Orange Observer: High 5 —Thursday, May 27

1. The Foundation Academy baseball and football teams recently won the 2A FHSAA Academic Team Championship. At the end of each sports season — fall, winter and spring — schools submit the GPAs for their varsity teams and the top 10 receive points, which are totaled over the span of the three seasons.
 

2. Winter Garden native and West Orange High alumna Lexie Blair  — a junior outfielder for the University of Michigan softball team — was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten Wednesday, May 19. The All-Big Ten honor was the second of her career, while Blair became the 14th Michigan player to earn the title of POY. So far this year, she ranks in the top five of the Big Ten in a half-dozen categories, including batting average, hits, runs scored, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
 

3. The First Academy baseball continued its dominant run Monday, May 24, as the Royals defeated Bolles 2-1 in the Class 3A semifinals. In the win, pitcher Isaac Sewell tossed a gem as he went a full seven innings — holding Bolles to just one run on seven hits while striking out seven. At the plate, the Royals were led by Greg Pettay, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. The Royals advanced to the state title game Tuesday, May 25, after press time.
 

4. The Windermere Prep softball team defeated Jacksonville Episcopal 4-0 Wednesday, May 19, on its way to a state-title appearance. In the win, Meredith Workman went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Gracie Wallace pitched a complete-game shutout and tossed 13 strikeouts for the Lakers in the circle.
 

5. Foundation Academy alumnus Cory Rahman received some great news earlier this month. The Southeastern University senior was named to the NAIA Football All-America First Team as a defensive back. In a six-game shortened 2020 season, Rahman recorded 34 total tackles and three interceptions.