Volusia County Schools has announced the Superintendent’s Winter Reading Challenge, which will take place now through Monday, Jan. 6, covering the Thanksgiving Break and the Winter Break. Reading for 600 minutes or more earns a 90-minute jump pass at Sky Zone (jump socks not included). Those reading 400-599 minutes earn a one-hour unlimited play arcade card from Family Fun Town.
Students must log into Beanstack to record their minutes. To be eligible for prizes, students may not have more than one flagged entry. Students will earn only one prize.
Volusia County Schools has been chosen as one of eight districts in the entire country to join Carnegie Hall’s 2024-25 Musical Explorers District Partnership Pilot Program. This exciting opportunity will enrich our elementary-school music classes, helping students build skill in achievement, college and career readiness and beyond.
Six schools have been honored for reducing absenteeism during the first quarter of the 2024-25 school year. Those taking first place were Starke Elementary in DeLand, New Smyrna Beach Middle and Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, while those earning second-place honors were Port Orange Elementary, Silver Sands Middle in Port Orange and Pine Ridge High in Deltona. These schools were honored by VCS and AdventHealth.
West Volusia high-school football
The quarter-regional FHSAA playoff football games took place, with Orange City University topping Winter Park, 31-23, while DeLand lost to Lake Mary, 49-14, and Pierson Taylor lost to Fort Meade, 42-0.
In the semi round, Lake Mary defeated Spruce Creek, 52-32, while Orange City University lost to Sanford Seminole, 24-20. The University Titans closed out their football season with a 9-3 record.
DeLand High School Athletics
On Nov. 24, the DeLand High School Bulldog football team was ranked by MaxPreps as the 115th team in the state of Florida, 19th in 7A competition and 22nd in the Orlando-area ranking.
DeLand High sophomore Madison Dusenbury competed at the FHSAA 3A State Golf Championships played at Las Colinas course at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills. She finished 74th out of the 93 who qualified. She did not play up to her standard of play, while scoring 93 and 86 in the two-day tournament. She qualified with 71.
The DeLand boys basketball team opened their 2024-25 season with a narrow loss to Lake Brantley, 66-61.
The Lady Bulldog soccer team topped Wekiva, 8-0, Mainland, 7-2, and Pedro Menendez, 3-0, to improve to 5-0 at the start of the season.
Savannah Bruno had six goals during the week, while Brianne Yocum, Alexis Martinez and Katelynn Hatfield had goals.
The DeLand girls weightlifting team placed first in both divisions at Matanzas, while taking second at Spruce Creek.
At Matanzas, Addison Ruocco and Elena Cruz had two firsts, while Syralim Cruz, Bayleigh Couch, Ah’Miya Sweet, Ashantiana Gilbert and Sierra West each had one.
At the meet at Spruce Creek, those earning firsts were Ruocco (2), Payton Mathis, Sarah Lamay and Katherin Rodriguez.
The winter sports calendar has the boys soccer team at Pierson Taylor at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6; the girls soccer team at Cocoa Beach at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and the JV wrestling squad at Orange City University at 8 p.m.
On Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6 and 7, the varsity wrestlers will compete in the Danny Byron Tournament at Osceola.
Monday, Dec. 9, sends the girls soccer team to Forest Lake Academy at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., with the girls basketball team at home against Seminole at 2:30 p.m. for an in-school game.
Tuesday, Dec. 10, has the boys soccer team at Seabreeze at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., with the girls soccer team at Pierson Taylor at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.. The girls basketball team will be at home against Deltona at 7 p.m.
The boys basketball team plays host to Spruce Creek at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, with the girls basketball team at Mainland at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12, has the DeLand boys soccer team at home with Deltona at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the girls soccer team at Orange City University at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The girls basketball team greets Calvary Christian at 7 p.m.
The Bulldog wrestlers go to Hagerty for the Johnny Rouse Tournament Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13 and 14.
Stetson University basketball
Stetson University’s junior guard Cameron Thomas has been named the ASUN Newcomer Female Basketball Player of the Week. The Stetson women lost to UCF, 89-58, with Thomas scoring 18 points. They defeated FAU, 75-68, with Thomas getting 28 points with nine rebounds. Mary McMillan had 17 points, and Tiasia McMillan added 10 points, with three steals and one blocked shot.
The Stetson men lost to Oklahoma, 85-64, with Abramo Canka getting 22 points with two steals, while Jordan Wood scored 11 points with one block.
The Hats then lost to Toledo, 103-78, with Josh Massey getting 16 points with six rebounds, Mehki Ellison scoring 14 points, and Canka making 12 points, with eight rebounds and six assists. Jamie Phillips Jr. and Treyton Thompson each added 10 points.
The Hats were topped by Eastern Carolina, 71-64, with Ellison making 15 points, Canka scoring 14 points and Wood finishing with 12 points.
Stetson was also stopped by LaSalle, 92-77, with Ellison scoring 20 points with seven rebounds. Canka scored 14 points, and Phillips scored 12 points with seven rebounds.
The Stetson basketball calendar has the men at USF Tuesday, Dec. 3, with starting time to be announced. The women go to Iona at 6 p.m., followed by a game at Navy at noon Saturday, Dec. 7. The men return home Sunday, Dec. 8, against Mercer at 3 p.m.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter football team lost their last two games of the season at 45-6 against San Diego and 49-10 against Drake.
The Lady Hatter volleyball team lost their last match of the season to North Florida, 3-1, (14-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-25).
The cross-country team competed in the NCAA regionals, with the women finishing 30th and the men 24th. Blair Durda ran the 6K race in 22:41.4, while Conrad Voigt ran the 8K course in 32:51.9.
College honors
Nicole Keyes, of DeLand, and Nikolaus Kline, of DeBary, were named to the 2024 summer trimester dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida campus in Port Orange. Darius Charon, of Deltona, has graduated with a doctor of chiropractic degree.
