The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Local commits and signees

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Ryan Russell
(Courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

Wharton High senior Ryan Russell has signed a letter of intent to run track for Boston College, a Division I school in Boston, Massachusetts. Russell is expected to compete in both the 200-meter dash (PR 22.06) and 400-meter dash (PR 50.01).

Freedom High product Taylor Emery has verbally committed to play women’s basketball at Virginia Polytechnic University, a Division I school in Blacksburg, Virginia. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard most recently was named national junior college women’s basketball player of the year after leading Gulf Coast State (Panama City, Florida) to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I championship as a sophomore in the 2016-2017 season.

A four-year varsity starter at Freedom, Emery averaged 36.4 points per game in her senior prep season, and set Hillsborough County’s all-time scoring mark (2,689 career points).

Taylor Emery (Courtesy of Freedom High)

Emery signed with Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana) out of high school, but elected to transfer after her freshman season.

Wesley Chapel High junior Isaiah Bolden has verbally committed to play football at the University of Oregon, a Division I school in Eugene, Oregon. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound defensive back previously committed to Florida State University last June.

Isaiah Bolden (Courtesy of Scout.com)

A highly touted four-star recruit and consensus top-200 player for the 2018 recruiting class, Bolden holds nearly 30 scholarship offers.

Saint Leo softball claims conference title

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The Saint Leo softball team won its second consecutive Sunshine State Conference title on April 28.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

The 14th-ranked Saint Leo softball team won its second consecutive Sunshine State Conference title, and third in five years, after posting a 17-7 record in conference.

Saint Leo (37-13) won their final series over Rollins College on April 28 to push to the top of the SSC standings.

The Lions, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the South Region, will receive the conference’s automatic qualifier to the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Lions’ 37 wins mark the 17th time in program history the team has eclipsed 30 wins in a season and the 11th time they have recorded 35 or more wins.

Area athletes join National Football League

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Joey Ivie (File)

Pasco High product Joey Ivie (University of Florida) was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round with the 228th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 301-pound defensive tackle, who was one of eight Florida Gators selected in the draft, registered 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 11 games last season. Ivie graduated from Pasco High in 2013.

 

T.J. Mutcherson

Freedom High product T.J. Mutcherson (University of Central Florida) has signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Houston Texans. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound safety tallied 73 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games last season. Mutcherson, who graduated from Freedom High in 2010, also played for Iowa State University, but was dismissed in 2015 for violating team rules.

Wiregrass Ranch boys tennis finish state runner-up

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The Wiregrass Ranch High varsity boys tennis team finished state runner-up at the 2017 FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 4A State Finals, at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs on April 27.

The Bulls defeated Fleming Island High (4-1) and Steinbrenner High (4-1), before falling to Douglas High (1-4) in the championship match.

The tournament marked Wiregrass Ranch’s fifth consecutive state appearance and first runner-up title after winning state championships in 2014 and 2015.

The 2017 season also marked the Bulls’ ninth conference title, eighth consecutive district title, and fifth regional title.

Academy at the Lakes poised for breakout season

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After three consecutive losing seasons in the eight-man football ranks, Academy at the Lakes looks to make a splash in 2017, under fourth-year head coach Shawn Brown.

The Wildcats are coming off a 2-8 mark in 2016, after finishing 4-7 and 3-5 the prior two seasons.

But now — with a fruitful combination of talent, depth and experience — the Wildcats appear primed for a breakout year.

Academy at the Lakes running back/linebacker Danny Gonzalez is one of a dozen seniors on the 2017 squad. He was named to the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) All-State team in 2016.
(Courtesy of Joe Winn, Winning Photography)

“This is the first year we have everybody coming back since I’ve been here,” Brown said, during a late April spring practice at the Lake Padgett Estates East Sports Complex.

After having no seniors in 2016, the Wildcats expect to field a dozen on the 2017 roster.

Among them is Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) All-State linebacker Danny Gonzalez, who registered 165 tackles in 2016, the highest among all Florida eight-man players.

Doubling as a tailback, the 6-foot, 205-pound team captain was also the Wildcats leading rusher (608 yards, 10 touchdowns).

And, throughout his sensational 2016 campaign, Gonzalez received some national recognition, becoming a three-time nominee for MaxPreps/USA Football Player of the Week.

His performance has drawn the attention of multiple college scouts, including Millsaps College (Jackson, Mississippi), Florida Tech University (Melbourne, Florida) and Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, Michigan).

Impressive, considering Gonzalez didn’t begin playing football until his freshman year.

Instead, he played basketball through the eighth grade.

“He has come a long way,” Brown said. “He’s just turned into a pure football player in the last four years.”

Understanding football’s nuances was foremost to his development as a player, Gonzalez said. He acknowledged he “didn’t know a single thing” about the game when he first signed up.

“I think a lot of it was just learning the game a little bit more,” Gonzalez said. “Coach Brown was always helping me at the linebacker position, just teaching me.”

Seeing Gonzalez’s triumphs have encouraged other Academy at the Lakes students give football a shot.

Currently the 2017 squad has nearly 30 players, about a dozen more than last year.

“All the other kids have come out,” Brown said, “because they see Danny didn’t play before, and he’s been successful.”

Beyond the gaudy statistics and football skillset, Gonzalez’s best quality is his work ethic, the Wildcats coach said.

“Everything he does is at 100 percent. He doesn’t take plays off,” said Brown.

That mindset, too, translates to the classroom, where Gonzalez boasts a 3.8 grade point average.

“He’s a perfectionist, so he doesn’t like to fail at anything,” Brown explained. “I think that shows in his grades. If you say we’re going to play basketball one-on-one, he’s going to do everything to beat you. If you play pool, he’s going to try to beat you. If you play chess, checkers — I think it’s that he takes everything so seriously.”

Yet, Gonzalez doesn’t figure to be the only Wildcat filling up highlight reels.

The 2017 squad features several other impact players, including senior wide-out Isaiah Smith (28 receptions, 592 yards, seven touchdowns), junior tailback/defensive back Jamaal Johnson (702 all-purpose yards) and freshman quarterback Jalen Brown, who started as an eighth grader in 2016, passing for 1,116 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

“I think we have a good group where a lot of guys can make some plays,” Shawn Brown said. “Now we have the experience, we shouldn’t have as many mistakes in games, and we should win more games.”

His star pupil concurs.

“We’re just all trying to come together as a team this year,” Gonzalez said. “We’re just working together and make sure everyone works as hard as the next guy…”

Besides shedding tackles, the Wildcats look to shed perceptions about eight-man football, where games are played on a compacted 40 by 80-yard field.

“Some people give eight-man a bad rap,” Shawn Brown said. “They’re like, ‘kids can’t get recruited,’ but I look at a guy like Danny Gonzalez. A lot of colleges will recruit (eight-man) because it’s a skill-based game.”

To Brown, “football is football,” whether it’s six-man, eight-man or the standard 11-man.

“We do everything everybody else does,” he said.

The Wildcats will wrap up spring practices on May 25 with a jamboree against other FCAPPS programs.

Published May 10, 2017

A ‘Safe Place’ for Dade City

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The door is always left open — until someone is in danger.

It’s called “Safe Place.”

And it’s situated directly inside the lobby of the new Dade City police station, at 38030 Meridian Ave.

Signage went up last month for ‘Safe Place,’ an 8-by-12 room designed for citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both.
(Kevin Weiss)

While “Safe Place” signage was installed just last month, the 8-by-12 room has been operable since the 12,000-square-foot building opened in January 2016.

Geared toward protecting against domestic violence incidents, citizens seeking shelter from danger, abuse or both can enter the chamber and simply shut the door.

Once closed, the room locks, dispatch is alerted and a Dade City police officer is summoned from an adjacent back door.

The area, replete with comfortable lounge chairs, is soundproof and bulletproof.

It’s under video surveillance, too.

In domestic incidents, an officer intervention is required before an individual may exit, said Brian Uppercue, the department’s spokesman.

“Once that door is closed, there’s no way for them to get out, even if they had a change of heart,” Uppercue said.

“We’ve had a couple uses for it already,” added Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom.

Fingerprinting and noncustodial interviews— of victims and witnesses — are also conducted inside the “Safe Place” confines.

According to Uppercue, the space supplements the department’s ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ interview rooms, specifically in complex cases, “to keep all the parties separate.”

The Dade City police station became operable in January 2016.
(Courtesy of Dade City Police)

That way, folks aren’t passing through “the belly of the police department.”

Besides dire instances, the “protected” area is also employed for property returns and pickups.

The “Safe Place” concept materialized in the station’s design phase a few years ago, Velboom said.

In the old building, at 38042 Pasco Ave., residents often would file police reports in the lobby.

“There was no place to talk to those folks, so they were being interviewed right out in the lobby, in the open,” Velboom said. “We wanted…something that was a little more secure, a little more private.”

The idea follows another public-use offering, initiated by the department.

Last April, the department unveiled a “Safety Exchange Zone,” in its parking lot, permitting locals to meet up to sell or buy items through eBay, Craigslist or other websites.

The department currently has two parking spaces designated in its main lot off Pasco Avenue, behind the new municipal complex on Meridian Avenue.
The area is lighted and has video surveillance.

The safety zone helps reduce the potential danger of meeting with strangers to make a purchase, which was arranged online.

One such transaction, which was conducted in an east Tampa neighborhood in February, turned deadly.

James Beck, a 44-year-old Holiday resident, was shot dead Feb. 2 during a dirt bike sale arranged through Craigslist, multiple outlets reported.

Beyond transactions, the “Safe Exchange Zone” is used for custody exchanges.

“If you’re in a bad relationship, and you’re meeting at the police station, it’s going to temper everything down a little bit,” the police chief explained.

“It’s just a nice, safe, neutral area,” Uppercue added.

The “safe” areas are just two of the many features at the Dade City police station.

Besides its four holding cells, there’s enhanced evidence-processing laboratory, extra space for K-9 officers and evidence, and a high-tech Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

There’s also a designated room for weapons cleaning, equipped with an ultrasonic cleaner, air gun and vent system.

The $6.2 million building, which is combined with City Hall, was handled by St-Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jenson Architects, though some work at the police department was subcontracted to Generator Studio, an architecture firm in Kansas City, Missouri.

“We used the best concepts of a lot of police designs all around the country,” Uppercue said.
And, it sure beats the department’s previous digs.

“It was just this little cracker box; it didn’t have the technology this building has,” he said.

Published May 3, 2017

Students vie in entrepreneurial competition

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Timothy Hernandez noticed a problem, and he set about to solve it.

Not too long ago, the 17-year-old Zephyrhills High School senior was undergoing safety training as a YMCA pool lifeguard.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) masks kept falling off during tutorials.

“It was a real inconvenience,” he said.

Timothy Hernandez, center, won first place and $2,500 in Pasco’s Young Entrepreneur Finals. His business concept is CPRGo, a mask with an automatic seal, via suction cup features. Also pictured: Kelly Castro, youth coordinator for the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board, and Stacey Capogrosso, executive director of the Pasco Education Foundation. 
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Strap-based CPR masks didn’t fare much better, said Hernandez, who currently works at the East Pasco YMCA and the New Tampa YMCA.

His solution: CPRGo, a mask with an automatic seal, via suction cup features.

“It makes CPR a simple and more efficient process,” Hernandez said. “It also ensures the victim is getting a sufficient amount of air. “

In short, “Saving lives has never been so easy.”

For the concept — yet to be prototyped and patented — Hernandez won first place and $2,500 in Pasco’s Young Entrepreneur Finals, held April 25 at the Land O’ Lakes High School Culinary Arts.

The inaugural competition showcased seven students from Pasco County Schools’ business and entrepreneurship principles program.

It gave contestants an opportunity to present their unique business idea in a traditional slideshow format to a live audience and panel of judges — startup experts representing Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

Hannah White, a Pasco High School senior, earned second place and $1,000 for Organized Design, which refers to planners that can be customized entirely.

Jackson Rossi, a senior at Mitchell High School, received third place and $500 for Brij, an app for social media marketing.

Other finalists were Justin Hall and Katelyn Ortiz, of Sunlake High; Taylor Townsend, of River Ridge High; and, Alex Violini, of Ridgewood High; each were winners at school-level competitions, held April 3 through April 10.

Those attending the competition included representatives from Pasco County Schools, CareerSource Pasco/Hernando, the Pasco Education Foundation, the Pasco Economic Development Council, the USF Stavros Center, and Pasco SCORE. The name SCORE is based on an acronym for Service Corps of Retired Executives.

Loosely based off ABC’s hit TV show “Shark Tank,” each student had 10 minutes to present his or her startup.

Judges then lobbed critiques, criticisms and suggestions, for all the audience to hear.

The finalists later were evaluated on a 10-point scale on 10 factors, including professionalism, the viability of their enterprise, and their ability to back it with research on startup costs, revenue, distribution, customer base, competitors and the business and/or social impact of their venture.

Hernandez received high marks for his revenue and cost projections model, and his ability to identify a target market — lifeguards and other emergency responders.

For the judges, choosing just three winners wasn’t easy.

“The kids that did this — great job,” said Steven Hickman, president/CEO of First National Bank of Pasco. “I’m just thrilled to see the quality and the poise.”

Fellow judge Mike Lewis, chairman of SCORE Chapter 439, was likewise impressed with each presentation, praising students’ thought process, concepts and business plans.

“They are absolutely to be commended,” he said.

About 200 Pasco County high school students participated in the entrepreneurship curriculum during the 2016-2017 school year, said Terry Aunchman, director of career and technical education for Pasco County.

That figure, along with the Young Entrepreneurs event, is expected to grow, as the program will be introduced in five more high schools next school year — Cypress Creek, Gulf, Fivay, Land O’ Lakes and Wiregrass Ranch.

“The competition is going to be amped up just a little bit,” Aunchman said. “We built so much excitement around this that the other schools are like, ‘We want to get in on the action.’”

Aunchman also plans to introduce the program to several middle and elementary schools in the district, hoping to “get kids engaged, thinking outside of the box and solving problems.”

Meanwhile, Hernandez — like other finalists — appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

He plans to attend Saint Leo University this fall, majoring in criminal justice.

His minor? Business.

Published May 3, 2017

Wesley Chapel High softball reaches first regional appearance

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The banner season for Wesley Chapel High softball isn’t quite over.

The Wesley Chapel High varsity softball team has advanced to its first regional appearance. They face the Robinson Knights (22-5) in the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal on May 3 at 7 p.m.
(Courtesy of Wesley Chapel High Softball)

At 18-6, the Wildcats already have secured the program’s best record — and first winning season — in its 10-year history.

Now comes the school’s first playoff appearance.

The team is set to face the Robinson Knights (22-5) in the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal on May 3 at 7 p.m.

The game, at Robinson High School in Tampa, looks to be an intriguing matchup, as both squads sport potent offenses and legitimate aces.

A slightly better offense statistically, the Knights average 7.3 runs per game, with a .344 team batting average; the Wildcats average seven runs per game, and bat .337.

In the circle, Wesley Chapel will rely upon freshman Jordan Almasy (2.91 ERA, 121 strikeouts). Robinson, though, has multiple starting pitcher options, and could turn to either junior Cassidy Renninger (0.78 ERA, 64 strikeouts) or senior Sammy Conlan (1.39 ERA, 51 strikeouts).

The main difference between the squads is experience.

Outside of one senior, the Wildcats roster consists entirely of freshman and sophomores.

The Knights, however, employ a handful of juniors and seniors, plus Conlan and Renninger.
Beyond matchups, the bigger question for Wesley Chapel is maintaining confidence after its nine-game winning streak was shattered on April 26 — an “emotional” 10-0 loss to Land O’ Lakes High in the District 7-6A finals. (Both the district champion and district runner-up qualify for regionals.)

“It was very tough on them,” Wesley Chapel head coach Steve Mumaw said, describing the impact of the defeat. “They were disappointed they didn’t play as well as they know they could’ve played.”

Land O’ Lakes High also advanced to regionals, after winning the District 7-6A title on April 26.
(Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High Softball)

Since the setback, Mumaw and his staff have strived to ensure the team doesn’t waver psychologically, during the most critical point of the season.

“I think with any athlete, you want to try to stay on an even keel as much as possible, and not be on that (emotional) roller coaster — but especially with a young team,” Mumaw explained. “That’s something that we’re trying to teach them, so that they can learn that everything doesn’t just ride on one game.

“It’s difficult for them to learn, but it’s something that as they learn and mature, then it’s going to make them a lot better in the future,” he said.

Besides the mental aspect, shoring up the team’s defense — “just all over”— and putting balls in play — “with authority”— are other priorities.

In the Land O’ Lakes loss, Wesley Chapel committed three errors, and cobbled together just four hits against Gators sophomore standout Callie Turner (0.21 ERA, 200 strikeouts).

On the upside, the Wildcats struck out just seven times against Turner, who averages about 13 strikeouts per start.

Another positive, Wesley Chapel should have more depth entering regionals, as sophomore outfielder Cassidy Middleton (broken finger) is expected to make a full return to the lineup.

Prior to her midseason injury in March, Middleton was the team leader in RBIs (10).

“She’s a very valuable outfielder,” the Wildcats coach said. “We’re just now starting to get her back where she can swing the bat without a splint on.”

No matter its playoff outcome, Wesley Chapel’s 2017 season won’t soon be forgotten.

Until now, the school’s varsity softball program never experienced a winning record.

Coaching instability and talent deficiencies yielded paltry results since the program began in 2007.

In its first five years, the Wildcats went 1-15, 2-20, 2-21, 1-22 and 2-21. Ensuing seasons were similarly frustrating, as the team went 5-14, 0-24, 2-22 and 7-17.

“It’s just incredible,” Mumaw said, of the 2017 season. “Once the season is over, I’m sure they’ll look back on it and realize all of the things that they’ve been able to accomplish this year.”

Considering the youthful makeup of the roster, Wesley Chapel figures to be competitive against each school in its district — chiefly Land O’ Lakes and River Ridge — for the next several seasons.

Future aside, the Wildcats’ focus is squarely on this week’s playoffs.

“We’re going to play as hard as we can,” Mumaw said, “and see how long we can play in it.”

Other regional softball teams in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:
Class 8A: Steinbrenner High (17-5); Wharton High (16-5)
Class 7A: Sunlake High (18-6); Gaither High (15-8)
Class 6A: Land O’ Lakes High (24-3)
Class 3A: Carrollwood Day School (10-6)
Class 2A: Academy at the Lakes (19-2)

Published May 3, 2017

Sunlake golfer wins junior match play tournament

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Sunlake High’s Jordan Sarhaddi
(Courtesy of Darla Sarhaddi)

Sunlake golfer wins junior match play tournament Jordan Sarhaddi, a sophomore at Sunlake High, won the Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association’s annual HAM Match Play Championships on April 23 at the Countryside Country Club, in Clearwater. At the three-day tournament (April 21 through April 23), Sarhaddi outlasted 15 other golfers to claim the Boys 16-18 Division Championship. The annual match play event is dedicated to a former junior member, Harris Armstrong, who died in 2008 of cancer at the age of 12.

Area commitments

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Brooke Blankenship, left, with Academy at the Lakes coach Diane Stephenson.
(Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

Brooke Blankenship, an eighth-grade shortstop at Academy at the Lakes, has verbally committed to play softball at Florida State University.

Through 20 games this season, Blankenship is batting .542, with five home runs and 31 RBIs and 36 runs scored. Blankenship joined the Wildcats varsity team last year, as a seventh grader.

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Penix

Dade City native Mike Penix, a rising senior quarterback at Tampa Bay Tech, has verbally committed to play football at the University of Tennessee.

Penix, who transferred from Pasco High School after the 2015 season, is ranked as one of the nation’s top 25 pro-style quarterbacks for the Class of 2018, according to multiple recruiting outlets.

The 6-foot-1, 182-pound left-hander chose Tennessee over offers from, among others, Arizona, Oregon, Rutgers and South Florida.

Last season, Penix threw for 2,078 yards, 31 touchdowns with just one interception; he completed 56 percent of his passes.