The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Federal help sought for sewer project

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The City of Zephyrhills is pursuing federal dollars to help pay for a new master lift station located in the vicinity of Otis Allen Road and 23rd Street.

The project — yet to be designed — calls for a new duplex master lift station with provisions to be upgraded to a triplex station when needed; an emergency generator; and, 17,000 linear feet of 8-inch and 10-inch HPDE (High Density Polyethylene) force main piping.

Zephyrhills is requesting $1.5 million in federal funding, which equates to 37.5% of the overall cost of the estimated $4 million project.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe (File)

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said the opportunity to secure federal dollars comes about as federal lawmakers recently reinstated the process of earmarking for local governments and nonprofits, otherwise referred to as community project funding.

With that, an approved congressional request package has been sent to the office of U.S. Rep Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who’s told city leaders he will offer his support for the project through the legislative budgeting process.

The action approving the latest drafted package for the congressman’s office came during an April 26 regular meeting of the Zephyrhills City Council.

Zephyrhills has not been given a time frame regarding when they will know whether their grant request has been approved.

However, the plans to move ahead on the project are not contingent on receiving the federal money, Poe said. It will need to evaluate other funding options, if the federal request is denied, he said.

Based on prepared documents, the municipality looks to have the project’s design and bidding process complete by January, which includes determining the location of the station and the best route for the piping.

If on track from there, construction is expected to begin sometime in February and run through December, with the project being fully online and operational by January 2023.

Poe explained the need for the project, in a memo to council members.

The city’s existing wastewater infrastructure is at capacity and cannot accommodate additional flow from the north side of the city to the advanced wastewater treatment facility on the south side of the city, Poe explained in the memo.

The initiative is intended to assist with wastewater systems improvements to allow the city to balance wastewater flow, to provide water quality protection, and to support water supply needs in the Hillsborough River Basin.

The proposed improvements include a force main and associated lift stations that will allow the city to take approximately 200 residents off either septic systems or aging package plant facilities and instead send this wastewater flow to the city’s AWT (Advanced Wastewater Treatment) plant.

Poe and other city officials also said the project will ensure that future development will connect to centralized wastewater disposal facilities, therefore preventing installation of future septic systems and package plants near sensitive ecosystems.

In simpler terms, Poe said, “This will help to accommodate growth and take some pressure off the existing system.”

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking a $1.5 million federal grant for a new master lift station in the vicinity of Otis Allen Road and 23rd Street.

Councilman Ken Burgess supports the improvement, saying, “I think this is a much-needed project.”

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition also sent letters to Bilirakis, supporting the project.

In part, Melonie Monson, chamber director, wrote: “East Pasco County, including the Zephyrhills community, is experiencing accelerated growth in recent years, and is poised to become the number one place to live. The addition of this new lift station would grant future development the ability to connect to the city wastewater with confidence and ease.

“We know you recognize the need to move away from old septic systems, which could hold potential risk, and into a streamlined and safe wastewater disposal system. It is important for our city to offer adequate infrastructure to its residents and this wastewater system improvement and would be a step in that direction. We applaud our state and city leaders who are working to better our community.

“We ask for your support in this effort to improve the amazing community in which we live, work and play,” Monson concluded.

Other updates shared during the council meeting, included:

  • Work on the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension 1-19 project officially began in mid-April, with completion expected sometime around November or December.
  • New mast arm traffic signals are now set to be erected as part of the U.S. 301, Pretty Pond and Townview shopping center intersection project.
  • Walls are up on a standalone Chick-fil-A franchise, with an anticipated opening in late July or early August, at 7490 Gall Blvd.
  • Construction is moving forward on a standalone Chipotle franchise, though there is not a known time frame for opening, at 7642 Gall Blvd.

Published May 05, 2021

Strides on the track and in the classroom

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Cypress Creek High School senior Ashleigh Lacey will graduate as her school’s valedictorian, with a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA (and 4.6 weighted).

Armed with an Associate of Arts degree and Bright Futures scholarship, the accomplished student soon will attend University of South Florida’s (USF) Judy Genshaft Honors College with plans to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist.

The local teen’s aptitude, however, travels beyond the classroom.

She’s also a decorated varsity track athlete — boasting several Coyotes girls program records and milestones — while juggling a part-time restaurant job, to boot.

Long jump is one of Ashleigh Lacey’s strongest track and field events; she’ll compete in that at the state finals and she holds a school record of 5.28 meters. (Courtesy of Michelle Lacey)

She most recently qualified for the FHSAA Class 2A State Track and Field Championships on May 8 at University of North Florida-Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville — after finishing second place in the 300-meter hurdles (46.78 seconds, school record) and third in the long jump (5.17 meters) at last weekend’s Regional 3-2A meet at Cypress Creek.

She also finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.86 seconds, school record) and seventh as a leg of her team’s 4×100-meter relay (50.42, another school record) at the regional meet.

A strong regional showing wasn’t Lacey’s only notable achievement this season.

On April 22, she claimed her first District 9-2A individual title — and set another school record — in the long jump (5.28 meters), defeating Hernando High sophomore A’Reginae White (5.19 meters).

As it stands, Lacey holds seven school records in track and field.

In addition to long jump, 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles records and leg of the 4×100-meter relay, Lacey also has top marks in the 400-meter dash (1:04.56), 3,200-meter run (13:16.22), and high jump (1.45 meters).

She’s also known for becoming the first Cypress Creek girls track athlete to qualify for regionals, back in 2018, as a freshman.

“She’s littered through the record books,” Cypress Creek varsity girls track coach Steven Rivers said bluntly in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Lacey’s well-rounded success doesn’t come by accident.

Rivers compared Lacey’s “enormous work ethic” in athletics and academics to another one of his former pupils — Pasco High product Alfreda Steele, one of the nation’s top sprinters as a graduate student at University of Miami.

“She is an extremely hard worker,” Rivers said of Lacey. “She brings a very positive attitude to the team, and she’s that girl that constantly wants to work, ‘Can I do more?’”

So much so, Rivers often reminds Lacey to not overtrain in practice, and not be too hard on herself when she doesn’t eclipse a certain mark or personal record.

“With Ashleigh, she never feels that she’s done enough,” the veteran coach said. “I have to tell her, ‘The hay is in the barn, now you just have to eat it.’ I have to keep telling her, ‘You have to stop trying to chase it. Just go out there, clear your mind, and run.’”

Ask Lacey, and she’s actually prouder of her physical achievements than intellectual ones.

Though academics are clearly important, success in track and field “is something I have to work harder for,” Lacey said.

She observed: “School is something, I don’t want to say it comes easy to me, it’s something I never really had to super grind at. I study for it, I organize my stuff, I write my notes, I learn the stuff; but for track, it’s just been a bit of a journey, it’s pretty hard, like there’s sometimes where I’m not always going to be the best at it, and it’s kind of more challenging for me and that’s why I like it more. I put more dedication into it, because it’s more about my diet and weightlifting, too.”

Hoping to be a walk-on at USF
Understanding that she’ll likely be going pro in something other than sports, however, Lacey is poised to major in psychology at USF en route to pursuing a doctorate in psychiatry.

Lacey was inspired by AP Biology and AP Psychology, her two favorite high school classes.

Cypress Creek High School senior Ashleigh Lacey will compete in the 300-meter hurdles and long jump at the FHSAA Class 2A State Track and Field Championships, on May 8 at University of North Florida-Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.

“I loved them. Both were so interesting to me, and I was like, well, for a career, I might as well think of something I like to do and think is interesting, and I want to help people,” she said.

Lacey hopes her academic profile, and versatility and proficiency in so many events allows her to walk on to the USF women’s track & field team, an NCAA Division I program.

The standout athlete would appear to be a prime candidate to shine in the heptathlon, in which competitors take part in the same prescribed seven events (100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run).

High school and AAU coaches have told Lacey as much, though she humbly admits she needs to practice javelin, in particular. “I think I need to work a little more at javelin before I can confidently say I can compete in it,” she said.

Rivers believes competing in track at the next level is well in reach, given Lacey “can do a bunch of different things.”

“The more you can do, the more of an asset that you can be,” Rivers said. “Walking on to USF, being able to do so many things, I’m sure they could possibly find a home for her, but where she would definitely improve (USF’s track and field program) is through her classroom work, their academic side.”

Lacey originally entered high school as a distance runner, competing in cross-country and endurance track events (800-meter, 1,600-meter, 3,200).

But, she experienced a change of heart competing in AAU summer events for Wesley Chapel-based Speed Starz Track/Running Club, following her freshman year.

“I really didn’t like it,” Lacey said of long distance events. “I was like, ‘Maybe I need to try something else,’ because I really love the 300-meter hurdles and I was like, ‘I need to get more into sprinting,’ and then that’s when the heptathlon got brought up, and that’s when I started sprinting and I loved it way more than long distance.”

Lacey credits her abilities in hurdles and jumps to lower body strength and an offseason weightlifting program.

Moreover, her background in gymnastics vault has helped translate to long jump’s mechanics of run up, takeoff, flight and landing.

Lacey explained of the technique, “You have to have the same steps to get on the board so you don’t scratch or anything, because a lot of girls will be really good (with long jump), but they’ll scratch and they won’t score well.”

Lacey now hopes to conclude her prep career with a strong showing against Florida’s best at this weekend’s finals.

She last qualified for the state meet as a sophomore, in the 300-meter hurdles and long jump, finishing 21st and 22nd respectively. She acknowledged being “humbled pretty quick” that time around.

Come this weekend, she may be humbling others.

Published May 5, 2021

College bound!

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Two Pasco High School student-athletes each recently signed their national letter of intent to advance to the college ranks for his respective sport. Varsity boys tennis standout Logan Haga is headed to Division I Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, Alabama), and varsity golf standout TJ Floberg, is headed to Division II University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Haga won the Class 3A individual singles state title in 2019, as a sophomore. Floberg was named 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Boys Golfer of the Year.

Logan Haga (Courtesy of Pasco High School athletic director Dawn Wetherby)
TJ Floberg

Runner named Academic All-State

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Steinbrenner High School senior distance runner Zachary Harrigan was named to the 27th annual Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team — a recognition program presented by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) that honors 24 graduating student-athletes (12 boys, 12 girls) who excel in both athletics and academics.

Zachary Harrigan (Courtesy of Steinbrenner High School Athletics Department)

As part of the designation, Harrigan will receive a $1,700 scholarship and commemorative medallion.

Harrigan owns a 4.0 GPA and is in the top of his class. He has lettered in cross-country and track all four years of high school, and was a member of Steinbrenner’s 2019 FHSAA cross-country state championship team.

Off the course and out of the classroom, Harrigan earned more than 225 community service hours working with the Humane Society, Idlewild Baptist Church and Feeding Tampa Bay. He plans on studying pre-medicine at Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama) this fall.

To be eligible for Academic All-State, students must be a graduating senior with a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA, and must have earned a minimum of two varsity letters in at least two different sports during their junior and senior year.

The members of the 2021 Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team are:

  • Jack Adams, Episcopal School (Jacksonville)
  • Brooks Bak, Plant (Tampa)
  • Flynn Baliton, Father Lopez (Daytona Beach)
  • Emma Davey, Trinity Prep (Winter Park)
  • Zachary Harrigan, Steinbrenner (Lutz)
  • Hartley Hill, Plant (Tampa)
  • Julia Horn, Spanish River (Boca Raton)
  • Jennifer Jacoby, Cape Coral
  • Zachariah John, Florida Atlantic University High School (Boca Raton)
  • Kai Komatsu, Olympia (Orlando)
  • Ethan Lantzy, Jupiter
  • Marcus Lisman, Bishop Moore (Orlando)
  • Caroline Orcutt, Fort Walton Beach
  • Daniela Paredes, Maclay (Tallahassee)
  • Thomas Pitchford, Marathon
  • Hayaat Kay-Ramos, Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest)
  • Kasey Singer, Clearwater Central Catholic
  • Walter Stahll, Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs)
  • Michael Sweeney, Maclay (Tallahassee)
  • Brogan Tagman, Boone (Orlando)
  • Gabriella Vera, Evangelical Christian (Fort Myers)
  • Olivia Walton, Aucilla Christian (Monticello)
  • Lindsey Weingard, Dr. Krop (Miami)

Nice catch!

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Joshua Dunn, left, and Calvin Crowe teamed up to win the South Pasco Bassmasters (SPBM) April tournament on Lake Panasoffkee. The duo hauled in five bass for a total weight of 20.86 pounds, anchored by a 6.97-pounder. Their strategy involved fishing the shoreline grass using plastic frogs. The next SPBM tourney is set for May 15 at Lake Tarpon in Tarpon Springs. Visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com for more information.

Zephyrhills councilmembers retain seats

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The names and faces on the Zephyrhills City Council will remain familiar — but some titles are changing.

Incumbent councilmembers Charles Proctor and Jodi Wilkeson have been reelected to new three-year terms, both running unopposed in the 2021 municipal election.

Charles Proctor

They each took the oath of office, in a swearing-in ceremony conducted by City Clerk Lori Hillman during a special meeting on April 15 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

Other members on the voting council include Ken Burgess, Alan Knight and Lance Smith. Mayor Gene Whitfield also sits on the dais, though he doesn’t run council meetings, cannot make motions and cannot vote on matters before the council. He does, however, have veto power on city ordinances.

While the composition of the council didn’t change, there was a reorganization, with Knight selected to serve as council president, and Wilkeson as vice president.

Councilmember liaison appointments were finalized, too.

Burgess will serve on the Pasco County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Proctor, on Ridge League of Cities; Smith and Whitfield, on Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); and Wilkeson, on Main Street Zephyrhills.

Proctor begins his fifth term on Council Seat 5.

He was elected to his first term back in 2011, when he defeated then incumbent Manny Funes.

Proctor has owned an auto detailing and coin collection shop on Eighth Street for about three decades.

A native of Portland, Maine, Proctor moved to Florida in 1989, where he quickly landed a job washing cars and as a butcher, before launching his own businesses in Zephyrhills within a couple years.

Jodi Wilkeson

Wilkeson likewise is no stranger to the city’s governing dais — beginning her fifth term — having been elected to a three-year term April 2018 and also previously serving from 2008 to 2014.

She lost Seat 2 in the 2014 municipal election to Knight, a retired educator, but assumed Seat 3 in 2018 after defeating candidates Devon Alexander and Cory Sommers. She took over for outgoing member Kent Compton, who did not file for reelection that cycle.

Wilkeson is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa.

She’s held numerous volunteer roles over the years, previously serving on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission and Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board.

Besides her council duties, Wilkeson is board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The mayor and city council serve as representatives of the electors of the City of Zephyrhills, and are responsible for establishing the direction and policies of all affairs of the city.

Their primary duties include exercising legislative leadership and policy to promulgate the laws and ordinances of the city, approving an annual budget to provide for the needs and services of the city, setting policy and direction for the various functions of city government, and appointing citizens to serve on various advisory boards and committees.

Council members each receive $6,000 annually for their duties.
It’s undoubtedly a busy time inside city hall — navigating the East Pasco town’s rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the council’s recent and future undertakings include:

• Managing the addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits

• Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center

• Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road

• Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

• Overhaul of the city’s 911 dispatch communications system

Zephyrhills City Council
Seat 1: Lance Smith
Seat 2: Alan Knight
Seat 3: Jodi Wilkeson
Seat 4: Ken Burgess
Seat 5: Charles Proctor
Mayor: Gene Whitfield

Published April 28, 2021

Spring football preview for area teams

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High school football is back in session — as preseason spring football practices are now underway statewide.

Florida high school spring football practices begin April 26. The first allowable day for full-contact tackling is May 1. (File)

And while the 2021 prep season remains months away, prep gridiron fans can still get a taste of how their teams are shaping up with a series of exhibition games and jamborees in late May.

Florida high schools are allowed a maximum of 20 practice sessions from April 26 through May, according to Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) guidelines. The first allowable day for full-contact tackling is May 1.

Here’s a closer look at how programs across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, in Hillsborough and Pasco counties:

Hillsborough County:

Carrollwood Day Patriots (Class 3A-3 — up from 2A)
Coach: Marshall McDuffie, first year
Skinny: Carrollwood Day enters the 2021 campaign with a new head coach and losses of All-State players on both sides of the ball (tight end Michael Trigg, Southern Cal; defensive tackle Desmond Mamudi, Virginia Tech). But the program remains well-stocked with other talented young players — several of whom are likewise garnering Division I FBS looks or scholarship offers. Meanwhile, the Patriots have prepared a challenging schedule, facing the likes of Clearwater Calvary Christian (7-2 in 2020), Trinity Catholic (7-4), Seffner Christian (8-5) and Cambridge Christian (9-2) high schools, among others.

Freedom Patriots (6A-9)
Coach: Christopher Short, third year
Skinny: Sure, Freedom went winless last season, with several blowout defeats to boot, but the team’s final two games — on the road — were decided by six points or fewer. Perhaps that yields confidence for a team led mostly by then freshman quarterback Taquawn Anthony. At least one other exciting player to watch is rising junior athlete Robby Washington, who generated a team-leading 1,299 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns.

The Gaither Cowboys enter spring camp fresh off an 11-1 record and appearance in the regional finals. (Courtesy of Gaither High School Athletics Department)

Gaither Cowboys (7A-9 — up from 6A)
Coach: Kirk Karsen, third year
Skinny: Gaither will need to mold a new starting signal-caller to replace the uber-productive Kiael Kelly (Ball State University) — and the loss of several other graduating All-State talents. Yet, a pressure-heavy defensive front paced by Mario Eugenio and Tawfiq Thomas should help the transition for a program that’s remarkably gone a combined 23-3 the past two seasons. Eugenio ranked third in the state in sacks (17.0) last season, while Thomas contributed 15 tackles for loss. Also, the Cowboys move up from Class 6A to 7A, with district opponents now Largo, Leto, Mitchell and Sickles high schools.

Steinbrenner Warriors (8A-11)
Coach: Andres Perez-Reinaldo, 11th year|
Skinny: Steinbrenner must replace several playmakers on both sides of the ball. Besides losing its starting quarterback and top tackler, arguably the most notable departure is All-State tailback Deon Silas — now headed to Iowa State University — though rising junior Kirby Voorhees seems poised for an expanded role after registering 461 rushing yards on 61 carries, eight touchdowns in 2020.

Meantime, special teams figures to be a strong suit thanks to the legs of punter Griffin Wiltse (returning from a torn ACL) and kicker Collin Young (made five of six field goals, including a long of 42 yards, plus 28-for-28 on extra points).

Wharton Wildcats (7A-10 — down from 8A)
Coach: Mike Williams Sr., second year
Skinny: Wharton looks to build off its first postseason appearance since 2013, under the tutelage of second-year coach Mike Williams Sr. The 37-year-old offers pedigree as a seven-year NFL veteran who was a first-round pick in 2005 by the Detroit Lions out of Southern Cal, where he achieved All-American honors. (He also prepped at Plant High in the early 2000s). Having two All-State defensive players (Daveon Crouch, Henry Griffith) returning doesn’t hurt, either. The Wildcats transition down from Class 8A to 7A, with district foes being Armwood, Strawberry Crest, Tampa Bay Tech and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Pasco County

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (8-man)
Coach: Shawn Brown, eighth year
Skinny: In replacing nearly half the roster due to graduations, arguably the biggest blow to the Academy at the Lakes program is the graduation of quarterback Jalen Brown. He anchored the team for five seasons (starting as an eighth-grader) and back-to-back 8-man state titles in 2017 and 2018. Moving forward, at least one player to watch is rising sophomore linebacker Latrell Taylor, who garnered Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) 8-Man second-team All-State honors after posting a team-leading 55 tackles in six contests.

Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes (3A-2 — up from independent)
Coach: Ken Stills, second year
Skinny: Bishop McLaughlin wants to build off a respectable .500 campaign under coach Ken Stills, who played six NFL seasons from 1985-1990 and brings professional coaching experience from the United Indoor Football and XFL, as well as Bradenton’s IMG Academy. Stills seems to have brought stability to a program that’s now had six different head coaches since 2013. Tasks include replacing All-State quarterback Adrian Miller III (transferred to Zephyrhills Christian Academy), and navigating the upward transition to Class 3A from the Independent ranks.

Cypress Creek Coyotes (5A-9 — up from 4A)
Coach: Mike Johnson, fifth year
Skinny: Cypress Creek comes off a disappointing season exacerbated by a tough schedule against local powerhouses such as Mitchell, Tampa Catholic and Zephyrhills. What should bring confidence is the return of one of the area’s top quarterbacks in rising senior Owen Walls, who completed 54% of his throws for 1,233 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games last season. The Coyotes move up to Class 5A, joining a district that includes Hudson, Brooksville Nature Coast, Weeki Wachee, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

Land O’ Lakes will play as an Independent this upcoming football season. (File)

Land O’ Lakes Gators (Independent — down from 6A)
Coach: Trac Baughn, second year
Skinny: Land O’ Lakes certainly had a rough go in 2020 under new head coach Trac Baughn and a young roster, going just 1-7 and being outscored by a 72-268 margin. On a positive side, Baughn brings nearly three decades of coaching high school and college football, mostly throughout Mississippi. Interestingly, the Gators have opted to play this season as an Independent — instead of Class 7A — to help ease the program’s rebuild. Replacing the production of All-State defensive end Zavian Mckinon (12.5 sacks, 43 tackles) will be tough, in any case.

Pasco Pirates (6A-5)
Coach: Jason Stokes, third year
Skinny: Pasco seems to methodically be gaining momentum under the guidance of coach Jason Stokes, as he tries to steer the program back to its first winning season since 2014. Stokes has led three other prep programs to playoff appearances and also helped the Pirates notch the elusive win over Zephyrhills in the 9-Mile War in 2019 — after four straight blowout defeats to the Bulldogs under then head coach Tom McHugh. It’s critical to find ways to replicate production from several defensive stalwarts, including its top three tacklers, top three sack artists, and top two interceptions and passes defensed leaders. After all, this was a team defense last season that earned two shutouts, and held three other opponents to eight points or fewer.

Sunlake Seahawks (6A-9 — down from 7A)
Coach: Trey Burdick, third year
Skinny: Sunlake comes off another trying season — one that saw its offense get shut out in half its contests and only two victories coming against equally struggling programs — Leto (1-8) and Land O’ Lakes (1-7) high schools, respectively. Kevin Spillane returning as starting quarterback for a third season should help, as should linebacker Mitchell Hammond, the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference East Defensive Player of the Year. However, the Seahawks will be without its top three wideouts who each garnered at least 20 catches in 2020. The program slides down a peg to Class 6A from 7A, entering a district which features Countryside, Fivay, Freedom and River Ridge high schools.

Wesley Chapel Wildcats (5A-9)
Coach: Tony Egan, sixth year
Skinny: Wesley Chapel has yet to experience a losing campaign under the watch of coach Tony Egan. There’s optimism for similar steadiness despite a sturdy 2021 slate against the likes of Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills, Brooksville Nature Coast, River Ridge and Mitchell high schools. Yet, the Wildcats have plenty of offensive and defensive production returning, including five All-Conference performers — wideout Nehemiah Morgan, linebacker Aydon Roysdon, tailback Jaylan Blake, offensive lineman Briac Riles, and linebacker Josh Poleon.

Armed with one of the area’s top quarterbacks — in rising senior Rocco Becht — Wiregrass Ranch is poised to bounce back from a 4-5 mark cut short and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics Department)

Wiregrass Ranch Bulls (7A-10)
Coach: Mark Kantor, seventh year
Skinny: Through Wiregrass Ranch finished just under .500 for the first time since 2015, it was against an objectively daunting schedule facing the likes of Armwood, Mitchell and Tampa Bay Tech (not to mention a season-ending forfeit to Orlando East River due to a COVID-19 outbreak). However, confidence appears amidst the return of rising senior quarterback Rocco Becht, the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference East Offensive Player of the Year who, an Iowa State university verbal commit. Becht — the son of 11-year NFL veteran and current ESPN college football analyst Anthony Becht — completed 53.4% of his throws for 1,550 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions across eight games last season.

The Zephyrhills Bulldogs are poised to continue the team’s successful run under the guidance of veteran head coach Nick Carroll. The program went 8-3 last year, which included a string of eight straight victories. (File)

Zephyrhills Bulldogs (5A-9)
Coach: Nick Carroll, sixth year
Skinny: Winning consistently and in dominant fashion has been an ongoing theme for Zephyrhills under coach Nick Carroll’s tenure — collecting a pair of district titles (and another runner-up) and posting a combined 42-14 record across five seasons. The 2020 campaign, too, was noteworthy, given the team rapped off eight straight victories after dropping its two games. And six of those eight wins were of the shutout variety — the most lopsided being a 55-0 romp over Anclote in late November. Anticipate similar shutdown defensive performances to continue this year, as the Bulldogs should return five of its six top tacklers, including All-State linebacker Maguire Neal, who boasts multiple Division I FBS scholarship offers.

The Zephyrhills Christian Warriors will open up the 2021 season with a new artificial turf field and weight room. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Christian Academy Athletics Department)

Zephyrhills Christian Warriors (2A-2)
Coach: Mike Smith, seventh year
Skinny: Zephyrhills Christian enters spring camp seeking a sixth straight winning season. The prognosis seems pointed that way, as the squad returns a pair of All-State defensive backs in Quavious Cook and Fred Adams, plus the incoming transfer of All-State dual-threat quarterback Adrian Miller III, from Bishop McLaughlin. This should help boost a team that was already averaging nearly 29 points per game last season. Further adding to the program’s winning swagger is a brand-new artificial turf football field, and weight room, among other frills.

Schools in Laker/Lutz News coverage area (and their 2020 records)

Hillsborough County:

  • Carrollwood Day School Patriots (5-5)
  • Freedom High School Patriots (0-9)
  • Gaither High School Cowboys (11-1)
  • Steinbrenner High School Warriors (4-3)
  • Wharton High School Wildcats (7-2)

Pasco County

  • Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (4-2)
  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Hurricanes (4-4)
  • Cypress Creek High School Coyotes (3-7)
  • Land O’ Lakes High School Gators (1-7)
  • Pasco High School Pirates (5-6)
  • Sunlake High School Seahawks (2-6)
  • Wesley Chapel High School Wildcats (5-4)
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls (4-5)
  • Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs (8-3)
  • Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors (8-3)

Spring game schedule

May 20
Land O’ Lakes at Cypress Creek
Wiregrass Ranch at Berkeley Prep
Steinbrenner, Gaither, Sickles at Tampa Alonso (Jamboree)
Tampa Bay Tech, Freedom, Wharton at King (Jamboree)

May 21
Mitchell at Zephyrhills
Pasco at Sunlake
Miami GDS Academy at Zephyrhills Christian Academy
Hollins at Wesley Chapel

Published April 28, 2021

Mental health peer support specialists in high demand

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As community focus increases on mental health and substance use issues — particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic — the need for certified recovery peer support specialists may be at an all-time high.

That was the message of Tina Kinney, executive director National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Hernando, during an April 13 virtual social services event hosted by Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center.

Kinney’s talk came as part of a speaker series for students and prospective students interested in “helping careers.”

The topics for the free online series are designed to have broad appeal to those interested in social work, education, criminal justice, psychology, and human services.

National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Hernando executive director Tina Kinney (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Throughout the webinar, Kinney highlighted the role of peer support specialists. They are people who’ve been successful in the recovery process themselves and who help others battling addiction, mental health or criminal justice issues.

Through their shared experience they can provide understanding, respect and mutual empowerment.

The peer support specialist focuses on holistic person-centered, strength-based support, where connections are made through crisis intervention teams, state hospitals, emergency rooms, correction facilities, courts, halfway houses, mental health offices and other community settings.

This approach has shown to reduce relapse and recidivism rates over time, the speaker said.

Kinney herself is a certified recovery peer specialist, based on her and family members’ mental health conditions.

She labeled a peer support specialist’s function as part mentor, part accountability partner, part sponsor — all while working in conjunction with clinical providers.

Kinney acknowledged how she’s overcome her own past mental health challenges to become the leader of a large nonprofit in Hernando — a prime example of encouraging outcomes peer specialists can share with others.

She put it like this: “We want to inspire hope and share our lived experience, because it is that lived experience that’s able to provide the hope for individuals. When they see someone like myself…that alone is an opportunity for people to be hopeful that this is not a lifelong sentence they’re going to have to live with.”

Peer specialists seek to make individuals aware of various community resources, which may include employment preparation and job prospects, transportation opportunities, assisting with food stamps applications, and general socialization techniques.

“I joke around about NAMI Hernando being the best kept secret in Hernando County, but we’re not the only ones,” Kinney said. “There’s a lot of resources in our community that people don’t know about, and so, because we have access to networking with all these other programs, we have information that can help people connect to more resources.”

Peer specialists also encourage people to explore other support networks, such as faith-based programs, yoga, art classes or other opportunities, to ensure needs are met in mind, body and spirit.

In other words, Kinney said: “A stool doesn’t stand on one leg.”

A peer specialist’s role can be likened to an around-the-clock therapist — which is almost a necessity given how the present pandemic-impacted landscape has overwhelmed behavioral health networks.

“Because we do not have enough (health care) providers in the community, peers have a little bit more of an opportunity to meet with people more often than maybe they can meet with their therapist; they may only meet with their therapist once a month or every other week, so if they have a peer support specialist, that’s somebody they can reach out to when they’re needing to overcome something specific, whether it’s 7 o’ clock at night, or 8 o’ clock in the morning, they can just reach out and talk to that peer support specialist.”

Becoming a certified peer specialist
Those interested in becoming peer specialists can choose a number of pathways.

There are various certified recovery peer support credentials that can be obtained, and opportunities can be researched and applied for through the Florida Certification Board (FCB).

Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center has an ongoing virtual social services speaker series focusing on social work, education, criminal justice, psychology, and human services. An April 13 webinar focused on the growing need for recovery peer support specialists to help those battling addiction, mental health and the criminal justice system.

That board designs, develops and manages programs for more than 30 health and human services professions across Florida.

Certifications are available for a youth, adult, family and veterans. The state also is working on a specific validation for forensic peer specialists, for navigating the criminal justice system, Kinney said.

To become a peer specialist, Kinney explained someone must prove they’ve been living in recovery for at least two years.

A 40-hour in-person or online content specific training course, 500 hours of supervised on-the-job training opportunities and an exam, among other components, must be completed to earn FCB certification.

“There are a lot of different steps,” Kinney said, but she said NAMI Hernando and a number of other organizations are willing to help those interested in navigating the process.

Kinney also noted that a criminal record does not disqualify someone from becoming a peer specialist, as there’s an exemption process for certain charges.

Opportunities in the field are increasing, Kinney explained, via law enforcement crisis intervention and mobile response teams, state hospitals, emergency rooms, halfway houses, jails, prisons, and traditional and specialty courts.

Moreover, a new development in the past year or so — state’s attorney and public defenders, in Hernando at least, have begun writing mental health treatment and peer supports into people’s pre-trial interventions, Kinney said.

“The job market for peers in all of these places is growing rapidly,” she said.

Upcoming Saint Leo human services webinars are scheduled for April 27 and May 11, focusing on youth mental health, and suicide prevention and awareness, respectively.

For more information about the East Pasco Education Center Social Service Speaker Series, email Yvonne Montell, senior associate director of admissions, at .

Tools for recovery
Tina Kinney, executive director National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Hernando, detailed three common tools used by peer support specialists to help individuals on their path toward recovery.

  • Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP): An in-depth plan created by individuals and led by a peer specialist to discover daily wellness maintenance tools, habits and routines to establish recovery; along with an outline to minimize risk and duration in crisis.
  • Recovery Capital Scale: Assessments and conservations regarding a person’s present needs, resources and priorities to sustain recovery, whether it is human capital, financial capital, social capital or community capital.
  • SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) Goals: A written plan that essentially takes a seemingly weighty goal or task, and breaks it up into smaller, digestible pieces to build a sense of accomplishment and muscle memory for constructive habits.

For instance, if someone has a goal of working out daily and getting fit, an initial step may call for having the person lay out their gym outfit the night before.

Published April 21, 2021

Locals named to All-State football teams

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Athletes within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were well-represented on the FloridaHSFootball.com’s teams for the 2020 season.

In total, 23 players from 11 schools in Hillsborough and Pasco counties were named first-team, second-team, third-team or honorable mention in their respective classifications.

Wharton junior linebacker Henry Griffith (No. 40) earned a Class 8A All-State honorable mention, after posting a team-leading 82 tackles in nine games, plus three sacks and two forced fumbles. (Courtesy of Wharton High School)

The All-State teams were compiled by FloridaHSFootball.com, along with the considerations of information received from coaches, statistics on MaxPreps, and consultation of all-area/all-county teams as published by various media outlets from around the state. The schedule played by the school was taken into account, too.

Gaither High School (6A) garnered seven selections, the most among local schools.

That shouldn’t come as much surprise, given the Cowboys finished the 2020 campaign with an 11-1 mark and reached the regional finals before falling to Lake Minneola High School, 35-14.

Gaither’s picks were headlined with a first-team choice (junior defensive lineman Mario Eugenio), a second-team choice (senior linebacker Willie Jackson Jr.)  and five honorable mentions (senior quarterback Kiael Kelly, senior defensive lineman Asa Vanburen, junior defensive lineman Tawfiq Thomas, senior utility Jordan Oladokun, and Jackson Jr., again, as a punter).

Eugenio, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound weakside defensive end, ranked third in the state in sacks (17), combined with 42 total tackles, seven hurries, five passes defensed, three forced fumbles (one for touchdown) and two pick-six interceptions across 10 games.

A consensus four-star prospect, Eugenio already has more than 30 scholarship offers, including several power five conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12) from the likes of Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oregon, West Virginia and many others.

Gaither senior quarterback Kiael Kelly was named a Class 6A All-State honorable mention after leading his team to the regional finals and an 11-1 mark. Kelly has signed to play football at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. (Courtesy of Gaither High School)

Jackson Jr., an Ave Maria University signee, also showed why he was deserving of dual All-State designations.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound outside backer in 11 games tallied 67 tackles (including 16 for loss), eight sacks, four passes defensed, two forced fumble recoveries. Also, as the team’s punter, he averaged 39.9 yards per punt on 25 attempts, including a long of 55 yards and four pinned inside the opposing 20-yard line.

Gaither’s offense, meanwhile, was paced by Kelly, a Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) signee.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound dual-threat signal caller completed 63% of his throws for 1,594 yards, 16 touchdowns and four picks, plus 399 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, across 10 games.

His father is Kenny Kelly, a former starting quarterback at the University of Miami, who also played Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals in the early 2000s; the elder Kelly also was a four-sport letterman at Tampa Catholic High School in baseball, basketball, football and track.

Fellow Gaither standouts — Vanburen (nine sacks), Thomas (15 tackles for loss, three sacks), and Oladokun (1,157 all-purpose yards, nine touchdowns, four interceptions) also put up showy statistics.

Steinbrenner senior linebacker Austin Brannen earned a Class 8A All-State honorable mention after posting a team-leading 83 tackles in seven games. He’s headed to Campbell University, in Bules Creek, North Carolina. (Courtesy of Steinbrenner High School)

Other schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area celebrated multiple selections on the All-State list, too.

Steinbrenner High School (8A) had the next most among local schools with three All-State representatives — running back Deon Silas, senior linebacker Austin Brannen and sophomore kicker Collin Young each were named as an honorable mention.

Silas — an Iowa State signee — tallied 1,265 all-purpose yards (771 rushing yards, 357 receiving yards, 185 return) and 14 touchdowns in just five contests.

Brannen — a Campbell (Bules Creek, North Carolina) signee posted a team-leading 83 tackles (including four for loss) in seven games, plus 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. (The 6-foot, 220-pound backer capped his Warriors varsity career with 366 tackles.)

Young was perfect on 28 extra points, and made five of six field goal attempts, including a long of 42 yards.

Meantime, five area programs claimed two All-State selections apiece — Carrollwood Day School (2A), Wharton High School (Class 8A), Wiregrass Ranch High School (7A), Zephyrhills High School (5A) and Zephyrhills Christian Academy (2A).

For Carrollwood Day, senior tight end Michael Trigg and senior defensive tackle Desmond Mamudi took first-team 2A All-State honors.

Carrollwood Day School tight end Michael Trigg collected a Class 2A All-State first-team recognition. The highly touted athlete is headed to the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, where he’ll play football and basketball. (Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School)

Trigg led the Patriots with 30 receptions for 586 yards and five touchdowns in seven games, while Mamudi posted a team-leading 13 sacks in eight games, plus 39 tackles (16 for loss) and a forced fumble.

The pair of highly-touted prospects are poised to make an impact at iconic national brands in the Division I FBS ranks, coming from a small private school.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Trigg has signed to play football and basketball at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, while the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Mamudi is headed to Virginia Tech.

For Wharton, junior pass-rushing outside linebacker Daveon Crouch earned second-team 8A All-State, while teammate Henry Griffith, also a junior backer, took 8A All-State honorable mention.

Both spurred the Wildcats to a 7-2 mark — the program’s best since 2015 — and a stifling defense that surrendered just 10.1 points per game, on average.

The 6-foot-3 210-pound Crouch collected 12 sacks in nine contests, along with 62 tackles (eight for loss), six forced fumbles and two interceptions.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Griffith added a team-leading 82 tackles (nine for loss), three sacks and two forced fumbles in nine games.

At Wiregrass Ranch, senior tight end Grady Clower and sophomore athlete Bryson Rodgers collected 7A All-State honorable mentions.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Clower, who’ll join the University of Central Florida as a preferred walk-on, hauled in 10 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Rodgers led all Bulls receivers with 47 catches for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a 70-yard long, across eight games.

Wiregrass Ranch sophomore wideout Bryson Rodgers received a Class 7A All-State honorable mention. He led all Bulls receivers with 47 catches for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)

For Zephyrhills, junior linebacker Maguire Neal was named second-team 5A All-State, and senior tailback Zyre Roundtree picked up an honorable mention nod.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Neal registered a team-leading 13 sacks in 11 contests, plus 51 tackles (25.5 for loss) and four forced fumbles. He also is a track star, recently breaking long-held school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Roundtree totaled 899 rushing yards on 122 carries (7.4 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns in 10 games, including four 100-yard games.

At Zephyrhills Christian, freshman safety Fred Adams took second-team 2A All-State, while junior defensive back Quavious Cook earned an honorable mention.

The 5-foot-10, 175 pound Adams tied for ninth-most interceptions in the state with six in seven games, plus 12 passes defensed and 28 tackles.

Cook, a 5-foot-9, 140-pound cornerback, wasn’t too far behind, collecting four picks, five passes defensed and 34 tackles (including two for loss).

Elsewhere, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School (Independent), Cypress Creek High School (4A), Land O’ Lakes High School (6A) and Pasco High School (6A) each had one representative on an All-State roster.

Bishop McLaughlin junior tailback Adrian Miller III was an Independent All-State honorable mention — racking up 1,000 rushing yards on 90 carries (11.1 yards per carry) for 10 touchdowns, including a long run of 79 yards and four 100-plus yard contests.

Cypress Creek junior quarterback Owen Walls was a 4A All-State honorable mention — completing 54.6% of his throws for 1,233 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, including a long pass of 89 yards.

Land O’ Lakes senior defensive end Zavian McKinon was a 6A All-State honorable mention —  tallying 12.5 sacks and 43 tackles (including 12 for loss).

Pasco senior linebacker Gabriel Barnes was a 6A All-State honorable mention — leading his team in tackles (99), tackles for loss (13.5), hurries (11), sacks (8.5) and forced fumbles (three).

There were no All-State representatives in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area from Classes 3A or 1A.

Last year, 18 players from four local schools earned various All-State honors.

Class 8A
Daveon Crouch, Wharton, junior, defensive line (second team defense)
Deon Silas, Steinbrenner, senior, running back (honorable mention)
Henry Griffith, Wharton, junior, linebacker (honorable mention)
Austin Brannen, Steinbrenner, senior, linebacker (honorable mention)
Collin Young, Steinbrenner, sophomore, kicker (honorable mention)

Class 7A
Grady Clower, Wiregrass Ranch, senior, tight end (honorable mention)
Bryson Rodgers, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore, athlete (honorable mention)

Class 6A
Mario Eugenio, Gaither, junior, defensive line (first team defense)
Willie Jackson Jr., Gaither, senior, linebacker (second team defense)
Kiael Kelly, Gaither, senior, quarterback (honorable mention)
Asa Vanburen, Gaither, senior, defensive line (honorable mention)
Zavian McKinon, Land O’ Lakes, senior, defensive line (honorable mention)
Tawfiq Thomas, Gaither, junior, defensive line (honorable mention)
Gabriel Barnes, Pasco, senior, linebacker (honorable mention)
Jordan Oladokun, Gaither, senior, utility (honorable mention)
Jackson Jr., Gaither, senior, punter (honorable mention)

Class 5A
Maguire Neal, Zephyrhills, junior, linebacker (second team defense)
Zyre Roundtree, Zephyrhills, senior, running back (honorable mention)

Class 4A
Owen Walls, Cypress Creek, junior, quarterback (honorable mention)

Class 2A
Michael Trigg, Carrollwood Day, senior, tight end (first team offense)
Desmond Mamudi, Carrollwood Day, senior, defensive line (first team defense)
Fred Adams, Zephyrhills Christian, freshman, defensive back (second team defense)
Quavious Cook, Zephyrhills Christian, junior, defensive back (honorable mention)

Independent
Adrian Miller III, Bishop McLaughlin, junior, running back (honorable mention)

Published April 21, 2021