Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wharton boys soccer team had outscored opponents 71-24 entering the playoffs, but the Wildcats’ offense dropped off in the regional tournament.

Wharton (18-5-1) was unable to score any goals in its last three contests this year, including the Class 5A-District 7 finals and its two playoff games.

The Wildcats survived the regional quarterfinals Jan. 31 at Countryside in penalty kicks but were upended 2-0 at Palm Harbor University (16-1-4) in the semis Feb. 3

“We had an excellent season and the boys played very well,” said Wharton coach Scott Ware. “It’s probably the best bunch of boys I’ve had since I’ve been at Wharton. The family atmosphere we’ve created out here; I’m happy with the way this whole season went. It’s just unfortunate tonight we came up a bit short.”

The Hurricanes struck in the second minute and added an insurance goal 13 minutes after halftime.

The Wildcats had plenty of possession against Palm Harbor, but the ‘Canes defense stifled Wharton in the final third of the field to prevent quality scoring chances. The Hurricanes had 11 shots on goal while allowing only two.

“They’re very organized,” Ware said. “They don’t lose shape very often. We didn’t get enough boys up into the attack to generate more chances around the 18 and crack that defense.”

The Wildcats were in the game thanks to nine saves from 5-foot-10 junior goalkeeper Keenan Kushner.

“He’s what gives us confidence in front of him,” Ware said. “If we didn’t have him it could have been a different story all season long. He kept us in the match tonight. … He gave us hope and he’s been just a wall. I’m glad we’ll have him back next year.”

Wharton will have to find replacements for nine graduating seniors, including its top three scores. Felipe Desousa set a Wildcats record with 28 goals this season while adding 14 assists.

“I’ve had some good senior classes and this one is up near the top,” Ware said. “They’ve done things for each other and not for themselves all season. Felipe had 28 goals, but he also gets everyone involved and picks them up. They’ll be tough to replace.”

Wharton reached the showdown at Palm Harbor after needing extra penalty kicks to defeat Countryside. Joseph Ferrin buried home his penalty kick on the Wildcats’ 10th attempt to send his squad to the semis.

By Jeff Odom

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Steinbrenner girls basketball player Bailey Hooker watched teammate Taylor Thigpen dribble the final seconds off of the clock, allowing the junior guard’s dream three years in the making to come true.

In a mob of white jerseys huddled around coach J.R. Allen, Hooker along with her teammates turned to the line of banners hung on the gymnasium wall and shouted “forever.”

Hooker, the Warriors’ leading scorer this year with 19.8 points per game, scored 16 to help Steinbrenner put away Freedom for the program’s first district championship on Feb. 3.

“We worked so hard,” Hooker said. “To finally put something up on that banner that we’ve been waiting for, for three years, is like fire. I’m so happy.”

For Hooker, it was her second time hoisting a district trophy this year. She did the same in October as a middle hitter on the volleyball team against, whom else but the Patriots.

Like with basketball, Hooker has been on Steinbrenner’s volleyball team since her freshman year, helping the Warriors to a 26-0 district record and three championships.

Basketball had less of a winning tradition, posting a 24-17 record, 12-8 in district, during the last two years and zero playoff appearances. That changed this season.

“It’s the best experience, because we didn’t have to really work that hard for the volleyball one, but to be in the middle of it and in the midst of it in the basketball championship, it’s ridiculous how much fire goes through your veins when you’re on the court,” Hooker said.

An All-Laker/All-Lutz News first team selection for volleyball, Hooker once again put the team on her back after a rough district semifinals contest against No. 4 seeded Chamberlain, which the Warriors squeaked through 56-48.

In practice the following day, Hooker made sure that her teammates were on the right page and led a players-only meeting to discuss what had occurred.

“We had a lot of emotional stuff going on, so we basically brought it all together,” Hooker said. She then added, “We let everything out because we’re a family. We’re a team and we knew we had one goal coming out into this season, and we weren’t going to let one bad game ruin our chances of winning the district title. We came together and pushed through, and we mentally got tough and ready for Freedom.”

In practice all week, Hooker said she worked specifically on shooting, which wasn’t where it needed to be in her eyes.

“This was going to be my game,” Hooker said of the district finals. “I spent time in practice just working on my shots and all of us contributed. Every single person stepped it up and did something they don’t normally do.

“I have so many words that I could say,” Hooker continued. “I’m so pumped about this, and so happy. We’re a part of forever, and our team is up on that wall forever.”

By Jeff Odom

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

When the final buzzer sounded, Steinbrenner girls basketball coach J.R. Allen raised his arms into the air as his team ran to celebrate at half court.

“I’ve been telling these girls back since September, I want to be part of something that’s called forever,” Allen said. “At the end of that game, I told those girls to celebrate and to point up to that banner and say ‘forever’.”

The No. 1 seeded Warriors overcame a lackluster third quarter, but came through late to defeat the No. 2 Patriots 51-39 on Feb. 3 for the Class 7A-District 9 championship, the program’s first.

Allen said the resilience and effort his team brought was some of the best he has seen all season, and it started with the mentality of playing as a team.

“It’s special because of the way we did it,” Allen said. He then added, “The special thing about this team is the word team itself. Every win lately has been a team win. It just feels so special. … This championship was won by 14 girls who practice their tails off every day.”

The Warriors (22-2) opened the game with a 12-0 run; stopping all of Freedom’s scoring opportunities.

“You can’t start out like that,” said Patriots coach Laurie Pacholke. “In a district championship game you got to come to play, especially on their court. … We got outplayed, we got out hustled, we got out rebounded and you’re not going to win a game like that.”

Guard Bailey Hooker led Steinbrenner’s early charge, scoring 13 of her squad’s points to lead 14-3 after the first quarter. She hit three shots from 3-point land in the opening half.

“It was awesome,” said Hooker, who had a team-high 16 points and five blocks. “Coming off of the past couple of games I’ve been off a little bit on my shooting, so to come out and make that three, I knew that tonight was my night.”

Patriots (18-9) guard Taylor Emery, who had a game-high 20 points, kept her team in it, working through the Warriors’ defense to start the momentum swing headed into halftime but still trailed 31-14.

Freedom chipped away at Steinbrenner’s lead in the third quarter, which got as small as eight before Allen told his team to keep its focus.

“I was really concerned, because it could have been a bad thing based off of what we did in that last game (against Chamberlain),” Allen said. He then added, “We turned around and made the most of it.”

In the fourth quarter with Steinbrenner leading by 11, Hooker delivered the final blow with her fourth 3-pointer of the game with just more than a minute left.

“She just stroked that three and I think that was an emotional lift that helped us carry to the end of the game,” Allen said.

The Warriors found themselves in a tight semifinals battle on Feb. 1 with Chamberlain, which beat Gaither the night before. The Chiefs (8-12) outscored Steinbrenner 31-24 in the second half and got as close as 52-48 before the tournament host pulled away to win 56-48.

Hooker had 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Rebecca Cohen and Gabby Sebastian recorded nine rebounds apiece and Rachel Briere blocked five shots.

Freedom defeated Wiregrass Ranch 54-46 in the other semifinals. Guard Shadé Williams led the Patriots with 17 points, while Emery added 11

Bulls (20-8) senior guard Kelly McCaffrey had a team-high 23 points to finish with 1,575 for her career.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team qualified for the playoffs for only the second time in its history after winning the Class 2A-District 8 championship on Feb. 3.

The Wildcats (20-5) won their two district tournament games by an average of 53.5 points. The squad defeated Hernando Christian 86-27 to win the program’s second district title one year after claiming its first.

Making back-to-back postseasons is a far cry from the program that went 0-15 just two seasons ago.

“The girls are playing better every game,” said academy second-year coach Karim Nohra. “Still not as good as I’d like, but better.”

Academy point guard Samantha Fernandez had a team-high 19 points, followed by forward Andrea Mauger’s 18. Mauger, a junior, sits nine points away from 1,000 for her career.

The Wildcats also got double-digit point performances from guard Amelia Oliver and center Yvanessa Vincent, who posted 14 and 11, respectively.

The academy defeated Tampa Bay Christian 69-21 in the semifinals on Feb. 2. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead and entered halftime up 42-5.

The academy was led by Oliver, who poured in 17 points. The Sunlake transfer is less than two weeks removed from scoring her 1,000th career point.

Vincent added 15 and Mauger scored 10.

The Wharton girls basketball team shook up the Class 8A-District 7 tournament brackets en route to claiming the championship on Feb. 3.

The No. 3 seeded Wildcats’ major upset came by defeating No. 2 Durant in the semifinals 52-49 on Feb. 1. Wharton (13-14) entered the tournament four games under .500, and had lost both regular season meetings against the Cougars (15-10) this year by a combined 25 points.

The Wildcats fought past that recent history, getting 14 points from Shannon Clark and another 11 from Monica Cazes.

Wharton completed the title run by beating Newsome (15-9) 66-57 on Feb. 3. Abbigale Kaczmarek led the squad with 17 points in the championship game. Cazes added 15 points, while Clark and Courteney Cox posted 12 and 11, respectively.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wesley Chapel football program was the star on Feb. 1 — National Signing Day.

The Wildcats had eight football players sign letters of intent. That is not only a record for the program but is also the most total Wesley Chapel athletes to sign on a single day in the school’s 12-year history.

“There was a lot of excitement in that room,” said second-year Wildcats football coach Ben Alford. “Seeing the parents and all their friends excited for them was great. I felt there was a lot of pride to be Wesley Chapel Wildcats. … It wasn’t just special or me, but for my whole coaching staff getting to see kids we’ve coached move on to the next level.”

Linebackers Luke Fisher and Angel Ramos along with athlete Xavier Leatherbury signed with Missouri Valley College. Fisher had a team-high 77 tackles while adding 2.5 sacks last season. Ramos posted 65 tackles and led Wesley Chapel with eight sacks. Leatherbury had seven catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns.

Linemen Damian Garvey and Robert Gonzalez will each be in the trenches for Rockridge Community College. Garvey had 19 tackles and four sacks, while Gonzalez played mostly on offense.

Keegan Tanner will stay in the Sunshine State after signing with Stetson University, which is bringing back its football program after a 56-year hiatus.

Tanner played all over the field for the Wildcats. He started the year at quarterback, where he went 26-of-56 passing for 488 yards and five touchdowns to two interceptions while adding 322 yards on 52 rushes and another three scores. Tanner also played receiver, hauling in 13 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns.

Tanner saw time at defensive back, recording 19 tackles. He also added 176 yards returning punts.

Running back Devin Piper will carry the ball at Citrus College. The 6-foot, 242-pound bruising back racked up 479 yards on 71 carries and four touchdowns before breaking his ankle midway through the year.

Defensive lineman Angle Locicero will continue terrorizing quarterbacks with Erie Community College. He made 23 tackles and recorded two sacks as a senior.

Wesley Chapel had four football players sign a year ago. Alford said he could have three or four more kids sign before the end of the year.

“There’s a lot of schools that have football and it only takes one to like a kid,” Alford said. “For us it was a constant effort for the coaches to sit in the office every day and make phone calls. For a school to come in and want one of our kids to play for them is awesome. To see the effort put in on the field pay off is special. It’s like watching your kid grow up and go off to school.

“I like to say there’s a school out there for everybody,” Alford continued. “If a kid is athletic, can play and has good grades there’s always an opportunity for them to continue their education and play football. It just takes hard work.”

By Jeff Odom

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Steinbrenner senior Cici Gonzalez wanted to make the moment last forever.

After school athletic director Eddie Henderson told her to sign her letter of intent, Gonzalez opened the door into her future at University of Tampa where she will continue her soccer career.

“This is amazing, it feels like all my hard work paid off and everything I’ve ever wanted has finally come true,” said Gonzalez, who tallied 91 goals during her high school career.

She joined teammate Taylor Valley, who signed with Armstrong Atlantic State University, along with football players Zack Jones and Zack Boryla, who signed with Stetson University on Feb. 1 — National Signing Day.

Jones was a member of the Warriors’ inaugural football team in 2009, and will get the opportunity to build something new again with Stetson, which restarts its football program after a 56-year hiatus.

“It just feels good to think about the work I put in and it’s all paying off,” Jones said. He then added, “I like (starting a new program), because every catch you get is a new record, every yard you make is a new record, so it’s cool knowing you build a program from the feet up.”

Boryla, who missed more than half the season with injuries, said just getting a look from a major university was a blessing.

“I just wanted to prove that the injury didn’t affect me and that I’m still who I am and I can still play at the next level,” Boryla said.

Valley, who scored 13 goals during Steinbrenner’s bid to repeat as state champions this year, felt she made the right choice and wants to keep Armstrong atop the Division II soccer poll.

“It seems like it’s been so long, finding the college and going on visits. … Now it’s kind of like relief, I’m so happy and I know I made the right decision,” said Valley.

First-year Steinbrenner girls soccer coach Robert Woodard said it’ll be tough replacing both Gonzalez and Valley.

“I’m really happy for them because they’re both great players, and they really made the transition for me a lot easier this year,” Woodard said. He then added, “On the other hand, I have to replace them. That’s going to be a challenge to have somebody step up and fill those shoes. That’s going to be a big task.”

Gonzalez ranks the signing right up there with the Warriors’ state title last year.

“They’re definitely equal in accomplishments,” Gonzalez said. “One was kind of a team thing and now it’s a personal reward, so it’s equally amazing to me.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Three Freedom High athletes inked letters of intent to play in college on Feb. 1 — National Signing Day.

Emily Ball will play soccer at the University of South Carolina (USC), football player Larry Thorpe picked Butler Community College and girls cross country runner Ashley Smith will pound the pavement at Augusta State University.

Thorpe, a safety, is a newcomer to football, picking up the sport by accident as a junior.

Former Patriots football coach Tchecoy Blount said he asked Freedom boys soccer coach Dennis Derflinger if he had anyone who could be a kicker.

“I saw this big 6-foot-3 guy come into my room and said are you looking for a kicker,” Blount said. “I said I am, but I think we can find another spot for you.”

Thorpe led the Patriots with 81 tackles last season.

“I’m very happy to get this opportunity,” said Thorpe, who plans on becoming a firefighter. “I’ll just do my best to make everyone proud. … My dad (Garfield) always told me that education is important, and the last few years I’ve realized that.”

Thorpe also thanked Blount for being “like a second dad.”

Butler, a member of the Jayhawk Conference, finished last season as the National Junior College Athletic Association’s No. 2 ranked squad.

Ball is far from a newcomer to soccer. She’s played the game since age 4.

Ball, a goalkeeper, committed to USC almost a year ago, more than enough waiting to make her plans official.

“It’s kind of surreal because I’ve been waiting a long time to sign,” said Ball, who plans on studying biomedical engineering. “I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity and I couldn’t have done it without the support of all my coaches and my family.”

Ball recorded 186 saves and 10 shutouts last season. Her work between the pipes helped the Patriots win two district championships and make the postseason the last three years.

Ball is accustomed to having eyes on her on the field but was nervous while signing.

“I was shaking a little bit up there,” Ball said with a smile. “I just wanted to make sure I spelled my name right.”

USC is a Division I program in the Southeastern Conference.

Smith started running while at Liberty Middle. Her decision was not only momentous for herself. It also made her the first girl runner in Freedom’s history to sign with a college.

“It was very overwhelming, exciting and a bit nerve racking,” said Smith, who will study early childhood education.

Smith helped the Patriots reach the Class 4A state meet as a senior, where she finished 67th overall in 20:30.98.

Augusta State, a Division II program, competes in the Peach Belt Conference.

By Kyle LoJacono

A trio of Gaither athletes made their college intentions official after signing letters of intent on National Signing Day Feb. 1.

Football players Mikhail Reece and Tyler McCollum signed with Yale and Colgate universities, respectively, while Kaycee McGuire will play soccer at Thomas University.

McGuire, a midfielder, started playing soccer at age 4 and is thankful for the chance to remain on the field.

“It feels great because such a small percent of girls get a chance to do this,” said McGuire, who is undecided on her major. She then added, “It was definitely nerve racking. I was shaking while I was writing.”

McGuire recorded nine goals and 19 assists during her four years at Gaither. She helped the Cowboys make the playoffs in 2010-11 and advance to the regional finals for the third time in the program’s 27-year history.

Thomas is an NAIA program in the Association of Independent Institutions conference.

As for the football players, signing on the same day held special significance for Reece and McCollum, who have been best friends since middle school.

“It makes it 100 times better,” McCollum said of signing together. “We’ve put in so much work to get better, so just knowing we both have someplace to go is a great thing.”

Reece was confident both would be playing at the next level.

“I remember there was a game he had to sit out of and he was really depressed about it,” Reece said. “He thought he wasn’t going to get to play in college and I told him ‘Tyler you’re going to play.’ Sure enough he got offers.”

McCollum, who started playing at age 7, said signing was a relief.

“It’s like no other feeling, but really I’m glad it’s over,” said McCollum, who will study economics or business. “It’s something I worked hard for all my life, and now I get a chance to prove myself in college.”

Reece, who plans on studying engineering, said Yale’s offer was his first.

“I’ve been blessed with opportunities and it’s great to know I’ve made the most of those opportunities,” said Reece, who started playing in seventh grade. “I’ve always had good grades, but when I learned you could get a scholarship to play football I decided to go for it.”

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound defensive end had 87 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries last year. McCollum, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound corner back, picked off five passes while adding 52 tackles and two sacks in 2011.

The defensive duo helped Gaither go 9-4 while allowing 12.8 points per game last season. The 2011 Cowboys also made the regional finals for the second time in program history.

Yale and Colgate are Division I programs in the Ivy and Patriot leagues, respectively.