Sports
Steinbrenner Volleyball Still the Team to Beat in District 9
Despite losing to their Hillsborough County unbeaten streak, the Warriors are still tops in their district.
Steinbrenner's Warriors still carry their unbeaten district streak and a little bit of swagger, even after a humbling 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Wharton Wildcats.
To be fair, they faced Wharton without senior Madison Seuzeneau. Taking Seuzeneau out is like taking out the football team's starting quarterback.
Seuzeneau not only provided the veteran leadership, she also played every position on the court. Missing her left not just one void but multiple voids that the Warriors simply could not overcome against a very strong Wharton team.
Find out what's happening in Lutzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It would have been nice to see both teams with their full complement of players tangle last Monday night. The crowd, both Wharton's home and Steinbrenner's travel were significant factors. The Warriors had won last year's match, while they fell 3-1 to undefeated Wharton on Monday.
The rivalry might get even more intense.
Find out what's happening in Lutzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.
Schools face class re-alignment next year and Steinbrenner's enrollment continues to grow. It's very likely that Steinbrenner could get moved up to Class 8A and they would have no choice but to be placed in District 7 along with Wharton.
"We look forward to that type of competition," Wharton coach Eric Barber said of the potential having Steinbrenner as a district opponent. "They're an outstanding team."
Even so, the Warriors still have their eye on the Class 7A District 9 title and beyond. They travel to Chamberlain tonight, Oct. 4, with their district unbeaten streak on the line and they can clinch the top seed for district playoffs with a win.
They have a real test in the Tampa Bay Invitational at Tampa Prep this weekend. There they will face some of the better south Hillsborough teams in Berkeley Prep, Tampa Prep, and the Academy of the Holy Names. Then they finish the regular season against Plant (10/8), Bloomingdale (10/16), and Durant (10/18). If they can survive the gauntlet of the next two weeks, expect them to continue their dominance at districts.