The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Mr. Sharma goes to Washington

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By B.C. Manion

 

He’s just 16 years old, but Kiran Sharma made memories to last a lifetime during the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Sharma, a junior who attends the International Baccalaureate Program at Land O’ Lakes High, was one of 2,000 scholars nationwide selected to participate in the five-day High School Presidential Inaugural Conference.

Sharma recalled the thrill of being able to share in the collective experience of hundreds of thousands of people on Jan. 21 when Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were ceremonially sworn into office after private events the previous day.

Gearing up for the day of the 57th presidential inauguration festivities began early for Sharma.

Kiran Sharma wore four layers of clothing so he wouldn’t get cold when he attended the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. (Photo courtesy of Sharma)

“We had to wake up at 4 in the morning, grab our breakfast,” he said. “Since I’m from Florida, I’m very sensitive to the cold. It was freezing up there. I was under four pairs of clothing.”

Even with special access, the group he was with watched from about four blocks away as Obama took the oath.

The distance didn’t diminish Sharma’s experience. He said he could see and hear everything on the big screen.

Even on that day, he noticed some political bickering.

“Partisan politics was going on both sides, the usual, but when President Obama came out and showed his face to America — and had a nice pleasing smile on his face — all of the flags, they just waved everywhere,” Sharma said. He added, “That’s when time stops. They focused on Obama and what he was going to say.”

At that moment of Obama’s arrival, Sharma said it felt as though the people were united as “one nation under God.”

Besides being able to watch the action on big screens, Sharma soaked in the atmosphere.

“You can see the (U.S.) Capitol building and all of the banners, and you can hear the music,” he explained.

“I made video recordings of Vice President Biden being sworn in and President Obama being sworn in,” he continued.

The event was more than the nation’s leader taking the oath of office.

“It’s not just swearing in, but it’s also taking responsibility for the nation’s actions,” Sharma said. He added, “He was very inspirational.”

While the inaugural ceremony was exciting, Sharma said he had other inspiring experiences during the conference.

He heard speeches from former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and four-star general and former NATO Commander Gen. Wesley Clark.

The group also heard from Nick Clooney, a journalist who is actor George Clooney’s father. Sharma said he was lucky enough to have his photo taken with Nick Clooney.

Clark’s speech, in particular, resonated with Sharma. The talk was not laced with the clichés that many inspirational speeches seem to have, Sharma said.

“He really spoke from the heart,” Sharma said. “He gave us three specific stories about how he was a kid, he was a teenager and then he served in the military. They had three distinctive lessons. It really opened my eyes up to actually become more involved in the community,” said Sharma, who aspires to become a heart surgeon and to do international pharmaceutical sales.

Conference-goers also watched the movie All The President’s Men and heard from Bob Woodward, one of the investigative reporters featured in the movie, which detailed the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Besides hearing from widely known speakers, the conference-goers had a chance to discuss what they’d heard and to form friendships, Sharma said.

He plans to stay in touch with several of the other students that he met, and he hopes they will return to experience the inauguration of the nation’s next president together.

 

Wiregrass Ranch’s consistent voice

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By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball team has played 132 games with 86 victories the last five years, and during that time the same person has been a part of kicking off every home contest.

John Long Middle eighth-grader Andreyné Fye began singing the National Anthem at each boys game in the Bulls’ gym while in the fourth grade when her family moved to the area from Georgia.

John Long Middle eighth-grader Andreyné Fye has been singing the National Anthem before Wiregrass Ranch’s boys basketball games since the fourth grade. (Photo by Kyle LoJacono)

“They were looking for a singer at that time, and my mom (Jewell) told them I could do it,” Andreyné said. “They said sure. I guess they liked me, and ever since then I’ve done it.”

The last four years she sang the anthem with her sister and current Bethune-Cookman University student Jordanyné, but Andreyné is now doing the honors solo.

“I’m so nervous every time she sings, because that’s my baby,” Jewell said. “I’m nervous, but she always sounds so good. She’s got such a beautiful voice, and I’m so proud of her.”

Andreyné said she started singing around age 4 because she “grew up in a church” with a lot of Gospel music.

“I was just always singing, and then people started complimenting me,” Andreyné said. “That made me want to keep singing.”

Andreyné said she had to train herself to be able to hit the anthem’s wide range of pitches.

Today, she sings with the strength, skill and beauty of an experienced performer, but she still hits the common obstacle of a novice.

“I do get stage fright,” Andreyné said. “Usually I’m just a little bit nervous, and I get butterflies. I try to calm myself down and just think of the music.”

Andreyné said she plans to continue to sing the anthem when she starts attending the school next year.

Wiregrass Ranch has one more regular season home game this year, which is against cross-town rival Wesley Chapel Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

Chalk Talk

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Just Say Cheese

Coach Gorman and Landyn Williams

Wesley Chapel Elementary students recently sampled a variety of cheeses purchased through a grant from The American Dairy Council. Students had a chance to taste provolone, pepper jack, mozzarella, Swiss and cheddar during their lunch break.

Shown here are Chris Gorman, who teaches physical education, and Landyn Williams, a second-grader who is tasting pepper jack cheese. (Photo courtesy of Wesley Chapel Elementary)

 

Kindergarten Round Up

Hillsborough County Public Schools is having its Kindergarten Round Up for the 2013-14 school year until Feb. 8.

Families interested in enrolling their child in their assigned attendance area school should attend the event scheduled for that school. The round up gives parents a chance to learn about the school their child will be attending.

Parents who go are encouraged to bring birth date, health and home address documentation to register their child for kindergarten. Parents unable to make it to the Round Up are encouraged to enroll their child by the end of June. Parents who would like to research their kindergarten options may visit various Round Ups and apply for School Choice or a magnet school.

 

Zephyrhills student citizens of the month

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has recognized these students as its student citizens for the month of January: Camdyn Hudgins, Woodland Elementary; Elysia Oder, The Broach School; Brittany Sanborn, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Amanda McEwen, Zephyrhills High; Robert Tackett, Heritage Academy; Mary Geist, Raymond B. Stewart Middle; Ethan Rich, Chester Taylor Elementary; and Clark Unarranged, East Pasco Adventist Academy.

Students are selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

 

Financial aid night

Hillsborough County Public Schools Guidance Services is hosting a financial aid information night for high school students and their families at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 in the auditorium at Hillsborough High, 5000 N. Central Ave. in Tampa.

University financial aid representatives will explain the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) process, review how colleges and universities compile financial aid packages and discuss available federal aid.

For more information, call (813) 273-7203.

 

Steinbrenner ACT practice test

There will be an ACT Practice Test and Strategy Session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 23 at Steinbrenner High, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Check in begins at 8:30 a.m. The deadline for preregistration is Feb. 21, and the cost is $20. Walk-ups are welcome, but the cost is $25. The fee includes lunch.

For more information, contact Laurie Keith at .

Registration forms can also be downloaded from the Steinbrenner webpage or by emailing a request to Keith.

 

Loran Tripp receives scholarship

The North East Tampa Women In Business selected Loran Tripp as the organization’s 2012 scholarship recipient. Tripp, of Latitude 27 Marketing, was chosen for her community involvement and dedication to local business.

 

Scholastic achievement honored

Aaron Pleus, of Lutz, received a President’s Recognition at Clearwater Christian College for scholastic achievement during the 2012 fall semester. To be eligible for this honor, students must be attending school full-time and must earn a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.90 on a 4.00 scale. Pleus was home-schooled before attending the college. He is the son of Gene and Jocelyn Pleus, of Lutz.

 

Seeking Fulbright scholars

The Fulbright Commission has selected Shakespeare’s Globe Education Theater Program, which is part of The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), as one of its prestigious Summer Institutes for the next three years.

Three Fulbright scholarship winners will attend AIFS’ Shakespeare’s Globe Education Theater Program each year from 2013 to 2015. Students who win the award have the majority of their program costs covered, including round-trip airfare, tuition and fees, accommodations, insurance, social program and meals.

Students applying for the Fulbright award should submit their application materials directly to the Fulbright Commission. The application deadline is March 11. For more information, application criteria or to apply, visit www.aifsabroad.com.

 

Art teachers receive grants

Eleven art teachers have received grants from the Fine Arts of the Suncoast to supplement their art programs.

More than 20 elementary, middle and high schools will receive grant awards. These grants are the result of Art for Kids, through which the Suncoast Arts Fest raises funds annually to supplement funding for Pasco art educators and schools.

Grants totaling $10,813.91 were awarded.

 

CDS names new high school principal

Carrollwood Day School has appointed Christopher Ryan as its new high school principal.

“We conducted an international search to identify the right leader to build on the excellence already in place at CDS’s high school,” Mary Kanter, the head of school, said in a release. Kanter also chaired the principal search committee.

The new principal is replacing Ryan Kelly who will be stepping into his new role as CDS’ head of school on July 1.

 

Hillsborough Choice Options Elementary

The deadline to submit elementary school applications for Magnet programs and School Choice in Hillsborough County is Feb. 14.

Under Hillsborough Choice Options, students can apply for a magnet school or another public school with available space within the county. Students who wish to remain at their current magnet or choice school, or prefer to attend their attendance area school, do not need to complete an application.

Students currently enrolled in a Hillsborough public school should apply online. Students new to the county must download the paper application found online, complete it and mail it to the address listed on the application.

Applications are available online at http://choice.mysdhc.org. For more information, call the Choice Information Line at (813) 272-4692

Vegetable gardening time

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By BJ Jarvis

Pasco Extension Horticulturist

 

By now all the holiday decorations should be put away, and it’s time to get the vegetable gardening supplies out to get a jump on spring growing.

Up north, most vegetable plants went into the ground at roughly the same time, but here in Florida there are distinct seasons. While cool season veggies such as lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas and cabbages are thriving right now, Florida’s warm season veggies are planted in early to mid-March when the ground has warmed sufficiently. This season includes tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, green beans, eggplant and okra.

A good way to begin spring plants is to use a salad container from a fast-food restaurant and start them indoors. (Photo by BJ Jarvis)

Some are quick sprouters such as green beans, cucumbers and melons, while others require more time to sprout and grow.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and okra require about seven to 14 days to germinate, ultimately requiring 80 to 100 days to reach maturity and produce fruit. Gardeners can get a jump on the season by starting these from seeds indoors.

Now don’t think this takes expensive equipment. A domed plastic container from rotisserie chicken or a fast-food salad makes a great miniature greenhouse.

Start with moist soil. Think of the feel of a wet sponge that has been wrung out. It’s still wet but not dripping. Don’t make any holes in the container and fill it with about 1 to 1.5 inches of moist soil and poke in the seeds. Cover with the clear lid, then write the date and name of the seeds in marker. Place the container in a bright, but not direct sun, location. Don’t open the lid, and don’t try to add water. Plants have sufficient water until after they sprout.

In a few days you should see seeds beginning to sprout, but leave the dome on even if green sprouts don’t show up right away. Depending on the plant species, but generally after two to three weeks, all the seeds that are likely to sprout will.

The tender new plants can be moved up into small pots to be nurtured until the weather and garden are ready for the new additions. This simple, cheap, repurposed approach has worked for years. When the clear domed lid gets yellow or brittle, it’s off for another yummy salad turned greenhouse.

Try this approach to get a jump on the spring gardening season.

Didn’t see your favorite vegetable listed? There is information about nearly 50 different vegetables in the University of Florida’s vegetable gardening guide that can be found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VH/VH02100.pdf. You can also call the UF/Pasco Extension office with vegetable or other gardening questions at (352) 518-0474.

 

—BJ Jarvis is Horticulture Agent and Extension Director at Pasco Cooperative Extension, a partnership between the University of Florida, Pasco County government and the USDA. She can be reached at .

George Jenkins stops Wiregrass Ranch’s playoff run

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By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer team’s second playoff trip ended at home in the regional semifinals Jan. 26, falling 4-1 to Lakeland George Jenkins.

The Bulls (20-3) got on the scoreboard first when senior forward and University of South Florida commit A.J. Blount buried home a rebound in the 30th minute.

Bulls senior midfielder Anne Cypriano pushes the ball up the field during the regional semifinals.

Wiregrass Ranch kept the advantage until the 53rd minute when Lauren Green took a pass up the right side and slipped a ball by goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby, a Navy commit.

The goal threw the Bulls off their game plan, and the Eagles (22-2-2) added another tally on a similar setup three minutes later. Wiregrass Ranch was never able to regain momentum.

“I think it got away when we started being more relaxed in the back and were not as alert on the field,” Blount said. “They kept penetrating on the same side, and we kept making that same mistake. They’d take it down to that pocket corner and get on Dayton, so I think that was our biggest mistake was letting her turn and get it in.”

First-year Bulls coach Eddy Costa was pleased with the way his players defended in the first half when they gave up no shots on goal.

“Every time they got the ball we had not just one, but two or three players around her,” Costa said. “I’m not sure what happened in the second half because we came out with the same mentality, and it became a little more of a one-V-one situation, and unfortunately the one-V-one situation hurt us very bad.”

George Jenkins was able to limit Wiregrass Ranch’s dangerous forwards Berlin Waters (29 goals) and Blount (26 goals) with solid central defense.

“They’re strength was they stop everything down the middle,” Costa said. “We wanted to send it over the top of them and work the sides. We’ve done a great job of going down the middle all year with Berlin and A.J., hit them with a pass and they’re off to the races. George Jenkins would step in and give them no space.”

The Bulls were able to capture their second district title and playoff berth in the program’s seven-year history despite getting a new coach with a very different mentality than they were used to.

“It’s difficult for them coming from club soccer playing in high school and having to learn a whole new perspective of how to move the ball, how to get the ball and defending,” Costa said. “At the end of the day that’s what it’s going to take. … It was a very successful season. Unfortunately one team moves on, and we’re not that team. There were a lot of positives that come out of this.”

Wiregrass Ranch beat Lakeland 4-0 in the regional quarterfinals Jan. 23 with two goals scored by Waters and one apiece from Blount and senior midfielder Anne Cypriano.

The Bulls lose the winningest senior class in program history, which depart with a 72-16-3 record. Among those who are graduating are Blount and Waters, who leave first and second in career goals for Wiregrass Ranch with 94 and 73, respectively, despite playing there only three years.

Waters, a Saint Leo University commit, transferred from Academy at the Lakes as a sophomore, the same season the Bulls made its first playoff run. Blount missed all of last year when she tore the ACL in her right knee.

Wiregrass Ranch also loses Wetherby, Cypriano (nine goals, seven assists) and defenders Hannah Eder, Lauren Gordon and Ashley Murphy, who have all been on the squad the last four years.

Costa said the graduates will be missed, but sees a lot of talent returning.

“I still think we’re always going to be a contender,” Costa said. “I heard that John Long (Middle) had 65 kids come out, all who played together, so we’re going to have a good freshmen squad. We won’t be stacked with seniors. Lauren Luzzi is the only starting junior, and then we had three or four come in off the bench. We had four freshmen start, Taylor Müzik (12 goals) is a sophomore and some others, so we’re losing some great players, but we have a lot of underclassmen coming back.”

Blount added, “I really do feel that they can go and take care of what we helped put here. I think the best part was that we did it. It was our class that made this happen, got the first district win, first district title and got to the playoffs, so I just really want them to carry out that tradition. I know they will.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

Land O’ Lakes tops Hudson for first playoff win since 2004

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By Kyle LoJacono

 

Kameryn Kailimai was in first grade the last time the Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team won a playoff game.

The sophomore forward went a long way to ending that drought when she scored her 12th goal of the season in the 75th minute of the Class 3A regional quarterfinals Jan. 23 to lift the Gators (18-5-4) to a 2-1 home win over Hudson.

 

Sophomore forward Kameryn Kailimai’s goal in the 75th minute lifted Land O’ Lakes to its first playoff win since 2004. (Photo by Kyle LoJacono)

“It was the first shot she really got a piece of,” said 26-year Land O’ Lakes coach Vicky King of Kailimai’s shot. “Someone on the bench said if Kameryn gets a shot on goal she’s going to put the keeper in the back of the net.”

The game-winning tally was set up by a through ball up the middle from senior forward Holly Nasello.

“It was all adrenaline,” Holly said. “When I saw the ball in the air I just tried to flick it forward to where someone hopefully was. It was a great run. A great finish. Just excellent.”

Kailimai said she knew she couldn’t waste the opportunity.

“When I saw that ball coming I just thought I have to get this in the back of the net,” Kailimai said. “Don’t kick it to the goalie’s hands, don’t hit it over. Just put it in the back of the net.”

The Gators and Cobras (15-7-2) played to a 0-0 first-half tie, but Land O’ Lakes had the clear advantage in scoring chances.

“We tried to cool off and not be so nervous, but at halftime we also talked about finishing,” Holly said. “That’s how you win the game is finishing. Can’t win unless you score.”

Hudson opened up the scoring in the 57th minute off a long shot that just snuck over the head of senior goalkeeper Arie Bailey, but the prospects of coming back didn’t faze Land O’ Lakes.

“They’re pretty even keel,” King said. “We’ve been down before and come back. That was a long shot, good goal. Arie had a piece of it, and it hit the back of the cross bar. We just worked and worked. We were more aggressive in the box in the second half. We had more chances in the first half, but kind of played the ball right at the keeper instead of making the keeper work.”

Junior forward/midfielder Raquel Villareal answered for the Gators two minutes later by heading in a corner kick taken by freshman defender Lacy Nasello, Holly’s sister.

“Raquel, we call her a ball hunter,” King said. “She’s got good speed. She moved in from Texas this year, and she’s really added something to the team. She’s got some goals in crucial situations. She’ll go after everything.”

Villareal said the mood change after tying the contest.

“I had a really good feeling we could do it when I saw it go in,” Villareal said. “Lacy took a great corner kick, I got my head on it, and I felt the energy level pick up.”

Land O’ Lakes still needed to kill more than five minutes after Kailimai’s goal. Junior midfielder Brooke Silvest said she told the players to stay focused.

“We’re trying to finish, so I was trying to keep them calm,” Silvest said. “We have a lot of freshmen, so I told them if we just control the ball we’re going to win this.”

The Gators could not make it two postseason wins in a row, falling 3-0 at Mitchell in the regional semifinals Jan. 26.

“This team has worked its butt off all season,” Holly said. “We had a lot of young players come in this year, and as the captain I couldn’t have asked for more from them. The whole team always works as hard as it can from start to finish at practice and in games. Heart, soul, we leave everything out there on the field.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

Sunlake dominates Pasco for consecutive 3A-7 titles

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By Jeff Odom

 

It’s been year of making history for the Sunlake boys soccer team, and the Class 3A-District 7 final Jan. 25 was just another chapter.

The top-seeded Seahawks (27-0) dispatched No. 3 and tournament host Pasco 2-0 for their second straight district title, but it wasn’t the trophy that the team was concerned about.

Sunlake senior forward Connor Gilboy scored twice against Wesley Chapel in the district semifinals. (File photo)

It was the perfect record: “27-0 means nothing now; It’s all about 32-0 and getting to the state final,” said Ryan Norberg. “We need to win it all to make it the best. That’s what we’re really looking forward to now, and this is great, but after today it means nothing.”

Sunlake coach Sam Koleduk said there was pressure going in as the favorite to win the league title, but nerves never played a factor against the Pirates (12-6-1).

“It’s a lot different this year because we’re the favorites, but the boys really responded and really played well,” Koleduk said. “(Pasco) hung in there, and I think we really dominated the game, and I thought in the first half it could have been three or four to zero pretty easy, but we weren’t giving up shots.”

It was a frustrating start for the Seahawks after failing to convert multiple scoring chances, but Norberg came to his team’s rescue.

The junior defender took advantage of three ill-timed yellow cards by Pasco and headed in a free kick from sophomore midfielder Chris Wilkerson to give his squad the lead in the 32nd minute.

“We were pushing hard attacking them, and we were getting plenty of opportunities,” Norberg said. “Finally, he hit a ball over, and I just hit it, flicked it up and put it to the back post, and it went in.”

Koleduk told his team at the half it was their championship to lose.

“We couldn’t allow them to get anything,” Norberg said. “We had a 1-0 lead, and coach said we had to make sure we keep it that way and hold them off for the rest of the game.”

The Pirates opened the second half by applying more pressure inside Sunlake’s box, but they were unable to capitalize.

The Seahawks added an insurance tally in the 54th minute when Connor Spencer redirected a 35-yard free kick from Austin Goble into the back of the net for his 34th goal.

“This is great,” Spencer said. “We’re finally making a name for ourselves, and we’re finally not known as much as the underdog of the county, and we’re not the little kids anymore.”

Sunlake senior forward Connor Gilboy tallied two goals in the 4-0 win over Wesley Chapel in the semifinals Jan. 24 to bring his total to 60 on the season.

Gilboy is already Pasco County’s record holder for a season, and is just nine away from the state mark for a year set by current Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski in 1997 at Daytona Beach Seabreeze.

“It’s absolutely incredible and truly shows all of that hard work,” Gilboy said. “We’ve had four years to build, and it’s almost bittersweet that I’m on the end it. I’m hoping to just ride it out and have such a prosperous future because of how hard we worked for this in those four years, putting in all I could to help us get to this point.”

In the other semifinal, No. 2 seed Land O’ Lakes couldn’t make up for a slow start against Pasco, falling 4-2. It’s the first time since the 2002-03 season the Gators (12-5) have failed to advance to the playoffs.

Land O’ Lakes trailed 4-0 at halftime, but senior midfielder Sean Young (28 goals) scored a pair of goals after the break to close the deficit.

Sunlake hosts Mitchell Jan. 30 in the regional quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Koleduk said his team knows what it has to do to reach the ultimate goal.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve done so far, because these guys deserve to be where they are,” Koleduk said. “I’m encouraged by our efforts. We’ve come out really strong, and at this point it’s just win and move on.”

 

Steinbrenner comes up empty again in district finals

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By Jeff Odom

 

Three years of frustration for the Steinbrenner boys soccer team came down to a penalty shot in the 64th minute of the Class 4A-District 8 final Jan. 26.

With the game tied 1-1, senior midfielder Enrique Barboto took two steps and belted the ball as hard as he could at Sickles goalkeeper Ryan Cooper, who dove to his left for the save that dashed the Warriors’ (15-2-3) chance at their first district championship.

Steinbrenner’s Jason Collister is shoved off the ball by a Sickles player. The Warriors forward scored his team’s lone goal in the district final. (Photo by Tim McClain)

The top-seeded Gryphons (11-1-3) marched down the field and headed in what would be the winning goal on their ensuing possession to take the contest 2-1.

It was the third time in the program’s four-year history that the No. 2 seed Steinbrenner has made it to the finals, only to come up short again.

With his eyes red and filling with tears, a sweatshirt draped around his head, Barboto walked off the field in silence as a mass of green and white celebrated behind him.

“We couldn’t finish our chances, and I don’t know,” Barboto said. “I couldn’t finish mine. I let us down.”

Warriors Chad Ebright walked out onto the field to console his players after the game. Some were lying face down on the field in disbelief.

“We didn’t finish it,” Ebright said. “They finished the opportunities they had, and we did not. That was the difference in the game.”

The Warriors controlled the pace offensively by keeping the ball in the Sickles zone for most of the night and peppering the goal with 17 shots.

Derek Gebhard sent a shot skipping past an empty net just two minutes into the contest, Jason Collister overran what would have been a one-time goal in the 19th minute and Cody Lively hit the cross bar less than a minute later.

“I can’t really explain what it was,” said Gebhard, a senior forward. “I just couldn’t connect with my kicks, and my shots, they weren’t going for me. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Steinbrenner goalkeeper Christian Knight was the difference maker in the first 40 minutes, making seven saves.

The junior, who returned to the team for the district tournament after serving a six-week suspension from the Florida High School Athletic Association, made his best save in the first half when a free kick scuffed the tips of his fingers and sailed over the goal to keep the game scoreless.

“I thought we were going to come out and have this spark to really beat them bad, because we had been talking about the mistakes we made in the past,” Knight said. “I really just thought we were going to pull through and learn from all of our mistakes, but I guess tonight we just didn’t pull through.”

Ebright fired up his team at halftime, telling his 21 players they had to find the net quickly to stay in control of the game.

His team responded on a corner kick taken by freshman midfielder Michael Connell in the 44th minute. Collister emerged from the pack and headed in the Warriors’ only goal of the night to take a 1-0 lead.

The joy wouldn’t last long though as Sickles forward Scott Mulroe headed in a free kick less than a minute later to tie the game and squandered any momentum Steinbrenner had gained.

“We really didn’t get any good shots on our feet; it was all on our heads,” said Gryphons coach Carl May. “Steinbrenner’s an amazing team, and I told my guys if they play well against Steinbrenner, that’s as good as it gets.”

Warriors ended Gaither’s streak of five consecutive playoff trips in the semifinals with a 5-0 win.

The Cowboys (7-7-1) couldn’t hang with Steinbrenner’s offense as Collister and Gebhard each scored two goals and Austin Labban had one.

In the other semifinal, Wiregrass Ranch lost to Sickles 2-1 in penalty kicks 4-3. Mitchell Oliveri scored the lone goal for the Bulls (15-8-1).

The Warriors travel to Haines City Ridge Community Jan. 30 in regional quarterfinals. A victory would send them to the winner of the Sickles-Eagle Lake Lake Region contest on Feb. 2.

Regional games start at 7 p.m.

 

 

Another day, another record for Alexis Bredeau

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By Kyle LoJacono

 

Look up any goals record for Steinbrenner girls soccer, and the same name is at the top of every category — Alexis Bredeau.

The senior forward picked up the record for goals in a game by scoring six in the season’s opener Oct. 29 against Clearwater Central Catholic (CCC) and set the all-time mark with her 79th career tally against Alonso Dec. 21.

Bredeau captured the last bit of Warriors’ glory by setting the program’s single-season goals record by scoring her 34th in her final high school game Jan. 23 off a header at Lakeland George Jenkins in the regional semifinals, which the Eagles won 5-2.

Steinbrenner senior forward Alexis Bredeau scored her 34th goal of the season Jan. 23, setting a new program record. (File photo)

Bredeau, who ends her high school career with 89 goals and a program-record 228 points, past current University of Tampa forward Cici Gonzalez for all four marks.

Bredeau’s record-setting season got stuck in neutral after the offensive explosion in the season opener. She scored only three goals in the five games following the six put up against CCC.

Things turned around against Robinson Nov. 30 when the Warriors had only 12 players because of injury, illness and kids away at showcase tournaments.

Bredeau picked up a pair of goals in the contest and added 23 more in the final 13 games.

“Going into the Robinson game I knew the team needed me to perform,” Bredeau said. “The pressure was there. I have to do it. When I did, I just thought I could do it then, why can’t I do it every game?”

Goals have followed Bredeau like no other in Steinbrenner (14-6) history, but she wasn’t just a scoring machine.

She also led her squad with 19 assists this season, ending her career with 54.

“It doesn’t matter to me if I score or not,” Bredeau said. “Whatever helps my team the most. If the team needs me to give an assist or score, that’s what I’m looking to do. I just go with the flow.”

The season follows a year when Bredeau had only eight goals and six assists.

“There were some rough times,” Bredeau said. “Things haven’t always gone the way I wanted, but I’ve been so honored to be a part of this team.”

Bredeau said the rebound year was a big confidence booster as she prepares to play at the University of North Florida. She will sign with the Ospreys Feb. 6, National Signing Day.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

Land O’ Lakes looks to return to state title form

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By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Land O’ Lakes cheerleading team set a standard of success by winning the 2008 state championship, the first year the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) awarded the honor.

The Gators, who won the small co-ed division state title, have stayed competitive the last four years, but the current squad is out for more than just a state appearance.

“It’s a big legacy to uphold,” said senior Morgan Novotny. “You have to strive to be the best, because we’ve been the best, and we know we can do it.”

The Land O’ Lakes cheerleading team practices in the days before the state meet. (Photo by Kyle LoJacono)

The squad lost seven seniors from last year, but the returning athletes feel confident in their ability.

“We just have to go out there and do it and uphold the Land O’ Lakes tradition,” said senior Abigail Lukacik. “I know everyone on the team really wants that ring,”

Andrea Burkhart, who is in her second full season as Land O’ Lakes’ coach, said there is some stress leading a team with such a winning tradition.

“There’s pressure here yes, but it’s not facility or staff putting it on us,” Burkhart said. “Myself and the girls put it on ourselves. … I wanted to coach here because I love the kids. I coach at an outside gym (Cheer Express Allstars in Oldsmar), so I knew a lot of the girls around here, and they asked me to apply for a (junior varsity) opening. It’s challenging day to day with teenage girls, but I love them.”

The Gators finished in the top three at states last year and placed second at regionals. They took sixth at the Class 1A-Region 2 large division meet Dec. 8.

“This year it’s a little bit of rebuilding,” Burkhart said. “I’ve got a lot of newbies. The seniors from last year are tough to replace, but we’re improving.”

Novotny agreed: “We didn’t do as great in regionals, but we’ve gotten so much better since then. Big improvement. … We just have to clean up our transitions and our stunts. We have the tumbling and we have the raw talent; we just need to tone it up a little bit. We’ll get there.”

Lukacik said it’s more about the mental aspect for them.

“As a team Land O’ Lakes has always been really tight on our motions,” Lukacik said. “We do that well. I just think we need to calm down when we’re on the mat. We tend to get really excited and rush and freak out. We just have to go out there and know we can hit it, because we’ve done it before. If we just calm down we can hit it so easy.”

Burkhart said a realistic goal is for them to make it back to the finals at states, which is for the top-three teams.

“I have high hopes for what we can do there,” Burkhart said.

The Gators compete at states Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Kissimmee Convention Center.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker