THESE POLK COUNTY ATHLETES ARE JUST AWESOME!

Of course, you all know that the Lakeland High School Dreadnaughts football team earned the top spot in the USA Today Super 25 national poll for their undefeated season in addition to their two consecutive state championships.

Well, while looking through USA Today this week...lo and behold ANOTHER prep team from Polk is honoured with a spot among the nation's elite.

The girls' basketball team at Winter Haven High School is ranked 15th in the latest Super 25 poll, the second consecutive week the Lady Blue Devils are at that position. This is an awesome team with a record of 29-1, and their quest for the 5A Championship continues as they host a Polk County showdown against (Lakeland) Lake Gibson Saturday with the winner playing in the FHSAA tournament at the Lakeland Center next week.

While the Lady Blue Devils are in the national rankings, they are not the only local team in the quest for a state title. In 4A, Haines City will host Naples in quarterfinal action. And in 1A action, Lakeland's Evangel Christian travels to Sarasota Christian to see who moves on.

And that's just the girls...

The boys will be in regional semifinal action next week, with those Lakeland Dreadnaughts facing (Orlando) Timber Creek Tuesday evening to determine who moves ahead in 6A. In 5A, Lake Region High from Eagle Lake will meet Brandon Tuesday, while (Lakeland) Kathleen hosts Lely in 4A action.

Good luck to all our local teams!

And while posting about Winter Haven High School, they have something else to be especially proud of. At a banquet last evening at The Lakeland Center, English teacher and 17 year veteran Diane Plowden was honoured as Polk County's Teacher of the Year. It's a family business for Ms. Plowden, whose father is a guidance counselor at Winter Haven's Denison Middle School and mother serves as a teacher at Lake Alfred Elementary.

Also from Winter Haven, Elbert Elementary computer network manager Pam Diaz was honoured as the county school district's School Related Employee of the Year.

Some really great prizes were awarded to the honourees, and are well deserved. We often take our teachers and school staff for granted, and it's nice to see that our community can see the best of the best honoured in such a way. Congratulations to both women, and thanks to all teachers and school staff for your significant contributions.