Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Power and speed. Strength and quickness. Muscle and swiftness.

The words are contradictions, and yet they describe qualities of successful soccer players.

The Steinbrenner girls soccer team has a pair of midfielders who exhibit these traits, and their differences allow them to be huge impacts on the field.

The power, strength and muscle come from junior Dani Eule, while the speed, quickness and swiftness are qualities of senior Marley Opila.

“Having two central midfielders like that makes the team go,” said first-year Warriors coach Angela Gillisse. She added, “I feel like they’re twins or grew up together or something, because they seem to always know what the other is doing. They’re a really neat pair to watch play together. I think Marley is a finesse player and Dani is very physical and in your face. Marley knows when Dani is going in hard she needs to sit back and be that finesse-type player and vice versa. They have this communication that I can’t figure out, but I love it.”

Their differences and ability to work to each other’s strengths has benefitted Steinbrenner’s offense.

“Dani is so physical and so strong on the ball, and Marley is very fast and technical,” said senior forward Alexis Bredeau. “I think they really balance each other out. For me it’s great because they can set me up basically any time I want. They’re such amazing players and great people off the field as well.”

The duo has been a huge part in the Warriors’ (10-4) ascension as one of the top programs in the state, but they didn’t actually play together until last season.

They had no experience together before high school because they compete for different club programs. The midfielders missed the chance to play together when Opila tore the ACL in her left knee conditioning in preparation for the 2010-11 season.

“I’d heard of her and read about her in the newspaper before I came here, so I was excited to get to play with her,” said Eule, who started playing at age 5. “We really worked together well right from the very beginning. … We cover for each other, and what one lacks the other makes up for.”

Opila, who picked up soccer at age 6, had a little tougher time adjusting to Eule’s unique brand of play.

“It was actually pretty tough playing with her at first because I’m not used to playing with a player as physical as her,” said Opila, a Jacksonville University commit. “I kind of stood back at first because she’s so physical and so into the game. I got over that, and now I couldn’t ask for anything more from her. We’re complete opposites, so together we can kind of make one mega player. … I wouldn’t want to play midfield with anyone else.”

Their personalities off the field are also opposites.

“Marley is so quiet,” Bredeau said. “Not to put her on blast or anything, but she’s so quiet. Dani is the funniest person and outgoing, and they’re both great to be around.”

Production has followed the two the midfielders this season, with Eule racking up nine goals and seven assists and Opila having three goals and nine assists.

They are both very different on and off the field, but the midfielders agreed the most satisfying thing they can do is set their teammates up to score.

“Our forwards are making those runs all day long, so me and Marley want to give them the perfect pass,” Eule said. “They’re working hard to get by the defense, and if we’re off then it messes up the whole play. When the pass is a good one it’s the best thing.”

Eule, Opila and the Warriors host Wharton Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wharton girls soccer coach Denis Vukorep saw a big transformation in Leah Chisolm last season.

It wasn’t her speed, strength or technical play, but something had changed during a trip to Guyana in September 2011 — her first games with the country’s U20 Women’s National Team. She also made the U17 roster.

“When she came back from playing with the national team, she was just more professional,” Vukorep said. “She was just a far more mature player. She brought a lot more professionalism to each match. She was 16 years old playing with the U20 team she was starting, getting that great experience. She went there after her sophomore year as a raw athlete and is now a soccer player, and I think that experience gave her confidence and inspired her to keep getting better.”

Chisolm tried out and made the U20 squad, one step below the overall National Team, during the summer of 2011. She started all six games as a defender during World Cup qualifying rounds, the first three in September 2011 and the remaining contests in Cuba four months later.

Chisolm, who is now senior midfielder at Wharton, said making Guyana’s squads is one of the greatest accomplishments she has had with soccer since picking up the game at age 6. The Eckerd College commit said the stress to perform on the world stage was like nothing she’s experienced.

“It was a lot of pressure,” Chisolm said. “There were so many people watching. It was kind of uncomfortable at first, but once I started focusing on the game it was like every other game I’ve played.”

Chisolm’s mother Claire is from Guyana, and the family had visited the South American country twice before the Wharton student tried out for the U20 squad.

“It was a great experience,” said Chisolm, who added that the transition was made easier because the primary language in Guyana is English. “You learn a lot about other cultures, and you learn more about your own culture too. It was great to be a part of. … I didn’t mind not being able to shower with hot water. It sounds weird, but it was great. Getting to experience that is something I’ll always remember.”

The U20 squad won its three games in the opening round of World Cup qualifying before going 1-2 in Cuba.

Guyana didn’t advance, but Chisolm developed a passion for the international stage, and said she plans on trying out again in 2014 when the squad looks for a spot in the World Cup.

“I definitely want to do it again,” Chisolm said. “It was a great experience.”

Vukorep has seen the Wildcats (12-3-4) benefit from Chisolm’s international training.

“I think that sometimes in tougher matches she has that ability to step up because she’s played against better competition,” Vukorep said. “In the tougher matches, the girls see her elevate her game, and I think the girls follow her lead in stepping up that intensity.”

Losing Chisolm for weeks last season was difficult to overcome, but Vukorep said it was well worth it.

“The thing is it’s my job to foster the student athlete, and you have to promote an opportunity like that,” Vukorep said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a player picked for a national team, and if it happens again, I’m going to encourage them. There’s no one that’s playing the game who wouldn’t want to suit up for an international event, so you as a coach have to say it’s OK to not have that player in some big matches, and that in the long run it’s better for the player at all levels.”

Chisolm is having a breakout season offensively for Wharton, posting career-highs in goals (nine) and assists (seven). She played defense for the Wildcats as a sophomore, but was moved to midfield last year to take advantage of her speed and strength.

“When the balls at her feet she’s very slippery,” Vukorep said. “Defensively she’s a beast. She’s a defender with her club team, and because she does have confidence on the ball and can play with the ball at her feet we push her forward. Her pure athleticism and her confidence on the ball allows her to score a lot of goals.

“Off the field she’s soft spoken, gentle and very caring; on the field she’s fierce with controlled aggression,” Vukorep continued. “She really gets after it and is very competitive. I hear her talk 10 times more in a match than in the classroom. … She’s just a kid who’s very easy to root for.”

Chisolm and Wharton travel to Steinbrenner Jan. 9 before closing the regular season by hosting Tampa Bay Tech Jan. 11. Both games start at 6 p.m.

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Sunlake senior girls weightlifter Alex Ruiz is on the brink of accomplishing her goal of setting a state record.

Ruiz, 17, tied a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) record for a 119-pound competitor by bench pressing 175 pounds in a 12-team meet at River Ridge. The mark to beat was set in 2009 by Osceola’s Zanquina Ellison.

“I just focused on my technique and imagined it in my head,” Ruiz said about her record-tying effort. “I inhaled deeply then exhaled when the spotter let go. It was easy. I have 180 (pounds) in me.”

Sunlake coach Denise Garcia credits work ethic and dedication as reasons for the success Ruiz has as a lifter.

“Alex has lifted since she was a sophomore, and she loves it,” said Garcia, who is in her fifth season as coach. “She has the right body and mind-set and is technically very sound. … She caught my attention when she first came out her sophomore year. I could see it in her face. She has an outstanding work ethic.”

Ruiz became interested in lifting when a friend suggested she give it a try.

“At first I didn’t see it as a competition; I saw it as a hobby,” Ruiz said. “I started winning and started taking it seriously.”

Ruiz has compiled an impressive list of wins, going 18-4 in meets since her sophomore year.

She set a Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) record as a junior with a bench press of 160 pounds, but was disqualified a few weeks later in the first round of the state meet.

“I lost my temper and cussed on my second lift,” Garcia said about being disqualified. “It was mostly out of frustration. I had other things on my mind. … I found out after the meet my grandmother passed away. It was all a bad day.”

Ruiz stepped away from lifting following her disqualification, but returned to the sport after a two-month absence.

“I didn’t want to lift, but I convinced myself I had to come back stronger,” Ruiz said. “My coach was there from the start, and that was very important.”

Ruiz’s best lift in the clean and jerk is 160 pounds, just 10 off the state record. The overall state record at 119 for total weight, which includes the bench plus clean and jerk, is 340.

“(Alex) has a very good possibility to win the (state) overall,” Garcia said. “Nobody touches Alex. I think she can get a state record if she has a very clear head.”

Senior Natalia Valdes draws strength and confidence from Ruiz as a teammate and friend.

“I’ve known her for three years, and she is a really good friend,” said Valdes, who also competes at 119 pounds. “She’s inspirational and a nice person, but she works very hard and don’t like to lose. She doesn’t lose much.”

Up and coming sophomore teammate Jordan Travis, who lifts at 101 pounds, credits Ruiz with helping her improve.

“Alex gives pointers and encouragement,” Travis said. “She helps with technique, and I kind of look up to her.”

Ruiz said her workout regimen includes lifting at home and eating right.

“I eat clean,” Ruiz said. “I eat a lot of vegetables, peanut butter and honey, and I substitute soda with water. But I have a cheat day once in awhile depending on what I crave.”

The 5-foot-1, 116-pound Ruiz, who ran the 400-meter hurdles in middle school, doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of a weightlifter.

“Boys look at me and ask if I’m a gymnast,” said Ruiz, who plans to compete in the shot put this track and field season. “I tell them I’m a weightlifter and they say, ‘No way.’ I get teased about having big muscles, but I’m just toned.”

Garcia said girls who participate in weightlifting are not muscle-bound individuals and are well-rounded away from lifting.

“This is now,” Garcia said. “I had six kids out my first year, now there are 20 to 25 girls in the program. They are girly girls, balanced between the physical and being girls.”

Ruiz’s plans after graduating include attending college and continuing to lift.

“Weightlifting has tremendously changed my life,” Ruiz said. “Older women look up to me. Lifting helps me build confidence.”

Ruiz and the Seahawks will look to defend their district championship Jan. 23 at River Ridge starting at 12:30 p.m. The state meet is Feb. 9 at the Kissimmee Civic Center.

By Kyle LoJacono

Successful teams need stars, but role players are also a must to make squads function.

For the Steinbrenner girls soccer team, one of those players is Eleanor Wilson.

Wilson had been a midfielder/defender since picking up the sport in fifth grade with a recreational team at Hillsborough County United. She planned on doing the same when she joined the Warriors as a junior, but an opening in net arose.

Courtney Keene, who was the starting goalkeeper in 2009-10, quit in part because she was going to spend her senior season backing up Stephanie Hirsch. Former coach Robert Woodard turned to Wilson to fill the void.

“He said to me, ‘You’re really tall, have you ever played goalkeeper before?’” Wilson said. “I didn’t even own goalie gloves and didn’t even know how to put goalie gloves on. It’s really tough if you don’t know how, because I’d put the right one on first because I’m right-handed, and then it’s hard to pull the other one on. Steph had to teach me how.”

Hirsch took Wilson under her wing.

“She came up to me and said, ‘Steph, you’re going to have to take me on the weekend and train me because I have no idea what I’m doing,’” Hirsch said. “That whole last season we went to the school every weekend, and I taught her everything that I knew. She’s turned into a pretty solid keeper.”

Hirsch had played against Wilson in club a few times, but didn’t know her until they were both on Steinbrenner’s team. She said Wilson’s willingness to do whatever is needed for the team is inspirational.

“That’s the kind of player you bring on a team to make a team a team,” Hirsch said. “They’re willing to sacrifice something they love for the better of the team. I couldn’t ask for a better friend, and she’s a friend of everyone on this team, no doubt.”

Wilson played in seven games last year, including four starts. She finished with 21 saves and three shutouts.

She’s been called into action even more this year, starting district games against Gaither and Sickles, which the Warriors won 4-0 and 7-1. Wilson has played in nine games, seven starts, with 13 saves and two shutouts.

Wilson has found herself in the net, but she said she still doesn’t enjoy the position.

“I do it because coach needs me,” Wilson said. “Steph is at away tournaments, and she puts her everything into games and she gets hurt because of it. She plays through the pain, but sometimes she can’t. I know that the team needs me there.”

Wilson has the disadvantage of having what she calls “really bad vision,” which prevents her from reading jersey numbers or recognizing faces in the field.

“When I punt the ball I always tell the girls I’m looking for Dani Eule because she has red hair, and I can see that,” Wilson said. “I can’t see faces, I can’t see numbers, but I can see her hair.”

First-year Steinbrenner coach Angela Gillisse said Wilson has other duties along with filling a team need.

“She is very thoughtful and knows what to say if someone is having a bad day,” Gillisse said. “She’s just a really good kid.”

Part of picking teammates up includes having a steady supply of snickerdoodles.

“We have a joke on the team that my house is a snickerdoodle factory,” Wilson said. “I don’t even like them anymore, but the girls like them. This year one girl on the team was having a bad day, so I went home, made snickerdoodles for her and had them delivered to her class.”

She isn’t completely comfortable at the position, but Wilson has taken to the roles of backup goalkeeper, morale booster and true team player.

“I would prefer to be a field player, but at the end of the day goalie is where my team needs me,” Wilson said. “Halfway through junior year I learned I didn’t want to play college soccer, so I devoted myself to being a better goalie because it would help the team.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Wesley Chapel’s Erik Thomas has already proven he can score like no other boys basketball player in the program’s 13-year history, but the senior forward is far from just a scoring machine.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Thomas is also the Wildcats’ (13-3) all-time rebounding leader, and he extended his career mark with a program-record 32 during a 65-48 home victory over district rival Ridgewood Dec. 21, breaking his own mark of 26 set Nov. 28 against the Rams.

“I was extremely happy because I didn’t expect to beat it,” said Thomas, who also scored 35 in the contest. “I just went out there and played my game, and it turned out I got 32 rebounds. … It’s pretty cool to be able to beat my own record. I want to set it high to give someone else a big challenge if they ever want to beat it.”

Thomas is pulling down 18.4 rebounds per game this season, 4.3 more than a year ago.

“I’ve just had that mindset of being aggressive when it comes to crashing the boards,” Thomas said. “I just do my part when it comes to that; just do my job.”

Thomas burst onto the scene as a freshman when he averaged 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds. Since then he has totaled 1,706 points, 1,023 rebounds, 302 assists, 187 steals and 136 blocks.

Wesley Chapel has also gone 63-36 since Thomas joined the squad, but both the forward and the Wildcats have yet to win a district title together.

In fact, the program is looking for its first district championship since 2003, falling the last two years in the league finals. Thomas is hoping to change that during the 5A-8 tournament, which Wesley Chapel hosts Feb. 8 and 9.

“Honestly, records are great, but I just want to go as far as we can this year,” Thomas said. “Whatever we can do to win more games and keep the season going is what we all want. … We really want that district title. We thought we would have had it last year, but Hudson got us in the finals. We want to get to regionals, and we’ve all got that mindset of coming out strong in the first quarter and playing hard until the end of the game.”

Thomas and the Wildcats play at Hudson Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

The Freedom boys basketball team’s transformation the last 12 months has been thorough, complete and absolute.

“I think we worked hard in the offseason, prepared enough and we’ve done the little things to come together strong and win,” said senior center Brandon Patchan.

And that’s exactly what the Patriots (10-1, 4-1) are doing.

The squad has climbed into a tie for the top spot in Class 7A-District 9, scoring wins over last season’s district champion Chamberlain and league runner-up Wiregrass Ranch. The lone loss was a 45-44 contest at Chamberlain Nov. 29.

Second-year Patriots coach Cedric Smith said his squad has come a long way from where it was just one year ago when it finished 8-14. He added that the group is good enough to win its first district title since 2005 and make the playoffs for just the second time in the program’s 10-year history.

“Their effort has been a lot more consistent, and that’s all I really ever wanted,” Smith said. “I knew I had talented guys for a high school team, and I know I came back with a bunch of seniors, and we’ve been preaching consistent, sustained effort throughout the game. … There are good teams, I just want to get on the floor and compete.”

Senior point guard Antwan Bradley has stayed with the program the last three seasons, in which Freedom finished below .500 twice. He said it’s something special to see the upper-classmen like Patchan come together for a common goal.

“Our record is 10-1 right now, and we’re not used to that, but I believe we can actually take the district title, because we have more chemistry,” said Bradley, who is putting up 9.0 points per game. “People aren’t being selfish, they’re making that extra pass, and we’re doing the right things by listening to the coach and not getting too cocky.”

Smith said that the squad started working well before the season tipped off, adding that losing to Chamberlain 75-48 in last year’s district semifinals has helped spur their ascension.

“Some people may look at this and see it as a short turnaround, but these guys have worked hard all summer,” Smith said. “Ever since the end of the season last year and the disappointment that we had against Chamberlain, no one wants to go out by 27 (points). They made a commitment to come back and work in the weight room and conditioning, and they will never get caught not working as hard as they can. I’m pleased. I’m really pleased.”

Junior guard Michael Keller (8.6 points) said he wants to send the team’s 11 seniors out on top.

“(Our success) has been surprising, but we’ve worked hard enough to get here,” Keller said. “For us, it’s about sending the seniors out on a good note. Our coach is really smart; he knows what he’s doing, and if we stay smart and execute, we should be all right.”

Smith said they have also been pushed by Freedom’s girls basketball team, which is perched atop its own district at 15-1.

“Coach (Laurie) Pacholke has done a great job; she works the crap out of them, and it puts a lot of the pressure on the boys,” Smith said. “We’re tired of people saying the best sports around here are women’s basketball and cheerleading. We applaud them for what they’ve done, but we want to put a guys team on the map here at Freedom. … Even if we don’t put a banner up there, I’m happy with our guys coming in and being better men than when they started here. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win as much as the next guy, but I think if our guys work hard in the classroom and on the court, that’s bigger than a banner to me.”

The Patriots travel to district rival Gaither Jan. 8. They host Armwood Jan. 9 and travel to 7A-9 opponent Wiregrass Ranch Jan. 11. All games start at 8 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team proved once again that size does not matter.

The Wildcats (15-0) had only six players on the roster for the final of the Jaguar Holiday Classic because of vacations, illnesses and injuries, but the little Class 2A squad made a lot of noise by dominating Class 8A Plant 51-37 Dec. 29 to take home the tournament title at the Academy of the Holy Names.

It’s a long way from where they were just three years ago when they finished 0-15.

Senior point guard Timecia Cohen, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, called the win one of the best she’s ever been a part of.

“We were (surprised),” Cohen said. “We only had six players, so we really had to play smart. We knew we had to beat (Plant) to make a name for ourselves, because we’re such a small school and we did it.”

The academy used an aggressive full-court press and man-to-man defense the entire night, forcing the Panthers (12-5) into numerous mistakes.

Not only did the Wildcats have the smallest roster at the event, but junior Monique Montoute was their only bench player, despite having never played basketball before the tournament. Academy coach Karim Nohra wasn’t concerned with his players tiring down because of how conditioned his players are from practice.

“The first 30 minutes is pretty much up and down,” Nohra said of their practices. “We don’t slow down. They go from one drill to the next to the next. It’s all full-court type stuff, and sometimes if they’re dogging it, boom, let’s run some suicides. … Conditioning (against Plant) was not a factor.”

After taking a 21-15 halftime lead, the academy continued to pound Plant in the third quarter, firing off a 17-0 run while not allowing the Panthers to score a basket for the first six minutes and 20 seconds.

Plant’s missed layups, coupled with another 10-2 run in the fourth, which included a long 3-pointer from Andrea Mauger (14 points) and a big block by Tatiana Manuel on a layup attempt by Madelyn Carey, put the game away.

Manuel (17 points, 11 rebounds) said keeping the tempo up on both sides of the ball after leading for most of the first half was a must to avoid a letdown.

“We got pretty tired; he had to call a few timeouts, but we kept up the intensity,” said Manuel, a senior center. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game coming in here, and we really just had to keep playing.”

Nohra stopped short of calling it a statement win for the program, but he said it was special to see his squad step up against a much larger school.

“I don’t make statements; I make my team play to the level I want and whoever’s in the way,” Nohra said. “We got to take them down. That’s what we do. … We’ve come to this tournament many times and we’ve never won. So, is this a big win? Absolutely. We’re a 2A school taking down an 8A school. That’s pretty awesome for us.”

In the third-place game, Steinbrenner defeated Holy Names 44-30 behind Bailey Hooker’s double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Taylor Thigpen’s 11 points.

The Warriors (16-4), who played the tournament without their second-leading scorer Rachel Briere because of a right knee injury, struggled on offense in the semifinals against Plant, losing 46-43.

Steinbrenner shot 14-of-44 from the field and collapsed with a dismal one-point second quarter.

Fourth-year coach JR Allen said the loss was a reality check.

“We’re not in a good place right now,” Allen said. “(Our schedule has) been relatively easy to this point, and we’re struggling whenever we get challenged, and it’s hard to convince these girls we can get better. … You could clearly see it meant more to Plant to win.”

Wiregrass Ranch finished fourth, going 1-2 at the event.

The Bulls (11-8) defeated St. Petersburg Catholic in the second round, but were dealt losses from the academy in the first round and Braden River in the consolation game.