On this episode of the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy cover the outrage on the lips of sports fans all over Monroe County: the highly-controversial termination of district playoff action due to weather for both Marathon and Coral Shores’ baseball teams. In this can’t-miss episode, you will catch some behind-the-scenes information you won’t hear anywhere else.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy discuss all the games, scores and events of the week. Get your behind-the-scenes information and find out about last-minute schedule changes. This week, you will get an early report on district championship competition from Key West and Coral Shores’ track and field teams.

In this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy give an early rundown of Monroe County tennis teams’ district performances and spotlight standout baseball and softball athletes who lead their district in various stats. As always, listen in for scores and upcoming games this week as the podcast provides the most comprehensive prep sports coverage in Monroe County.

This week on the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy go over all of the scores and events for the past week. Hear some behind-the-scenes details you won’t catch anywhere else. Additionally, you will get a firsthand account of the Marathon vs. Coral Shores baseball game from March 25 before you read about it. If you want to hear how the latest Battle of the Keys went down, be sure to check out this week’s episode.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy break down all this week’s scores and events. You can hear all of the latest in prep sports in the Keys, plus some behind-the-scenes details you won’t catch anywhere else. This week, the duo goes in depth on Key West’s baseball season thus far, including highlights, key players and important upcoming matchups.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, tune in to hear about early district basketball results as well as an in-depth preview on all of our local girls weightlifters who are headed to states next week. Hear what is going on this spring at each high school, and as always, Sean and Tracy will fill you in on all the week’s regularly scheduled events and games.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy will go in-depth on a week full of rivalry basketball games, cover the prep soccer playoffs and dive into the details on girls weightlifting district meets as hardware-winning athletes move on to regional competition.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy will go in-depth on a week full of rivalry basketball games, cover the prep soccer playoffs and dive into the details on girls weightlifting district meets as hardware-winning athletes move on to regional competition.

On this week’s Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, Sean and Tracy McDonald will speak in detail about district soccer brackets and postseason possibilities. They will also hash out this week’s basketball games, many of which are in-county rivalries. Finally, you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about the world of competitive cheerleading, plus much more on the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast.

Football season is over, and that means the return of the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast. This weekly show is the perfect call for any Florida Keys high school sports fan. Join hosts Sean and Tracy McDonald as they take you up and down the Florida Keys and discuss the Conchs, Dolphins Hurricanes athletic teams. This podcast will go deep into the inner happenings of Monroe County Prep Sports. Join us, and use this podcast as a companion piece to the print edition of the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap. 

This week on the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast, host Sean McDonald sits down with Amber Archer Acevedo, the Deputy Superintendent of Monroe County Schools and a former Key West High School principal. In addition to being integral to the educational experience of students throughout the Keys. Acevedo is a Class of 1980 classmate of legendary Key West High School athlete Robert “Speedy” Neal, who passed away a few weeks ago. Listen as McDonald talks with Acevedo about her earliest memories of Speedy on the old Kennedy baseball fields and the impact he had on Key West. The pair also discuss Acevedo and her father’s contributions to sports journalism in Monroe County.

Xavyer Arrington is a two-time state champion in weightlifting and a dominant defensive lineman for Coral Shores High School. With five college offers before his senior season began, the multisport star has committed to play football for the U.S. Naval Academy. And before graduating, he closed out his high school weightlifting career with a second consecutive state championship, bringing home gold in the Olympic category of the Unlimited weight class on April 15. Listen as host Sean McDonald talks with Arrington about his path to the Naval Academy, what it takes to be a state champion, and how special Coral Shores football fans are. The episode also treats listeners to a breakdown of postseason baseball and softball for all three Keys high schools.

Marathon High School pitcher Dylan Ziels is putting the nation on notice. Throughout the spring 2023 season, Ziels has floated throughout the top 10 spots on the national list of strikeout leaders. With 99 strikeouts over 44.1 innings pitched as of the day of this podcast, he currently has an eight-strikeout lead in the state of Florida. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Ziels and MHS head coach Joey Gonzalez to discuss the pitcher’s rise to dominance and the Dolphins’ continued emergence as a top contender in the South Florida Baseball Conference. As always, the episode includes a wrap up of all prep sports scores and outlooks as the spring sports season nears its end.

Everyone who follows Key West High School sports knows Rick Lopez. The general manager of Florida Keys Media is known as one of the “voices of the Conchs” as he has called Conch baseball games since 1998 and Conch football since 2000. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Lopez to talk about how he got started in sports broadcasting and reminisce about Lopez’s favorite moments in Monroe County Sports.

This week on the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap podcast, host Sean McDonald is joined by Key West’s number one rapper Mike Stack. Shooting to local fame with his single “I’m From Key West,” the rising star will headline the upcoming Garrett Hughes benefit concert on Saturday, April 8 at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater. Proceeds from the family-friendly show will go to the Garrett Hughes Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of the beloved Key West High graduate who lost his life this February. Listen as Stack discusses his relationship with Hughes and the way the Key West community has responded to his vision to make sure Garrett’s name lives on.

Baseball is a proud tradition in Key West, and the consistent success of the Conchs’ program is largely attributed to legendary varsity coach Ralph Henriquez. Over the past two decades, Henriquez has amassed three state titles, with several squads earning top national rankings. More than 120 of his former players have signed college scholarships, with 11 athletes drafted into the pros straight from high school. In part 1 of this two-part episode, listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Henriquez to discuss growing up in Key West, watching minor league baseball and the impact that baseball had on his life.

Coach Judd Wise returns to the podcast to discuss his list of the best Key West High School athletes, the end of the 2022-2023 winter sport season, and the beginning of spring sports. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with coach Wise to discuss the recent success of Key West High School wrestling and recent athletic happenings at the southernmost high school. Wise also includes some new additions to his famous list of best athletes he has watched at Key West High School.

Carl “Chef Flavor” Stanton is best known around the Marathon community as an assistant football coach and one of the town’s foremost flavor authorities as he oversees the culinary program at Marathon High School. But as we find this week with coach Sean McDonald, there’s much more to Stanton’s story than most know, including his time at T.C. Williams High School as the brother of a famous football player from “Remember the Titans.” The two discuss Stanton’s memories and athletic career at T.C. and the University of Maryland, being a chef, and traveling and working with some of the biggest Hair Metal bands of the ‘80s. Listeners will barely believe the places “Chef” has been and some of the people he calls friends – including a video gaming showdown with the artist formerly known as Prince. He also discusses how he arrived in the Florida Keys and became a football coach at Marathon. 

Junior Mikkel Ross is a resilient athletic star at Marathon High School. A multi-sport athlete, she just returned from the Florida state championship weightlifting meet with some hardware, claiming a fifth-place medal in traditional lifts for her weight class. Listen as coach Sean McDonald sits down with Ross to discuss her journey to a state championship medal, how cross country has helped her attain this goal and her ability to bounce back from a devastating knee injury 13 months ago. In addition to providing a Keys-wide roundup of the start of spring sports action, McDonald opens the podcast with a heartfelt moment of remembrance for Garrett Hughes, a former Key West High School athletic standout who passed away in a tragic shooting earlier this month.

The Coral Shores Hurricanes boys basketball team literally does not know how to lose in 2023. The team is currently riding a 12-game win streak, and while the old adage is that athletes win games, head coach Jarrod Mandozzi undoubtedly deserves a good portion of the credit for his team’s incredible run. Coach Mandozzi took over the team in 2017 and has transformed the program into the top boys basketball team in the Florida Keys. Listen as host Sean McDonald and Mandozzi discuss the process that turned the Hurricane Hoopers into a record-breaking team.  

Coach Judd Wise is a football assistant known throughout the Keys as one of the “voices of the Conchs.” A teacher and coach in Key West since 1983, he taught at Mary Immaculate High School before his current post at Key West High School. Coach Wise has had almost every job at the southernmost high school that has to do with athletics. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Judd and discusses the longtime coach’s list of his top athletes to ever play at Key West High School. The top name just might surprise you.

On this edition of the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap podcast, host Sean McDonald sits down with Colin Thompson, an NFL tight end whose professional career has taken him through stints with the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. Thompson will soon make the trip to the Southernmost City as he hosts the Thompson Family Football Camp on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 12-2 p.m. at the Truman Waterfront Park. The camp is free for players ages 5-14. Listen as Thompson discusses his NFL career thus far, his love of Key West and the Florida Keys, and the toughness of southeast Pennsylvania.

Chaz Jimenez is the boys and girls wrestling coach at Key West High School. His wrestlers are coming off impressive performances to start the new year, including a second-place showing at the 12th annual Somerset Scuffle by the boys team on Jan. 6 and 7 and a pair of first-place finishes by Lady Conchs Lola Jaime and Natalie Arguello at the Rumble at the Ridge hosted by Seminole Ridge High School. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Jimenez to discuss the newly-sanctioned Lady Conchs wrestling program, the current state of both his teams, the start of the Key West wrestling program in the late ‘90s and his own state championship run.

PART 2: Key West and the Conch Republic recently received some very exciting news: 1984 baseball state champion Joey Wardlow was inducted to the University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame.  His career took him through the minor leagues of professional baseball to winning a state championship as an assistant coach for Key West under Ralph Henriquez in 1994 and 1995. He has also won a state championship as the head coach for south Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas. Coach Wardlow talks about growing up in Key West in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He discusses growing up in the Little Conch Baseball League and the countless hours of practice he put in with his father, former mayor and founder of the Conch Republic Dennis Wardlow. Coach also discusses coach Pedro Fraga and why the 1984 team won the state championship. Listen to the second half of Wardlow’s sit down with Keys Weekly Sports Wrap podcast host Sean McDonald to discuss his time growing up in Key West, what his time at the University of Tampa meant to him, and the truth about the founding of the Conch Republic. For Part 1 of Wardlow’s interview, listen to the Dec. 22 Sports Wrap Podcast.

With more than 20 offers on the table, standout Key West lineman Christopher Andre Otto is arguably the most sought-after athlete in Monroe County’s Class of 2023. Ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 93 offensive tackle in the country, the three-sport athlete closed 2022 by declaring his intent to play for the Florida State Seminoles starting next year. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Otto to get the inside scoop on his decision making process and his academic goals in Tallahassee. McDonald also covers upcoming high school sports schedules and, in a change of pace, gives his thoughts on the Miami Dolphins’ current season.

Key West and the Conch Republic recently received some very exciting news: 1984 baseball state champion Joey Wardlow was inducted to the University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame.  His career took him through the minor leagues of professional baseball to winning a state championship as an assistant coach for Key West under Ralph Henriquez in 1994 and 1995. He has also won a state championship as the head coach for south Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas. Coach Wardlow talks about growing up in Key West in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He discusses growing up in the Little Conch Baseball League and the countless hours of practice he put in with his father, former mayor and founder of the Conch Republic Dennis Wardlow. Coach also discusses coach Pedro Fraga and why the 1984 team won the state championship. Listen as Joey Wardlow sits down with Keys Weekly Sports Wrap host Sean McDonald to discuss his time growing up in Key West, what his time at the University of Tampa meant to him, and the truth about the founding of the Conch Republic.

December 9 brought the renewal of an in-county hoops rivalry as Key West made the trip up U.S. 1 to take on the Marathon Dolphins. Key West picked up its first win of the season in the contest, riding freshman James Osborne’s game-high 15 points to a 50-36 win. Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Key West and Marathon coaches Dexter Butler and Kevin Freeman to discuss the storied matchup, their seasons so far and what they look forward to for their squads in the start of the new year.

Jarrod Mandozzi pulls double duty in the winters at Coral Shores, currently serving as the head coach for the Hurricanes’ boys basketball team while filling in as the interim coach for the girls squad as well. Under his guidance, both teams are off to respectable 2-2 starts, with each group putting on some offensive shows in blowout wins to start the season. Now in his sixth season, Mandozzi began his Keys coaching career at Island Christian School before moving up the road. Listen as coach Sean McDonald talks with Mandozzi about his move from New England, where he grew up watching powerhouse Celtics squads, his love for the Keys community, his philosophy as he moved up through the coaching ranks, and his plans for the future of the Hurricanes’ program.

In part two of a highly popular Sports Wrap Podcast episode, host Sean McDonald sits down once again with legendary Conch football alumnus Robert James. Growing up in Key West, James spent his early life on the football field. At 11 years old, the 5’6’’, 110-pound player was initially put at tight end. Eventually he would find his way as a running back. In the interview’s second installment, McDonald and James discuss James’ transition from Key West to Florida A&M, where he eventually graduated as a multi-year national champion. The pair take a deeper dive into James’ college career, his move back to Key West and eventual transition into coaching.

A 20-year coaching veteran in the Keys, Marathon’s coach Kevin Freeman is Monroe County’s longest-tenured head basketball coach. Listen as he sits down with host Sean McDonald to discuss his own playing career, his foray into teaching and coaching, and his expectations for the 2022-2023 Marathon Dolphins basketball team.

In recent years, Marathon High School has developed a reputation as the Keys’ perennial distance running powerhouse. In 2022, sophomore phenom Vaclav “Vance” Bursa carried that torch, pacing the Dolphins all season and running the race of his life to secure a ninth place finish at the FHSAA state championships in Tallahassee on Nov. 5. Listen as host Sean McDonald catches up with Bursa and coach Jim Murphy to discuss the race, his progress thus far, and future plans for the standout harrier.

Only one fall sport is left standing at Marathon High School as the Dolphins’ quickest runners make the trip to the state championship cross country meet in Tallahassee on Nov. 5. Led by sophomore phenom Vance Bursa and fresh off a third-place finish in their regional race, this will be the Fins’ eighth consecutive trip to Florida’s fastest meet under coach Jim Murphy. Not to be left out, the Lady Fins will make their fourth consecutive trip to the big dance led by first-year coach Darby Sheehan. Listen as host Sean McDonald catches up with Murphy to discuss his team’s potential this weekend and the factors that led to Marathon becoming the Keys’ most dominant running powerhouse.

As temperatures drop – just a little – in the Florida Keys, fall prep sports in the county are wrapping up their seasons, with some looking forward to postseason games and races. Listen as host Sean McDonald recaps where each sport stands as the season draws to a close. After the comprehensive recap, McDonald is joined by Coral Shores football coach Ed Holly and Key West football coach Johnny Hughes for a rundown of the historic meeting between the northernmost and southernmost Keys football teams on Oct. 21, the first game of its kind in 12 years.

Andre Garvey is known to most in Marathon as a dedicated coach and one of the outstanding staff members in the Marathon Parks and Recreation department. But what some may not know is that Garvey is part of Florida’s football royalty as the 1997 Florida 2A Football Player of the Year. This 1998 Marathon High School graduate earned the honor after finishing his senior football season with 2,500 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns – numbers that were good enough to earn him a spot at Florida A&M University as a running back. Listen as host Sean McDonald catches up with Garvey and his former teammate James Paskiewicz ahead of Andre’s jersey retirement ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 20 during Marathon’s football matchup against Palm Glades Prep Academy. IN PHOTO: Andre Garvey, seen here in his uniform at Florida A&M University, will have his jersey retired at Marathon High School on Thursday night. CONTRIBUTED

One of the oldest sports rivalries in the Keys was renewed under Friday Night Lights as Marathon made the trip north to take on Coral Shores in the 53rd “Battle of the Keys” on Oct. 7. An early score by Marathon on a 42-yard Aaron Dolton touchdown run soon gave way to several special teams miscues for the Dolphins, and Coral Shores emerged victorious, 33-6. Listen as host Sean McDonald recaps the battle with Coral Shores head coach Ed Holly before switching gears to catch up with Key West head coach Johnny Hughes. With several games canceled due to the devastation of Hurricane Ian throughout the Keys and southwest Florida, Hughes lays out Key West’s plan for the rest of the season, including a newly-scheduled rivalry game with a Keys opponent.

Rich Russell is a home-grown talent and a true “football guy” – a Coral Shores graduate who returned to his hometown program to coach and eventually work his way into his position as the Hurricanes’ athletic director. Listen as host Sean McDonald takes a deep, wide-ranging dive into Russell’s family background and entire athletic career, all the way back to his days setting a Florida high school state record with an 88-yard punt. Ahead of Coral Shores’ much-anticipated rivalry match against Marathon on Friday, Oct. 7, Russell and McDonald take a look through the 52-year history of one of the Keys’ most storied athletic rivalries. 

It’s gut check time for Keys football squads as late-season matchups bring pivotal district showdowns and the return of a storied Monroe County rivalry. Join host Sean McDonald as he is joined by all three head high school football coaches to discuss the critical weeks ahead. Fresh off a gritty game against national powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons, Key West prepares for district play with the hopes of securing a playoff berth, while further up the island chain, Marathon and Coral Shores are just over a week away from squaring off in the 2022 “Battle of the Keys” on Oct. 7. PHOTO: The Key West Conchs square off against nationally ranked powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons on Sept. 23. ELLA HALL/Keys Weekly

Listen as host Sean McDonald sits down with Key West High School basketball coach Dexter Butler to talk about his coaching success so far and his vision as he takes over the KWHS basketball team. Dexter is the son of the late Key West basketball legend Bill Butler, the namesake for the high school’s basketball court and the local Bill Butler Park. The elder Butler is arguably the greatest player to ever come out of Key West, and Dexter has followed in his athletic footsteps, lettering in football, basketball and baseball while at KWHS. A phenomenal discussion of athletic legacies in the southernmost island. Stay tuned for our weekly local sports coverage at keysweekly.com and on the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters PHOTO: Bill Butler gets vertical to tip off a Key West High School basketball game. CONTRIBUTED

Key West’s Robert James spent his early life on the football field. At 11 years old, the 5’6’’, 110-pound player was initially put at tight end. Eventually he would find his way as a running back. Listen as host Sean McDonald talks to James about his football career. Plus, McDonald recaps last week’s contests, including a successful week for Keys football teams. Also, get the latest on swimming and volleyball in the Keys. And high school baseball doesn’t get underway until next January, but some of the best local players visited Key West to show off their talents to professional scouts. 

6’5” Key West offensive lineman Andre Otto is a stud on the field with more than 20 college offers under his belt – even from Ivy League schools. But as he tells it, he took an extended break from football when he was younger, and his vision for his future includes not just football, but a career in filmmaking. Listen as host Sean McDonald interviews the southernmost standout and provides an update on the last week of contests for all three Keys high schools’ teams, including impressive showings from the Marathon football and cross country teams as well as a dominant performance by the Coral Shores girls volleyball squad.

All three Keys high school football teams opened their seasons at home this past Friday, with mixed results throughout the islands. While Coral Shores celebrated a dominant victory, Marathon and Key West were left looking forward to a week of practice as they look to correct self-inflicted wounds. Join host Sean McDonald as he wraps up all the highs and lows from the last week of Keys sports action, followed by a conversation with a Key West local legend, rapper Mike Stack. Fresh off his win as Key West’s “Best Local Celebrity” at the 2022 Bubbas, Stack takes us through his musical journey so far and explains his strong ties to Key West youth sports. FOLLOW MIKE STACK @iammikestack 📰 Stay up to date with the Florida Keys only locally owned newspaper at www.KeysWeekly.com with the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters

Last week was the warm-up. This week, the real work begins for all three Monroe County football teams as Coral Shores, Marathon and Key West all host home matchups on Friday night, Aug. 26 to officially kick off the 2022 regular season. Listen as host Sean McDonald dials up each of the three head coaches to talk about the lessons learned by each squad in their preseason matchups last weekend along with what fans can expect when the lights come on on Friday night. Also included is coverage of the Keys-wide preseason volleyball tournament on Aug. 18 and the first match of the season for all three Monroe County golf teams.

Friday Night Lights are set to return in the Keys for the start of the 2022 high school football season. With practices already in full swing and a preseason slate set to kick off this weekend, the Coral Shores, Marathon and Key West teams are ready to roll. Listen as Sports Wrap host Sean McDonald sits down with Key West varsity football assistant Judd Wise, known throughout the islands as one of the “voices of the Conchs,” to preview the upcoming season for one of Monroe County’s most popular sports. Along the way, McDonald provides a rundown of current Keys football players with offers at the collegiate level and gives an update on hometown hero and current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Mekhi Sargent.  Stay up to date with the Florida Keys only locally owned newspaper at www.KeysWeekly.com with the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters

The turn of a new month kicked off the official start of practices for the 2022 fall sport season across all Monroe County high schools. Including wide-ranging conversations with two special guests – Key West High School Athletic Director Justin Martin and Marathon High School Athletic Business Manager and basketball coach Kevin Freeman – listen as Keys Weekly Sports Wrap host Sean McDonald takes a dive into the upcoming girls’ volleyball season at Coral Shores, Marathon and Key West, headlined by an upcoming in-county preseason tournament later this month. 📰 Stay up to date with the Florida Keys only locally owned newspaper at www.KeysWeekly.com with the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters

The Coral Shores High School community is buzzing with excitement as coaching legend Ed Holly returns to his post as head football coach for the 2022 season. Following a solid first stint with the Hurricanes from 2011-2015, Holly is excited to dive back into the friendly rivalry among Monroe County schools. Holly brings collegiate coaching experience to the position from his time as a defensive coordinator for East Mississippi Community College, made famous by the documentary television series “Last Chance U.” Though Holly appeared during season two of the Netflix series, he describes himself first and foremost as a coach focused on making better brothers, fathers and husbands. Listen as Holly sits down with Keys Weekly Sports Wrap host Sean McDonald to discuss the season outlook for his squad, the method to his coaching madness, and his rich history with coaching connections all over the Keys.  📰 Stay up to date with the Florida Keys only locally owned newspaper at www.KeysWeekly.com with the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters

Keys Weekly is proud to present the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap, a first-of-its-kind podcast in the Florida Keys and the only destination for comprehensive prep sports coverage throughout Monroe County. From Key Largo to Key West, listeners can tune in year-round for weekly updates on high school sports as podcast host Sean McDonald highlights exceptional individual and team performances, dives into interviews with current and former players, teachers and administrators, and unearths more of the rich history of Monroe County sports. In this introductory episode, listen as Keys Weekly Marathon editor Alex Rickert catches up with McDonald to provide a little more about his background and his vision for the Keys Weekly Sports Wrap. 📰 Stay up to date with the Florida Keys only locally owned newspaper at www.KeysWeekly.com with the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast. #LocalMediaMatters