The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Local golf course recognized

By

(Courtesy of Rod Merritt)

The Groves Golf & Country Club in Land O’ Lakes has been ranked as the No. 2 best golf value in the Tampa Bay area by Golf Advisor, a website which offers golf course reviews and ratings by golfers across the United States and world.

Nearly 95% of the reviewers who played The Groves recommended the course, second highest among 120 in the Tampa area, the website reported.

For this list, Golf Advisor looked for courses that are roughly 2,200 yards and longer, or a par 31 (double that for 18-hole courses), and urban courses that allow a golfer to hit every club in their bag. The site used 2018-2019 Nielson market size data to determine the 50 largest markets and used a 30-mile radius from the urban core. Courses were ranked on:

  • Conditions
  • Value
  • Layout
  • Friendliness of Staff
  • Pace
  • Amenities

Local commitment

By

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School senior Adam Berry has committed to play collegiate baseball at Pasco-Hernando State College. Berry, an outfielder and right-handed pitcher, is coming off a strong 2019 campaign for a team that went 19-8 and made the Class 3A playoffs. In 96 plate appearances, he slashed .342/.458/.481 with 27 hits, 25 runs scored, nine RBIs, 17 walks and seven stolen bases. In 8.1 innings pitched, Berry posted a 0.84 earned run average and five strikeouts, and was credited with two wins. Berry also has played football and basketball at Bishop McLaughlin.

This female barbershop group enjoys entertaining

By

For these women, snowbird season in Zephyrhills means more than soaking up the warm Florida sun — it’s also a time to harmonize in a group called the Zephyr Sound.

The all-women’s barbershop chorus entertains at senior communities and nursing homes with their collection of four-part acapella harmonies.

Zephyr Sound members come from all over. They hail from Michigan and Maine, New York and Canada. Some live in East Pasco year-round.

Zephyr Sound, a ladies barbershop singing group, performs at local senior parks and nursing homes throughout Zephyrhills. The group formed in 1998. (Kevin Weiss)

They bring a cohesive, professional sound, but the female barbershop group considers itself to be informal, and welcomes new ladies of all ages to be part of their fellowship and fun.

The only requirement to join is the ability to simply “keep a tune,” said Peggy Shear, who serves as the group’s vice president.

Shear, who sings bass, said the group really needs lead singers who have melody and can hit a Middle C note, and an octave above.

Currently, the group has nine regulars, many of whom are retired, or on the verge of retirement.

Shear, who is a New York native and Wesley Chapel resident, joined Zephyr Sound about three years ago after seeing an ad in a newspaper.

She was hooked after her first rehearsal.

Shear appreciates the challenge of the use of the human voice to make music.

She explained, “I enjoy the people and I enjoy the harmony that I’m hearing, and learning how to stay more in tune when you don’t have an accompaniment.”

Zephyr Sound formed in 1998.

Rhoda Frederick, a ‘snowbird’ from Maine, has been with the group the longest. She joined in 1999.

For Frederick, the group provides an outlet to express her passion for music and for studying harmonies.

“It’s just a part of me,” Frederick said.

Other Zephyr Sound members describe the barbershop quartet as “addicting,” — that is, they say, once you get the hang of it.

That was Carolyn Kampf’s experience.

“Once I started singing barbershop, I just couldn’t give it up,” the Michigan snowbird said. “I just couldn’t. I’ve just gotta sing that four-part harmony,” Kampf said, signaling her joy, through the glee in her voice.

New Yorker Robyne Eastman echoed similar feelings about singing barbershop-style.

“It just becomes part of you,” Eastman said. “It’s something that you go out and search, if you have been in an organization or a full chorus, and then you move, you’re going to start searching, ‘Where is one close by? Where can I sing my heart?’”

Zephyr Sound practices Monday afternoons at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church, from mid-November through mid-April.

They have a running list of about 25 songs — a mix of blues, old-time and patriotic tunes, as well as hymns and songs from musicals.

Some of the more well-known tracks they perform include “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Baby Face,” “Rockin’ Robin,” “Carolina in the Morning,” “This Country is My Country,” “God Bless America” and “Two Nations.”

The group tries to add a new tune or two to its repertoire each year, said Zephyr Sound music director Sue Shaffer, a Dade City resident.

Right now they’re learning “Mississippi Mud,” a barbershop track once recorded by Ray Charles and others.

Learning a new song takes time and practice. It requires getting the lead, tenor, baritone and bass on the same page, members say.

Shaffer observed: “It takes a little while to work out all the parts because some people aren’t sure of their parts, and so we have to learn it.”

Zephyr Sound typically sings a 30-minute program, when they perform about town. They show up in matching uniforms: Black pants, a white blouse, a vest and a scarf.

They encourage audience participation, to liven things up.

Each Zephyr Sound set list has a narrator, Shaffer said. And, it’s organized in such a way “that makes sense in the order we do it.”

The idea, she said, is “to make it a very interesting program that people don’t fall asleep on.”

Shaffer is another longtime member of the group, having signed up in the early 2000s. She came aboard with a lengthy musical background, having directed a number of choruses and as a former member of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization dedicated to advancing the education and performance of women’s barbershop singers.

Besides her love of singing, Zephyr Sound provides Shaffer a welcoming space for friendship and camaraderie. “I’m telling you, this has been the most supportive (group) that I have ever been a part of. Ever,” she said.

For more information or to book Zephyr Sound, call Peggy Shear at (813) 991-9326.

Members of the Zephyr Sound
Sue Campbell
Robyne Eastman
Rhoda Frederick
Carolyn Kampf
Pat Nugent
Joann Pasquale
Sue Shaffer
Peggy Shear
Nancy Switzer

Published January 29, 2020

Helping youths develop soccer skills

By

Sometimes, doing whatever it takes to win a youth soccer game or tournament isn’t the be-all and end-all.

At least that’s the way Adam and Sarah Murry see it.

Adam and Sarah Murry are the owners of the Zephyrhills Elite Soccer Skills Academy, at 3905 Correia Drive, just off Chancey Road. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Elite Soccer Skills Academy)

They think the emphasis should be maximizing each child’s soccer skills, while teaching them how to play together, in a professional, team setting.

To that end, the Murrys have been working with players at Zephyrhills Elite Soccer Skills Academy (ESSA), a 15,000-square-foot indoor soccer facility and training center, located at 3905 Correia Drive, off Chancey Road.

The private complex celebrated an official ribbon cutting late last year, but it has been developing players, ages 5 to 18, for nearly two years.

At ESSA, the focus is helping players develop their skills at an early age. The idea is to prepare them to succeed on their respective club or school teams, and possibly have a shot to become a college or professional player.

“We are all about the player,” Adam Murry said.

The academy’s approach is different than what tends to happen in American soccer, he said.

Many youth teams “play kickball,” or simply boot the ball up the field to the best forward to score goals and get a win, he explained.

In his view, however, “it’s not about the win. They’re 8 years old. We want to develop them as players,” he said.

The 15,000-square-foot facility features a full-sized turf field, advanced soccer training technology and a classroom for breaking down soccer lessons. The facility is designed to develop the individual skills of youth players, ages 5 to 18 years old.( Courtesy of Zephyrhills Elite Soccer Skills Academy)

At ESSA, young athletes get introduced to strategies like how to “play out the back.” They learn how to methodically pass the ball from player to player — to shift opposing teams out of position.

“I want my players to pass the ball, to move, to understand structure, to understand the next pass, to visually see the game,” Adam Murry said.

He went on: “It’s not just about kicking the ball, it’s about doing certain jobs, pulling the defense wide, pulling it tight, understanding all that.”

Adam Murry brings with him a unique background, spanning from England to the East Pasco area.

He is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and semi-pro soccer player turned successful businessman.

He was a longtime director of AFC Bournemouth, of the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system, and he now owns Yeovil Town Women Football Club, in southwest England.

The Murrys relocated to East Pasco a few years ago, seeing a need for a European-style soccer training center.

Adam Murry brought his connections from overseas to Florida, staffing the facility with only UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) licensed coaches, many of whom played and coached professionally internationally.

(Kevin Weiss)

The Murrys also set up an international ID tour, which is essentially a way to help identify which players may have the potential to play as professionals or semi-pros.

In December, they took a group of U16 girls players to England, to meet with Premiership professional players and coaches, visit colleges, and play matches against various top-level English academy squads.

It’s that level of coaching and access that has already drawn kids to ESSA from as far as Clearwater, Orlando, Spring Hill and New Port Richey.

Said Sarah Murry, “We just want to get the best out of the player, given the resources and the knowledge that we have. We just want to instill what we know from experience.”

ESSA focuses on four player elements —  technical, tactical, physiological and physical.

Sarah Murry defined it as “teaching from the head down, rather than the feet up.”

That philosophy begins with building confidence in young athletes, and teaching them to learn from their mistakes in a practice or a game, Adam Murry added.

He put it like this: “You’re going to make mistakes all your life. Learn how to handle that.”

ESSA staffers also work with athletes on injury prevention, such as how to correctly accelerate and deaccelerate.

“From a young age, speed, agility and quickness is taught, and we repeat those consistently, as tedious as they are,” Adam Murry said.

In addition to a full-sized artificial turf field, the indoor complex is equipped with advanced training aids, including ICON — a 360-degree enclosed unit that uses flashing lights and vibration technology to help players improve passing, shooting, awareness, decision-making, endurance and other fundamentals.

Used by several of the top Premiership programs, including FC Barcelona, Southhampton FC and Liverpool FC, Sarah Murry claims it’s the only one being used in the state of Florida. “You can literally change a player within 3 minutes on this,” Adam said of the ICON training aid.

Video of individual training sessions also are recorded at the facility and are broken down with players, in a formal classroom setting.

“It’s a process,” Adam Murry said of bettering young players. “There’s so many dimensions to playing, we just try and work them in, and try to identity things over a certain period of time.”

The soccer academy currently has open registration for its spring player development program, for boys and girls ages 6 to 8.

The 10-week introductory program, which runs from February through April, will feature individual ball manipulation, individual block passing and receiving, individual skill building and small-sided games.

For more information, visit essafc.com.

Published January 29, 2020

Land O’ Lakes product garners U-20 soccer tryout

By

Sydny Nasello (Courtesy of University of South Florida Athletics)

Land O’ Lakes High product Sydny Nasello, now a sophomore forward/midfielder on the University of South Florida (USF) women’s soccer team, was chosen as one of 25 participants for the United States Women’s National Team U-20 pre-qualifying training camp, which runs through January in Lakewood Ranch.

After the camp, the team will be whittled down to 20 players for the 2020 CONCACAG Women’s U-20 Championship, which runs from Feb. 15 to March 1. The 2020 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be in Panama and Costa Rica this August.

Nasello finished her 2019 season at USF with two goals and 10 assists for 14 points. She was also selected as second team American Athletic All-Conference in a season where the Bulls reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
At Land O’ Lakes, Nasello racked up 120 goals across a four-year varsity soccer career. Her senior year, she was named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year after posting 45 goals and 13 assists, guiding the Gators to the regional finals, a 23-3 record and undefeated district mark.

Heck of a haul

By

(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Chris Neatherly, left, and Steve Gallette teamed to take first place at the South Pasco Bassmasters’ January tournament on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, hauling in a winning weight of 18.72 pounds. The fishing duo caught their haul using multiple techniques of flipping plastics in vegetation, using Rat L Traps in the mouth of canals and open water, and topwater frogs. The next SPBM tournament is scheduled for Feb. 15, at Herlong Park in Leesburg. For more information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Monster truck enthusiasts grab attention in Wesley Chapel

By

Many claim they have a big truck, but few are bigger than Bill and Vicky McShane’s.

Even calling them monster trucks could be an understatement.

The married couple and Wesley Chapel residents have not one, but two supersized trucks that have generated national attention and intrigue.

Their original truck is a 1998 blue Dodge Ram 2500 V10 that’s been lifted 4 feet and sits on 64-inch V-tread tires. It has Lamborghini-style doors, a tilt bed, and painted flames on the side panel.

Wesley Chapel’s Bill and Vicky McShane have turned their hobby for monster trucks into a side business for promotions and events. (Courtesy of Bill and Vicky McShane)

The truck’s height measures 12-feet-6 inches, top to bottom.

The interior is showy, too. It’s equipped with fiberglass, multiple televisions and cameras, and amps, spotlight and a skull fog machine.

“It’s got everything,” Bill said.

“We threw everything in, and the kitchen sink. There’s a lot on there that doesn’t need to be there,” Vicky added.

The hard-to-miss truck even has its own name — Out of Control — emblazoned on its exterior.

The moniker stuck after an auto mechanic reacted to the couple’s extravagant plans for their truck.

“One of the guys that was helping us build the truck told us, ‘You’re just out of control,’ and I’m like, ‘That is the name of our truck,’” Bill recalled.

Out of Control has been lifted as many as 10 times, little by little, with each auto body visit, Bill said.

It’s so big now that it’s no longer street legal to drive.

Instead, it’s transported to various events and showcases via a lowboy gooseneck trailer.

The novelty has been featured multiple times at Monster Jam and the SEMA (Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association) automobile trade show in Las Vegas, among other events. It’s also been showcased all over Florida.

The McShane’s other head-turner is street legal — a slightly smaller 2016 maroon Ford F350 lifted 3 feet with 54-inch tires. It also has monster truck shocks, 2 ½-ton military axles, an SCS gearbox and transfer case, and a mechanical ladder for climbing in and out.

Wesley Chapel is home to not one, but two monster trucks. Owners Bill and Vicky McShane use them to help promote businesses and charity events, and for kids’ birthday parties. The trucks have been showcased at multiple times at Monster Jam and the SEMA (Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association) automobile trade show in Las Vegas.

Standing at 11-feet-6 inches, the truck is the tallest street legal truck in the state, Bill claims.

“It can actually go up another two more feet, but this is the safest ride height to go down the interstate,” he said.

Bill takes this more modern truck for a spin about once a week, throughout the community.

“You can see him on State Road 56, I-4 (Interstate 4) and I-75 (Interstate 75). He does a route,” Vicky quipped.

Vicky has no interest in driving the monster truck, but she still serves an important role.

She is the truck’s designated “crew chief,”  helping Bill maneuver in and out of parking spots, including their two-story home garage, which snugly holds both trucks.

“She’s my pit crew. (She) keeps me off the walls,” Bill said.

Wherever they go, their attention-getting vehicle always draws a crowd.

Bill joked it often takes him an hour to get gas, because of the sheer number of bystanders who want to talk to him and take pictures.

When driving it, Bill maintains he’s always on the defensive, staying in the right lane and going the speed limit.

But, that hasn’t stopped him from getting pulled over by law enforcement upward of 150 times, he says.

Bills said some officers pull him over, asserting it’s an eye hazard, or to read him the riot act. Others, he said, are more lax, pulling him over for the sheer curiosity, or to take a selfie with the truck.

“You get the one officer who’s like, ‘If you saw what I saw what these trucks could do…’. On the other hand, I’ll have cops pull me over and they’ll be like, ‘Dude, this is the baddest truck I’ve seen in my life!’” Bill explained.

The McShane’s monster truck hobby sparked more than 20 years ago by happenstance.

They had just purchased their then-lightly used Dodge Ram, suited with a much smaller lift at the time.

It was the first truck the couple had purchased together.

As they were leaving the car dealership, Bill saw a bigger truck pass by him on the road. That moment fueled a fire that hasn’t stopped since.

“Something snapped in my head. I’m like, ‘Oh, no!’” said Bill, noting he “was never really into big trucks” beforehand.

Over the years, the McShane’s monster truck hobby turned into a fun side business. It’s led to various restaurant and auto shops sponsorships, events and promotions — deployed as larger-than-life attractions to lure visitors to store grand openings and so on.

They’ve also been presented at kid’s birthday parties, as well as charity events and fundraisers, such as the Children’s Miracle Network and clothing drives for foster kids.

While people of all ages enjoy the monster trucks up close, seeing youths’ jubilant expressions makes it all worthwhile, the McShanes say.

“These are for the kids,” Bill said, motioning to his trucks. “The kids freak out.”

The Wesley Chapel residents may not be done with their monster truck collection. They’ve considered the possibility of adding a third to the mix.

“We’ve got a Dodge, we’ve got a Ford. Realistically, a Chevy would be nice,” Bill said, with a knowing grin.

For information on monster truck appearances, email , or search “Monster Truck Promotions” on Facebook.

Published January 22, 2020

Medical marijuana ordinance gains first-round approval

By

Dade City is a step closer to allowing medical marijuana treatment centers within its city limits.

Dade City Commissioners gave first-round approval to a zoning text amendment that would make the treatment facilities a permitted use in the city’s general commercial zoning district, and would make them an allowed use in commercial and employment center planned development districts.

The first vote took place on Jan. 14. A second hearing and approval are needed for the change to take effect.

Dade City Commissioners gave first-round approval for a zoning text amendment that would allow medical marijuana treatment facilities within specific areas of the city. A second hearing and approval are needed in order to adopt the change. (File)

More specifically, the amendment lets medical marijuana facilities be situated along U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town, and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, but avoids much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The text amendment also would require any future standalone pharmacies and drugstores to locate within those aforementioned districts, as Florida statutes prevent municipalities from enacting regulations that are more restrictive for dispensaries than for traditional pharmacies.

The amendment also includes language establishing regulations for hand-rolled cigar manufacturing within city limits, something the city had not addressed.

Hand-rolled cigar facilities would be a conditional use, permitted use or allowed use in as many as 10 different types of business or planned development zoning districts.

The commission’s action was approved 3-2, with Scott Black and Eunice Penix voting no.

Black said: “I’m concerned about moving so quickly on the medical marijuana with this being still untested waters, but I’m also concerned about how we’re taking pharmacies out of zoning in the downtown business district.”

No one from the public weighed in on the issue.

The commission’s vote came after the Dade City Planning Board reviewed and voted to recommend the proposed amendment last month.

The city previously had a series of concurrent moratoriums on medical marijuana treatment centers within its municipal limits dating back to 2016, to study its possible impacts.

In September, city commissioners directed city staff to draft an amendment to the city’s land development regulations that would change that, and allow medical marijuana dispensaries in specified areas.

Commissioners also:

  • Approved a subdivision preliminary plan for The Cove, a new 10-lot Habitat for Humanity subdivision located between 15th and 17th streets north of Main Avenue
  • Approved a subdivision preliminary plan for Countryside, a new 25 single-family lot subdivision located east of U.S. 301 on vacant lands on Countryside Place
  • Approved a first reading ordinance of an annexation petition for JDR Investments Inc., for a 0.41-acre parcel located at 14836 U.S. 301, considered an enclave within the city
  • Approved a first reading ordinance of an annexation petition for Esplanade Communities of Florida, for a 0.22-acre parcel located at 36221 State Road 52, which was previously not discovered in the subdivision approval process
  • Approved a final plat for the Shoppes of Dade City, for the development of eight lots, generally located at the northeast corner of U.S. 301 and Clinton Avenue
  • Adopted a second reading of a zoning map amendment to approximately 3.04 acres of real property at 36830 Blanton Road, to a residential general zoning district. The moves allows for the proposed development of multi-family units at 10.5 units to 20 units per acre, directly across the street from Pasco-Hernando State College, where students and/or faculty could reside; the property is currently occupied by a quadruplex family residence. The applicant was PJW Management LLC.
  • Adopted a second reading of a zoning map amendment on approximately 61 acres of real property located at 38364 Clinton Avenue, to medium residential single-family zoning district The proposed use of the property will allow the development of a 249 single-family lot subdivision (Hilltop Pointe) at less than six dwelling units per gross acre; the property currently hosts a commercial farming operation. The applicants were Philmon Citrus Nursey LLC and Cephus Food Sales LLC.

Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon spoke out against some of the fast-moving development that’s been approved in the city of late, suggesting that potential negative traffic impacts aren’t getting enough consideration.

The commissioner directed her attention — and voted against —  the proposed 25-lot subdivision Countryside, east of U.S. 301, adjacent to a busy block that includes a McDonald’s. “We’ve approved several developments in the city limits, and it seems like traffic is kind of a cursory afterthought a lot of times,” she said.

Published January 22, 2020

Report sheds light on Dade City economy

By

An economic development report shows how the City of Dade City is faring through the first quarter of the 2019-2020 fiscal year — in other words, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

Dade City’s new community and economic development director, Melanie Romagnoli, presented the quarterly report to city commissioners at a regular meeting on Jan. 16.

Romagnoli, who assumed the position late last year, first unveiled a portion of the city’s current demographics — some of which may come as a surprise to the small town community.

Dade City community and economic development director Melanie Romagnoli recently briefed city commissioners on the first quarter of fiscal year 2019-2020. (Courtesy of Melanie Romagnoli)

The city has actually positioned itself as a younger market, she said, with a median age of 35.5 years old, according U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey findings.

The findings show more beginning householders and newer marriages are settling in the city limits.

“The young ones are taking over,” Romagnoli quipped to commissioners.

Of the city’s roughly 2,600 residential households, traditional living makes up the dominant tapestry segment, encompassing a mix of married couple families and singles. The next largest segment is the senior or elderly population.

The city’s median household income is $40,000, with primary employment in the manufacturing, retail trade and health care sectors.

The report also states that generally two generations have lived and worked in the community, and their children are likely to follow suit.

Romagnoli shared other various development figures in the new fiscal year.

The city staffer said there were 475 total permits and 477 building inspections in the first three months, equating to roughly $156 million in improvements, upgrades and so on.

She explained a majority of those permits were related to new single-family homes, apartments and commercial buildings, followed by various renovations to properties in the form of new roofs, new air conditioning units, garage doors and other improvements.

Romagnoli also noted that the city experienced 102 new code enforcement cases in the first quarter. Of those, 59 have already achieved compliance. Eight required liens from the city for the mowing of overgrowth. The remaining 35 cases are still open, undergoing due process and re-inspections.

Meantime, she said the city’s planning and zoning department has been “fully loaded” with work orders — anything that requires comprehensive plan amendments, zoning amendments and annexations.

The department underwent 116 site plan approvals/reviews and two land use variances. It also  sent out 238 zoning determination calls/letters during the last three months.

The department also completed 31 pre-application redevelopment meetings with various developers.

Online permitting is expected to become available sometime this quarter, Romagnoli said.

There also will be an online GIS map system available for public viewing of parcels and properties in the city limits.

And, the economic development director mentioned two new city planners were recently added to the department. Sarah Rader, a Planner I, is updating the city’s future land use maps and filing system. Sam Mirza, a Planner II, has assumed planning commission duties, as well as anything related to site plan, long-range and current planning.

Romagnoli also outlined some of her initiatives for the rest of the year.

She told commissioners that she plans to have more focused and proactive code enforcement efforts, particularly getting a handle on illegal dumping areas and abandoned/junk vehicles.

She said those are “two particular issues we have throughout the city.”

She continued: “We’re trying to get some of the concerns addressed by the neighborhoods.”

She has ideas for sprucing up downtown, too.

She hopes to upgrade downtown lighting and kiosks, establish a downtown landscaping plan in collaboration with the Dade City Garden Club, and develop a public art mural standards and application process.

She’s also interested in creating a prospectus for the city’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) district that would include property valuations, areas of focus and marketing material, in partnership with local realtors and building owners.

Other large-scale projects Romagnoli plans to focus on include:

  • Contracting a visitor’s information center at the Hardy Trail
  • Updating the city’s comprehensive plan
  • Finalizing and completing enclave annexations
  • Developing a city destination marketing plan with involvement from local merchants and stakeholders

Published January 22, 2020

Land O’ Lakes seeks new football coach

By

Land O’ Lakes High School athletics department underwent a search for a new head football coach in 2018.

The school again is heading back to the drawing board to find the next leader of its varsity football program, a mere two years later.

Chad Walker, who coached the Gators in 2018 and 2019, resigned from his post to become the head football coach at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa; the private school made the announcement official earlier this month.

Chad Walker resigned from Land O’ Lakes High School to become the head football coach at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa. The Gators program went a combined 9-11 in his two seasons. (Courtesy of Cambridge Christian School Athletics)

Walker’s exit from Land O’ Lakes marks the only varsity head football coaching vacancy in Pasco County this offseason.

Walker undoubtedly has big shoes to fill at his latest stop. He replaces Bob Dare, who in 11 seasons steered Cambridge Christian to five straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2A state title game in 2015. Dare also is Cambridge’s all-time winningest football coach, with 72 victories. Walker takes over a team that went 8-3 last season and reached the 2A regional semifinals, losing to Admiral Farragut.

Walker’s tenure at Land O’ Lakes was somewhat of a mixed bag, after he replaced former coach Brian Wachtel, who held the post for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017.

In Walker’s first season in 2018, the Gators went 7-3, narrowly missing the playoffs, but achieving its first winning campaign since 2013, restoring some confidence in the historic program.

Perhaps just as important that year, the Gators finally supplanted crosstown foe Sunlake High in the annual “Butter Bowl” rivalry game — the first such victory in eight years. (Land O’ Lakes did win the Butter Bowl game in 2011, but it was later forfeited due to recruiting violations.)

The 2018 team also saw wins over Citrus, Cypress Creek, Lakeland Christian, Pasco, Anclote and Fivay high schools, respectively.

Walker’s second season was a reversal of fortune, though.

The 2019 team slumped to a 2-8 mark, its only wins coming against Freedom and Zephyrhills Christian schools. And, most of the team’s losses were blowouts, with a 31-point loss, three 40-plus point losses and two 50-plus point losses, among others. All told, the Gators were outscored 137-363.

The Land O’ Lakes Gators varsity football team went 2-8 in 2019. (File)

The letdown season was a bit surprising, as the team returned All-Conference quarterback Ethan Forrester and added a couple of prominent assistant coaches, including former NFL players Aveion Cason and Kelvin Kinney. The team, however, graduated about two dozen seniors from the prior season, including eight All-Conference selections.

Walker joined Land O’ Lakes as a 33-year-old with a background as a veteran college football assistant, with stops at Division I FCS, Division II and Division III levels. He was an All-Conference tight end at Division I FCS Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, then parlayed that into a professional stint in NFL Italy and the European Federation of American Football. While at Land O’ Lakes, he worked for Tampa-based Applied Science and Performance Institute (ASPI), which provides advanced training and development to college and pro football players and other athletes.

The next leader of the Gators’ program will become the sixth football coach in school history. Besides Walker and Wachtel, previous head coaches were Matt Kitchie, John Benedetto and Dan Sikes.

For many years, Land O’ Lakes had one of the top football programs in Pasco County, earning a string of 14 straight playoff appearances from 1997 to 2009 under coaches Benedetto and Kitchie.

But, the team hasn’t made the playoffs since, as recent success of other programs in the county — as well as an ever-challenging district — have made winning consistently a tall task.

The team will have to groom a new starting quarterback with the graduation of Forrester, but the bulk of the roster is expected to return in 2020.

Published January 22, 2020