True North volleyball upsets Varela. Plus Belen lacrosse, Southwest baseball, USA flag football
The True North boys’ volleyball team handed Varela its first loss of the season 27-25, 27-25, 25-18.
Entering the match, Varela was undefeated at 6-0 record and was ranked No.15 in the nation and No.2 in Florida, making the win a significant upset for the Titans.
The victory also snapped a four-game losing streak for True North, a stretch that came against some of the toughest competition in the state. Despite the recent losses, True North had faced the third strongest strength of schedule in Florida, preparing the team for a breakthrough performance.
Against one of the top ranked teams in the country, True North (4-5) rose to the challenge, winning two close sets, before completing the sweep in three straight sets.
True North Stats vs. Varela: Marcos Sanchez (Fr) 15 kills, 1 ace; Aisar Hernandez (Sr) 27 asts, 3 kills; Roberto Romero (Sr) 5 kills, 2 aces, 1 ast; Ruben Rivera (So) 7 kills, 1 ace; Nick Baetz (So) 3 kills; Noah Sandoval (Fr) 3 kills; Alejandro Ruiz (Sr) 3 aces.
Lacrosse
The Belen Jesuit boys’ lacrosse team kept its undefeated streak alive with a thrilling 13-12 victory over Gulliver Prep.
Belen jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but the Raiders fought back, chipping away at the deficit. Gulliver tied the game in the third quarter and eventually took a 12-11. The Wolverines responded with three goals, although one was later waved off following a stick check.
The game winning goal came from Luke Collings with three minutes left in the third quarter, sealing the victory for Belen.
The Wolverines were led offensively by Adrian Navarro with four goals, while Jack Consuegra added three goals and two assists. Collings finished with two goals, and Adriano Vizoso, Max Erdman and Lorenzo Magarino each scored a goal.
Gulliver was led by Evan Vineberg with five goals, while Lucas Alberts contributed four goals. Goaltender Thaddeus Slanker recorded 15 saves.
Belen improved to 10-0.
Baseball
Orisjoe Valdes and Eduan Negrin homered as the Southwest baseball team defeated Bonita Springs 14-4.
Also, Max Rico was 2-for-2, and Tyler Villamor was the winning pitcher. The Eagles improved to 7-5.
Flag football
USA Football announced the names of the 18 coaches who will oversee the organization’s men’s, women’s and 15U and 17U junior U.S. Flag Football National Teams for the 2026 competition cycle. The men’s and women’s teams will compete this summer in the IFAF Flag Football World Championship in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Miami natives and residents Jorge Cascudo and Saaid Mortazavi return for their fifth and fourth years as head coaches of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, respectively. Cascudo and Mortazavi are two of the most accomplished coaches in international competition in the sport’s history.
The U.S. Men’s National Team has particularly strong ties to Miami. Three athletes on the 2025 12-man roster were locals. Men’s assistant coaches Rudy Fernandez and Willy Perez no longer live in Florida but are from Miami and Hialeah, respectively.
Flag football’s popularity is skyrocketing across the country as the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028 rapidly approaches.
About the coaches
A native of Miami, Mortazavi excelled as a flag football player himself, having been a part of 23 national championships as a 4v4 flag football player. An All Miami-Dade honorable mention selection at wide receiver in tackle football at Braddock Senior High, Mortazavi went on to play two years of college football before transitioning into the flag discipline.
Mortazavi, along with current U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jorge Cascudo, helped guide the Panamanian team to its highest ever finish at the IFAF World Championships with a bronze medal performance in Israel in 2021. Panama would go on to finish fifth overall on the men’s side at The 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala., helping to establish the country as a contender on the world stage. Mortazavi also has years of youth coaching experience with Redzone Varsity Youth (14U) and 7v7 Varsity (18U).
A native of Miami, Cascudo played baseball at Miami Senior High School before earning a scholarship to Florida Memorial College (now University) in Miami Gardens.
A legendary flag football quarterback for the U.S. Men’s Flag National Team before entering the coaching ranks, Jorge Cascudo (pronounced George cass-COO-doe) Football’s U.S. National Team. Under his guidance, the U.S National Team earned gold at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Ala. and the 2023 IFAF Americas Continenta
A Miami native, Cascudo most recently coached the 2021 Panama Men’s Flag National Team, which earned the bronze medal at the 2021 IFAF Flag World Championships in Jerusalem, Israel. An alumnus of Miami Senior High School (1990) and Florida Memorial University (1996), Cascudo led Panama to a 4-0 record in group play and scored the championship’s third-highest point total, only trailing the U.S. and Mexico, which earned gold and silver medals, respectively.
In addition to playing for U.S. Men’s Flag National Teams, Cascudo won the 1996 Air-it-Out Flag Football National Championship and played in the United States Flag & Touch Football League (USFTL) for more than 20 years. He won three consecutive USFTL Flag Football National Championships (2013-2015) and was part of the USFTL’s 2013 National Hall of Fame Class.
Rudy Fernandez is on the coaching staff for Nevada State University’s women’s flag football team. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fernandez played flag football for 15 years and has two decades of coaching experience, dating back to 2003. In 2005, Fernandez founded RYAN Football in memory of his late brother, Ryan, who embodied a team-oriented and giving spirit. Under Fernandez’s leadership, RYAN Football has won numerous regional and national championships hosted by several different operators.
In addition to coaching flag football, Fernandez won a conference championship during a three-year stint coaching tackle football at Palmer Trinity School.
Throughout his coaching career, Fernandez has mentored more than 30 players who went on to compete in college athletics.
Willy Perez is the head coach of Baker University’s women’s flag football team. He lives in Baldwin City, Kan.
Perez was named head coach of the U.S. National Girls 15U team in 2023. He has coached flag football in various youth divisions and spent two years as head coach at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Florida where the sport is played competitively at the high school level.
Submit sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear. Also, some will be considered athlete of the week nominations.
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Compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 1:21 PM.
