The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 118

From Class A to majors Mr Kissimmee manager Alan Ashby, an ex-Astro, is returning to Houston as the bullpen coach. By Frank Carroll OF THE SENTINEL STAFF KISSIMMEE Kissimmee Cobras manager Alan Ashby, a former major-league catcher, is returning to "The Show" as the Houston Astros' bullpen coach. "I'm very excited about going back to Houston and eager to help out in any way possible," Ashby said. "I want to bring a certain professionalism to the job." Ashby, 45, is in no hurry to toss his baseball cap into the major-league managerial pool. Not just yet Til start in the bullpen and see where I go from there," he said.

"I learned so much from so many people while I was in Kissimmee. I look at players differently. I've gained insight I can put to use in player development" A dugout housecleaning after Houston lost the National League Central pennant to St Louis preceded Ashby's return. General Manager Gerry Hunsicker fired third-year skipper Terry Collins, first-base coach Rick Sweet, pitching coach Brent Strom and hitting coach Steve Hendersoa Third-base coach Matt Galante was elevat- ED SACKErTTHE ORLANDO SENTINEL Return trip. Alan Ashby (foreground), who managed Kissimmee of the Florida State League last season, played 11 seasons with Houston.

J.C. Heyne and Donnie Leacock combined for 51 yards rushing. Steve Maughn had three receptions for 53 yards, Seth Dugger four for 18 and Jose Vargas two for 10. The Bulldogs' defense surrendered one first down and caused three fumbles. The freshman close out their season Tuesday with a rematch against Gateway.

VOLLEYBALL HERITAGE CHRISTIAN School's girls are 9-2 overall and tied for second in the Florida Christian Conference at 6-2. Coach Joyce Steele's Eagles recently placed fifth in the 10-school Cougar Classic at Clearwater Central Catholic. The field included competition from Florida, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. Heritage meets Heartland Christian of Sebring today before facing FCC leader Vero Beach Tabernacle on Tuesday. Deanna Steele is the lone senior and Rachel Donnelly the lone junior on the roster.

Sophomores are Erica Curing-ton, Jennifer St. John, Kim Rooney, Spring Lloyd and Kylee Swafford. Freshman Laurie Pinkert and eighth-graders Jill Baker and Christina O'Grady complete the team. BASKETBALL POINCIANA HIGH School's gymnasium is the site of the 1996-97 Orange Belt Conference boys jamboree on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

Freshmen, junior varsity and varsity squads each play two periods. The schedule: freshmen, Poinciana vs. St. Cloud, 4:30 p.m.; Gateway vs. Osceola, 4:50 p.m.; St.

Cloud vs. Gateway, 5:10 p.m.; Poinciana vs. Osceola, 5:30 p.m.; junior varsity, Poinciana vs. St. Cloud, 6 p.m.; Gateway vs; Osceola, 6:20 p.m.; St.

Cloud vs. Gateway, 6:40 p.m.; Poinciana vs. Osceola, 7 p.m.; varsity, Poinciana vs. Osceola, 7:30 p.m.; Gateway vs. Osceola, 7:50 p.m.; St.

Cloud vs. Gateway, 8:10 p.m.; Poinciana vs. Osceola, 8:30 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students. SOCCER THE OUTREACH Program for Soccer begins its competitive season with the TOPSoccerfest next weekend at Austin-Tindall Park.

Similar to Special Olympics, TOPS is a national program of U.S. Youth Soccer designed to allow mentally and physically challenged children and adults to compete at local and regional levels for trophies. TOPSoccerfest is the largest event of its kind in Florida. It has attracted more than 120 participants, ages 5 to 55, including the Osceola Gators. The Legacy Soccer Foundation, formed following the World Cup in 1994, is back for a second year as event sponsor.

Other sponsors are Pepsi, Florida Youth Soccer Association, Florida State Referees Association and Kissimmee Valley Youth Soccer. Competition is from noon to 3 p.m. next Saturday, and it starts at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. -FRANK CARROLL Kissimmee parks supervisor to receive leadership award Randy Fisher, Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department athletic supervisor, has been selected to receive the Governor's Leadership Award, the highest honor given annually by the Florida Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

"This year's nominees were outstanding," said Jimmy Carnes, the council's executive director. "It was very difficult to choose the recipients, but I think we have a distinguished group of individuals to receive the Governor's Leadership Award this year." Fisher, Guilford Hanesworth of Jupiter, David Heckman of Valrico, Bill McDaniel of Lake Mary, Charles Miller and Rosemarie "Bud" Seaman, both of Maitland, are set to be presented awards Oct. 23 at People's Place Restaurant in Kissimmee. FOOTBALL ST. CLOUD High School's junior varsity peppered Gateway, 38-0.

Coach John Moore's Bulldogs rolled up 327 yards and got touchdowns from six players: Casey Butner (8 carries for 74 yards), Chad Lawson (10-68), Kenny Brunk (3-33), Tommy Grundel (1-5), Tom McGarry (1-3) and Cory Courtney (1-18). Butner completed 2 of 5 passes for 47 yards, Lawson 1 for 43. John Wright, who rushed three times for 25 yards, caught two passes for 47 yards. Seth Bartee had a 43-yard reception. Brunk, Butner, Wright, Josh Dugger and David Venn were defensive standouts for St.

Cloud. However, the Bullpups were thumped, 33-13, by Mount Dora. Wright led the offense with five carries for 65 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown run. Grundel had the other score, a 48-yard reception from Butner, who completed 4 of 8 passes for 94 yards. Courtney was 1 for 2 on point-after-touch-down attempts.

Brunk had four kickoff returns totaling 98 yards. Defensive standouts were Nathan Pratt (seven tackles), Keith Williams (six tackles, interception), Venn (six tackles), Tim King (six tackles, two sacks), Jared Schmidt (five tackles), Butner (six tackles) and Lawson (interception). St. Cloud (2-3) is set to play host to Cypress Creek at 7 p.m. Thursday.

ST. CLOUD HIGH School's freshmen mauled Daytona Beach Father Lopez, 40-0, behind Beau Thomason's four touchdowns. Thomason rushed for 81 yards (seven carries) and three touchdowns. He returned a fumble 35 yards for a fourth score. Wes Harris scored two rushing touchdowns and gained 77 yards (four carries).

Ryan Hayes had 60 rushing yards (five carries) and caught a pass for a two-point conversion. ed to special assistant to Hunsicker, and bench coach Julio Linares was reassigned to the minor-league organization. Larry Dierker, who pitched for Houston and ranks second behind Joe Niekro on the organization's all-time victory list, replaces Collins. Dierker, who has no coaching or managerial experience, had been the team's color commentator since 1979. Dieter's popularity among Houston's fan base may have influenced owner Drayton McLane to rubber-stamp the unorthodox move by Hunsicker.

Voters in Houston are set to decide next month whether to approve a tax hike to fund a downtown stadium for the Astros. McLane has threatened to move or sell the team if the stadium issue is not approved. Other former Astros being recycled are Bill Virdon, who owns Houston's best won-loss record (544-522) as manager from 1975-82. As bench coach, he'll offset Dierkers lack of dugout experience. Former Astros outfielder Jose Cruz has been selected as first-base coach.

Ashby, who spent 17 seasons in the majors, played from 1979-89 with Houston. Kissimmee was 60-75 this season. Alexander paces Poinciana boys to victory By Frank Carroll OF. THE SENTINEL STAFF Cloud, 57-58, in the 10-school invitational. Osceola was sixth.

Lake Region's girls were 1-2-3 and placed five runners in the top eight to easily outdistance runner-up St Cloud, 19-48. Poinciana, in its best finish in school history, was third and beat fourth-place Osceola for the first time, 125-129. Alexander and Danley, 2-2 in head-to-head meetings this season, next meet Oct 30 in St Cloud. St Cloud freshman Jessica Knight led Osceola County's girls with a fourth-place showing, completing the two-mile race in 12:33. Poinciana Invitational BOYS Tm 1.

Pdnxn (P 57; 2. 81 Cloud (SC) 58: 3. Wkr Hewn (WH) 77; 4. Hanes City (HQ 110; 5. Barter (B) 129; Osceola (0) 135; 7.

Cypress Creek (CC) 183; Lake fleglcn (Lfl), Gateway (G) and Aubumdate (A), NTS. IndMdualt; 1. Chrie Alexander (P) 15:31:2. Kan Danley (SC) 3. Bnan Stamey (WH) 4.

Malt Lackey 5. Je Jankins (LR) 6. Rene Gonzalez (HQ 7. Mike Mover (O) 1621; 8. Nick Shrouder (SC) 9.

Lewis Nombre i (WH) 10. Matt Sawickl (HQ 11. Loyal Pyramid (P) 12. Vic Ruz (SQ 13. Wayne Unseen (P) 14.

jstio Patterson (P) 15. Beau Race (WH) 17:00. GIRLS Teem 1. Lake Region (lfl) 19; 2 St Cloud (SQ 48; 3. Pom- dene (P) 125; 4.

Osceola (O) 129; 5. WrtBr Haven (WH) 141 a Bartow (B) 144; 7. Cypress Creek (CC) 193; Gateway (G), Au bumdate (A). Lakeland Santa Fe (L), NTS. IncMdualK 1.

Stephanie Murphy (Lfl) 128; Tamesha Davs (Lfl) 1226; 3, Errnly Johnson (Lfl) 1257; 4. Jessica Knight (SC) 5. Tammy PhiipB (Lfl) 6. Cass Lea (SC) 7. Sarah Jackson (P) 8.

Kely McGee (LR) 9 Adrienne Plat (SC) 10. Nada Harris (B) 11. Katrine Potaok (O) 13:12.9: 12. Laura Heasy (B) 1325; 13 Sarah Ju (SQ 1327; 14. Jerrihr Ott (LR) 15.

Karen Phps flfl) 13:33. 'KISSIMMEE Mary Armstrong, a 1932 Olympic gold medalist, fired the starting pistol then watched defending Orange Belt Conference cross-country champ Chris Alexander of Poinciana High School charge from the pack in the last half mile to defeat St Cloud's Ken Danley. Alexander's 15-minute, 31-second finish over the three-mile course was 11 seconds better than Danley and boosted host Poinciana over St. a MORTGAGE, INC. mm LENDING WSJ AND EXPERIENCE Serving Osceola County Since 1915 ROBERT A.

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