Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Jeff Odom

Land O’ Lakes girls tennis player Deneen Wang had no idea the team’s season rested on her shoulders at the Class 3A-District 6 tournament April 3 at River Ridge.

The Gators’ No. 3 singles player advanced to the district final against Central’s Brittany Blackburn. A win would give Land O’ Lakes the runner-up spot, but a loss would force the team to come back the next day for a tiebreaker for the second straight season.

Fortunately for the Gators, history didn’t repeat itself.

Wang, a freshman, took down her senior counterpart 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to lift her squad to a two-point win over the Bears, sealing a third straight playoff berth behind champion Springstead. The win sent coach Karen Turman and her teammates into a frenzy.

“Not without drama,” said Turman, her eyes red with tears. “The last two days were unbelievable between yesterday when the heat was getting us, and the No. 2 singles had to retire during her match, to being down to the very last match (today), and I knew, of course, the last match would go three sets.”

Turman said she didn’t tell Wang until after the match how crucial the win was to keep her mind fresh. However, Wang, who lost to Blackburn in the regular season, said she had a feeling it was important.

“My coach would never tell me that this is it,” Wang said. “(In the last meeting, Blackburn) told me, ‘You know what? (You’re) going to win. You’ll be better next time.’ That motivated me to beat her.”

Land O’ Lakes’ No. 1 doubles duo of Kavya Avancha and Cori Arndt made their mark as well by becoming the first duo in program history to qualify for states after defeating Zephyrhills’ Hannah Ungerer and Sydney Owens 6-4, 6-4 in the finals.

“It’s really, really exciting to me, because I’ve been playing doubles since I was a freshman,” said Arndt, a junior. “Kavya’s such a great partner, and I feel like we worked well together. … Today, we just wanted to come in and win, because we had lost to Zephyrhills earlier in the season, but we just really wanted to play our best.”

Turman said she was proud of the two because of their drive on and off the court.

“It’s very, very good, and I’m so proud of that team because they worked hard, and every match this year they built a little more confidence,” Turman said. “We talked about it this morning. They had to walk on that court, do their best and they did. … This is big for Land O’ Lakes, because the boys have gone before, and now it’s our turn.”

Avancha came up just short of going to states as an individual, losing the singles title to Leesburg’s No. 1 Janelle Taylor 6-1, 7-6 (7-1).

On the boys’ side, the Gators did not advance out of districts for the first time in five seasons, finishing third behind champion Springstead and runner-up Mitchell.

Land O’ Lakes finished with 11 points, one less than the Mustangs. The Gators had four players to singles finals, but only No. 5 Eric Lee earned a victory 6-3, 6-3 over Sunlake’s Chris Wilkinson.

The Gators girls travel to Ocala Forest for the regional semifinals on April 9.

By Jeff Odom

The heart of the Fitz-Randolph family rivalry between siblings Eric, Jackie and Lauren can be found at the ping-pong table inside their home.

Eric, a senior, and eighth-grader Lauren are self-described “main rivals” of each other, often playing multiple games at a time. Both agree it can become quite heated.

“It’s not really a rivalry when your opponents don’t win,” Eric said with a wide grin. “She’s never beaten me in anything.”

“That’s so not true,” countered Lauren, laughing.

Jackie, a sophomore, gets in from time to time, but usually watches their epic battles.

“Those two really do go at it a lot,” Jackie said. “I’m not nearly as good, because they don’t give me time to practice.”

Although the friendly games of table tennis may earn the Carrollwood Day School (CDS) trio occasional bragging rights around the house, what they’re doing on the actual tennis court has given them — and their school — much more than that.

***

Long before they were district and regional titlists at CDS, the Fitz-Randolphs had other aspirations.

Eric began playing tennis for fun at a young age, but his sisters opted for a different route — competitive gymnastics.

“Me and Lauren started off as gymnasts, and we really wanted to go really far in that, but it came to a time where it was just so much,” Jackie said. “It got so hard with always injuring your muscles at such a young age and constantly practicing long hours and balancing other sports like soccer and swimming. Eric was doing tennis, and we decided to follow in his footsteps.”

The two informed their parents of their decision to give up gymnastics during dinner one night.

Lauren picked up the game almost immediately with the guidance of her brother.

“I definitely had a wider outlook, especially because I was younger,” Lauren said. “I just wanted to try more things, and tennis was really great because I followed my brother and he helped me.”

For Jackie, it took some getting used to.

“I really hated it,” Jackie recalled. “I don’t know what got in to me back then. I would always go up to the courts in our neighborhood with my dad, and I would always have the worst attitude.”

Though it was a rocky start, the then 9-year-old Jackie began to heed the advice of her father, Rod, a member of the U.S. Olympic shooting team in 1980 and 1988.

The move from balance beams to tennis rackets soon paid off for the sisters.

They started competing in large tournaments against some of the best players in the state, each earning a spot in the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) junior national rankings.

Eric soon shifted from playing as a hobby to competing seriously at age 15, joining Lauren and Jackie with USTA notoriety.

“It was definitely weird for me at an older age just getting used to that level of competition,” Eric said. “They were kind of already exposed to it, so it was harder for me.”

When the three arrived at CDS, boys tennis coach John Most convinced Eric to give the high school level a try. He agreed, and before long set the bar of success for the Patriots.

Eric became the first male to win an individual district title during the boys’ inaugural season in 2011 and advanced to the Class 1A state singles semifinals.

Jackie and Lauren followed suit, leading the CDS girls to the school’s first team district and regional title last year. The duo also reached the doubles state title match the year before.

“I think it’s all about hard work and practice,” said Eric, who won his second individual district championship last season. “I think if you put in the work, the results will show, and I try to set a good example for Jackie and Lauren. That’s where my success has derived from.”

***

Aside from the rigorous expectations that come with high-level tennis, the Fitz-Randolphs also take into account their grades, which are even more important in CDS’ International Baccalaureate program.

At times, balancing it all may be tough, but with the full support of their parents and youngest sister Danielle, a sixth-grader, they agree it makes the work easier.

“I think our parents are most proud of us because we’re able to balance out tennis and school, and we get good grades,” Lauren said. “It takes a lot of responsibility, but it makes you feel better, and it really helps out, and we’re happy our parents put us in this school.”

The trio has aspirations of earning scholarships to major Division I universities and potentially taking their talents to the professional ranks someday.

Though Eric will be graduating at the end of the school year, the competitive, yet loving, rivalry between them is sure to remain.

“We’ve been doing this as a family, having siblings who have basically been establishing good athletics at this school,” Jackie said. “It’s going to be a lot different once he leaves. I mean, I’ll actually be driving after practice.”

“Rough life,” Eric said with a laugh. “They just won’t have their chauffeur anymore.”

“It will be,” Jackie shouted. “I won’t be able to sleep on the way over there, and I can’t do any homework.”

There will be one benefit for Lauren:  “I’ll have time to help (Jackie) practice ping-pong too.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Academy at the Lakes girls softball team is on quite a streak.

The Wildcats (7-3) have made the playoffs every season since becoming eligible in 2008. They’ve already extended that run to a sixth-straight year by locking up the No. 1 seed in Class 2A-District 4 tournament, which comes with a spot in the championship game.

But the 2013 squad isn’t looking to merely extend a postseason streak. The academy has goals of going further than last season when the Wildcats won the first district championship in program history and reached the 2A regional finals.

“It definitely showed us the growth of our program,” said junior shortstop Lauren Evans, who has been on the squad since her eighth-grade year. “Everything came together. We’re still coming together this year because we have new players, but it’s a good thing. It shows that academy sports, everyone, basketball, our football and our softball, we’re all growing.”

Second-year academy coach Jerry English, who has more than 30 years experience leading high school programs, told his players early in the season to forget about what happened in 2012 “because everyone else will remember last year, and they’re not going to take us for granted. … We need to improve. We are good in our district level, but there’s a whole new world when you get outside of our district.”

The squad only lost three players from last year, but English said it feels like a new team.

“It’s a constant building situation here with a small selection of kids at the school to have play for us,” English said. “There are some high-level players and some who have never played before, and getting them to adapt and play together is a constant juggling act. … They’re a great group of kids and really root each other on.”

Among the newcomers are senior first baseman Andrea Mauger and freshman center fielder Janice Cassenello, both members of the Wildcats’ state runner-up basketball team.

“Neither one of them has played softball in quite awhile, but they’re athletes and they’re willing to learn,” English said. “They have brought their great practice habits in. … If they make a mistake it’s only because they’ve never come across the situation before, and they don’t make the same mistake twice.”

English has leaned on his core of senior pitcher Sydney Boynton (7-3, 2.41 ERA, 78 strikeouts), sophomore catcher Skyler Boynton (.515, 14 runs) and Evans (.571, 19 runs, 14 RBI), a University of South Florida commit.

Evans split time pitching with Sydney last year, but the latter has taken on the job full-time and thrown every single pitch this season.

Sydney was named The Laker/Lutz News Softball Pitcher of the Year for her efforts last season and has focused on improving her repertoire for her final high school season.

“It could be one pitch that determines the game,” Sydney said. “I’m just making sure my changeup and curveball are always working, because those are my strikeout pitches. I’ve been working to make sure the changeup is perfect because that really sets up everything else.”

Skyler, Sydney’s sister, said of that changeup, “When it’s on, it’s on, and we heavily rely on it to strike people out. It’s really one of the best changeups I’ve ever seen.”

Skyler moved from center field this year to fill a team need despite not playing catcher for several years.

“It was hard at first, especially with the bumps and bruises you get catching,” Skyler said. “It’s hard having your sister pitch, because if she doesn’t pitch it right, or I miss it, we kind of give each other that little glare, but it’s working. … Sometimes she’ll shake me off, but I’ll nod my head to say yes and just pitch it because I know it’ll get them out.”

Skyler also leads off the academy’s lineup.

“I’m looking for my pitch and not swinging at balls, which will allow me to get on base more,” Skyler said. “As the leadoff hitter you want to have a good on base. … With Lauren, Sydney and Maria (Aumaitre) behind me it’s a good feeling that they’re going to drive me in.”

The mentality has worked for Skyler, who has a .579 on-base percentage.

“Skyler normally gets on every time,” Evans said. “It really takes pressure off the rest of us because she’s always getting hits and is on when I’m coming up so I can hit her in.”

English also commended the improvement of Aumaitre (.320), a senior third baseman.

“Maria has, to me, been the most improved player since last year,” English said.

The Wildcats will look to repeat as district champs at Hernando Christian April 18 at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of the game between the tournament host and Seven Rivers Christian.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Land O’ Lakes senior leadoff hitter Dylan Harris picked up a walk-off single in the eighth inning to lead his squad over visiting River Ridge 8-7 in extra innings in a Class 6A-District 10 contest April 5.

The Gators improved to 16-2 overall and finished district play with a perfect 8-0 record, while the Royal Knights dropped to 10-9, 2-4 in 6A-10.

“We’ve won five or six games in our last at-bat,” said Land O’ Lakes coach Calvin Baisley. “This team has a lot of character.”

Harris, a St. Leo University signee, singled home courtesy runner Zach Neely with two outs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.

Gators catcher Nathan Grant walked to start the eighth inning and Neely replaced him on the bases. Austin Connor struck out, but Connor Stephens walked sending Neely to second base, setting the stage for Harris.

“He threw me a curveball for a strike on the first pitch, and I was sitting on a curve,” said Harris, who knocked the second pitch into left field to score Neely. “We’ve been coming back the whole year. It would be nice to have the lead.”

Harris started the game at shortstop, moved to third base, and then pitched the eighth inning in place of reliever Josh Nissen.

“He’s a gamer,” said Baisley of Harris’ game-winning hit. “He gave me the sign that he wanted to bunt, but he’s the guy you want up there (swinging) in that situation.”

Harris also was the winning pitcher. He struck out two and allowed one hit in his first mound appearance of the season.

“He hasn’t thrown in a game because I need him in the field, but he knew it was coming,” Baisley said. “Harris pitched last year and has a nice breaking ball. He is a competitor who knows what he’s doing.”

Land O’ Lakes sophomore outfielder Alex Reynolds had two hits and three RBI, including a single with one out that scored Harris to tie the score 7-7 in the seventh inning.

Harris walked and went to second on a wild pitch before Nissen’s sacrifice bunt sent him to third with Reynolds coming to the plate.

“I knew I didn’t want to get behind in the count,” Reynolds said. “I knew he had good off-speed stuff, but I hit a fastball. … I just look for my pitch. If I get a strike, I at least make contact and put it in play.”

The Gators took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Nissen reached with a bunt single, stole second and scored on Reynolds’ base hit off River Ridge starting pitcher Tyler Hawks.

River Ridge plated two runs to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning without getting a hit off Land O’ Lakes starter Zach Whitaker, who walked two batters and had three wild pitches in the frame.

“Our defense was sloppy, and that’s one of our strengths,” said Baisley, whose team committed four errors. “I wasn’t satisfied.”

Brett Renner relieved Whitaker to start the fourth and allowed four hits and four runs before Nissen relieved him with no outs.

Nissen allowed one unearned run, then held River Ridge scoreless until Harris relieved to start the eighth inning.

“Nissen is our closer, and I wasn’t planning on bringing him in, but we were in a jam,” Baisley said. “His ball has got movement, and he gets a lot of groundballs.”

The Gators used four hits and one error to score four runs in the fourth inning. Grant, Connor and Stephens each had RBI singles in the frame.

The Gators played at Ridgewood April 8, but results were not available by press time. They host Wiregrass Ranch April 10 at 7 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

Steinbrenner flag football player Alexa Fernandez couldn’t practice in the days leading up to her squad’s matchup at Freedom April 1 because of an eight-day mission trip in Ireland.

Turns out the senior rusher didn’t need it.

With two minutes left in the game, Fernandez intercepted a pass from Patriots (4-1, 3-1) quarterback Missy Dunbar and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown to give the Warriors (4-1, 3-0) a 12-6 win to keep them undefeated in District 16.

“(I was thinking) yes, yes, yes, yes,” Fernandez said. “The whole entire game, I was rusher, and I had the ball at my fingertips constantly, and I was just like I want the pick. Eventually I got it, and it was just the best feeling ever and very exciting.”

Both offenses struggled to find momentum in the first half.

The best opportunity for points in the opening 24 minutes came during Steinbrenner’s opening drive, as backup quarterback Alyssa Dawson connected with wide receiver Justice Thigpen for a 15-yard pass on third down and goal. The senior, however, threw an incomplete pass on fourth down from the 5-yard line.

Dawson finished 11-of-19 for 67 yards and one touchdown to one interception. She filled in at quarterback for Fernandez because of the lack of recent practice time.

“It was definitely extremely hard, because we’ve never seen a defense of that size before,” said Dawson. “They had about three or four girls (6-feet tall), so it was really hard to get the ball and capitalize.”

The Warriors’ defense came through when it mattered the most in the second half.

Junior defensive back Daniela Coffey, who finished with two interceptions, picked off Dunbar to open the third quarter, giving Steinbrenner the momentum needed to get on the scoreboard.

After three straight completions, Dawson found sophomore wide receiver Remi Brantley over the middle for an 18-yard touchdown with 3:38 left to cap off the six-play drive and take a 6-0 lead.

Second-year Steinbrenner coach Gregg Puskas said he was proud of how his team, especially the defense, responded coming out of halftime.

“It’s been nice to control our own destiny, and a big part of that is the defense that coach (Cathy) Tintera has put in,” Puskas said. “We’ve got a lot of speed on defense with 17 or 18 interceptions in our first four regular season games … and they’ve really been giving us good field position and has kept us out of trouble.”

Freedom wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, responding with a score in the fourth.

Dunbar and sophomore Taylor Mort combined for 21 rushing yards before a holding penalty against the Warriors gave the Patriots first-and-goal from the 20. Dunbar (one touchdown, four interceptions) connected with senior Ashle Thompson for an 18-yard gain and then finished the job with a three-yard pass to Mort to tie the score up at 6-6.

Freedom looked poised to take its first lead of the game on its next possession after a 20-yard reception by Veronica Bell gave the team a first down from the 40-yard-line late in the game, but Fernandez’s interception two plays later gave Steinbrenner the lead for good.

“When I played basketball, Freedom beat us four times,” Fernandez said. “Even though it’s not basketball … it’s good to give them a little of our flag football flavor.”

Freedom played Alonso and Steinbrenner played Gaither April 8, but results were not available by press time. The Patriots play at home against district rival Sickles April 11 at 7 p.m., the same date and time the Warriors host District 16 opponent Wharton.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Freedom softball team fought through the emotions of senior night to defeat Class 7A-District 9 rival Steinbrenner 3-0 April 5.

Pitcher Katlin Hall, a Wharton transfer, was among the four seniors who participated in the pregame ceremony.

“This game was very emotional,” Katlin said. “I pitched, maybe not my best game, but it’s definitely one I’ll remember.”

Caroline Whiteside, a four-year player at Freedom (14-2, 7-1), said her emotions were in a similar place.

“Tons of butterflies in my stomach,” Whiteside said. “You want to do well on senior night because you only get one. It was a bit nerve racking, but my team was there for me, and we pulled through. It was definitely a team win tonight.”

Whiteside said playing the Warriors (10-9, 3-6) helped snap the squad back to reality because it was Steinbrenner that knocked the Patriots out of playoff contention last year.

“That’s always there because we beat them twice last year and then lost to them in districts,” Whiteside said. “We know anything is possible, so we need to keep our heads on straight no matter what the score was last game. They’re a good team.”

Freedom got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first when senior shortstop Caitlin Harper smacked a triple to drive in freshman catcher Maddy Hall, who led off the contest with an infield single.

Senior third baseman Savanna Chavez drove in a run with a single in the fourth, and Whiteside rounded out the scoring with an RBI bunt in the fifth.

The Warriors threatened in the fifth thanks to a walk and two outfield errors to put runners on third and second with one out.

Katlin got Tabitha Alcott to pop up to Whiteside for the second out and forced Erica Serafini to hit a weak grounder to her second baseman to end the threat.

“Katlin is a competitor,” said Patriots coach Autum Hernandez. “She’s going to fight no matter what. The higher the stacks get, the harder she fights. I wasn’t concerned with her pitching. I knew she’d buckle down even though her arm was a little sore today, and she was still able to lock in.”

Katlin, who threw five innings of two-hit ball, said she used her defense to get out of the jam.

“As a pitcher I want to strike the next batter out, but I trust my defense, so I threw one over the plate and got the ground ball to get an out,” Katlin said.

The victory put Freedom into a tie for the top district seed with Chamberlain, but the Patriots lost the tie-breaking coin flip on April 8.

Freedom hosts the 7A-9 tournament, where the Patriots will play Steinbrenner in the semifinals April 17 at 7 p.m. The winner clinches a playoff berth and a spot in the district championship game April 18 at 7 p.m.

Freedom plays at Hillsborough April 9 before closing the regular season at Plant April 11. Steinbrenner travels to Sickles April 9 and hosts Tampa Bay Tech April 11. Games start at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch junior pitcher Ryan Girard threw his first career no-hitter in a 6-0 win at Class 7A-District 9 rival Chamberlain April 5.

Girard, a junior, said he felt good going into the contest.

“From the bullpen everything was better than usual,” Girard said. “It just carried over to the game.”

The righty said his fastball and curveball were both on in the contest, and he used the combo to strike out 11 batters.

“I was getting ahead with the fastball and then throwing the curveball to get outs,” Girard said. “The curveball actually felt better than usual. I was commanding it, and they were swinging at it in the dirt, so I guess they were having trouble seeing. I just kept throwing it.”

Only three Chiefs got on base. Girard (3-1, 1.43 ERA) walked one batter in the seventh inning, and the other two reached on strikeouts.

Girard said he was well aware he was throwing a no-hitter.

“I actually knew from the second inning on,” Girard said. “In the dugout I kept the same routine. I put my glove in the same place and wouldn’t drink any water. I didn’t want to do anything to jinx it.”

It’s the second no-hitter for the Bulls (12-6, 5-3) this season following junior Zach Drury’s no-no against Sunlake in the season opener.

Girard said tossing the gem is a “big confidence boost” as the district tournament approaches.

“We’re on a little bit of a winning streak,” Girard said. “We were a little sloppy in the middle of the season, but we’ve been playing together lately and playing a lot better.”

The win puts Wiregrass Ranch into a tie with Gaither for the No. 2 seed in the 7A-9 tournament, which is at Gaither April 22 to 25. The Bulls and Cowboys will play in the district semifinals, with the winner earning a playoff berth.

Wiregrass Ranch played at Anclote April 8, but results were not available by press time. The Bulls travel to Land O’ Lakes April 10 at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker