought game,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “There wasn’t a lot of time and space out there. We made a couple of mistakes that cost us goals in the first period. We had a few chances, they made some big saves, and that was pretty much the summary of the game.”
The Panthers opened a four-game homestand that’ll end the regular season and wasted little time taking control, with Lundell getting a power-play goal for his 12th of the season and Cousins netting his seventh of the season just 2:46 apart in the opening period.
Stolarz got his fourth career assist when he skated out of his net to control a long clear by the Senators. He sent the puck back across center ice to Lundell, who skated in alone and beat Korpisalo to open the scoring.
“We haven’t seen that pass from even our own (defensemen) this season,” Lundell said. “That was a real pass.”
It was the ninth time a Florida goalie got an assist while recording a shutout. Stolarz joined Tomas Vokoun, Trevor Kidd, John Vanbiesbrouck and James Reimer as goalies who pulled off that feat for the Panthers. The only other time it happened this season, according to SportRadar, was April 2 when Boston’s Linus Ullmark did it against Nashville.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host Columbus on Thursday.
Sorry, but UConn’s back-to-back national titles not as legendary as Billy Donovan’s Gators | Commentary
With all due respect to the UConn Huskies and their dominant stomp through March Madness to claim a second consecutive national championship, their story does not compare to the 2006-07 Florida Gators.
Of course, the comparisons are natural after UConn defeated Purdue 75-60 Monday night to become the first team since coach Billy Donovan’s Gators to capture back-to-back national championships.
Florida’s coach Billy Donovan and his team hold up the trophy after winning a second consecutive national title in 2007 against Ohio State at Georgia Dome in Atlanta. (AP File)There have only been three programs since John Wooden’s dynastic run at UCLA in the 1960s and ’70s to repeat as national champs — Dan Hurley’s Huskies, Donovan’s Gators and Coach K’s Duke Blue Devils of 1991-92. All three of those teams were special in their own way, but if you ask me the ’07 Gators stand alone. Not only because they are the only basketball program in history to accomplish back-to-back basketball national championships at a football school, but the circumstances surrounding their repeat were so unconventional, unforgettable and unbelievably unselfish.
Don’t get me wrong, a case could be made that this year’s UConn team is the most dominant national champion of all-time when you consider the Huskies won all six games in the tournament by at least 13 points and their average margin of victory was a record 23.3 points per game. But this column is not about how many points the Huskies won by in their national championship sequel; it’s about how many sacrifices the Gators made to attain theirs.
The Gators went back-to-back not just because of their skill level but because of their dedication level — their dedication and loyalty to each other; their love for their school; their selflessness in putting their NBA dreams on hold because they wanted to spend another year in college with their basketball brothers. That’s what UF greats Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer did after they won the ’06 national championship and announced at a packed O’Connell Center pep rally that they were coming back for their junior seasons.
It’s hard to imagine in this one-and-done, NIL, transfer portal era we’re in today that one college star — let alone three — would shun being an early NBA draft pick to play another year of college basketball.
After the ’06 season, Noah, Horford and Brewer were all considered NBA lottery selections and there was a strong possibility that Noah would be the No. 1 overall pick. It would be foolish for them to stay in college, right? Strike when the iron’s hot, right? Why risk the possibility of an injury, right? What more did they have to prove, right?
Wrong.
“What UConn achieved was unbelievable, but don’t confuse that with three NBA lottery picks who chose to play for the name on the front of the jersey and for each other,” says FloridaGators.com resident basketball historian Chris Harry, a former Sentinel colleague who’s been covering UF for decades. “The 2007 Gators belong in a box of their own.”
Legendary former UF athletic director Jeremy Foley gets emotional even now when talking about Noah, Horford and Brewer deferring their NBA dreams for another run at a national championship.
“You’ll never see that happen again,” Foley says. “They loved being at the University of Florida, they loved each other and they loved Billy. They were Gators through and through.”
Noah, Horford, Brewer and point guard Taurean Green came in together as part of the ’04 recruiting class and left a legacy in which they are now known in Gator lore as simply the “Oh-Fours.” What’s even more amazing is that it wasn’t Donovan who tried to convince his star players to stay; it was them who convinced him why it was such a good idea for them to come back. Donovan, like most coaches, just assumed it was the smart decision for them to make the jump to the NBA and cash in.
One thing Donovan didn’t count on, though, was that sometimes kids just want to stay kids as long as possible. So seldom in today’s mad rush to get to the next level do we get to hear the true song of intercollegiate athletics. Most elite college basketball players never get to experience what most of us nostalgically come to realize years later — that those four years of college might have been the best years of our lives.
“It was their decision to come back,” Donovan said at the time. “They’re the ones who brought it up to me. I just think they’re different from other kids. They’re having fun. They’re kids. They’re enjoying college.”
As it turned out, Horford would become the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 draft, Brewer was seventh and Noah went ninth, but not before they had the time of their lives in their final college season together. They were rock stars in Gainesville and throughout the nation. With all eyes upon them, they hugged and high-fived and danced and pranced their way to another national championship.
Not that UConn didn’t have a modicum of pressure to repeat as national champions this season, but nothing like the ’07 Gators had. By making the decision to return, the Oh-Fours were the consensus preseason No. 1 team in the country and their season would be considered a failure if they didn’t win it all again. In comparison, UConn lost five of its top eight scorers from last season and went into this season ranked No. 6 in the country.
This column is not at all meant as a knock on what UConn just accomplished; it’s just a reminder.
As we celebrate the dominance of the Huskies in the aftermath of their second consecutive national championship, let us never forget the once-in-a-lifetime tale of the Oh-Fours — a basketball brotherhood that transcended margin of victories and reminded us of the timeless values of friendship, unity, loyalty and love.
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen
New York City to end its relationship with embattled migrant services contractor
By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE (Associated Press)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York City will end its relationship with a medical services company tasked with housing and caring for a recent influx of international migrants, following scrutiny over the company’s lucrative deal with the city and the quality of its humanitarian services.
Mayor Eric Adams’ office on Tuesday said the city would not renew its contract with DocGo before it expires on May 5 and will instead search for a new housing provider for migrants.
DocGo, which previously worked with the city to provide COVID-19 testing, was awarded a $432 million no-bid emergency contract last year to help the city manage a massive new population of migrants.
The arrangement drew questions from city Comptroller Brad Lander, who in reviewing the contract determined there wasn’t enough detail to justify the cost and that it wasn’t clear how the company had the expertise to transport, house and feed thousands of migrants.
News reports from the New York Times and Albany Times Union also detailed alleged mistreatment of migrants under the company’s care, including issues with health care and food waste, among other things. Its chief executive officer resigned after he admitted to lying about his educational record.
DocGo currently provides care for 3,600 migrants, half in the city and half in upstate New York, officials said.
The company will continue to provide services for migrants who were relocated upstate until a new vendor is picked. The city will use an existing contract with the company Garner Environmental Services to care for migrants in the metropolitan area, until another vendor is selected.
“This will ultimately allow the city to save more money and will allow others, including non-profits and internationally-recognized resettlement providers, to apply to do this critical work, and ensures we are using city funds efficiently and effectively,” Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of staff for the mayor, said in a statement.
In a statement, a DocGo spokesperson said the company is “immensely proud of the exceptional work that our team has accomplished and continues to perform in aiding the City’s response to this unprecedented crisis.”
New York has struggled to handle an influx of international migrants who have arrived in the city since 2022, with more than 187,000 people coming through its intake system seeking shelter.
Politico first reported the news of the city declining to renew its contract with DocGo.
Missing Florida GOP leader wrecked Kissimmee hotel room, later found near Disney, report says
A leader of the Florida Republican Party reported missing by his family was kicked out of a hotel in Kissimmee for “excessive drinking” and trashing his room, according to an Osceola County Sheriff’s office report.
George Riley Jr., reappointed executive director of the Florida GOP last month after serving in that job from 2016 to 2019, was eventually found at a hotel outside Walt Disney World and reunited with his family.
Riley did not respond to requests for comment from the Orlando Sentinel but told the Tampa Bay Times he was “deeply sorry.”
“I have been dealing with alcoholism and mental health issues,” Riley told the Times. “I will pay for any damages that were caused. I apologize to the employees for my bad behavior and I will be seeking help soon.”
“I’ll be seeking help so I can be a better father, a better person and a better all-around employee,” he added.
Riley, of Tallahassee, was reported missing on Friday after his sister, Ellen, told the Sheriff’s Office that she hadn’t spoken to him since March 29, one week earlier.
He said he had been headed to a Hampton Inn on Centerview Boulevard in Kissimmee for what she said was a business meeting, the report stated. His father, George Riley Sr., said he also hadn’t spoken to him in a week.
Both his sister and father added that Riley had a medical condition and that he was taking medication, the specifics of which were both retracted in the report.
A deputy went out to the motel on Friday, where a front desk employee said Riley had checked in on Thursday, March 28 as usual, but then checked out at 2 a.m. the next day, created a new reservation, and checked into a different room.
The assistant general manager for the motel told the deputy that he visited Riley with a maintenance worker on April 2, telling him that he had “broken the electric blinds in the room and had urinated and vomited throughout,” the report stated.
Riley was “regularly purchasing alcohol, and he purchased so much from the store inside thehotel that he had to order more,” the assistant manager said, according to the report.
The assistant manager told Felipe told Riley he would be charged extra due to the room needing a deep cleaning.
Riley later asked the front desk employee on Wednesday, April 3 to extend his stay, but she “had to politely decline due to George’ s excessive drinking and damage caused to the room,” according to the report.
Riley then left the hotel without saying anything. The employee said Riley “appeared to be of sound mind and did not appear under the influence.”
The next day, Thursday, was Riley’s 43rd birthday.
He eventually was found on Saturday at the B Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista outside Walt Disney World by pinging his cellphone, the report said.
Riley was “under the influence of alcohol,” but the Osceola Sheriff’s deputy and other Orange County deputies determined after an evaluation that he did not meet the criteria to be held under Baker Act or Marchman Act, which permit law enforcement to intervene if someone is deemed a threat to themselves or others due to addiction or mental illness.
Riley was able to “state his location, name, date, and stated he did not want to hurt himself,” the report stated, adding that he was not erratic and answered all questions. He was reunited with his family soon after.
According to the Republican Party of Florida, Riley had served since 2020 as executive director for Conservatives for Clean Energy-Florida and as a senior adviser to the party before his reappointment.
Florida GOP chair Evan Power, who named Riley to his position on March 8, did not return a request for comment.
Florida State lawsuit vs. ACC to continue in Tallahassee
TALLAHASSEE — Near the end of arguments in Tuesday’s seven-hour legal hearing between Florida State and the ACC, a hypothetical scenario started to feel real.
What if dueling lawsuits between the Seminoles and their conference keep unfolding simultaneously in Florida and North Carolina?
“Then we do have chaos,” ACC attorney James Cooney said.
Buckle up.
A Leon County judge, John C. Cooper, denied the ACC’s motion to postpone FSU’s lawsuit against the league in Tallahassee. Cooper’s ruling from the bench comes less than a week after a Charlotte judge issued his mirror opinion: that the ACC’s lawsuit against FSU will continue in North Carolina.
That means the nine-figure future of the Seminoles, the league and nationwide conference realignment will continue playing out in two different courtrooms in two different states under two sets of applicable laws — at the same time. The dueling lawsuits between Clemson and the conference in both Carolinas add complexity to when, how and if two of the ACC’s biggest heavyweights could leave.
The ACC had hoped for a different outcome when it sued FSU on Dec. 21, a day before Florida State’s trustees met to sue the conference first. Cooper took issue with some of the ACC’s filing.
He had questions about whether the conference followed its voting protocols before or after it filed its complaint in Charlotte. The ACC’s presidents and chancellors approved an amended lawsuit against FSU during a special Jan. 12 virtual meeting. ACC officials have said the vote was unanimous among present members … but have not said who was present.
On Tuesday, Cooney said 12 members were there. That means three of the 15 members were not. FSU wasn’t invited, according to emails obtained by the Tampa Bay Times. Clemson said it never authorized the suit, so the Tigers weren’t there, either. That leaves one other, unspecified ACC school that sat out the vote.
Regardless of the participants, Cooper said it seemed like part of a rush to the courthouse or forum shopping — two things that are legally frowned upon.
Other factors were at play, too. Cooper suggested the state of Florida’s broad open records law could mean some documents — like the TV contract between ESPN and the ACC — should be public in Florida but maybe not in North Carolina. That contract is a sticking point in this dispute and has made some key figures tricky to pin down.
FSU initially said its total cost to leave the ACC would be $572 million (an exit fee of about $130 million, plus withheld TV revenue through 2036). Or, as FSU attorney Peter Rush said, that’s 12 years of TV rights for “what should have been the national champion’s home games” — a reference to the Seminoles’ College Football Playoff snub.
The total figure, Rush said Tuesday, isn’t $572 million. It’s more like $700 million.
Whatever the specific number would be, it’s massive. That was part of Rush’s argument: If a Florida entity risks losing or paying almost three-quarters of a billion dollars, that decision needs to come from a Florida court.
“This is Florida State’s money,” Rush said. “This is Florida State’s team. This is Florida State’s media rights.”
Cooper agreed enough to decide that the state of Florida has a major stake in this litigation’s outcome. That means it’s continuing here, even as it persists in North Carolina (though FSU said in a filing Tuesday that it will appeal last week’s opinion to North Carolina’s supreme court).
Tuesday’s hearing in Room 3G of the Leon County Courthouse initially was scheduled for 90 minutes. But after three hours, the judge hadn’t even finished his first talks with the ACC. By the end of the day, many issues remained unresolved. Cooper did not hear arguments for and against the conference’s motion to dismiss FSU’s case or matters related to discovery.
The hearing is scheduled to continue on April 22.
Judge blocks teacher pronoun restriction, saying Florida once again has a ‘First Amendment problem’
TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Florida education officials from enforcing a law requiring a transgender teacher to use pronouns that align with her sex assigned at birth, saying the law violated her First Amendment rights.
The 2023 law restricts educators’ use of personal pronouns and titles in schools.
Violations of the law — one of a number of measures backed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis targeting the LGBTQ community over the past few years — can result in teachers being stripped of certifications and hefty financial penalties for school districts.
Plaintiffs Katie Wood, a transgender Hillsborough County teacher, and AV Schwandes, a nonbinary teacher fired last year by Florida Virtual School, sought preliminary injunctions as part of a lawsuit challenging the restrictions.
The challenge alleged the law violates the teachers’ First Amendment rights and runs afoul of a federal civil-rights law.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday that blocked enforcement of the law against Wood, but the injunction does not apply statewide. Walker’s decision also denied a preliminary injunction sought by Schwandes.
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“Once again, the state of Florida has a First Amendment problem. Of late, it has happened so frequently, some might say you can set your clock by it,” Walker’s 60-page ruling began. “This time, the state of Florida declares that it has the absolute authority to redefine your identity if you choose to teach in a public school. So, the question before this court is whether the First Amendment permits the state to dictate, without limitation, how public-school teachers refer to themselves when communicating to students. The answer is a thunderous ‘no.’”
Attorneys for the Florida Department of Education and other defendants asked Walker to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the Legislature has discretion to “promote the state’s pedagogical goals and vindicate parental rights.”
But Walker pointed to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, in a case known as Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, allowing a high-school football coach to pray with his team before games.
“Both Coach Kennedy and Ms. Wood are expressing their own personal messages about their own personal identities to their students — identities that exist independent from their roles as coach or teacher,” Walker wrote.
Walker rejected the state’s arguments that the pronoun restriction was a “pedagogical” decision and, as a result, protected from First Amendment scrutiny.
“Given the personal, self-identifying speech at issue in this case, and the broad application of this restriction to every employee or contractor in the public K-12 context regardless of whether they are responsible for teaching students, this court concludes that the restriction itself is not simply a ‘pedagogical’ or ‘curricular’ choice,” the judge’s order said.
Lawyers for education officials also maintained that the pronoun and title restrictions were the “policy” of all public-school institutions and were therefore government speech, which can be restricted.
But the judge disagreed, writing that the “official ‘policy’ label does not necessarily transform Ms. Wood’s speech into a government message whenever she introduces herself or provides her pronouns to students.”
Relying in part on court rulings in a challenge to a Florida law aimed at restricting children from attending drag shows, Walker also said the injunction would apply only to Wood — not statewide, as the plaintiffs’ lawyers sought.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell last year blocked the 2023 drag-show law statewide, finding it violated First Amendment rights.
An appeals court rejected the DeSantis administration’s request to lift Presnell’s preliminary injunction, and the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the injunction to remain in place. The lawsuit was filed by an Orlando restaurant known as Hamburger Mary’s.
Walker’s order Tuesday said that Presnell’s decision found the drag-show law was “facially content-based, unconstitutionally vague and overbroad.” But the same conclusions don’t apply to the restrictions imposed on the teacher, according to Walker.
“In Ms. Wood’s case, she has not alleged a First Amendment overbreadth claim in her complaint. Nor has she persuasively explained why she is entitled to a statewide injunction,” Walker wrote, noting that injunctions should be “limited in scope” to the extent necessary.
“Accordingly, based on this record, the scope of the preliminary injunction in this case need extend no further than prohibiting defendants from enforcing the challenged provision against Ms. Wood to protect her interests while this case remains pending,” the judge wrote.
In granting the injunction, Walker said the teacher used her preferred pronouns before the law went into effect and that the “threat of mandatory discipline” prevents her from using them now.
“This is a classic speech injury — Ms. Wood spoke in the past and wants to speak in the future, but she is deterred by a credible threat of discipline. This court concludes that Ms. Wood has submitted sufficient evidence to establish an injury-in-fact,” he wrote.
The judge also decided that neither teacher “has demonstrated a likelihood of success” on allegations that the law violates a federal employment law prohibiting discrimination.
“The record before this court does not indicate that Ms. Wood was transferred, demoted, or passed over for training or promotion. Further, Ms. Wood has not asserted that the prestige or responsibility of her position as an educator has been diminished,” Walker wrote.
Walker’s ruling also found that Schwandes, who uses the pronouns they/them, “has not submitted sufficient evidence to find that their speech is being chilled” by state education officials’ enforcement of the law.
Schwandes “has not identified any speech that they would engage in at a foreseeable time that is barred” under the law, and also has not said they are looking for employment at a school where the law would be enforced, Walker wrote.
“In short, Mx. Schwandes has not come forward with any evidence showing that they intend to engage in speech in the foreseeable future that would violate” the law, he added.
Why trekking poles are the most underrated piece of outdoor gear
The first time I ever used trekking poles, they felt cumbersome, clunky and, at times, downright annoying.
It was February 2017 and my then-boyfriend (now husband) had convinced me to trade a day riding on the slopes in Telluride for a snowshoeing adventure. I had never snowshoed before and recall feeling like a newborn deer, shakily trying to navigate the placement of my large foot apparatuses alongside my poles.
“Right foot, left hand. Left foot, right hand,” I repeated under my breath as I tried to avoid stepping on one piece of equipment or another, and attempted to keep both my balance and my cool ascending several hundred feet up the Jud Wiebe Trail.
I was inexperienced for sure – there are pictures to prove I wore jeans during the excursion – but also frustrated. Why would anyone use these seemingly impractical poles that only added chaos when hiking?
Turns out there are a lot of reasons, from increasing stability to alleviating pressure from knees and joints to achieving a full-body workout. The use of trekking poles increases hikers’ heart rates, several studies have found, and some researchers suggest that it also increases blood flow to the upper extremities.
This last point has recently transformed me into a pole evangelist. When I hike without them, my fingers bloat — and painfully so — as though they’re latex gloves blown up like balloon animals. With hiking poles, my hands feel great. Simple as that.
My revelation about the benefits of trekking poles is, of course, nothing new. Walking sticks and staves “have been around in many forms for as long as people have been walking,” said Rachel Gross, an assistant professor of history at the University of Colorado Denver and co-director of the school’s Public History Program. Throughout history, walking sticks, staves and canes were also used as tools for self-defense, storytelling and as status symbols.
“In that sense, this is an old technology with new materials, and it looks different but serves the same function as it did before, which is extra support and easing the weight on joints,” she said.
For her new book, “Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America,” Gross researched the history of recreational gear and its cultural significance. She said guidebooks from the 1950s through the 1980s suggest poles were historically seen as luxuries – not necessities. Most referred to using a single walking stick and often suggested picking up a piece of bamboo or wood at the trailhead to suffice.
“The terminology is pretty new because ‘trekking poles’ doesn’t exist in any of those materials. Usually, ‘walking staff’ is the preferred terminology from the 1950s to ‘80s. That indicates something important, which is trekking poles are used in pairs and walking sticks and staves are used singularly,” Gross said.
That’s why Gross also credits cross-country skiing, in particular, with helping evolve the accessory from an optional tool to a sought-after commercial product sometime in the late-20th century.
Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, ski poles were also made of bamboo in the mid-1900s, and mountaineers, especially in Europe, sometimes used them to hike alpine terrain. According to Sven Brunso, spokesperson for pole manufacturer LEKI, it wasn’t until 1978 that people began taking their utility seriously.
While the basics of the hiking pole have remained constant, LEKI has experimented with various types of grips to alleviate hand cramping, prevent blisters and wick moisture. (Provided by Scott Markewitz)That year, mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climbed Mount Everest using a pair of LEKI poles, engineered in 1974 from aluminum. (The company still makes that model, the Makalu, to this day.) Their expedition was notable not only for that, but also because they were the first adventurers to climb Everest without using contained oxygen.
“A lot of people thought using poles was kind of a crutch. That (expedition) launched the platform for us,” Brunso said.
Using poles for everyday hiking and mountaineering took off in the Alps in the 1970s and ’80s, Brunso said, and that may also be where the modern vernacular originated.
“It started in mountaineering and trickled down into ‘trekking,’ which is the European term for what we call hiking,” he said.
Since its inception in 1948, LEKI has created dozens of different poles as technology and materials have evolved. Brunso maintains that the basics of hiking poles have not changed much in the last 50 years, but the company has innovated to make the equipment more comfortable and useful.
One of its proudest innovations was the integration of the speed lock, which enabled poles to be adjusted on the fly. That way hikers can shorten their poles when climbing uphill and lengthen them going downhill to maintain the ergonomic benefits.
Over the years, the company also experimented with various types of grips to alleviate hand cramping, prevent blisters and wick moisture, and created numerous tips to make poles appropriate in more settings, even indoors. Brunso said LEKI sells more than 50 pole models designed for trekking, trail running and Nordic walking.
“It’s all about giving you the feeling you’re comfortable and supported,” he said.
I don’t have a specific brand that I prefer. There are innumerable styles and weights; some fold down to fit in backpacks and others remain a static height. It’s really up to your personal preference and budget, as well as the outdoor activities you plan to use them for.
Brunso, however, said that you get what you pay for in this space. Depending on what the poles are made of, they could be at risk of bending under stress, he said. And if you’re traveling by airplane to a recreation destination, the poles need to fold down to fit in your checked luggage.
He suggested testing or renting a pair at your local outdoor outfitter and ensuring they are the right size before buying.
Or, as Gross notes, there’s always the option to pick up a stick at the trailhead.
Soto and Volpe hit three-run homers in win that boosts Yanks to 9-2 and drops Marlins to 1-10
NEW YORK — Juan Soto and Anthony Volpe each hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning off Jesús Luzardo, and the New York Yankees romped over the Miami Marlins 7-0 on Monday night.
New York improved to 9-2 and matched the best 11-game start in team history.
Soto was cheered by fans extending into the top of the following inning following his first Yankee Stadium home run in pinstripes. He turned to applaud them.
“Amazing how the crowd reacted. It was really cool. They really surprised me with that one,” Soto said. “They’re giving you a lot of love, so you got to give them some love back. Whenever I can, I just try to cheer for them, too.”
He is hitting .357 with two homers and 10 RBIs in his first season with the Yankees, who acquired the three-time All-Star from San Diego in December.
Soto was signing autographs before the game until just before Nestor Cortes threw his first pitch.
“I was thinking, hesitating, because the game was supposed to start at 6:08,” Soto said. “I have two minutes and turned around and Nestor is almost moving.”
A day after winning in St. Louis, the Marlins dropped to 1-10 for the first time since they lost 11 in a row after an opening victory in 1998 — when a selloff followed the team’s first World Series title.
“If you look at it as 1-10, you’re just going to dig yourself into a deeper hole,” Luzardo said. “It’s just more of going out there and trying to be your best every day.”
Cortes (1-1), pitching against his hometown team for the first time, allowed two hits, struck out six and walked none over eight innings. Cortes had his longest outing since May 2022 and the longest by a Yankees starter this year. After his 2023 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, Cortes won for the first time since May 30.
Josh Maciejewski, a 28-year-old left-hander, got three groundouts on four pitches in his major league debut as Miami was shut out for the first time this year.
Volpe put the Yankees ahead when he drove a flat slider over the fence in left-center, and Soto doubled the lead when he sent a first-pitch changeup high over the right-field wall.
Alex Verdugo added an RBI single in the fifth off Luzardo (0-3), who allowed seven runs, eight hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings. Luzardo has a 7.20 ERA this season and an 18.36 ERA in three career appearances against the Yankees.
“The walks just really killed me,” Luzardo said.
Bryan De La Cruz had both Miami hits.
First pitch was pushed back four hours last week to 6:05 p.m. to avoid the solar eclipse. At 3:30 p.m., several Yankees players stood on the field to watch an eerie light illuminate the diamond.
“The advice is we can’t be on the field for BP and that’s, from 2:10 to 4:40,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier. “I don’t know if that’s advice or a mandate.”
“Eclipse” from Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” was played a few minutes before the national anthem.
WORTH NOTING
Boone said Major League Baseball told him Toronto’s Bowden Francis should have been charged with a quick pitch to Gleyber Torres in the first inning Sunday by umpire Ángel Hernández, who instead called strike three.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. was out of the starting lineup a day after banging into the center-field fence in an unsuccessful attempt to deny Nolan Gorman a home run.
UP NEXT
LHP Carlos Rodón (0-0, 2.79 ERA) starts Tuesday night for the Yankees and A.J. Puk (0-2, 9.00 ERA) for the Marlins.
Detectives search for gray sedan involved in drive-by shooting that injured boy
A 10-year-old boy was injured in a drive-by shooting last month while crossing the street in a residential area of Pompano Beach, and an arrest has not yet been made.
The Sheriff’s Office released video on Monday that shows a gray sedan driving in the area near the 300 block of Northwest 18th Avenue just after 6:30 p.m. on March 21, where the 10-year-old boy was walking across the street while dribbling a basketball and another person was riding a scooter.
Shots were fired out of the car, which then fled north, the Sheriff’s Office said. The person riding the scooter fell to the ground, then rode away after the car fled, and the boy was seen in the video running away, appearing to limp.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue took the boy to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said. The scooter rider was not injured.
Additional information about the sedan was not released Monday.
Detectives ask anyone with information on the shooting or the identity or location of the subject or vehicle to contact BSO Violent Crimes Det. Brittany Armstrong at 954-321-4888, submit a tip through the SaferWatch app or anonymously contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org or by dialing **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone.
UF G Walter Clayton Jr. weighing NBA options after leading Gators in scoring
GAINESVILLE — Florida leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. will explore whether to enter the NBA Draft before deciding whether to return to the Gators for his senior season.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Clayton, a junior from Lake Wales, announced his decision Monday on his social media accounts.
“I am grateful for being able to come back this past year and be a part of something special being built her in Gainesville,” the 21-year-old wrote.
Clayton transferred from St. John’s in 2023 to join the Gators, who finished 24-12 and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.
UF guard Walter Clayton Jr. tied a Florida record with 42 consecutive free throws made and had a top-10 single-season UF free throw percentage at .877. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
He led the team with a 17.6 scoring average, the most since Anthony Roberson averaged 17.9 in 2003-04. Clayton closed with season-high 33 points during a 102-100 loss to Colorado March 22 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He scored UF’s final 16 points in the game during a furious comeback bid.
Clayton finished the season with team-high 93 3-pointers and 87.7% free-throw percentage, but also led the Gators with 80 turnovers against 93 assists.
He has until June 16 to decide whether to remain eligible for the draft, scheduled for 10 days later in Brooklyn, N.Y. Clayton wrote he’d play the 2024-25 season for “no other [school] than the University of Florida,” if he withdraws his name from draft consideration.
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. #1 of the Florida Gators shoots the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)Clayton is the next in line of one-time UF stars to consider their professional opportunities before returning to school, joining Tre Mann in 2020, Colin Castleton in 2022 and Riley Kugel in 2023. Each returned to UF for another season. Mann developed into a lottery pick in 2021, Castleton is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers and Kugel transferred last week to Kansas after a disappointing sophomore season.
The Gators lose point guard Zyon Pullin, who led the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio, and power forward Tyrese Samuel, who recorded a team-high 11 double-doubles. Big man Micah Handlogten suffered a compound fracture of his lower left leg during the opening minutes of a loss to Auburn in the SEC tournament final, leaving the 7-foot-1 sophomore to face a long road to recovery.
Wing Will Richard is expected to return for his senior season while post players Alex Condon Jr. and Thomas Haugh made major contributions as true freshmen.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.
Hurricanes land blue-chip Ohio tight end Luka Gilbert
The Miami Hurricanes added a top tight end to their 2025 recruiting class Monday evening.
Four-star prospect Luka Gilbert committed to Miami, announcing his decision on social media. He committed to the Hurricanes over offers from Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State, among others.
“It’s all about the (U)!” Gilbert wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Go ‘Canes.”
Gilbert, who is listed as the No. 12 tight end and the No. 254 player in the class by 247Sports’ composite rankings, is the first tight end in UM’s current recruiting class.
An Ohio native who plays for Lakota West High, Gilbert had 15 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns last year.
Gilbert has the prototypical size to play tight end, measuring in at 6 foot 7 and 233 pounds. Miami’s staff likes Gilbert’s football IQ, hands, range and body control, a source told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The Hurricanes have a deep tight end room, most of whom will likely be on the team next year, too. Miami has veteran tight ends Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick, rising second-year tight ends Riley Williams and Jackson Carver and standout freshman Elija Lofton.
Miami currently has six commits in the 2025 class.
NBA cites pair of late officiating errors that went against Heat in loss to Pacers
While the overriding factor for the Miami Heat’s 117-115 road loss Sunday to the Indiana Pacers was an early 22-point deficit, the NBA on Monday cited a pair of officiating errors that went against the Heat in the league’s Last Two Minute officiating report.
— The report said Heat guard Tyler Herro should have gone to line for three free throws with Heat down five with 55.1 seconds to play, with, instead, no call made on Herro’s errant 3-point attempt.
According to the NBA report, “(T.J.) McConnell (IND) makes contact with the part of Herro’s (MIA) hand that is not on the ball during his release and affects his jump shot attempt.”
— When the Heat trapped Pacers center Myles Turner and forced a turnover with 17.1 seconds left and down two, the officiating report said a foul should not have been called on the Heat, with Heat forward Haywood Highsmith coming up with the ball. Turner instead converted a pair of free throws for a four-point Indiana lead.
According to the NBA report, “(Bam) Adebayo (MIA) makes clean contact with the ball, simultaneous to Herro (MIA) making incidental hand-on-ball contact to dislodge it from Turner (IND).”
The NBA, however, confirmed the call of a lane violation on Herro on intentional free-throw miss with 3.5 seconds left and Heat down two.
According to the report, “Herro (MIA) extends beyond the plane of the free throw line before his free throw shot attempt touches the basket.”
The NBA only offers reports for the final two minutes of games that stand without three points at any point of the final two minutes. The report on Heat-Pacers cited 18 correct calls and the two calls deemed incorrect, a ratio that is not atypical.
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