The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Stephenson steps down

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Academy at the Lakes’ Coach Diane Stephenson gives a pep talk to batter Kacey Atkins during a regular season game. (File)

As Lexi Kilfoyl gears up for the college ranks, the Wildcats softball program will take on even more of a new look next season, as Head Coach Diane Stephenson, who was named Florida Dairy Farmers 2019 Class 2A Coach of the Year, steps away from the program to accept a job at St. Petersburg’s Admiral Farragut Academy.

Stephenson took over the Wildcats program in 2017 after a lengthy Division I coaching career that took her to Indiana, Purdue and Iowa universities, among other stops.

In three seasons at AATL, Stephenson steered the program to three straight district titles, three straight region finals and back-to-back consecutive state championships, to go along with a combined 65-14 mark.

Aside from Kilfoyl and Stephenson, however, much of the 2019 15-player roster could return next season. Outfielder Tristen Gittens was the team’s only other graduating senior.

Saint Leo gets new coach

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The Saint Leo University men’s basketball program will be guided by a familiar face, as the school announced it has tabbed Lance Randall its next head coach.

Coach Lance Randall

Randall retakes a Lions program he led from 2011-2015, where he posted a 78-44 mark, which included back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, three straight NCAA Division II regional appearances and a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) title.

Randall replaces Vance Alexander, who exited Saint Leo to accept an assistant coaching position at Division I Rice University (Houston, Texas). Alexander posted a 56-63 record in four seasons at Saint Leo, including a 13-16 mark last season.

Randall, meanwhile, spent the last four seasons as head coach for the Division II Lindenwood University, where he registered  a 69-55 mark and four consecutive conference tournament appearances.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lance and the Randall family back to Saint Leo,” Saint Leo athletic director Fran Reidy said, in a release.

“Coach Randall has proven that he can win in the SSC and do this at Saint Leo,” he added.

Reidy continued: “With a veteran team returning, a smooth transition in the leadership of the program, we are looking forward to an exciting year in the Bowman Center.”

Prior to his first stint at Saint Leo, Randall was an associate head coach on the Wisconsin-Stevens Point team that won the 2010 NCAA Division III national championship. He also was a head coach at Division III Webster University and served as an assistant at Division I Saint Louis University, among other stops.

Pasco County property appraiser sees bullish outlook

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With Pasco County continuing to experience massive ongoing growth and development, the county’s tax rolls are expected to increase at least 9 percent this year, according to Pasco County property appraiser Gary Joiner.

Preliminary figures reveal that the county has already exceeded its tax roll from 2008, Joiner said, referring to before the economy tanked.

Pasco County property appraiser Gary Joiner (File)

The property appraiser’s remarks came during a speaking engagement at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce June breakfast meeting.

New residential and commercial construction make up the bulk of the increase, Joiner said, noting the county last year approved a record of more than 50,000 permits.

The taxable value of homesteaded properties will not increase by more than 1.9 percent this year, Joiner added.

“The great thing about that is, your home values aren’t outrageous, where they were in 2008. You’re not paying twice as much in taxes as you were in 2008,” Joiner said.

Plus, the county’s growth is likely to continue, he said.

Joiner expects Pasco to become Florida’s 10th largest county within the next 18 months, moving up a notch from its current ranking of the state’s 11th largest county.

“We’ve always been known as a bedroom community and ‘Little Pasco.’ Well, it’s not ‘Little Pasco’ anymore,” said Joiner, who grew up and lives in New Port Richey.

While growth can be a “great thing” for the county’s economy, it’s important for affordable housing and infrastructure to keep up, Joiner said.

He put it like this: “We’ve got to do it the right way, and we’ve also got to build roads and infrastructure way before we put a subdivision in. I think that’s where we lack. I think we’re 20 years behind in that. We’ve got to work harder on that.”

He continued, “I hate to see where some of the subdivisions are going, being where we were kids we hunted and fished there. You hate to see them tore up and these large oak trees taken down that you’ll never see again.”

Also on the subject of the county’s tax rolls, Joiner mentioned his office has made an effort to go after various forms of fraud, such as homestead fraud and agriculture fraud.

Joiner said the office has put more than $60 million in taxable value back on the county’s tax rolls since he took over in early 2017, including collecting nearly $1 million in back taxes.

“We’ve had our fair share (of fraud),” Joiner said.

Joiner also told the audience that the property appraiser’s office recently replaced its mainframe computing system and has upgraded to a more user-friendly website.

“We’re just working hard for you, trying to make a difference,” Joiner said. “We’ve tried to change a lot of things since I’ve gotten there — staff wise, productive wise, saving money.”

Joiner also touched on the county’s ongoing lawsuit with Pinellas County, where Pinellas has refused to pay property taxes on the 12,400 acres on the Cross Bar and Al Ranch property it owns north of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41 in Central Pasco.

Joiner explained, last year alone, Pinellas made more than $2 million on that property from timber and pine straw harvesting, and therefore owes Pasco about $200,000 in taxes.

The Second District Court of Appeal recently sided with Pasco in the property tax dispute after it lost in the lower court. The issue is now likely to wind up in the Florida Supreme Court.

“We’re very confident we’re going to get it,” Joiner said. “It’s not fair that every person in this room, and every person around here has to pay (taxes), and yet they (Pinellas County) think they’re exempt.”

In an action related to that lawsuit, the Pasco County Commission voted on June 4 to send a letter to the Pinellas County Commission, urging them to drop its legal action. In essence, Pasco commissioners said it is only fair that Pinellas pay its taxes, just like other property owners.

B.C. Manion contributed to this report.

Published June 12, 2019

Land O’ Lakes Athletics Hall of Fame adds members

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The Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation recently added five new members to the school’s athletics Hall of Fame, during a dinner ceremony.

The inductees for the 2019 class were: Stacy Bishop, a record-setting girls soccer player from 1999 to 2003; Jerry Brewster, a state qualifying wrestler and team MVP in 1986; John Childers III, an All-Conference basketball standout in the mid 1980s; Vicky King, longtime varsity girls soccer coach; and Mike McBride, an All-State football player and standout wrestler from 1989 to 1993.

The ceremony marked the school’s seventh Hall of Fame induction class, which began in 2013 after the Gators Athletics Foundation was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Florida Gators All-American receiver Reidel Anthony served as the keynote speaker for the May 16 induction ceremony.

The foundation’s purpose is to “raise funds through donations and fundraising events for the direct benefit of the athletic programs at Land O’ Lakes High School.”

The mission of the foundation is to enhance the athletic programs at Land O’ Lakes by providing additional funds for facilities, uniforms, transportation and other athletic program needs not covered by traditional school funding.

Here’s a closer look at this year’s inductees:

Stacy Bishop: Female Athlete
Stacy Bishop (Class of ’03) was an All-County and All-District soccer player all four years at Land O’ Lakes, where she registered 192 goals (still a Pasco County record) along with 90 assists. In addition to those accolades, Bishop in 2003 was named Pasco County Athlete of the Year and recognized as an National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Academic All-American.

Former Land O’ Lakes girls soccer standout Stacy Bishop, left, with her former coach Vicky King at the 2019 Land O’ Lakes Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Courtesy of Michael Williams)

Bishop went on to play Division I collegiate soccer at Louisiana State University and Florida, developing into a first-team All-American and MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist (annually given to the nation’s top collegiate soccer player).

Following her collegiate career, Bishop played professional soccer in the Women’s Professional Soccer league, earning stints with the Boston Breakers and Atlanta Beat franchises, respectively.

Vicky King: Coach/Administrator
Vicky King has been a coach at Land O’ Lakes for 33 years, since she joined the school in the mid-1980s.

In her lengthy career, King has racked up a number of achievements coaching both girls soccer and athletes with special needs.

In varsity girls soccer, King is the longest tenured and winningest coach in Pasco County, with a career record of 509 wins, 198 ties and 75 losses. That includes a state championship in 2003 and four other state semifinals appearances (2004, 2015-2017).

Meanwhile, King in 2015 guided the Land O’ Lakes unified soccer team (which joins athletes with and without disabilities) to represent Team USA at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, which yielded a bronze medal when the team defeated China 2-1. That year she was also named Florida Special Olympics Coach of the Year.

Jerry Brewster: Lifetime Achievement Award
Jerry Brewster (Class of ’86) was a member of both the football and wrestling team at Land O’ Lakes. Among his biggest accomplishments in athletics came on the mat — qualifying for the state wrestling tournament and earning team MVP honors his senior year. He went on to wrestle collegiately for a short time at College of DuPage in Illinois before continuing his education to earn a bachelor’s degree at University of South Florida and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Tampa.

Former Land O’ Lakes wrestling standout Jerry Brewster

Upon graduating with his MBA, Brewster has embarked on a career in the wealth management industry, building one the leading wealth management groups in the Tampa Bay area. He was named a 2019 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes Magazine, becoming the only wealth advisor in Pasco County to receive the honor.

Aside from his professional career, Brewster has a maintained presence in the Pasco community.

In recent years, he has served on the board of directors of HCA Regional Medical Center-Bayonet Point, Chasco Fiesta, and Rotary Club of New Port Richey. He also has been the auction chairman of the Rotary Club of New Port Richey’s annual Wild Game Dinner for over a decade.

Brewster was instrumental in helping to establish the Land O’ Lakes High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

John Childers III: Lifetime Achievement Award
John Childers III (Class of ’86) played both basketball and baseball at Land O’ Lakes, with some of his biggest achievements coming on the hardwood.

Former Land O’ Lakes basketball and baseball standout John Childers III

In three seasons on the varsity basketball team, Childers III earned team MVP honors and was a second team All-Gulf Coast Conference selection. He went on to receive a full basketball scholarship to Pasco-Hernando Community College where he was a two-year starter.

Professionally, Childers III advanced through the ranks at Chase Bank and eventually started his own mortgage solution company in 2001, JCIII & Associates Inc. The company grew to 650 employees before being sold in 2015.

Through the company, Childers III helped contribute more than six figures to local charitable causes, such as Moffitt Cancer Center, Derrick Brooks Charities, and others.

Even well into his professional career, Childers III would still attend Land O’ Lakes athletic events and supported various athletic programs. He also helped spearhead the Land O’ Lakes Athletic Hall of Fame with other volunteers.

Mike McBride: Male Athlete
Mike McBride (Class of ’93) was a football and wrestling standout at Land O’ Lakes, earning All-State honors in the former and All-District honors in the latter, while also competing in track and field.

Former Land O’ Lakes football and wrestling standout Mike McBride

On the gridiron, McBride starred as a two-way lineman to become the school’s first All-State football player in 1992 — and is currently one of just five Land O’ Lakes football players to have earned the All-State designation all-time.

On the mat, McBride qualified and finished at or near the top in a number of local, regional and state tournaments. That included a 29-3 mark his senior season, where he won a district individual championship and placed third at regionals, along with collecting individual titles at the East Lake and Springstead Invitational meets.

McBride’s father, Charlie McBride, was inducted into the Land O’ Lakes Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, for his contributions as a coach and teacher. It marks the first father-son combo to be inducted into the school’s athletics Hall of fame.

Past Land O’ Lakes Athletics Hall of Fame inductees

2018

  • William Gebauer
  • Jeff Hendrix
  • Don Meredith
  • Kirk Peterson
  • Karla Walsh Graziano

2017

  • Allen Claggett
  • Desiree Croteau
  • Doug Hutchinson
  • Michael Keough
  • Stephen Querns

2016

  • 2002-2003 girls soccer team
  • Jerry English
  • Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier
  • Dianne McClendon
  • Phil Teston

2015

  • Kevin Dowling
  • Kenny Gorman
  • Charlie McBride
  • Sharmine McCreary
  • David Singleton

2014

  • John Benedetto
  • Dennis Blankenship
  • RJ McKenna
  • Tina McWithey
  • Will Weatherford

2013

  • Colleen Bentz
  • Tim Harvey
  • Kenneth McCurry
  • Robert Shirmohammad
  • Henry Walls

Published June 12, 2019

Duo garners first place

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Roy Woodhouse, left, and Rick Schueller teamed to win first place at the South Pasco Bassmasters’ (SPBM) May tournament, hauling in five fish for a total weight of 17.24 pounds on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Their haul also included the biggest bass of the tournament, weighing 7.28 pounds. The pair used flipping plastic worms in grass to make their catch. The next tournament is scheduled for June 15 on the Lake Harris Chain in Tavares. For information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Pasco All-Conference spring awards announced

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High school coaches from the Pasco County School District recently announced the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2018-2019 spring sports season, which included baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track & field, and weightlifting.

Selections were made for both the East and West division for all sports except lacrosse, which consisted of combined All-Conference teams.

The following high schools from the newspaper’s coverage area were represented in the East: Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

Recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

Spring sports (Boys)
All-Conference Boys Lacrosse
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch
Coach of the Year: TJ Fitzsimons, Wiregrass Ranch
Offensive Player of the Year: Nick Ferrini, Mitchell
Defensive Player of the Year: Mikel Macias, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
Robbie Sinibaldi, Mitchell, junior

Ryan Farquhar, Wesley Chapel, junior

Ryan Furlong, Sunlake, junior

Jacob Schwarz, Sunlake, junior

Nick Ferrini, Mitchell, senior

Marc Ciccone, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Mikel Macias, Sunlake, senior

Alex Perugini, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Sam Saunders, Wesley Chapel, senior

Caleb Embry, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Payton Risinger, Mitchell, senior

Sean O’ Brien, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Christopher Slay, Wesley Chapel, senior

Kyle Santiago, Wesley Chapel, senior

Jalen Seales, Sunlake, freshman

Josiah Barness, Sunlake, senior

Noah Midthun, Mitchell, junior

Donovan Passarello, Sunlake, sophomore

Jason Mazursky, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Honorable Mention
Marshall Mengel, Sunlake, senior
Aren Rosales, Wesley Chapel, senior
Colton Billett, Sunlake, junior

East All-Conference Baseball
Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes
Coach of the Year: Marshall McDougall, Wiregrass Ranch
Player of the Year: Nick Jennings, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Pitcher: Nick Jennings, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Catcher: Ray Camacho, Cypress Creek, senior

Infielder: Matt Snyder, Cypress Creek, junior

Infielder: Ethan Frasca, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Infielder: Dakota Harris, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Infielder: Nick Plaisted, Sunlake, junior

Outfielder: Austin Coultas, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Outfielder: Peyton Petry, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Outfielder: Patrick Groark, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Utility/DH: Dawson Place, Sunlake, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Pitcher: Brian Holiday, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Catcher: Noah Johnson, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Infielder: Ethan Petry, Cypress Creek, freshman

Infielder: Spencer Stephens, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Infielder: Bryce Braxton, Pasco, sophomore

Infielder: Robert Boser, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Outfielder: Chris Ferguson, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Outfielder: Zachary Showalter, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Outfielder: Arvind Latchana, Cypress Creek, freshman

Utility/DH: Nick Jennings, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Honorable Mention
Ricky Dunn, Zephyrhills, senior

The Wiregrass Ranch High boys tennis team captured its 10th straight district championship and eighth straight regional championship this season. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys Tennis
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch
Coach of the Year: Dave Wilson, Wiregrass Ranch
Player of the Year: Kanishkh Ramesh, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

First Team All-Conference
Kanishkh Ramesh, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Jonathan Judy-Hansen, Zephyrhills, senior

Logan Haga, Pasco, sophomore

Destiny Okungbowa, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Caelen Arreola, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Adam Mansour, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Josh Abrams, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Takashi Xu, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Ryan Kantor, Sunlake, junior

Jake Albrighton, Pasco, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Kai Penalosa, Cypress Creek, freshman
Dillon Kemble, Wesley Chapel, junior

The Sunlake High boys and girls track & field teams both captured conference and district titles during the 2018-2019 season. The boys program also won a regional title, while the girls finished regional runner-up. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys Track & Field
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Randal Reeves
Track Athlete of the Year: Donte Sol, Wesley Chapel
Field Athlete of the Year: Cartrell Strong, Zephyrhills

First Team All-Conference
4×800 relay: (Sunlake) Dominic Burleson, senior; Luke Scheid, junior; Cade Whitfield, sophomore, Ludcheel Colas, junior

110-meter hurdles: Brian Parker, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

100-meter dash: Cartrell Strong, Zephyrhills, senior

1600-meter run: Dominic Burleson, Sunlake, senior

4×100 relay: (Zephyrhills) Maguire Neal, freshman; Ja’Quan Sheppard, senior; Clayton Cornelius, sophomore; Cartrell Strong, senior

400-meter dash: Donte Sol, Wesley Chapel, senior

300-meter hurdles: Brian Parker, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

800-meter run: Luke Scheid, Sunlake, junior

200-meter dash: Donte Sol, Wesley Chapel, senior

3200-meter run: Dominic Burleson, Sunlake, senior

4×400 relay: (Sunlake) Issac Taveras, junior; Ludcheel Colas, junior; Cade Whitfield, sophomore; Luke Scheid, junior

Shot Put: Kasean Ridgel, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Pole Vault: Shayne Tenpow, Sunlake, senior

High Jump: Isaiah Burns, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Long Jump: Jacquez Mobley, Pasco, senior

Triple Jump: Cartrell Strong, Zephyrhills, senior

Discus: Joey Perez, Sunlake, senior

Second Team All-Conference
4×800 relay: (Wiregrass Ranch) Alejandro Medina, senior; Alex Morales Ramos, junior; Sebastian Hernandez, sophomore; Anthony Dimarco, junior

110-meter hurdles: Abdullah Mbowe, Sunlake, senior

100-meter dash: Keith Walker, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

1600-meter run: Gavin Kennedy, Sunlake, junior

4×100 relay: (Wesley Chapel) Donte Sol, senior; Brandon Hitch, senior; Jelani Vassell, senior; J.T. Anderson, sophomore

400-meter dash: Alex Hayden, Wesley Chapel, junior

300-meter hurdles: Maguire Neal, Zephyrhills, freshman

800-meter run: Ludcheel Colas, Sunlake, junior

200-meter dash: Keith Walker, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

3200-meter run: Drew Knobl, Sunlake, junior

Shot Put: James Kirkley, Sunlake, senior

Pole Vault: Chandler Tucker, Land O’ Lakes, senior

High Jump: Gabriel Vazquez, Cypress Creek, senior; Michael Adeshina, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Long Jump: Ja’Quan Sheppard, Zephyrhills, senior

Triple Jump: Ja’Quan Sheppard, Zephyrhills, senior

Discus: Isaac Tavo, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

The Zephyrhills High boys weightlifting team won both conference and district titles this season. They also finished regional runner-up. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys Weightlifting
Team Champion: Zephyrhills
Coach of the Year: Chris Barrick, Zephyrhills
Athlete of the Year: Caleb Huff, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
119 pounds: Caleb Huff, Sunlake, senior

129 pounds: Victor Velez, Sunlake, senior

139 pounds: Connor O’ Malley, Cypress Creek, senior

154 pounds: Wesley Colas, Sunlake, senior

169 pounds: Kevin Sacco, Land O’ Lakes, senior

183 pounds: Ja’varrius Wilson, Zephyrhills, junior

199 pounds: Samuel Bergeron, Zephyrhills, senior

219 pounds: Caleb Keeling, Zephyrhills, senior

238 pounds: Cameron Helms, Zephyrhills, senior

Heavyweight/Unlimited: Ethan Vest, Zephyrhills, senior

Second Team All-Conference
119 pounds: Garrett Ellison, Zephyrhills, senior

129 pounds: Alex Alvarez, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

139 pounds: Jerimiah Wolfe, Sunlake, senior

154 pounds: Alex Hall, Sunlake, senior

169 pounds: Andreas Portillo, Sunlake, sophomore

183 pounds: Kyle Leivas, Land O’ Lakes, senior

199 pounds: Kris Chandler, Wesley Chapel, senior

219 pounds: Ethan Forrester, Land O’ Lakes, junior

238 pounds: Corbin Doers, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Heavyweight/Unlimited: Kasean Ridgel, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Spring sports (Girls)

The Pasco High girls tennis team won conference and district titles this season, and reached the Class 3A-2 regional finals. (Courtesy of Pasco High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Girls Tennis
Team Champion: Pasco
Coach of the Year: Don Charlick
Player of the Year: Courtney Piltaver, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Sitara Sriram, Pasco, junior

Courtney Piltaver, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Phoebe Teo, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Hope Johnson, Zephyrhills, senior

Alex Barath, Pasco, sophomore

Second Team All-Conference
Paige Johnson, Zephyrhills, senior

Regina Lugo, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Mariel Camino, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Taylor Moore, Pasco, junior

Natalia Rivera, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

East All-Conference Girls Track & Field
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Brett Hodros, Sunlake
Track Athlete of the Year: Liina Winborn, Sunlake
Field Athlete of the Year: Lauryn Beacham, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
4×800 relay: (Sunlake) Shannon Gordy, sophomore; Ashley Spires, sophomore; Emma Burleson, freshman; Justine Ruhlman, senior

100-meter hurdles: Allison Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

100-meter dash: Delcina Gillespie, Cypress Creek, junior

1600-meter run: Liina Winborn, Sunlake, junior

4×100 relay: (Sunlake) Nia Johnson, junior; Jaymonda Calmes, senior; Gianna Levy, junior; Hannah Kilmer, junior

400-meter dash: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior

300-meter hurdles: Allison Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

800-meter run: Liina Winborn, Sunlake, junior

200-meter dash: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior

3200-meter run: Natalie Abernathy, Land O’ Lakes, senior

4×400 relay: (Land O’ Lakes) Ashley Doers, junior; Lauren Bates, junior; Abigail Perez, junior; Lizzie Epps, freshman

Shot Put: Lauryn Beacham, Sunlake, senior

Pole Vault: Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior

High Jump: Ondrasha Joel, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

Long Jump: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior

Triple Jump: Jayda Forester, Sunlake, junior

Discus: Lauryn Beacham, Sunlake, senior

Second Team All-Conference
4×800 relay: (Wiregrass Ranch) Kate Moore, junior; Guadalupe Guerra, sophomore; Madelynn Abrahamasen, senior; Mya Hill, sophomore

100-meter hurdles: Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

100-meter dash: Zharia Wilson, Wesley Chapel, junior

1600-meter run: Natalie Abernathy, Land O’ Lakes, junior

4×100 relay: (Cypress Creek) Shaniqua Hicks, senior; Alyssa Pollicita, freshman; Ashleigh Lacey, sophomore; Delcina Gillespie, junior

400-meter dash: Lauren Bates, Land O’ Lakes, junior

300-meter hurdles: Hannah Kilmer, Sunlake, junior

800-meter run: Shannon Gordy, Sunlake, sophomore

200-meter dash: Nia Johnson, Sunlake, junior

3200-meter run: Estafania Acosta, Land O’ Lakes, senior

4×400 relay: (Wiregrass Ranch) Emily Beazley, senior; Dahlia Williams, freshman; Mya Hill, sophomore; Madelynn Abrahamasen, senior

Shot Put: Antoinette Farmer, Sunlake, junior

Pole Vault: Micala Jones, Sunlake, senior

High Jump: Emiliana Sorrell, Sunlake, junior

Long Jump: Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Triple Jump: Allison Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Discus: Antoinette Farmer, Sunlake, junior

Honorable Mention
Journee Byrd, Pasco, senior
Jaydean Ireland, Zephyrhills, junior

The Sunlake High softball team won its first Sunshine Athletic Conference East title in program history this season. They went on to reach the Class 7A regional finals, ending the season with a 24-3 mark. (Courtesy of Sunlake High Athletics)

East All-Conference Softball
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Nelson Garcia, Sunlake
Player of the Year: Jenna Lord, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
Pitcher: Callie Turner, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Catcher: Neely Peterson, Cypress Creek, senior

Infielder: Jenna Lord, Sunlake, sophomore

Infielder: Miranda Perez, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Infielder: Jasmine Jackson, Cypress Creek, senior

Infielder: April Lorton, Zephyrhills, senior

Outfielder: Kendra Falby, Sunlake, sophomore

Outfielder: Paige Maseda, Sunlake, senior

Outfielder: Shelby Westbrook, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Utility/DH/DP: Alexis Duff, Sunlake, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Pitcher: Jordan Almasy, Wesley Chapel, junior

Catcher: Jolene Bodner, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Infielder: Ashley Nickisher, Cypress Creek, senior

Infielder: Nehanda Lewis, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

Infielder: Logan Coward, Wesley Chapel, senior

Infielder: Ashley Garrison, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Outfielder: Miranda Schwartz, Cypress Creek, freshman

Outfielder: Emma Coon, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Outfielder: Brooke Stanley, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Utility/DH/DP: Mackenzie Petty, Pasco, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Alyssa Cordoba, Sunlake, junior

Mikayla Hoschak, Sunlake, sophomore

Haylee Fernandez, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Ally Fraley, Wesley Chapel, junior

Madelyn Golka, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Anna Margetis, Cypress Creek, junior

Avery Lee, Cypress Creek, senior

Ashtin Jordan, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Loryn Finn, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Kelsey Kadlub, Pasco, sophomore

De’onna Brown, Pasco, sophomore

Kyleigh Smith, Zephyrhills, junior

Hayley Myers, Zephyrhills, sophomore

All-Conference Girls Lacrosse
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch
Coach of the Year: Craig Havemann
Offensive Player of the Year: Charlotte Vari, Mitchell
Defensive Player of the Year: Sydney Maziarz, Cypress Creek

First Team All-Conference
Charlotte Vari, Mitchell, junior

Morgan Gregory, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Jenna Kiley, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Dinah Hardin, Wesley Chapel, senior

Addison Metcalf, Cypress Creek, junior

Madison Gregory, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Patricia Batchelor, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Grace Young, Mitchell, sophomore

Jordan Alvis, Cypress Creek, senior

Lauren Williams, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Chadee Smith, Mitchell, sophomore

Sydney Maziarz, Cypress Creek, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Emily Huntzinger, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Emily Rushing, Mitchell, junior

Kyleigh Lashuk, Mitchell, freshman

Peggy D’Alessandro, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Annabel Murk, Cypress Creek, junior

Amanda Erenberg-Diaz, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Mallori Hotaling, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Jenny Endres, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Kamryn Smart, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Lily Jacey, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Brianna Seagers, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Alexa Dusch, Mitchell, sophomore

Published June 05, 2019

Can human connection heal?

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Austin Eubanks remembered with clarity the tragic day that forever changed his life, and, ultimately claimed it.

His best friend was killed instantly in front of him.

Then Eubanks was shot twice, in the hand and knee.

Eubanks was just 17 years old when he experienced and survived the massacre inside the library of Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

Columbine shooting survivor Austin Eubanks was the keynote speaker at the annual ‘Strengthening Our Communities Conference on Mental Health and Drug Prevention’ in Wesley Chapel. He passed away just days later at his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, at age 37. (Courtesy of AustinEubanks.com)

“I remember seeing my hand and knowing that I had been shot, but I couldn’t feel it,” Eubanks recalled. “I couldn’t connect to the emotion of it, or the physical pain of it, because I wasn’t present in my own body.”

That traumatic experience as a teen, as a survivor in the Columbine school shooting, was the catalyst to Eubanks’ painful journey through addiction and eventually into long-term recovery.

Eubanks put it like this: “I will never be the person I was on the morning of April 20, 1999. That boy did not walk out of the library that day. He was altered, forever.”

Eubanks shared his personal story as the keynote speaker at the annual “Strengthening Our Communities Conference on Mental Health and Drug Prevention,” held May 14 at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

The conference, hosted by Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and Baycare Behavioral Health, is designed to increase public awareness and inspire action on mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Just a few days after the conference, the speaker was found dead from a suspected drug overdose at his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He was 37.

In a statement, his family said Eubanks “lost the battle with the very disease he fought so hard to help others face. Helping to build a community of support is what meant the most to Austin, and we plan to continue his work.”

ASAP also expressed its sympathy on Eubanks’ passing in a released statement: “We extend our thoughts and prayers to Austin’s family and friends. Although he has passed too early, his voice will echo in our memories and actions forever.”

Before his untimely death, Eubanks addressed a crowd of nearly 500 people, to discuss the intersection of trauma, mental illness and addiction.

‘An emotional robot’
Shortly after the school shooting, Eubanks was prescribed opiates, benzodiazepines and stimulants for his physical injuries. He soon found the drugs helped him in other ways.

“From the moment I was medicated, that emotion (from Columbine) completely shut off. It was like somebody turned off a faucet,” Eubanks explained.

Nearly 500 people attended the annual ‘Strengthening Our Communities Conference on Mental Health and Drug Prevention,’ hosted by Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and Baycare Behavioral Health. Columbine school shooting survivor Austin Eubanks was the keynote speaker at the May 14 event, at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. (Kevin Weiss)

“I learned very quickly how to turn myself into an emotional robot, with the combination of those three substances. I thought that I had found the answer, I never had to feel anything. I was taught how to seek the fast road to relief.”

Years later, at the height of his addiction, Eubanks said he was using upwards of 400 milligrams of the painkiller OxyContin per day, plus a host of other recreational drugs.

His drug of choice, he admitted, was “just more.”

Emotional healing through human connection
After a decade more of undergoing a cycle of addiction and relapse, Eubanks said he finally received the help he needed, at a long-term treatment center in Denver that accepted him free of charge.

It’s there he found the prescription he needed most: authentic human connection.

The treatment center helped him navigate the stages of grief through meaningful, personal relationships with others with similar, lived experiences.

“With emotional pain, in order to heal it, you have to feel it. It is essential to recovery,” Eubanks said.

He added: “What is so essential for emotional healing for all of us, is relying on others from a place of vulnerability and authenticity and transparency.”

The environment also provided him with structure and accountability, too, he said.

Eubanks said, “I had to finally admit that I knew nothing, and I had to trust somebody else enough to believe that they did, and I did everything that they told me to for long enough to where it became a pattern.”

Eubanks explained that after Columbine he didn’t return to school for his senior year, instead relied on a private tutor from home in order to graduate. The decision isolated himself from others, leaving him to rely on substances to cope with his emotional pain.

“I withdrew from human connection entirely. If you can create a better petri dish for addiction, I don’t know what it is,” the speaker said.

“I missed out on a lot of the collaborative, connected healing that many of my classmates experienced in our senior year, because I withdrew from that community entirely.”

Prevention and rehabilitation reforms needed
Eubanks discussed his ideas to combat the nation’s addiction crisis, which he blamed partly on increased accessibility, acceptability and toxicity of various substances.

The speaker called for greater efforts in implementing more systems of prevention and rehabilitation to curtail the demand for drugs.

He challenged the medical community to do a better job of integrating physical health and mental health. He also challenged the education community to put more focus on nurturing emotional intelligence in early childhood education, to increase the ability to relate to other people.

Eubanks then called for greater accessibility to long-term treatment for those who cannot afford its services. He also said the criminal justice system needs to place more emphasis on rehabilitation programs, specifically, by providing inmates a therapeutic continuum of care and teaching them pro-social behaviors.

Said Eubanks, “Drugs are always going to exist. We cannot eradicate these issues by combating them on the supply side. We have to curtail the demand.”

In addition to Eubanks, the conference featured presentations from Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco; Gail Ryder, Baycare Health Systems vice president of behavioral health; and Roderick Cunningham, Drug Enforcement Agency outreach program manager.

There was also a series of breakout sessions that focused on substance abuse prevention and recovery efforts, among other topics.

Published May 29, 2019

School to get $33 million renovation

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One of Pasco County’s oldest high schools is set to undergo a major makeover.

Across the next two-plus years, Zephyrhills High School will see a number of upgrades to not only give the school a modern aesthetic, but also to enhance campus safety and the overall learning environment.

The total price tag: $33 million, funded through Penny for Pasco.

Rendering of the campus’ renovated front entrance. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Details about the renovation project were shared by Pasco school district officials and contractors during a May 22 parent meeting.

The project is being completed by Tampa-based Peter Hepner Architects and Clearwater-based Creative Contractors.

An initial phase is set to be complete this summer — a new two-story, 17-classroom building, bringing the school’s capacity to accommodate about 1,950 students.

Other phases of the project will address the school’s existing main campus.

Among the highlights are state-of the-art classrooms and laboratories for the school’s career technical education programs.

For instance, the school’s criminal justice program will feature a 911 communications center, while a health occupations classroom will resemble a hospital setting, equipped with multiple beds, sinks and curtains. The school’s science, agriculture and building construction technology programs will see an enlarged space for better hands-on learning, as well.

Meantime, the media center will be remodeled with flat-screen technology, small group conference rooms and circulation desks, made to resemble “a university-type collaborative space,” architect Peter Hepner said.

Other notable additions include an expanded cafeteria and additional restrooms, plus upgrades to the commons area, teacher’s lounge and administration suites.

Rendering of the schools’ common areas. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Buildings will be overhauled with a new air conditioning system, fire sprinkler system and energy-efficient LED lighting, along with new glass windows and tile flooring planned throughout.

The school’s exterior will experience a facelift, too.

The main entry will be incorporated with more brick elements and a larger canopy to allow for more covered area during drop-offs and pickups in inclement weather. And, a courtyard and a gated perimeter with ornamental fencing will be installed.

Elsewhere, as an effort to enhance safety measures, some entrances to the school will be eliminated and become emergency exits only. Classroom doors will be altered with more secure locks, to prevent break-ins. Also, school visitors will be required to enter a new enclosed reception area to get checked in, before gaining access to the commons area.

The entire renovation project is expected to be complete by December 2021. Work will have to take place during school hours, but Hepner said disruption will be minimal with fences and visual and acoustic barriers, separating construction zones from daily school activity.

“There’s a lot that’s going to go into this project,” said Hepner, who’s firm is also working on the $29 million renovation at Land O’ Lakes High School. “It takes a little while to do it, but as each phase gets done, it just gets more and more exciting.”

Zephyrhills principal Angie Stone said the upgrades “bring this 1970s building back to life.”

“We just can’t wait,” Stone said, of the renovations. “The teachers are excited, we’re excited.”

Pasco Schools superintendent Kurt Browning also expressed his enthusiasm for the forthcoming enhancements.

“We’re just thrilled to be able to get this project going,” he said. “This school district is really committed to Zephyrhills High School and this community. We want the very best for our students, our teachers, our administrators and the Zephyrhills community.”

Published May 29, 2019

Hockey team formed for Land O’ Lakes High

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It all started as an idea between two dads who just wanted the best for their hockey-playing sons: What if we started our own hockey team at Land O’ Lakes High School?

After long months of conversations, fundraising and coordination, Joshua Whitman and Bill O’ Connor’s theoretical question became a reality.

Joshua Whitman, team manager and one of the people responsible for creating the newly formed Land O’ Lakes High School hockey team, watches the first period of game play through the glass. The Land O’ Lakes resident uses his tablet during the game to do live tracking of stats and to manage the live stream video. (Christine Holtzman)

This coming fall, the Land O’ Lakes High School hockey club will begin its first season in the Lightning High School Hockey League, or the LHSHL.

The Gators becomes the 19th school to join the league. The league is operated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and features varsity level programs throughout Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

Hockey is not a sanctioned sport by the Florida High School Athletic Association, the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.

And, since most high schools don’t have enough players to field a team, the LHSHL has what’s called catchments, where it combines players usually from three or four different high schools to form a team.

Previously, Land O’ Lakes students would be zoned to play for the Mitchell Mustangs hockey team, which also includes players from Mitchell and Sunlake high schools.

While the other players keep their eyes on the ice, Peter Tedeschi, of Land O’ Lakes, turns to wave to some friends who came to support the team. The Gators squared off against the Wiregrass Ranch Hockey Club in their inaugural game on April 19 at Advent Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

With their sons, who play travel league hockey together, set to be high school freshmen next year, Whitman and O’Connor didn’t want them to get lost on an already overpopulated Mitchell roster.

They also wanted them, and others, to get a true high school athletic experience — able to solely represent the Gators with their fellow Land O’ Lakes classmates.

O’ Connor put it this way: “It’s fun because we all live in the same community and we all see each other at school. It’s like playing on the high school football team, with all the people from the same area. That’s what’s cool about it. You can tell the enthusiasm from the kids.”

The parents got the blessing of the LHSHL to start a team and enlisted the help of USA Hockey to determine if Land O’ Lakes had enough players to make it all work.

They also canvassed social media to gauge interest from Land O’ Lakes families.

Gators player Michael Yevstratov, center, No. 5, heads the attack into the offensive zone after a center ice face-off win. His teammate, Ian Ravens, right, No. 13 , prepares to join Yevstratov in the battle.

The response was overwhelmingly positive.

“I was so surprised how enthusiastic everybody was and how supportive everyone was. That was the key. That’s what I think was good,” O’ Connor said.

Once it was confirmed their community had the hard numbers to fill a club roster, the dads created a nonprofit foundation, Central Pasco Youth Hockey Foundation Inc., to help with fundraising and sponsorships efforts, and oversee the general operation of the team.

They also went about filling a coaching staff, which is now led by Bill Karas, a Minnesota native who brings more than 50 years of coaching and scouting experience to the club.

The entire endeavor took all of about six months.

Joe Eisenberg, the team’s assistant coach, is calling out to his players during the first period of the game. The coach is generally yelling instructions on where to go on the ice or for players to return to the bench for a shift change.

“We just kept moving forward, and it just kind of snowballed,” Whitman said. “Looking back now, it did fly by. It was good we started early and got things done as fast as possible.”

Unlike most LHSHL teams, the Gators will have what’s called a “pure” team, with its entire roster made up of players who attend Land O’ Lakes High or are home-schooled and live within school boundaries.

It undoubtedly adds a school spirit factor to the team.

The hockey club raised about $1,800 selling Gators hockey sweatshirts alone, Whitman said, to help offset equipment and registration costs.

“It’s created quite a buzz at the school,” said Whitman. “One of the things that we want to try to do is kind of change the culture about high school hockey here in Florida, because it kind of is a secondary thought for most kids.”

The Gators hockey club actually began play this spring in a league operated by local rinks that’s independent of the LHSHL. The spring league is designed as a prelude to the fall season for current eighth-graders through high school juniors.

Gators Head Coach Bill Karas watches his players on defense. Karas, a Minnesota native, is a USA Hockey Level 4 certified coach and brings nearly 50 years of hockey experience to the Gators bench.

The spring roster has 28 players. That includes three high school juniors, a sophomore and a freshman, 15 eighth graders, and 10 seventh graders on the practice squad.

The club’s first-ever game was on April 19, when it faced Wiregrass Ranch High at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

It was a memorable game for all, including the Gators head coach, who has seen just about everything in his five decade-long hockey career.

“First game here, we probably had 200 people. It was incredible. You don’t see that at a Minnesota high school game,” Karas said. “I was very impressed with the support that we’re getting from the Land O’ Lakes community, and I’m just glad to be part of it.”

The hockey dads and coaches aren’t the only ones excited about the Land O’ Lakes hockey venture. Players are, too, of course.

Leftwing Ian Ravens is one of the roster’s older, more experienced players, as a 16-year-old junior.

After the historic game, the Land O’Lakes High School Gators and the Wiregrass Ranch Hockey Club gathered for a group picture on the ice.

After playing in recreation leagues for many years, Ravens is glad to finally represent his high school in hockey gear.

“It’s a big thing. I’m looking forward to our senior nights, stuff like that, things that I wouldn’t be able to do playing for Mitchell or another team,” said Ravens.

“I think we’re going to get a lot of recognition in the school. We have a lot of fans,” he added.

Meantime, Ravens is confident about the team’s prospects in the LHSHL regular season, which runs roughly from September through February.

Though the fall roster will mostly be composed of incoming freshman, the rising senior feels the upstart team can hold its own. In the spring league, the Gators have won a few games and remained competitive in others.

“I think that we’re going to go in strong, which we have to,” said Ravens, who’s been playing recreational hockey for about 11 years. “We’re going to be playing a lot of different teams, not just the teams that we’re playing now (in the spring). We’ve got to be more physical, which I definitely see in everyone. I see that we have a lot of potential. I think we’re going to go far with it.”

Published May 29, 2019

Dade City considering retail consultant

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The City of Dade City is considering the feasibility of hiring a retail consulting firm — as part of an effort to lure more commercial business and economic development within city limits.

City commissioners discussed the issue at length during a May 7 workshop, where they heard proposals from three professional firms for the creation of a retail market analysis and development plan.

The City of Dade City is considering hiring a retail consulting firm to drive more business to the municipality. City commissioners discussed the issue at length during a May 14 meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

Based on a request for proposal, the purpose of the project, in essence, is to better understand the retail landscape in the Dade City market, then have a firm develop a retail recruiting plan and broker potential prospects for the market.

The three firms interviewed were: Place Dynamics LLC, The Retail Coach, and Retail Management Associates.

The project, if followed through, would specifically address ways to improve and spur development along the U.S. 301 corridor, State Road 52, and the downtown area.

Cost estimates from the firms ranged from roughly about $60,000 to $90,000 for full implementation of the required scope of work; the city has not yet selected a firm.

The topic was broached again during a May 14 regular meeting, with some disagreement on how the city should proceed.

Commissioner Jim Shive suggested scheduling another workshop to have a more in-depth discussion on the matter, before deciding whether or not to select a retail consultant.

The commissioner said he heard from several constituents expressing concern on the amount of money that would be spent on a firm.

“I’m not opposed to moving forward,” he said, “but I think we need to have more discussion, that we just don’t need to jump in it headfirst, but that we’re looking at all angles.”

“It’s a lot of money, and I kind of want to know where it’s coming from,” he said.

Shive also pointed out another economic study has already been completed on the city by Melanie Romagnoli, of the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth, thereby perhaps reducing “a lot of the legwork” proposed by interviewed firms.

Shive, moreover, said the municipality might not have the necessary resident population to attract commercial businesses that a retail consulting firm would be tasked to target and recruit.

Proposing an alternate option to a retail consultant, Shive suggested the city look into bringing on staff, an economic development director or a CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) director, as well as generally investing more into the city’s downtown area.

Commissioner Scott Black, however, countered the city does indeed have the geographical portfolio to justify bringing aboard a retail consultant, which he said is imperative to better market the area and recruit businesses of all types.

Black acknowledged the city may not have the demographics that would attract big-box stores and major food chains, but certain other types of retail businesses instead.

“There’s a lot of retail that we have the numbers (of residents) for, we just don’t have anyone out there recruiting and bringing it,” Black said. “This retail recruitment element is what we need, and that’s what the beauty of what these types of firms do is — they welcome and determine what would succeed here and they bring it in.”

Black then stressed the need for such a firm, as a means to help the municipality grow, expand its tax base and bring better jobs to the area.

“It’s going to more than pay for itself after a few years,” Black said. “There are many opportunities that we have here for Dade City, but we don’t have this type of organization where (city staff) can go out and target businesses.”

“Now is the time to do it, not to put this off any longer,” he added.

Meanwhile, during the meeting’s public comment period, Dade City-based realtor and investor Larry Guilford said retail consultants oftentimes don’t provide much value to a city its size, or even up to cities with as many as 40,000 residents.

“It all comes to rooftops; we don’t have the rooftops,” Guilford said. “I’d love to put a Chick-Fil-A here, but if I don’t have certain rooftops out here, it’s a no-go; you have that in many cases.”

Guilford said a retail consultant may be worthwhile for Dade City to consider a few years from now, but not at this time.

“I don’t think you’ll get the bang for the buck,” Guilford noted.

Mayor Camille Hernandez said the city plans to continue the conversation at either another workshop or city commission meeting, to follow up with the retail firms and review reports from the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth.

“I think we’re doing our due diligence to make sure that we have all of the pieces together,” Hernandez said.

Published May 22, 2019