The Laker and the Lutz News has named its All-Laker/All-Lutz News teams for the 2011-12 winter high school athletic season. Members were selected based on their skill, value to their squad, final statistics and head-to-head matchups. Teams in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wharton, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch. Stats are as recorded to Maxpreps.com or provided by coaches. Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team. He can be reached at .
Girls basketball first team
–Point guard: Samantha Fernandez, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. The lightning-quick senior averaged 13 points, 8.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds.
–Guard: Taylor Emery, Fr., Freedom. Wasn’t intimidated starting as a freshman, pouring in 18.3 of Freedom’s 49.5 points per game. Added 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals.
–Guard: Kelly McCaffrey, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Dropped 19.2 points while leading the Sunshine Athletic Conference with 8.9 rebounds. Had 4.4 steals and 4.1 assists.
–Guard: Amelia Oliver, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. A huge threat as an outside shooter, Oliver scored a team-high 18.9 points this season.
–Forward: Abbigale Kaczmarek, Sr., Wharton. Helped lead a late-season surge that saw Wharton win a district title. Scored 11.1 points with 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
–Forward: Andrea Mauger, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. Posted 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and four assists per game.
–Center: Rachel Briere, Fr., Steinbrenner. Burst onto the scene as a freshman, putting up 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks.
–Utility: Bailey Hooker, Jr., Steinbrenner. Her versatility let her play guard or forward creating match-up issues. Averaged 19.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.1 blocks.
Girls basketball second team
–Point guard: Tiffany Echevarria, Jr., Wesley Chapel. The Wildcats went 4-19, but it wasn’t because of Echevarria who scored 14.5 points.
–Guard: Monica Cazes, Sr., Wharton. Her work mainly on the perimeter led to 10.4 points for the Wildcats.
–Guard: Shadé Williams, Sr., Freedom. Scored 8.3 points and was the Patriots lock-down defender. Recorded 2.4 steals and 2.1 rebounds.
–Guard: Alexis Wright, Sr., Steinbrenner. Gave opponents a third player to contend with offensively, scoring 6.3 points while adding four rebounds and two steals per contest.
–Forward: Amanda Melosky, Fr., Wiregrass Ranch. Made the Bulls instantly better in the paint, scoring 10.7 per game while pulling down 7.1 rebounds with 3.8 steals.
–Forward: Kendra Sheets, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. One of the best defensive players in the area, Sheets recorded 5.6 rebounds while scoring 7.9 points.
–Center: Yvanessa Vincent, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Recorded 10.9 points and 11 rebounds per game, the only area athlete to average a double-double.
–Utility: Shannon Clark, Jr., Wharton. The forward/guard posted nine points per contest while kicking in 3.2 rebounds.
Girls basketball honorable mention
–Guard: Tiffani Brazel, Fr., Gaither. Racked up 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 assists.
–Guard: Sarah Nichols, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. The Gators needed Nichols’ 7.4 points per game to help replace four starters from a year ago.
–Guard: Neena Pacholke, Jr., Freedom. Stepped up after Freedom lost its top two scorers from last year. Posted 7.5 points and 1.3 assists.
–Forward: Alexis Holler, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Made her contributions with solid defense and rebounding to the sound of 4.1 boards per game.
–Forward: Kashari James, So., Gaither. The Cowboys (3-19) didn’t have much to smile about, but James was a bright spot. Scored 10.4 points with 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.
–Center: Logan Seoane, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Stepped up as a force down low, scoring 7.6 points while pulling down seven rebounds a game.
–Utility: Jhade Hayes, Fr., Sunlake. Scored 13.6 points with 9.8 rebounds while moving between forward and guard.
Player of the Year: Andrea Mauger, Academy at the Lakes. Mauger shot 43 percent from the field while averaging 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and four assists, but her importance went much deeper than stats. Mauger knows the Wildcats’ system better than anyone but coach Karim Nohra, acting like an assistant on the floor. She also changed her game to exploit the opposition by shooting from outside or attacking the basket. The academy went 23-6, reaching the Class 2A final four with Mauger leading the way.
Coach of the Year: Karim Nohra, Academy at the Lakes. In his 20th year coaching Nohra again showed he has one of the best basketball minds in Tampa Bay. He incorporated two new starting guards in Samantha Fernandez and Amelia Oliver while tailoring gameplans to fit his players’ skill set. The academy went 23-6, winning consecutive district titles and claiming the first regional crown in school history.
Boys basketball first team
–Point guard: Justin Thomopalos, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Like a true point guard, Thomopalos wasn’t worried about his stats, focusing on setting up others. Averaged 5.1 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals.
–Guard: Ethan Haslam, Fr., Academy at the Lakes. Scored 34 percent of the points for a playoff team, averaging 18.8 with 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.2 assists.
–Guard: Ernest McClendon, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. His ability to shoot from outside or attack the basket kept opponents off balance. Scored 12.7 points with 4.3 rebounds.
–Guard: Christian Parra, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. The Wesley Chapel transfer didn’t miss a beat. Racked up 17.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, three steals and 2.6 assists.
–Forward: Rico Kerney, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led all area athletes with 25.1 points and 14.2 rebounds. Also showed his quickness with a team-high 3.3 steals.
–Forward: Erik Thomas, Jr., Wesley Chapel. Did everything for the Wildcats, leading in points (21.7), rebounds (14.1), assists (4.6), steals (three) and blocks (2.9).
–Center: Victor Obi, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. The only area athlete who patrolled the low block like a traditional center. He swatted 2.4 shots while snagging 7.5 rebounds and scoring 7.5 points.
–Utility: Joey Maloney, Sr., Steinbrenner. Transitioned between forward and center while leading the Warriors with 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and two blocks per game.
Boys basketball second team
–Point guard: CJ McGill, Jr., Wharton. Returned after missing last year with a torn ACL and didn’t lose his quickness.
–Guard: Jarrett Harvey, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Took him some time to shift from football, but wound up with 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and two steals a game.
–Guard: Troy Holston, Jr., Wharton. Transferred from Freedom to give Wharton a big threat from the outside with the ability to cut to the basket.
–Guard: Larrentz Manora, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Stepped up as a scoring threat for the Bulls, pouring in 11.1 points with 3.5 rebounds.
–Forward: Jackson Cannon, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Gave the Gators a physical presence down low, scoring nine points a game while pulling down six rebounds with 2.3 steals.
–Forward: Mike Morrow, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. The offensive half of Land O’ Lakes’ forward duo, Morrow poured in 11.2 points along with 4.1 rebounds.
–Center: Marcus Hayne, So., Wesley Chapel. Athletic enough to move out of the paint to challenge shooters. Scored 8.8 and grabbed 6.6 rebounds.
–Utility: Abaz Igwe, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. The Freedom transfer was at home at guard or forward. Recorded 9.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Boys basketball honorable mention
–Point guard: Dimarco Burgess, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. The Freedom transfer took to running the offense fast, averaging five assists, 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals.
–Guard: Isaiah Goncalves, Sr., Steinbrenner. The deadly accurate shooter connected on 58 percent of his 3-pointers while averaging 11.3 points.
–Guard: Pedro Pabon, Sr., Sunlake. Filled up the stat sheet in his final season with 16 points, seven rebounds and 2.6 assists.
–Guard: Sir Patrick Reynolds, Jr., Wharton. Added a spark to the Wildcats, often as the first guy off the bench.
–Forward: Sasha Mentor, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Made a living in the paint, posting 9.2 points with 6.6 rebounds.
–Forward: Matthew Phillips, Sr., Carrollwood Day. Led his team in scoring for the second straight year, posting 15.2 with 6.2 rebounds.
–Center: Patrik Hauri, Sr., Wharton. Was a bit undersized, but was always going 100 percent.
Player of the Year: Rico Kerney, Wiregrass Ranch. Kerney had to raise his game as the only returning starter from a district championship team a year ago and did not disappoint. He led all area athletes with 25.1 points and 14.2 rebounds while posting a team-high 3.3 steals. His work helped the Bulls make back-to-back postseasons.
Coach of the Year: Jeremy Calzone, Wiregrass Ranch. Claims the honor for the second straight year. Calzone had a big task ahead of him when the year began. Replace four starters from a playoff team while incorporating two transfers. His methods got the team playing its best down the stretch, finishing 17-11 and with a postseason berth.
Girls soccer first team
–Forward: Cici Gonzalez, Sr., Steinbrenner. Used her speed and ball-handling to rack up a team-high 16 goals, including four in the regional quarterfinals, and added four assists.
–Forward: Jenna Stiling, Sr., Freedom. Stiling’s team-high 12 goals helped get the Patriots back to the playoffs for the third straight year.
–Forward: Berlin Waters, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led all area athletes with 21 goals while adding seven assists.
–Midfielder: Anne Cypriano Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Her six goals and 10 assists helped the Bulls overcome the loss of last year’s leading scorer A.J. Blount to a knee injury.
–Midfielder: Alyssa Daniello, Sr., Freedom. Had only three goals and five assists, but Daniello made big contributions with her hustle.
–Midfielder: Tess Gemberling, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Racked up a team-high 13 goals as the catalyst of the Wildcats’ attack.
–Defender: Mitsy Audate, Fr., Land O’ Lakes. Always in the right spot to keep offenses away from the Gators’ net.
–Defender: Miranda Gonzalez, So., Steinbrenner. Probably the fastest defender, if not player, in the area. Miranda’s speed allowed her to stifle opposing offenses.
–Defender: Joelle Stewart, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Moved from midfield this year and was instantly one of the best backliners.
–Utility: Arielle Le-Tran, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Moved between forward and midfield while scoring nine goals and adding six assists.
–Goalkeeper: Emily Ball, Sr., Freedom. The University of South Carolina signee racked up 186 saves and 10 shutouts.
Girls soccer second team
–Forward: Alexis Bredeau, Jr., Steinbrenner. A threat to shoot or pass, Bredeau posted eight goals and six assists.
–Forward: Ashni Deschenes, Jr., Wharton. Wharton’s offensive leaders scored 14 goals and added six assists.
–Forward: Taylor Valley, Sr., Steinbrenner. Returned to the Warriors after taking last year off and didn’t miss a beat, scoring 13 goals while adding six assists.
–Midfielder: Kelsey Bare, Jr., Wesley Chapel. Her 10 goals were big in helping Wesley Chapel make its first playoff appearance.
–Midfielder: Danielle Eule, So., Steinbrenner. Probably the best ball-controller in the area, Eule helped spring Steinbrenner’s deadly forwards.
–Midfielder: Taylor Tippett, Sr., Carrollwood Day. Scored 18 goals while adding six assists to lead the Patriots to a 12-3 record, their most wins ever.
–Defender: Lauren Gordon, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. A big reason why the Bulls allowed only 12 goals.
–Defender: Alex Schweitzer, So., Carrollwood Day. The lockdown defender wasn’t afraid to push the attack, posting 13 goals.
–Defender: Kendra Swetland, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Finally had a healthy season and paid dividends to the Gators’ defense.
–Utility: Alyssa Lonsway, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Moved up to forward from defense earlier in the season and led the Gators with 11 goals.
–Goalkeeper: Stephanie Hirsch, Jr., Steinbrenner. Saved 72 shots and allowed only 13 goals while fighting through numerous injuries.
Girls soccer honorable mention
–Forward: Catherine Gray, So., Land O’ Lakes. The extremely physical player scored eight goals and dished out seven assists.
–Forward: Taylor Meek, So., Gaither. Meek matched her scoring from her freshman year with 12 tallies as the Cowboys’ primary attacker.
–Forward: Jessica Taylor, Fr., Steinbrenner. Added an offensive punch scoring six goals.
–Midfielder: Spencer Valdespino, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. The speedy and powerful Valdespino led the Hurricanes with 18 goals and 17 assists.
–Midfielder: Richelle Vetzel, So., Bishop McLaughlin. Part of the ‘Canes one-two offensive punch, scoring 13 goals and adding nine assists.
–Midfielder: Christina Wojaczyk, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Posted five goals and six assists while also stepping up as a leader.
–Defender: Dana Jones, So., Freedom. A big reason while Freedom allowed only 17 goals.
–Defender: Sydnee Newby, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Took command of the Wiregrass Ranch backline with her speed.
–Utility: Jordanyné Fye, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Was second on the Bulls with nine goals as an energy sparker off the bench.
–Goalkeeper: Ariana Bailey, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Always in the right position to make saves, recording 146 with 13 shutouts and 21 goals allowed.
–Goalkeeper: Dayton Wetherby, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Used her superior athleticism to make 78 saves with 11 shutouts while allowing only 11 goals.
Player of the Year: Emily Ball, Freedom. Ball’s work between the pipes was critical to the Patriots’ defensive-oriented style. She had by far the most saves in the area with 186 while recording 10 shutouts and allowing only 15 goals. Ball was also like another coach on the field, organizing the squad with her commanding voice.
Coach of the Year: Michelle Clark, Wesley Chapel. Clark led Wesley Chapel to the playoffs for the first time in her second year at the helm. The squad had been a perennial bottom dweller, winning 10 games the last five years while losing 65. The Wildcats (9-12) finally have some confidence thanks to Clark’s coaching.
Boys soccer first team
–Forward: Jonas Bukh, Sr., Gaither. The Cowboys needed all of Bukh’s team-high 23 goals and nine assists to win a district and regional championship.
–Forward: Josh Davis, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. His blazing speed put defenders on their heels, and often their backsides. Davis scored a team-high 33 goals with 15 assists.
–Forward: Conner Gilboy, Jr., Sunlake. Sunlake needed someone to replace the 51 goals from graduate Jordan Landry, and Gilboy was it. He notched 27 tallies and 26 assists.
–Midfielder: Nathan Dalton, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Appeared as a wizard with the ball feeding open teammates. Recorded a team-high 25 assists with eight goals.
–Midfielder: Jake Frahm, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Used his 6-foot-2 frame to muscle his way to 24 assists and eight goals to help the Gators reach their second state finals ever.
–Midfielder: Miguel Laliberte, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Probably the most versatile player because of his ability to score or dish to teammates. Totaled 18 goals and had 15 assists.
–Defender: Austin Renz, Sr., Steinbrenner. Made smart decisions that left the opposition scratching their heads and his team celebrating.
–Defender: Justin Santos., Jr., Gaither. A big reason Gaither allowed only 11 goals after December while also adding four scores and four assists.
–Defender: Jacob Snidle, Sr., Gaither. Stepped up as a leader on a team that lost 10 seniors. Always in position to make key stops while adding four goals and eight assists.
–Utility: Felipe DeSousa, Sr., Wharton. Set a program record by scoring 28 goals while adding 14 assists.
–Goalkeeper: Nate Brown, So., Freedom. Most teams underestimated him because of his small stature. He recorded 82 saves with a 0.93 goals against average.
Boys soccer second team
–Forward: Andy Garcia, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Helped fuel the Gators’ high-octane offense with 26 goals and six assists.
–Forward: Morgan Shepherd, Fr., Wesley Chapel. Didn’t play like a freshman. Shepherd led Pasco County through districts with 32 goals while adding 11 assists.
–Forward: Connor Spencer, Fr., Sunlake. Worked as a half of the Seahawks offensive duo with Conner Gilboy, Spencer posted 21 goals and 18 assists.
–Midfielder: Tarek Assaad, Jr., Gaither. Had the ability to see plays before they developed making passes resulting in six assists while posting seven goals.
–Midfielder: Enrique Barboto, Jr., Steinbrenner. Led his squad with four assists while kicking in three goals to the Warriors’ attack.
–Midfielder: Ize Cadet, Sr., Wharton. The attacking midfielder was the Wildcats No. 2 scoring option. Finished with 11 goals and seven assists.
–Defender: Nicholas Kempton, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. A constant presence for Land O’ Lakes, breaking up opposing rushes before getting close to the net.
–Defender: Jett Wright, Jr., Freedom. Wasn’t afraid to press the attack, scoring six goals with two assists while playing a solid backline.
–Defender: Sean Young, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Always found his way to the ball while adding six goals and 18 assists.
–Utility: Paul Barrett, Sr., Gaither. Once Barrett got his 6-foot-2 frame rolling it was very hard to knock him off the ball. Recorded six goals and seven assists.
–Goalkeeper: Keenan Kushner, Jr., Wharton. Moved with the quickness not usually associated with 5-foot-10, 160-pounders. Made 72 saves with eight shutouts.
Boys soccer honorable mention
–Forward: Daniel Diaz, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Scored 24 goals, just more than one per contest, accounting for 40 percent of the Bulls tallies.
–Forward: Derek Geghard, Jr., Steinbrenner. Had a team-high eight goals while adding three assists
–Forward: Larry Thorpe, Sr., Freedom. Combined quickness with the ability to play physical. Thorpe had a team-high seven goals.
–Midfielder: Conner Fleming, Sr., Steinbrenner. A knee injury limited playing time near the end of the year, but still was one of the Warriors’ key contributors.
–Midfielder: Joe Gulau, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Lead the ‘Canes with 16 goals.
–Midfielder: Calvin Restrepo, Sr., Sunlake. Like a good midfielder, Restrepo was a scoring and passing threat. Recorded 12 goals and 14 assists.
–Defender: Pat Lawson, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Played physical defense and pressed the attack. Had nine goals and 10 assists.
–Defender: Connor Walker, Sr., Wharton. His big leg set up Wharton on free kicks.
–Utility: David Santacruz, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Gave the Wildcats a spark at forward or midfield. Scored 21 goals with 20 assists.
–Goalkeeper: Carlos de Oliveira, Sr., Gaither. The converted midfielder made big saves traditional keepers wouldn’t. Finished with 101 saves and 1.34 goals against average.
–Goalkeeper: Brandon Jungbauer, Jr., Sunlake. Notched 10 shutouts with a goals against average of 1.23.
Player of the Year: Jonas Bukh, Gaither. Bukh picked a good season to return to the Cowboys. Spent last year in his native Denmark after attending Gaither as a freshman and sophomore to become his squad’s leading scorer with 23 goals and nine assists. The Cowboys lost their top two scorers from a year ago, but with Bukh Gaither won districts and regionals.
Coach of the Year: Mark Pearson, Land O’ Lakes. The Gators lost 10 seniors from a team that went 23-1 a year ago. The 15-year coach was up to the challenge. When his team lost the district championship for the first time in eight years, Pearson used it as fuel for his team and Land O’ Lakes found itself in its second state finals ever.
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