Throughout the season, Goleman baseball players heard the doubts about whether they were as good as their regular-season record indicated.
Goleman silenced the critics this past weekend by sweeping Southridge to earn its first trip to the state final four.
''We've gotten used to being portrayed as underdogs,'' senior pitcher Joe Coto said. ``Even last week, we were supposed to get beat by Southridge. But we're still here.''
Goleman (26-3) will be in Sarasota on Friday when it plays Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley (28-3) in a Class 6A state semifinal at 1 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium.
The Gators will be the first team in the school's 14-year history to advance to a state tournament in any team sport.
Even with a couple of days remaining before his team hits the road, coach Manny Yanez said he still can't pinpoint a specific reason for the Gators' unprecedented success.
''We were a team still looking for answers by the middle of the year,'' said Yanez, the school's only baseball coach since it opened in 1995. ``We knew there would be strong teams waiting for us at the end and I honestly didn't know how we'd respond.
``I can't praise them enough for how they've stepped up to the challenge.''
The Gators, who remained a mystery to many during the season without high-profile players, aren't a typical state championship contender.
Goleman's players aren't physically imposing. The tallest player is 6-1 freshman outfielder Jason Bonilla. They aren't loaded with major college prospects like many of the teams competing in this week's tournament.
The Gators have hit 13 home runs. One of the players they will face Friday, Lake Brantley senior infielder Dalton Hicks, has hit 12.
Goleman's top hitter is second baseman Adrian Gongora, who led the county in batting for most of the season. Gongora is hitting .542 from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
The key has been the mix of unselfish players who have developed fundamentally sound baseball skills.
''We're not a flashy team, but we work hard and we've accomplished a lot,'' Gongora said.
VOLLEYBALL
Southwest coach Mauricio Diaz got one more taste of victory Tuesday night as the South defeated the North 25-22, 25-12, 25-20 in the Senior All-Star Game at Florida Christian.
Just days after clinching the state championship, Diaz, with three of his players, helped the South win its second consecutive all-star game. The South leads the North 3-1 in the series.
Killian's Walter Davis put on an offensive show, recording 12 kills in the victory. Displaying his vertical jump, Davis also had three blocks and an ace. Sunset's Andrew Parra added eight kills and two blocks and Southwest's Daniel Moreno had six kills.
''I thought it was going to be a good game,'' Davis said.
``Both teams played well.''
Columbus, which was well-represented with four players on the North team, was led by All-Dade outside hitter Michael Stevens, who had seven kills, four digs and two blocks. Jordi Fonts had four kills and a block and Hialeah-Miami Lakes left-hander Giovannio Roman had nine kills and two digs.
Although the South won in straight sets, Diaz was impressed with both teams on the court.
-- JUDY ERWIN
