Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Tampa Bay United (TBU) U18 Girls Premier soccer team won the FYSA state championship May 20, navigating a playoff schedule that included the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 ranked teams in Florida.

TBU (25-4-6) recorded six shutouts in seven postseason games, outscoring its opponents 20-1. The lone goal against came in a 3-1 win over Coral Springs United Renegades in the President’s Cup finals in Auburndale. Tampa Bay also got past the defending champs Creeks Clash Blue 1-0 in the semifinals.

Jim Cote, who coaches the squad with Adrian Bush, said he knew the team was state championship caliber when they started practice in August.

“Our goals were to win a state title,” said Cote, who has coached in the area for 16 years. “None of the girls had ever won a President’s Cup from this team, so the goal was to win a state title and send them off to college with a state title.”

Goalkeeper Emily Ball, a senior at Freedom High, said the coaches’ confidence got them believing.

“If they hadn’t pushed us all season we wouldn’t be where we are,” Ball said.

Some of that uncertainty was because TBU is in its first year, which was created from the merging of Hillsborough County United (HCU) and RSL Florida.

“We knew RSL had a very strong team,” said Ball, who played with HCU since her sophomore year. “They’d been our rival. … When we came together we thought we’d have a strong team, but our coaches thought it before we did I think. We weren’t sure because we’ve all been in the state cup and know how challenging it is. When we started winning games, it started to sink in.”

TBU has some of the top high school players in the area, including Steinbrenner senior forward Cici Gonzalez and junior midfielder/forward Marley Opila, Carrollwood Day senior midfielder Taylor Tippett, Gaither senior defender Lexy Bubley, Bishop McLaughlin senior forward Corrie Bexley and Ball.

“Having good players doesn’t mean you’re going to win,” Cote said. “Most of these girls were the stars of their high school teams, but they came together and sacrificed individual stats to win a state title. … At the end of the day I don’t know if we were the best team, but we were the most committed team. This is my eighth state final, and this is a very special group. They earned it on the training field.”

Gonzalez said that work ethic was evident in the finals.

“It was 3-1, so it sounds like a beating but it wasn’t,” Gonzalez said. “We scored first and they scored going into halftime. It was so hot that day, and it was such a physical and aggressive game. There were chances on both sides. All season we’ve been practicing during the heat of the day, so we were confident that our fitness would pull us through. It definitely did. You could tell they were dropping off and cramping, and we kept going. We were just relentless.”

At the break midway through the second half, Cote advised his players to keep up the intensity.

“We told the girls they’re dying over there because of the heat,” Cote said. “I told them if they kept running they’d let something up.”

Tampa Bay notched the winning tally on a penalty kick taken by Caroline Bado 26 minutes into the second half. The midfielder scored again with five minutes remaining.

Defeating the Renegades for the championship was a bit of vengeance for Ball and Tippett, whose HCU U16 team lost to in the final three seasons ago.

“It sunk in the next day when I went to school and all my friends were congratulating me,” Ball said. She added, “Whenever I look at the medal hanging in my room, I can’t stop smiling. It reminds me it’s still real.”

It still hasn’t fully sunk in for Tippett, the only member of the state championship squad who has only played for HCU/TBU.

“I don’t think it has yet,” said Tippett, who started with HCU at age 8. “I don’t think it will until regionals when we’re there for the opening ceremonies.”

The championship advances TBU to the Region III tournament in Greenville, S.C. June 15 to 21. Opila said getting by stiff competition is a big boost moving forward.

“By beating those teams we showed that we are the best team in the state,” Opila said. “We didn’t get any easy group or easy run through. We got the hardest teams. I think that gives us a little confidence in regionals, and maybe it’ll intimidate the other teams in regionals because we’ve beat all those great teams.”

At regionals, TBU will compete with the champs from South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Texas and Tennessee. The winner advances to nationals July 24 to 29 in Rock Hill, S.C.

“It’s great to represent Florida,” Gonzalez said. “It’s really humbling and overwhelming at the same time because you want to do well. … We just have to go in with the mindset that we can win. It’s going to be the team that wants it most who wins, and I think we do want it.”

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Two championships for Cici

Cici Gonzalez helped lead the Steinbrenner girls soccer team to the Class 4A state championship in 2011.

The results were the same this year, as the University of Tampa signee is wearing another state crown, but this time it was the FYSA U18 title with Tampa Bay United (TBU).

“It was very different than winning it in high school,” Gonzalez said. “In high school it was exciting, but with high school it’s the kids just in your area. With this it felt like a bigger accomplishment. … It was such a great feeling to be the best of such great teams.”

The victory also allows Gonzalez to end her senior year on a high note.

Steinbrenner was eliminated from the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) postseason in the regional semifinals in January.

Marley Opila, Gonzalez’s high school and club soccer teammate, said the state championship this year was closure.

“It was a really good time, especially for Cici because it was her last year,” said Opila, a junior. “It was extra special because we had that connection with high school.”

Defense, defense, defense

Tampa Bay United (TBU) earned the U18 girls FYSA state championship thanks in large part to its suffocating defense. TBU scored 100 goals while allowing only 23 in 35 contests, including 20 shutouts.

“Our goal scoring starts with our goalkeeper and our defending starts up front,” said Tampa Bay coach Jim Cote. “We defend as a team. There’s no one who’s exempt. If our forwards stop the other team and we only have to go 20 yards to score, why not?”

Emily Ball, a University of South Carolina signee, was a big part of the mentality, allowing less than 20 goals as the primary goalkeeper.

“The mentality is every time we step on the field we are not letting up a goal,” Ball said.

Midfielder/forward Marley Opila said having Ball in the net helped set the defensive tone.

“We never had to worry an ounce about Emily making a mistake,” Opila said.

Forward Cici Gonzalez added, “We have Emily Ball, and she’s a great goalie and kept everything out of the net when things got iffy. Our defense was tight, and just really overall we were a hard team to beat because we were good from back to front. Keeping the ball out of the net and the fact that we were able to put so many in the other net made us tough.”

Opila/Bubley get their title

Marley Opila and Lexy Bubley were on the 2011 Steinbrenner High girls soccer team that won the Class 4A state championship, but neither felt like winners.

Opila, a junior midfielder/forward, was unable to play in any game because she tore the ACL in her left knee the week before the season. Bubley, a defender who just graduated from Gaither High, suffered the same injury to her right knee just before the postseason that same year.

Both finally got to feel what it was like to be a state champion as part of Tampa Bay United’s run to the FYSA U18 girls title this year.

“It was so great,” said Opila, a Jacksonville University commit. “When you’re hurt and your team wins something like that, you don’t feel that special feeling like you should. When I got to touch the trophy, it was such a big accomplishment.”

Opila recorded an assist in the state finals off a corner kick during the first half against Coral Springs United Renegades

“I placed it right on someone’s head,” Opila said. “It bounced around and went in. … It was really exciting knowing that I led to us scoring a goal. It helped us get closer to a win.”

 

 

 

 

Tippett tastes the postseason

Taylor Tippett’s soccer skills earned her a scholarship with the University of South Florida, but the playoffs were something she never experienced during her four years on Carrollwood Day School’s team.

Everything changed this year for the midfielder while with the Tampa Bay United (TBU) U18 Girls Premier team. The squad not only made a deep playoff run, but hoisted the FYSA state title.

“It was the best feeling because this is my last year,” Tippett said. “We knew that if we were ever going to win a state title, this was a team that could do that.”

Tippett did make the FYSA final four two years ago with a U16 team, but she got her first state title in her final season of youth soccer.

“Because it’s my last year I’m going into college as a state champion,” Tippett said. “That really boosts you’re confidence. It’s just great to know all my years of hard work have paid off.”

 

The Laker and the Lutz News has named its All-Laker/All-Lutz News team for the 2012 high school baseball, softball and boys weightlifting season. Members were selected based on their skill, value to their squad, final statistics and head-to-head matchups. Teams in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wharton and Wiregrass Ranch. The flag football, track and tennis team were released last week.

All stats are as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches and all playoff performances are as recorded by the FHSAA. Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team along with help from Staff Writer Jeff Odom with the baseball list. LoJacono can be reached at .

Baseball first team

–Pitcher: Evan Gainey, Sr., Gaither. Posted a 7-4 record and a 1.62 ERA in 77.2 innings with 81 strikeouts.

–Pitcher: Ryan Kopenski, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. The Bulls’ ace posted an 8-3 record with two saves, 1.58 ERA and 32 Ks in 57.2 innings while holding opponents to a .184 batting average.

–Pitcher: Chris Williams, Sr., Steinbrenner. The Saint Leo University signee went 7-0 with 1.66 ERA while fanning 52 batters in 54.2 innings.

–Pitcher: Collin Woody, Sr., Wharton. The physically imposing righty had nine wins to two losses with a 1.82 ERA and 75 Ks in 77 innings.

–Catcher: Eric Schindler, Sr., Freedom. Led all area catchers with a .388 batting average while posting a .590 on-base percentage and racking up 22 runs, 15 steals, 10 RBI and four doubles.

–First base: Chris Zichy, Sr., Wesley Chapel. One of the area’s best pure hitters. Had a .463 batting average, a .514 on-base percentage, 15 runs and 11 RBI.

–Second base: Dylan Harris, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Went .412 at the plate while finding his way on base .485 percent of the time. Scored 25 times while posting 13 steals, nine RBI and eight doubles.

–Shortstop: Oscar Mercado, Jr., Gaither. The Florida State University commit hit .370 with a team-high 29 RBI, 28 runs and 12 steals.

–Third base: Tuck Neuhaus, Jr., Wharton. The University of Louisville commit swung with power, belting six homers and five doubles while hitting .317 with a .467 on-base percentage, 22 runs and 16 RBI.

–Outfield: Hayden Kelley, Sr., Gaither. The center fielder posted a .325 batting average and a .480 on-base percentage while adding 24 runs, 20 walks, 15 RBI, nine steals and eight doubles.

–Outfield: Sammy May, Sr., Steinbrenner. In his first season getting significant playing time May led the Warriors with a .391 batting average while adding nine runs.

–Outfield: Zach White, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Hit .405 and slugged .532 while recording 24 runs, 21 RBI, 13 steals and three home runs

–Designated hitter: Matt Frey, Sr., Gaither. Batted .394 with a 1.177 OPS, 23 RBI, 14 runs and four homers a little more than a year after undergoing shoulder surgery.

–Utility: Collin Woody, Sr., Wharton. Found his way on base .495 percent of the time while slugging .610, hitting .341 and scoring 23 times.

Baseball second team

–Pitcher: Cole Gordon, So., Steinbrenner. Had a slim 0.95 ERA while going 6-1 with one save and 53 strikeouts. Also held opponents to a .150 batting average in 36.2 innings.

–Pitcher: Brad Hencke, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. The University of Tampa signee had a 5-4 record with a 1.43 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 73.1 innings.

–Pitcher: Shaun Rubin, Sr., Wharton. The Harvard University signee had a team-best 1.56 ERA with a 6-3 record in 76.1 innings while fanning 58 batters.

–Pitcher: Kyle Schindler, Sr., Freedom. Pitched in the Patriots’ biggest games. Went 4-4 with a 2.33 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 57 innings.

–Catcher: Jake Gowen, Sr., Gaither. Always got the job done behind the plate while posting a .414 on-base percentage, nine RBI and four doubles.

–First base: Chase Turner, Jr., Steinbrenner. Hit.354 with a .402 on-base percentage with 17 runs, nine RBI, six steals and five doubles.

–Second base: Chandler Chapman, Jr., Freedom. Averaged .350 with 14 RBI and 10 runs.

–Shortstop: Kyle Schindler, Sr., Freedom. His work in the field is a big reason why the Patriots made their first postseason. Hit .345 with a .519 on-base percentage, 23 runs and eight doubles.

–Third base: Keegan Tanner, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Stole 12 bases while scoring 24 runs and adding 14 RBI. Hit .333 with a .437 on-base percentage.

–Outfield: Michael Barrone, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. The lead-off hitter got on base .440 percent of the time while hitting .338 and adding 22 runs, 16 steals and 15 RBI.

–Outfield: Eddie Pastrana, Sr., Gaither. The speedy senior hit an even .300 with 27 runs, 15 RBI and nine doubles.

–Outfield: Devin Sheppard, Fr., Freedom. Hit .340 with nine RBI and five doubles as a freshman.

–Designated hitter: Alex Goebel, Fr., Wiregrass Ranch. Despite having no high school experience Goebel hit .339 with a .434 on-base percentage and slugged .500. Drove in 22 with 16 runs and five doubles.

–Utility: Johnny Keigher, Jr., Freedom. Hit a robust .476 while getting on base .551 percent of the time and slugged .619. Recorded 20 runs and 20 RBI with six doubles.

Baseball honorable mention

–Pitcher: Zack Drury, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Went 5-2 on the mound with a 2.35 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.

–Pitcher: Chase Ingream, Jr., Wesley Chapel. Had a 2.72 ERA with a 4-5 record and 42 strikeouts in 46.1 innings of work.

–Pitcher: Tanner Koch, Jr., Bishop McLaughlin. The ‘Canes No. 1 went 6-4 with a 1.45 ERA and 50 Ks in 53 innings.

–Pitcher: Alex Milne, Sr., Gaither. The lefty went 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 48 innings while recording 44 strikeouts.

–Pitcher: Cameron Stoltz, Sr., Sunlake. Went 4-1 on the mound with a 1.97 ERA with 55 punchouts in 53.1 innings.

–Catcher: Sebastion Ferreira, Jr., Wesley Chapel. The first-year starter behind the plate batted .333 with a .426 on-base percentage.

–First base: Jose Gonzalez, Sr., Gaither. Owns a steady glove at first while hitting .301 with 21 RBI, 13 runs and four home runs.

–Second base: Mike Campoamor, So., Wiregrass Ranch. The solid fielder hit .315 with 27 runs, 17 RBI and nine doubles.

–Second base: Cody Robinson, Sr., Gaither. Hit .333 with a .462 on-base percentage and nine runs.

–Shortstop: Stone Ramsey, Sr., Steinbrenner. A broken right wrist ended his season early, but was a solid fielder and hit .317 with 23 runs and five homers.

–Shortstop: Zachary Whitaker, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Had a .433 on-base percentage and a .329 batting average while knocking in 16 runs and scoring 15 times.

–Third base: Josh Nissen, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Got on base .426 percent of the time while recording 25 runs, 12 RBI and six steals.

–Outfield: Elias Earley, Fr., Carrollwood Day. Had a beastly .569 on-base percentage while hitting .333 with 11 runs.

–Outfield: Chris Torres, Sr., Gaither. Played a solid right field while batting .278 with 13 runs, nine RBI and five doubles.

–Outfield: Colin Campbell, So., Carrollwood Day. Had a team-high .492 batting average with a .542 on-base percentage, 23 runs and 19 RBI.

–Designated hitter: Christian Diaz, Sr., Steinbrenner. Had an on-base percentage of .427 while hitting .343 with 17 runs, 17 RBI and seven doubles.

–Designated hitter: Patrick Soril, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Hit .391 with 20 runs and 17 RBI for the Gators.

Player of the Year: Collin Woody, Wharton. Woody was a key cog in the Wildcats’ first trip to the postseason in program history. The 6-foot-1 senior hit .341 with .495 on-base percentage while slugging .610. Scored 23 runs and drove in 20 runs, all of which seemed to be in critical situations. He also smacked 10 doubles with four homers and stole five bases.

Pitcher of the Year: Evan Gainey, Gaither. He suffered broken bones in his face after a comebacker hit him as a junior, but the Cowboys’ ace showed no ill effects this season. He went 7-4 with a 1.62 ERA and 81 stakeouts, more than any other area athlete, in 77.2 innings. Also held opponents to a slim .163 batting average. Gaither called on Gainey in critical games, and he always answered the bell.

Coach of the Year: Scott Hoffman, Wharton. Hoffman guided the Wildcats to the first playoff berth and to the first district championship in the program’s 14-year history, and did so by navigating through one of the toughest leagues in the state. Wharton went 21-9 and reached the Class 8A regional finals.

Softball first team

–Pitcher: Sydney Boynton, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. Took the mound for the Wildcats in the critical games, going 8-3 with a 1.70 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 70 innings.

–Pitcher: Meghan Durbin, Sr., Sunlake. Went 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 83.2 innings while hitting .359 with 31 RBI, 28 runs and 13 steals.

–Pitcher: Grace Street, Fr., Freedom. Threw every pitch of the Patriots’ 130.1 innings this year with an 11-7 record, a 1.93 ERA and 72 Ks. Also hit .431 with 17 RBI.

–Catcher: Alia Serafini, Jr., Steinbrenner. Besides being the top defensive catcher in the area, Serafini also hit .424 with 28 RBI and nine doubles.

–First base: Taylor Morrow, Jr., Steinbrenner. One of the hardest outs in the area, hit .517 with 21 RBI while striking out only twice.

–Second base: Mary Sorgenfrei, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Hit .356 with 15 runs and four doubles.

–Shortstop: Lauren Evans, So., Academy at the Lakes. The University of South Florida commit rarely got good pitches to hit, but still batted an absurd .652 with 44 RBI, 33 runs, 13 steals, nine doubles, nine triples and four homers.

–Third base: Kelsey McGough, So., Gaither. Posted a .448 batting average with 18 RBI, 14 runs and six doubles.

–Outfield: Courtney Durbin, Sr., Sunlake. Was a terror at the plate. Hit .533 with 33 runs, 23 RBI, 10 doubles and eight triples while also stealing 20 bases.

–Outfield: Spencer Valdespino, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Did almost everything for the ‘Canes, hitting .500 with 27 runs, 18 RBI, 15 steals, four doubles and three home runs.

–Outfield: Ashley Wilson, So., Freedom. Had a team-high .442 batting average with 21 runs, 17 RBI, six steals and six triples.

–Designated player: Stephanie Frances, Jr., Sunlake. The power threat for the Seahawks hit .563 with 34 RBI, 29 runs, 11 doubles and six home runs.

Softball second team

–Pitcher: Lauren Evans, So., Academy at the Lakes. When she wasn’t playing shortstop she was compiling a 6-2 record with 61 Ks and a 0.98 ERA in 43 innings.

–Pitcher: Makaleigh Dooley, Fr., Wharton. Was always around the plate, walking only 13 in 111.2 innings while compiling an 8-5 record, a 2.70 ERA and 79 strikeouts.

–Pitcher: Kellee Ramsey, So., Steinbrenner. Held opponents to a .151 batting average in 156 innings pitched while going 14-8 with a 2.83 ERA and 119 strikeouts.

–Catcher: Meghan Sfraga, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. The do-everything senior hit .357 while playing a solid backstop.

–First base: Morgan Litchfield, Sr., Gaither. Her power numbers dropped off, but the senior still hit .339 with 18 runs, 12 RBI and five doubles.

–Second base: Alisha Rodriguez, Sr., Gaither. Hit .283 with 10 runs and eight RBI.

–Shortstop: Kassidy Kujawa, Sr., Wharton. Hit a robust .479 with 35 RBI, 21 runs, nine doubles, eight triples and seven homers.

–Third base: Andrea Niggebrugge, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Added some thump to the lineup with a .373 batting average, 15 RBI, five doubles and five triples.

–Outfield: Skyler Boynton, Fr., Academy at the Lakes. Hit leadoff for the Wildcats, posting a .422 batting average with 32 runs, 10 steals and five doubles.

–Outfield: Lena Rovellada, Sr., Gaither. The speed demand swept 10 bases while hitting .377 with 14 runs and 14 RBI.

–Outfield: Brandi Travis, Jr., Sunlake. Stole 24 bases, more than any other area athlete, while hitting .453 with 28 runs.

–Designated player: Caitlin Milne, Jr., Gaither. Always seemed to drive in runners in scoring position. Hit .367 with 21 RBI and two homers.

Softball honorable mention

–Pitcher: Danielle Micciche, So., Sunlake. Posted a 7-2 record with a 2.88 ERA in 56 innings.

–Pitcher: Rachael Heath, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Went 2-0 on the mound with a 1.75 ERA while fanning 20 batters.

–Catcher: Rebecca Hannah, So., Academy at the Lakes. The vocal leader of the Wildcats controlled the game on the field while hitting .264 with 12 RBI.

–Catcher: Kayla Maczuga, Fr., Freedom. Hit .345 with 12 runs and nine RBI as a freshman.

–First base: Katie Gresham, Sr., Freedom. Provided leadership as Freedom’s only senior along with 10 RBI.

–Shortstop: Erica Serafini, Fr., Steinbrenner. Certainly didn’t hit like a freshman, posting a .411 batting average with 24 runs.

–Shortstop: Amy Szymanowski, Sr., Sunlake. The Bishop McLaughlin transfer hit .468 with 14 runs, 13 RBI and four home runs.

–Third base: Monica Santos, Sr., Wharton. Smacked seven doubles and three home runs with 20 RBI and a .437 batting average.

–Outfield: Brook Baptiste, So., Bishop McLaughlin. The speedy sophomore swiped 16 bases while hitting .350 and a team-high four homers.

–Outfield: Ashley Bradford, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Compiled a .381 batting average with 13 runs and eight RBI.

–Outfield: Rachel Carlson, So., Freedom. Played a solid center field while hitting .357 and stealing five bases.

–Outfield: Liesel Johnson, Fr., Land O’ Lakes. Part of a talented young nucleolus for the Gators, hit .372 as a freshman.

–Designated player: Megan Malone, Jr., Bishop McLaughlin. Added depth to the lineup hitting .434.

Player of the Year: Courtney Durbin, Sunlake. Name any part of the game and Durbin excelled at it. Not only did she play a near-flawless outfield, but also hit the cover off the ball all season. Posted a .533 batting average with 33 runs, 23 RBI, 10 doubles and eight triples while stealing 20 bases. Was also a major leader on a team that lost six seniors from the year before.

Pitcher of the Year: Sydney Boynton, Academy at the Lakes. Boynton had one of the most devastating strikeout pitches in the area with a brutally off-speed changeup, but she also has a plus curveball, dropball and screwball while adding a solid riseball and fastball. Her 8-3 record, 1.70 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 70 innings speak for themselves.

Coach of the Year: Jerry English, Academy at the Lakes. The veteran coach had a large challenge when he took over the program this year. He had some high-level travel ball players and others who had never played before. He got the squad playing together to the tune of a 14-5 record en route to a district championship and regional finals appearance for the first time in program history.

Boys weight lifting

–Dean Bui, Sr., Sunlake. Posted a 230 bench and 225 clean, 455 total, to finish sixth in the Class 2A 129-pound division at states.

–Kyle Fraser, Sr., Sunlake. His 545 total pounds was good enough to take eighth place at states in the Class 2A 154-pound division.

–Jack Holloway, Jr., Sunlake. Was 13th overall in the Class 2A 119-pound division by putting up 365 total pounds.

–Nate McCoole, Sr., Sunlake. Put up 750 pounds, more than anyone else in the Class 2A unlimited division at states.

–Jerome Samuels, Sr., Sunlake. Lifted 605 total pounds to place 11th overall in the Class 2A 238-pound division.

Lifter of the Year: Nate McCoole, Sunlake.  McCoole was on a mission to bring home the first state championship in Sunlake weightlifting’s five-year history, and he did just that with his 440 bench and personal record 310 clean and jerk at the Class 2A unlimited division at states. He also tied a Pasco County record by benching 450 to help him win a district title.

Coach of the Year: Matt Smith, Sunlake. Wins the honor for the second straight year. Smith’s squad had another undefeated season and claimed another district title this year. He also took five lifters to states. No other area team took even one athlete to the finals.

 

Cowboy earns Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award

By Jeff Odom and Cameron Valdez

Long before his high school days, Gaither baseball player Hayden Kelley idolized MLB Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs.

On June 6, the senior center fielder was presented with the sixth annual Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award by the former Tampa Bay Rays player and 12-time All-Star for his work on and off the diamond.

“Just seeing the numbers (Boggs) put up and the abilities he put out on the field is incredible,” Kelley said. “For me to be forever linked to him like that, in any way, is a total honor.”

The award, established in 2005, is presented to one of the Hillsborough County’s top baseball team or players each year based on academic and athletic achievement as well as community involvement.

“Most baseball awards are for achievements on the field, and this award not only covers that but academics and what he does in the community,” Boggs said. He added, “These are the types of individuals that we look for.”

Kelley, a first-team all-Western Conference selection and Miami Dade College signee, graduated from Gaither with a 3.98 weighted grade point average (GPA). He served as a counselor and caregiver the past two summers at the Shriners Hospitals’ Camp Care-A-Lot and also traveled to the Dominican Republic with SCORE International on mission trips.

Kelley also gave back to young baseball players, participating in the Son Diamond Baseball Camps for inner-city children. He said his parents made him start volunteering when he was young, but now it’s something he can’t imagine not doing.

“I just really like helping out whenever I can,” Kelley said. “I feel like I always get more out of the time I spend volunteering than I have to put into whatever I’m doing there.”

After he finishes college, Kelley plans to continue a career in the sport he loves — hopefully, as a professional player.

“I am going to junior college for two years to get my (associate) degree, then, probably focus more on making a choice on that,” Kelley said. “After college, I want to play baseball for as long as I can. I want to see how far it’s going to take me.”

Joining Kelley in the ceremony was Steinbrenner second baseman Christian Diaz, who graduated with a 5.1 weighted GPA and served as the senior class president in the school’s student government. He was recognized as an honorable mention by Boggs and said he didn’t mind a runner-up spot to a player like Kelley.

“I feel very honored,” Diaz said. “I wear No. 12 in honor of Mr. Boggs with everything he has done for the community and to see a guy like Hayden, who has really gone out of his way to help the community, really makes me feel good about the people that have been nominated for it.”

—Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono contributed to this report.

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Millions of kids dream of playing professional baseball and two local talents took a step toward completing that fantasy during the MLB draft June 4 to 6. They have until July 13 to sign.

D-backs take Wharton grad Derrick Stultz

Wharton baseball coach Scott Hoffman remembers Derrick Stultz as one of the most intense players he’s worked with.

“He was all business,” Hoffman said. “He didn’t speak before games. The guys would ask me if he was OK because he’d sit in locker room in the dark. He used that intimidation factor because he was a guy who threw 93/94 miles an hour. All our guys tried to follow his footsteps.”

Stultz’s tracks now lead to the major leagues as the Arizona Diamondbacks made the Wharton graduate the 453rd pick in the draft June 5, taking him in the 14th round. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has a year of eligibility remaining after losing a pair of seasons to injury, but his mother, Gretchen, said he is likely to sign as he graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) last month.

Stultz could only be reached via text message because he left for Arizona June 7 to meet with the Diamondbacks, but wrote that he is excited for the chance to be a professional player.

Stultz, who attended Gaither High before transferring for his senior year, is the second of Hoffman’s Wildcats to be drafted in his nine years with Wharton following pitcher Andrew Virgili, who signed with the Chicago White Sox after being taken in the 12th round.

In his senior season at USF, Stultz went 9-1 with a 3.29 ERA and 60 strikeouts to 23 walks in 87.2 innings. He earned second team All-Big East honors and led the conference with nine wins.

Stultz’s work on the mound as a senior came after missing 2010 and 2011 following shoulder surgery in May 2009 to fix a torn labrum. Gretchen said the injury came “out of nowhere” after he started most of his freshman and sophomore years.

“The doctors made him go very slow in his rehab,” Gretchen said. “He told him he didn’t want to see him come back in his training room once he cleared him. I think that’s why he got drafted.”

It is the second time Stultz has been drafted. He was selected in the 38th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 but stayed in school.

“It’s a perfect situation for him because he improved his draft status,” Hoffman said. “In high school they wanted him to get more seasoning. Up until his senior year of high school he only had a few innings pitched. We used him quite a bit, then he went and started in college. I think that matured him as a pitcher.”

 

Thrailkill picked by the Rangers

St. Petersburg College (SPC) sophomore and Gaither High graduate Austen Thrailkill was taken in the 26th round with the 816th pick by the Texas Rangers on June 6.

“It’s a dream come true,” Thrailkill said. “It’s something that every kid who grows up playing baseball wants. The fact that I’m experiencing it; I can’t put it into words. … I don’t think it’s completely sunk in yet.”

Thrailkill learned he was drafted while at work. The Rangers called him that morning, so he was monitoring their selections.

“I thought I’d get the call before they’d pick me, so when I saw them coming up soon in the 26th round I put my phone down and got back to working,” Thrailkill said. “Then I got a text from my coach, Ryan Beckman, congratulating me. As I was checking my phone for the draft, the Rangers called.”

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound left-handed pitcher, who uses a fastball, curveball and changeup, picked up the game at age 4 and started developing his craft in the Lutz Little League.

Thrailkill also played first base and outfield as a freshman at Gaither, but moved to the mound fulltime for his final three years. He compiled an 8-2 record with a 4.67 ERA, 49 strikeouts and 71 walks in 63 innings as a Cowboy.

Thrailkill attended Quincy University in Illinois for his freshman season, but returned to walk on at SPC after having a “hard time” up north.

“I was happy to come back, but I was worried because I didn’t have a school to go play at right away,” Thrailkill said. “It was a last minute decision to go to St. Pete, but I’m glad I did.”

Gaither baseball coach Frank Permuy said he “lost track” of Thrailkill, but his former pupil started working out with the Cowboys a few weeks ago.

“He’s always had the ability,” Permuy said. “He had a little problem with the control, but I think he’s ironed out. He’s a lot bigger and stronger. He’s a man now. I think he’s going to contribute in college if he stays or to (Texas) if he signs.”

Thrailkill is eligible for the draft because SPC is a two-year school but has the option of walking on at the University of South Florida or signing a scholarship with the University of Central Florida.

“I had some offers to four-year schools out of state, but those two are the ones I’ve narrowed it down to if I do stay in school,” Thrailkill said. He added, “I love baseball, and I want to play as long as I can.”

 

By Jeff Odom

Steinbrenner football coach Floyd Graham and his wife, volleyball coach Jennifer Graham, resigned June 5 to focus on their family out of state.

The Warriors’ only football coach in the program’s three-year history said the two are moving back to Wetumpka, Alabama to care for Floyd’s mother and maternal grandfather, both of whom are battling cancer.

In three seasons at the helm, Floyd was 15-14-1, including a 7-3 mark last season. He said there was no other option than to be with his family in its time of need.

Jennifer served on the Steinbrenner volleyball team as an assistant in its first two seasons before being named the successor to former coach Staci Elias in 2011. Last year she led the team to its third straight district championship, to the Class 7A regional semifinals and to a program best 24-6 record.

Steinbrenner athletic director Eddie Henderson said a replacement for both positions, as well as the vacant girls soccer spot, should come “hopefully by the end of the month.”