The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Local band primed for big stage

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They’ve been featured on radio stations, such as 102.5 The Bone and 88.5 WMNF.

They’ve performed gigs at major venues, including The Orpheum and State Theatre.

Now, they’re poised to release their first EP.

Not too shabby for a two-year-old band made of three local high school graduates, all still under the legal drinking age.

The band is called Sick Hot.

Local up-and-coming band Sick Hot is releasing their first EP on March 1. From left, bassist Chris Erickson, guitarist and vocalist Nik Wilson, and drummer Cory Bernardi. (Courtesy of Jim Chambers)

It features a pair of Land O’ Lakes High School graduates — guitarist and vocalist Nik Wilson and bassist Chris Erickson— along with Carrollwood Day School graduate Cory Bernardi, who’s on the drums.

For the past six months they’ve been perfecting a three-song EP, titled “House of Delight.” It will be unveiled during a release party on March 1 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., at Crowbar in Tampa.

There, Sick Hot will perform an hourlong set of originals and covers. Other local bands slated to perform include Cannibal Kids, The Raine, and Up From Here.

The young trio is described as “classic rock, with a little modern tinge on it,” by Jim Chambers, the band’s manager and founder.

“You’re going to see a young band that performs well beyond their years,” said Chambers, a longtime music industry executive who now operates Jim Chambers Music Box in Carrollwood.

“They’re fantastic, accomplished players, and at such a young age, the music sounds very mature.”

Wilson and Erickson are both 19. Bernardi is 20.

Shaped by their parents’ love of music — and mainly classic rock — each have been playing various instruments since grade school.

Sick Hot’s three-song debut EP, ‘House of Delight,’ will be celebrated with a release party at Crowbar on March 1.

That passion for creating music has stayed with them since.

“I just like playing, especially with (Nik and Cory) because they’re always challenging me to be better and keep it interesting,” Erickson said. “We’re always bouncing stuff off each other, but I think the three of us enjoy playing more than anything.”

“We’re always kind of force each other to be better than we could,” Bernardi said.

Wilson undoubtedly stands out, as Sick Hot’s lead guitarist and vocalist.

So does his long, wavy hair, slender frame, and tattoo of Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page on his left wrist.

The bandleader doesn’t read music. Instead, he’s able to play back virtually any record after hearing it a few times, keying in on different tones and so forth.

“I can read tabs, but I can’t read like actual music,” Wilson said. “I have a musician’s ear, I guess.”

However Wilson does it, Chambers describes him as “kind of a wunderkind.”

Bernardi and Erickson, meanwhile, mostly let their instruments do the talking.

Aside from Led Zeppelin, of course, Sick Hot draws influences from Rush, Aerosmith and Ted Nugent. They also twist in their own “technical, funky vibes.”

The band swears their sound isn’t just another ’70s rock band clone.

“That’s the one thing we’re trying to avoid,” Erickson said. “No one wants to hear the same thing over and over.”

Added Wilson: “It’s like keeping the spirit of classic rock, like in our generation.”

Sick Hot’s lyrics, meanwhile, have a “kind of psychedelic” feel in the mold of Jimi Hendrix and Cream, band members agreed.

Some of the band’s songs are based on a historical narrative. One track, for instance, revolves around the Prohibition Era.

“I think the idea is we’re kind of like telling a story, rather than singing about a personal thing or something that happened in your life,” Erickson explained. “Kind of telling a story from the outset.”

Whatever they are, Chambers sees a bright future for Sick Hot.

He noted recent Grammy Award-winning Greta Van Fleet has opened the door for other bands to bring classic rock “back into the fray.”

Chambers would know. He won three Grammys with Maroon 5, the Dave Matthews Band and Flyleaf, as a record executive.

“I see classic rock coming back into the modicum of everything, and so with that, they’re poised to be shopped (to record labels),” Chambers said. “I have no doubt I’ll be shopping this record personally to New York City, trying to get them a deal.”

In the meantime, Sick Hot plans to flood the local market with their sound, then take a small summer tour somewhere out of state.

They’re currently shooting a music video for one of their EP tracks, titled “Lost and Forever Gone,” which is set to be released later this month.

A full-length album is also being considered by the up-and-coming band.

“We definitely have enough material to make a whole other album, a full LP,” Bernardi said. “That’s definitely an idea we’ve thought of before.”

Sick Hot’s  “House of Delight” EP release party
When: March 1, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Where: Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City
What: Celebration of Sick Hot’s debut EP, “House of Delight,” with live music performances from several local bands
Cost: $10, all ages
Tickets: Visit Eventbrite.com, and search “Sick Hot”

Published February 20, 2019

Inaugural Senior Night

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(Courtesy of Cypress Creek Athletics)

The Cypress Creek Middle High School varsity boys’ basketball team recently had its inaugural Senior Night, to celebrate the program’s first group of eight seniors. They are: Jai-Keem Anthony, Tai-Sheem Anthony, Elijah Clarke, Samuel Flook, Xavier Hasan, Trevor Maxwell, Cedric McBride and Brandon Smith.

Sunlake girls weightlifting celebrates state title

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The Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting team perennially has been among the more dominant programs in the area, wielding multiple conference and district titles over the years.

But, their latest feat places them on an entirely new level.

The Seahawks claimed the 2019 FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A girls weightlifting state championship, on Feb. 8 in Panama City Beach.

The Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting team claimed the Class 2A state championship earlier this month. They join competitive cheerleading as the Sunlake’s only boys or girls sports program to win a state title since the school opened in 2007. (Courtesy of Sunlake High girls weightlifting)

The Seahawks tallied 22 points as a team, besting the second-place finisher, Vero Beach High School (19 points) by 3 points.

The title marked the end of the sport’s longest active streak of consecutive team championships held by Navarre High School — four titles won between 2015 through 2018 — who tied for seventh place with 11 points.

It also marks Sunlake’s second state championship among all boys or girls sports; the school’s competitive cheerleading won a state title back in 2014.

Sunlake’s girls weightlifting program has endured solid finishes in previous years in the state meet — including an eighth-place tie in 2018.

This year’s group, however, featured more than a handful of top-flight performances across multiple weight classes.

Six of Sunlake’s eight state lifters earned points with top-six finishes in the bench press and clean-and-jerk aggregate lifts:

  • Madison Guincho, sophomore—fourth place, 119-pound (170-155—325)
  • Loah Castro, senior—third place, 129-pound (165-160—325)
  • Gianna Levy, junior—fifth place, 139-pound (170-170—340)
  • Juliette Pacheco, junior—second place, 154-pound (205-170—375)
  • Abigail Schmook, junior—fourth place, 183-pound (170-170—340)
  • Antoinette Farmer, junior—second place, 199-pound (195-170—365)

Sunlake’s other two individual state qualifiers, senior Valerie Busot (129-pound) and junior Brianna Caban (169-pound) tied for seventh and ninth place, in their respective weight classes.

Hoisting the state championship trophy still leaves longtime Sunlake head coach Denise Garcia speechless at times.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Garcia, who’s in her 11th season coaching. “I’m so happy. I sit there sometimes and am like, ‘Holy crap, we just did that with six girls. That’s amazing.’”

Absent of any individual state champions this year, Garcia noted the team’s strategy was to “nickel and dime” its way to the 2A crown.

And that they did.

“It’s about placing. If you have enough girls where you can accumulate points, then you’re going to win. And, we won by three,” Garcia explained.

Entering the 2018-2019 season, the coach had an inkling she had a special group on her hands.

Garcia saw the team had the drive, attitude and work ethic required to contend for a state title, alongside natural ability, and mastering the sport’s techniques and fundamentals.

“They wanted it so bad,” Garcia said. “The key is being coachable and accepting everything I give them, and all of them did it. …I’ve always said we’re the hardest working team.”

The coach credited the leadership of the team’s two captains — senior Loah Castro and junior Antoinette Farmer.

Garcia noted both helped keep the team’s entire roster of 32 girls in check through encouragement and positivity.

“You’ve got to have leaders,” Garcia said. “The captains, I think, really made a difference. They help their teammates. It’s like having another coach there.”

Castro joined the weightlifting team her sophomore year.

While many of her high school peers opted for traditional sports like softball or volleyball, she wanted to try something different.

Said Castro: “When I first started I didn’t go in thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to win a state title.’ I genuinely wanted to try it because I had never really done a sport before, so I was like, ‘Maybe this is something I could be good at.’”

She surely did — placing at states her junior and senior years.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Castro said. “It’s really a mindset type of thing. Like, this whole sport is a mind game.”

Castro first noticed the team’s potential for a state title at the end of last year’s state meet, realizing there’d be many returning lifters poised to make improvements.

Then, by the time this year’s Sunshine Athletic Conference meet came around — which Sunlake also won — Castro was convinced the team had enough to become state’s top 2A program.

Castro put it like this: “I was like, ‘There’s no way we’re not winning states. We’re going to work way too hard and everything, and, there’s no way we’re not taking the title.’”

Just like her coach, Castro is in awe being able to say she’s a member of a state championship program.

“It’s so surreal, especially because it’s my senior year,” Castro said. “I call us the dream team.”

Weightlifting was a relatively new venture for the team’s other captain, too.

Farmer’s sights were originally set on playing basketball in high school.

However, she was encouraged to give lifting a try by Sunlake graduate and family friend Brianna Anderson, who won the 183-pound state weightlifting title as a senior year back in 2016.

Farmer was hooked almost instantly when she tried out as a freshman.

“I didn’t even know that you could do that,” Farmer said of weightlifting. “After my first summer conditioning with coach, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this.’”

Farmer’s performance this season is arguably the most splendid, among her other teammates who placed at states.

That’s because she had surgery on a torn meniscus back in late September, right before the season started.

She methodically worked her way back to full health, to finish state runner-up in the 199-pound division, and set a county record for her weight class with a 180-pound clean.

Farmer remains unsatisfied, though.

The junior is gunning for an individual state title next year — motivated to unseat Niceville High sophomore Melaina Bryant, who edged her by 15 pounds in the bench and 10 pounds in the clean, respectively.

“I’m just a stepping-stone away from that first place,” Farmer said. “I want it.”

Her coach has little doubt it will happen

“She’s going to win next year,” Garcia said, confidently. “She’s closing the gap.”

Sunlake’s Juliette Pacheco is yet another that has a shot to claim an individual title next year. The junior finished state runner-up in the 154-pound division, just five pounds shy of top finisher, Oakleaf High senior Lexi Perez.

“They’re going to both be No. 1,” Garcia proudly said, of Farmer and Pacheco.

In the meantime, Sunlake’s prospect for winning another state crown next year also seems well within grasp.

The Seahawks expect to return every lifter that placed at states, aside from the graduating Castro; several others are projected to step up as well, Garcia said.

“Every year we get better and better,” the coach said. “Next year, it’s going to be even more.”

State results from area weightlifters and teams

Class 2A
Team results
Sunlake High—First place (22 points)
Land O’ Lakes High—10th place (tie) (seven points)
Wiregrass Ranch High—No placing (0 points)

119 pounds
Madison Guincho, sophomore, Sunlake: fourth place; 170-155—325

129 pounds
Loah Castro, senior, Sunlake: third place; 165-160—325
Valerie Busot, senior, Sunlake: seventh place (tie); 155-160—315
Gianina Rios, junior, Wiregrass Ranch: 17th place; 170-0—170

139 pounds
Gianna Levy, junior, Sunlake: fifth place; 170-170—340

154 pounds
Juliette Pacheco, junior, Sunlake: second place; 205-170—375

169 pounds
Veronica Salazar, senior, Land O’ Lakes: first place; 200-185—385
Alyssa Kremer, junior, Land O’ Lakes: seventh place; 200-160—360
Brianna Caban, junior, Sunlake: ninth place (tie); 180-170—350

183 pounds
Abigail Schmook, junior, Sunlake: fourth place; 170-170—340

199 pounds
Antionette Farmer, junior, Sunlake: second place; 195-170—365

Class 1A finals
Team results
Pasco High—14th place (tie) (five points)
Zephyrhills High—14th place (tie) (five points)
Wesley Chapel—No placing (zero points)

Bench press-clean-and-jerk—Total (in pounds)
101 pounds
Prestine Carter, senior, Pasco: second place; 115-135—250

139 pounds
Sarah Davis, junior, Zephyrhills: sixth place; 160-150—310

154 pounds
Kayla Robbins, junior, Zephyrhills: eighth place; 160-150—310

169 pounds
Lakisia Thomas, junior, Zephyrhills: sixth place; 160-165—325
Dinah Harden, senior, Wesley Chapel: 13th place; 145-145—290

199 pound
Cynthia Wilkes, senior, Zephyrhills: 14th place; 155-145—300

Unlimited
Abby Shaffer, senior, Zephyrhills: fourth place; 230-220—450

Published February 20, 2019

Search reopens for city manager

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The search for a new city manager in Dade City will continue — after city commissioners were unable to come to an agreement with its top candidate for the position.

Contract talks broke down the past several weeks between the commission and Christopher Edwards, a real estate associate in Tallahassee and former deputy director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economy Vitality.

The Dade City Commission has reopened its search for a new city manager, after contract talks broke down between its top interviewed candidate. Applications for the position will be accepted through March 15. (Kevin Weiss)

Edwards declined the city’s base salary final offer of $85,000 on Feb. 8. In his final counter-offer, Edwards had sought a base salary of $94,500.

Both parties remained at odds over other stipulations, including severance pay, terms of resignation and accrued vacation leave, protocols for accrued leave, and pay increases related to the completion of a master’s degree.

With that, the commission voted on Feb. 12 to advertise for the position again.

The application requests Florida local government experience among its requirements, and notes that a master’s degree is preferred.

Applications will be accepted through March 15 at 5 p.m.

Commissioners began the search process for a new city manager in late November, to replace outgoing Dade City Manager Billy Poe, who served in that role for nearly 11 years.

Poe accepted a position with the City of Zephyrhills to become its deputy city manager, at an annual salary of $105,000. He will transition to the city’s top leadership position once Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina retires sometime this summer.

Poe’s contract with Dade City expired on Feb. 7. He exited the city making $99,500 per year.

Dade City finance director Leslie Porter has since been appointed to serve as Dade City manager, until a new hire is made.

The decision to reopen the job search for city manager was preceded by some debate.

Commissioner Jim Shive made a motion to enter negotiations with the commission’s second-ranked candidate, Melanie Romagnoli, a program administrator for the Pasco County Office of Economic Growth.

The motion died for lack of a second.

Shive cited Romagnoli’s experience in local government, planning, construction and economic development, as reasons she is qualified to take over the Dade City manager position.

According to the Pasco County government website, Romagnoli is responsible for the implementation of Pasco’s Economic Development Plan and the administration of the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund (Penny for Pasco).

Additionally, Romagnoli spent more than 20 years working in planning, community development, real estate, and economic development organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, prior to her role with the county.

Shive said the commission would “be foolish” to not consider Romagnoli for a subsequent interview to then enter contract negotiations.

“I would challenge anybody to pick up her resume and say that she’s not qualified to do the work of city manager,” Shive said.

He added, “Let me tell you, this city has been stagnant with growth all around us. We need somebody that can take us to the next level. I believe she is that person. …I think she is well-rounded. I don’t think that we can afford to pass the opportunity up, without taking a look, in fairness.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez concurred proceeding with Romagnoli “would be in the city’s best interest,” provided a contract agreement could be reached.

Said Hernandez, “I think she’s got a wealth of information, wealth of contacts, and I do believe that she can now bring us to the next level, but if she’s not interested, then I would reopen it.”

Other commissioners, however, disagreed.

Commissioner Scott Black acknowledged Romagnoli “does a great job with what she does.” He also said he has “a lot of respect for her.”

However, he said: “I’m looking for somebody that has the breadth of knowledge and the breadth of experience to be able to come in and hit the ground running, and that’s my concern here…”

Black noted that whoever the city hires shouldn’t be on a learning curve in the position. Instead, he suggested they should already have experience with issues such as storm water and wastewater treatment, developing a comprehensive plan and so on.

Said Black, “I feel like, it looks like if we’re going to be paying close to the salary that we were paying our previous city manager, I would want someone that has a firm knowledge of all of the things that come with being a city manager.”

Black also expressed concern the original pool drew only 12 applicants and only two had prior city management experience.

He blamed the time frame for the opening job posting —  Dec. 3 through Dec. 21— for the perceived lack of qualified candidates in the first round.

Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon echoed similar concerns.

She noted that neither Edwards nor Romagnoli were ranked among her top three choices for the position after the commission interviewed seven candidates back on Jan. 18.

“I would like more applicants,” Newlon said. “…I mean, I just want someone to wow me, to come in ready to work, have the ability and strengths that we need, and, I just don’t feel that way about the (current) candidates.”

Following the commission’s decision, the mayor described the search for a new city manager “a bit exhausting,” but added, “it is no need for panic mode.”

“I think we are in good hands between the commission and staff here, and I think we will move forward…and do the very best that we can,” Hernandez said.

Published February 20, 2019

Local teen spreads anti-human trafficking awareness

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Walk through any public middle or high school in Pasco County, and you’re bound to come across impactful posters bringing awareness to the issue of human trafficking.

They’re pretty hard to miss.

Displayed in bright pink and green colors, with large fonts in English and Spanish versions, the posters explain that human trafficking is a crime where someone is forced to work or engage in a commercial sex act against their will. They warn that anyone, especially young people, can be a victim, and that it’s happening in Florida.

These posters, which provide awareness about human sex trafficking, have been placed throughout Pasco County middle and high schools. They were created by Priceless Youth Movement, an anti-human trafficking club at Land O’ Lakes High School. (Courtesy of Makayla Hildebrand)

The posters lists warning signs that someone, particularly a friend or another student, may be involved in human trafficking. They may be a victim if she or he:

  • Often runs away and skips school
  • Has bruises, scars, brands or untreated injuries
  • Is distant from family/friends
  • Has a controlling older boyfriend/girlfriend
  • Suddenly has expensive possessions

The posters informs students on ways to help. They can:

  • Be aware and learn to recognize the signs
  • Immediately report suspected trafficking to your school’s Corporal/SRO(School Resource Officer)
  • Encourage anyone you suspect is being trafficked to talk to a school social worker
  • Provide support; remind your friend that help is available and they are not alone

Contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline is listed, too.

The posters were placed in schools this year.

They’re the brainchild of the Priceless Youth Movement, an anti-human trafficking club at Land O’ Lakes High School.

The club also collaborated on the project with the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking and the Pasco County School District.

The club was founded by Makayla Hildebrand, now an 18-year-old freshman at the University of South Florida, studying political science and criminology.

She created the club her senior year of high school, after being moved by the 2016 film, “Priceless,” a drama about human trafficking based on true events.

“I was pretty shocked that I hadn’t known (human trafficking) was something going on,” Hildebrand said. “Before that, I didn’t even know it existed.

“I didn’t know there was something going on this big. That’s when I started looking into it more,” she said.

She figured a poster campaign would be a good way to spread awareness to youth in schools.

Hildebrand and others gathered input from students and youth from the Runaway Alternatives Project (RAP) House in New Port Richey, on designs to best get the messages across.

Something big, bold, and vibrant was suggested.

Makayla Hildebrand founded Priceless Youth Movement her senior year at Land O’ Lakes High School. Now in college, Hildebrand is an active volunteer with the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking, serving as a youth-friendly advocate.

“The main idea behind them, is that we want kids to look at these,” Hildebrand said. “I’m getting feedback that kids are actually noticing them and they know that they’re there, and not just something else that’s hanging on their school wall.”

The posters have since reached recreation centers and courthouses in Pasco.

Many other local organizations have also requested posters, Hildebrand said.

“We’ve had a lot of people ask us for them,” Hildebrand said. “They’re getting around, which we’re really happy about.”

Besides the poster initiative, Hildebrand’s club — which had over a dozen members — also participated in a handful of fundraisers.

They assisted with a supplies drive for Redefining Refuge, a Tampa Bay organization that helps young trafficking victims.

They also partnered with the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, selling T-shirts to raise money for the organization’s safe home for trafficked boys.

And, although Hildebrand has since moved on to college, she remains an active volunteer with the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking.

There, she serves as a youth-friendly voice to what can be sensitive subject matter, human sex trafficking.

“I just want to encourage more kids to get involved and do something about it, that they’re not only priceless, but they’re capable and able to take a stand,” she said.

Human trafficking is a multibillion dollar industry that enslaves approximately 25 million people around the world, according to the Polaris Project, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that works to combat and prevent modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

The United States leads all other countries in the demand for trafficked victims.

Florida ranks No. 3 in the volume of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Published February 13, 2019

San Antonio set to repair water leak

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The City of San Antonio will take another stab at fixing an ongoing water leak along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The San Antonio City Commission recently approved additional funds to repair a water leak at Pennsylvania Avenue. The work is scheduled for Feb. 25. (Kevin Weiss)

City commissioners approved $10,000 in additional funds with contractors Superior Siteworks and EA Tapping Services. Of that, $6,000 will go for tapping services and $4,000 will go for excavation work.

The action came during a special commission meeting on Feb. 6, and the repairs are scheduled for Feb. 25.

A road closure will be in effect for a portion of Pennsylvania Avenue between Curley Street and Main Street, for the duration of repairs, which are expected to be complete that same day.

City officials anticipate the following dwellings will be without water during the scheduled repairs, and will be placed under a 48-hour boil water notice:

  • Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 27
  • Businesses on Pennsylvania Avenue east of Curley Street
  • A residential home on Curley Street

The total allocation for the water leak project now totals $22,500.

Commissioners initially awarded a $12,500 bid to Superior Siteworks in December.

The contractor attempted to make repairs on Jan. 28.

But, the project’s scope proved larger than anticipated, officials explained, requiring more funds for a water line stop, and, possibly a water valve replacement.

The water leak was first observed by city officials after Thanksgiving Day, according to Will Plazewski, the town’s water clerk.

The cause of the leak isn’t known, but water started flowing out of the valve rise, Plazewski said.

The city presently has barricades set up along Pennsylvania Avenue, roughly between the City Hall building and Poncho’s Villa Mexican Restaurant, blocking off some adjacent parking spaces and a portion of the roadway that was cut out during the first attempt to repair the leak.

“We need to get this fixed; it’s not getting any better,” waterworks commissioner Eric Stallworth said, at the meeting. “We talked about the budget earlier in the fall, and we knew we were going to have to be making some repairs to our water system.”

In other action, the commission issued a request for proposals for trash collection services; the city’s contract with Waste Connections is expiring.

Published February 13, 2019

Cypress Creek celebrates inaugural signing day

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Unlike just about every other high school in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, Cypress Creek Middle/High School last year didn’t have a National Signing Day event for student-athletes moving on to the college ranks.

That’s because, the then first-year school on Old Pasco Road had no seniors, as it pulled strictly underclassman from Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Cypress Creek’s athletics department made up for lost time this year, however.

Cypress Creek Middle/High had its inaugural National Signing Day ceremony on Feb. 6. Seven athletes from four sports signed their National Letters of Intent to play college athletics at various institutions. (Courtesy of Cypress Creek athletics)

Dozens of students and friends, coaches, teachers and staff, and parents and family members gathered inside the school’s media center on Feb. 6 to celebrate the school’s inaugural signing day, as seven senior student-athletes representing four sports signed their National Letters of Intent (LOIs) to various institutions.

National Signing Day is held annually on the first Wednesday in February, a day where thousands of athletes nationwide can sign a binding letter of intent with a member school of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The school’s softball program yielded the most signees, with four — Payton Hudson (Pasco-Hernando State College), Jasmine Jackson (Savannah State University), Ashley Nickisher (Newberry College) and Neely Peterson (Colorado State University).

Baseball (Ray Camacho, Saint Leo University), football (Devin Santana, Lindenwood University-Belleville) and girls’ lacrosse (Jordan Alvis, Huntingdon College) had a signee apiece, respectively.

Among the group of seven, Peterson arguably represented the most notable signing.

The All-State catcher is one of the nation’s top softball players — ranked No. 63 on the Extra Innings Softball Extra Elite 100 national rankings for 2019.

Her stats underscore the national standing.

As a junior last season, Peterson posted a .544 batting average, seven home runs, 14 doubles, 27 runs and 43 RBIs. Defensively, she registered a .984 fielding percentage, with 57 putouts and five assists.

Peterson will set foot upon Colorado State’s campus in August as the Division I softball program’s first signee from the state of Florida.

She verbally committed back as a freshman — after being the first high school freshman offered a scholarship by a Colorado State athletic program.

Peterson boasted offers from several other blue-blood softball programs.

But, she fell in love with the Fort Collins, Colorado-based campus and the coaching staff’s family-like atmosphere at a softball camp there. Additionally, she has a chance to make her mark quickly, in line to be the team’s starting catcher next season.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long,” Peterson said, of finally signing the dotted line. “It feels great.

“I love making history, so it’s great to be able to do this for our school,” she added.

Peterson also expressed joy for her fellow softball teammates who signed alongside her; each was redistricted from Wesley Chapel following their sophomore seasons.

Said Peterson, “It’s really awesome, because just to see that everything they’ve worked for is  kind of paying off, just as much as it is for me, because I get to see them hustling and all the hard work they put on the field, so just to see them find their future home makes me feel good.”

The inaugural signees were each met with balloons and celebratory cake, along with countless cheers and photo requests during the hourlong event, as memorabilia from each choice institution was visible in the room brimming with onlookers.

“It’s great, like being around all these great athletes, just knowing I’m a part of that, of creating a culture of great athletes for this school,” Devin Santana, who will play wide receiver at Lindenwood, said of the ceremony.

Becoming Cypress Creek’s first college football signee has added significance for Santana, who transferred from Wesley Chapel after his sophomore season.

“It’s crazy, like it’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking, because there’s a lot of pressure on me, but like I feel like I have the tools around me to be successful.”

Cypress Creek athletic director Justin Peliccia coined the event “a good look for our program.”

“It’s amazing to be able to put on this ceremony for the athletes, their parents and their coaches,” the athletic director said. “Having seven athletes move on to the next level, it’s just an awesome experience for myself as the athletic director, and the program.”

Peliccia was particularly complimentary of the varsity softball program — and its four signees — which collectively posted a 15-9 record and 10-4 district mark last spring.

“It was great to see a program roll out the end of the year and kind of bring us into, ‘Look, we have opportunities, we have chances, we do have athletes here, and we can make some noise.’”

Peliccia acknowledged that although many of the school’s varsity sports programs struggled in the school’s first year, strides have been made this year. He mentioned boys’ and girls’ soccer, and football, as a few who’ve upped their win totals.

“All of our programs this year have taken a step up,” he said. “Everything has taken a step ahead, which is what we want. Everything needs to develop and grow.”

Cypress Creek National Signing Day

Baseball
Ray Camacho—Saint Leo University

Football
Devin Santana—Lindenwood University-Belleville (Belleville, Illinois)

Lacrosse
Jordan Alvis—Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Alabama)

Softball
Payton Hudson—Pasco-Hernando State College
Jasmine Jackson—Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia)
Ashley Nickisher—Newberry College (Newberry, South Carolina)
Neely Peterson—Colorado State University

Published February 13, 2019

Local athletes sign with colleges

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In addition to Cypress Creek, several other local athletes signed their letters of intent (LOI) on Feb. 6 to various colleges and universities as part of National Signing Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in February.

Here’s a roundup of known high school athlete signings in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

Carrollwood Day School’s Ally-Reese Williams (volleyball) and Kyle Benedict (football) both signed their letters of intent (LOI) to NCAA Division I athletic programs, Siena College and Stetson University, respectively. (Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School athletics)

Carrollwood Day School
Football
Kyle Benedict—Stetson University

Volleyball
Ally-Reese Williams—Siena College (Loudonville, New York)

Freedom
Acrobatics & Tumbling
Mackenzie Maddox—Saint Leo University

Baseball
Jeremy Carrick—Norwich University (Northfield, Vermont)
Mitchell LeRoy—Hillsborough Community College

Soccer
Kelsey Skendzie—Piedmont College (Demorest, Georgia)

Land O’ Lakes
Football
Nate Howard—University of West Florida
Ian Coleman—Sterling College (Sterling, Kansas)

Pasco High soccer standout Brianna Luna signs her National Letter of Intent to Florida College, an NAIA program. Her future college coaches, Brooke Bennett, left, and David Castillo stand behind her. (Courtesy of Pasco High athletics)

Pasco
Soccer
Brianna Luna—Florida College

Steinbrenner
Soccer
Madison McElhone—Florida Atlantic University

Track
Jameson Miller — Georgia Tech

Sunlake
Baseball
Anthony Mannarino—Flagler College
Ryan Rodriguez—Glenville State College (Glenville, West Virginia)
Nick Shumek—Glenville State College

Football
Tevon Davies-Nnorom—Catawba College (Salisbury, North Carolina)
Jonathan Hoback—Stetson University
Chase Walls—Webber International University
Hunter Watts—New Mexico Highlands University

Wesley Chapel
Baseball
Thomas Byron—Roosevelt University (Chicago, Illinois)

Lacrosse
Dinah Hardin—Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Softball
Logan Coward—Lander University (Greenwood, South Carolina)

Wiregrass Ranch
Baseball
Andres Medina—Eastern Nazarene College (Quincy, Massachusetts)

Beach Volleyball
Destiny Aydt—University of Louisiana Monroe

Cheerleading
Alexis Marquith—King University (Bristol, Tennessee)

Football
Dorien Green—Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan)

Soccer
Jessica Amis—Florida College
Katherine Llanos—Florida College
Ysa Novak—Chowan University (Mufreesboro, Tennessee)

Sunlake softballer joins Canadian junior national team

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Sunlake High sophomore outfielder Kendra Falby (Courtesy of Sunlake High School athletics)

Kendra Falby, a sophomore outfielder on the Sunlake High varsity softball team, was recently selected to the Canadian Junior Women’s National Team.

Falby, whose father is from Canada, made the 19-member team following a selection camp last month in Fort Myers.

As a member of Team Canada, Falby will compete at the Canada Cup International Softball Championship in July (Surrey, British Columbia), followed by the WBSC XIII U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup in August (Irvine, California).

Falby is a University of Florida softball commit. As a freshman last season, Falby posted a .644 batting average, tops among all hitters in Class 7A, to go along with 15 extra base hits, 31 RBIs, 37 runs scored. Additionally, her 35 stolen bases were second-most in Class 7A and seventh-most among all state classifications.

McHugh joins Wesley Chapel High football staff

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Longtime Pasco High Pirates head football coach Tom McHugh is continuing his coaching career in east Pasco County, albeit at another public high school.

McHugh was recently named an assistant coach at Wesley Chapel High, where he’ll coach linebackers and quarterbacks under Wildcats fourth-year head coach Tony Egan.

McHugh was relieved of his coaching duties at Pasco following a 2-8 mark in the 2018 season.

Former Pasco High Pirates head football coach Tom McHugh has joined the coaching staff at Wesley Chapel High as an assistant; he’ll coach linebackers and quarterbacks. (File)

He compiled an 86-50 mark in 12 seasons at Pasco, winning six district titles (2007-12) and two regional titles (2008, 2011).

McHugh is the county’s fifth winningest coach in public schools, behind John Benedetto (195 wins at Land O’ Lakes), Tom Fisher (124 wins at Zephyrhills), John Castelamare (103 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell) and Scott Schmitz (94 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell).

The Pirates, however, struggled in recent years under McHugh, with four straight losing seasons for a combined 10-30 mark.

Moreover, the program suffered four straight defeats to crosstown foe Zephyrhills High School in the annual 9-Mile War rivalry game, losing those games by an average margin of nearly 40 points.

Wesley Chapel is coming off a 5-5 mark last season. They went 6-4 and 7-2 in 2017 and 2016, respectively.