The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Sunlake tops Zephyrhills in early-season clash

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Two playoff teams from last year faced off on Sept. 4, and the game lived up to the hype. In the end, the Sunlake Seahawks edged past the Zephyrhills Bulldogs, 44-41. While Zephyrhills might be disappointed to come up short in a high-scoring affair, both teams have reasons to feel good about their season and their future. The Bulldogs’ junior running back, Antwione Sims, scored four touchdowns in the contest with around 300 yards on the ground, while junior Justin Hall paced the Seahawks with nearly 250 passing yards and three touchdown passes.

Sunlake not only got the best of the Bulldogs to earn the win this year, they avenged a 22-7 loss to Zephyrhills last season.

Since that game, Zephyrhills had a bye last weekend and currently sits at 1-1. Sunlake went on to defeat Wiregrass Ranch 31-7 on Sept. 11 to moves to 3-0.

Two Lady Quistas now playing Division I volleyball

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Melina Staengle earned NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week last season and logged more than 300 kills.
Melina Staengle earned NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week last season and logged more than 300 kills.
Melina Staengle earned NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week last season and logged more than 300 kills. (Photos courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Logan Miller was a NJCAA All-American for PHSC and led the team in kills on the volleyball court. (Photos courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

As Pasco-Hernando State College goes through another volleyball season, two of their better players are still recording kills on the court. They’re just doing it for a different team.

Logan Miller and Melina Staengle have both graduated from PHSC and are now suiting up for Chicago State University in Illinois, a Division I NCAA program.

Miller, a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American, was team captain and led the Conquistadors with more than 500 kills last season. Staengle had more than 300 kills of her own and earned NJCAA Defensive Player of the Week honors last season.

 

Riding high, with ribbons to show for it

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Reagan and Pearl have been good friends for a couple of years now.

They spend a few afternoons each week together, and they see each other on weekends, too.

Sometimes they go on trips — to North Carolina and Georgia.

Last month they went to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville.

And they came home with some ribbons.

Back home in Lutz, Reagan, right, and Pearl show off their qualifying and fourth-place ribbons at Avalon Stables. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Back home in Lutz, Reagan, right, and Pearl show off their qualifying and fourth-place ribbons at Avalon Stables.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Reagan is Reagan Moore, a fourth-grader who lives in Lutz. She’s an A-Circuit equestrian competitor in her spare time.

Pearl is La Perla Merchant, Reagan’s 14-year-old American Saddlebred. Pearl lives at Avalon Stables in Lutz.

Reagan and Pearl went to Kentucky to compete at the World’s Championship Horse Show at the Kentucky State Fair.

They brought home a fourth-place finish in Saddle Seat Equitation in the eight-and-under group.

In that kind of competition, the rider is judged more than the horse — but Reagan is quick to credit her partner for their success.

“She’s a good listener, so she’s pretty easy,” Reagan said of Pearl.

Pearl might be an easy partner, but saddle seat equitation itself is quite difficult. With a couple of reins in each hand, riders are judged by how they guide their horse, and the form and poise they use during the evaluation.

And they’re not out there alone. A group of riders perform at once (a total of 10 in Reagan’s group), all attempting to maneuver into the best position in front of the judges, while also trying to relegate the competition into a lesser spot for viewing. Riders must defend their position and maintain a prominent place for evaluation, but also must stay focused on maintaining control of their horse while showing proper form.

Reagan Moore went to Kentucky to compete at the World's Championship Horse Show, along with her partner, her American Saddlebred, Pearl. (Courtesy of Doug Shiflet Photography)
Reagan Moore went to Kentucky to compete at the World’s Championship Horse Show, along with her partner, her American Saddlebred, Pearl.
(Courtesy of Doug Shiflet Photography)

“It’s just all about your legs, hands and how you sit,” Reagan said. Even the position of their chin makes a difference.

That type of form means a lot of practice, and Reagan and Pearl spend hours each week improving.

When they’re not working on their form, Reagan likes to come by and talk to Pearl and brush her hair, and spend time with her “barn friends” at Avalon.

“It’s just amazing out here. It’s so fun,” she said.

While it might be fun at the stables, performing in front of several thousand people in a different state can be a daunting task, especially to a child.

Pam Roush, owner of Avalon Stables, was there to cheer three of her students at the event, and was proud of how Reagan handled herself.

“This particular little athlete is so poised and so confident with her horse,” she said. “She has no fear, and no thoughts that are negative.”

Reagan has been with Avalon for several years. She started riding when she was 3.

And, Roush has enjoyed seeing her grow into such a competitive athlete even at her young age.

Roush wasn’t the only one rooting for Reagan at the event. Her parents, Allison and Kris, went to Kentucky, as did her grandmother. Her brother, Dylan, stayed home for the beginning of the school year, but was rooting for her at home.

Even though he didn’t grow up around horses, Kris Moore is impressed with his daughter’s success. Seeing her perform at such a large event in front of thousands of people was a special moment.

“It was breathtaking. It’s hard to explain. Just to see her out there and doing it, it was just amazing,” he said.

Getting to that point hasn’t been easy. Between Reagan’s riding and Dylan’s travel baseball, there’s a lot of scheduling and coordinating that keeps the Moore’s calendar full. But it’s worth it, Kris said, because the children are doing something they love and are focused on positive activities.

The trip to Kentucky was a big positive for Reagan and her family. In addition to competing, she had time to see a few sights. She visited a park dedicated to the American Saddlebred, as well as Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.

Of course, bringing home a ribbon for fourth place was pretty nice, too.

“It was such a great feeling,” Reagan said. “I’m just so proud of (Pearl). It’s just so cool.”

And for Roush, who has seen Reagan grow into a top competitor, watching her longtime student succeed was a great experience, too.

“That’s the ultimate feeling that you can have as an instructor. It’s the reason why we do it,” she said.

Published September 9, 2015

High goals, hard practices for Sunlake volleyball

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Deann Newton has taken the Sunlake volleyball team from perennial also-ran to state title contender.

And, she did it in just two seasons.

So, what’s the team’s reward for its third season? Really challenging practices.

“We don’t have a lot of down time in practice. We keep them going,” Newton said.

With a healthy number of varsity and junior varsity players — practice in Sunlake's gym is loud, crowded and focused. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
With a healthy number of varsity and junior varsity players — practice in Sunlake’s gym is loud, crowded and focused.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The team goes hard the entire time at practice, with the junior varsity squad on one court and the varsity squad on the other. Athletes are yelling out communication to each other as volleyballs are being served at top speeds. Occasionally, a team takes a lap or two around the gymnasium, or one side of a court breaks into push-ups or crunches.

Players also focus on mental toughness, getting past mistakes, overcoming adversity and making adjustments on the fly.

Easy practices would be counterproductive to Newton’s goals, which is to keep building on the team’s success.

During her first season, the Seahawks logged its first winning season in school history, and in their second it made the state semifinals.

Now, players know they’re on a good team. The problem is, so does everybody else.

“After having success and going to state, everybody we play is going to be up for us,” Newton said. “Everyone’s going to be ready for us, everyone’s going to have their best match on us.”

To counter that new reputation, the coach wants to keep her players humble, challenged and hard at work.

All of the varsity girls play on club volleyball teams, and Newton is giving them even more work for the high school campaign.

She has scheduled a difficult preseason tournament, and has more booked where the team will face higher classes than their 6A status, which is an upgrade from last season. Since the team will face talented teams if it reaches the playoffs again, Newton wants her players to be ready to compete against the best well before the team’s district tournament.

Playing at a high level means also paying attention to statistics. Their serving, for example, should be at an 85-90 percent success rate according to Newton. Even though they opened their regular season with a 3-0 win against Fivay on Aug. 25, their serve success rate was at just 78 percent, which means it can get better over the course of the season, even as the team racks up victories.

And opponents can expect Sunlake to pile up quite a few victories, since the team didn’t lose many players from last season. Just two athletes, Sarah Sprague and Shaira Sanabria, were lost to graduation.

But those were very good players.

Both are playing volleyball at the college level, Newton said.

Also, losing two players means more than just filling two holes in the lineup. The coach has tinkered with the positions to field the strongest team possible, which means experienced players might need to learn a new role.

If those changes and rigorous workouts will equal greater success, the players are on board. Junior Nelly Diaz said the team is already putting in the effort.

“Each practice, we come in working 10 times harder than we did the last,” she said.

Part of that stems from a desire to overcome a sense that they didn’t play their best at the end of last season.

Although Sunlake reached the state semifinals, and the team was proud of their accomplishments, Diaz said the 3-0 defeat to Merritt Island was not a true reflection of the team’s talent.

Now, players are ready to get back to the postseason and prove they’re capable of achieving more.

Diaz knows the tough practice sessions are designed to make them stronger when they’re facing competitors and every point counts.

“As our athletic director (Reesa Pledge) and our coach say, ‘If you can’t take the heat in the gym, you can’t take the heat in the game.’ So we make sure that we are in condition and working hard 100 percent,” she said.

Newton also is giving 100 percent as coach, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. She became a coach after playing college volleyball at Western Oregon University.

After that, she took 10 years off to start a family.

Now that she’s back, she’s ready to build a winning program, get behind it and stay there. That could be bad news for opponents, because it means Sunlake should have a formidable team for several years to come.

In fact, she’s already recruiting several years in advance.

“I’m not going anywhere. My daughter (Taryn) is in third grade, and I plan to be here for the time she graduates and have her play for me,” she said.

Sunlake Seahawks volleyball schedule
Aug. 25 Sunlake 3, Fivay 0

Aug. 27 Sunlake 3, Wiregrass Ranch 1

Sept. 1 Sunlake 3, Land O’ Lakes 1

Sept. 3 Sunlake 3, Pasco 0

Sept. 8 vs. Springstead, 6 p.m.

Sept. 9 vs. Wesley Chapel, 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 Academy of Holy Names tournament

Sept. 12 Academy of Holy Names tournament

Sept. 15 at Mitchell, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Land O’ Lakes, 6 p.m.

Sept. 23 vs. Ridgewood, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Springstead, 6 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Zephyrhills, 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Mitchell, 6 p.m.

Oct. 9 Wharton Harvest Tournament

Oct. 10 Wharton Harvest Tournament

Oct. 13 vs. Anclote, 6 p.m.

Oct. 14 at River Ridge, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15 vs. Gulf, 6 p.m.

Oct. 20 District tournament at Sunlake begins

Published September 9, 2015

Prep Sports Board

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Aug. 31
Volleyball
Robinson 3, Steinbrenner 0
Wharton 3, Riverview 0

Sept. 1
Volleyball
Sunlake 3, Land O’ Lakes 1
Wiregrass Ranch 3, Anclote 0

Sept. 2
Volleyball
Academy at the Lakes 3, Pasco 0
Wharton 3, Strawberry Crest 0

Sept. 3
Volleyball
Sunlake 3, Pasco 0
Freedom 3, Hillsborough 0

Sept. 9
Volleyball
Wesley Chapel at Sunlake, 6 p.m.
Sickles at Steinbrenner, 7:30 p.m.
Wharton at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 10
Volleyball
Anclote at Wesley Chapel, 7:30 p.m.
Gulf at Land O’ Lakes, 7:30 p.m.
River Ridge at Pasco, 7 p.m.
Freedom at Leto, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 11
Football
Sunlake at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.
Land O’ Lakes at Anclote, 7:30 p.m.
Wesley Chapel at Pasco, 7:30 p.m.
Steinbrenner at Chamberlain, 7:30 p.m.
Alonso at Freedom, 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay Tech at Wharton, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14
Volleyball
Ridgewood at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 15
Volleyball
Sunlake at Mitchell, 7:30 p.m.
Wesley Chapel at Fivay, 7:30 p.m.
Zephyrhills at Pasco, 7 p.m.

Sources: MaxPreps, various

DIABETES 5K RUN/WALK OCT. 25

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Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd., will host a 5K run/walk on Oct. 25. The event is designed to raise awareness about diabetes and about the hospital’s efforts to help patients manage it. Registration begins at the hospital’s campus at 7 a.m., with the 5K scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. The cost is $30 per person. To register, visit RunForZephyrhills.org. For information about the hospital’s diabetes education program, call (813) 715-6683.

Fish fry and Florida’s history mix on Sept. 11

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The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, is situated on 16 acres and has an old schoolhouse, church and general store as part of its attractions.

Now, it would like more people to come and see what it has to offer.

Those Unscrupulous Sunspots will entertain the hungry crowd with live music at the museum. (Courtesy of Those Unscrupulous Sunspots)
Those Unscrupulous Sunspots will entertain the hungry crowd with live music at the museum.
(Courtesy of Those Unscrupulous Sunspots)

“One of the issues that we have here is that a lot of people don’t know about the museum,” said Brenda Minton, event coordinator for the museum. “It’s kind of like Dade City’s best kept secret.”

Minton hopes the secret will be out with the museum’s Old-Fashioned Family Style Fish Fry, which will take place Sept. 11 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The Kiwanis Club of Dade City is co-sponsoring the event.

The fish fry replaces their Pioneer Days event in an effort to offer something new to the community. It includes live music by Those Unscrupulous Sunspots, a six-piece band that performs covers of rock and roll classics from The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Neil Young, as well as playing original tunes.

In addition to the fish, dinner includes items such as cheese grits, hushpuppies, cole slaw and baked beans. Food can be ordered to go, and is available by delivery to businesses that order 10 or more dinners during that time.

The museum hopes most people will choose to eat there and take a fresh look at the area, and the dozen or so buildings that have been collected over its history.

The museum had popular fish frys several years ago, and they hope its return will reacquaint people to their attraction. (Courtesy of the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village)
The museum had popular fish frys several years ago, and they hope its return will reacquaint people to their attraction.
(Courtesy of the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village)

The Pioneer Florida Museum began at the Pasco County Fairgrounds before moving to its current location more than 40 years ago. Many of the buildings were renovated and relocated to their new home, and they come from different parts of the state. A shoe repair shop from downtown Dade City shares the grounds with a steam engine from Trilby, and a Lacoochee school and general store. There’s also a cane syrup mill, a quilt building and a barn.

Those Unscrupulous Sunspots will be performing on the front porch of another structure, the Overstreet House, which is a two-story farm home made of pine.

The main museum features a sample bedroom, doctor’s office and dentist’s office. There are also authentic examples of clothes, tools, toys, pottery and other artifacts from Florida’s pioneer era that began in the 1800s.

Minton believes that people will be interested in returning once they see the history on display.

Some come back for more than a tour, she said. The Enterprise Church, built in 1878 and replaced in 1903, is still available for weddings.

In addition to the music, the museum will set up picnic tables and hold games during the event.

Visitors who stay to eat will enjoy free lemonade and iced tea as well.

The museum’s goal is to sell 500 tickets for the event, and Minton said feedback has been good so far.

“It’s kind of bringing the community together for a fun afternoon and also showing off the museum,” she said. “I think we’re going to have a nice crowd.”

Tickets for the fish fry are $8 and can be purchased at the museum, the Dade City Chamber of Commerce or by calling (352) 206-8889. For more information, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Published September 2, 2015

 

Wesley Chapel business adds a little fun at the doctor’s office

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A child’s trip to a doctor’s office often includes anxiety, frustration and tears. And if the child refuses to behave, that can be the parent’s reaction as well.

“I’ve been exposed to the long wait times, and the distress of the patients and the parents while they’re waiting for the doctor,” said Wesley Chapel resident Katy Gabriel.

Gabriel has experienced that distress from both sides of the pediatric office. As a mother, she knows what it’s like to wait with upset or bored children who don’t want to be there in the first place. And as a nurse for more than 20 years, she’s seen pediatric doctors try to heal unhappy children and deal with unhappy families.

Katy Gabriel came up with the idea for Squirrely Scrolls after a frustrating office experience with her son, Christian. He now helps design the activities, which come in rain forest and Caribbean themes. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)
Katy Gabriel came up with the idea for Squirrely Scrolls after a frustrating office experience with her son, Christian. He now helps design the activities, which come in rain forest and Caribbean themes.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)

It’s a setting that could use a little creativity and fun. And, Gabriel has invented something she thinks will provide just that.

Her company, Squirrely Scrolls, provides a different type of exam table paper, the crinkly sheets that get replaced with each new patient. Normally a simple white, Gabriel’s paper includes games, puzzles and coloring opportunities. With a series of six panels that repeat throughout the roll, the exam table becomes an activity center for patients and their siblings.

“When the doctor comes in, not only are the kids occupied and entertained, they’re in better moods. and it also keeps them on the table where the doctor wants them,” Gabriel said.

The inspiration for the product came from her family. When her 10-year-old son, Christian, sustained a football injury, he had to sit in the room while the office dealt with a malfunctioning x-ray machine.

“It took forever. It was driving me crazy. I was peeking out the door waiting for the doctor to come,” recalled Christian, now 11 and an assistant in designing the Squirrely Scrolls. After testing out his mother’s idea, he agrees it would make long waits more tolerable and improve the exam room setting.

While there are obvious benefits for the patients, the advantages for the office are just as significant, Gabriel said. Calmer, happier children make for an improved office visit experience, which improves patient satisfaction and client retention.

Jillian Stephens, left, and her sister, Jocelyn, take their crayons to the Squirrely Scrolls activity paper. The new exam table paper is designed to keep children occupied and create a better office visit experience.
Jillian Stephens, left, and her sister, Jocelyn, take their crayons to the Squirrely Scrolls activity paper. The new exam table paper is designed to keep children occupied and create a better office visit experience.

Plus, the crayons are easy to clean, and the doctor can tear off more sheets, as needed.

And, since the children want to be on the table, exams can be completed more efficiently and with less negativity.

More than 50 doctors — working in around two dozen offices — currently use Squirrely Scrolls in their exam rooms, Gabriel said, and there have been frequent re-orders.

The addition of activities has benefits that even the doctors notice.

“Our patients and their parents love Squirrely Scrolls,” said Dr. Samir Douidar from

Night Owl Pediatrics Urgent Care in Tampa, via email. “The activities on the paper help to keep the children occupied while I perform my exams, making the visit more productive and beneficial for all.”

Those activities get refreshed every so often, with hangman giving way to a maze in the most recent theme.

Currently, the paper comes in Amazon Rain Forest and Calypso Caribbean, with dinosaurs and outer space themes being considered for the future.

For now, the business has become so successful that Gabriel has cut back on her nursing duties to tend to its growth, and she’s recruited the family to help.

In addition to Christian, her other son, Mike, has worked on the outlines of the animals. And, husband Michael handles the computer design. They now have a warehouse in Wesley Chapel to store the scrolls, and hope to find a sponsor on the paper and a distributor to expand nationally as well.

For now, Gabriel is motivated by the feedback she’s getting from the offices that use her product, and the knowledge that she’s helping families make a necessary appointment a little more bearable while doctors give patients a better office experience.

“I hear the same thing over and over again (from participating offices). ‘We love it.’ They all use the ‘L’ word,” Gabriel said. “They can’t get enough of it, and they won’t go back to white. I promise you that.”

For more information about Squirrely Scrolls, email , or visit SquirrelyScrolls.com.

Published September 2, 2015

Freedom looks to build on last year’s winning season

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Behind Freedom High School is the school’s football field, where the Patriots play home games. And behind that is a practice field where dozens of players run drills, practice plays, chase footballs, throw spirals and do their best to improve throughout the week.

Senior Xavier Hardy is taking on a leadership role this season. A total of 14 starters from last year are back on the field in 2015. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)
Senior Xavier Hardy is taking on a leadership role this season. A total of 14 starters from last year are back on the field in 2015.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)

The athletes are both varsity and junior varsity players, and they often practice together.

“The motto here is ‘One Team, One Family,'” head coach Tom Donohoe said. “We don’t want any player out here to feel like they’re not a part of what we do. So we’re real big on trying to keep everybody involved.”

That involvement is paying dividends under Donohoe’s leadership, now entering its fourth year. Last year, the varsity team was 6-4, which marks the first winning season at Freedom since 2009. And the record could have been even better, because they had so many close games: The Patriots lost one in overtime, another by just one point and a third by two points.

Many of the team’s contests were low-scoring affairs (Freedom scored 15 points or less in half of its wins) because the defense was tops in their district last year, Donohoe said. This season he wants to ramp up the scoring and kick the offense into high gear.

“The defense did a great job. They kept us in every game,” he said. “Our focus this year is hopefully to score some more points on offense and special teams, and reward the defense a little bit more.”

Putting more points on the board will help eliminate the sting of those close losses. It’s something that senior Xavier Hardy remembers well.

Head coach Tom Donohoe is seeing results in games, because he's looking for results in practice.
Head coach Tom Donohoe is seeing results in games, because he’s looking for results in practice.

“It was hard to take those losses. It really was,” Hardy said. As a wide receiver and defensive end, he experienced the game from both sides of the field. Having a winning record but leaving some wins on the table motivates him to work harder and provide senior leadership in his final season.

Things look promising for the Patriots this year, Hardy said. The team is more connected than last year, and players are learning to stick with their assignments and do less freelancing on the field.

Practice is hard work at Freedom, but Hardy wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love everything about football. It’s the contact and the studying,” he said.

This season, experience will also play a big role. Last year’s varsity team found success even though it featured seven sophomores and two freshmen. Those players are now a year older with more confidence, and have become veterans of the system. Overall, the Patriots will retain seven starters on offense and seven on defense from last year, which gives the team every opportunity to build on 2014’s success.

While Donohoe feels good about where his team is, he’s been doing this too long to make any bold predictions. Now in his 22nd season coaching overall, he wants players to set the playoffs as a goal. But he knows there are many steps in between to worry about the end of the season when it’s just starting.

“We take it game by game, and more than that, we take it practice by practice. Hopefully we’re better today than we were yesterday,” he said.

Even after coaching so long, the game is still fun for him.

Donohoe moves from group to group during practice, relying on his trusted coaching staff, but he is also eager to see for himself how his players are executing.

When the offense is running simulations, Donohoe is there. When the kickoff team is practicing, and the kick return team is getting work in, Donohoe is there. And, as they develop over the years and mature on and off the field, Donohoe wants to be there, too.

“I tell the guys all the time that I’m a poor man, because I’m a teacher, and we don’t make a lot of money, but I’m a rich man, because I get to work with kids,” Donohoe said. “The opportunity to come out here and help the youth is what it’s about. There’s nothing better than that.”

Freedom Patriots regular season schedule
(all times at 7:30 p.m.)

Aug. 28 vs. East Bay

Sept.11 vs. Alonso

Sept. 18 at Spoto

Sept. 25 vs. Wharton

Oct. 2 vs. Wiregrass Ranch

Oct. 9 at Gaither

Oct. 16 vs. Leto

Oct. 23 at Plant

Oct. 30 at Sickles

Nov. 6 at Plant City

Published September 2,2015