Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Land O’ Lakes football looks to regain playoff form

By Kyle LoJacono

Every high school football team has a goal of making the playoffs, but Land O’ Lakes has more motivation than most.

The Gators had their 14-year postseason streak snapped following a 7-3 year.

The program was dealt another blow in February when an internal investigation revealed an ineligible player had participated with the team the last two years. Land O’ Lakes had to forfeit every game since 2010, cutting one year off the playoff streak.

“We don’t talk about that; not at all,” said sophomore defensive end/fullback Shaheed Salmon.

The drive to get back to the top is great even if it isn’t a talking point.

“We’re trying to get back to Land O’ Lakes football,” said junior running back Harrison Wood. “It’s not talked about too much, but it’s understood that we have to step it up a notch. We know we have to do better than last year, and now we just have to do it.”

Second-year Gators’ coach Brian Wachtel added, “We set the bar at the top every year. You strive to be at the top regardless of what happened last year.”

Land O’ Lakes players have the advantage of spending a season in Wachtel’s system.

“I think they’ve done a phenomenal job learning, being disciplined, flying around and understanding what we’re doing on offense and defense,” Wachtel said. “There’s no doubt things are a little easier for them and for us teaching them in Year 2.”

The Gators did graduate several key offensive players, including four of the top five in receiving yards for last year. What the team does have is a lot of experience on the offensive line, where four of the five starters return.

“We’ve been together for a while; we know what the others are going to do,” said junior left tackle Justin Forchion. “With the O-line you work together to make things work, and all of us know what the others are going to do.”

Along with the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Forchion, the unit returns guards Frank Hegedus and Justin Claxon and center John Kranendonk while adding Garrett Lunn at right tackle. The line opens up holes for Wood to gain a team-high 789 yards on 141 carries and 10 touchdowns last season. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound back also caught 18 balls for 159 yards and two more scores.

“I’ve been working a lot on my hands,” Wood said. “I want to make sure I don’t fumble, and I want to be a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield as well.”

The established line and ground game will be a big help to freshman Ethan Weilant, who will be the starting quarterback.

“Ethan has really stepped up to the plate,” Wachtel said. “I’m very excited for what he can do. He gets out there, commands the offense and is a leader, no doubt about it.”

Salmon added, “He’s tough and shows no hesitation. He’ll run the ball up the middle, and he has an arm too.”

The 6-foot, 160-pound Weilant already has one start under his belt; a 52-3 win against Central where he completed 6-of-9 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

“It made me excited to get a chance to play,” Weilant said. “It was nice to have a good game in my first start.”

The defense suffered its biggest losses at linebacker.

Inside linebacker Jackson Cannon and weakside linebacker Shadow Williams combined for 151 tackles and 6.5 sacks last year as seniors.

The rest of the defense was relatively untouched by graduation.

“Internally we’ve got Colin Irwin, Spencer Curtis and Darius Wells,” Wachtel said. “We bring back Kyle Forchion at outside linebacker and Justin Forchion helping on the defensive line. We’ve also got some offensive line guys who are doing some stuff on the defensive line, so there are a lot of guys who know what we’re trying to do on defense.”

Salmon said the defense is working to improve its reaction now that they all know the system.

“We’re working to all get quicker,” Salmon said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. Not just faster, but quicker at making reads.”

Salmon will also be a weapon at fullback thanks to his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame.

“No one is going to want to tackle him,” Wachtel said.

Land O’ Lakes will get its first test in the spring game at home against Fivay May 24 at 7 p.m.

“I’m excited,” Weilant said. “Our team is ready to get out there and play and bring this team back to what it was before when it was making the playoffs every year.”

–Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner football team felt ready for a district championship and to make its first postseason a year ago, but injuries and inexperience dashed those dreams.

The returning Warriors are using lessons learned from a 7-3 campaign to take that next step.

“We’re hungry,” said junior inside linebacker Logan McKnight. “We want a district championship and to go way farther than that.”

Steinbrenner did have the first winning season in the program’s three-year history, but came up short in two critical district games.

A pair of fumbles, including one returned for a touchdown, doomed the Warriors in a 35-25 loss to Tampa Bay Tech, and a season-ending injury to fullback Jake Carroll disrupted the offense in a 37-7 loss to Gaither.

“Last year our goal was to win districts and make the playoffs, but now I think we have a better sense of how hard we need to work to get there,” said sophomore quarterback Curtis Fitch. “Last year against Gaither and Tech we weren’t mentally there. We don’t want to feel that again.”

Carroll, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound sophomore, tore the ACL in his right knee on the opening kickoff against Gaither in Week 5. He said watching his team fall to their rival was tough.

“First of all, I don’t really like Gaither, so to go out in that game made it even worse,” said Carroll, who had 240 yards on 34 carries last year. “It got on my nerves that they won.”

Losing Carroll changed what the Warriors did with their run-heavy wing-T offense, but it helped them find a new weapon — halfback Kendall Pearcey. The junior ended the season with a team-high 776 rushing yards on 98 carries and 11 touchdowns, earning him All-Laker/All-Lutz News Offensive Player of the Year honors. He added 142 receiving yards and two scores and another 441 yards on punt and kick returns.

“It meant a lot because before I haven’t been able to contribute very much,” Pearcey said. “Getting 15-plus carries a game and averaging more than seven yards a carry was great because I always wanted to be able to help the team when it needed me.”

Pearcey is also recovering from a broken right ankle suffered in the season finale against Middleton. He won’t play in the spring game to make sure he is ready for the fall. Once healed, Steinbrenner will have two reliable backfield options.

“Me and Jake splitting carries is going to wreak havoc because they don’t know who to cover,” Pearcey said. “They can’t cover Jake coming up the middle and me coming around the outside, so it’s an undecipherable offense for any defense.”

Fitch said the tandem is critical for the passing game.

“Whenever they get the ball they pick up yards, but when I fake it to them everyone bites,” Fitch said. “That opens up the pass. They make the whole offense better.”

The Warriors must completely rebuild their offensive line after losing six members, including every starter. One who is filling a void is 6-foot-2, 260-pound junior left tackle Chris Harrison.

“The line we have now all came in together from Martinez (Middle),” Harrison said. “There’s a lot of chemistry, especially between myself, our right tackle Blaine Tucker and Zack Goldsmith our guard. Our center, Nick Bosco and Oliver Lack, our other guard, came in last year, so we’ve worked together for a while.”

The defense brings back all but three starters. One returner is McKnight, who led the squad with 96 tackles and seven sacks last season.

“The guys we lost were big parts of our defense, but we think we’re ready,” McKnight said. “My bold prediction is we’re going to let up the least amount of points in the county.”

Steinbrenner travels to Alonso to play in the second half of the spring jamboree against the host May 24 at 6:30 p.m.

–Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

New coach, new mentality, new outlook

By Kyle LoJacono

Freedom football has known nothing but change in its nine-year history.

The Patriots have had five coaches since 2006 and have made the playoffs only once in that stretch, a first-round exit in 2009. The program has a 17-32 record in that time, 6-13 in district.

Consistency has been lacking at all levels of the program, but changes by new coach Todd Donohoe have brought fresh confidence this spring.

“Our goal is to make states this fall,” Donohoe said. “I think we have the players and coaches to get there. We’re not just going to accept average or OK or even good. We’re striving to be great.”

Donohoe, who played inside linebacker at Dunedin, spent four years as an assistant at perennial powerhouse and defending Class 6A state champion Armwood before starting Strawberry Crest’s program.

“We’ve had some good coaches, but coach Donohoe has changed this into a legit program,” said junior running back/cornerback Nate Godwin. “Everything we do is building the program, and we’re doing more fundraising too. He’s kind of bringing that Armwood swagger to Freedom.”

Donohoe said that building starts before kids see a high school field.

“It’s about developing the varsity, the junior varsity and working with the youth football programs,” Donohoe said. “That’s how you make a program.”

Along with a new attitude, the players have seen major changes in the structure.

“Everything is a lot more together,” said junior outside linebacker/tight end Isaac Tanner. “Practices are a lot more efficient. I won’t say they’re better, but we get a lot more done. Last year we basically had one coach, so it was harder to get all the reps in and correct.”

Sophomore offensive tackle/inside linebacker Dillon Browne added, “I see us coming together a lot more as a family. We’re more as a brotherhood, and I’m seeing a lot more competition, which is fun. … We’ll be talking to each other on Facebook and Twitter about who’s going to dominate in practice. We hit each other and see who the best of the best is, but after practice we all come together again.”

That togetherness and organization is evident before the Patriots hit the field. Prepractice workouts, which were unheard of last season, are done in unison.

“We work out as a team and we practice as a team,” Godwin said.

The defense was Freedom’s strength last season, and that side of the ball has the potential to be stronger with several big additions to the line.

“Defense wins championships, and our defense is looking great,” said Tanner, who had 75 tackles and a team-high seven sacks last season. “We got some guys who just grew and we got some new kids transferring in. We’ve got some giants out there. Both of our ends are 6-foot-4 or taller; one’s a freshman (Scott Patchan) and one’s a sophomore (Malik Robinson). It makes my job easier.”

Donohoe has changed the base defense to get more linebackers on the field and is happy with how fast the players have picked up the system.

“I’m really excited about all three levels of our defense,” Donohoe said. “We’re going to let our big and fast defensive ends work around the edge and let the linebackers come from different places to confuse the offense.”

Donohoe said he believes in keeping players on one side of the ball to let them fully understand the position and plays. The exception is with Browne, Godwin and Tanner.

“Thank goodness they’re smart kids and have been around for a while,” Donohoe said. “We can count on them to do both and they make everyone better.”

The offense lost its leading rusher and top-two receivers, but has continuity at quarterback with 6-foot-3, 200-pound sophomore Taylor King. He has gotten playing time since his freshman year and became the starter in Week 5 last season. He completed 46-of-98 passes for 526 yards and one score in 2011.

“The whole offense has been working hard to learn the new playbook,” King said. “Everything has been coming together fast because we’re much more organized. … If our offense keeps learning the plays like we are now I think we’ll be good. We’re ahead of where we were at last year. We’re good on the physical side, but we need to get a little better with the mental side.”

Donohoe has seen changes in King in just the last few weeks.

“He’s showing more poise, leadership and attitude,” Donohoe said. “That’s one thing we preach in everything we do is we’re developing leaders.”

The Patriots play at King High for their spring jamboree May 24 starting at 6:30 p.m.

–Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

By Jeff Odom

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Gaither baseball coach Frank Permuy could only look on in disbelief as a mass of green jerseys mobbed the infield.

His Cowboys’ (19-10-1) bats were left silent in a 2-0 loss to Venice in the Class 7A regional finals May 11. The game was scheduled to be played at Gaither but was moved to Steinbrenner High because of a conflict with Relay For Life.

“I just think playing over here tonight, we came here mentally, but we left our hearts at Cowboys Field,” Permuy said. He added, “I thought we played well, we got a lesson on how to bunt today and (Venice) did all the right little things. We just couldn’t make anything happen.”

Permuy learned of the venue change via the Internet and was not pleased with Hillsborough County’s decision to switch the location.

“It’s a shame for (the players) that they couldn’t play a regional final game at their own (expletive) field,” Permuy said. “I’m really upset about it. … That’s our county and that’s the FHSAA not wanting to make an exception in this case. They told us we could do both things simultaneously and then (county athletic director Lanness Robinson) told us we couldn’t.”

The Indians (22-8) took advantage of two Gaither errors in the top of the second inning when shortstop Oscar Mercado and second baseman Cody Robinson botched back-to-back grounders. Cowboys senior pitcher Alex Milne (4-3, 2.37 ERA) stayed focused and worked out of it without relinquishing a run.

“I just said ‘You’ve got to get out of this jam and pick your team up,’” Milne said. “I just thought I had to keep us in the game.”

Gaither’s best chance to score came in the second, when senior Jose Gonzalez hit a double over the left fielder. The scoring chance was short lived as Chris Torres and Robinson grounded out.

Indians pitchers Tyson Albert and Cooper Hammond kept his team out of sync.

“Those guys did a great job and kept us off balance the whole night,” Permuy said.

The Venice offense broke the scoreless tie in the third when a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt by Grant Banko put a runner on second with one out.

Eddie Pastrana recorded the second out by robbing the Indians of an extra base hit on a diving catch in the outfield, but Brandon Elmy drove in the winning run with a single to center. The Indians added a run in the seventh on a Banko hit to left field.

“They executed well and got the bunts down when they needed to,” Milne said. “Some go your way and some don’t, and tonight it just didn’t go our way.”

Milne finished with six strikeouts, three walks and one earned run in a complete game effort.

To reach the finals, the Cowboys defeated Seminole 6-1 at home May 8.

On the mound, right-handed senior Evan Gainey went the distance for the second straight game giving up just two hits and an earned run while striking out six.

“I felt really good and my arm felt outstanding,” Gainey said. “With a defense like that and hitting like that it’s so easy to pitch.”

Gainey (7-4, 1.62 ERA) sent down the Warhawks (24-4) in order to start the fourth inning, and the Gaither offense responded by sending nine players to the plate and scoring five runs.

Robinson was plunked in the back to load the bases with one out after Gonzalez singled to right field and Randy Oliva walked. Senior catcher Jake Gowen capitalized with a single up the middle to score two. Pastrana brought home Robinson on a sacrifice fly.

Permuy credited his seniors for coming up when it meant the most.

“Those guys busted their butt all week and they really wanted this thing,” Permuy said. “I don’t think anyone has jumped on (Seminole) early like that this year, but we were able to do that and it showed.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The most successful season in Wharton baseball history came to a close May 11 with a 5-3 loss at Orlando Timber Creek in the Class 8A regional finals.

The Wildcats (21-9) came up a few steps short of their ultimate goal, but the squad did accomplish many firsts in the program’s 14-year history, namely qualifying for the postseason, claiming a district championship and winning a playoff game.

“It’s been a great year,” said nine-year Wharton coach Scott Hoffman. “We wanted to show we can compete with the best teams and that this program can be dominant. I think we did that this season.”

The Wildcats scored early in the contest with a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to an RBI double from Collin Woody, who came around to score on a passed ball later in the frame.

Wharton junior Tuck Neuhaus, a University of Louisville commit, had an RBI double of his own in the second.

The vaunted Wolves (21-6) wouldn’t go down quietly and took a 4-3 lead in the fourth after a pair of Wildcats errors and a two-RBI hit by Kellen Clemens.

Wharton defeated Class 8A-District 7 rival Durant in the regional semis, a 1-0 walk-off win May 8. Junior outfielder Ryan Lawson got on in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out hit. Junior catcher Reed Gray sent the home team out winners with a single to center field to score pinch runner Milton Figeurou.

Gray entered the contest batting .254 and with only eight RBI all season.

“You’re down to your second out, and (he’s) due; they’re all due, and he hits it out there,” Hoffman said. “We just wanted a bleeder, a little bleeder, a passed ball, something.”

Gray used that same mentality in trying to get a good swing on one of the pitches from Tyler Danish, who had nine strikeouts.

“I knew his stuff was dirty,” Gray said. “He threw a fastball, probably the one thing I could hit, and I got it.”

The win was the Wildcats’ first in regulation in four contests following 12-inning affairs in the district finals and regional quarters and a contest that lasted eight frames in the district semis.

Wharton got solid pitching, this time from Woody (9-2, 1.82 ERA). The senior said he was having trouble catching his breath against the Cougars (16-10), but still managed a complete-game three-hitter.

“My arm felt fine, but I felt like I was out of breath so I couldn’t really put my body into anything,” Woody said.

Woody got out of trouble in the top half of the seventh. He walked the batter to load the bases with two outs but got out of the jam with a strikeout.

The shutout was the Wildcats’ third in four games. Wharton had scored only six runs in the five games leading up to the regional finals, but allowed only one.

By Kyle LoJacono

Land O’ Lakes will send both of its Special Olympics soccer teams to the state games for the third straight year.

That was the first goal for LOL Blue and LOL Gold players. Next up is claiming a second championship in as many years.

“It’s exhilarating,” said midfielder Tara Chamblin, who has been on teams that reached states the last two years. “Your heart is pumping, and you don’t know what to do. It’s like you’re going to Hollywood.”

Chamblin said she was worried when she heard they were going back to states.

“I told my dad that I was nervous, but he said if we do what we need to do we can win,” Chamblin said. She added, “I think we got it. We have the best players on our team.”

Along with Chamblin playing midfield, the squads are helped by quick defenders like Joseph Tramel and Ilsa Hernandez, as well as Kenny Rolph in goal.

“It’s about having fun and trying to do your best,” said Hernandez, who has competed for five years. “It’s fun getting to work together and get better.”

The squads’ offenses are helped by Yvonne Collinsworth and Andrew Ahearn.

“The best part is getting a goal,” Ahearn said. He added, “I’m a scoring machine.”

The games are at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Blue won states for the level three teams last year, while Gold finished as level four runner-up.

“Joseph (Tramel) is on the Blue team, and he and the others who went last year have talked about wanting to go back,” said Land O’ Lakes coach Vicky King. “They had a good time and there’s a lot of fun things to do. It’s always their goal to get to states to play, and go to Disney.”

All of the Gators players are current or former Land O’ Lakes students. Both squads are unified, which means they have two traditional athletes playing with three Special Olympics players at all times.

King said the school has a very active Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) club, which has about 140 members.

“Those are most of our unified players,” King said. “We have some who play basketball, soccer and other sports. It’s a great experience for them too. They’re great role models for the athletes.”

King has coached Special Olympics since 1986. Chamblin said King is a big reason the teams are returning to states.

“She teaches us everything,” Chamblin said. “She’s been working with us for years. It’s great that she’s working with it.”

States are May 18 to 20. Land O’ Lakes is the only Pasco program sending two teams to the event.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch’s Ryan Kopenski wanted to be a pitcher from the first time he stepped on a baseball field.

Even in T-ball before he could pitch the lefty played the defensive position. Now the 6-foot-2, 155-pounder will get to toe the rubber with the Lancers of Lenoir Community College in North Carolina.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Kopenski said.

Kopenski, who signed May 11 and will study business, was the Bulls’ ace this season, posting an 8-3 record with two saves, a 1.58 ERA and 32 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .184 batting average in 57.2 innings. His work helped them go 19-7 and win consecutive Sunshine Athletic Conference championships.

The southpaw doesn’t have the most overpowering stuff, topping out in the low to mid 80s, but Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeff Swymer said he makes up for his shortcomings.

“He’s a guy who misses bats,” Swymer said. “He finds a way because of his work ethic. He’s never been the best player, and he never will be the best player. He compensates for that by being smarter than the other guys.”

Kopenski, who uses a fastball, curveball and changeup, ends his four-year high school career 14-6 with a 2.68 ERA and 76 Ks. He said everything changed for him when Swymer took over.

“When coach Swymer came in my sophomore year the program really started to get elite,” Kopenski said. “We’ve won a lot of games and we’ve all learned a lot about baseball. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else.”

Kopenski is the second Bulls baseball player in as many years to sign with a school. Swymer said he thinks that’s a continuing trend.

“I think you’ll see the tide start turning and all of a sudden scouts are asking who is this Wiregrass Ranch; let’s go see them play,” Swymer said. “They can’t be just a fluke to be winning 18 or 19 games each season.”

–Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

By Kyle LoJacono

Six years ago Samantha Fernandez was cut from her middle school basketball team.

Instead of sulking, the Academy at the Lakes point guard worked harder, and her efforts paid off as she signed May 8 to play at Lon Morris College, a junior college in Texas.

“This journey has been the biggest thing in my life,” said Fernandez, who will study nursing.

Fernandez made the Farnell Middle team the next year in eighth grade and played two seasons at Sickles before transferring to Oldsmar Christian. When that basketball program closed she made the move north to run the Wildcats’ offense.

The academy went 23-6 last season while earning a district and regional championship en route to the first final four appearance for any program in school history. Fernandez averaged 13 points, 8.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds as a senior.

Fernandez made the transition look easy, but she had to use more than her skill while learning from Wildcats coach Karim Nohra.

“In the first couple of days of practice we were talking about things, and Sam had her head down and was nowhere to be heard from; basically out in la-la land,” Nohra said. “I said to her ‘what’s wrong?’ she said ‘coach this is like school.’ I said ‘welcome to Nohra school.’ She’s learned a lot about how it takes more than just athletic ability. You do have to use your brain. Hopefully I gave her that. I wish I had her for another year.”

Fernandez said attending the academy was more than she expected.

“Coming here this year has made me grow as a person and given me a different outlook,” Fernandez said. “The mental game is what I needed, and I definitely got that from coach Nohra.”