Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Gaither football team has become known for its defense.

The Cowboys (3-1) allowed just 16.25 points per game last season, a year that saw them go 9-4 and make the second regional finals appearance in the school’s 28-year history.

The defense has trimmed that points allowed average to 12.75 through the first four games of this season. The unit has held opponents to single-digit points in seven of their last 17 contests, including four shutouts.

“We really leaned on our defense a lot last year, and even this year,” said Gaither second-year coach Jason Stokes.

The architect of that oppressive defense is someone who once suited up in the Cowboys’ silver, white and blue under the lights on Friday nights — 2002 Gaither graduate Brian DelValle.

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The defensive coordinator began his football journey on the fields of the Lutz Chiefs at age 10. He was originally an offensive lineman and linebacker, but moved exclusively to the defense in high school.

The Cowboys went 1-9 during DelValle’s freshman year, but improved to 7-5 the following season and made the second round of the playoffs.

DelValle started playing more as a junior, which was one of the most successful seasons in Gaither history. The squad set a program record with 11 wins to just two losses and made the regional finals.

DelValle said he learned a lot about coaching while playing both inside and outside linebacker.

“I didn’t know I was going to be a coach until my senior year,” DelValle said. “My dad (Milo) coached in the late ‘80s at Tampa Bay Tech and coached me a little bit in little league. My junior year I had a really good head coach and defensive coordinator (Howie DeCristofaro), and he really taught me how to be a student of the game.”

DelValle had the chance to walk-on at some smaller colleges, such as Webber International University, but decided to jump right into coaching.

“I was just an average football player,” DelValle said. “When I graduated I wanted to get back into it as a coach. Joe Severino was at King, and he used to coach me in little league. I told him I’d like to coach, and he needed an assistant. I went over there when I was going to college. I thought I was going to be a junior varsity defensive assistant, but the first day there was no other defensive coach. That made me the JV defensive coordinator.”

He remained the JV defensive coordinator for two years before serving as King’s varsity defensive backs coach from 2004 to 2005.

“I was at King, but it wasn’t my alma mater,” DelValle said. “I’m glad I didn’t come back here right out of high school. Then I still knew all the players, so it probably wouldn’t have worked as well.”

That return came in 2006. He was the Cowboys outside linebackers coach for three years before taking over as the defensive coordinator, but decided to head north of the county line for the 2010 season.

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DelValle was the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Land O’ Lakes in 2010, a season that saw the Gators go 9-2 on the field with a playoff appearance.

“I left and went to Land O’ Lakes, which was good for me,” DelValle said. “I got away from here for a year, and met a couple good coaches over there. Being in a different county in a different scenery let me see a different group of teams.”

Land O’ Lakes allowed 14.18 points while averaging seven sacks that year. The Gators used a blitz-heavy defensive attack that year, a philosophy DelValle believes in.

“I just loved blitzing when I played, and you can tell it’s usually the linebackers who make a lot of plays on my defense,” DelValle said. “The defense changes week to week based on the other team, but we always blitz.”

DelValle returned to Gaither in 2011 when Stokes took over the program.

“He seemed genuine, but you need to be more than a good guy,” Stokes said. “You have to know what you’re doing, so I did some research through some guys who coached with him. Everything came back A+. I brought him on, and he’s been dependable and forward thinking with his defense. I’m really happy with him.”

His defensive knowledge came in handy when Stokes had to direct much of his attention to the offense after taking over play calling in Week 2 last year.

“Ever since I had to take over the offense, he’s been like the head coach of the defense,” Stokes said. “I trust that he’s going to do the right thing. … He’s smart and very prepared. He watches a lot of film and knows the other team’s tendencies. The biggest thing is he knows what his players can do, and he doesn’t put guys in positions where they can’t make plays.”

His players have been doing just that.

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The Cowboys have forced eight turnovers and recorded 13 sacks through the first four games this season despite massive turnover from the year before.

The defense lost about half its starters to graduation, including four who signed to play in college. DelValle moved up some reserves into the starting lineup, shifted some players’ positions and even went to Gaither’s offense for reinforcement in the form of senior Dom Neglio.

Neglio (33 tackles) played running back the last three years, but moved to inside linebacker after DelValle told him he could fill a need.

“I played defense in little league, so it wasn’t too hard of a transition learning from coach DelValle,” Neglio said. “I always saw the intensity the defense brought every day in practice. … In every drill he makes sure we know our assignment because if we do that we can be aggressive and make plays.”

Junior outside linebacker Matt Williams (32 tackles, one forced fumble) has learned from DelValle the last three seasons.

“He worked with me on my tackling form, and that’s really made me a better tackler,” Williams said. “He’s a great teacher. The whole defense trusts in coach DelValle. He’s going to get us to where we need to be.”

Williams said the fact that DelValle was on one of the most successful teams in Gaither history is an added benefit.

“I feel like there was a gap from when he graduated until now,” Williams said. “There’s great chemistry going on because he knows how the players feel and how we develop because he’s not even 30 years old. He’s able to bond with his players, but he means business.”

DelValle said the biggest tool he has in building defenses is the work done with his players’ minds.

“Watching film, knowing what to look for and knowing what the other team wants to do is what I try to push on them,” DelValle said. “That way, on Friday night, they’re confident because there’s nothing the other team can do that they haven’t seen.”

Stokes said the players respond to his methods.

“He’s younger, which helps out a little bit I think, but at the same time he commands their respect,” Stokes said. “They see the job he does. He gets excited, and they feed off of that.”

Stokes did credit one other person for the defense’s success.

“I do want to thank his wife (Samantha) for letting us have him,” Stokes said. “He just got married, so newlywed as a defensive coordinator is a lot of time away from home, so I thank her.”

Gaither travels to district rival Steinbrenner on Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

—Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Freedom girls golfer Terese Romeo has made quite the impact in her short time playing in high school.

During her freshman season last year, Romeo carded a 77 at the Class 2A-District 10 meet to finish tied for fourth. Her score helped the Patriots finish third at the event, the last qualifying spot for the playoffs, by four strokes over Newsome.

Her sophomore campaign has been a bit rockier, as the Freedom’s ace has been recovering from three surgeries on her right wrist to shave down a pointed bone.

Rich Simard, who has been coaching the Patriots program since the school opened in 2002, said Romeo was competing while using only one arm because of the surgery, but recovered enough to regain her normal form last week. She has averaged a 56.1 while golfing exclusively with her left hand.

“She’s been here every day,” Simard said. “She loves golf and being on the team. She’s a very, very tough kid.”

Simard said Romeo is nearly healed from the surgery and expects her to be 100 percent by the district tournament. He added that she has a “very good” chance to make it to states this season.

Along with Romeo, Simard returns four of his top-five golfers this year.

Filling in for Romeo at the No. 1 spot is junior Meagan Pollenz.

Simard said Pollenz is the most improved golfer from 2011, and that she’s cut her scores from the high 40s last year to close to the 30s in 2012. He said the competition with rival Wharton in their district has given his players something to shoot for.

“It drives them,” Simard said. “They all know each other. There’s some camaraderie there.”

The Freedom boys are coming off a district runner-up season, but lose three of their top-five golfers to graduation.

Fortunately for the Patriots, they return their No. 1 Jimmy Jones.

The junior won an individual district title last year by shooting a 71. Fourth-year Freedom coach Michael Passarelli said he will lean heavily on Jones and his other returning player, junior Chandler Howe.

Jones is also recovering from a wrist injury, a fracture he suffered last December in hockey. He hasn’t let the break slow him down and said he feels “pretty good” now.

Sophomore Liam Doherty has hit well enough to take the No. 2 spot after scarcely playing last year.

“(Doherty) has been our most consistent player since the first round this season,” Passarelli said. “He’s been playing very well.”

Howe has jumped into the third spot early in the season and solidifies the ranks in a deep team, according to Passarelli. Junior Charles Seward and senior Trevor Moore round out a top five that Passarelli hopes to challenge powerhouse Newsome with.

Seward is possibly the team’s most improved golfer, having knocked “six to seven” strokes off his average from last year, according to Passarelli. The coach added that Moore “hasn’t even played to his potential yet.”

The girls 2A-10 tournament is at Walden Lake Country Club in Plant City on Oct. 15, the same day the boys are at Summerfield Golf Course in Riverview. The tournaments start at 8 a.m.

—Sports editor Kyle LoJacono contributed to this report

By Kyle LoJacono

Hana Lee exploded onto the Pasco County golfing scene two years ago as a freshman.

That season, she helped the Wesley Chapel girls golf team qualify for the postseason after the program was unable to field a squad the previous two years. She shot an 85 during that district meet, good enough for eighth place overall.

Despite her talent and success, Hana decided to take last year off from golf at any level to focus on school. She was taking several Advanced Placement classes and plans to pursue a career in anatomy, but the call of the courses was too great to keep her away for her junior season.

“I thought I really needed to play this year,” Hana said. “After a year off, I really wanted to get back into it.”

She started playing again during the summer with her younger brother, David. Her teammates said she still has the ability to hit the ball as far as anyone.

“She’s got distance,” said sophomore Allison Kosloski, who is Hana’s partner in competition. “Her distance is unbelievable. She rivals that of a grown man.”

Her power is just one of the reasons Hana’s mother, Su, first introduced her to golf at age 7.

“When she would be in the playground people would tell me she had good balance,” Su said. “She controlled her body with balance. All kind of people would say it. I decided one day to take her to a driving range because people kept saying it, and she was stronger than the boys.”

Su, who said Hana has received no private lessons, remembers the first day she took her daughter to a driving range.

“She hit like 20 buckets full of balls,” Su said. “She just kept going, and the workers were like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ … At first people thought I was married to the golf course owner because she was so good she must be his daughter.”

Golf wasn’t the only sport she gave a shot.

“My mom wanted me to try out for various sports,” Hana said. “I tried basketball, swimming and a lot of other sports she wanted me to do. She thought why not golf. I was pretty good at it. I liked it at first. I was not that good at first, but I picked it up quickly.”

Hana said the best part about golfing is the mental side.

“I like when you can just put your mind into it and forget everything else,” Hana said. “All I have to focus on is this. I don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Despite her fondness for the isolation a golf course can offer, it was the interaction with her teammates that she said she missed the most during her year off.

“I got to meet a lot of new girls, and it was really fun getting to know them,” Hana said.

Whatever the reason, third-year Wildcats coach Chuck Yingling Jr. is glad his squad has its ace back.

“When you have that kind of talent it makes the whole team better,” Yingling said. “We were competitive my first year because of Hana’s scores, mostly. … Also, when you have someone of Hana’s talent that gives the girls something to strive for. They try to push themselves to keep getting better. It adds credibility to the program to have someone of her talent too.”

By Jeff Odom

Land O’ Lakes girls golfer Eden Shirmohammad first stepped onto the course as a freshman never expecting to be the squad’s ace.

As a sophomore last season, Shirmohammad was the only Gators golfer, boy or girl, to advance past the Class 2A-District 11 tournament into regionals.

“I walked into the season feeling really, really confident in what I was doing,” Shirmohammad said. “I practiced a lot this summer and knowing how much I achieved last year and walking into this year, I have way more confidence.”

The junior’s success last season has inspired numerous teammates, including Jaycee Welker, who said she looks up to Shirmohammad.

“She’s really one of my role models,” Welker said. “We have so much in common, and I love her so much. She is such a good leader and she always leads us up and if we’re having a bad day, she helps us sometimes. She’s really a great leader, and I’m glad she’s No. 1.”

Second-year coach John Clapp, who also coaches the Gators’ softball team, said he has high expectations for Shirmohammad and hopes those trickle down to each of his golfers.

“It’s still a young team,” Clapp said. “I still got a couple veteran players who are seniors, but pretty much it’s a new team; it’s a young team. Players like Eden, she’s one I look for a lot of potential in her; and Jaycee, she’s come along as a second-year player. This year I took 12 players, which is kind of unheard of for golf, but I’m trying to build and try to see where the girls want to play.”

Shirmohammad said it can be tense at times knowing the school has high success in many sports programs at Land O’ Lakes like swimming, football and baseball.

“Not going to lie, it’s a little bit stressful,” Shirmohammad said. “I feel like I’ve got criteria in place to meet. It just makes me want to work even harder and do even better than I did last year, and maybe even have an opportunity to go to states.”

Junior Sierra Holt also plays on the school’s softball team. Before this year, she had never played golf, but she decided to drop the bat and pick up a club this fall under the guidance of Clapp.

“It’s really enjoyable, and I can say it’s a very fun sport; very calm,” Holt said. “It would be cool if I went far in it. … It’s fun. It’s different, but it’s really cool. I’ve played softball my whole life, so coming out here it was kind of the same thing.”

Shirmohammad credits her coach and teammates for making the season so relaxing, and hopes to continue playing in college. She plans to work toward one day becoming a television news broadcaster or sports journalist.

“Hopefully, I will start getting in to contacting some colleges and some scholarship opportunities and keep going with this sport because I love it,” Shirmohammad said. “(As a team) we’re our own group of people. We’re really funny, and we all have our different portions we need to work on, but we also work as a cohesive group to make sure we’re having a good time. Even if we’re having a bad day, we’ll come out the next day working just as hard as we did the day before.”

The 2A-11 tournament is at Heritage Springs Country Club in Trinity Oct. 16 at 12:30 p.m.

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Gaither boys golf team is not known for its fast starts.

The Cowboys began the 2011 season 2-6, but rebounded enough to finish third at the Class 2A-District 9 meet and advance to regionals.

This season, Gaither (3-6) stumbled out of the gate again this year, but fourth-year coach Dwayne Olinger said scores have been steadily decreasing all year.

The Cowboys return a group of experienced golfers, including their No. 1 Jimmy Stanger, and are expecting to be playing at top form come districts.

“We’re going to be in the hunt,” Olinger said. “We know we can count on Jimmy to do his job. Our top three should have good rounds, and we should get something from our four and five guys.”

Last year, the Cowboys had to replace two of their top-three golfers but bring back their entire top five in 2012.

Stanger, a senior, returns after winning an individual district championship and advancing to states for the first time last season. The University of Virginia commit was also named The Laker/Lutz News Boys Golfer of the Year in 2011.

“(Stanger) is so goal oriented,” Olinger said. “That’s what’s driven him to where he’s at.”

Olinger said Stanger averaged between 37.1 and 37.6 in his first two years, but cut that to a slender 34 as a junior.

Stanger is continuing to improve, carding a personal best of 33 in matches twice this year.

“He just knows what he has to do to force an even par over nine holes,” Olinger said.

Stanger is not counting himself as a lock for anything, but said the experience at states has given him a boost.

“Last year at states, I was kind of in a daze, just happy I got there,” Stanger said. “This year, I will be a lot more confident going in.”

Along with Stanger, Gaither brings back junior Patrick Highland, who Olinger called one of the area’s emerging golfers. He is joined by senior Clyde Meadows and juniors Nick Shea and Alex Garren who can help push the Cowboys to the front of the district.

“We’re a lot more experienced this year,” Stanger said. “We know how to show up big at the big events.”

Gaither has made the playoffs every season since Olinger took over the squad in 2009, but are looking for their first team district title since 2000.

Olinger sees districts as being a four-horse race between Plant, King and Chamberlain and his Cowboys. Stanger would like to see his team nab that elusive district crown as well as have a stronger showing at regionals and, possibly, states.

The 2A-9 meet is scheduled for Oct. 15 at Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club.

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Wharton boys golf team is just two years removed from winning a district and regional championship and finishing 15th at the Class 2A state tournament.

Sixth-year Wildcats boys coach Martha Scholl, who has coached golf at the school for a decade, said the team has rebounded from missing the postseason last year after taking fourth at the Class 2A-District 10 meet, 14 strokes away from returning to regionals.

Scholl said she had 17 kids try out for the squad to compete for just nine spots.

“Boys, in general, are very competitive,” Scholl said. “I like to let them use that. They are very committed. They challenge themselves.”

Scholl is hoping that competition can help them regain their playoff form. She also has a highly motivated No. 1 golfer in Jorge Junquera.

The junior qualified for regionals individually last season, but had to withdraw from the tournament because of an illness.

“I really want to come back this year and do better,” Junquera said.

Junquera is averaging 36 early this season, a stroke better than what he did last year.

The No. 2 slot is still up for very tight competition, according to Scholl, with junior team captain Sean Kim and junior Justin Koepke battling for the spot. Junior Alex Montgomery usually hits as the No. 4.

Scholl is very confident in the quality and the depth of this year’s squad, calling her Wildcats “a better team” than they were in 2011. She does see a big challenge in the defending 2A-10 champion Newsome, which finished third at states last year and returns four of its top-five golfers.

Scholl also sees tough competition just south on Bruce B. Down Boulevard in the form of Freedom.

The Wharton girls are led by first-year coach Denis Vukorep, who also leads the Wildcats girls soccer program. He said team captain and four-year varsity player Shannon Clark is his top player.

“She is a serious player with aspirations about playing in college,” Vukorep said.

Vukorep said Clark has a good shot at getting through districts this year and possibly beyond.

The other team captain is senior Darby Frankfurth, who is also a four-year varsity player.

The girls 2A-10 tournament is at Walden Lake Country Club in Plant City on Oct. 15, the same day the boys are at Summerfield Golf Course in Riverview. The tournaments start at 8 a.m.

—Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association

Warriors boys get one-stroke win

By Jeff Odom

On a day that started out a little worrisome, but Steinbrenner girls golf coach Mark Mann felt nothing but relief when his Warriors completed their match with district rival Freedom.

Kelsy Holbert and Brooke Deal, two of the Mann’s top golfers, were forced to miss the match because of illness.

On top of that, Steinbrenner (9-0) ace Claire Becker was also under the weather, but battled through it to lead her squad to a 181-184 win against the Patriots Sept. 25.

“Claire stuck it out not feeling well for the last couple days,” Mann said. “Just showing what type of person she is and what type of player to come out here and help the team out. (It’s) not her best round, but all things considered, she did extremely well.”

Becker finished tied with teammate Hannah Crosby for the Warriors’ lowest score, a 42. Her squad needed her performance in order to continue their streak of victories, which now sits at 20 straight.

Crosby said she made some miscues, but it felt good stepping up to lead her short-handed team.

“I’ve improved a lot from last year,” Crosby said. “I mean I think I shot 10 strokes worse than I did today, so I was pretty happy. The last hole, I was so angry because I should have pared it, but the course is definitely challenging. … We’re definitely lucky that we still got the win”

For the Patriots (3-3), the healthy return of No. 1 Terese Romeo was greatly appreciated.

The sophomore missed the first part of the regular season rehabbing a wrist injury sustained at districts last season. She carded a 36 on the afternoon after playing the majority of the season one handed.

“It was great; I loved it,” Romeo said. “It’s been a long time, and it happened last year too and I was out for a real long time. Coming back and coming back strong was really what I was looking for.”

On the boys side, Steinbrenner narrowly got past Freedom by one stroke 168-169.

The Warriors (3-4-1) were led by Dillon Garcia and Zach Ishee, who both shot a 39 on the day.

Steinbrenner coach JR Allen said he may have to raise his expectations for districts after the performance his team put up.

“Anytime you can go on the road to a course that you’re not really used to playing every day and get the win, it’s just a great feeling,” Allen said. “I got to say in the last week they’ve definitely been a pleasant surprise. We talked about as a group how much talent we did lose (from last year), and I may have sold this team a little bit short at the beginning. … Lately, they’ve been challenging that.”

The Patriots (4-3) struggled throughout the afternoon, missing key shots that cost them the win.

Charles Seward and Liam Doherty finished tied with Freedom’s best score, a 41. No. 1 Jimmy Jones carded a 43.

“Coming off two good performances, it just wasn’t good on our side,” said Freedom coach Mike Passarelli. “All areas were disappointing, but we’ll just keep going and be ready by districts.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Land O’ Lakes football team’s chances to return to the playoffs took a serious hit Sept. 28, falling at home to Class 6A-District 6 rival Springstead 20-7.

The loss puts the Gators (1-3) down 0-2 in 6A-6 play with just five district contests to go.

To make matters worse, Land O’ Lakes’ two losses come to Hernando and the Eagles (5-0), which are both 2-0 in the league, giving both squads the advantage against the Gators if tiebreakers come into play for the postseason.

The game was one of false starts for Land O’ Lakes, as every step forward was quickly followed by several paces backward.

The Gators got good news before the contest, as senior running back Harrison Wood returned after missing a game because of a shoulder injury suffered in a 49-7 loss at Pasco in Week 2.

The positive momentum was short-lived, as Land O’ Lakes lost starting quarterback Ethan Weilant with an injured right shoulder, his throwing arm, after its third drive of the contest.

Weilant, a sophomore, said he originally hurt the shoulder in the last play of the Gators’ game at Hernando on Sept. 21, which prevented him from practicing all week.

Sophomore James Pensyl (7-of-20, 104 yards) replaced Weilant and completed two of his first four passes for 14 and 15 yards, respectively, but any offensive momentum didn’t last long. Land O’ Lakes recorded only seven first downs in the contest and scored no offensive points.

Second-year Gators coach Brian Wachtel said Pensyl showed flashes of being a legitimate quarterback, but has areas to improve.

“He had some nice passes, but I think he needs some more experience,” Wachtel said. “I think with any player the more reps you get the better you get. We’re waiting to see the status on Ethan’s shoulder, and James came out tonight and played for us. I look for him to continue to improve.”

The Eagles kept their offensive attack on the ground, with 51 of their 73 plays being runs.

Springstead’s offense gained 226 of its 350 yards on those rushing attempts, but the Gators defense didn’t appear to wear down in the hot conditions.

In fact, Land O’ Lakes gave up only five plays of 10 or more yards after halftime and forced a pair of turnovers after the break.

The first takeaway happened when junior defensive end Shaheed Salmon scooped up a fumble with 2:07 left in the third quarter on the Eagles’ 18-yard line.

The Gators were in prime position to score, and did just that on a 9-yard pass to senior Nathan Randall, but the touchdown was called back on an illegal shift penalty.

Pensyl threw an interception on the next play.

Land O’ Lakes’ defense forced a three-and-out on Springstead’s ensuing drive. The punt attempt was blocked by sophomore safety Kamal Wells, which was snagged by senior linebacker/wide receiver Kyle Forchoin in the Eagles’ end zone with 11:10 remaining in the game for the home team’s only score.

“Football is a game of execution,” Wachtel said. “We’re going to get in tomorrow morning and find areas where we can improve our execution and teach the kids. That’s what our job is, and that’s what our goal is.”

The Gators hosts Mitchell, the squad Wachtel coached for two seasons, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Mustangs are 1-1 in 6A-6 play.