Area parks hosting events
This weekend, GSA Florida Baseball comes back with its Gulf Coast League championships. That tourney will use fields at Mike Sansone Park, the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex, Plant City Stadium, Ellis-Methvin Park, Snowden Park and the MLK Rec Complex from Nov. 15-17. Games start at 6 and 7:15 pm. Nov. 15 and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Nov. 16 and 17.
U.S. Road Running will host its Fall Best Friends 10K Relay Race, 5K and 10K Lap Race at Ellis-Methvin Park’s walking trail on Nov. 16. The races start at 7 a.m. and awards will be given out afterward for top finishers and costumes.
Visit runsignup.com/Race/FL/PlantCity/EllisMethvin to register. The cost is $50 for a relay team, $29 to run the 10K and $24 to run the 5K. Runners have until 11:59 p.m. Nov. 14 to sign up online and can do so at the park on race day, though the cost for each race increases for on-site registration.
Sign up for youth basketball, fishing
Registration for both the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist Youth Basketball Program and the annual Fall Youth Fishing Derby are now open.
The PCRPD/Optimist basketball league is set to enter its 51st season of play starting in early January. The season will run through late February with games played at Marshall and Tomlin middle schools. The league is for all area youths age 8-16 (as of March 1) and is divided into six age groups. Games are played on weeknights and Saturdays depending on the age group. Last year, the program fielded 22 teams with roughly 220 players.
Registration costs $35 per player and covers uniform and insurance expenses. The league is also looking for coaches. Sign up by 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the PCRPD office, 1904 S. Park Road, or mail in a registration form and payment. The form can be obtained by emailing recinfo@plantcitygov.com or by calling 813-659-4255.
The Fall Youth Fishing Derby comes back to the pond behind Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex bright and early Dec. 7. The annual free event is for anglers age 5-15 and runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to bring their own fishing equipment, bait and buckets for the catch-and-release event, though past winners have often walked away with brand new gear to go with their trophies.
You can pre-register online at plantcitygov.com or at the PCRPD office by Dec. 5, or sign up on-site from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. on derby day. For more information, contact program manager Deborah Haldane at dhaldane@plantcitygov.com or at 813-659-4255.
PCHS Special Olympics basketball wins tourney
Plant City High School’s FHSAA Special Olympics Unified basketball team competed in a regional qualifier tournament at The Big House last weekend and swept the whole thing, outscoring opponents 244-143 through their four games.
It was an especially good tournament for Parker Hancock-Eitenor, who scored 33 points in the tournament finale to help the Raiders win, as well as for Kyle Hall, who put up a career-high 10 points in one game.
The Raiders will play at the regional tournament at UCF on Jan. 3, 2020.