The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Zephyrhills High names ‘Alan Reed Court’

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A little more than a year after naming its football field after legendary coach Tom Fisher, Zephyrhills High School has named the school’s gymnasium floor after longtime varsity boys’ basketball coach Alan Reed.

From now on, anyone stepping on the gym floor will be walking on “Alan Reed Court” — which has been visibly stenciled along the sidelines.

Zephyrhills High School game-goers in the front row seats sit near the newly inlaid name of retired basketball coach Alan Reed. Reed was honored in between the junior varsity game and the varsity game, against Pasco High School. (Fred Bellet)

A formal dedication ceremony for Reed was held Jan. 18 — an evening that coincided with a Bulldogs defeat of crosstown rival Pasco High, 61-34.

Reed, 71, served as Zephyrhills boys’ basketball coach for a total of 16 years — in four separate stints — 1975 to 1979; 1981 to 1986; 2006 to 2010; and, 2014 to 2016.

During that time he became — and still is — the school’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

His teams claimed two district titles and a final four appearance. He was conference basketball coach of the year three times.

His coaching efforts goes beyond hoops, too.

In total, he’s been involved with Zephyrhills athletics for more than 35 years, also coaching volleyball, track, football and softball.

To this day, he remains a volunteer coach at the school.

In that role, Reed spends countless hours with players in the weight room, scouting, and of course, offering strategy advice when broached.

“It beats sitting on the couch,” Reed said of volunteering. “It keeps me busy. I love the game. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. It’s my whole life.”

Before embarking on a lengthy coaching career, Reed played high school basketball in Pennsylvania and then for Florida Southern College in Lakeland. In-between, Reed spent four years in the U.S. Air Force where he reached the rank of sergeant, and also played hoops.

Alan Reed was presented with a basketball career memento signed by former teammates, players and coaches who attended the surprise, special event.

At Zephyrhills, Reed’s most successful basketball teams came 40 years apart from each other.

In his second season — 1976 — the Bulldogs went 21-7 and won a district title.

Fast forward to 2016 — his final year as a head basketball coach —and that squad went 27-5 and reached the 5A state semifinals. It also marked the program’s first final four appearance since 1966.

There were many other memorable seasons scattered throughout, too.

Said Reed: “There’s a lot of ’em. I  had a lot of special teams that didn’t have good winning records, but were much better at the end of the road (season) than the beginning.”

Yet, Reed’s biggest contributions to the school is more than just wins and losses, Zephyrhills athletic director Bruce Cimorelli said.

“The guy knows his basketball,” Cimorelli said, “but, he’s just a really good influence on the kids — teaching them work ethic, being on time, those sorts of things.”

Reed’s impact was undoubtedly apparent in the welcoming he received at the pregame dedication.

Dozens of former players and coaches — as well as a handful of Reed’s former teammates — joined hundreds of Bulldogs fans in congratulating Reed and giving him a rousing ovation when the gymnasium floor was officially named for him.

For Reed, the special event was “totally unexpected.”

“I can’t even put it into words,” Reed said. “I love this community. I love this high school. It’s just an honor.”

In that group of cheering attendees was Academy at the Lakes varsity football and basketball coach Shawn Brown, who once served as an assistant junior varsity basketball coach for Reed at Zephyrhills and also as a football coach at Stewart Middle School.

Prior to the presentation of a special basketball memento and dedication ceremony, Zephyrhills High School athletic director, Bruce Cimorelli, left, asked coaches, former players coached by Reed and former teammates who played basketball with Reed to sign a memento to honor Reed’s great coaching career. Here, former student Joe Galyan, of Zephyrhills, signs the memento. He was coached by Reed from 1975 to 1978.

“He was straight old school,” Brown, who has won back-to-back eight-man state football titles at the Academy, said, describing Reed.

“He was good with adapting to the new style of everything, but he was strict on his ways and his philosophy. That never wavered. When he did something, he did it that way.

“I thought one thing he did really good was he always invested everything with the team and the community. He made sure the kids always had team shoes, uniforms. It was always a top-of-the-line type program.”

Brown added the Zephyrhills hoops coach is “definitely a person I learned a lot from.”

“I run some basketball drills that I learned from him — a couple of different plays I stole from him,” Brown said, with a hearty chuckle.

Meanwhile, the renaming of the hoops court comes at a good time for the Bulldogs’ boys squad, which stands at 12-4 overall and 8-2 in district play, as of Jan. 21.

Solid record and all, it didn’t keep Reed from giving an honest assessment of the roster he volunteers with each day.

“We’re not playing to our potential,” Reed said while the Bulldogs sported a 31-17 halftime lead over Pasco. “We’re struggling a little bit in a lot of areas. We just haven’t put it all together yet. We’ve got some good players, some good kids. We have a lot of inexperience…so they’re still catching up.”

Published January 23, 2019

Local all-star!

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(Courtesy of Heather Henderson)

Sunlake High senior linebacker and team captain Grant Henderson last month competed in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All-Star Game at The Villages High School. Henderson was one of 76 players statewide invited to participate, playing for the North squad.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Henderson during this past season registered 110 tackles, six sacks, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries for Sunlake. Wiregrass Ranch High senior receiver/safety Dorien Green was the only other area player named an FACA All-Star.

Saint Leo gets new volleyball coach

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The Saint Leo University athletics department has named Jason Skoch as head coach of the women’s indoor volleyball program.

Jason Skoch (Courtesy of West Texas A&M University Athletics)

Skoch comes to Saint Leo via Division II West Texas A&M, where he guided that program to a 276-88 mark in 10 seasons as head coach. Before that, Skoch was head coach of Division II Truman State (Missouri) University, where he posted a 137-22 mark.

Altogether, Skoch is a five-time conference coach of the year, has nine 30-plus win seasons, 13 conference titles, and 11 NCAA postseason appearances with five NCAA Elite Eight appearances. He also has guided 68 all-conference players and 34 All-Americans at Truman State and West Texas A&M.

Skoch takes over the Lions indoor program from coach Erik Peterson — who, in an interim role in 2018, steered the team to a 17-15 mark and a seventh-straight NCAA appearance, following the late offseason departure of longtime coach Sam Cibrone. Peterson will remain on staff as assistant coach for the Saint Leo beach volleyball program, according to a Saint Leo athletics news release.

Skoch is a former club volleyball player at Penn State, Memphis and Oklahoma State universities. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in statistics.

Dade City to draw up ordinance allowing cannabis dispensaries

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Medical marijuana treatment centers soon could be allowed within some areas of Dade City.

At a Jan. 8 workshop, the Dade City Commission expressed consensus to have city staffers draft an ordinance that would permit cannabis dispensaries — but restrict their location to areas outside the boundaries of the city’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) districts, generally encompassing the downtown corridor.

The ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and will have two public hearings before a formal vote.

Dade City Commissioners expressed consensus to draft an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, with certain restrictions. The ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and will have two public hearings before the matter is formally voted upon. (Kevin Weiss)

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said an ordinance permitting medical marijuana dispensaries is “what’s in the best interest of the city.”

Hernandez noted Florida voters’ clear support of Amendment 2 in 2016.

“I do believe that the voters on medical marijuana were decisive in their vote. Over 71 percent (of Florida voters) voted in favor of medical marijuana dispensaries — and that is a big deal,” Hernandez said.

She continued: “I do believe it should be allowed within the municipal limits. I do believe it should be available for those that need it and are using it for the right reasons. I am concerned about having them right in our downtown corridor…but I do think we have a charge to make it accessible to those residents that have problems.”

Dade City has had a temporary ban on medical marijuana facilities since 2016, to study the potential impacts such facilities on the municipality.

That temporary moratorium followed the November 2016 amendment of Florida’s constitution to allow “the dispensing and use of marijuana for medical purposes by persons with debilitating diseases.”

The moratorium has been extended multiple times and is set to expire in March.

At the workshop, city attorney Nancy Stuparich advised the commission to take action instead of extending the moratorium again, which she said may create legal issues, as it creates a “de facto ban” on medical marijuana treatment centers.

The attorney also noted that letting the moratorium just expire would allow dispensaries throughout city limits, without certain zoning regulations set forth by the commission.

The mayor said it’s unfair to keep extending the moratorium.

“We’ve got to take a stand and say, ‘We’re going to go this way or that way.’ I think we owe it to the people in our community,” Hernandez said.

Other cities in Pasco County, including Zephyrhills and San Antonio, have passed ordinances establishing regulations to allow dispensaries. The county’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened last June in New Port Richey.

Commissioner Scott Black was the lone dissenter.

He favored banning the dispensaries altogether for the time being because of the shifting legal implications of marijuana laws. (Several states, including Florida have already legalized marijuana; federal law still prohibits the cultivation, distribution, possession of the substance.)

“Just because all the other cities are rushing out to do this doesn’t mean we have to join in there, too,” Black said.

“If we say, ‘Not at this time,’ we’re not saying no forever. It just seems like a wise thing, in my opinion, that we wait until all of this gets settled. I think if we can be patient, it will all work itself out.”

Black also pointed out that Dade City residents are able go to other nearby cities to access medical marijuana treatment, or can choose to have it ordered through the mail.

“I think that those that are suffering — and I feel for them — there are opportunities for them to get medication,” he said.

Residents and business owners express mixed feelings
“I’m really concerned if we’re not patient and we’re not careful, we’re going to end up with something that we don’t want,” said Margaret Angell, who chairs the Dade City Merchant’s Association. “I know that we all understand that we don’t want a dispensary in the CRA, but it sounds like it’s going to be pretty complicated as far as trying to navigate that and how to do that.

“I don’t mind if it’s out there somewhere else and has low impact. My concern is about the downtown and conserving the economic space there and the atmosphere that we depend on. I just would urge us to be very, very cautious.”

Lynette DiNova, who owns Tropical Wine Shop in Dade City, also echoed a wait-and-see approach before approving any cannabis dispensaries within city limits.

“I think to rush into it just to do something is not fair to anyone,” DiNova said. “I think (commissioner) Black should be listened to as far as waiting, finding out what the right thing is, to protect the people that (commissioners) are here to take care of.”

“Don’t do something just to do it,” she said.

Vance Scheer, a retired educator and Dade City resident, spoke in favor of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Dade City.

“We’re talking pain management for our residents,” Scheer said. “We have a big opioid crisis and many of them are finding relief in (medical marijuana). It’s not going to be downtown, but we have to have something for these people that are in this condition. “We’re servicing a lot of people, whether it’s vets or seniors or people that are suffering from cancer.

“We need to be offering these services for our residents,” Scheer added.

Another speaker, Janet Blackburn, who works at Tampa Bay Salvage in Dade City, said she wouldn’t oppose a cannabis dispensary, as long as it isn’t downtown.

“I have no problem with it on the outskirts of (U.S.) 301 or whatever,” she said, “but not in downtown.”

Published January 16, 2019

Use precautions to prevent crimes

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If you want to avoid becoming a victim of crime — you can never be too careful.

At least that’s how Bryan Roquemore, a retired criminal justice professor, sees it.

Roquemore now leads the Crime Prevention Task Force of Florida, a community service organization developed by former law enforcement officers.

The group seeks to expand public awareness on criminal threats in today’s society and to show effective measures to counter them.

Bryan Roquemore was the featured guest speaker at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon in Plantation Palms in Land O’ Lakes. The retired criminal justice professor is a member of the Crime Prevention Task Force of Florida, a community service organization developed by former law enforcement officers that seeks to expand public awareness on criminal threats in today’s society and to show effective measures to counter that threat. (Kevin Weiss)

The criminal justice expert was the featured guest speaker at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon at Plantation Palms in Land O’ Lakes.

He started off by saying the No. 1 crime in the Tampa Bay area is identity theft — which involves someone using your personal or financial information to make purchases, get benefits, file taxes or commit fraud.

Anyone is susceptible to becoming a victim, Roquemore warned. Even him.

In fact, it happened to him eight years ago when fraudsters racked up charges of over $120,000 and compromised his 401K.

There were also six warrants for his arrest, as his identity was being used in illicit activities.

All that occurred within a single month.

“When somebody steals your identity, they’re being you in another part of the country. That changes everything,” Roquemore said.

Turns out, Roquemore’s personal information was stolen from old mail in his garbage can — otherwise known as dumpster diving.

Dumpster divers often rummage through trash searching for pre-approved credit card offers and used prescription pill bottles, from which they can steal large amounts of personal information.

“Your garbage is one of the most important things that (people) never keep safe,” he said.

Roquemore noted many people tend to rip up forms with their personal information and toss them in the garbage.

But, that’s not enough.

Instead, anything with your personal information should to be shredded first, he advised.

“You need to destroy that return to sender envelope with everything pre-approved. It has all your credit card information on it,” Roquemore warned.

To keep tabs on any possible instances of identity theft, Roquemore urged people, especially seniors, to sign up for credit monitoring and annual crime reports.

Identity theft is just the tip of the crime iceberg, however.

Roquemore also informed the crowd that there are more than 47 active scams occurring locally.

The biggest scam is what’s known as the “grandkid scam.”

This scheme involves an imposter calling — pretending to be your grandchild and claiming to need money for something urgent, such as money for bail or medical bills.

To make the scam seem legitimate, callers often gather information about people off the Internet and social media sites so they can know nicknames and other details about their potential victims, Roquemore said.

His key piece of advice? Ignore any incoming phone calls, emails or texts that appear strange or out of the ordinary.

“If it comes into you, just hang it up,” he advised.

The IRS isn’t calling
Another prominent scam is known as the “IRS imposter scam,” he said.

That’s when someone calls saying they’re from the IRS and claims you owe “back taxes” or payments to the government. The caller then threatens to sue, arrest, deport, or revoke your license, in lieu of immediate payment.

It’s important to know that when the IRS initially contacts you, they do it by mail, not telephone. The actual IRS also will not ask for a credit card over the telephone.

Roquemore noted that young adults are most at risk for being victimized by the IRS scam.

“Eighteen-to-25-year-olds have not had a history of dealing with the IRS, so that’s who gets attacked most,” he said.

Besides identity theft and various scams, the speaker mentioned auto theft is one of the region’s top crimes.

He also said that it’s more common during this time of year because of the influx of snowbirds and out-of-state visitors.

He talked about a group called “sliders,” who pull up alongside a car getting fuel at a convenience store gas station and steal whatever they can.

Sometimes it’s a purse or an electronic device.

Sometimes it’s the entire car.

“They do it in 3 (seconds) to 4 seconds,” the speaker said.

To avoid sliders, Roquemore said when you exit your car, you should lock the doors and then be sure to have key fob panic alarm handy.

“Your key fob is a weapon. Instead of somebody rolling up on you, you scare them (with the alarm),” he said.

Roquemore also offered up other personal safety and self-defense tips during the presentation.

Women, he said, should have all their belongings ready by the time they step out of the car. They also should carry their purse or bag in their hand — and not around their neck (to avoid being dragged) — to reduce the risk of a purse snatching.

Men, he said, should carry two wallets. They should keep one in their front pocket and the other in their back pocket, in case a robber approaches demanding money.

It’s also a good idea for everyone to carry police-strength pepper spray at all times, he said.

In a situation where pepper spray must be used, Roquemore said it’s best to aim for the stomach area, as its strong enough to pass through three layers of clothing.

Said Roquemore: “If you want to use weaponry that’s not lethal, pepper spray is most effective. “Every single police officer has what? Pepper spray. It works. One shot incapacitates a person.…

“Once it hits a person’s skin, they’re going to want to scream.”

He also offered this piece of advice: “If you carry a gun, keep carrying a gun.”

Published January 16, 2019

Pasco High gets new football coach

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Pasco High School will have a new head football coach roaming the sidelines, for the first time in more than a decade.

The school recently announced its next head coach is Jason Stokes — a coaching mainstay in the Tampa Bay area, most notably at Gaither High School.

Jason Stokes has been named Pasco High School’s football coach. (File)

Stokes, 43, replaces longtime Pasco coach Tom McHugh, who was relieved of his coaching duties following four consecutive losing seasons, including a 2-8 mark this past year.

Stokes most recently coached at Lake Region High School, in Polk County. The perennially struggling program went winless in his lone season there.

Stokes has achieved coaching success elsewhere, however.

In 2017, he served a season as offensive coordinator at Indian Rocks Christian High School, which went 9-3 and reached the 2A regional finals.

He’s best known for his time at Gaither, from 2011 to 2016 — steering that program to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons. (He later resigned in the middle of the 2016 season after reports surfaced about using ineligible players, which led to three games forfeited that year.)

Before that, Stokes was the head football coach at Bloomingdale (7-5 in 2008) and Middleton (10-10 combined record in 2009-10) high schools.

In taking over for McHugh, Stokes undoubtedly has big shoes to fill.

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

He 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).

McHugh also coached a trio of Pasco players who would go on to the NFL— Josh Johnson, a former San Diego Charger and Jacksonville Jaguar cornerback who now plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League; Janarion Grant, a wide receiver currently on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad; and, Joey Ivie, a defensive tackle currently on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.

Yet, the Pirates have struggled in recent years under McHugh, going a combined 10-30 the past four years. 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.

Despite the difficulties of late, the Pirates do have a young roster stocked with promising players.

That includes linebacker Gabriel Barnes, tailback Malcolm Gibbs, receiver Darrion Robinson and lineman Savion Spaights, who will all be juniors next season, as well as rising seniors in quarterback Desmin Green, defensive back Jordan Mclaughlin and offensive/defensive tackle Cody Rand, among others.

New Sunlake football coach Trey Burdick, left, pictured with former Sunlake all-star linebacker Adam Jarvis. (Courtesy of Trey Burdick)

Meanwhile, Pasco isn’t the only local school to undergo a coaching change this offseason.

In early December, Sunlake High School named assistant Trey Burdick as its next head coach, to replace the now-retired Bill Browning, the only head varsity football coach in the school’s history.

Burdick, 36, has been an assistant at Sunlake since 2008, where he’s coached linebackers, tight ends, special teams, and served as the team’s recruiting coordinator; he’s also been the school’s head track coach for six years, a role he’ll continue as head football coach.

Prior to Sunlake, Burdick was an assistant for two years at Tallahassee Godby High School, working under Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Famer Shelton Crews. He also played football for Tallahassee Lincoln High School, where he was a member of the 1999 6A state championship team.

Sunlake is coming off back-to-back 4-6 marks. Before that, from 2010 to 2016, the Seahawks strung together seven consecutive winning seasons and four playoff appearances.

Published January 16, 2019

All-Pasco County fall awards announced

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High school coaches from the Pasco County School District recently announced Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2018-2019 fall sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West division.

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

Here is a listing of the recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

The Sunlake boys and girls cross-country teams each won the Pasco County Sunshine Athletic Conference East meets. Both squads later qualified for the FHSAA 3A state meet, where the boys finished fourth and girls tenth, respectively. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School)

Fall Sports (Boys)
East All-Conference Boys’ Cross Country

Team Champion: Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Randall Reeves, Sunlake

Runner of the Year: Edward Scheid, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
Edward Scheid, Sunlake, junior

Devin Pollay, Wesley Chapel, junior

Sebastian Hernandez, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Joseph Pineda, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Gavin Kennedy, Sunlake, junior

Dominic Burleson, Sunlake, senior

Josiah Pineda, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Brandon Castillo, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Drew Knobl, Sunlake, junior

Colby Robbins, Sunlake, freshman

Felix Nieves, Sunlake, junior

Cade Whitfield, Sunlake, sophomore

Alex Medina, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Adam Hahn, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Honorable Mention
Jose Valeriano, Pasco, senior

Mason Bragg, Zephyrhills, sophomore

Samuel Flook, Cypress Creek, senior

The Zephyrhills boys golf team won the Pasco County Boys High School Golf Conference championship. They also joined Sunlake as the only boys golf teams from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area to quality for the FHSAA state meet. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills High School)

SAC East All-Conference Boys’ Golf
Team Champion: Zephyrhills

Coach of the Year: Shaun Van Patten, Zephyrhills

Golfer of the Year: Tristan McCool, Zephyrhills

First Team All-Conference
Tristan McCool, Zephyrhills, senior

Roddy Kight, Zephyrhills, junior

Fab Laude, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Jarrod Smith, Cypress Creek, junior

TJ Floberg, Pasco, sophomore

Second Team All-Conference
Cole Darbyshire, Pasco, senior

Dylan Brooks, Wesley Chapel, junior

Christian Nieves, Pasco, senior

Preston Rollinson, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Trevor Myers, Zephyrhills, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Jordan Sarhaddi, Sunlake, senior

Max Barile, Sunlake, sophomore

The Land O’ Lakes boys swimming and diving team experienced one of its best seasons ever, with a third-place finish at the FHSAA state meet, tops among all local schools. Shown here is its relay team from left: Zuri Ramsey, Patryk Pilwoski, Ravidu Idippili, Jack Kaatze, along with coach Brian Vaile, which won state titles in the 200-yard free and 400-yard free relay events. (Courtesy of Brian Vaile)

SAC East All-Conference Boys’ Swimming & Diving
Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes

Coach of the Year: Brian Vaile, Land O’ Lakes

Swimmer of the Year: Patryk Pilkowski, Land O’ Lakes

Diver of the Year: Rick Pritchard, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
200 Medley Relay: (Sunlake)—Jay Jay Fonnotto, junior; Brendon Thai, senior; Colin Wilkins, junior; Dominic Ortanez, junior

200 Freestyle: Clyde Crouse, Cypress Creek, sophomore

200 Individual Medley: Colin Wilkins, Sunlake, junior

50 Freestyle: Patryk Pilkowski, Land O’ Lakes, senior

100 Butterfly: Patrick Frain, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

100 Freestyle: Zuri Ramsey, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

500 Freestyle: Clyde Crouse, Cypress Creek, sophomore

200 Freestyle Relay: (Land O’ Lakes)—Patryk Pilkowski, senior; Ravidu Idippili, junior; Jack Kaatze, junior; Zuri Ramsey, sophomore

100 Backstroke: Patryk Pilkowski, Land O’ Lakes, senior

100 Breaststroke: Griffin Sutek, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

400 Freestyle Relay: (Land O’ Lakes)—Patryk Pilkowski, senior; Ravidu Idippili, junior; Jack Kaatze, junior; Zuri Ramsey, sophomore

Diver: Rick Pritchard, Sunlake, senior

Second Team All-Conference
200 Medley Relay: (Wiregrass Ranch)—Parker Munari, freshman; Douglas Lankton, junior; Noah Porter, freshman; Matthew Gomez, sophomore

200 Freestyle: Douglas Lankton, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

200 Individual Medley: Douglas Lankton, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

50 Freestyle: Charles Fields, Wesley Chapel, junior

100 Butterfly: Parker Munari, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

100 Freestyle: Matthew Gomez, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

200 Freestyle Relay: (Wesley Chapel)—Danny Amaya, junior; Charles Fields, junior; Dewey Slay, senior; Alex Hayden, junior

100 Backstroke: Parker Munari, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

100 Breaststroke: Danny Amaya, Wesley Chapel, junior

400 Freestyle Relay: (Wesley Chapel)—Dewey Slay, senior; Alex Hayden, junior; Dominic Slay, sophomore; Izek Thomas, sophomore

Diver: Nicky Vreeland, Cypress Creek, freshman

Honorable Mention
Quentin Carrero, Pasco, sophomore

Peyton Lebron, Zephyrhills, senior

Fall Sports (Girls)
SAC East All-Conference Girls’ Cross Country
Team Champion: Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Randall Reeves, Sunlake

Runner of the Year: Liina Winborn, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
Natalie Abernathy, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Liina Winborn, Sunlake, junior

Shannon Gordy, Sunlake, sophomore

Ashley Spires, Sunlake, sophomore

Justine Ruleman, Sunlake, senior

Emma Burleson, Sunlake, freshman

Guadalupe Guerra, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Second Team All-Conference
Destiny Saltzman, Sunlake, junior

Madison Poe, Zephyrhills, freshman

Emily Flaherty, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, sophomore

Madelyn Abrahamson, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Kate Moore, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Breanna Preiser, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Agnes Hernandez, Pasco, sophomore

Avery Lillibridge, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

The Wiregrass Ranch girls golf team won the Pasco County Sunshine Athletic Conference championship meet, for the third consecutive year. (File)

SAC East All-Conference Girls’ Golf
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch

Coach of the Year: Jerry Scott, Sunlake

Golfer of the Year: Norah Catlin, Wiregrass Ranch

 First Team All-Conference
Norah Catlin, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Emillie Alderman, Zephyrhills, senior

Sarah Robison, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Taylor Zachary, Sunlake, freshman

Calissa Kwiat, Cypress Creek, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Loryn Finn, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Hannah Sullivan, Zephyrhills, senior

Sofia Clark, Sunlake, junior

Cydnee Jonas, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Helena Potter, Sunlake, freshman

Honorable Mention
Hannah Galbraith, Pasco, senior

Karlye Finn, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

The Sunlake girls swimming and diving team won its first-ever Pasco County Sunshine Athletic Conference championship meet in 2018. They followed that up with a sixth place finish at the FHSAA 3A state meet. (File)

SAC East All-Conference Girls’ Swimming & Diving
Team Champion: Sunlake

Swimmer of the Year: Chloe Grimme, Sunlake

Diver of the Year: Isa Monagas, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
200 Medley Relay: (Sunlake)—Elise Ballash, senior; Chloe Grimme, junior; Amber Ewald, freshman; Hanna Barton, Sunlake

200 Freestyle: Taylor Ward, Land O’ Lakes, senior

200 Individual Medley: Audrey Ballash, Sunlake, junior

50 Freestyle: Chloe Grimme, Sunlake, junior

100 Butterfly: Elise Ballash, Sunlake, senior

100 Freestyle: Chloe Grimme, Sunlake, junior

500 Freestyle: Taylor Ward, Land O’ Lakes, senior

200 Freestyle Relay: (Sunlake)—Tori Eurell, junior; Alex Sprague, sophomore; Hannah Barton, senior; Chloe Grimme, junior

100 Backstroke: Amber Ewald, Sunlake, freshman

100 Breaststroke: Elise Ballash, Sunlake, senior

400 Freestyle Relay: (Land O’ Lakes)—Taylor Ward, senior; Margarita Czupryn, senior; Amaya Henry, junior; Romina McCloskey, senior

Diver: Isa Monagas, Sunlake, sophomore

Second Team All-Conference
200 Medley Relay: (Land O’ Lakes)—Jessica Adcock, senior; Catherine Pinkos, freshman; Jennifer Zartman, junior; Apryl Paquette, sophomore

200 Freestyle: Apryl Paquette, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

200 Individual Medley: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

500 Freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, Sunlake, freshman

200 Freestyle Relay: (Wesley Chapel)— Victoria Vail, freshman; Alexa Amaya, freshman; Annalyse Rogers, freshman; Jilian Choinski,

100 Backstroke: Jessica Adcock, Land O’ Lakes, senior

100 Breaststroke: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

400 Freestyle Relay: (Wiregrass Ranch)—Maryam Khalil, freshman; Delaney Smith, junior; Kyra Johnson, senior; Katie Wieckoweski, freshman

Diver: Tifani Farquhar, Wesley Chapel, junior

Honorable Mention
Mykenzy Neal, Zephyrhills, junior

Hannah Davidson, Pasco, junior

Rylie Howard, Cypress Creek, freshman

SAC East All-Conference Girls’ Volleyball

The Sunlake girls volleyball team went 24-4 and reached the Class 7A regional finals, under first-year head coach Brian Gonzales. It marked a significant turnaround from the prior season’s 5-10 mark. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School)

Team Champion: Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Brian Gonzalez, Sunlake

Player of the Year: Kylie Ciani, Sunlake

First Team All-Conference
Jaizah Anderson, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Caroline Schoover, Sunlake, junior

Brette Heymann, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Abbigale Hindersman, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Rachel Michner, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Bianca Vieria, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Jordan Danielson, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Chanel Rinck, Sunlake, senior

Kamea Nash, Sunlake, senior

Rebecca Wolff, Pasco, junior

Zoi Evans, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Shayna Heymann, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Honorable Mention
Taylor Moore, Pasco, junior

Compiled by Kevin Weiss

Published January 16, 2019

Child care center coming to Wiregrass Ranch

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The Wiregrass Ranch community will soon have its own full-fledged child care center.

Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch is set to open this fall — serving children from 6 weeks to 12 years old.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is being built at 2900 Hueland Pond Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, right across the street from Wiregrass Ranch High School and Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus on Mansfield Boulevard.

It marks the first child care center in Wiregrass Ranch.

Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch is set to open in the fall. The 10,000-square-foot facility, being built at 2900 Hueland Pond Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will serve children between as young as 6 weeks up to 12 years old. (Courtesy of Javier Rojas)

Educational day care programming will be offered for preschool, voluntary pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, while aftercare programming will be offered for kids ages 6 to 12 years old; various summer camp programs also will be available.

At build out, Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch will be able to accommodate 167 students and will have upward of 40 staff members, according to its franchisee and owner Javier Rojas, who was present at a Jan. 3 groundbreaking ceremony for the facility.

Kiddie Academy is a franchise with more than 200 locations nationwide, including a location in Carrollwood and another coming in Westchase. The franchise was founded in 1981.

Rojas, who is chief medical officer at AdventHealth Zephyrhills (formerly Florida Hospital Zephyrhills), said he and his wife, Maggie Delgado, had an interest in opening a franchise in the Wesley Chapel area about two years ago.

Realizing a need for child care in the area, Rojas said the couple set their sights on Kiddie Academy “to give back and be part of this community and extend our roots.”

The Wiregrass Ranch location will utilize the Kiddie Academy Life Essentials curriculum, which promotes each child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional growth.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch took place on Jan. 3. It will be the first child care center in Wiregrass Ranch. Shown are co-owners Javier Rojas and Maggie Delgado. (Kevin Weiss)

In addition to age-based curriculum, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and music classes will be offered for all ages.

The academy, too, will feature family-style dining, whereby kids will all share in eating nutritious meals together at the same table.

Rojas said at Kiddie Academy, students “learn without knowing they’re learning.”

Rojas added: “Our developmentally appropriate curriculum gives your child a full day of learning no matter what he or she is doing. Some of the best learning happens without your child knowing it.

“Respect, friendship, sharing, compassion and manners — those are the life essentials that Kiddie Academy would like to proliferate,” he said.

The aftercare center, meanwhile, will have playrooms with computers for kids to use for homework, and for fun.

Kiddie Academy also will feature a large outdoor recreation area, equipped with a soccer field, splash pad, playground, race track, and a harvesting garden and other amenities.

Also noteworthy: Instead of a drop-off and pickup line, Kiddie Academy parents will be required to sign in and sign out their children each day, via a check-in system requiring a fingerprint ID.

For more information, call (813) 702-5656, or visit KiddieAcademy.com/academies/wiregrass-ranch/.

Published January 9, 2019

John Gant settles into major leagues

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At least one Major League Baseball player calls Wesley Chapel home during the offseason.

With pleasant weather and local ties, it’s a no-brainer for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Gant.

After all, the 26-year-old Gant spent half his childhood being raised in the area — moving there with his family from Savannah, Georgia, when he was 11 years old.

The major leaguer has been back in town since December, following the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Before he became a standout pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, John Gant starred on the Wiregrass Ranch High School baseball team from 2008 to 2011. He was 11 years old when his family moved to Wesley Chapel, from Savannah, Georgia. (File)

He’s used the downtime to catch up with family and some old friends from Wiregrass Ranch High School, where he starred on the varsity baseball team all four years (2008-2011) before being selected by the New York Mets in the 21st round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

He’s also made a point to stay in general shape in advance of the 2019 season. He works out with local trainer BB Roberts about once a week, splitting time between old high school stomping grounds and the Seven Oaks clubhouse fitness center.

Gant, surprisingly, is able to mosey about town in relative anonymity, both in Wesley Chapel and St. Louis.

“Nobody really recognizes me at all,” Gant said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

And, he likes it that way. “I’m kind of an undercover, under-the-radar type guy,” Gant said.

In baseball circles, however, Gant is anything but under the radar.

The 6-foot-4 righthander, who sports a five-pitch arsenal (sinker, changeup, four-seam fastball, curveball, slider), will embark on his fourth MLB season when pitchers and catchers report for spring training in February.

There, he’ll look to build off last year’s breakout campaign in which he posted a 3.47 earned run average and 95 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched, with a record of 7-6 in 26 appearances (including 19 starts).

While Gant’s efforts weren’t enough to help the Cardinals reach the playoffs, he was front-and-center at times throughout the season.

He pitched a seven-inning, one-hit shutout gem on June 26 against the Cleveland Indians that happened to be the historic franchise’s 10,000th victory as a member of the National League.

He made national headlines at the plate, too.

Gant’s first two hits in his MLB career — and only two hits thus far — are home runs.

Wiregrass Ranch High School product John Gant is entering his fourth MLB season. Presently with the St. Louis Cardinals, the right-handed pitcher also has spent time in the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves baseball organizations. (Courtesy of MLB.com)

According to MLB.com, Gant is believed to the only player in Major League history to hit at least two home runs while never having reached base safely by any other means.

The first dinger came on Aug. 14 in a home game against the Washington Nationals.

Gant entered the game 0 for 30 in hitting for his career before he drove a 1-1 pitch from Gio Gonzalez (who had never allowed a home run to an opposing pitcher) over the left field wall in the second inning — a two-run shot that measured 398 feet.

“Hitting that first home run was pretty cool,” Gant said. “That was a moment I’ll never forget.”

Gant also drew notoriety for his unconventional, yet impactful Vulcan changeup — gripping the ball between the middle and ring fingers, garnering its name from the Vulcan salute used by Spock in the Star Trek series.

“Some people think it’s weird; some people think it’s normal,” Gant said of the pitch.

“You’ve got to be able to change speeds as a pitcher or else you probably aren’t going to have too much success at all, really,” he said.

Gant has had a circuitous route to baseball’s highest level.

Since being a mid-round draft pick out of high school, Gant toiled in the minors for five years before making his debut in 2016 with the Atlanta Braves. He’s also battled injuries and has been traded twice — from the Mets to the Braves, then to the Cardinals.

After finally coming into his own this past season, Gant is self-assured he has staying power in the big leagues, for many years to come.

Said Gant, “I’m calm and confident to play at that level, and I feel like that’s where I belong. It definitely took some settling in, but I feel settled and comfortable.”

And, he certainly wouldn’t mind staying long-term with his current ball club.

“I think I’m in the right place now, with the Cardinals. I’m happy where I’m at. I really want to stay with this group of guys and this organization,” Gant said.

Aside from maybe hitting a few more dingers, Gant’s chief focus is on the mound — working to improve his control to pare down the 57 walks he allowed in 2018, one of the few blemishes on his resume last season.

“I’m going to try to hone in on that strike zone a little better,” Gant said. “Throw some more strikes. Fill up the zone. And, just work hard. Try to win some baseball games for this ball club.”

Meanwhile, those in tune with the sports scene in Pasco County may know of another John Gant  — head coach of the Wiregrass Ranch varsity girls basketball team, who’s won at least 20 games every year but one since being hired in 2011.

Well, it’s the pro ballplayer’s father.

The younger Gant described his father as “very” influential toward his success in professional baseball — mentoring him to excel in academics and athletics.

“He’s always pushing me in doing everything I’ve done,” Gant said. “He’s always told me, ‘If you do something, do it right.’”

Likewise, his father’s coaching achievements over the past decade don’t come as a surprise to the major leaguer.

“He works hard at his craft, and he’s good at it,” Gant said. “Just behind the scenes, he spent so much time on it, just watching video and just making sure he has everything that he wants and all the tools are there, and he’s using them all. He just goes out there and wins games.”

Like father, like son.

Q-and-A with St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Gant

On playing baseball at Wiregrass Ranch High School: “It was a blast. I had a lot of fun, and it kind of led me to where I am now.”

On his emergence as an upperclassman at Wiregrass Ranch that drew attention from pro baseball scouts: “Just (got) bigger and stronger. Grew into my body a little more and started to throw a little harder. That’s really it.”

On when he realized he might have a chance to play baseball professionally: “I was by no means a Little League prodigy or a child prospect or anything like that. I think things kind of started to click for me when I was probably a junior or senior in high school, and I started getting some college attention. I wasn’t really thinking, ‘Hey I’m going to be a big league pitcher,’ obviously, but we knew that I was going to go play baseball in college, and then if I had success there, then maybe a role at the professional level. But, there was never a real moment where I said, ‘Oh, I’m going to do this’ before I was drafted or anything like that.’”

On playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the MLB’s most revered and historic organizations: “It definitely means a lot to be able to put on that jersey and all the history that comes with it, and, everything that the St. Louis Cardinals have accomplished throughout the years and are still accomplishing. It’s pretty unreal the success they’ve had and the pride that they have in all their successes, and, just how they care about people’s attitudes and people’s character is very important. …I think they’re really going about their business the right way.”

On his favorite player growing up: “I wouldn’t say I modeled my game after this person in any way, but as a kid I was a pretty big (Atlanta) Braves fan and my favorite player was the catcher, Javy Lopez.”

On the best hitter he’s gone up against: “I guess, maybe my rookie year in 2016, facing Big Papi (Boston Red Sox great David Ortiz) at Fenway Park was a pretty cool moment.”

On his career options if he wasn’t playing professional baseball: “Hard to say. I’ve never really seen myself coaching. I was going to school to be an athletic trainer. Now seeing all the behind-the-scenes things that they’re responsible for, I don’t think that I’d really like to do that. Honestly, I’d probably be working some type of manual labor job somewhere — outside, hard work with my hands, getting dirty every day.”

Published January 9, 2019

Conference champs

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(Courtesy of Paul Wyrick)

The Pine View Middle School boys soccer team was recently crowned Eastside Athletic Conference champions after going a perfect 8-0 during the 2018-2019 regular season. It marked the program’s first championship since 2006. The team is coached by Robert Craven.