The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Nationals bound

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Alyssa Hayman

Lutz resident Alyssa Hayman has earned a spot in the USA Track & Field (USATF) Hershey National Junior Olympic Championships in Sacramento, California. Hayman qualified for the prestigious event by finishing in third place in the 11-12 girls division 1,500-meter racewalk (15:42.49) at a USATF regional meet in South Carolina over the July 4 weekend. The national championships will take place July 22 through July 28.

Saint Leo hoops alum signs pro contract

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Junior Searcy (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Former Saint Leo University men’s basketball standout Junior Searcy is going pro — internationally.

The 6-foot-4 forward recently signed a professional contract with the Wiha Schwennigen Panthers of the Pro A league in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany.

The three-year Lions player capped off his career playing in 24 games during the 2018-2019 season, posting 10.7 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.2 minutes per game; he also made 38.5 percent of 3-pointers.

In three seasons at Saint Leo, Searcy tallied 757 points with 286 rebounds, 124 assists, 52 steals and 48 blocks.

Searcy will begin his German pro career in September. He will be one of three active Saint Leo players playing international pro basketball, joining Spenser Mitchell (Lithuania Palanga BC; class of 2014) and Justin Satchell (Dosa Dominican Republic; class of 2017).

Pasco Sheriff’s Office boosts online crime reporting

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Reporting a variety of crimes is getting easier for Pasco County residents through a new online reporting tool being used by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office recently upgraded the capabilities of its citizen online police reporting system to accept reports on a these types of incidents:

  • Petit theft (less than $300)
  • Petit theft bicycle (less than $300)
  • Grand theft bicycle ($300 or more)
  • Lost property
  • Littering/illegal dumping
  • Harassing phone calls
  • Phone scam (without monetary loss)

The improved system will allow citizens to generate reports for these types of crimes at their own convenience, without having to wait for a deputy to arrive on scene.

Once they are reported, the incidents are investigated, and the sheriff’s office will determine the appropriate action to take and will execute it.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office recently expanded the capabilities of its online reporting system, which will allow citizens to self-report a variety of incidents, such as lost property or criminal mischief. Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco stands at the podium in front of desk office supervisor Michael Toczylowski. (Kevin Weiss)

Reports can be filed online at PascoSheriff.com.

To file a report, citizens will be required to list the incident type and provide other relevant information, such as a brief description of what happened, along with any photos or videos that can be used to help solve a case.

Online reports will be reviewed during regular business hours.

All cases filed using the online police reporting system will be reviewed. Upon review, the sheriff’s office may reach out if further investigation is needed.

Citizens will receive a confirmation number upon completion of a report and will be notified if their case has been approved or rejected. If approved, citizens will be emailed a permanent case number.

“This is better for our citizens,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said. “There’s a lot of resources, a lot of things that go on, where (citizens) just need a case number, they just want a report number, but at the same time for our deputies, it saves us time and energy.”

Nocco said citizens still have the option to request deputies to respond on-scene, to those various types of incidents, instead of using the online reporting.

“No matter what, if you want a deputy to respond, we will send somebody out there accordingly,” Nocco said.

The sheriff also pointed out the online system is more efficient for the law enforcement agency in several instances — such as dealing with multiple department stores who consistently report lost or stolen property following routine inventory checks.

Those calls represent “a lot of work and a lot of resources,” Nocco said.

The expanded online reporting capabilities makes it more convenient for citizens who may not be interested in waiting for a deputy to arrive when they want to report a property crime, said Pasco Sheriff desk office supervisor Michael Toczylowski, who’s unit will handle the online caseloads.

“It’s great for the citizen where they don’t have to sit and wait for a deputy,” Toczylowski said, “because on a Friday or Saturday night when it’s busy, everybody’s coming home from work, there’s all sorts of incidents being reported, things are prioritized where (dispatchers) are going to send a deputy to a domestic disturbance first before coming to your house because somebody threw a rock at your car and broke a window.”

While the new system may improve convenience and efficiency, it should not be used when reporting violent crimes or when a suspect may still be at the scene of the crime, officials said.

Officials also urge residents to call 911 to report emergencies or life-threatening situations.

Published July 10, 2019

Zephyrhills considers fire department merger

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After nearly 60 years of operation and tradition, the Zephyrhills Fire Department may soon be absorbed by Pasco County Fire Rescue.

As funding and staffing issues mount within the city’s fire department, the Zephyrhills City Council on July 1 unanimously directed city staff to begin formal negotiations to consolidate the local agency with Pasco County Fire Rescue.

The City of Zephyrhills will enter formal negotiations with Pasco County to merge Zephyrhills Fire Department into Pasco County Fire Rescue. Any consolidation agreement would need to be approved by the Zephyrhills City Council. (Kevin Weiss)

If the merger occurs, Pasco County Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said. The county would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits.

The merger is anticipated to be “revenue neutral,” meaning it would not cost either entity any money, Poe said. The county can operate at lower costs because of economies of scale, Poe explained.

The merger negotiations follow attempts by Zephyrhills leaders to find ways to address the fire department’s rising costs.

The fire department budget this year is $3.3 million — up nearly $900,000 from 2016, according to a city manager memo to the city council. Those costs are expected to rise over time.

One option would be to levy a fire fee assessment through annual property tax bills — affecting commercial and residential properties, and churches and nonprofits. But, Zephyrhills residents and business leaders vehemently opposed that idea during public comment .

“We have to look at what is the best for overall,” said Kevin Bahr, owner of Bahr’s Propane Gas & A/C in Zephyrhills. “I work for a few nonprofits, to sit there and say they’re going to pay…and we’re going to have every one of the churches in town (pay), I don’t think they have any earthly idea that they’re fixing to start paying a fire assessment fee.”

With a merger, Zephyrhills property owners would pay for county fire rescue services through a Municipal Service Taxing Unit, or MSTU. Generally, an MSTU for fire services would have less financial impact on city residents and commercial entities than a fire assessment fee, city officials say.

Bingham Realty president Will Bingham represents owners of about 250 residential multi-unit properties in Zephyrhills. He said a fire assessment would have a significant impact, and appears unreasonable. “You’re looking at rents going up.”

Sunlight Realty real estate agent Sam Turgeon also opposes the idea of a fire assessment fee.

“I don’t think that’s sustainable. It’s definitely not fair and it’s definitely unaffordable for the city,” Turgeon said.

He supports the proposed merger.

“You’re going to have more people able to go on more calls that are going to serve our community better,” he said. “We’ve heard repeatedly that this fire department is understaffed, which also means that it’s underfunded. Our community is growing rapidly and, because of that, our city does not have enough money to sustain the fire department in its current form. If we leave our fire department understaffed, that’s dangerous for our citizens and it’s dangerous for our firefighters.”

Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce director Melonie Monson also weighed in regarding the potential impact a fire assessment fee would have on the nearly 500 businesses she represents.

Monson warned the council: “There will be many that will not be able to take on the cost, so you may lose businesses with the fee. Think about how much it’s going to tax our businesses.”
The Zephyrhills Fire Department deferred public comment to firefighter union leader Travis Geiger.

Geiger pleaded the council to find a way to maintain the city’s fire department. He expressed concern about the loss of local control and predicted a difficult transition in merging the two departments because the positions are not equivalent.

“If you look at it from our perspective, we feel that we’re being pushed out. We’re not choosing to go over there,” Geiger said.

City manager Poe told council members: “If the decision is to keep the department, we have to charge a fire assessment fee, and we have to hire additional staff to meet the minimum safety standards. If we don’t do that, the only other option is to merge with Pasco County and do the very best that we can to make sure the (city fire department) employees that are transferring over are not adversely impacted.”

Zephyrhills city attorney Matthew Maggard concurred with Poe’s assessment.

“I don’t think anybody wants to see our fire department go away from an emotional or pride standpoint, but financially you have to look at it. We can’t sustain going forward, and I don’t think there’s any dispute with that,” Maggard said.

City Council member Lance Smith voiced concerns about the city fire department’s “long-term viability,” and added, “the logical conclusion is we’ve got to merge with the county.”

Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield agreed: “I think we have to look at sustainability.”

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson put it like this: “If it were only up to me, I would spend the money in a heartbeat. But, I’m representing all of these people who have reservations about the cost. None of them want to lose our firefighters. It is the question, ‘Can we afford it?’”

City Council member Alan Knight was the most vocal about trying to find a way to keep the department. One possibility would be to increase the millage rate, he said.

“Once we lose our fire department, we aren’t getting it back,” Knight said.

Published July 10, 2019

Panel sheds light on youth drug use in Pasco

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Speaking before a roomful of adults, a panel of teens offered their insights and observations about drug use among youths in Pasco County.

Marijuana use appears to be the biggest drug-related issue among youth across Pasco County, said the panelists, who are members of Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND).

They said kids are increasingly turning to marijuana as a way to escape their personal problems.

From left: Maddie Horn, 12; Destiny Winter, 17; Jocelyn Meriwether, 14; Christos Loupis, 17; Austin Vaughan, 13; Ashley Dew, 19; Jeromy Vaughan, 14; and, Yahkaira Barbosa, 14. (Kevin Weiss)

“They’re not happy, they feel depressed, they have anxiety, so they smoke,” said panelist Destiny Winter. “They’re constantly trying to solve these problems by self-medicating instead of seeking help,” said the 17-year-old Anclote High student.

The group of youth leaders who make up STAND are determined to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by educating teachers, police, business owners and other community members about their observations, and offering suggestions for solutions. The youth group is organized by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).

This is the fourth year that members of STAND have addressed members of numerous community stakeholder groups — in a forum arranged by ASAP — to talk about various health and safety issues facing Pasco youths.

Marijuana has become prevalent among teens because of peer pressure and relatively easy access to the substance, panelists told the audience.

And, the way it’s sensationalized in pop culture and social media hasn’t helped, either.

”It’s being influenced as cool, so they’re trying it out,” 14-year-old Land O’ Lakes High student Jocelyn Meriwether said.

“I believe it’s happening because of its popularization online by many celebrities, many singers or rappers that kids listen to,” added 14-year-old Gulf High student Jeromy Vaughan.

Moreover, the teens said the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida and throughout the country has contributed to the impression that it’s is OK to use, and a quick fix to cope with anxiety, boredom, sadness, depression and so on.

Winter pointed out that her peers aren’t adequately warned about marijuana’s side effects, such as withdrawals that can result from abusing the substance.

“They’re misled about how good it is for you,” said Winter, an Anclote varsity basketball player. “They’re told constantly about all these benefits from their peers and from social media, but they’re not told enough about what might not be good,” she said. “It’s just misinformation.”

The panelists also told those gathered at the Land O’ Lakes session that e-cigarettes and vaping, as well as vaping marijuana, are growing issues among teens.

They said it’s perceived as both cool to do and safer than smoking because it’s electronic and so prevalent in public spaces, such as parks and beaches.

Vaughan called vaping “the norm among this generation.”

“It’s become a very big problem,” the teen said. “Everyone believes it’s OK. Everyone does it. Everyone knows someone that does it, and still no one says anything about it.”

Added Winter: “I feel like many kids don’t understand the effects, they don’t understand we’re not quite sure yet what vaping is doing to our bodies and that there’s still research being done.”

Aside from drug use, 12-year-old Maddie Horn said youth violence is another issue in her community.

“A lot of kids are generally angry,” said Horn, “and it could come from things that are happening at home, and they don’t know how to cope with that.”

Besides talking about issues, STAND members offered some possible solutions.

They advocated for more mentorship programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, as well as more free afterschool programs, in general.

“I think partially just having safe spaces (would be good), places where kids can go after school that might not be home,” Winter said. “A lot of kids, especially in the area that we live in, don’t live in homes that are very supportive or leading them in the right direction.

“Where I live, the rec center is the only free place I can go to hang out and feel safe, really,” she said.

More robust education programs and awareness campaigns on the negative side effects of drug use might be another step in the right direction, panelists agreed.

“I remember last year we had three school assemblies and not a single one was about health or anything,” Vaughan said. “Just informing people about what happens when you do this kind of stuff and how your brain is affected, and how monumental it is compared to someone that doesn’t do it.”

Other STAND panelists present were: Ashley Dew, 19; Yahkaira Barbosa, 14; Christos Loupis, 17; Moriah Morales, 15; and, Austin Vaughan, 13.

STAND’s mission is to:

  • Change youth perspectives of drugs
  • Reduce accessibility of drugs
  • Reduce marketing of drugs to young people
  • Create an environment where young people in recovery can thrive

To learn more about STAND, contact .

Published July 10, 2019

Area softball players among best in state

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The high school softball season has come and gone, but local athletes are still picking up accolades from their 2019 campaigns.

Land O’ Lakes senior pitcher Callie Turner was named Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year. (File)

The 2019 Miracle Sports All-State teams were released last month honoring the top players in Florida — and area players were well-represented.

Sixteen athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were recognized, either as first-team, second-team or honorable mention.

Predictably, the back-to-back Class 2A state champion Academy at the Lakes Wildcats garnered the most representatives from the area among all classifications, with a total of seven selections in Class 2A.

That included Wildcats senior pitcher/first baseman Lexi Kilfoyl, who was named Class 2A Player of the Year/first-team All-State.

In the circle, Kilfoyl went 23-1, posting a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched, with opposing batters hitting a mere .097 against her. At the plate, Kilfoyl led the Wildcats in batting average (.482) and RBIs (35), along with five home runs, nine doubles and 41 hits.

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats had seven All-State softball selections, including Class 2A Player of Year Lexi Kilfoyl. The Wildcats (19-7) won the Class 2A state title for the second straight year. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes Athletics)

Other Wildcats on the first-team included junior Jessica Mott, sophomores Devyne Davis, Vanessa Alexander, Caitlin Blankenship, and freshman Hannah Church; seventh-grader Mia Fields was a second-team choice. Additionally, Wildcats coach Diane Stephenson was named Class 2A Coach of the Year, for the second straight year.

The Wildcats finished the season with a 19-7 record, defeating Mount Dora Christian Academy 11-0 in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A state finals on May 22 in Vero Beach.

Academy at the Lakes wasn’t the only Land O’ Lakes-based school well-represented on the All-State team.

In Class 7A, the Sunlake High Seahawks, who finished the season with a 24-3 mark and won its first-ever district crown, garnered six All-State picks.

Most notably was sophomore shortstop/catcher Jenna Lord, who was named Class 7A Offensive Player of the Year/first team All-State. Lord posted a .542 batting average, 13 home runs and 46 RBIs in 83 at-bats.

The Sunlake High Seahawks garnered six All-State softball selections, including Class 7A Offensive Player of the Year Jenna Lord. The Seahawks (24-3) claimed their first district crown this past season. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

Seahawks sophomore Kendra Falby and senior Alexis Duff joined Lord on the first-team, while junior Daisy McQuain and senior Paige Maseda were second-teamers, and senior Shea Forgas an honorable mention.

In Class 6A, the Land O’ Lakes High Gators had two first-team All-State selections, in senior pitcher Callie Turner and senior outfielder Shelby Westbrook. Turner was also named Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year.

The Gators went 22-6 and reached the regional quarterfinals.

Elsewhere, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High senior pitcher/utility Savannah Lee was named Class 3A second team All-State.

There were no All-State representatives in our coverage area from Classes 9A, 8A, 5A, 4A or 1A.

2019 Miracle Sports All-State teams
Class 7A
Offensive Player of the Year: Jenna Lord, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Kendra Falby, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Alexis Duff, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Daisy McQuain, Sunlake, junior (second team)

Paige Maseda, Sunlake, senior (second team)

Shea Forgas, Sunlake, senior (honorable mention)

Class 6A
Defensive Player of the Year: Callie Turner, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first team)

Shelby Westbrook, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first team)

Class 3A
Savannah Lee, Bishop McLaughlin, senior (second team)

Class 2A
Coach of the Year: Diane Stephenson, Academy at the Lakes

Player of the Year: Lexi Kilfoyl, Academy at the Lakes, senior (first team)

Hannah Church, Academy at the Lakes, freshman (first team)

Jessica Mott, Academy at the Lakes, junior (first team)

Devyne Davis, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Vanessa Alexander, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Caitlin Blankenship, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Mia Fields, Academy at the Lakes, seventh grade (second team)

2019 Miracle Sports final team rankings
Class 7A
Fifth — Sunlake (24-3)

Class 6A
Honorable mention —  Land O’ Lakes (22-6), Wesley Chapel (15-7)

Class 2A
First — Academy at the Lakes (19-7, state champion)

Published July 10, 2019

Good shot!

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Pasco High student Olivia Walters recently qualified for the National Sporting Clays Association All-American Team. To be eligible for the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) All-American Team, a shooter must be a member in good standing with the National Skeet Shooting Association-National Sporting Clays Association, must shoot a minimum of 500 NSCA registered targets, and must shoot their respective state and regional shoot or the SCTP National Championships. Walters was officially recognized by the Pasco County School Board. From left: Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, James Walters (Olivia’s dad), Olivia, Deborah Walters (Olivia’s mom), and Pasco County School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley.

Pasco Sheriff launches unit to help mentally ill

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is launching a new unit aimed to better serve the needs of people facing significant mental health issues.

The new unit — called the Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT) — will feature six deputies, two caseworkers, a clinical social worker, a sergeant and a lieutenant, who will collaborate with local behavioral health providers to provide tailored, long-term programs for citizens in need.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is launching a new unit to better serve the needs of local citizens facing significant mental health issues. The Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT) will collaborate with local behavioral health partners to provide long-term care and criminal diversion to the county’s Baker Act repeats. (File)

The team’s primary task is to keep tabs on the county’s Baker Act repeats — through a proactive approach that includes frequent visitations, welfare checks, expedited behavioral health resources and criminal justice diversion programs.

An individual struggling with addiction may be referred to outpatient substance abuse treatment, for instance. Or, someone undergoing financial struggles may be referred to Pasco County Human Services and the county’s homeless coalition.

The unit will have partnerships with BayCare Behavioral Health, Chrysalis Health, Novus Medical Detox Center, HCA Florida Hospitals, AdventHealth and others, “working towards a common goal in our community,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said.

The program ultimately will put the agency “ahead of the curve” in crime prevention, the sheriff said.

“We see mental health and substance abuse are the two drivers of criminal justice issues in our county. That’s why we’re creating this unit,” Nocco said.

It’s also about crisis mitigation, said Lt. Toni Roach, who will head up the MHTAT unit.

“Everybody has a baseline, and when they start to dip below that baseline we can provide some intervention strategies, connect them with a case manager or whatever other behavioral health resources are in the community that could help them stabilize,” Roach said.

The unit is expected to be up and running by October. It will cost roughly $1.5 million annually.

About 11 percent of the sheriff’s calls for service in 2018 were mental-health related.

That included roughly 3,400 Baker Act reports and more than 2,100 calls involving suicides or suicide attempts.

Of those reports, 503 individuals had multiple interactions with the agency, including some who’ve been Baker Acted as many as four or five times, Nocco said.

The MHTAT will be concentrating on the population who have had multiple interactions with the county, Nocco said. The unit will help divert those people from having to call 911 and thereby free patrol deputies to respond more quickly to urgent or violent calls.

As an example, the sheriff pointed out that, last year alone, one individual with a history of mental illness called county dispatch 124 times.

But, through a personal visit from the sheriff’s office back in May, those calls have stopped, the sheriff said.  “A lot of times they just need to talk to somebody. They just need somebody to help them out.”

“It’s all about connection,” added Roach. “Interacting with anybody is just that communication piece, being able to sit down with somebody and have a conversation with people, to listen to what’s going on, what are their concerns, what are their barriers.”

And, it’s those types of soft skills that will be required for those selected to the 11-person unit.

“It takes a special person to want to be in this unit,” Nocco said. “You want somebody that has that compassion and care. Somebody who says, ‘I’m not just going to be here for an hour, I might be here two to three hours working with somebody.’”

In recent years, the sheriff’s office has placed an emphasis on training law enforcement personnel to respond better to people who are mentally ill.

The office has an eight-hour foundational course in mental health first aid and a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program held quarterly in Shady Hills. About 50 percent of the agency’s patrol deputies are CIT certified.

Published July 03, 2019

Using innovation to assess roads, needed repairs

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Pasco County is searching for a better way to catalog and repair deteriorating roadways and traffic signs.

Officials believe they’ve found the answer, via a $1.3 million road survey project.

The county’s public works department has enlisted the help of a consulting firm, Arizona-based Infrastructure Management Services (IMS), to use innovative data collection to map future infrastructure improvements.

It’s similar to how a Google Maps captures views of a neighborhood.

Pasco County public works director Branford Adumuah

Over the next several months, specialized IMS vans equipped with laser road surface testers, video cameras and GPS receivers will travel roughly 840 lane-miles in Pasco —  gathering inventory and assessing conditions along county-maintained roads and rights of way.

The information will be used to develop long-term strategies and schedule the rehabilitation and maintenance of roadways and right of way assets, such as street signs, traffic lights, road-related stormwater drainage systems, sidewalks and bikeways.

For instance, the 1-ton IMS van will measure the width and depth of cracks, pothole and other hazards on county-maintained roadways, while also capturing still images of damaged and obstructed traffic signs.

Each road will get a pavement condition index between 0 to 100, with higher values indicating better conditions of a road’s pavement surface. The study will also measure roadway foundations and subsurface conditions.

The data-gathering process began this month on the county’s arterial and collector roads. Local roads will be analyzed next, likely from September through the end of the year.

From there, the county will employ computerized pavement management software that will identify which roads it needs to repair first, based on inputted budget constraints. It will also identify best practices to repair a particular road —  patching, paving, micro surfacing, surface rejuvenation and so on.

The new, first-of-its-kind road survey ultimately gives Pasco a better picture of what is going on with its roadways, officials say.

Similar to how a Google Maps captures views of a neighborhood, specialized IMS vans equipped with laser road surface testers, video cameras and GPS receivers will travel roughly 840 lane-miles in Pasco — gathering inventory and assessing conditions along county-maintained roads and rights of way. Collected information will be used to develop long-term strategies and schedule the rehabilitation and maintenance. (Kevin Weiss)

Branford Adumuah, the county’s public works director, likens the process to a doctor correlating data from patient information to more proactively address potential health issues.

“It’s money well spent,” Adumuah said of the road survey. “It’s going to allow us to do really a lot of preventative maintenance.”

The entire process will save the county money in the long run and better extend the life of its roadway network, officials say.

“You’re saving the county a lot of money and through that prioritization of what comes first,” said IMS crew chief Brett Vierow, who’s working on the Pasco roadway project. “If you let a road go too far, it becomes much more expensive from there, so we give them a plan to get them the most out of their roads for the least dollars spent.”

Interestingly, failed roadways fall to the bottom of the list, Adumuah said.

“The first road to fix is not the one that is in the worst shape, it’s the one that is getting to be in the worst shape, because the one that is in the worst shape is always going to be in the worst shape,” Adumuah said. “Without this data, we can’t see that.”

Local governments in other states have also partnered with IMS to help manage and maintain its infrastructure.

The road survey program is currently being used in California, New Jersey, Washington and Canada, too.

Vierow said the procedure provides more reliable data and removes the subjectivity of which roads and right of way assets need to be fixed.

Because of that, Vierow suggested that more city, county and state governments will be using the technology in coming years.

He said the technology allows the county to make informed decisions, “instead of just going out willy nilly and picking out roads that look bad, like, ‘Yeah, this parking lot needs to be redone.”

Surveying on roads will occur 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The IMS collection vehicle will travel at normal speeds while recording road surface data; however, data collection below the roadway will involve traffic control and single-lane closures.

Published July 03, 2019

Banner year for Lutz soccer team

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It’s a season they’ll surely never forget.

Under the umbrella and storied history of the FC Tampa Rangers soccer organization, the Lutz U13 Lady Rangers’ 2018-2019 campaign will go down as one of the more impressive in memory.

The squad went 34-6-5 overall this season — including an 18-3-2 run since the beginning 2019.

Ranked as one of the state’s top teams and earning a top seed in the Florida State Cup, the year culminated with the girls program’s first-ever appearance in the U.S. Youth Soccer Regional Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Lutz U13 Lady Rangers recently closed their 2018-2019 season with the program’s first-ever appearance in the U.S. Youth Soccer Regional Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The team finished 34-6-5 on the season. (Courtesy of Kris Carson)

The Lady Rangers were one of just 16 U13 girls teams from the Southern U.S. Youth Soccer State Association to qualify for the tournament, and just one of two from Florida — the other being the Wellington Wave. The tournament also included squads from Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina.

They held their own, going 3-1 and reaching the region semifinals.

The regional berth marked a longtime coming for a Lady Rangers team that has kept much of the same corps for more than five years, dating back to U8.

In that way, they’re unlike many of the larger competitive soccer clubs, which pools hundreds of players all throughout Tampa Bay and frequently experiences roster turnover.

When Lady Rangers head coach Chris Cole meets parents inquiring about the soccer club, he poses this question: “Are you looking for your daughter to join a group of players, or, are you looking to join a team?”

With many of the dozen or so girls from the same Lutz community, and nearby Land O’ Lakes and Carrollwood, the squad’s philosophy and longevity has cultivated a tight-knit, family like atmosphere that extends well beyond the practice fields at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex.

“We’re closer than most teams I feel like, instead of just a bunch random girls coming together to play soccer,” said midfielder/defenseman Kaitlin Vinson, a team co-captain.

“I think one of the biggest strengths is how close we are, and we know almost everything about each other, both personally and soccer-wise. … That helps us to build off each other, and just play soccer better, and it’s part of the reason why I think we’re good.”

Fellow Lady Rangers co-captain Chloe Carson agrees.

“Our whole team has a bond,” said Carson, a center midfielder who’s been on the Lady Rangers since its inception. “Even with the new girls, they fit in right away.”

It’s a bond that’s yielded better on-field chemistry over the years for a team now comprised mostly of rising eighth graders.

Carson explained: “We know each other’s skills, each other’s habits, so we know what to do ahead of time, and it helps us work together and keeps our emotions down, which really helps the play of the game. Some teams, you’ll see girls arguing or yelling at each other.”

Cole, a former USF men’s soccer player in the 1990s and former member of the U.S. Armed Forces men’s soccer team, added this of the club team’s congenial dynamic: “As anything with sports and teams that have been together for a while, you tend to know each other’s tendencies and what you do, but that camaraderie off the field really is important. …I think that really shows on the field as far as just feeling comfortable with each other.”

The coach also noted the team’s unselfish nature.

“With these girls teams, there’s not too much drama,” Cole said. “We certainly don’t have that ‘me, me, me’ mentality. We don’t emphasize one player, ‘Get it to this player and let her do everything.’ Really, a lot of playing time is evenly distributed.”

On quick glance, the Lady Rangers are a smaller, more undersized group compared to other programs in their age division.

It’s become something of a motivating factor for Rangers players against larger, more physical opponents.

Vinson put it like this: “When other teams see us, we don’t look that good because most of our players are smaller, and it just gives us one more reason to want to win, because it’s just kind of proving them wrong.”

But, whatever the Lady Rangers may lack in stature, they’ve made up for with skill, speed and cohesion.

The approach served them well — evident in their 185-33 goal differential through the regular season and postseason combined.

“Because of the (lack of) size,” Cole said, “I really emphasized possession with the ball, a lot of touches, and I think that that really has been our forte early, instead of playing kick ball, which a lot of teams do. The quicker we can get rid of the ball, the better for us. We don’t want to be on the ball too long and get knocked off the ball with our size. …That’s the kind of soccer we like to play here.”

Following their banner season, the team’s success appears likely to continue, as much of the roster is expected to join together in U14. It’s also where new, exciting opportunities lie ahead.

The Lady Rangers will be partnering with the IMG Academy’s soccer development academy in Bradenton. IMG officials reached out to the Lutz-based club after seeing them play in the Florida State Cup.

The partnership means practicing multiple times per week at IMG’s world-class training facility and an uptick in out-of-state competition, as the team will regularly match up against elite programs throughout the southeastern United States.

“Every year we look for challenges,” Cole said of the IMG development academy initiative. “It’s a huge opportunity for these girls to consistently play tough teams.”

As part of the IMG development academy, the Lady Rangers are expected to have a larger coaching staff and a handful of new players added to the roster.

Those fresh faces will be a net positive for the club going forward, Vinson said.

“I think it’ll be good for us because we’ve always heard the same things from our coaches because we’ve had the same coaches, and so I think with different coaches and different players we’ll have different perspectives that’ll help us be better,” she said.

2018-2019 Lutz U13 Lady Rangers roster
Head Coach: Chris Cole

  • Chloe Carson (co-captain)
  • Skylar Cole
  • Jolie Farmer
  • Sarah Frazer
  • Jordan Fulop
  • Alexa Gilland
  • Sienna Gillespie
  • Maddie Green
  • Allison Souers
  • Melody Taylor
  • Miranda Valdes
  • Lola Vargas
  • Kaitlin Vinson (co-captain)

Published July 03, 2019