Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

It took all 32 minutes, but the Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball team earned its third straight playoff berth with a 63-59 win over Freedom in the Class 7A-District 9 semifinals Feb. 6.

“It’s only our seventh year, so three out of seven years is pretty impressive for a new school,” said Bulls coach Jeremy Calzone, the only coach in program history. “It’s all about the kids. I just stand on the sidelines and yell like a crazy person. They did a great job making plays down the stretch.”

The squads split their regular-season meetings, with the No. 2 seed Patriots (14-6) taking the first 66-57 and third-seeded Wiregrass Ranch (20-7) responding with a 68-46 victory. Calzone knew they’d be in for a tighter matchup in districts.

“Coach (Cedric) Smith is a great coach; he does a great job with those guys, and this is kind of a neighborhood game,” Calzone said. “They all know each other, so we knew they were going to play with pride.”

The Bulls fell behind 18-11 late in the first quarter, but chipped away throughout the half and closed with an 8-2 run to enter the break ahead 28-25.

“We just weren’t playing Wiregrass basketball,” Calzone said. “We don’t play slow down, play with the basketball-type tempo. We go, go, go. For some reason in the first quarter we were trying to play their game, not our game.”

The Patriots got a small victory near the end of the half by forcing Wiregrass Ranch leading scorer and rebounder Rico Kerney to the bench with three fouls. The senior forward said he had one thought as he sat for much of the third quarter.

“I was just thinking I don’t want my senior season to end,” Kerney said.

Kerney responded with 11 of his 17 points in the fourth while adding eight rebounds.

“He didn’t get his head down,” Calzone said. “Earlier in the season if he got in foul trouble he’d put his head down a little bit. Tonight he kept his head in the game and kept his team in the game, and I was proud of that.”

The Bulls got a boost from the return of senior point guard Dimarco Burgess, who missed the previous seven games with a sprained ankle.

“Today was my first game back,” said Burgess, who put up five of his six points in the fourth. “I was in practice yesterday and I was iffy, but I knew I had to forget about the ankle and just play. … It was just play through it because, if we lose, it’s my last game.”

Wiregrass Ranch senior guards Chris Parra and Larrentz Manora had 13 and 11 points, respectively, while senior forward Ricky Ramirez scored 12 while adding five rebounds.

Freedom was led by senior guard Antwan Bradley’s 27 points. Senior forwards Brandon Patchan (11 rebounds) and Stephen Odunna (nine rebounds) added 12 and 10 to the Patriots’ offense.

The Bulls came up short of the district title, falling to the top-seeded Chamberlain 66-56 Feb. 8.

Wiregrass Ranch plays its regional quarterfinals Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at St. Petersburg.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

There are times this season where youth and inexperience has hurt the Land O’ Lakes boys basketball team.

That wasn’t the case in the Class 6A-District 10 tournament.

The No. 2 seed Gators (11-12) defeated No. 4 Tarpon Springs 48-46 in the semifinals Feb. 6 and hung with top-seeded Mitchell in the finals before ultimately losing 64-40 Feb. 8.

Land O’ Lakes coach David Puhalski said it will be a benefit for his younger players to have a taste of what the postseason is like.

“Just for these kids to have an opportunity, whether it’s on the road or at home, and to get in this atmosphere will be good,” Puhalski said. “Only two or three guys have seen it, so it’ll be a good eye-opener for them and we just hope to play well.”

Sophomore guard Mike Obi led his team with 11 points against the Mustangs (20-7) in the finals.

In the semifinals, both teams failed to muster much on the scoreboard to open the game, shooting a combined 2 for 19 from the field with the Gators up 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.

“We’re not a very good team offensively anyways, so the sloppier the better,” Puhalski said. “We just don’t have scorers yet, and we’ve got to manufacture points defensively with some steals and try to get out on a run a little bit.”

Land O’ Lakes hit its stride in the second quarter by turning multiple Spongers (12-12) errors into points and having success at the free throw line, where the Gators finished 22-of-35.

Obi (13 points) said he knew Tarpon Springs would defend him hard, but he kept his composure.

“We had to spread the ball and be patient,” Obi said. “They have young guys out there that also worked hard, and I think we’ll be fine.”

The Spongers couldn’t stay out of foul trouble in the second half as Land O’ Lakes opened the third with two quick trips to the line. Still, Tarpon Springs held tight as the two teams traded leads five times in the period.

“We’re so young,” Puhalski said. “We started a freshman and two sophomores, and they were our main players. … Offensively we don’t have anything to speak of, but we’ll win ugly.”

The Gators entered the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, but once again the Spongers stayed on their heels and took the lead back with 1:21 to go.

That’s when Land O’ Lakes sophomore guard Tommy Guglielmello stepped up.

Down by one with one minute to play, Guglielmello took one step outside the arc and nailed a 3-pointer to take back the lead.

“I just caught it, saw the rim and shot,” said Guglielmello, who finished with seven points. “I was a little off balance, but it went in. Knowing it was close, yeah, I was nervous. I just overcame it.”

The Gators travel to Winter Haven Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. for the regional quarterfinals.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

The Academy at the Lakes boys basketball team is basking in the playoff spotlight for the second straight season.

The Wildcats (14-12) upset second-seed Cambridge Christian 73-68 in the Class 2A-District 8 semifinals to earn a spot in the postseason, but fell to No. 1 Tampa Bay Christian 80-40 in the final Feb. 8.

Offensively, the academy has performed well with sophomore guard Ethan Haslam averaging 17.4 points and 5.0 rebounds, along with junior point guard Malik Hall (11.0 points) running the offense.

However, the inability to put together four consistent quarters has plagued the team at times throughout the season, and coach Tom Haslam wants to change that.

“It’s getting better,” Tom said. “Not where we want it to be, but it’s better. We had spells (against Cambridge) where we got down by 10 twice in the first half. … You can’t do that against good teams, and we can’t keep fighting from behind every game.”

Ethan has been one of the biggest keys to the academy’s success, especially when the team has needed a scoring boost.

The 1,000-point career scorer said his teammates are getting hot at the right time and hopes the momentum boost from the win over Cambridge, a team that has won multiple district titles, turns into another trip to the region finals and beyond.

“This is what we’ve been looking forward to the whole time,” Ethan said. “It felt great to beat them this time, and it’s really motivated us to go further, and it just pumps us up and gives us lots of energy. … This is been a good experience for everybody, and it’s going to carry over into regionals.”

While the record may not stand out, Tom said he wanted to make the regular season schedule as hard as possible to give his squad a taste of playoff-type talent around the area.

“Kids from other schools see a little 2A school, barely a winning record, and think we can’t be that good, but if you look at our schedule we’ve had close games all year,” Tom said. He added, “There was a point at the beginning of the season where our opponents were 27-1. … Every game we’ve had, with the exception of maybe three games, have been close one way or the other. I think that helps us and it helped us beat Cambridge.”

Senior guard Tony Arrington (5.1 points) added that he feels like the team is better than last year because of the tough schedule.

“Everybody’s contributed to the effort, whether it’s defense, offense, rebounding or just cheering from the bench,” Arrington said. “We’re trying to start a winning tradition at this school. We just have to get back to where we were last year and hopefully go far.”

The Wildcats travel to Lake Wales Vanguard for their regional quarterfinal Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.

 

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Nine Steinbrenner seniors sat at the same table, waiting to make their college plans official Feb. 6, National Signing Day.

Three football, two soccer, two softball and one volleyball player, along with one swimmer, participated in the event, ensuring they will continue competing the next few years while setting a new record for signees at one ceremony in the school’s history.

“It warms my heart to see them rewarded for their achievements, not only as an athlete, but also as scholars,” said Warriors athletic director Eddie Henderson. “It’s interesting to see how this has grown in four years. I remember the first one we had two athletes signed, so to see this grow to a large number is a great thing.”

The signees are not only part of Steinbrenner’s first four-year graduating class, but the nine have spent all their high school years as Warriors.

 

Gridiron trio go Division-I route

Running back Kendall Pearcey, corner back Trey Johnson and wide receiver Jon Marc Carrier started their football careers together, so it was fitting that they signed on the same day, all with Division I programs.

Pearcey signed with Fordham University in New York, Johnson inked with Villanova University in Pennsylvania and Carrier picked Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

“I’ve known these guys since we were in elementary school,” said Pearcey, who will major in engineering/physics. “The fact that we all kept playing, became successful and now we’re playing in college for a sport that we love is amazing.”

The three picked up the game with the Carrollwood Hurricanes at age 6 and helped build the Warriors football program from the ground up.

“When we started we couldn’t even practice at the school,” Johnson said. “We had to workout at Martinez (Middle) without a weight room doing Army workouts outside.”

For Carrier, signing with Dartmouth was bigger than signing to play for the Ivy League program. He started this school year with a 5.41 weighted grade point average and said his parents stressed education.

“I know going to Ivy League makes my parents really proud,” said Carrier, who will study biomedical engineering. “To go Ivy League is a dream.”

Pearcey and Johnson said the academics were also big in their college choices.

“My parents have always said if the NFL doesn’t work out, you have to have something to fall back on,” Johnson said. “Going to Villanova gives me a really good Plan B.”

 

Bredeau, Opila sticking together

Girls soccer player Alexis Bredeau couldn’t contain her excitement during the hours leading up to Signing Day.

“I was actually running around the house this morning; I was so excited,” said Bredeau, who will study nutrition. “When I was walking from the parking lot normally I’m dead tired, but I was hanging all over my friends. I’m really excited to start my next four years.”

The program’s all-time leader with 89 goals signed with her teammate Marley Opila to play at the University of North Florida (UNF), a Division I program in Jacksonville.

Opila, a midfielder, originally committed to Jacksonville University, one of UNF’s rivals in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but switched to the Ospreys near the end of her senior season.

“I’m looking forward to it so much because we know each other and can rely on each other,” said Opila, who will study nursing. “Before we joked around about playing against each other, but now we don’t have to worry about that.”

Bredeau, a forward, added, “If she would have been at Jacksonville I would have just messed with her the whole game, but because she’s my teammate I can mess with her the whole year. That makes it even better.”

The duo is part of a senior class that made the playoffs four times, won three district titles and claimed the 2011 Class 4A state championship.

 

Signed, but still out for more

Softball players Annemarie Scios and Taylor Morrow echoed the same message at Signing Day.

While they are both relieved to have their college plans official, both are out to work even harder to make their senior season the program’s best.

“We want to win districts,” said Morrow, who will study sports medicine. “We won it our freshman year and made it to regionals last year when we finished second.”

Morrow signed with Central Florida Community College in Ocala, while Scios will play first base/designated hitter at Brevard Community College in Cocoa.

“I was so excited this morning, but also a little nervous,” said Scios, who will study pediatric physical therapy. “When I was sitting up there I was just thinking I get to really do this. … I’ve only played for five years, so I had to work really hard to catch up to some players who’ve been playing their whole life.”

Morrow started playing at age 6 and has always been a utility player.

“It’s very enjoyable to be able to play every position,” Morrow said. “I like being able to fill in for whatever position is needed — catcher, infield, outfield, wherever.”

 

Defense powers Seuzeneau

Volleyball player Madison Seuzeneau entered her senior year with the goal of becoming an all-around player.

The outside hitter was already the program’s all-time leader in kills, but she was regularly subbed out when she rotated to the back row because of her defense.

“A lot of colleges need for an outside to be an all-around player, so I definitely focused on defense this year,” Seuzeneau said. “That really helped me get this scholarship.”

Her skills have improved to the point that she may see time at defensive specialist at Springhill College, an NAIA school in Alabama, with the plans to minor in business and major in communications.

Seuzeneau is the only four-year varsity player in program history. She helped Steinbrenner win four district titles and make the regional finals in November.

 

Volz becomes program’s first

Emma Volz became the first swimmer, boys or girls, from Steinbrenner to sign with a college when she inked with Florida Atlantic University, a Division I program currently in the Sun Belt Conference.

“It’s pretty cool being the first one to ever sign,” Volz said.

Volz said swimming in college has been a dream since she first hit the pool at age 4.

“My breakthrough in swimming was in fourth or fifth grade when I got my first Olympic cut, which is something you qualify for with certain times,” Volz said. “That’s when swimming became my ultimate passion.”

Volz will compete in the distance events while studying marine biology.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Seven Wiregrass Ranch student-athletes sat at the same table, waiting to make their college plans official Feb. 6, National Signing Day.

Three soccer, one tennis, one softball and one football player, along with a distance runner, participated in the event, ensuring they will continue competing for the next few years while setting a new record for signees at one ceremony in the school’s seven-year history.

“In our senior class we definitely have a lot of athletic talent,” said distance runner Nikita Shah. “We’ve had a lot of really strong athletes, and I’m glad that our school is very dedicated to our athletic programs. All our coaches are really great … and help us be a really good school.”

The Bulls’ No. 1 boys tennis player Courage Okungbowa signed with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a Division I program.

“I played a tournament in Tallahassee, and one of the guys I was playing knew the FAMU coach; he told him to come watch me play, and he really liked what he saw,” said Okungbowa, who will study computer engineering. “I went on an official visit, and when I did it was the week of their homecoming. That was a really good experience to see everything and hang with the guys on the team. I really liked everything and the offer that the coach gave me.”

Okungbowa earned his second straight The Laker/Lutz News Boys Tennis Player of the Year honor following his junior season when he went 21-1 in singles play to help the Bulls win a district team title. He also finished as the Class 4A state singles runner-up.

Wiregrass Ranch athletic director and boys tennis coach Dave Wilson has high hopes for Okungbowa this season.

“I expect him to lead us to a state championship as a team,” Wilson said.

Okungbowa said not having to worry about where he’ll play in college will let him focus on the court.

“I can just go out there swinging,” Okungbowa said. “To win states would be the perfect way to kick off my next career in college.”

Softball player Rachael Heath had similar sentiments about inking with Saint Leo University, a Division II program, where she’ll play catcher.

“It’s not as nerve-racking not having to worry about where I’m going and talk with college coaches,” said Heath, who will study sports business. “It really takes the pressure off, so I can just play.”

The soccer trio of Dayton Wetherby, A.J. Blount and Berlin Waters helped raise Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer from doormat to dominating program.

Waters transferred from Academy at the Lakes as a sophomore, a season that saw the Bulls make their first playoff berth. They would win two district championships and three playoff games while averaging 20 victories per season.

“We had such great chemistry together from the start,” said Waters, who will study veterinary medicine while playing at Saint Leo. “To play together the last three years has been great, and signing together is a great way to end that.”

Blount scored a program record 94 goals in her career despite missing her entire junior season with a torn ACL in her right knee. She signed with The University of South Florida to study criminology or communications.

Blount played forward in high school, but may move to outside midfielder or defender in college.

“I’ll play wherever my coaches think I’ll help the team the most,” Blount said.

Wetherby also signed with a Division I program — Navy. She is the first Wiregrass Ranch athlete to play for one of the service academies on scholarship.

“I didn’t know that before today,” Wetherby said. “Going to Navy means I’ll have more to do after I graduate, but for me, I knew it was right.”

Wetherby, who will study political science or physics, signed eight days before traveling to Panama to train with the Women’s National team to prepare for the Central American Games.

Waters played on the academy’s boys team while an eighth-grader and a freshman because the private school didn’t have a girls squad. She scored 73 goals while at Wiregrass Ranch, the second most in program history.

She also signed a cross country scholarship to run with the Lions to go along with her one for soccer, becoming the first dual athlete from Wiregrass Ranch to compete in college.

“They first talked with me about it during regionals for cross country, but didn’t really know if I could do both,” said Waters, who finished 24th in the Class 3A state meet in November. “I talked to the cross country coach, and she said they have had dual athletes run cross country; we talked again a few days ago, and I said yes.”

Waters said staying close to home was a big draw with picking Saint Leo.

“I wanted to stay in state and not go too far,” Waters said. “Saint Leo is like 20 minutes from my house.”

Proximity was also key in offensive tackle Ben Botteron signing with Webber International, a Division I program.

“It was close enough, but still far enough away,” said Botteron, who will major in criminal justice. “Good distance.”

Shah will have to travel the furthest for college after picking to run cross country and track at Harvard University, a Division I program in Massachusetts.

“The school is arguably the best in the world, the campus is great, they have a really low injury rate and I just really liked the team,” said Shah, who will major in premed.

Shah, a three-time defending The Laker/Lutz News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, turned down offers to run at the University of Florida, Florida State University, Colombia University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), among others.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

The media center at Wharton High School on Feb. 6 seemed like a Division I football press conference.

No less than five microphones sat on the table in front of four student-athletes poised to ink their names to letters of intent to compete in college. A greater number of news cameras surrounded the modest setup. It’s something University of Florida signee Vernon Hargreaves is getting used to.

“There’s definitely been some times where I wanted to get away from it,” Hargreaves said. “But it wasn’t all that bad.”

Hargreaves was one of the highest-rated players in the country by many recruiting services. He played mostly safety/linebacker this season, but said he will likely return to cornerback at Florida.

“I grew up around football; I’m pretty comfortable playing all positions,” Hargreaves said. “Last season I was begging the coaches to move me up to linebacker because Rocky (Enos) was getting all the tackles.”

Hargreaves has already signed up for summer classes to get a jump on college life.

Three girls soccer players also signed at the event.

Maria Areiza, who only played club soccer, will compete at Division I Mississippi Valley State next season, most likely at outside midfield. The signing capped a lifelong dream for Areiza.

“I’ve been playing for 14 years; this has always been my dream,” Areiza said.

Wildcats girls soccer team had forward Ashni Deschenes and midfielder/defender Leah Chisolm sign with Division I Stetson and Division II Eckerd, respectively.

“It’s always been a dream to play Division I soccer,” Deschenes said, who led the Wildcats with 17 goals this season.

Deschenes didn’t choose Stetson just for the athletics.

“Academics was important,” Deschenes said. “I liked that they (Stetson) have small class sizes.”

Deschenes remembers Wharton’s 2011 district title as the high point of her high school career.

“It was the first girls soccer district championship,” Deschenes said. “It felt really good to leave a mark at the school. Years from now other players will see that (district championship banner) and see what we did.”

Chisolm, who had 10 goals and nine assists this year, said her favorite memory was from that same season, but what stood out was beating Plant in the district semifinals: “That was just an awesome game.”

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Five Wesley Chapel student-athletes ensured their playing days will extend beyond high school when they participated in the Wildcats National Signing Day ceremony Feb. 6.

Girls soccer player Kelsey Bare signed with Division II Saint Leo University, girls track and field athlete Courtney Prengaman inked with Division I Samford University in Alabama and football players Aleny Vega, DaQuan Caesar and Jordan Primus picked Division III Briar Cliff in Iowa, NAIA Missouri Valley College and Mendocino Junior College in California, respectively.

Vega, a linebacker, said it was surreal to participate in Signing Day.

“I kept asking myself is this real; am I really going to sign with a college today,” said Vega, who will study medicine. “It is, you walk down to the media center and you sign and it makes it real, but it’s still crazy when it happens.”

Primus, a wide receiver, said he probably wouldn’t be going to college if it wasn’t for football.

“I’m still in shock that I get to go to college with my grades and everything, but it all worked out,” said Primus, who will study business management.

Caesar, a running back, was surprised he has the opportunity because he stepped away from football while in eighth grade and as a freshman, but returned for his final three years of high school.

“I just wanted to get back into sports and needed something to do,” said Caesar, who will study law enforcement. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to play in college.”

Caesar said he will likely move to slot receiver.

Prengaman, who will study elementary special education, won the Class 2A state high jump championship last year, which helped make competing in college possible.

“I had people looking at me, but no one made offers before states,” Prengaman said. “After that I had a lot of schools interested, and I started getting letters in the mail.”

Bare, who will study business management, set the program’s single-season record this year by scoring 19 goals while playing all three positions in the field. As a junior, she helped the Wildcats make the first playoff berth in their 13-year history.

“It was great to be able to help change the feel of the program,” Bare said. “The first two years were pretty rough, so it was great to go far last year and do something that had never been done before at the school.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Land O’ Lakes boys soccer coach Mark Pearson stood proudly behind University of North Florida-bound midfielder Sean Young and held nothing back during the Gators’ National Signing Day ceremony Feb. 6.

“In my mind,” Pearson told the crowd, “Sean is and will be the most complete player to ever come through our program.”

Young, along with baseball player Zachary Whitaker (Shorter University in Georgia) and girls soccer player Holly Nasello (Point University in Georgia), signed to continue competing at the next level.

“That made me feel so great inside,” said Young, the only boys soccer player in Pasco County to sign with a Division I school on Signing Day. “No one’s ever said something like that to me, and it felt really great.”

Pearson touted Young’s ability to play any position on the field and said he thinks it is just the beginning of his budding career.

“Just this year alone playing midfield, he scored 30 goals and had 32 assists. Not only is he a goal scorer, but he’s a playmaker when just last year he was playing defense,” Pearson said. “When I said he’s the most complete player, I mean that. For Sean to get that scholarship and move on, I think it’s literally just the next step. I think he could go on to play professionally, whether here in the United States or over in Europe.”

Young said he always had hopes of playing at the collegiate level.

“Now that it’s finally coming true it’s great; it really is,” Young said. “We’ve had the greatest of times and it’s perfect.”

Whitaker, a shortstop and right-handed pitcher, was a key piece in Land O’ Lakes’ playoff run and the Class 6A-District 10 runner-up last season. He said it is great to take the next step.

“I’m just excited to get up there and make some plays,” Whitaker said. “Just to even have the opportunity to play college baseball is great, because most kids don’t get to do that, and I’m able to get that chance.”

Nasello said she fell in love with Point after visiting the school and working out with the team.

“It was definitely the family bond,” said Nasello, who tallied 12 goals and four assists this season. “It’s a smaller school, and I really like that too. I like the fact that it’s an older town, and it kind of reminds me of Ybor City. I really wanted to be part of the family.”

The Gators won their first playoff game since 2004 this year, and Nasello said that was because of the squad’s work ethic.

“From start to finish from the beginning of the season, we always worked hard,” Nasello said. “Not just winning (our first playoff game) in a really long time, but it didn’t matter what the score was. We always came back, and we deserved it. I’m really glad we made it as far as we did.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

When Freedom football player Nate Godwin met University of South Florida (USF) coach Willie Taggart he was going to be a Bull.

“When coach Taggart came in, I knew staying close to home was a better deal for me, for my family and for my supporters,” Godwin said. “I can’t wait, man. I feel like I’m a part of a movement.”

Godwin, along with teammates Isaac Tanner (Western Kentucky), Richard Bisaccia (Middle Tennessee State), Cody Coffin (Webber International) and girls track standout Sandra Akachukwu (Western Kentucky) signed their letters of intent Feb. 6 to continue competing at the next level.

Godwin, a defensive back, is excited about what the future holds for him at USF.

“We have a lot of kids coming in and a good recruiting class with coach Taggart, and I feel like we’re going to build something real special,” Godwin said. “I want to be the foundation of that. It’s going to be great to represent Freedom, and hopefully we’ll get more kids to come to USF and be successful.”

First-year Patriots football coach Todd Donohoe was proud of his players signing with major schools.

“This is a credit to their hard work, their perseverance, their parents and their supporters,” Donohoe said. “It’s exciting, and I know they’re going to do the right things. … They have laid the foundation for sure.”

Tanner, a linebacker, said signing with his friends was one of the most special moments of his life.

“I think it’s the start of something great, and I just want to leave a legacy once I move on to college, but I’m not going to be the type of player to forget where I came from,” Tanner said. “I fell in love with the school, and I felt like the players were great and they have one of the greatest bonds I’ve ever seen in college football.”

Bisaccia, whose father Rich is the special teams coach for the Dallas Cowboys, compared the signing to a “brotherhood.”

“It’s just awesome and a blessing to be signing with my best friend Isaac Tanner and the rest of my teammates,” said Bisaccia, a linebacker. “We didn’t win a lot of games, but the team came together and that was great.”

Before signing, Coffin stood up to thank his teachers and administrators for everything they did for him. The offensive lineman said he doesn’t want to go out as just an athlete, but a student who made a difference academically too.

“It’s definitely like a first pen to paper kind of feeling for me,” Coffin said. “I want to represent Freedom like I have the last four years and work my hardest. … Probably the biggest memories are being a student. Just the environment and the football team was an extra activity that I did, and I’m just glad that I finished a good four years at this high school.”

Akachukwu said she never imagined signing with a Division I school would be possible, and thanked her coach Dwight Smith for helping her get where she is today.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling, like the hard work finally paid off,” Akachukwu said. “I feel like (Western Kentucky) will help me grow up, and I really like the team as well as the coaches. The background of the program is very strong, and I feel like I can succeed there.”

Girls basketball player Faith Woodard also participated in the ceremony after inking her name to a letter of intent in November to play at Georgetown.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

Gaither football player Ernest Suttles summed up the feelings he and teammates Dom Neglio and Shug Oyegunle had on Feb. 6, National Signing Day.

“Excitement, that’s the only way I can describe it,” said Suttles, who inked with Nebraska. “I wish I could leave today. … I’m ready to climb the ladder. Hopefully sooner than later.”

Suttles had praise for both the school administration and second-year Cowboys coach Jason Stokes in assisting his high school career. The 6-foot-5 defensive lineman amassed 88 tackles, 31 for loss, and 12 sacks this season while receiving The Laker/Lutz News Defensive Player of the Year honors.

While Suttles stuck to the defensive line, Neglio and Oyegunle played all over the field during their time at Gaither.

Neglio, who signed with NAIA Bethel College in Kansas, moved from running back to linebacker in his senior year, helped fill a team need and finished with 85 tackles at linebacker.

“(Bethel) had that hometown feel to it, I guess I’m a hometown personality,” Neglio said. “They made me feel at home.”

Neglio said it was like getting “a monkey” off his back when Bethel offered him a spot on the squad.

“It’s been a lifelong dream to play college football,” Neglio said. “To get that opportunity is just unbelievable.”

Oyegunle played quarterback, running back and receiver, while returning kickoffs and punts, during his four years on the varsity squad. He had 1,336 total yards and 16 touchdowns his last two seasons with the Cowboys.

The versatile Oyegunle will stay in state after signing with Division I Florida International.

“(Finding a school in Florida) was a huge deal,” Oyegunle said. “Fans and family can still come and see me play. It worked out well. … When that offer came down, it was a real blessing.”