Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Madison Seuzeneau and Natalia Campos have been constants for the Steinbrenner volleyball team this year.

The seniors have been big parts to the Warriors’ 12-7 season, Seuzeneau as an outside hitter and Campos at libero, but their journeys toward this year have been completely different.

Biding her time 

Steinbrenner’s captain of the backrow started playing volleyball in eighth grade at Martinez Middle after a friend suggested she give it a try.

Before that her focus was on tennis.

“That was my sport,” Campos said. “My parents are tennis players. … When I started playing volleyball I liked the team aspect of it. You can lift the team up, but when you’re not playing your best your teammates can lift you up.”

She originally thought her position was setter.

“That quickly changed like the first week,” Campos said. “I’ve been a libero since then.”

Campos said she gravitated toward the pressure packed position because she likes being able to deny the opposition of points with her digging. She joined Tampa United, a competitive club program, to advance her abilities as a libero.

She moved up from the Warriors junior varsity team to the varsity program as a sophomore, but her opportunity to start was limited.

In front of her on the depth chart was Cary Anne Bame, who was not only a three year starter, but also a team captain from 2009 to 2011 and has the program’s career and single-season digs record with 692 and 262, respectively.

Campos wasn’t frustrated coming off the bench. Instead, she took the opportunity to learn from Bame.

“I didn’t specifically watch her technique and learn from that, but she demanded certain things,” Campos said. “If she got a good pass she’d demand that that hit go in. I have that same demand, and I hold my teammates accountable just like my teammates hold me accountable. She showed that command.”

Campos recorded 149 digs and 25 aces last year after posting only a pair of digs and one ace as a sophomore. She began this season as the starter and has been wearing the off-colored libero jersey in every match.

“I really like it,” Campos said with a huge smile. “In club I always got to do that, but in high school you get to show all your friends and family I can play in club and high school.”

Seuzeneau said Campos has been more than up to the challenge of patrolling Steinbrenner’s backrow.

“She has stepped up phenomenally,” Seuzeneau said. “She’s always been a great defender. Cary Anne was a tough person to replace, but I think she’s done a phenomenal job filling those shoes.”

Campos’ first regular season match this year was at home against rival Sickles on Sept. 6. Campos said she was more nervous before that match than any other in her life.

“My teammates told me that they knew what I could do and to not be nervous,” Campos said. “That really helped. Every game from there I had that same command that Cary Anne had, and it’s flowed nicely.”

She had a career-high 35 digs in the straight set victory against Sickles that night. Campos has racked up 253 digs, 5.1 per set.

The Warriors libero said her she wants to play in college and has received interest and offers from several programs to do so.

Striving for versatility

Seuzeneau set Steinbrenner’s single-season kills record last season when she piled up 341.

Add those to the others she’s put down while on varsity, and the 5-foot-10 outside hitter has the program’s career kills record, which stands at 536.

Her hitting on the frontrow made the opposition cower, but something was eating at Seuzeneau.

She started at rightside hitter as a sophomore and outside last season, but whenever the rotation took her to the backrow she would be substituted for a defensive specialist. Seuzeneau wanted to play all the way around.

“Last season I didn’t do any passing,” Seuzeneau said. “I got subbed by Natalia Campos when I rotated to the back. … I’ve had to focus on passing. I know I wasn’t the best passer at first, but I worked at it the whole summer and preseason.”

Her efforts have allowed her to stay in the rotation this season.

“She improved so much,” Campos said. “Me and Madison are like best friends. We do private lessons together. The whole volleyball aspect of our lives is like always together. I don’t think there’s a weekend when we’re apart. To see her grow as a player really means a lot to me, and also when she plays backrow I know she took tips from me. That makes me feel like I’m contributing to making her better, so same way she’s helped me.”

Seuzeneau, who started playing volleyball in sixth grade at Walker Middle, said she loves playing all the way around because it allows her to help her team win in more ways than just hitting. She added the team aspect of volleyball is why she decided to focus on it.

“It’s not about one person individually winning or losing games,” Seuzeneau said. “It’s all about the team.”

Seuzeneau had 31 digs during her first three seasons. Through the first 14 matches this year she has 74.

Seuzeneau she also maintained her frontrow production, putting down 107 kills.

Seuzeneau said she wants to continue her versatile play while beating her own record for kills set last season because that will help the Warriors reach their team goal.

“Bigger though is I want us to win regionals and get to the final four,” Seuzeneau said. “We’ve gotten to the regional semifinals the last two years, and we want to get farther this year.”

Just like Campos, Seuzeneau wants to play in college and has a several offers as well as programs interested in her.

Campos, Seuzeneau and the rest of the Steinbrenner volleyball team played at Plant Oct. 8, but results were not available by press time. The Warriors host district rival Gaither Oct. 10 starting at 7:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

Chanelle Hargreaves’ transition to high school volleyball

By Kyle LoJacono

Wharton’s Chanelle Hargreaves plays one of the most stressful positions in team sports — volleyball libero.

The only thing stopping the other team from scoring is Chanelle’s ability to read where the opposition is hitting, moving to the right spot and getting the perfect dig sent forward to start the Wildcats’ offensive attack. If she is just a half a step off, the ball will find home and the competition will be one step closer to victory.

“It’s kind of weird because I like the pressure,” Chanelle said. “I want to know that I have to deliver, and then if I do it’s a big thing. I really like that feeling.”

She’s been more than up to the task this season, recording 191 digs, 4.1 per set, with 28 aces while starting all 16 matches and playing in all 47 sets.

And she is no veteran of high school volleyball — in fact, she’s the farthest thing from it.

Chanelle is a freshman starting on a team that is 16-0 and 4-0 in Class 8A-District 7 play. She has focused on the sport since picking up the game in fourth grade with a community team in North Carolina, first as an outside hitter.

“But then everyone got taller than me,” said the 5-foot-3 Chanelle. “I also tried setter, but when I switched to libero everything just worked.”

Chanelle’s talent jumped out to Wharton coach Eric Barber when she came to his summer camp two years ago.

“As an eighth-grade I was having her run drills with the varsity players,” Barber said. “I knew I had a special player coming in, and she came in and hasn’t missed a beat.”

Chanelle said she had no idea she’d be starting from Day 1.

“When coach told me, I freaked out a little bit,” Chanelle said. “It was right before the first match, and he said to switch out my jersey.”

She’s been donning that off-color uniform all season.

“I was really nervous because I thought if I messed up the other players would say ‘Why is this freshman on the team,’” Chanelle said. “Then, after I missed a ball and they said it was OK, I didn’t feel that way again. I didn’t feel pressure anymore.”

Barber added, “Having the kind of skill set that she has overshadows what year she is. The girls don’t really care what year she is. They noticed that she had the ability and welcomed her right in. She’s very quick to the ball, but what’s most impressive coming in as a freshman is her ability to read offenses. You don’t see that at that age.”

Chanelle said seniors Ashton Stocker and Caci Andreychuk have been especially receptive.

“I think she makes everyone, including me, feel more comfortable,” Stocker said. “She’s going to get to basically everything. Passing is the start to every offense, and she’s done a great job there too. … The passing is better than it’s ever been.”

Andreychuk said Chanelle’s passing has helped the offense flourish while making the other team work to score.

“I definitely trust her as a player,” Andreychuk said. “If she can get it, she will get to it. … I knew she was going to be good because she comes from an athletic family.”

Her family includes older brother Vernon Hargreaves, who is ranked the No. 1 football recruit in Florida and the top defensive back in the 2013 class in the country by several ranking services.

“I started playing cornerback because my coach put me there,” Vernon said. “I’m not really sure, but I guess defense does run in the family.”

Chanelle said it’s “fun” that they both picked similar positions in different sports.

“When he plays he puts everyone on lockdown so they can’t catch the ball,” Chanelle said. “My lockdown for me is not letting the ball hit the floor, so we kind of relate that way.”

Chanelle does have a leg up on her highly touted sibling — Vernon was not a freshman starter.

“You can’t tell she’s a freshman,” Vernon said. “Until the crowd starts chanting that she’s a freshman you wouldn’t even know. She plays up to other people’s levels. … She can do the same things I can do.”

Chanelle’s contributions were on display in Wharton’s 25-15, 25-19, 21-25, 25-19 victory against Steinbrenner Oct. 1.

The Warriors quickly swept the Wildcats 25-12, 25-14, 25-11 last season in large part because the backrow could not get clean digs and serve receives forward to start their offense.

That wasn’t an issue this season thanks in part to Chanelle’s 19 digs against Steinbrenner.

“She adds a lot of stability to that backrow,” Barber said. “We do a lot with blocking, and if you can have solid blocking adding someone like Chanelle to that backrow just adds so much more to your team. She’s a very much needed assist.”

Barber added that Chanelle is very coachable and willing to work hard to improve.

The Wildcats last made the playoffs in 2006 and have claimed only one district championship (1999) in the school’s 15-year history. Chanelle said she hopes they can add 2012 to their banner in Wharton’s gym.

“They’ve been so accepting of me starting as a freshman,” Chanelle said. “We’re all on the same team. It doesn’t matter what grade you are. We all come together and win.”

The Wildcats host Freedom Oct. 9 before traveling to district rival Bloomingdale Oct. 11 with a chance to clinch the top seed in the 8A-7 tournament with a win. Both matches start at 7:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

Land O’ Lakes senior’s speedy recovery from torn ACL, meniscus

By Kyle LoJacono

Four months ago, John Kranendonk was preparing to start his second season as the starting center for the Land O’ Lakes football team.

He had just completed his junior campaign, where he also played defensive tackle and served as the squad’s long snapper, and had high hopes for his senior year.

Then it happened in an intrasquad game at the end of May.

“I thought my season was over,” Kranendonk said. “I just planted wrong, my teammate stuck me while I was off balance and my leg came down wrong. … My whole knee popped. I knew it was bad.”

The 5-foot-9, 220-pound Kranendonk tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee. His doctors told him it would be difficult to get back at all this season.

Anna Griffiths, the head certified athletic trainer at Land O’ Lakes, said the injury generally comes with a six-month recovery period following surgery.

“It’s not uncommon for players to be cleared for some athletic movement in less than six months,” Griffiths said. “That’s because surgical techniques and crafts have been so improved over the last few years.”

Kranendonk said hearing that there was any possibility of coming back this year drove him, regardless of how remote.

“I’ve been doing rehab as much as I can as soon as I could,” Kranendonk said. “I walked the first day after surgery and was running again about a month after. I basically have been going after it since June 5 when I had the surgery.

“It was a little stressful the first month,” Kranendonk continued. “I thought that I could pull through if I worked really hard. I knew the only chance was to work as hard as I could, so I just kept pushing every day.”

Gators coach Brain Wachtel said Kranendonk’s work ethic has been exemplary.

“Here’s a guy who gets in his truck, drives to rehab and drives back to practice,” Wachtel said. “He helps us film. He’s a team player. He helps tremendously, and he’s been doing that ever since he’s been hurt.”

Kranendonk’s efforts recently started paying off. He was cleared to snap for extra points and field goals for Land O’ Lakes’ game at Hernando Sept. 21, less than four months removed from surgery.

He executed snaps on two field goals and a point after touchdown in the contest, all of which were converted. Kranendonk added another successful snap on an extra point against Springstead Sept. 28 and two extra points versus Mitchell Oct. 5.

“He got cleared to snap on field goals and extra points, which is a great thing for him,” Wachtel said. “He’s a senior and blew out his knee, tore his ACL in the spring, so it’s nice to see him out there smiling. We’ll wait and see what the doctors say about anything else, but at least he’s out there doing what he loves to do.”

Griffiths said Kranendonk is able to snap for extra points and field goals because that does not require lateral movements.

“For now he’s running straight ahead and progressing really well through his rehab,” Griffiths said. “He can run to his heart’s content straight ahead.”

Being cleared to long snap on punts would require him to be healthy enough to run down the field and make tackles.

“Right now he’s just limited by time, in that there’s a certain amount of time needed to heal and recover and allow the surgery to do what it needs to do,” Griffiths said. She added, “Everything that he’s cleared to do he does every day.”

Kranendonk’s long snapping, which he started doing in eighth grade, has started to get him noticed by colleges. He recently took unofficial visits to Georgia Southern and Stetson universities.

“At the end of last season I started to see long snapping as my way to get to play in college,” Kranendonk said. “Every team needs a long snapper, and I’m kind of too small for the line.”

Kranendonk said he never got too down about the injury despite it limiting his time on the field as a senior.

“It’s all about keeping a positive attitude,” Kranendonk said. “Every day I wake up with a smile on my face. I go to school, come to practice and run, snap the football. Really everything is just great. … I never really got down about it. You just have to overcome everything that comes at you.”

Kranendonk and the Gators (1-4) play at Nature Coast Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

Land O’ Lakes High will dedicate its football arena John Benedetto Stadium at the Gators’ game against cross-town rival Sunlake Oct. 19.

The renaming of the arena, which was formally Gator Stadium, will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Land O’ Lakes’ cafeteria. The reception will offer an opportunity for all interested parties to gather together and share memories of Benedetto’s 32 years as the school’s football coach.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Benedetto said. “Hopefully I get to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in years.”

Drew Weatherford, who played for Benedetto from 2000 to 2003 and is helping organize the event, said he hopes friends, fellow educators, administrators, alumni and former members of the football program will come spend some time together at the event.

“He did so much for thousands of kids,” Weatherford said. “It’s really incredible to get to rename the stadium after him.”

The reception will be followed by a pregame ceremony emceed by Weatherford and Giovanni Benedetto III, Benedetto’s son. The longtime coach will participate in the coin toss to start the game.

Benedetto compiled a 196-149 record from 1977 to 2008. The Gators had 18 winning seasons during that time, including a county-record 12 straight postseason berths from 1996 to 2008.

Benedetto was also a wide receivers coach at Land O’ Lakes in 1975 and 1976, the first two years the high school was open.

The Pasco County School Board unanimously approved the renaming of the stadium on June 19 in recognition of Benedetto’s contributions to Land O’ Lakes.

No funding was provided for the festivities by the board. Anyone interested in donating can make out checks to the Fastbreak Club in care of David Puhalski at the high school. Any unused money will be added to a football scholarship the Benedetto family is creating.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Wharton football team lost its Class 8A-District 6 opener at home against Plant 27-7 in a contest that stretch across two days.

The Wildcats (3-2, 0-1) and Panthers (4-1, 1-0) were scheduled for Oct. 5, but bad weather postponed the contest to Oct. 6. Another weather delay pushed the start of the second half to 10 p.m.

Wharton’s fans planned a blackout to coordinate with the black jerseys their team wore to remember former defensive coordinator Earl Goodman, who died the day after the Wildcats won their first district title in 2008.

The host was coming off a 13-12 loss to Durant the week before and was looking to rebound with a victory over the defending Class 8A state champions. Plant was also without starting quarterback Aaron Banks.

However, moving the game to Saturday seemed to negate much of the hype and energy for Wharton. It was the Panthers who came out with all the energy.

Plant’s Wes Bullock took the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. On Wharton’s first offensive play, Paris Bostick jarred the ball loose after a short completion and Bernard Rogers scooped it up and took it into the end zone to go ahead 14-0 with 11:28 left in the first quarter.

“You can’t come out on defense behind 14-0 or it’s gonna be a long game,” said Wildcats defensive coordinator Kiwaukee Thomas.

Wharton’s defense held up under the pressure, allowing less than 150 yards of total offense and didn’t allow an offensive touchdown until the final minutes.

The Panthers could not get out of their own way with penalties, but what they did do well was rush junior quarterback Chase Litton like mad dogs.

“When they blitz 67 guys every time you have to hit the quick routes,” Litton said. “It changes the development of the game.”

Litton (13-of-36, 115 yards) never had time to throw without a defender in his face, but he was able to move the chains. His lone interception bounced off a Wharton receiver before Plant’s Reeves Rodgers snagged it.

Many of Litton’s incompletions happened while eluding pressure and ditching the ball to avoid sacks. He also accounted for more than half of the Wildcats 50 rushing yards.

A lack of any run game allowed the Panthers to lock onto Wharton receivers, closing passing windows. Litton was able to find senior Keith Hopkins for a 30-yard strike snagged over a Plant defender.

On defense, Wildcats senior Vernon Hargreaves showed that he can handle more than just defensive back duties.

The University of Florida commit played defensive end and linebacker. Wharton jammed eight or nine in the box and dared Panthers backup Colby Brown to throw. Brown completed only eight passes and the Wildcats limited Bullock to 85 yards on 22 carries.

“We like to match up Vernon with their best guy,” Thomas said. “Tonight, their best guy was No. 3 (Bullock).”

The Wildcats limited Plant to a 28-yard and a 45-yard field goal between the first 32 seconds and the last four minutes, a far cry from last year when they were blown out in the first half.

Even though they lost the de facto district championship game, their playoff hopes are still very much alive.

“We got Bloomingdale, we got Alonso,” said Wharton coach David Mitchell. “We know what we have to do to get to the playoffs. … Our defense played a heck of a game. We have got to find some way to open up the run game.”

The Wildcats will look to stop its two-game losing streak at cross-town rival Freedom Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

By Cameron Valdez

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Sunlake football team entered its home contest against Class 6A-District 6 rival Nature Coast knowing a loss would likely end any chance at back-to-back postseason berths.

The Seahawks (4-1, 2-1) clung to a one-point lead with 1:04 left in the contest when senior Eddie Burgos made the play to preserve a 14-13 win Oct. 5 that kept their playoff dreams alive.

The Sharks (3-3, 2-1) faced a fourth-and-10 near midfield. Junior quarterback Trevor Castro fired a deep pass to Jonathon Thomas, but Burgos picked it off to seal the victory.

“It was a real big game (this week),” Burgos said. “We felt like we weren’t really playing as a team the last few weeks.”

Sunlake struggled to a 17-12 victory over winless Wiregrass Ranch Week 2 and lost 13-7 at district rival Springstead in its next game. The Seahawks rebounded last week with a 36-7 win against 6A-6 opponent Mitchell and now control their own playoff destiny.

“Last year, Nature Coast gave us a run for our money, and we beat them at the last minute just like today,” said senior quarterback Josh Zifer. “Nature Coast is a really good team. I have to give it up to my team. The offensive line, everybody did their job. That’s what it came down to.”

The Seahawks defense forced a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession. The offense quickly drove down the field on the ensuing possession, but came up empty after being stopped on a fourth-and-1 in the red zone.

Sunlake got on the board first during its third drive when senior kicker Conner Gilboy hit a 29-yard field goal.

Nature Coast answered with a 64-yard drive capped with a touchdown to go into the locker room leading 7-3.

“I didn’t think much of (being down at the half) because I knew we were going to be starting the second half with the ball,” Zifer said.

The signal caller engineered a 76-yard drive to the Sharks’ 1-yard line on the Seahawks’ opening possession of the second half, but Nature Coast forced a Zifer fumble just before he could run across the goal line.

The Seahawks returned the favor by forcing a fumble on the ensuing drive to set up Gilboy’s second 29-yard field goal.

Sunlake coach Bill Browning wasn’t worried about being down by a point because of how his squad was moving the ball.

“Offensively they really hadn’t stopped us,” Browning said. “We would get into the red zone, but we weren’t finishing drives, so it was just a matter of finishing some drives.”

It was a special teams miscue that provided the spark for the Seahawks’ winning touchdown.

The Sharks punter tried to field a low snap on fourth-and-long on his own 15. His knee touched the ground while reaching down for the ball, which allowed the Seahawks to take over eight yards from pay dirt.

Zifer, who competed only one pass but ran for 102 yards on 20 attempts, capitalized on the opportunity, punching it in on a 4-yard keeper and then found Burgos on a critical two-point conversion to go up 14-7 at the end of the third quarter.

Castro was able to find Thomas on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth and the game was briefly tied after the extra point, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the attempt back to a 27-yard attempt.

Nature Coast’s holder bobbled the snap and was quickly swarmed by Seahawks with 6:36 left to play.

The Sharks’ defense forced a three-and-out, which afforded them one last chance before Burgos’ interception.

Sunlake travels to 6A-6 opponent Hernando Oct. 12. A win would move the Seahawks into sole possession of second place in the district.

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The 2011 Carrollwood Day School (CDS) football team dropped a 90-point barn-burner to Class 2A-District 5 rival Admiral Farragut and felt the effects for weeks.

Those Patriots (5-1, 2-1) suffered several big injuries that led to another loss the following week to Canterbury, which made it nearly impossible to make the playoffs.

The 2012 version wasn’t interested in repeating history.

CDS fell at Admiral Farragut 36-29 Sept. 28 and lost running back Robert Davis, defensive back Nate Lewis and defensive lineman Max Barge to injuries, but the shorthanded Patriots fought to a 40-19 home win Oct. 5.

Davis, a senior, had been a big part of CDS’ offense this season, racking up 969 yards on 72 carries, 13.46 per attempt, and 12 touchdowns. The Patriots needed someone to step up.

It was Andy Embody who stole the show.

The senior gained 172 yards of total offense, 109 receiving and 63 rushing. Add three touchdowns and two interceptions while handling the punting duties, and Embody was a one-man show.

Embody recorded his first interception on the Crusaders’ (1-5, 1-4) first possession, and scored on a 40-yard pass from senior quarterback Vidal Woodruff on the ensuing drive.

Embody also ran for 34 yards on a critical third down to set up sophomore Elias Earley for a 20-yard touchdown scamper. Embody caught a screen pass on CDS’s next drive and took 20 yards for a score.

Senior tight end Dominic Sicardo added a touchdown catch. It looked like the Patriots would lead 26-7 at halftime, but Embody picked off a pass and then caught a 46-yard touchdown in less than eight seconds of play to send his team into the locker room leading 33-7.

CDS scored on a 1-yard run by junior fullback Jake McCallister after halftime to put the game away.

Max Frankel was also a force for the Patriots defense.

The sophomore defensive back had only a handful of tackles, but two were for a loss including one that knocked the Crusaders (1-5, 1-4) quarterback out of the game. He also picked off a pass in the end zone to stop a Canterbury drive in the third.

Woodruff finished 11-of-16 for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Earley got the majority rushing attempts, recording 78 yards on nine carries. Embody said the backfield of Earley, McCallister and junior Hayden Peek did “pretty well under the circumstances.”

The Patriots travel to district rival Bradenton Christian Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The heated rivalry between the Gaither and Steinbrenner football teams got a cold bath Oct. 5.

The pivotal Class 7A-District 7 contest played on the Warriors’ field was delayed until Oct. 8 because of heavy rain and lightning. The Cowboys led 8-0 with 2:14 left in the first quarter when the game was postponed.

Steinbrenner athletic director Eddie Henderson said they wanted to resume the game Oct. 6, but no security was available to cover the contest.

Final results were not available by press time. To see the complete recap, visit lakerlutznews.com and click on the “sports” link.

Gaither manhandled the Warriors before the skies opened.

Steinbrenner recorded –5 yards of total offense in its first two drives, while the Cowboys scored on their second play of the contest on a 43-yard dash by senior running back Josh Bell. Senior wide receiver Marcus Brown caught a pass from Bell for the two-point conversation.

The home team seemed to feed off of the rain. Steinbrenner ran for 10 yards on its second possession and senior running back Kendall Pearcey broke off an 18-yard scamper on a sweep, but the explosive play was called back on a holding penalty.

Gaither did not fare as well in the bad weather, gaining three yards on four plays including two fumbled snaps.

The Cowboys had 50 yards of offense when the game was delayed, while the Warriors had five.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker