Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Moving on from adversity

One of Steinbrenner’s most promising runs was cut short last season after an internal investigation found the squad used an ineligible player.

The program’s self-imposed sanctions included relinquishing the No. 1 seed in the 2012 district tournament and forfeiting 12 wins. The Warriors were still eligible for the postseason, but their mindset was never the same, and they lost to eventual district champion Gaither in the semifinals.

“With the eligibility issue last year, the boys wanted to show that we really didn’t do anything wrong,” said Chad Ebright, the only coach in program history. “It was just a matter of circumstance that happened, and as soon as we found out about it we self-imposed the sanctions and contacted the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association). I think the boys that came back from that team really wanted to prove that we really are a good team that could work hard, and we improved from it.”

Senior midfielder Enrique Barboto (15 goals, nine assists) said his teammates were able to put the investigation behind them before this year.

“That wasn’t really on our minds at all this season,” Barboto said. “It was a really good feeling not to think about it because it’s in the past, and all of this success that we’ve had has buried that, and, as a team, we definitely overcame that.”

 

Knight’s resurgence in net

Christian Knight was well rested for districts this year, but not because he was being saved for a playoff run.

The junior goalkeeper returned to the Warriors’ lineup for the Class 4A-District 8 tournament after serving a six-week suspension from the FHSAA for using profanity toward a referee.

Knight was still allowed to train with his team but wanted to get extra practice in to stay sharp. He decided to get additional work in with former Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Winston DuBose on his club team.

“Everyone’s drive was obviously to work toward the playoffs, and being out I got my shot taken away from me,” Knight said.

Knight (0.93 goals against average, four shutouts) didn’t want to let the team down when he returned to the net.

“It’s always an amazing feeling to be a leader out there, and I’ve been trying to show that on and off the field,” Knight said. “By doing what I did earlier in the season was not what a leader does at all, and I just wanted to try and come back with some words of wisdom and take it from there.”

 

A dominant duo

Jason Collister has a knack for heating up when it’s crunch time.

The senior forward led all Steinbrenner players with 28 goals, including eight in the postseason.

“After the loss to Sickles in the district championship, coach told us to keep our heads up and to go out and win our first state championship,” Collister said. “As a team captain and a leader, it was up to me to step up and help get us there.”

Collister’s teammate Derek Gebhard (10 goals) didn’t always have the luxury of getting after opponents this season because of academic ineligibility that limited his playing time.

But even after missing several weeks, the senior midfielder aided in Steinbrenner’s scoring explosion with six postseason goals, including the game winner in double overtime against Ocala Forest in the state semifinals.

“It was great that I got the chance to come back on the team and get to play with these guys,” Gebhard said. “I’m just so thankful that I could have a second chance, and for us to have such a great year and playing for a state championship is just really, really great.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Freedom girls basketball players have made no secret of their mission from Day 1 this season — states.

Standing in the Patriots’ (25-3) way Feb. 16 was defending Class 7A state champion Sebastian River (23-3).

It took every second, but Freedom advanced to the first final four in the program’s 10-year history with a 74-73 win.

The Patriots led 46-36 at halftime and extended their advantage to 14 early in the third.

The Sharks responded with a 16-2 run to tie it 58-58 with 4:26 left in the game, and the host took a 73-70 advantage in the final minute.

Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke took a timeout to deliver a simple message, “Don’t panic.”

Taylor Emery (21 points, seven rebounds) took that to heart two possessions later.

The sophomore guard walked to the line and calmly hit two free throws to cut the deficit to one.

Emery’s poise set up senior forward Faith Woodard’s game-winning layup with 13 seconds left for her team-high 25th point. The Georgetown University signee pulled down her 10th rebound on the ensuing Sebastian River possession with three seconds remaining to secure the regional championship.

“That was by far the most nerve-racking and something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” Woodard said of the final 10 seconds.

Pacholke knew the Sharks would make a run.

“They’re too good of a team not to,” Pacholke said. “They’re not just going to roll over and give us a regional championship. … We weathered their storm. They went up on us, but I knew the girls wouldn’t quit.”

Senior point guard Monet Williams played much bigger than her 5-foot-4 frame, pulling down seven rebounds and scoring all six of her points in the fourth.

Williams did her damage on drives to the basket with no fear of Sebastian River’s 6-foot forward KP Pound.

“All I was thinking about was go up strong,” Williams said. “I figured it was worth a try, and I got nothing to lose.”

Pacholke said Williams’ effort speaks to her character.

“She’s got that toughness about her,” Pacholke said. “She knows when it’s her time, and she knows when it’s not. She read the defense and saw that it was there. The kid’s got ice water in her veins.”

The Patriots built their lead with first-half scoring outburst from Emery (15), Woodard (11) and senior guard Whitney Ivy (11).

Ivy, who finished with 13 points, did much of her damage with outside shots.

“For some reason it looked to me like the rims were really close when I was shooting,” Ivy said. “I don’t know why. I felt really hyped on the way over here, so I was just feeling it.”

Freedom was in a battle early with Steinbrenner in the semifinals Feb. 12.

The Warriors (21-7) led 11-6 after the first quarter, but the host Patriots fought back with a 10-4 run to enter halftime ahead 23-22.

“We came into the room at halftime and said that we were not going to lose this game,” said Woodard, who scored 23. “Our goal is still the same. We’re going to state, and they aren’t going to knock us out.”

Pacholke was happy with the fight but not the execution. Principle among her concerns was making just seven of 20 free throws in the first half and 20 of 42 in the game.

“I went in at half and told them, ‘You have a decision. Either we get beat on our home court and you’re embarrassed, or you come out and play Freedom basketball.’ We definitely did that in the second half,” Pacholke said.

Much of the turnaround came from Emery scoring 18 points in the final three quarters after being shutout in the first.

“I saw the score and saw how close they were, and it made me upset,” Emery said. “I was mad that we were losing, so I turned it up. I was ready, and we all fought to bring the game back.”

Steinbrenner played without senior center Lauren Shedd, who averages 4.9 rebounds, after tearing ligaments in her right ankle in the quarterfinals.

Senior forward/guard Bailey Hooker (eight points) helped replace some of Shedd’s rebounding by pulling down eight, but the Patriots punished them on the boards by a margin of 36-21 led by Woodard’s 16.

“Every game we come in and try to win the second-chance opportunities,” Pacholke said. “If we give up too many second-chance points and second-chance shots, it’s going to be a brutal day in practice the next day because we’re going to be running for it. That’s something we take pride in.”

Freedom also put Steinbrenner in foul trouble. Four Warriors’ starters had at least three personals, including senior guard Justice Thigpen (10 points) and sophomore forward Rachel Briere (six rebounds) picking up five with 7:19 and 1:10 left in the contest, respectively.

Freedom plays Gainesville Buchholz in the state semifinals Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at the Lakeland Center, 701 W. Lime St. A victory matches the Patriots against the winner of Haines City/Davie Nova for the 7A state championship Feb. 23 at 5 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Jeff Odom and Don Trello

 

Tatiana Manuel could feel the nerves building on the hour-long trip to Winter Garden Foundation Academy for the Class 2A regional finals Feb. 16.

The Academy at the Lakes senior center, who transferred from Brooks-DeBartolo this season, was feeling the pressure of being one win away from the final four.

She told herself not to be intimidated.

She wasn’t.

Manuel finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks to help lead the Wildcats (25-2) to a 69-33 win over the Lions (8-15), earning her squad consecutive trips to the state semifinals.

“I was a little nervous, but I don’t think no team out there has worked as hard as us to get to this point,” Manuel said. “Whether it’s games, practice or anything, we did it. … I’ve never been here before, and I’m just so speechless right now.”

Wildcats third-year coach Karim Nohra said he’s proud of his team’s performance, but felt there were too many mistakes.

“It feels awesome and I’m very, very happy for my seniors; they deserve to go back,” Nohra said. “We didn’t play a great game, but we did enough in order to get the win and get out of here.”

The academy led by 27 at the half thanks to a 12-1 spurt in the second quarter but had to hold off the Lions’ surging offense after the break.

Nohra said his team lost its composure coming out of halftime, which it can’t afford.

“We’ll have to get to work on that,” Nohra said.

The Wildcats regained their dominance in the fourth as senior point guard Timecia Cohen (nine points, 13 assists), Manuel and the bench pitched in to end the game on a 13-4 run with a running clock.

Senior forward Alex Gittens, who is normally a defensive specialist, added 17 points.

“Alex was limited in her skill when I got here,” Nohra said. “I quickly found out she sticks like glue to anybody assigned to her. You can’t out-run or out-fatigue her. I’ve never seen her say she was tired.”

The academy advanced to their third straight regional finals with a resounding 70-21 win Feb. 12 over previously undefeated Winter Haven All Saints’ Academy (21-1).

“I told the girls it would be really tight, or we would blow them away,” Nohra said. “I didn’t know what would happen. We had a lot of effort and intensity and turned in an A-plus performance.”

Manuel was 9-of-11 from the field en route to a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

“I really felt nervous before the game; I was very pressured,” Manuel said. “Coach told me he wanted me to do everything.”

Manuel met Nohra’s expectations.

“This is brand new territory for her,” Nohra said. “She scored 655 points in three years before coming here. “She has 385 (through the semis) this season. I told her to use that 6-2 frame. I demanded she score.”

Nohra’s demand that Manuel score more points is just one of many high expectations he has for his team.

“Everybody on this team has the green light to shoot,” said Nohra, who has been coaching girls basketball for 23 years. “Everybody steps up into their role.”

Academy athletic director and boys basketball coach Tom Haslam jumped at the chance to hire Nohra after his time at Wesley Chapel High ended.

“I’ve known him going back to the Catholic youth league where we coached against each other,” Haslam said. “Anytime we need a coach in any sport we try to find the best coach available. … Karim has a brilliant mind, and his girls work hard. He has won everywhere he’s coached. It was a no-brainer hiring him.”

Nohra’s fiercely competitive coaching style and bench demeanor can raise the eyebrows of casual fans and opposing coaches, but there is method to his approach.

“I like to create orchestrated chaos,” Nohra said. “It’s an extremely aggressive style of play. Nobody ever mentions me being too rough on the girls. The girls know whatever I do or say is for the benefit of the team.”

Haslam said Nohra’s intense coaching style is accepted and respected by players and parents.

“We haven’t had one girl quit since Karim has been here,” Haslam said. “His girls love him and will run through a wall for him, and the parents have been really complimentary. … I think people who come to a game and watch him for 10 minutes don’t understand him. I’ve known him 30 years, and he’s a good man.”

The academy plays Hollywood Sheridan Hills Christian Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Lakeland Center, 701 W. Lime St., in the state semifinal. A victory would match the Wildcats against the winner of Boca Raton Grandview Prep/Tallahassee FAMU for the 2A state championship Feb. 20 at 8 p.m.

 

Wildcats tide balanced attack, team play to victory

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Wharton boys basketball didn’t just beat North Port in the Class 8A regional quarterfinals Feb. 14 at home, they forced a running clock in the fourth quarter to take the contest 76-39.

The Wildcats (23-4) rode a balanced attack to the lopsided victory with five players reaching double-digit points.

“That’s a coach’s dream,” said Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli. “Getting five guys in double digits means they can’t lock in on one or two guys, but we’re very team oriented. That’s how we operate. We’re all about being a team on both ends of the floor.”

The offense was led by CJ McGill’s 24 points and seven assists.

The senior point guard punished the Bobcats (14-14) for giving him space on the parameter by hitting four 3-pointers before halftime. North Port started stepping out to contest his shot after halftime, so McGill began driving to the basket for layups.

“CJ just did what he always does,” Tonelli said. “He takes what they give him. He knows what his role is, and he knows what he has to do to help the team win. He’s doing a great job, and his teammates feed off of him. He’s all about the team.”

The 5-foot-8 McGill also crashed the boards and pulled down nine rebounds.

“That’s CJ McGill for you,” said junior forward Chase Litton. “He’s probably the most underrated kid I’ve ever played with, and probably one of the best I’ve ever played with. He can do it all. He can shoot; he can drive. Wish he was a little bit bigger, but other than that he can do it all.”

Litton posted a double-double with 10 rebounds and 12 points, 10 of which came after halftime when the Wildcats started attacking the Bobcats in the paint.

“In the first half they were jumping on screens from our guards, and we started noticing that in the second half,” Litton said. “When they started jumping out after screens we started kicking it in for easy buckets.”

Senior guard Virgil Crump added an early offensive spark off the bench by scoring all 10 of his points in the first quarter.

“I was ready; I was up for this game,” Crump said. “All day in school I was thinking about this game right here. Wanted to help my team get this win.”

Wharton also got double-digit scoring from senior Sir Patrick Reynolds (13 points) and Jaken Grier (10 points). Reynolds, a forward/guard, added seven rebounds, while Grier, a guard, posted five rebounds and five assists.

“We’ve got a lot of senior leadership with CJ, Sir Patrick, Jaken, Tyler Langston and Virgil coming off the bench,” Tonelli said. “That’s five seniors right there who have been through a lot and been in tough situations. I would expect great leadership in these kinds of games from those guys.”

The Wildcats led 40-22 at halftime, but didn’t let up with a 12-3 run coming out of the break.

“Coach said we got 16 minutes left, and we need to treat it like we’re down and it’s our last game,” Crump said. “We needed to keep pushing and keep playing.”

McGill said they’ve fallen into the trap of slowing down after piling up a big lead, but weren’t going to let it happen against the Bobcats.

“Some games we’ll play the first 16 minutes hard and get a big lead, but then just kind of relax,” McGill said. “Tonight we wanted to keep going for 32 minutes.”

The blowout victory comes a year after Wharton lost at home in the regional quarterfinals 64-63 to East Lake.

“It hurt so much last year to lose on our home court,” McGill said. “We didn’t want that to happen again. We weren’t going to let that happen again, and we got it done.”

Litton added, “We didn’t want to make a statement per say, but we wanted to show that we’re not a one and done team. We just came out and showed what we can do, and the score speaks for itself.”

Tonelli said he talked with his players about the previous year’s disappointment leading up to the game against North Port.

“I told the guys that there’s only one way to put last year behind us and having people talk about it, and that was to come out and win this game,” Tonelli said. “Take care of this game, and it takes the sting out from last year. It was about moving forward.”

The Wildcats travel to Sarasota Riverview Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. for the regional semifinals. A victory would allow Wharton to host the winner of the Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast-Orlando University contest in the regional finals Feb. 23, also at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

The Eustis boys basketball team overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter Feb. 14 to beat host Wesley Chapel 53-51 in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals.

The Wildcats (24-5), which won their first district championship in seven seasons this year, were going for their first playoff win since 2004.

“We’ve had back-to-back 24-win seasons and conference championships and a district title,” said Wesley Chapel coach Doug Greseth. “I hope it shows the younger kids how much work and dedication it takes to stay at this level.”

Guard Dustin Dunham gave the Panthers (18-10) a 49-48 lead with 29 seconds left in the game they never lost.

Wildcats junior guard Brian Rodriguez (10 points) closed the game with a 3-pointer as time expired.

“I told them we played hard, but didn’t make plays at the end of the game,” Greseth said. “I’m not very happy tonight. This was one of our poorer performances.”

Wesley Chapel senior forward Erik Thomas, who is the program’s career leader in points and rebounds, had a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds.

“We just made too many mistakes,” Thomas said. “Mistakes killed us.”

The Wildcats led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter and took a 24-22 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Wesley Chapel stretched their advantage to 39-30 by starting the third on a 15-8 run. Thomas was 5-of-5 from the field to lead the surge.

“I gave it all I could,” said Thomas, who included East Tennessee State as a possibility when asked about next school year. “I’m happy with the goals I accomplished, but this kills me ending our season this way.”

The Wildcats turned the ball over 22 times, including eight in a hectic fourth quarter. Eustis had 15 turnovers and just one in the fourth period.

“We had a nine-point lead at one point that you have to hold, but we couldn’t connect on good opportunities,” Greseth said. “Some were unforced turnovers. We lost our composure.”

Anthony Allen led Eustis with 19 points. The Panthers were 22 for 47 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Dunham finished with 16 points, including 10 in the fourth.

Wesley Chapel was 21 for 47 from the field and 6-of-10 from the charity stripe. Each team grabbed 20 rebounds.

The Wildcats had three seniors on their roster, and junior point guard Carson Emery will be among the returning starters next season.

“We accomplished two goals (winning the conference and district), and everyone should be happy about that,” said Emery, who scored nine. “It’s a shame we had to end it like this, but I know we can do something good next year.”

 

Wiregrass falls at St. Pete

The Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball team lost its Class 7A regional quarterfinals contest at St. Petersburg 77-48 Feb. 12. The usual high-scoring Bulls were held to just four points in the fourth quarter and fell behind by 20 at halftime — a hole they could not climb out of.

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Freedom girls track and field coach Dwight Smith has picked up a new pastime in the weeks leading up to this season.

Along with the hours he spends getting his athletes into peak form, Smith is spending his spare moments crunching numbers.

“The numbers we’ve been coming up with are amazing,” said Smith, who is in his fourth-year with the program. “I don’t want to jinx it, but we can do some amazing things.”

Part of the reason Smith has been reviewing the points his team can possibly pick up in meets is the fact that he has 45 girls on his roster, 15 more than any other squad he’s had.

“From the beginning it was about getting the girls to believe in my philosophy,” Smith said. “We’re a family. They’re all sisters, and I’m like the figurehead, like the dad. We come from all walks of life, but we’re all a family and get along. From four years ago to now that’s what’s helped us build up this program. … We have a lot of depth. We’re trying to go four deep in every event.”

The excitement is not just about the number of Patriots, but the quality of those athletes.

Freedom returns Sandra Akachukwu, who claimed Class 4A state medals in the long and high jumps and 100 and 200 meters last year as a junior. Also back is sprinter/hurdler Jasmyn Perry, distance athletes Alex Mitchell and Annie Tedesco and shot putter Bianca Igwe, just to name a few.

The Patriots are also boosted by the transfer of senior Faith Woodard, who reached the 4A final in four events and claimed the state high jump championship by clearing 5-feet, 8-inches.

“Faith is still going to do the high jump, and we’re going to have her do a couple other things too,” Smith said. “We’re going to take one thing away that she did before and put her in something else. I don’t want to say exactly what yet so that it’s a surprise.”

Smith, who is also Freedom’s girls cross country coach, began building the program with its distance athletes. He said he expects a lot out of his 4×800 relay team, which reached states the last two seasons and includes Lauren Arfaras, Mitchell and Tedesco.

“They’ve already knocked about 13 seconds off their time,” Smith said. “That’s a big improvement. … I’m leaving the last spot open for competition, so there’s a couple girls battling it out.”

Mitchell and Tedesco were on the relay that has the school record of 9 minutes, 47 seconds and placed 10th at the 4A final last year, two spots away from a spot on the podium and a state medal.

“I’m hoping that this year we can get on the podium,” said Mitchell, who also runs the 800. “We’ve never been able to do that before, but I think we’re going to be really strong. We’ve got three strong people right now, so I really hope we can find another one who can take us to that next level.”

Tedesco, who also runs the 1,600, said the stamina built during the cross country season carries over to track, as does the chemistry of the distance athletes and belief they have in Smith.

“He’s very encouraging,” Tedesco said. “He’s a great coach because he’s serious when he needs to be, but he also jokes around with us all the time.”

Smith pointed out that his squad should be more balanced than in previous seasons.

“The past couple of years the distance athletes really carried the team, and last year Sandra carried us alone for the sprints,” Smith said. “This year, it’s going to be more balanced than years past. Right now, I’m thinking the sprints are going to be our strong point, and I’ve talked to the distance athletes that we’ve got to carry our own weight and step up to the plate.”

Smith said assistant Ryan McGee, who coaches the Patriots’ sprinters and jump athletes, has been a big part of building that balance since joining the program three years ago after spending seven at Wharton.

“We don’t even have the basketball girls out here yet, but when they get here we’ll be really tough,” McGee said. “Just going over the numbers, it’s kind of scary if they can do what they’re capable of.”

Smith sees the 4×400 relay of Sasha Cruz, Perry and Woodard as one that could make a run at states if they find the right person to complete the team.

“Looking at the times they can do, I’m looking at sub 3:50 if everything plays right,” Smith said.

The Patriots will compete in the Charles Johnson Invitational at King Feb. 23 at 8 a.m. The Class 4A-District 8 meet is at Leto April 17, followed by regionals at Leto April 24 and states at the University of North Florida May 4.

“I’m so excited,” Akachukwu said. “Our team is going to be amazing this year. We’ve got the potential to win districts, regionals and maybe even states. We’ve grown more as a family compared to last year, and the new girls coming in have just made us stronger.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Land O’ Lakes boys track and field team dominated Pasco County last year by going 7-0 in local meets, winning the Sunshine Athletic Conference title and claiming Class 3A-District 6 championships.

It was not only one of the most successful seasons for the Gators in their 37-year history, but it was also the first season coaching track on any level for Land O’ Lakes coach Bill Schmitz.

“I talked with other coaches, and looking at what we’d done the previous couple years we expected to be in the middle of the pack in the conference and district,” Schmitz said. “I went into the first quad meet at Fivay with no expectations. We won that, and then every other meet in the regular season. As things went along we tried to get them competing and wanting to do well for the whole team, and that was a big reason we won conference and districts.”

Schmitz also got athletes to join the team, which built up its strength and depth.

“Coach Schmitz can be very persuasive,” Zapata said. “He was able to get those guys to come out and get a lot of points for us, and he got a lot of other guys to join the team.”

Among those recruited were throwers Jackson Cannon and Shadow Williams and sprinter Josh Davis.

“I saw early that we had an unbelievably strong senior class,” Schmitz said. “Ian McKenzie scored well in the pole vault, we had two great hurdlers in Darin Patmon and Kyle McKee, and then when Jackson and Shadow decided to join the team for the field events and Josh joined for the sprints meant we had so much leadership. Those guys knew what to do; they prepared and got the young guys competing better and better every week.”

Those six and two other seniors graduated, taking with them 100 points scored at districts and four league championships, but they helped create a winning mentality not seen in years for the Gators. Those who return want to keep that newly found success.

“Now we have a mindset and expectation that we have to live up to,” said junior Jamel Clark, who competes in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay. “We’re trying to maintain the status that we have. I’m seeing a lot of pride and dedication out here.”

The pride has spread across the school and has swelled the squad’s ranks.

“We don’t have all the wrestlers and basketball players out yet, and our numbers are already up over 50,” Schmitz said. “Last year at this time we were at 30. We had more and more athletes come to me asking when track was going to start; many of them I did not know personally before.”

The departures are great, but the Gators do bring back a young group of talented athletes, including junior distance runners Travis Nichols, Tyler Stahl and Jake Poore.

“Everybody is out here with the mentality of training to repeat,” Nichols said. “We’re all doing everything we can to replace those points and keep that spot.”

Schmitz said Clark led volunteer workouts to help get the athletes involved in track earlier. Sophomore Dylan Mohamed, who does the high jump, 100, 200 and 4×100, said that extra workouts are already paying off.

“We’ve had more time to condition,” Mohamed said. “That’s helped us out when we had our time trials, and I think that’ll help us go into the season better and give us more confidence as a team.”

Nichols said he had his best cross country season during the fall, which included a 12th-place finish at the 3A final and being named The Laker/Lutz News Boys Runner of the Year. He hopes that effort carries over to the track season so that he can return to states in the 3,200 and cut his personal record from 9 minutes, 46 seconds.

“Goal is to get top five,” Nichols said. “My goal is to get down to 9:30, and if I do I think I can get top five.”

Schmitz said they have many guys who can also bring in points in multiple events like Zapata, who will compete in the long and triple jumps, 200 and 4×100 relay. He said that, along with a more difficult schedule, will help keep his athletes competing into May.

“Last year we did a lot of smaller meets, and this year we’re going to the bigger ones,” Schmitz said. “I think that’s going to help prepare us for conference and districts, but also regionals so we can get more guys into the state meet.”

The 3A-6 meet is at Wiregrass Ranch April 16, followed by regionals at Leto April 24 and states May 3 at the University of North Florida.

The Gators start the season at the Early Bird Eagle Invitational at East Lake Feb. 20 at 3 p.m.

“I’m so excited and ready to go,” Zapata said. “I’m counting down the days until we go to East Lake.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Sunlake girls weightlifter Alex Ruiz had one thing on her mind during the state meet Feb. 9 — redemption.

The 5-foot-1, 116-pound senior’s dreams of winning an individual championship were dashed last year when she was disqualified in the first round for cursing.

“I knew I had to go in and be a better person and a better athlete,” Ruiz said. “I knew I had a second chance, and I needed to be able to perform my best.”

And that’s exactly what she did.

Ruiz became the first girl in Pasco County to capture the 119-pound individual state crown while breaking the weight division record in bench press (180).

“I was just really focused on getting that first lift,” Ruiz said. “Once I got through that, I knew I had confidence in me, and I was able to get all three lifts.”

It was a proud moment for fifth-year Seahawks coach Denise Garcia, who had to convince Ruiz to keep going after her misfortune last season.

“She worked so hard for it, and people don’t know what’s behind the scenes,” Garcia said. “It’s amazing to see what she’s done, because she’s sacrificed so much.”

Ruiz, who took gold by two points over Navarre High’s Skye Barberi, lifted 330 total pounds with a clean and jerk of 150.

Garcia ran over and wrapped her arms around the state champion when the final score was announced.

“Everything that you want in an athlete is who Alex is,” Garcia said. “Her work ethic, her training, she’s hungry, and she wants it. You can’t teach the wanting that she has inside, and that’s what set her off.”

Ruiz said the amount of work Garcia put into her career is what kept her going, adding that she owes Garcia a lot for her success.

“She’s been a pain in my neck the past three years,” Ruiz joked. “I just know that that pushing someone along so much means that they see a lot of potential and dedication in you, and for that I am so thankful to her for not giving up on me after what happened last year. It was a lesson learned, and I definitely learned my lesson.”

Before the start of the meet, Ruiz approached the same judge that she had used profanity toward.

“After I apologized to him, I just felt a relief went away and I told myself, ‘OK, I’m ready to win a championship,’” Ruiz said. “I didn’t even ask my coach if I could, I just went straight up to him and I apologized. … He smiled and told me good luck, and that felt really good.”

As for her future, Ruiz plans on exploring the possibility of competing in the Junior Olympics and one day becoming a firefighter.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

Alisha Henry’s journey to pole vaulting

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

There was a point when Wiregrass Ranch track and field athlete Alisha Henry thought she would be kicked off the Bulls’ team.

Now, the senior is the No. 2 ranked pole vaulter in Class 3A with the goal of becoming the seventh-year program’s first state champion.

Henry started doing track at John Long Middle in Wesley Chapel and continued while in high school. She did the high and long jumps, but wasn’t interested in doing other events.

“Coach (Don) Howard always tried to get me to run, but I refused,” Henry said. “I always wanted to be on the team, I just didn’t want to run. … He had me do cross country for two months, and I hated it. I broke my nose, and I used that as an excuse to get out of it.”

Henry decided to change her focus in February of her sophomore year, a move that ended the struggle to run and vaulted her into the conversion for district, regional and state titles.

“When we got a pole vault coach, coach Howard had me go over and try it. I did and liked it, and now I do it year-round,” Henry said.

That vault coach is Bob Leidel of Florida Pole Vault Academy in Tampa.

“Alisha was just natural,” Leidel said. “She jumped right into it, and I thought she had some training because she seemed really comfortable.”

In reality, Henry was terrified of the event.

“I’m still in the process of preparing myself for it,” Henry said with a laugh. “You just have to have positive thoughts. If you’re thinking about being way up in the air and how scary it is, then you back down. You don’t do things to your full potential. … You’re not going to go upside down if you’re not comfortable going upside down. It’s like trying a back flip for the first time. Most people aren’t going to go and just do it.”

Henry said the event requires upper body strength, speed and proper technique.

“I’ve been trying to get farther back in my vault,” Henry said. “I tend to come out of my vault too quickly, and I’m not holding it as far as I should. The turn isn’t easy either. … I’ve been doing a lot of strength training over the summer.”

Henry placed sixth at the 3A final last season by clearing 10 feet, 6 inches, but she was unsatisfied claiming her first state medal.

“I get really frustrated when I don’t jump the way I want to or the way I know I can,” Henry said. “Sometimes it’ll mess me up for my other attempts. … I’ve been trying to prepare myself mentally because that was my biggest flaw last year. I want to look back and see that I was positive in my thoughts so that I know that I gave it my all even if I don’t jump as high as I want to. I don’t want to get down on myself like I was last year, because that was not good.”

Henry’s personal record is 11-03, which is also the school record. She hopes to improve on that mark by at least nine inches before her senior year is done.

“I want 12 really badly,” Henry said.

Henry said she would like to compete at the University of South Florida, adding that the USF coaches told her clearing 12 would allow her to receive a full scholarship.

Howard said Henry is 100 percent a pole vaulter, but added that she has helped the squad in other ways.

“The beauty is she’s athletic enough that I can put her in the long jump at districts, and she scored for us and we barely won that last year,” Howard said. “Those points she scored in the long jump and in the pole vault were important for us. … You get the right athlete in the right situation and they’ll flourish, and that’s what’s happened with Alisha.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Katie Hellman got to realize her dream of playing college soccer when she signed a letter of intent Feb. 12 to compete at Palm Beach Atlantic (PBA) University.

“Ever since I was little I wanted to play in college,” Hellman said. “I didn’t know if it would happen, but I always hoped that it would.”

Hellman, a senior midfielder at Bishop McLaughlin, picked up the game at age 5 with the Hernando Heat Youth Soccer Club. She also competed in volleyball, basketball and swimming while growing up, but she said nothing was like playing on the pitch.

“I just loved it from the start,” Hellman said. “It’s always been a part of me since I was little. My brother (Nick) played it and played here at Bishop. I played a lot of sports, but I just loved it so much because it’s such a team effort to win, but individually you still have to do your job.”

Hellman played four years with the Hurricanes, which included playoff berths during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

She said it’s been really rewarding to help the seventh-year program make the postseason twice during her career.

“It’s really good to see a small school with not that many kids on the team able to make the playoffs twice,” Hellman said. “We worked hard to get to that level.”

Hellman helped the ‘Canes amass a 38-23-6 record the last four years with 30 goals and 24 assists in her career.

“You have your ups and downs with a team, but it’s really been a great family atmosphere here,” Hellman said. “So many of my friends I met playing soccer here. There’s been so many great experiences.”

Hellman said PBA offered everything she was looking for.

“It’s a smaller school atmosphere, which was something I wanted,” said Hellman, who will study marine biology. “They had a really nice team, and I really liked the coach. It’s by the water for marine biology, so it’s a good fit for me.”

PBA is an independent Division II program in West Palm Beach. The Sailfish went 13-5-2 last season and won a regional championship in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) playoffs while reaching the third round of the national tournament.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker