Raiders

Orange Park needed four games to defeat Fletcher in both of their regular-season volleyball match-ups, and up two games to none but trailing 18-12 in the third, it looked like the Lady Raiders were in for at least another four-set challenge Friday night in their District 1-6A semifinal game.

But Orange Park proceeded to shut down the Lady Senators and outscore them 13-2 the rest of the way, including a match-ending spike by senior Allison Riner, to win the contest, 25-11, 26-24, 25-20, and qualify for the state playoffs.

The victory also put OP in Friday's 6 p.m. championship final against the winner of Wednesday night's late match, Mandarin vs. top-seeded Gainesville Buchholz (20-5). The Lady Raiders lost twice this season to Buchholz, but Coach Amy Walker wasn't conceding the title to the Lady Bobcats.

    Judging by the long hours our online guy Jonathan Bennett is putting in, MyClaySun.com seems to have taken off. (One short note: All because his picture occasionally pops up next to a "Pet of the Week" headline does not mean we've put him up for adoption at the animal shelter -- although, as you can see by his shaggy red mane and puppy dog eyes, he wouldn't last a day there.)
    However, while Jonathan is working the pet angle and Joe Wilhem is prowling the Clay County nights with gentlemen in skirts (ok, kilts, whatever), few things have been going on in sports, which is partly my fault. So let's see if we can rectify that.