Sam Albuquerque

Orlando

High School Sports Reporter at The Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC)

Sports editor for the @OrangeObserver, @OrangeSportsOMG. Contact: [email protected] Formerly: @GoUpstate | @ESPNOrlando | @WDBONews

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Articles

Lift Disability Network, Gymnastics USA announce community partnership agreement

2 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

Lift Disability Network and Gymnastics USA announced a community partnership agreement. This agreement between the local gymnastics facility and the nonprofit organization reflects a shared commitment to providing inclusive opportunities for children, particularly those with special needs, in a safe and positive environment.
Former Dr. Phillips star basketball player Riley Kugel transfers to UCF

2 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

Former Dr. Phillips High star basketball player Riley Kugel announced his commitment to play his senior season of college basketball at UCF. Kugel spent the last season at Mississippi State, averaging 9.3 points and 3 rebounds. This is the second time the 6-foot-5 guard has transferred, spending his first two seasons of college as a member of the Florida Gators, alongside former Panthers teammate Denzel Aberdeen.
PHOTOS: West Orange boys volleyball spoils Olympia senior night with sweep

3 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

The visiting West Orange Warriors boys volleyball team put a damper on the mood at the Olympia High gymnasium during the Titans’ senior night April 21, with a 3-0 sweep of the celebrating home team. This win for the Warriors moves them to 18-3 on the season, which continues to add on to their program record of most wins in a season, and pushes the Titans to a 12-11 record and closes out Olympia’s regular season slate.
Windermere High football hosting first youth development camp

3 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

The Windermere High football program is hosting its first youth camp for elementary and middle school student-athletes from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26, at the school.
Winter Garden Squeeze to play 2025 home games at Horizon High

3 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

The Winter Garden Squeeze, West and Southwest Orange County’s Florida Collegiate Summer League baseball team, will place its home games in the 2025 season at Horizon High’s baseball complex. “As we prepare for our 12th year as an organization, we are really excited to announce that we're going to be playing our home games at Horizon High School this year,” said Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates.
PHOTOS: Family Church’s Brazilian ministry present its annual Easter play

3 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

Family Church’s Brazilian Community presented its annual Easter drama production, which portrays Jesus Christ’s final days in honor of the Christian holiday at its Lakeside Village campus on Easter Sunday. Directed by local residential developers from Ocoee, Paulo and Micheline Guerreiro, the play followed Jesus Christ, portrayed by Rodrigo Cartaxo, through pivotal scenes such as the Last Supper, the Road to Calvary, and Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection.
PHOTOS: Ocoee hosts annual Easter Eggstravaganza

3 days ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

With a helicopter egg drop, a number of egg hunts for kids of all ages, a host of vendors lining the streets around Bill Breeze Park and the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, a plethora of games and activities set to make the day fun for the whole family and the perfect spring weather, the city of Ocoee’s annual Easter Eggstravaganza event was again the Easter weekend event to attend in 2025.
Athlete of the Week: Kas Ocasio, West Orange baseball

1 week ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

As the West Orange Warriors baseball team finished its 2025 regular season campaign with a 19-6 record — the most wins the team has accumulated since 2017 — one of the unsung heroes leading this club can be found making one of the most difficult positions in the sport seem like a walk in the park.
Meet the husband-and-wife duo bringing a $1 billion youth sports complex to Ocoee

1 week ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

Today, Jaime and Anne-Marie Douglas are the husband-and-wife, CEO and president leadership team who founded Montierre Development; the developer behind the $1 billion, 159-acre youth sports complex dubbed The Dynasty | Ocoee coming to West Orange County. However, their journey to leading the youth sports and sports tourism industry revolution came on the back of years of hard work, betting on themselves and — like The Beatles sang — getting by with a little help from their friends.
Playoff push: West, Southwest Orange County high school baseball postseason preview

1 week ago | orangeobserver.com | Sam Albuquerque

The spring high school sports season is in high gear as postseason play is underway in most sports. As is often the case in West Orange and Southwest Orange, the area’s baseball teams once again are making some serious noise and have shown to be legitimate contenders not only for district championships but also for regional and even state titles this season.