The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Sheriff’s Office adds policing advisor

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is taking a closer look at its policing practices, as a measure to maintain transparency and openness in dealing with citizens.

To do so, the agency has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as its first constitutional policing advisor.

As part of her new role, Moore’s primary duties are to to ensure the agency follows best practices and procedures in the arena of search-and-seizure; use of force; detention operations; profiling issues; citizen contacts; arrests; and, custody operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as the agency’s first constitutional policing advisor. Moore will be responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

She’s also responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings.

If laws and case precedent change, Moore will publish alerts and coordinate trainings with members of the agency.

“These are all things that we’re already doing, but this is going to be codifying these things into one cohesive program,” Moore said.

Moore is a former associate attorney at a civil litigation law firm specializing in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. She also is a former assistant state’s attorney with the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she prosecuted domestic violence cases, crimes against children, and felonies.

As an extra measure to enhance constitutional policing efforts, the Sheriff’s Office also appointed Capt. Eric Seltzer to serve as a liaison between other criminal justice system partners, including the county state’s attorney’s office efforts. He’ll also provide oversight for new training measures.

The agency is using existing resources to fund the new advisory roles.

Originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, constitutional policing is a growing trend nationwide where law enforcement agencies proactively work to protect the civil rights of the citizens they police.

Also known as “legal policing,” constitutional policing cooperates with the parameters set by the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and the many court decisions that have defined in greater detail what the text of the Constitution means in terms of the everyday practices of policing.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said adhering to constitutional policing should yield more prosecutable cases and fewer citizen complaints of possible unlawful discrimination and harassment by deputies.

“We have to be by the book in everything we do. We’re not just sitting back and waiting for a complaint to come in. We’re going to proactively look to make sure we’re doing everything the right way, all the time,” Nocco explained.

“It’s going to make us better deputies and better people out there serving the community,” he said.

Published April 4, 2018

Sunshine Athletic Conference awards announced

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High school coaches from the Pasco County School District recently announced the Sunshine Athletic Conference All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2017-2018 winter sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West division.

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

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

Winter Sports-Boys
2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference

  • Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year: Mike Novak, Zephyrhills
  • Player of the Year: Mekhi Perry, Land O’ Lakes

First-Team All-Conference

  • Mekhi Perry, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • Elijah Ramsey, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
  • Isaiah Ramsey, Wesley Chapel, sophomore
  • Roney Webster, Pasco, senior
  • Kurt Robbins, Zephyrhills, senior

Second-Team All-Conference


  • Chase Farmer, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • Jamal Wright, Sunlake, junior
  • Derico Quiles, Zephyrhills, sophomore
  • Daniel Biglow, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Justin Rush, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Honorable Mention

  • Trevor Maxwell, Cypress Creek, junior

2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference Soccer

  • Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year: David Wilson, Wiregrass Ranch High
  • Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Amis, Wiregrass Ranch
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Royce Luedde, Wiregrass Ranch

First-Team All-Conference

  • Justin Amis. Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
  • Royce Luedde, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Tyler Dueker, Pasco, senior
  • Ethan Sternberg, Sunlake, freshman
  • Ian Flores, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Malcolm Lewis, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
  • Grant Dresson, Sunlake, senior
  • Jackson Trudel, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Anthony Rodriguez, Sunlake, senior
  • Ryan Al-Khatib, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Santiago Esparza, Sunlake, senior

Second-Team All-Conference

  • Jacob Hill, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Jason Nicolette, Pasco, junior
  • Javier Todd, Sunlake, junior
  • JP Torres, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Jake Rodriguez, Sunlake, sophomore
  • Collin Corrao, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • Jake Bierhurst, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
  • Adam Mihalek, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
  • Martin Montoya, Pasco, senior
  • Sebastian Victoria, Sunlake, freshman
  • Carter Corrao, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Honorable Mention

  • Carlos Morales, Zephyrhills, sophomore
  • Tyler Richmond, Wesley Chapel, junior
  • Marco Svolinsky, Cypress Creek, freshman

2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference Wrestling


  • Coach of the Year: Sergio Matos, Sunlake
  • Wrestler of the Year: Khaled Khatib, Wiregrass Ranch
The Sunlake Seahawks wrestling team captured the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) championships in February. Eight Sunlake wrestlers earned All-Conference honors, and their coach, Sergio Matos, was named SAC East Coach of the Year. (File)

First-Team All-Conference


  • 106-pound: Ross Jennings, Sunlake, senior
  • 113-pound: Sullivan Harris, Sunlake, sophomore
  • 120-pound: Jacob Thornton, Pasco, sophomore
  • 126-pound: Travis Knowlton, Pasco, sophomore
  • 132-pound: Colson Mullis, Pasco, sophomore
  • 138-pound: Sean Gratten, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • 145-pound: Jake Koener, Sunlake, junior
  • 152-pound: Scott Kren, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • 160-pound: Khaled Khatib, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • 170-pound: Mark Kialer, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
  • 182-pound: Tyler Estep, Sunlake, senior
  • 195-pound: Troy Royal, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • 220-pound: Cayman Wiseman, Sunlake, sophomore
  • Heavyweight: Demetrius Wright, Zephyrhills, sophomore

Second-Team All-Conference

  • 106-pound: Morgan Ray, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
  • 113-pound: Kyle Eldridge, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • 120-pound: Dante Reese, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • 126-pound: Alex Alvarez, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
  • 132-pound: Victor Graves-Velez, Sunlake, junior
  • 138-pound: Alex Hall, Sunlake, junior
  • 145-pound: Victor Nelson, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • 152-pound: Caleb Dakin, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • 160-pound: Matthew Paduani, Sunlake, junior
  • 170-pound: Greyson Plummer, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • 182-pound: Cyrus Baker, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • 195-pound: Tim Johnson, Pasco, junior
  • 220-pound: Anthony Jay, Land O’ Lakes
  • Heavyweight: Tevon Davies, Sunlake, junior

Honorable Mention

  • Tyson Gillott, Cypress Creek, junior

Winter Sports-Girls
2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference Soccer


  • Coach of the Year: Mark Leonard, Wesley Chapel
  • Offensive Player of the Year: Sydny Nasello, Land O’ Lakes
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Abigail Monken, Sunlake
Six athletes from the Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team earned All-Conference honors. From left, Emma Skantze, Morghan Craven, Brooke Hannigan, Sydny Nasello, Avery Wild and RaeAnna Casler. (Courtesy of Jennifer Craven)

First-Team All-Conference

  • Sydny Nasello, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Jordan Kadlub, Pasco, junior
  • Morghan Craven, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Jennifer Luna, Pasco, senior
  • Karissa Olsen, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Brooke Hannigan, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Abigail Monken, Sunlake, senior
  • Juliana Ponce, Wiregrass, senior
  • Emma Skantze, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Samantha Gasbarro, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Mackenzie Spurling, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Second-Team All-Conference


  • Isabella Jaramillo, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Rylind Robinson, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Nathalie Sawczuk, Pasco, senior
  • Jessica Amis, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
  • Avery Wild, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • Brianna Luna, Pasco, junior
  • Vyctoria Boger, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Ysa Novak, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
  • Isabella Vazquez, Sunlake, senior
  • RaeAnna Casler, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Honorable Mention

  • Caitlyn Leavines, Cypress Creek, junior
  • Jaydean Ireland, Zephyrhills, sophomore

2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference Girls Basketball


  • Coach of the Year: Reesa Pledge, Sunlake
  • Player of the Year: Andrea Wallace, Sunlake

First-Team All-Conference


  • Andrea Wallace, Sunlake, senior
  • Kiara Broner, Pasco, senior
  • Kasia Ramirez, Sunlake senior
  • Zoi Evans, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
  • Niya Darby, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Second-Team All-Conference


  • Alexis Bolden, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Mary Mora, Sunlake, senior
  • Valeria Burbano, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Alexis Couzens, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
  • Chelsea Jones, Zephyrhills, junior

Honorable Mention

  • Cassidy Middleton, Cypress Creek, junior

2017-2018 SAC EAST All-Conference Competitive Cheerleading


  • Coach of the Year: Karlee Roach, Land O’ Lakes
  • Cheerleader of the Year: Taylor Watson, Wesley Chapel

First-Team All-Conference


  • Mikiah Peeples, Sunlake, senior
  • Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, sophomore
  • Hannah Kilmer, Sunlake, sophomore
  • Taylor Pudoka, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Emily Weiser, Pasco, senior
  • Hope Wainraich, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Claire Gottermann, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Reagan Steele, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • Taylor Watson, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Ashley Regan, Zephyrhills, junior

Second-Team All-Conference


  • Taylor Broderick, Sunlake, senior
  • Hannah Ahonen, Sunlake, senior
  • Brooke Hodge, Sunlake, junior
  • Alyssa Loo, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • Alyssa Rodriguez-Urich, Pasco, senior
  • Emma Runkel, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
  • Emily Bendert, Land O’ Lakes, senior
  • Chloe Covington, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • Zion Morgan, Wesley Chapel, junior
  • Taryn Clower, Cypress Creek, freshman

Honorable Mention

  • Paige Zimmer, Zephyrhills, junior
  • Olivia Michalski, Pasco, senior

2017-2018 SAC East All-Conference Weightlifting


  • Coach of the Year: Denise Garcia, Sunlake High
  • Weightlifter of the Year: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes

First-Team All-Conference

  • 101-pound: Prestine Carter, Pasco, junior
  • 110-pound: Madison Burnstein, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
  • 119-pound: Madison Kaylor, Pasco, senior
  • 129-pound: Loah Castro, Sunlake, junior
  • 139-pound: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, sophomore
  • 154-pound: Paige Berryman, Sunlake, junior
  • 169-pound: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes, junior
  • 183-pound: Abigail Schmook, Sunlake, sophomore
  • 199-pound: Jessica Guadarrama, Zephyrhills, senior
  • Unlimited: Abby Shaffer, Zephyrhills,

Second-Team All-Conference


  • 101-pound: Allison Price, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
  • 110-pound: Savannah Lee, Wesley Chapel, sophomore
  • 119-pound: Maria Espinal, Sunlake, senior
  • 129-pound: Valerie Busot, Sunlake, junior
  • 139-pound: Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, sophomore
  • 154-pound: Grace Hrenko, Sunlake, senior
  • 169-pound: Abigail Monticco, Wesley Chapel, senior
  • 183-pound: Alyssa Kramer, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
  • 199-pound: Antoinette Farmer, Sunlake, sophomore
  • Unlimited: Cynthia Wilkes, Zephyrhills, junior

Honorable Mention 

  • Amanda Reyes, Cypress Creek, junior

Published April 4, 2018

Tournament Champs!

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(Courtesy of Paul Wyrick)

For the second straight year, Land O’ Lakes-based Florida Premier U10 Girls Soccer Club bested a group of eight teams to win the 11th annual Largo March Madness Shootout. The club shined defensively, allowing just one goal in four games played, defeating the St. Petersburg Raiders 2-0 in the final. For information on the club, visit WestPascoSoccer.com.

Wharton distance runner sets school record

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(Courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

Wharton High School junior Tre Rivers set a new school track and field record in the 3,200-meter run, with a 9:31.61 mark at the 2018 Florida State University relays on March 23. The previous school record (9:32.50) was set in 2007 by Pedro Carela, who later ran at Division I University of South Florida. Also a standout cross country runner, Rivers set the school’s 5K record (15:53) at the state meet in November.

Duo reigns at tournament

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

The fishing team of Tom Moore, left, and Scott May won the South Pasco Bassmasters (SPBM) March tournament on Lake Istokpoga by hauling in five bass for a total weight of 10.96 pounds. The duo caught their bass using a combination of Senko bait and jigs lily pads. The next SPBM tournament is April 21 on the Lake Harris Chain. For information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Renowned hiker to share his stories in Tampa

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Twenty years after he hiked the Appalachian Trail, Jeff Alt’s expedition lives on.

Alt hiked an average of 17 miles a day, for nearly five months in 1998, to walk 2,160 miles, from Springer Mountain, in Georgia, to Mount Kadahdin, in Maine.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail was not only a personal goal but also a way to support people with developmental disabilities, including Alt’s brother, Aaron, who has cerebral palsy.

It took Jeff Alt 147 days to trek the entirety of the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine and 12 other states in between. Relatives in Lutz and Carrollwood served as his support system along the way. (Courtesy of Jeff Alt)

Because of that commitment, as fellow hikers in his group quit, Alt persevered.

He made a trek of an estimated 5 million steps, overcoming everything from extreme weather and scary wildlife encounters, to persistent aches and pains.

The achievement since inspired the Sunshine 5K, Walk, Run and Roll which just celebrated its 20th annual event in Greenville, Ohio, and has raised more than $500,000 for people with developmental disabilities. It benefits the Ohio-based Sunshine Communities, which supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as they live, work and play on their terms. It’s also where Alt’s disabled brother lives.

Alt will be in town this week to share stories and sign the 20th anniversary edition of his best-selling memoir, “A Walk for Sunshine,” on March 29 at 7 p.m., at Barnes & Noble Carrollwood,11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

The renowned hiker shared a few of those stories and anecdotes from his long, arduous 147-day journey in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Born, raised and still living in Ohio with his wife and two children, Alt has several familial ties to the Lutz and Carrollwood area. These family members served as his support system during the adventure.

His brother, Larry Alt, of Lutz, greeted him at the beginning and end of the Appalachian Trail.

His sister Stephanie Pitts, of Lutz, served as his “unofficial, official public relations person,” updating friends, relatives and media throughout the journey.

Her husband, Dan Pitts, of Lutz, joined Alt in hiking the final leg of the Appalachian Trail.

And, his stepfather, Ron Almendinger, of Northdale, often shipped supply boxes to Alt on the trail.

Each gesture kept him motivated and boosted morale, Alt said.

“Everybody played a role…so I could focus on the journey. They were like my cheerleading squad,” Alt said.

He recalled his adventure getting off to a shaky start.

On the very first day, Alt had to wrap his feet in duct tape, after several blisters formed on both feet, as a result of placing his boot orthotics on the wrong feet.

“One blister is extremely painful,” he said. “But, this was excruciating.”

Alt gave himself the self-deprecating nickname “Wrongfoot” to bring a bit of levity to his own error. “I just reminded myself that I just needed to laugh it off,” he said.

The next day, Alt was close and personal with a skunk on top of his sleeping bag. Luckily, he was able to shoo it away without getting sprayed.

That wasn’t the only “hair-raising” encounter with Mother Nature.

He was charged by a mama bear in Maine, before it abruptly dashed off into the woods with a pair of baby cubs.

Another stress-inducing — and painful — moment came while traversing the Great Smoky Mountains. That’s where Alt suffered a bad ankle sprain in the middle a 12-foot snowdrift, while trying to balance his 55-pound backpack on one leg.

“I thought at that moment, ‘My journey just ended.’ That was the only time that I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Alt said.

He took a few days off, to reduce the swelling, then resumed his journey.

Every day was painful, Alt said, joking that ibuprofen is referred to as as ‘Vitamin I’ in the hiker community.

“Literally, when you took your pack off at the end of the day, your body would say, ‘What did you just do to me? You’re going to feel this all night,’” Alt said.

Cold and hungry
The majority of fellow hikers that year quit because of frigid temperatures, which sometimes dropped to 20 below zero.

“It was so cold, at one point, if you took your boots off at night and didn’t put them in your sleeping bag, they would freeze in the position your foot was before you took it off, and then the leather would cut your feet open because it was still frozen in the morning,” Alt said.

He had never-ending food cravings.

“Your appetite quadruples,” Alt said. “I could eat a half gallon of ice cream as a snack. I could eat a whole pizza and then go eat dinner.”

Even so, he lost 30 pounds, which he refers to as “the Appalachian Diet Plan.”

He also has many positive experiences on his trek.

He marveled at the friendliness and kindness of people he met along the trail.

Complete strangers would invite him into their homes, and would offer something to eat and drink, and the use of their shower.

“It left a very warm feeling in my heart,” he said.

Along the way, he crossed paths with military folks, recent college graduates, a wealthy stock trader, to name a few.

He met a man who had abruptly quit his job to hike, and a fair number of homeless people, too.

“You meet all kinds of people. It’s America, really,” he said.

He also observed there was something to appreciate about each of the 14 states he walked through, including breathtaking views and varying geology.

Even after walking 5 million steps, Alt said the expedition wasn’t truly complete until he could share the news with his brother Aaron, back in Ohio.

His brother doesn’t speak, but he does communicate through gestures and smiles.

Seeing him, Alt said, ended his journey — “knowing that he understood and smiled.”

Jeff Alt book signing event
What: Jeff Alt will share stories about his Appalachian Trail journey and sign the anniversary edition of “A Walk for Sunshine.”
Where: Barnes & Noble Carrollwood, 11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa
When: March 29 at 7 p.m.
Info: (813) 962-6446

Appalachian Trail Facts

  • The Appalachian Trail spans 14 states, covering 2,190 miles, from Georgia to Maine.
  • The Appalachian Trail was inspired by Benton MacKaye in 1921.
  • Earl Shaffer became the first person to walk the Appalachian Trail from end to end in 1948.
  • Emma Rowena Gatewood, also known as “Grandma Gatewood,” became the first female solo thru-hiker at the age of 67 when she first hiked the trail in 1955. She hiked the trail three times.
  • Each year, an estimated 2,000 hikers to 3,000 hikers attempt to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one season (during a four-month to six-month time frame). Just one in four succeed.
  • Hikers carry backpacks weighing 30 pounds to 75 pounds and supply in towns along the way.
  • Hikers burn 4,000 calories to 6,000 calories a day, comparable to running 2 marathons.

Jeff Alt’s Appalachian Trail statistics:

  • Carried a pack that weighed 50 pounds
  • Went through three pairs of boots
  • Averaged 17 miles a day
  • Had 22 boxes of supplies shipped to him along the way
  • Slept mostly in three-walled shelters, though did carry a tent
  • Completed the trek in 147 days (nearly five months)
  • Lost 30 pounds

Published March 28, 2018

Passover begins March 30

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The holiday of Pesach, or Passover, is an eight-day festival celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan.

This year, it runs from March 30 to April 7.

The eight-day festival of Passover runs March 30 through April 7 this year. The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. Symbolic foods of a Passover Seder include maror, saltwater, charoset, zeroah, beitzah and karpas. (File)

Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Following its rituals allows the Jewish community to relive and experience the freedom of their ancestors.

Observances: Passover is divided into two parts. The first two days, March 30 and March 31, and the last two days, April 6 and April 7, are full-fledged holidays. Holiday candles are lit at night, and holiday meals (Seders) are enjoyed both days. The middle four days are referred to as Chol Hamoed, or semi-festive “intermediate days.”

Seders: The highlight of Passover is the Seder, which is observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. The Seder is a 15-step, family-oriented tradition and ritual-packed feast.

Focal points of the Seder include:

  • Eating matzah, which is unleavened bread
  • Eating bitter herbs to commemorate the bitter slavery endured by the Israelites
  • Drinking four cups of wine or grape juice to celebrate the newfound freedom
  • The recitation of the Haggadah, a liturgy that describes the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Haggadah is the fulfillment of the biblical obligation to recount the story of the Exodus on the night of Passover.

Symbolic Seder foods:

  • Maror—bitter herbs, usually horseradish, to serve as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery
  • Saltwater—symbolizing the tears of the slaves
  • Charoset—sweet paste made of fruit and nuts, symbolizing the mortar the slaves used to build the Egyptian pyramids
  • Zeroah—shank bone, representing the Passover sacrifice
  • Beitzah—hard-boiled egg, symbolic of life and birth associated with the spring season
  • Karpas — a leafy green vegetable, usually a piece of lettuce, symbolizing hope and redemptionSome traditional Ashkenazi Passover dishes include gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, brisket, tzimmis (sweet carrot and fruit dish), and macaroons and sponge cake (made from matzah meal) for dessert.

Passover events

Where: Chabad at Wiregrass, 2124 Ashley Oaks Circle in Wesley Chapel
What: Community Seder, complete with gourmet Passover cuisine, wine and hand-made Shemurah Matzo, while reliving the exodus and discovering the eternal message of the Pesach.
When: Friday, March 30 at 8:15 p.m.
Cost: Suggested donation of $30 per person, $100 per family, or $250 per sponsor
Info: Call (813) 642-3244, or visit ChabadAtWiregrass.com.

Where: Congregation Kol Ami, 3919 Moran Road, Tampa
What: Erev Pesah I Services/Shabbat Services; Shabbat Candle Lighting
When: Friday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Info: Call (813) 962-6338, or email .

Where: Congregation Mekor Shalom, 14005A N. Dale Mabry Highway
What: A Minha Minyan Before Pesah! A brief afternoon service in advance of Passover celebrations.
When: Friday, March 30 at 5 p.m.
Info: Call (813) 963-1818, or visit MekorShalom.org.

Where: Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave.
What: Second Night Passover Seder
When: Saturday, March 31 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Info: Call (813) 968-8511, or visit BethAmTampa.org.

Where: Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Wesley Chapel
Where: 24152 State Road 54, Lutz
What: Shabbat Service, Nosh & Fellowship, and After Service Program
When: Saturday, March 31 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Info: Call (813) 831-5683, or visit ShoreshDavid.org.

Compiled by Kevin Weiss

Published March 28, 2018

Offense, cohesion carry Cypress Creek softball

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In east and central Pasco County, softball programs such as Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, and Sunlake have garnered much of the attention of late.

And, rightly so.

As of March 25, there’s just a single loss combined among the three schools—Sunlake suffered its lone loss to Land O’ Lakes on March 2— and each team ranks among the state’s top 20 or so softball programs.

But, there’s another local program on the rise — quickly proving itself as a force in the Tampa Bay region.

The Cypress Creek Middle High Coyotes sit at 9-4 overall and 6-2 in district play.

The team entered spring break on a four-game winning streak.

Instant success hasn’t come without adversity, however.

A first-year program with no seniors, the Coyotes were forced to play much of their pre-spring break schedule on the road because the team’s new softball field wasn’t game-ready until a week ago.

Team captains, left to right, Anna Margetis, Neely Peterson and Ashley Nickisher are all transfers from Wesley Chapel High School. The trio is no stranger to winning, helping guide the Wildcats to its first winning season and first playoff appearance in 2017.
(Courtesy of Gigante Productions)

Ongoing maintenance also prevented the upstart Coyotes from participating in fall practices together; instead many were forced to train with their respective travel squads up through January, until they were able to practice with Coyotes coaches.

The team also suffered an unexpected depth setback before the season began, forcing a freshman into action and reducing the varsity roster to just 10 regulars.

Outfielder Cassidy Middleton, a .308 hitter as a sophomore last season at Wesley Chapel High School, tore her ACL while playing on the Cypress Creek girls basketball team. She’s been replaced in the lineup by Emma Coon, who’s batting .381 through 46 plate appearances as the team’s lone freshman.

Challenges aside, Cypress Creek sits just a game back of Nature Coast Tech for second place in the District 7-5A standings; each are chasing division-leading Hernando High (10-2 overall, 8-0 districts).

First-year head coach Mike Peterson credited the group’s effort, teamwork, and perseverance for contributing to the team’s strong start.

“They’re working hard in practice, knowing it’s not where we start, it’s where we end. They’re all on the same page. There’s nothing but fight in the girls, which is nice,” Peterson said.

Despite its thin roster, Cypress Creek is heavy on talent.

Opponents facing them quickly discover that the Coyotes feature some of the hottest bats in the region.

The team is batting a combined .403 and averaging about 10 runs per game.

The most potent of the bunch is junior catcher Neely Peterson, the head coach’s daughter and one of the team’s many transfers from Wesley Chapel.

A Colorado State University commit, Peterson sports a whopping .636 average with four home runs, 10 doubles and 29 RBIs — all team highs. Her batting average is second in all of Pasco, trailing only River Ridge’s Hailey Smith (.708).

The standout catcher said she’s become more comfortable and relaxed at the plate, after batting .443 as a sophomore and .290 as a freshman, respectively.

Becoming more relaxed, at the plate
“As I grow older, the less pressure I put on myself the better that I’ll do, because I know that my freshman year, I was really tense to like, ‘I need to make a statement,’ but now I just let my play speak for me,” Neely Peterson said.

Other Coyotes batting over .400 include sophomore first baseman Anna Margetis (.485) and junior infielders Payton Hudson (.471) and Jasmine Jackson (.429).

Juniors Jordan Rosenberg (.382) and Ashley Nickisher (.333, two home runs) join Coon as players hitting above .300.

That menacing offensive skill has helped gain early, sizable leads in road games, putting stress on home teams by making them play catch-up the rest of the way.

Employing that score early-score often strategy, the team has come to embrace road games, Neely Peterson said.

“We almost didn’t like playing at home because when you’re on the road you get to hit first so we like putting up those runs, so we kind of got acclimated to playing on the road. But, we like playing here (at home), obviously,” Neely Peterson said.

A prime example came in a recent 16-0 road victory against Fivay High School. The Coyotes scored 10 runs in the first inning and six in the second to mercy rule the host Falcons in three innings.

“When you’re able to score the first runs in the first inning you get that confidence of, ‘Oh, we’ve got this,’ whereas, at home, you have to hold them first and then go,” Nickisher said.

“Playing games on the road, you really have to get your mind set because you’re going into their house. And, you want to show what you have,” Margetis said.

Cypress Creek’s pitching—somewhat of a question mark entering the season—has also proven resourceful.

Junior Avery Lee—a Wiregrass Ranch High transfer—has a 2.47 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched.

“We have a solid foundation. Avery’s come in and has given us solid innings, solid outings, worked on her mental toughness; she’s been terrific,” Mike Peterson said.

Sticking together is key to success
While the team prides itself on strong hitting and crafty pitching, the Coyotes head coach stressed improvements must be made on the defensive end in order to hang against better competition. The team has committed 23 errors this season.

“I have no doubt that we can hit with any team. It’s just we get a couple of mental lapses in the field that have hurt us in a couple of games. We clean that up, we’ll be fine,” Mike Peterson explained.

“I tell them, ‘There’s nothing you guys can’t accomplish if you stick together as a team, play as a team, ” he added.

With their cohesiveness and unwavering attitude, players are confident the team can make some noise come playoff time in late April.

Many know the feeling because they were members of last year’s Wesley Chapel varsity squad that experienced its first winning season and playoff appearance in program history. That team went 19-7 and advanced to the regional semifinals.

“We work together and we trust each other…and we’re just able to work together and have each other’s back,” Nickisher said, acknowledging she was initially upset to leave Wesley Chapel.

“Everyone on this team wants to help each other, no matter if we’re doing good or not,” she added.

“I think we’re having a lot of fun with it, and that’s a big part,” Neely Peterson said. “I think that our mindset really is to win and, if we don’t, we’ll make it difficult for the other team to beat us. I think we’re all really competitive in the sense that we really want to win. We’ve had some tough losses, but we know that we’re going to play them again — teams like Hernando and Nature Coast — so we get a second chance so that’s good.”

Margetis added: “These games—they matter—but when districts come around, I feel like we’ll dig deep and find out what we really have to do to beat the opponents.”

School pride also is at stake.

Other boys and girls sports programs at Cypress Creek have mainly struggled in their first year, but the softball team is bucking that trend.

“It’s just wanting to be the team…that everybody can look to and say, ‘Hey, they’re doing something right.’” Neely Peterson said.

Cypress Creek Coyotes varsity softball roster

  • Alexis Aponte, outfielder, sophomore
  • Emma Coon, outfielder, freshman
  • Payton Hudson, middle infielder junior
  • Jasmine Jackson, middle infielder, junior
  • Avery Lee, pitcher, junior
  • Anna Margetis, first baseman, sophomore
  • Cassidy Middleton, outfielder, junior
  • Paige Mulford, outfielder, junior
  • Ashley Nickisher, third baseman, junior
  • Neely Peterson, catcher, junior
  • Jordan Rosenberg, utility/pitcher, junior

 

District 7-5A Standings (as of March 25)
Team records

  • Hernando — (10-2 overall, 8-0 district)
  • Nature Coast Tech — (9-5 overall, 7-1 district)
  • Cypress Creek — (9-4 overall, 6-2 district)
  • Hudson — (6-7 overall, 2-3 district)
  • Gulf — (3-9 overall, 2-5 district)
  • Central — (2-9 overall, 2-6 district)
  • Fivay — (0-12 overall, 0-6 district
  • Ridgewood — (1-13 overall, 0-7 district)

Published March 28, 2018

Local commitments

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Wesley Chapel High School senior linebacker Austen Wittish committed to play football at NAIA Ave Maria University (Ave Maria, Florida). The 6-foot, 195-pound Wittish tallied a Pasco County-leading 160 total tackles and five sacks in 2017

Zephyrhills High School senior linebacker/tight end Kameron Allen committed to play football at NAIA Division II Warner University (Lake Wales). The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Allen tallied 35 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in 2017

Zephyrhills High School junior wide receiver Ja’quan Sheppard recently earned an FBS Division I scholarship from Western Kentucky University. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Sheppard also claims Division I offers from North Carolina State, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Miss and South Florida universities. Sheppard tallied 37 receptions and led all Pasco County pass catchers in yards (797) and touchdowns (13) in 2017.

Town hall sheds light on opioid overdose prevention

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Cesar Rodriguez spent 17 years of his life as a heroin addict.

He overdosed on five separate occasions, only to be saved by first responders who administered him naloxone, or Narcan, an emergency treatment that counteracts the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose.

“If I didn’t have Narcan,” he said, “I wouldn’t be able to sit here and share my experience. I would’ve never had a shot to recover.”

Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Sherry Johnson Tandy demonstrates how to use the Narcan nasal spray to counteract the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose. She said her agency has deployed the medication 60 times, each of which has been successful in preventing an overdose-related death. (Kevin Weiss)

Parent Lisa Conca also has observed the Narcan’s life-saving effects when her son overdosed on heroin.

“I had never even heard of Narcan until that day he overdosed and was taken to the hospital,” Conca said. “Narcan saves lives and gives our kids another chance to help them on the road to recovery.”

These comments came up during a community discussion on opioid overdose prevention on March 8 at North Tampa Behavioral Health, which is located in Wesley Chapel. The event was organized by the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.

The panel discussion was part of a community-wide effort to provide education about opioid overdose and what individuals can do to save the lives of those suffering with the chronic illness of addiction.

Much of the panel addressed how to access and administer Narcan.

Narcan is the first and only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. The medication helps blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing.

Opioids include heroin and prescription pain pills like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone and Vicodin.

“Often the reason (over-dosers) end up passing is because the brain does not have oxygen. This medication helps alleviate that,” said Szilvia Boos Salmon, a pharmacist with Tampa Poison Control.

Along with the nasal spray, naloxone is available in an injectable form.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is one of a number of growing law enforcement agencies to carry naloxone for possible overdose calls.

Pasco Sheriff Cpl. Sherry Johnson-Tandy said the agency has had over 60 deployments of Narcan. Each deployment was successful in preventing an overdose-related death, she said.

In addition to reversing overdoses, the medication is also for deputies and first responders who may become exposed or have incidental contact to illicit fentanyl or heroin at a particular crime scene.

Johnson-Tandy demonstrated how to safely and effectively administer both the nasal spray and injectable forms of naloxone. Free samples of Narcan were later distributed to the audience.

Johnson-Tandy said it’s onset time is anywhere between 1 minute to 3 minutes.

“It works almost just like an EpiPen,” she said.

Narcan is the first and only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. The medication helps blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing. Opioids include heroin and prescription pain pills like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone and Vicodin. (Courtesy of Amphastar Pharmaceuticals)

“The best thing about this is, if you give it to someone and they don’t need it, it can’t hurt them,” she said, adding if someone overdosed on cocaine or stopped breathing for another reason, it won’t have adverse effects.

The Narcan medication might be needed more than ever.

Opioid overdoses increased by roughly 30 percent across the U.S., in just 14 months between 2016 and 2017, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC called the data a “wake up call to the fast-moving opioid overdose epidemic.” It recorded 142,000 overdoses in hospital emergency departments across the nation, between July 2016 and September 2017.

Although not all overdoses in the study were fatal, they are part of the unsettling toll of opioids. Nationwide in 2016, illicit and prescription drug overdoses killed 64,000 people.

The problem is growing locally, too, experts say.

Pasco County had the highest rate of hospitalization in the Suncoast Region for opioid overdoses, according to 2016 data from the Agency for Healthcare Administration.

Additionally, Pasco has tied for fifth highest out of the state’s 67 counties for drug overdose mortality rates over the last few years, according to county health rankings.

There were 165 overdoses in Pasco in 2017— matching numbers from the 2010 and 2011 prescription pill crisis, said Capt. Mike Jenkins, who oversees the narcotics unit for the special investigations division at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

There’s also been a gradual rise in fentanyl and heroin use in the county over the past year, he said.

Other topics covered during the session included how to prevent opioid addiction and avenues for long-term treatment of people who are dependent on opioids.

Speakers agreed it starts with education and advocacy.

“We can’t arrest our way out of this issue,” Jenkins said. “It takes comprehensive, strategic partnerships to really move forward.”

“Start in the schools early, and educate kids as to how dangerous mom and dad’s pill bottles are,” said New Port Richey-based attorney James Magazine.

Communities must find ways to effectively integrate recovering addicts back into society after they receive treatment, Magazine said.

Rochelle Zwicharowski, a support specialist with the St. Petersburg-based Recovery Epicenter Foundation, said those who have been rehabilitated need to share their experiences.

“There’s 23 million people in recovery, and how many people do you know? We’re too quiet about it. If you’re in recovery, don’t be afraid to speak out about it because we do have to smash that stigma,” she said.

Revised April 3, 2018