The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Soccer referee classes available in Lutz

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The United States Soccer Association will be offering an Entry Level Referee Class on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 at the Learning Gate Community School, 16215 Hanna Road in Lutz. Completion of the course will allow new officials to work at other clubs and tournaments throughout the state. Prospective referees must be able to run a 40-yard sprint as fast as the players, and be able to stand for up to 40 minutes at a time. Class size is limited. For more information, visit FSR-INC.com and click on “Become a Referee.”

Free 5K race offered in Wesley Chapel

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The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County is hosting a free 5K race in Wesley Chapel on Sept. 24. The “5K Your Way” race begins at 8:15 a.m., at the Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road. Number pickup and on-site registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. The race is open to all ages, and residents are encouraged to walk, jog or run. Register online at https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=39020453. For more information, call (727) 619-0162.

PHSC Foundation golf tourney set for Oct. 3

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The seventh annual Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation Golf Tournament is set for Oct. 3 at the Black Diamond Ranch Quarry Course, 2600 West Black Diamond Circle in Lecanto.

Opportunities are available for sponsorships, individual golfers and foursomes. Players receive a breakfast buffet, lunch, beverages, awards banquet seat, official tournament apparel and goodie bags.

Awards will be distributed to first place teams and winners of the following contests: longest drive, closest to the pin and putting.

The annual tournament has raised more than $220,000 for the PHSC Foundation, dedicated to the advancement of student scholarships, academic and athletic programs, and other college initiatives.

For information on the tournament, call (727) 816-3410, or visit PHSC.edu/foundation.

Steinbrenner marching band director has ambitious plans

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Steinbrenner High School’s new marching band director has ambitious plans for the program.

Jason Allgair, who spent the past nine years teaching at Wharton High School, is striving to increase band participation.

He’s also looking to collaborate with the school’s other fine arts programs — orchestra and theater.

The Steinbrenner marching band is looking to raise upwards of $55,000 for a trip to New York City in January. Approximately 120 students are in the band. (Photos courtesy of Ingrid Babajanof)
The Steinbrenner marching band is looking to raise upwards of $55,000 for a trip to New York City in January. Approximately 120 students are in the band.
(Photos courtesy of Ingrid Babajanof)

“I believe that all the arts should be together in regards to doing concerts and performances, and supporting each other,” Allgair said. “I love doing full orchestra, I love the collaboration with theatre, and doing the musicals.

“I’m all about the community environment and the community feel.”

Steinbrenner’s musical faculty, including Allgair, is entirely new. Other first-year Steinbrenner teachers are Grace Jeon, orchestra director, and Corey Poole, choir director.

“All of us are just bonding together, and we want the students to feel like everyone is important, and everyone is involved with each other’s performances,” Allgair said.

At least one band member, James Wall, relishes the idea of more alliances and partnerships with other fine arts departments.

“I think it’s cool that we’re kind of expanding our horizons,” the high school senior said. “Doing more things, using other departments, working together — we didn’t do it that much in the past.”

That philosophy spreads to Friday nights throughout the fall, where the band and Steinbrenner’s cheer squad will no longer be separate entities during home football games. Instead, they’ll be performing jointly — in the name of school spirit.

The band practices Tuesdays and Thursdays during the fall, in advance of Friday night football games. The band’s first major competition is the 20th annual Lion’s Pride Marching Band Festival on Oct. 15 at King High School. The district MPA (Music Performance Assessment) is set for Nov. 5.
The band practices Tuesdays and Thursdays during the fall, in advance of Friday night football games. The band’s first major competition is the 20th annual Lion’s Pride Marching Band Festival on Oct. 15 at King High School. The district MPA (Music Performance Assessment) is set for Nov. 5.

“I believe in the hometown feel,” said Allgair, “where the cheerleaders and the band and that whole atmosphere…is there for the spirit of the school.

“It’s all about the support of the football team and the whole feel of what’s happening on Friday nights at Steinbrenner,” he said.

Doubling the size of the marching band — which has approximately 120 members— is another objective, albeit more long-term, for the new director.

“My goal in the next four or five years is to build this program into a band of 220 to 250,” said Allgair, who’s also the district chair for the Florida Bandmasters Association, overseeing 70 high school and middle school directors. “When I was at Wharton, I started the program with about 49 or 50 kids, and I doubled the program to 110 by the time I left.”

He added: “I’m just excited to take what’s already been laid here as a foundation and build upon that. I have a really good relationship with the feeder middle school and all the surrounding feeder middle schools, and we’re going to try to get the numbers up.”

Allgair, too, has bold plans in store for the band’s ensembles — concert and jazz —over the next few years.

“I’d love for the kids to arrange their own jazz standards, and I can bring in guest artists to work with the ensemble,” explained Allgair. “With the concert ensembles, I’d like to commission new works, I’d like to have composers come in and join us, and actually be a part of the audience as we’re working on their pieces. I have a commission that I’m getting ready…for a composer to actually write a piece — dedicated for the Steinbrenner program — but, I don’t know if that’s going to happen this year or next year,” he added.

Also in the works for Steinbrenner’s band: a field trip to New York City.

Planned for the end of January, band members can expect to visit several of the city’s cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Opera House, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York Philharmonic, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

They’ll also check out Broadway shows, and may get a tour of Yankee Stadium.

“We’re all really excited about that,” Wall said about the looming trip to NYC. “It should be cool.”

The trip north will ultimately tie in with Allgair’s curriculum, and the band’s marching show.

“I’m going to be bringing things that we learned culturally from New York City and connecting it as we go through the rest of the school year,” the band director said. The band’s marching show is Frank Sinatra and its last song is “New York, New York,” he said.

As opposed to just taking a select few band members to New York, Allgair’s goal is to send the program’s 120-plus kids to the Big Apple.

Approximately $55,000 will need to be raised for the excursion, the band director said.

The cost is around $1,000 per student. Students will be paying for part of it, but the rest will come from fundraising efforts that are already underway, he said.

The band is currently having a mulch sale through the end of September.

Other fundraising opportunities will follow that.

“We’ve got a lot going on,” Allgair said.

The band’s first major competition is the 20th annual Lion’s Pride Marching Band Festival on Oct. 15 at King High School. The district MPA (Music Performance Assessment) is set for Nov. 5.

For more information on fundraising and the marching band program, visit SteinbrennerBand.com.

Gaither High Wind Ensemble fundraiser
Gaither High School’s Wind Ensemble is trying to raise funds to help pay travel expenses for a trip to Manhattan to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Where: Gaither High parking lot, 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 33624
When: Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
How much: Vendor spaces are still available, at a cost of $20 for two parking spaces.
For more information: Contact Melissa Seaman at (786)-514-0128 or .
Want to help? Donations may be sent to Gaither High School, c/o Luis Alvarez, band director, 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 33618.

Published September 14, 2016

Biometric ID device now in use at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

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Patients visiting Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will now encounter a high-tech identification device at the medical center.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients.

PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record. (Courtesy of Imprivata)
PatientSecure — manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.
(Courtesy of Imprivata)

The biometric identification solution—manufactured by Imprivata, a Massachusetts-based IT Company — uses infrared light to scan a patient’s palm, and then links the unique vein pattern to each patient’s electronic health record.

The new apparatus was introduced at the hospital on Sept. 6. Hospital officials claim the device reduces paperwork, improves accuracy and helps to prevent identity theft.

“This technology streamlines the registration process by automatically pulling up a patient’s record, provides added protection from medical identity theft, and ensures each patient is correctly linked to their unique medical record,” said Gwen Alonso, the hospital’s chief nursing officer.

Nationwide, the number of patients at risk of encountering medical identification issues is staggering.

A 2012 health care report by the Wall Street Journal shows that 7 percent to 10 percent of patients are misidentified during medical record searches.

Moreover, a 2015 study by the Medical Identify Theft Alliance estimates that 2.3 million individuals are affected by medical identity theft annually, a figure growing by about 22 percent per year.

Mike Vanderbilt, the hospital’s director of patient access, said the palm vein technology is more secure than if a patient provided insurance or Social Security numbers, which can easily be swapped or transposed during identification.

That helps reduce the risk of duplicate medical records, and errors in charting, he explained.

“The palm vein is more accurate than any of that other data,” Vanderbilt said.

PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Hospital)
PatientSecure, a device that images veins in the hand, is now being used to register and identify all patients at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. Benefits of the new apparatus include reduced paperwork and improved accuracy, hospital officials say, as well as helping to prevent identity theft.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

“Once they’re scanned, it attaches that palm vein image to their record,” he said. “It actually assigns a series of unique code numbers to that patient, so the next time they come in, they can scan their hand…and it brings them right up in the computer system.”

PatientSecure also could be a lifesaving tool, in some instances.

Should an individual arrive to the facility in an unconscious state, or is unable to communicate, their hand can be placed on the device to reveal their electronic health record (medical history, allergies, current medications).

“If they had been put into this system at some point previously, it would pull them right up as well, without ever talking to them,” Vanderbilt said.

He noted the new registration process is “very quick” for patients.

“It really doesn’t add much to their registration experience as far as the timing goes,” Vanderbilt said. The hospital also has received positive feedback from patients, he added.

The identification tool is equally “very straightforward” for medical staff to utilize and access, Vanderbilt said.

“It’s a USB — sort of a plug and play into our computer system,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s kind of like if you just hook up a mouse to a computer, and of course there’s all the software and everything behind it.”

Should the identification system malfunction or crash, only then would patients be required to verify personal information — name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and address — to medical staff.

“If it were ever to go down, it’s similar to when you call your bank or your credit card company or even your cable company — they make you tell them who you are,” explained Vanderbilt.

“The palm scan is just one extra step that in the future will prevent us from having to ask all those questions. But, that would be the fallback if the system were down — we would still go through some verification steps to confirm their identity,” he said.

PatientSecure is currently being rolled out through Florida Hospital Zephyrhills’ parent company, Adventist Health System, which operates 46 facilities in 10 states.

According to Vanderbilt, the palm vein technology also will be installed in Florida Hospital-owned physician offices and other long-term care facilities.

“It’ll help make the coordination of care better,” he said.

Vanderbilt added: “It’s all linked to that one palm scan, so the whole continuum of health care — as long as the patient is using Florida Hospital — will be more streamlined.”

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, a 139-bed regional medical center, is at 7050 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. For additional information, visit FHZeph.org.

Published September 14, 2016

‘Baseball Ranch’ opens in Wesley Chapel

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A new baseball and softball performance academy has sprung up in Wesley Chapel.

The RockStar Baseball & Softball Ranch, which had its grand opening on Sept. 10, is owned and operated by Ryan Pryor, a former varsity assistant coach at Bishop McLaughlin and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Ryan Pryor is the owner and operator of the RockStar Baseball & Softball Ranch, 8931 Elkmont Lane in Wesley Chapel. He is a former assistant varsity coach at Bishop McLaughlin and Wiregrass Ranch high schools. (Photos courtesy of Ryan Pryor)
Ryan Pryor is the owner and operator of the RockStar Baseball & Softball Ranch, 8931 Elkmont Lane in Wesley Chapel. He is a former assistant varsity coach at Bishop McLaughlin and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.
(Photos courtesy of Ryan Pryor)

Situated on a five-acre property off of Old Pasco Road and Hadlock Drive, the indoor/outdoor ranch is equipped with several training amenities. It has six batting cages and machines; a pitching arena with five bullpens; various drill fields and ranges; and, 300-foot long toss/throwing lanes.

Pryor, who initially began training players out of his garage several years ago, refers to the ranch as an “old-school” training environment.

That philosophy starts in the “fit pit,” where players utilize medicine balls and flip tires for total body strength and conditioning workouts.

“They’re swinging hammers, they’ve got (water) pails they’re lifting, they’re doing movements…to do the things they need to play this game, because they don’t do that anymore,” explained Pryor. “They’re playing more because of the culture of travel ball and tournaments, and (focusing) less on the physical side — they don’t climb trees, they don’t ride bicycles, they’re not using their shoulders.”

Because of that, Pryor noted “throwing injuries have quadrupled over the last 30 years.”

Pryor, who compiled a 123-34 record in five years as an assistant high school coach, said the ultimate goal of the ranch is to “bridge the gap” between a player’s potential and his current performance.

Pryor, also a former collegiate baseball player at Fresno State University in California, said he doesn’t just seek out the top talent to develop. Instead, he assists those who’ve either been cut from teams, or the types of players who are “always stuck in right field.”

“I take a lot of those kinds of kids that aren’t in the mainstream, and I develop them,” he said. “I take kids that can’t walk and chew bubblegum, and turn them into really good talent, for them to basically reach their full potential.”

He also noted: “I see things in kids that other coaches don’t see in them.”

Throughout the year, the membership-driven ranch will feature age-specific classes, clinics, team practice opportunities, coaching workshops and advanced high school boot camps.

Private lessons and video evaluations also are available.

The RockStar Baseball & Softball Ranch provides instruction and training to youth ages 6 to 18.
The RockStar Baseball & Softball Ranch provides instruction and training to youth ages 6 to 18.

One noteworthy ranch feature is the expanded use of wiffle ball drills for live batting practice.

Pryor explained wiffle balls help collect useful data on a particular hitter’s strengths and weaknesses.

“It shows the spin—backspin, topspin, sidespin,” he said.

“It gives you the spread,” he said. “Are they missing the ball? Are they popping up? Are they hitting ground balls? Are they hitting the top of the ball?”

In terms of teaching, Pryor said he benchmarks instruction “at the major league standard and works it backwards” to each specific age group, from ages 6 to 18.

“I’m going to provide them with the tools, and the training they need,” said Pryor. “We’re speeding up the process.”

His key slogan is: “See it, Do it, Repeat it, Play it.”

“See it and do it at the ranch, repeat it at home with the parents, and play it in the games in various leagues,” he elaborated.

“Within a year or two, (my trainees) are passing everybody because they become more technically sound — they’re able to just move better, take better angles, and understand the concept (of the game) better.”

At the ranch, Pryor said he won’t just teach baseball lessons, but will instill life lessons, too.

Responsibility, for instance, is a major focal point.

“There’s a lot of life lessons out here,” explained Pryor. “The kids are responsible for their own water — and we hold them accountable for that kind of stuff.

“Throughout all of our training, that’s the kind of stuff that we teach out here: getting kids to be better people, and own up to their responsibilities and do what they’re capable of in their own control,” Pryor said.

For more information, visit RockStarBaseballRanch.com.

To reach Ryan Pryor, email , or call (813) 992-1030.

RockStar Baseball Ranch
Some of the features of the RockStar Baseball Ranch:

  • Five-acre indoor/outdoor property
  • Hitting stables with six batting cages and machines
  • Pitching arena with five bullpens
  • Long-toss throwing lanes
  • Practice drill fields
  • Golf-style batting tee ranges
  • Outfield range
  • Strength and conditioning corral
  • Full video evaluations

Published September 14, 2016

Former Pasco Pirate makes NFL roster

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Former Pasco High football standout Josh Johnson made the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 53-man roster. (Courtesy of Jacksonville Jaguars)
Former Pasco High football standout Josh Johnson made the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 53-man roster.
(Courtesy of Jacksonville Jaguars)

Former Pasco High football standout Josh Johnson has made the Jacksonville Jaguars 53-man roster, where he is expected to play as a nickleback and contribute on special teams. Johnson, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound cornerback, graduated from Pasco High in 2009, and played college football at Purdue University, where he went undrafted in 2013. From 2014-2015, Johnson played for the BC (British Columbia) Lions in the Canadian Football League. The Jaguars signed him on Feb. 12.

Performances of area graduates in college games

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  • Janarion Grant, a former Pasco High School two-way player, was one of the few bright spots in Rutgers (New Jersey) University’s 48-13 loss to the University of Washington on Sept. 3. Grant, a senior, totaled 160 all-purpose yards (28 rushing, 56 receiving, 76 return). He also had a game-high in receptions (9).

    Former Pasco Pirate Janarion Grant is a standout offensive player for Rutgers University. (File Photo)
    Former Pasco Pirate Janarion Grant is a standout offensive player for Rutgers University.
    (File Photo)
  • Shane Bucenell, a former Wiregrass Ranch High School quarterback, led Charleston Southern to a 57-7 victory over Kentucky State on Sept. 3. The redshirt freshman scored two touchdowns, throwing for 99 yards and rushing for 21.
  • Taylor Bleistein, a former Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver, made an impact in his first career game at Hanover (Indiana) University, a Division III school. The true freshman caught five passes for 24 yards, and totaled 76 kickoff return yards.
  • Shaheed Salmon, a former Land O’ Lakes High School linebacker, recorded six tackles in Samford (Alabama) University’s 77-7 victory over Mars Hill (North Carolina) University on Sept 1. Salmon, a junior, played in 11 games last season for Samford, totaling 24 tackles and one sack. In 2013, Salmon led the Land O’ Lakes Gators in tackles (117), tackles for loss (21.5) and sacks (8.5).
  • Devin Brockington, a former Zephyrhills High School cornerback, totaled four tackles in his first start for Indiana State University on Sept 3. Brockington (5-11, 170 pounds) previously played junior college football at Ellsworth (Kansas) Community College.
  • Jaylen Pickett, a former Zephyrhills High linebacker, notched five tackles in Eastern Michigan’s 61-14 win over Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 3. Pickett (6-foot, 210 pounds) played in all 12 games for Eastern Michigan last season, finishing with 6 tackles. He was rated as a two-star recruit coming out of high school.

Saint Leo volleyball player wins honor

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Saint Leo’s Jamee Townsend (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)
Saint Leo’s Jamee Townsend
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Saint Leo University volleyball libero Jamee Townsend was named the Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week for matches played Aug. 29 through Sept. 4.

The senior defensive specialist wrapped up the week with a conference-leading 5.57 digs per set, helping to anchor the Lions’ back line in their 4-0 start to the season. Townsend also dished out 11 assists, and made only one service error during weekend play.

The honor marks Townsend’s first career weekly award, and the first weekly award a Saint Leo player has won since Oct. 13, 2014.

Saint Leo soccer rises in rankings

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Lions senior forward Bafou Sanogo scored a goal in the 3-2 victory over Young Harris University on Sept. 3. (File Photo)
Lions senior forward Bafou Sanogo scored a goal in the 3-2 victory over Young Harris University on Sept. 3.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

The Saint Leo men’s soccer team jumped to No. 10 in the first National Soccer Coaches Association of America Coaches’ poll, announced on Sept. 6.

The Lions opened their season up with a 3-2 win over Young Harris (Georgia) College, who was previously ranked No. 9 in the NSCAA preseason poll.

Outside of the national rankings, the Lions are second in the unofficial South Region Poll, behind Sunshine State Conference foe Lynn University.

Saint Leo’s next game is Sept. 14 at Eckerd College. Start time is 7 p.m.