Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Ask anyone on the Sunlake boys soccer team why Connor Gilboy leads Pasco County with 50 goals this season and the answer will be the same — his effort.

The senior forward is always running on the field, even between play. Seahawks (22-0) coach Sam Koleduk said that not only puts him in position for goals, but also wears out the competition.

“He’s huge, and you can clearly see it’s because of his work rate,” Koleduk said. “If we could get everybody to play like that, we’d be unstoppable. His work rate is awesome.”

Soccer was the first sport Gilboy started playing, picking it up around age 7. He has run cross country and played tennis since his freshman year and was the kicker/punter for the Seahawks football team this year, an effort that earned him first-team The Laker/Lutz News and Sunshine Athletic Conference honors.

“I started playing all these other sports just to keep in shape,” Gilboy said. “I ended up being pretty good at football, first team this year. I just did that because they asked me to. I didn’t expect to do much. It was really fun, but I love soccer.”

Gilboy, who has 22 assists this year, has compiled 101 goals in his career. He is two goals away from breaking Jordan Landry’s single-season program record, and 16 off his career mark, but Gilboy’s drive is for more than individual stats.

For the fourth-year varsity player, his work has been to make Sunlake a premiere soccer program, and the effort has paid off this year.

Sunlake defeated cross-town rival and annual powerhouse Land O’ Lakes 2-1 Jan. 10 to sweep the two regular season meetings with the Gators (9-4) and clinch the top seed in the Class 3A-District 7 tournament.

“Coming into the game we had people promising pizza parties if we win,” Gilboy said. “The administrators promised us cookies and stuff if we beat Land O’ Lakes. Honestly, we just wanted to finally install ourselves as the dominant team in Pasco.”

Gilboy was looking for some way to inspire his teammates before the showdown with the Gators.

“I was reading an old article, because I’ve saved everything since I’ve been a freshman, and I’m looking at what can I get to pump these guys up,” Gilboy said. “I came across something, don’t remember if it was in The Laker or the Tribune, but I grabbed it, and the headline was ‘Sunlake pleased to hang with LOL.’ If you look at things now that’s completely reversed.

“It’s been a really, really long journey,” Gilboy continued. “Before districts last year we’d never beaten Land O’ Lakes ever; so to beat them twice in a row is unbelievable.”

Sunlake played at Hudson Jan. 14, but results were not available by press time. The Seahawks host Wiregrass Ranch Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner boys soccer team shook off its first loss of the season with a 7-1 win at Wharton Jan. 9.

The Warriors (13-1-3) fell 2-1 to Fort Myers Bishop Verot in the Berkley Prep Invitational during the winter break. Steinbrenner senior midfielder Enrique Barboto said they wanted to re-establish themselves against the Wildcats (3-6-4).

“We usually peak early, but this win is a good sign,” Barboto said. “We need to be as strong as we can be for districts.”

The Warriors were also forced to play their senior night contest on the road because a malfunctioning sprinkler system opened a hole in their field, making it unplayable.

Steinbrenner shook off the venue change and scored in the first minute, buried home by senior defender Derek Gebhard. The Warriors followed with four more goals before halftime, the final two from junior forward Austin Labban.

Steinbrenner found the back of the net twice more after halftime. Barboto closed the scoring in the 57th minute for his second tally of the contest.

Five players posted goals for the Warriors, giving them confidence in their offense.

“We’ve got some very talented players up top with Austin Labban and Jason Collister, and Enrique Barboto had a couple goals tonight at midfield,” said Steinbrenner coach Chad Ebright. “We really have some good offensive players.”

Senior midfielder Logan Siben added to the offensive onslaught with four assists.

The lone blemish for the Warriors came in the 10th minute when senior forward Evans Blanc fired home a loose ball. Wharton senior goalkeeper Keenan Kushner had 11 saves in the contest.

It wasn’t a perfect game, but Siben was encouraged by what he saw as districts approach.

“I feel like we’re almost to our full potential and that we’re going to peak at districts and into regionals,” Siben said. “We’ll have our full squad back for districts, so we’ll be ready.”

Steinbrenner is tied with Sickles for the top seed in the Class 4A-District 8 tournament, which is at Gaither Jan. 23 to 26. The squads had not done the tie-breaking coin flip by press time.

The Warriors play at Tampa Bay Tech Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.

//Warriors’ goal maker

Steinbrenner senior Logan Siben racked up 17 goals last season, making him one of the area’s top scorers.

This year goals have followed Siben, but now they are coming off his team-leading 14 assists.

“I’ve always played outside my whole life in club, but coach wanted me up top last year for speed,” said Siben, who started playing at age 4. “Austin Labban got a lot better this year as a junior, so that let me go out wide and get those assists. I just find someone’s feet or head so they can finish.”

Siben has gladly taken to his role.

“He’s a goal maker,” said Steinbrenner coach Chad Ebright. “He doesn’t score them, but he sets them up for everyone else to score. He’s very happy with that role, and it’s very hard to find a kid who is happy not putting them in the net but setting them up.”

Siben has the team lead in assists despite missing several weeks with a badly pulled left hamstring suffered at Wiregrass Ranch Nov. 16.

“Hamstring feels good,” Siben said. “I played in the Disney Showcase during the Winter Break. I played four days on it there, and I feel like it got back in shape for me. I can finally get back to a full sprint out here.”

He showed just how healthy he is by racking up a single-game program record four assists at Wharton Jan. 9.

Senior midfielder Enrique Barboto said having Siben in the lineup has been a boost to the offense.

“Having him back, the flow is just a lot better,” Barboto said. “We’re able to finish a lot more with him.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner girls soccer team continued its run of dominating play by winning 3-0 at Wharton Jan. 9.

The Warriors (13-4) have won their last 10 games after starting the season 3-4, the first time the fourth-year program has ever been below .500. It was the Wildcats (13-4-4) who started Steinbrenner on its downward spiral with a 2-1 win in penalty kicks in the final of the Wharton Invitational on Nov. 3.

The Warriors were scheduled to host the contest as their senior night, but a malfunctioning sprinkler system created a hole in the field, rendering the surface unplayable.

“Yesterday night at about 8 they told us the game was moving,” said senior forward Alexis Bredeau. She added, “A lot of us were really mad that we couldn’t have our senior night on our home field, but we had to deal with it. … What really fueled us was them wanting to beat us on our senior night on their field. It was just like, ‘No, you can’t do that.’”

Steinbrenner has outscored its opponents 58-2 during the winning streak, which started Nov. 30 against Robinson. The date also coincides with the Warriors going to a 4-3-3 formation and getting back junior defender Miranda Gonzalez from a torn hamstring.

“We’ve been focusing on our top three putting pressure on them for all 80 minutes,” said Steinbrenner coach Angela Gillisse. “In the second half of the season they’ve been just so consistent with it. With our three center mids supporting them, and then Miranda in the back, means Alexis doesn’t feel like she has to drop back.”

Bredeau has 21 goals and eight assists during the winning streak. She has a team-high 30 tallies this season, 85 in her career.

Junior forward Jessica Taylor started the scoring against Wharton in the 16th minute. Steinbrenner dominated play, forcing five corner kicks, had five shots on goal and hit the left goal post in the opening period, but Gillisse was not pleased with being ahead 1-0 entering the second half.

“I told them at halftime it should be 5-0 and they should have no opportunities,” Gillisse said. “Told them they get no shots on goal in the second because it was ridiculous that they got the shot they had, and it only happened because our center midfield fell apart. … That’s what happens with every goal that comes against us the last few games, and we have to eliminate that.”

The Warriors came out of halftime quickly, with Bredeau heading in a cross from Taylor in the 45th minute and junior defender Megan Haraschak lobbing a shot from 25 yards out over Wharton goalkeeper Courtney Bodamer’s head three minutes later.

“It was more looking for Alexis in the corner,” said Haraschak about her first goal of the season. “She makes that run in to the back post all the time. … When I hit it with my laces I thought that might go in. It just worked out that I lofted it in with my left foot.”

Gillisse is pleased with her team’s play as districts approach.

“The second half of the season we’ve been out to prove something to everyone,” Gillisse said. “I talked to the girls about sending a message as we go into districts. … I was listening to Alabama coach Nick Saban, and in his postgame interview he said he demands for his team to play better every single game than they did the previous game. That’s what we need to do going into districts. We have to want to be a better team every single time we step out on that field.”

The Wildcats were battling several injuries. Allison Etheridge and Taylor Hubbard didn’t compete, leading scorer Ashni Deschenes played about 17 minutes and Lexi Oeth and Leah Chisolm appeared very limited with what they could do.

Wharton coach Denis Vurkorep said he wasn’t going to risk further injury in the contest.

“It’s a nondistrict game right before districts,” Vurkorep said. “I didn’t want someone to go all out and hurt themselves and not have them for districts. I saw Ashni go tentative at a ball, and when I saw that I pulled her out. That’s all I needed to see. … If this was that district game they’d have all played.”

The Wildcats play Alonso Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Class 5A-District 7 tournament at Plant as the No. 2 seed. They would play the winner of the Newsome-Riverview matchup Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. if they get by their quarterfinals game. The final is Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.

Steinbrenner is still set to host the Class 4A-District 8 tournament. The No. 2 seeded Warriors receive a bye into the semifinals and will play the winner of the Gaither-Chamberlain quarterfinal Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. The final is Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The roles were reversed when cross-town rivals Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes faced off Jan. 10.

The top seed in the Class 3A-District 7 boys soccer tournament was on the line, but for the first time it was the Seahawks (22-0, 8-0) in the driver seat. They rose to the challenge with a come-from-behind victory 2-1 against the Gators (9-4, 6-2) to stay perfect on the season.

Sunlake only needed a tie to secure the No. 1 district seed, but the host Seahawks wanted nothing to do with a draw.

“I told the guys going into the game, ‘I know most of you haven’t been here the last four years, but the last three years we’ve been the ones who’ve had nothing to lose,’” said Sunlake senior forward Connor Gilboy. “I told these guys, ‘This time we have everything to lose.’ We have perfect season, national ranking, place in districts and pride. … A tie, in our opinion, screws up the undefeated season.”

The Seahawks came out of the gate fast, peppering Land O’ Lakes goalkeeper Tommy Koen with two shots in the first two minutes.

The Gators withstood the initial onslaught and capitalized on their first shot on goal in the eighth minute when Stephen Garcia buried home a deflection off a corner kick by Mike Moran, the first time Sunlake has trailed all season.

The Seahawks got back on the attack with five shots on goal in the final 32 minutes of the half.

Garcia, a senior defender, kept Land O’ Lakes on top by blocking a shot in the 34th minute to preserve the lead, but only for three minutes.

Sunlake got on the board when junior midfielder Austin Goble fed a pass to Gilboy along the right sideline. He pushed the ball forward, lined up his shot and fired a rocket past Koen from 30 yards out.

“That’s one of those shots that you take if you have it,” Gilboy said. “You know it’s going to change the game if it goes in.”

Seahawks coach Sam Koleduk said the tying tally just before halftime was critical.

“I told them to try and keep their composure, and for the most part we did,” Koleduk said. “We gave up the loose ball goal to them. It was a nice shot, but even up until then I think we were clearly dominating the play. I think Gilboy’s goal right before half was huge. Second half would have been much more difficult being down.”

The Gators picked up their play in the second half, forcing five corner kicks while limiting Sunlake’s chances offensively until Gilboy again rose up for his squad with a shot from outside and right of the box.

The attempt was partially deflected by Garcia into the net to put the home team ahead 2-1 in the 67th minute. Gilboy was awarded the goal by the officials, giving him 100 for his career.

“I don’t want to say we’re desperate, but we just needed something,” Gilboy said. “Even if it’s not right on target we needed something, so it was absolutely a shot.”

The Seahawks had several chances to add to the lead, including a header by Chris Wilkerson in the 72nd minute that sailed just over the cross bar. Koleduk said he would have liked them to have converted more opportunities, but was happy with the effort.

“I thought we were clearly the better team, but we didn’t put our easy chances in,” Koleduk said. “We missed two or three chances in the second half that should have been goals, but they’re tough. They battle hard and keep their shape well. I thought our attitude was good. I thought we tried hard and played very aggressive. … I think we deserved to win overall, but I think it was a really good game.”

Land O’ Lakes assistant Mike Pearson, who was coaching for his son Mark because of a two-game suspension after receiving a double yellow card the night before against Anclote, said the late goal stung because of how they evened up the play after halftime.

“We controlled a lot of the game in the second half,” Mike said. “We were a little bit guilty of leaving too much room in the first half in the midfield, which gave them the opportunity to run at us. … I’m disappointed because I don’t think we deserved to lose this game. It’s disappointing, but I’m encouraged because we’re starting to play more to our potential, so hopefully we get a chance to have another go at these guys.”

The Gators still earned the No. 2 seed in 3A-7 and will play tournament host Pasco in the semifinals, while Sunlake will match up with the winner of the contest between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

The Seahawks won their first district title last year by defeating Land O’ Lakes in the finals, ending the Gators’ seven-year string of league crowns. Gilboy said it won’t be easy to go two in a row but said they have the ability make it happen.

“We have to keep our cool,” Gilboy said. “It’s not a fluke. It’s not a fluke, and everyone has to understand that.”

Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes played at Hudson and at Gulf Jan. 14, respectively, but results were not available by press time. The Seahawks host Wiregrass Ranch Jan. 16 at 7 p.m., the same day the Gators host River Ridge at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch has become a dominating tennis program the last few years, and the players responsible for starting that tradition are still winning at the next level.

Elizabeth and Sarah Means played only one season for the Bulls, 2010, the sisters’ sophomore and junior years, respectively. Not only did they help Wiregrass Ranch make states for the first time in program history, but they also captured the first state championship for the school in any sport.

The Meanses, who are studying business, captured the Class 3A doubles state crown, which capped off a perfect season as a duo. Now, the sisters are back together on the same team — Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).

Sarah, a sophomore, signed with the Division I program in the Atlantic Sun Conference during her senior season, and Elizabeth followed a year later. The sisters played doubles together for the first time on a team since winning the state title during FGCU’s fall season.

“It was fun to play with her again,” said Elizabeth, a freshman. “We went out the first time at Central Florida and were undefeated, so that was fun going out there and working together. She had some new things that she’d learned at college, and we got to work that in together.”

***

Sarah, who was FGCU’s No. 1 player as a freshman, started playing around age 4.

“I went out because someone recommended it to my mom because I had good eye-hand coordination,” Sarah said. “It really translated; I learned I had a gift for it, and I wanted to work hard and get better.”

Elizabeth followed her older sister’s lead when she turned 7.

“Sarah started first,” Elizabeth said. “She would hit and I’d pick up the balls. One day I picked up a racket and started hitting them back.”

It wasn’t just the sisters who committed to tennis.

“We’re from Washington D.C., and we played every day,” Sarah said. “We wanted to get better, so we made the decision to move down to Florida to get better training. We’ve trained year round in these types of conditions the last five years, and that’s really helped us. … It’s a family thing. My mom took on a lot of the responsibility with travel for us to go to tournaments, and our two oldest sisters played in high school too. We took the sport up as a family.”

Picking up the same sport has also allowed Sarah and Elizabeth to easily push each other.

“It’s awesome having your sister out there every step of the way, understanding what you’re going through when you’re prevailing or not,” Sarah said.

They are also very different players.

Elizabeth describes herself as an “aggressive baseliner.” Sarah said she is most confident using her serve and moving forward to the net.

The opposite mentalities on the court allow them to be a deadly doubles team.

“I know that if I’m at the net and miss it, then she’s going to be behind me at the baseline to get it back in,” Sarah said. “It helps knowing that she’s a very consistent player, so that lets me be aggressive at the net.”

The sisters began playing high-level tournaments when they came to Florida, which pitted them against the best young tennis players in the region and nation. However, a new challenge arose when they started competing for Wiregrass Ranch — the team aspect.

The rules and nature of play proved to be very different when they took to high school tennis. They were used to playing against tough competition in high-level tournaments, but team tennis has a different element.

To win in high school and college, teams must win four of seven points, which come from winning five individual and two doubles matches.

“Tennis is such an individual sport, but it’s been nice having other players who know what you’re going through,” Sarah said. “They’re cheering you on during your matches, and then you have the team that you’re playing for. You still want to win your match, and you know if you do then it’s going to help the team.”

Elizabeth went undefeated as the Bulls No. 2 player in 2010, while Sarah dropped just two matches as the squad’s ace.

“It was a lot of pressure actually,” Elizabeth said. “You wanted to always hold your line for the team. By the end I’d developed a bond with the other girls and there was less pressure, but it was tough to start.”

***

Sarah continued her winning ways at FGCU last year, where she took over as the Eagles’ No. 1 player as a freshman. The squad finished third in the Atlantic Sun in 2012, the best finish in program history.

“Going last year I wanted to help the team, and I was able to do that,” Sarah said. “We finished third in the conference, and that was the work of the entire team.”

Elizabeth played No. 3 or 4 while also doubling with Sarah during the fall season a few months ago. She said the higher level of play tested her body and mind.

“The level of competition in college is much higher,” Elizabeth said. “The girls hit a heavier ball. They’re bigger and stronger. You have to be a lot more mentally tough to beat those girls.”

A normal practice day for FGCU starts at 6:45 a.m. and runs for about 3.5 hours. The Meanses get back on the courts each afternoon for another two hours.

“Four to five hours a day, six days a week,” Elizabeth said. She added, “The coaches are very adamant about fitness, so we’ve done that in the fall and during the summer. Over the winter break we’ve been doing even more so we can do whatever coach needs from us.”

The sisters said the goal is to win the conference championship this season.

“We also want to make it to the NCAA tournament and do some damage while we’re there,” Elizabeth said.

FGCU’s season starts during its Spring Invitational Jan. 19 to 21.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball team handed Class 7A-District 9 rival Freedom its second loss Jan. 11 — a 21-point home victory 67-46.

The Bulls (13-4-1, 4-3) fell 66-57 in the first meeting with the Patriots (12-2, 5-2) this season. It snaps an 11-game winning streak for Freedom, which last lost by one Nov. 29 at Chamberlain.

Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Calzone stopped short of calling the victory a statement win in part because his Bulls will play the Patriots in the district semifinals next month for a playoff berth.

“It will be a statement win when we make the playoffs if we do beat them in that district tournament,” Calzone said.

Freedom took an early 9-3 lead, but Wiregrass Ranch closed it to 12-10 to end the first quarter.

The Bulls went to a full-court press defense in the second quarter that stifled the Patriots’ offense. Wiregrass Ranch took the lead for good with 6:48 left in the first half on senior forward Rico Kerney’s second of three 3-pointers and entered the locker room ahead 34-18.

The Bulls kept up the defensive effort after halftime.

“If we play defense we’ll win games,” Calzone said. “That’s it. If we don’t play defense we don’t win games. … We’re good offensively, there’s no doubt about that. Defensively, sometimes we forget what basketball is about. Tonight they decided to play defense.”

Wiregrass Ranch’s offense was led by senior guard Chris Parra, who scored a team-high 23 including seven 3-pointers.

“I was just feeling really confident,” Parra said. “Coach said if I got an open shot just shoot it right away, so that’s what I was doing.”

Kerney had 20 points and senior guard Larrentz Manora had 11.

Freedom was led by senior center Brandon Patchan’s 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Bulls host district rival Gaither Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m., the same night the Patriots play at 7A-9 opponent Steinbrenner at 8 p.m.

Freedom stays perfect in district

The Freedom girls basketball team remained undefeated in Class 7A-District 9 play with a 58-38 win at Wiregrass Ranch Jan. 11.

The Patriots (17-3, 7-0) beat the Bulls (12-9, 3-4) without Taylor Emery (21.4 points) because of a concussion suffered in the first quarter against Winter Haven Jan. 5.

“I think people forget that we’re not a two-headed monster,” said Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke. “Honestly, I go 10 deep. … All these girls know on any given night their role may change, and in order for a team to be super, super successful you have to have kids buy into that. These kids knew their time would come, and it makes us that much more dangerous when Taylor comes back.”

One Patriot who stepped was sophomore center Bianca Igwe (seven rebounds and six points).

“Coach told me with my size and strength advantage I’d be able to box out,” Igwe said. “I tried to work my way around and find the right spot.”

Whitney Ivey scored 18 points, Monet Williams had six points and four rebounds and Faith Woodard posted 21 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

“From top to bottom we’re still a solid team,” said Woodard, a senior forward. “To not have one of our leading scorers took it out of us, but we had enough firepower to pull off a good win.”

Wiregrass Ranch stayed in the game early and closed the score to 13-9 near the start of the second period.

“If we make our layups in the first quarter it’s a tie game,” said Bulls coach John Gant. “There was a statement where they said they had to go somewhere else to have competition. We’re not that good with them yet, but I was sure happy to give them a little competition tonight. … We won the third quarter 13-9. How many teams have beat them in a quarter this year? Not many.”

Wiregrass Ranch lost leading scorer Amanda Melosky, a sophomore forward, with 1:20 left in the first half when she came down awkwardly on her right leg. She wouldn’t let the injury keep her out for long, returning in the second half.

“If I’d have not let her go back out there she’d have killed me,” Gant said with a smile.

Melosky finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Logan Seoane had a team-high 12 points.

The Bulls got a spark from guard Trasharian Kidd, who had five points and four steals.

“She has no fear,” Gant said. “She’s a freshman, so she’s going to make some mistakes, but she’s the best athlete out there with the exception of Faith Woodard.”

Wiregrass Ranch hosts 7A-9 opponent Gaither Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. Freedom can clinch the top district seed with a win at Steinbrenner Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wharton boys basketball team had a lot to play for against Plant Jan. 8.

Not only are the squads Class 8A-District 7 rivals, but the Panthers (8-10, 4-4) were the last team to beat the Wildcats (17-2, 8-0) at home in the regular season, winning 53-42 last January.

“We’ve rarely lost here, so we remembered,” said senior point guard CJ McGill. “When they beat us last year it was a big sting. We didn’t want to let it happen again.”

Wharton had also gone 3-2 at its two tournaments during the Winter Break, giving the Wildcats more motivation to get back on track.

“We played some tough competition in those tournaments, and we learned some good things about our teams that’ll help us down the stretch,” said Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli. “I’m pretty encouraged by where we’re at and the direction we’re going.”

Both teams started sluggishly, with Plant scoring the first points 2:37 into the first quarter. The Panthers jumped ahead 4-0, but the Wildcats fought back to take a 21-20 lead it would never give up on junior forward Chase Litton’s layup about a minute before halftime.

“We just started playing harder, competing more on defense and executing on offense,” McGill said. “We just started playing as a team.”

Much of the energy, not to mention scoring, came from McGill in the second quarter. He put up eight of his team-high 20 points in the period with quickness Plant couldn’t contain.

“CJ kind of got us going toward the end of the second quarter,” Tonelli said. “He got some penetration and hit some shots and made some nice passes. That helped us out. … He’s really been playing at a good, high level down the stretch like you’d expect and hope he’d do as a senior.”

Wharton stretched out its lead to 19 points near the start of the fourth quarter, but the Panthers closed the score to single digits in the final minutes.

“In the second half we got the game in control, and it’s very disappointing that we let it get down as low as we did,” Tonelli said. “We had some very careless, poor turnovers. We missed some free throws. We made some bad decisions, and not just offensively, but defensively too.”

Tonelli said that shows they have a lot of work to do.

“They don’t need to think they’re too good based on their record,” Tonelli said. “There are a lot of things in a lot of areas that we need to improve on dramatically down the stretch. … Can’t be dwelling on our record because every team we line up against is going to come after us that much harder.”

McGill finished with eight assists and four rebounds to go with his 20 points.

Senior forward/guard Sir Patrick Reynolds had five rebounds and 16 points, 14 after halftime. Senior guard Jaken Grier scored 15, while Litton pulled down six rebounds.

Plant defeated Wharton in the girls matchup 42-25.

The Wildcats (9-8, 4-3) could not get shots to fall, hitting just 10 from the field all night. The Panthers (14-5, 6-1) led 14-2 to end the first quarter and never looked back.

Wharton senior guard Allison Mitchell and senior center Kelly Brown each scored seven, while sophomore guard Rachel Cox had five points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

The Wildcats play at district opponent Newsome Jan. 18. Girls start at 6:30 p.m. followed by the boys around 8 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer coach Eddy Costa admits he was teary-eyed watching his seven seniors walk off the home field Jan. 9.

The Bulls (17-2) defeated Ridgewood 8-0 during their senior night to finish the regular season undefeated at home for the first time in the program’s seven-year history. The seniors are also the winningest senior class for Wiregrass Ranch, compiling a 69-15-3 record the last four years.

“I knew coming into the school this season that they were going to have a good team,” said first-year Bulls coach Eddy Costa. He added, “Emotionally as a coach and as a man, getting tears in my eyes was a little different for me, but these kids are a great group of girls.”

Wiregrass Ranch dominated offensively throughout the game, scoring five goals on 11 shots in the first half. The Bulls were led by seniors Berlin Waters (two goals, one assist), Anne Cypriano (two goals) and A.J. Blount (one goal, two assists).

Waters scored both of her goals in the first half, and came close to her third hat trick of the season when she sent a ball over the crossbar in the 33rd minute. She said senior night was bittersweet.

“I’m ecstatic, and I’m just so sad, but I mean it’s great winning a game like this and going out there and having fun with my team,” said Waters, a Saint Leo University commit. “We’re all such good friends, and we’ve all done a great job this season. It’s relieving to end (our home schedule) on a good note.”

Blount, whose goal came off a redirected shot from senior Ashley Murphy in the 20th minute, said she tried to set aside the emotions to focus on the game, but felt it settle in afterward.

“I’m just really happy that I have a team that’s backing me up and just supporting me throughout it all,” said Blount, a University of South Florida commit. “Just knowing that we’re all together again and we’re all happy is just an amazing feeling.”

After a pair of quick goals by Cypriano to open the second half, Costa held back the offense and focused on his team’s defense in preparation for the Class 4A-District 8 tournament at Steinbrenner Jan. 15 to 18. The Bulls are the No. 1 seed in the event.

After some pleading from his team, Costa allowed senior goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby to quickly change uniforms and switch positions so she could play the field.

His decision paid off less than two minutes later as Wetherby found the back of the net in the 64th minute to end the game.

“First goal I’ve ever scored in high school,” said Wetherby, a Navy commit. “I was like coach, ‘Put me in, put me in, put me in,’ and he did, and I’m just ecstatic. My team talked about it at the half and with the coaches, and they wanted to let me score a goal, and I’ve been in the net all four years, so it’s awesome. I love them all.”

Costa said though the win was special, it’s going to take more to possibly hoist the program’s second district title and make a deep postseason run.

“I think all that matters is what’s inside the crest of the (jersey),” Costa said. “Who wants to play for that pride, and who’s going to push themselves a little bit further to get the school a district championship? … It’s been a long season, but we still have a long, hard journey ahead.”