Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Two of Pasco County’s premier girls soccer teams met on Dec. 21 and played 80 minutes that appeared like a contest more akin to what’s played on a football gridiron.

Wiregrass Ranch (12-4) took the physical contest 2-1 at Land O’ Lakes (11-4-2) in a game that featured five yellow cards, three on the Gators.

Bulls coach Erin Dodd said the rough-and-tumble play will help her squad prepare for what is to come when district tournaments begin in less than a month.

 “It’s definitely good because we know we can come out on top in these games, and we know we can be physical,” Dodd said. “Five cards, I don’t think I’d seen that in my coaching career. We knew it was going to go that way. This rivalry is there and we came out on top.”

Land O’ Lakes coach Vicky King also took positives from the contest.

“If only we could play consistently like this,” King said. “This is one of the better teams we’ve played and we rose to the occasion. We scored early and we had a couple more opportunities. They’re a good team, and we’ll improve from this.”

The Gators opened up the scoring in the 6th minute when Alyssa Lonsway found Catherine Gray.

The Bulls midfielder Christina Wojaczyk answered less than 3 minutes later when she buried home a crossing pass that snuck past Land O’ Lakes goalkeeper Ariana Bailey.

 The game went to halftime tied, but Dodd made it plain to her squad she was not pleased with the play in the opening period.

 “I really can’t repeat everything that I said at halftime,” Dodd said with a smile. “We did have a really candid discussion about how we were playing and how we needed to play because that team that was out there in the first half I don’t know who that was.”

Dodd’s message hit home and Wiregrass Ranch dominated the ball from the start for the second until the water break.

“That just means the whole team realized what was happening and what needed to be fixed, and they fixed it,” Dodd said. “That’s all you can hope for when things are going the wrong way.”

Midfielder/forward Anne Cypriano said the team was too calm going into the game, which may have resulted in the lack-luster play during the first 40 minutes.

“People were really relaxed going into the game,” Cypriano said. “We said ‘oh it’ll be a fine game,’ but every time we say that we end up not playing up to our potential. I think we realized that after the first half. People started to think about the rivalry and got into the game.”

While the Bulls controlled the pace of play, they were unable to score until 22 minutes into the second. The scoring chance came when the Gators failed to score on a direct free kick awarded after Wiregrass Ranch keeper Dayton Wetherby slide out of her box while trying to make a save.

The Bulls quickly turned defense into offense and forced a free kick of their own taken by midfielder Linsee Newby.

Newby’s kick didn’t find the back of the net, but the rebound bounced to the feet of Cypriano. The junior capitalized on the opportunity to send her team out a winner.

“I didn’t think the ball would come to me at first, so when I saw the rebound come to me I just thought I have to put this in,” Cypriano said. “We were tied 1-1, so I guess my instinct was to just kick it really hard, and it went in even though it hit a couple girls.”

Wiregrass Ranch travels to district rival Sickles on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m., while the Gators play at Mitchell on Friday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.

The Laker and the Lutz News has named its All-Laker/All-Lutz News football team for the 2011 high school season. Members of the team were selected based on skill, value to their team, final statistics and head-to-head matchups. Schools in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wharton, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch.

Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team. All stats were as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.

Football offensive first team

–Quarterback: Cameron Stoltz, Sr., Sunlake. Led all area athletes with 28 passing touchdowns to 10 interceptions while completing 100 of 173 passes for 1,735 yards. Added another four scores and 191 rushing yards on 65 carries.

–Running back: Robert Davis, Jr., Carrollwood Day. Ran for 1,832 yards on 138 carries, 13.28 per attempt, with 25 touchdowns.

–Running back: Darius Page, Sr., Wharton. Racked up 1,243 yards and 13 touchdowns on 177 carries. Also hauled in 26 catches for 399 yards and two scores to help Wharton make the playoffs.

–Running back: Kendall Pearcey, Jr., Steinbrenner. Ran for 776 yards on 98 carries while adding another 142 yards on 11 catches and 16 total touchdowns.

–Wide receiver: Rashaud Daniels, Sr., Sunlake. Hauled in 22 catches for 451 yards and six touchdowns for the Seahawks’ passing attack. Also ran for 478 yards on 80 carries and four scores.

–Wide receiver: Jamal Jones, Sr., Sunlake. Had a team-high 557 receiving yards on 25 catches, 22.28 per reception, and found the end zone 12 times.

–Wide receiver: Carlo Perello, Sr., Gaither. His 792 yards receiving are more than any other area athlete while adding eight touchdowns. He was even more important for Gaither as his biggest games were in the postseason.

–Tight end: Kent Taylor, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. His 6-foot-5 frame made him open before the ball was snapped. Posted 480 receiving yards on 30 catches and five touchdowns despite missing three games with a broken hand.

–Offensive line: Sunlake. The unit includes senior center Nate McCoole, senior tackles Canon Clark and Brandon Franklin, senior guard Brain Walders and junior guard Aaron Protch. The big five, whose average weight is 269 pounds, helped the Seahawks win a program record 10 games and reach the playoffs for the first time in the squad’s five-year history.

–Utility: Shug Oyegunle, Jr., Gaither. Ran for 526 yards, racked up 265 receiving yards and scored 11 total touchdowns. Also went 15-of-37 passing for 257 yards and another two scores.

Football offensive second team

–Quarterback: Ryan Bird, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Went 119-of-211 passing for 1,793 yards and 12 touchdowns to six interceptions. Added another four rushing scores to the Gators’ attack.

–Jarrett Harvey, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Found the end zone 42 times, including 40 rushing, while running for 1,558 yards on 100 carries in six-man football.

–Running back: Jerome Samuels, Sr., Sunlake. The bruising back used all of his 6-foot2, 230-pound frame to smash his way to 536 yards and six touchdowns on 93 carries.

–Running back: Harrison Wood, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Ran for 789 yards on 141 carries and 10 touchdowns while adding another 159 yards on 18 catches and another two scores.

–Wide receiver: Andy Embody, Jr., Carrollwood Day. The Patriots big-play threat. Posted 554 yards on 26 catches and seven touchdowns.

–Wide receiver: Dillon Floyd, Sr., Carrollwood Day. Grabbed 35 balls for 724 yards and seven scores.

–Wide receiver: Wesley Moore, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Hauled in 30 catches for 522 yards and one touchdown after spending last season mainly on defense.

–Tight end: Nyere Thompson, Sr., Wharton. The 6-foot-3 Thompson snagged 21 catches for 423 yards and two touchdowns.
–Offensive line: Steinbrenner. The unit, which is made up of only seniors, includes tackle Alex Vega, guard Joe Ross, center Matt Borders, guard Tyler Hampton, tackle Tommy Forward and tackle Nick Gaydos. The physically imposing line helped Steinbrenner rack up 187.6 rushing yards per game.

–Utility: Ty Tanner, Fr., Wesley Chapel. Split time between quarterback and running back. Completed 51-of-96 passes for 815 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 249 yards on 69 carries and another six scores.

Football offensive honorable mention

–Quarterback: Chase Litton, So., Wharton. Threw for 1,613 yards and eight touchdowns to nine interceptions on 103-of-179 passing. Also had 146 rushing yards and another score.

–Quarterback: R.J. Perciavalle, So., Bishop McLaughlin. Completed 124 of 220 passes for 1,820 yards and 17 touchdowns to seven interceptions in his first year under center.

–Running back: Jordan Betancourt, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Racked up 642 yards on 100 carries while scoring 11 touchdowns.

–Running back: Tyrel Nunn, Sr., Freedom. Led the Patriots with 393 rushing yards on 98 carries and added two touchdowns.

–Running back: Devin Piper, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Ran for 479 yards and four touchdowns before breaking his ankle before the Wildcats’ sixth game.

–Wide receiver: Evan Barhonovich, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. The Hurricanes went to the senior by the goal line. He picked up 459 yards on 30 catches and a team-high seven receiving scores.

–Wide receiver: Eddie Burgos, Jr., Sunlake. Snagged 22 catches for 369 yards and five touchdowns.

–Wide receiver: John Marc Carrier, Jr., Steinbrenner. The Warriors’ leading receiver with 305 yards on 16 catches and three touchdowns.

–Wide receiver: Demarcus Sexil, So., Gaither. The sure-handed Sexil caught 20 passes for 360 yards and six touchdowns.

–Tight end: Sasha Mentor, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Stepped up his game in his final campaign, posting 305 yards on 17 catches and five touchdowns.

–Utility: Ahkill McGill, So., Academy at the Lakes. Lined up all over the field for the Wildcats. Ran for 624 yards on 39 carries while scoring eight touchdowns.

–Utility: Keegan Tanner, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Did whatever the Wildcats needed. Threw for 488 yards and nine touchdowns on 26-of-56 passing and added 322 yards on 52 carries and another three scores.

Offensive Player of the Year: Kendall Pearcey. Exploded onto the scene after taking over as Steinbrenner’s starting running back in Week 6 after the squad lost several other backs to injury. He ran for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns in the Warriors’ run-heavy wing-T offense, but also caught 11 passes for 142 yards and another two scores. Pearcey also showed versatility by mixing in another 441 yards and three trips to the end zone on kick and punt returns. Scary to think what his numbers could have been if he was the main back from Day 1.

Football defensive first team

–Linebacker: Logan Marshall, Jr., Gaither. Led all area athletes with 153 tackles while adding two sacks and three fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown.

–Linebacker: Nick Morrison, Sr., Sunlake. The leader of the Seahawks’ defense recorded 146 tackles to set a program record for a season while adding five sacks and five fumble recoveries.

–Linebacker: Josh Scarberry, Sr., Gaither. Fought through an ankle injury to post 118 tackles while leading Hillsborough County with 14 sacks.

–Linebacker: Matt Williams, So., Gaither. The first-year starter was an instant impact player for the Cowboys, recording 118 tackles, causing three fumbles and notching two sacks.

–Defensive line: Shaheed Salmon, So., Land O’ Lakes. Used his speed off the end to post three sacks, 54 tackles and recover four fumbles.

–Defensive line: Nick Sampson, Sr., Gaither. The senior notched 11.5 sacks, 123 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

–Defensive line: Earnest Suttle, Jr., Gaither. The junior used his speed to get quick penetration into the opponent’s backfield. Recorded 80 tackles, five sacks and one interception.

–Defensive line: Alex Vega, Sr., Steinbrenner. The massive Vega transferred from Plant and made a huge impact on the Warriors line. Posted 40 tackles, six sacks and forced three fumbles.

–Defensive back: Andrew Feldhaus, Sr., Steinbrenner. Picked off a team-high six passes and had eight passes defensed. Was also one of Steinbrenner’s top tacklers with 75.

–Defensive back: Tyler McCollum, Sr., Gaither. The lockdown cover cornerback picked off five passes, including one returned for a score, while adding 52 tackles and one sack.

–Defensive back: Eddie Pastrana, Sr., Gaither. The safety made the most of his one year of high school football. Recorded seven interceptions, including five in one game against Steinbrenner to match a state record, while adding 50 tackles.

–Defensive back: Nico Watts, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Led the Gators with six interceptions and three passes defensed while adding 27 tackles.

–Utility: Jackson Cannon, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Can play near the line or drop into coverage. Had a team-high 3.5 sacks, 89 tackles and four fumble recoveries.

Football defensive second team

–Linebacker: Ray Busbee, Jr., Sunlake. Recorded 97 tackles, three passes defensed and one sack.

–Linebacker: Amiri Brown, Jr., Steinbrenner. Tied for a team-high seven sacks while recording 93 tackles, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

–Linebacker: Rocky Enos, Jr., Wharton. Led all Wildcats with 118 tackles while adding two sacks.

–Linebacker: Logan McKnight, Jr., Steinbrenner. Had a team-high 96 tackles while adding seven sacks and three forced fumbles.

–Defensive line: Will Fairchild, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Racked up 57 tackles and also had one sack.

–Defensive line: Nick Hoffman, Jr., Sunlake. Posted 70 tackles, three sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

–Defensive line: Mikhail Reece, Sr., Gaither. The team captain recorded 87 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

–Defensive line: Paul Scott, Sr., Sunlake. Totaled 63 tackles and three fumble recoveries while tying for a team-high five sacks.

–Defensive back: Andy Embody, Sr., Carrollwood Day. Had three interceptions and a team-high 15 passes defensed. Also added 68 tackles.

–Defensive back: Amani Oruwariye, So., Gaither. Became a big part of Gaither’s secondary in the second half of the year. Picked off five passes and added 31 tackles.

–Defensive back: Larry Thorpe, Sr., Freedom. The safety led the Patriots with 81 tackles while adding three passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

–Defensive back: John Tyler, Jr., Wharton. Picked off four passes and defensed another four while adding 61 tackles.

–Utility: Angel Ramos, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Led his squad with eight sacks and added 65 tackles.

Football defensive honorable mention

–Linebacker: Luke Fisher, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Had a team-high 77 tackles and also sacked the quarterback 2.5 times.

–Linebacker: Kyle Fraser, Sr., Sunlake. Totaled 60 tackles while kicking in a pair of sacks and two passes defensed.

–Linebacker: Donovan Lovelock, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Had a team-high 106 tackles and three fumble recoveries.

–Linebacker: Isaac Tanner, Jr., Freedom. Had 75 tackles and a team-high seven sacks for Freedom.

–Linebacker: Shadow Williams, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Missed a couple of games with a broken hand, but still managed 62 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles.

–Defensive line: A.J. Brown, Sr., Steinbrenner. Posted 75 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

–Defensive line: Justin Scamardo, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led the Bulls with 3.5 sacks while posting 43 tackles.

–Defensive line: Dominiq Sicardo, Jr., Carrollwood Day. Added six sacks and 54 tackles to Carrollwood Day’s defense.

–Defensive back: Rashaud Daniels, Sr., Sunlake. Picked off three passes and defensed another five while adding 62 tackles.

–Defensive back: Robert Davis, Jr., Carrollwood Day. The two-way player had 72 tackles, two interceptions, five passes defensed and one sack.

–Defensive back: Danny Fernandez, Sr., Steinbrenner. Fernandez was the Warriors’ lock-down cornerback. Opposing teams rarely threw his way, so he only had one interception and three passes defensed.

–Defensive back: Josias Vizcano, So., Wesley Chapel. Led Wesley Chapel with four interceptions and four passes defensed.

–Defensive back: Patrick Ward, Sr., Carrollwood Day. His 93 tackles were more than any other Patriot.

–Utility: Darin Patmon, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Posted 55 tackles two fumble recoveries.

Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Scarberry. Scarberry claims the award for the second straight season. The senior moved to outside linebacker from the inside spot this year and quickly adapted to the new position with eye-popping plays. He led all athletes in Hillsborough or Pasco counties with 14 sacks. Scarberry also added 118 tackles, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries including returning one 12 yards for a touchdown. The senior did all that while playing with a badly sprained left ankle that limited him in the second half of the year.

Football special teams

–Kicker: Andrew Garcia, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Led all area kickers with 23 touchbacks, nearly half of his 50 attempts.

–Kick returner: Jarrett Harvey, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Racked up 420 yards on 11 returns, including an 80 yarder for a touchdown.

–Kick returner: Zack Jones, Sr. Steinbrenner. Returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns while adding 353 yards on 10 attempts.

–Punter: Larry Thorpe, Sr., Freedom. Led all area punters by dropping 18 kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard line while averaging 41.95 yards per attempt.

–Punt returner: Kendall Pearcey, Jr., Steinbrenner. Had 206 yards on eight punt returns, an average of 25.75.

–Punt returner: Keegan Tanner, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Recorded 176 yards on four returns, including an 80-yard touchdown.

Coach of the Year: Jason Stokes, Gaither. The first-year Gaither coach took over a program that had won just eight games in the previous three years combined. Stokes, who spent the previous two seasons at Middleton, came in and turned the culture around about as quickly as humanly possible. The Cowboys went 9-4 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The squad made it to the regional finals for just the second time in the school’s 27-year history. Gaither also averaged 27.2 points per contest after Stokes took over play calling in Week 2.

By Kyle LoJacono

Four playoff appearances, a pair of district championships and the 2008 Class 5A state title.

That’s the resume for Wharton boys soccer during the last five years. The Wildcats (8-3-1) have become accustomed to winning, creating a tradition of success as well as demands from within to remain on top.

“We’re expected to be in regionals every year,” said senior midfielder Ize Cadet. “If we don’t make it out of districts, which we didn’t two years ago, it’s a big surprise. … It’s a good pressure. Coach (Scott Ware) is always trying to get us playing our best in districts because that’s the most important time.”

Ware took over at Wharton for the 2006-07 season, becoming only the second coach in program history.

“Mike Rowan, who is the principal at King now, he started it when the school opened in 1997,” Ware said. “He has a good soccer mind and got them through the early struggles. I just kind of came in and was lucky to have a good team. I tried to instill my values and let them know how we train and practice.”

For Ware, the No. 1 rule is give max effort in every drill.

“We preach you play like you practice,” Ware said. “When I first start to pick the team for the year we talk about what it means to wear Wharton across their chest. … The quote we’ve put up on the board all year is ‘focus on the process and the results will come.’”

The Wildcats have put up 78 wins during the last five years, including a perfect 5-0 start this year in Class 5A-District 8 play. The perfect district record is no small accomplishment considering the power within 5A-8.

District rival Bloomingdale is a three-time state champion, while Durant is the 5A state runner-up from a year ago. 5A-8 also includes Alonso, Newsome, Plant and Riverview.

Ware does not shy away from tough competition when making Wharton’s nondistrict and tournament schedule. The Wildcats’ only losses came in tournaments, the first two in its Thanksgiving classic.

“During Thanksgiving we played two really tough teams in Celebration and Montverde (Academy), which was the No. 1 ranked team last year and to start this year,” Ware said. “I never turn down playing those kind of teams because that makes you better. I want to play the best so we can be the best.”

Ware has seen firsthand what playing against the best can do for a team.

“I look back to that 2008 year when we won states,” Ware said. “That season we were 8-5-2 at one time, close to a .500 team. We were the No. 4 seed going into districts and rolled off a 10-game winning streak to win the state championship. We played good competition all year, so we had a down record but were ready for the playoffs.”

Ware and his players all believe they still have another level of play that can be reached if they continue working hard in each practice.

“We’ve been playing good, but we haven’t played our best yet,” said senior forward Alex Noble. “That might seem crazy because of our record, but we think like we can be a lot better. We know we’re playing better now than when we started the year, so it’s pretty exciting to think what we can be in a couple more weeks.”

Noble has scored three goals this season playing alongside fellow senior forward Felipe Desousa, who is leading the squad with 15 goals and nine assists. Cadet, who is an attacking midfielder, has posted five goals and four assists.

Ware said he knew coming into the season his squad had the ability to score goals on a regular basis, which is why he has put a big emphasis on team defense.

“Last year we didn’t have a lot of shutouts and we’ve really turned that around this year,” Ware said. “We’re allowing just over a goal per game. Our goal is to keep the other team off the scoreboard.”

Wharton has allowed just 13 goals all season, five of which came in one game against Montverde. Protecting the back of the net is senior goalkeeper Keenan Kushner, who has six shutouts and 32 saves this season.

“As long as we play as a team and play for each other we’ll be fine,” Kushner said. “That’s how we get shutouts by playing together and how we score on offense. … Team chemistry last year was not as good as it could have been. This year it’s better with nine juniors coming back for this year, and we all work well together because we’re playing for each other.”

Wharton played a pair of games during its own invitational tournament on Dec. 19, but results were not available by press time. The Wildcats’ next regular season contest is at Alonso on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. The 5A-8 district tournament is at Bloomingdale Jan. 23-27.

–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Gaither boys soccer team is still looking to find its identity this season, which is to be expected with a squad going through a number of big changes from last year.

The Cowboys (9-2-1) reached the Class 5A state final four during the 2010-11 season, but lost 10 of their 22 players to graduation.

“It was a good season and we lost a lot of our impact players from that team, and any time you lose that much experience it’s very difficult,” said Gaither coach Eric Sims. “The high school game is a lot different from regular soccer because the field isn’t as wide. It’s tough without experience. We have a lot of good guys, but we’re just trying to get them used to this game and how we want them to play. It’s going to be difficult to replace the players we had.”

Of the 75 goals scored by the Cowboys last year, 58 were put in by players who have graduated. Among the departing players were Jordan See and Zach Wheeler, who scored 15 and 24 goals as seniors, respectively.

The defensive core lost the tough physical play of Charlie Delmar. Also gone is four-year starting goalkeeper John Nardozzi, who racked up 90 saves and 11 shutouts last year.

But Gaither does have a winning tradition, which creates an expectation to always make deep postseason runs. The Cowboys have made the playoffs in 13 of the last 14 years, including winning the Class 4A state championship in 2000. The squad has also averaged more than 16 wins per year during the last five seasons.

“I think we’re better than most programs having lost that kind of talent and experience, and we’ve got a lot of good players,” Sims said. “This individual team has a lot of skill, so we don’t have to teach that. It’s more teaching them how to play on the smaller field and them getting used to each other.”

Sims will also use the leadership of the few returning players who started last year.

“We bring back a lot of our guys on our defense like Jacob Snidle and Justin Santos,” Sims said. “Those are guys who started in the state semifinal.”

Snidle, a senior, said he has been working to be a bigger leader in his final high school season. He said his biggest goal is working to help the team play together

“This year people around us are just expecting us to get back because of what we did and what Gaither has done in the past,” Snidle said. “We know we have to fight to get back there because it won’t be easy.”

Moving in as the starting keeper is senior Carlos de Oliveira.

“He’s a player we’d like to have play out in the field if possible, but he’s probably our best option at this point in goal and has done a good job,” Sims said.

For de Oliveira the decision to stay in net was an easy one.

“I just try and help where I can and do my best,” de Oliveira said.

The midfielder turned keeper learned a lot from Nardozzi while backing him up the last two years.

“Position in the field and in goal is what I learned from him,” de Oliveira said. “Be strong and smart. He was very smart. Play with your heart and with your emotions. That’s what he taught me.”

The Cowboys’ attack gets a boost from an old source, forward Jonas Bukh. The senior played at Gaither as a freshman and sophomore, but he moved back to his native Denmark for his junior year.

In his first few games back Bukh has a team-high nine goals while adding five assists.

The Cowboys will need all of Bukh’s offense to get out of their new district, Class 4A-District 8. The new alignment includes Steinbrenner, Freedom, Wiregrass Ranch, Sickles and Chamberlain.

“It seems like whenever we change districts we get a difficult one,” Sims said. “In terms of rivalry it’s good for the players to play teams close by with their friends.”

Bukh added, “I think playing tough teams will help us tremendously. It doesn’t help to beat a team 6-0 or 6-1. That’s basically just practice. When you have to really work to win, that’s what makes the team better.”

The Cowboys played Lennard in the first round of the Wharton Invitational on Dec. 19, but results were not available by press time. Gaither’s next regular season contest is at home against Freedom on Wed., Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Steinbrenner girls basketball coach J.R. Allen preached the importance of playing as a team during the two weeks leading up to his squad’s home matchup with district rival Freedom on Dec. 16.

Allen’s message paid off, as the Warriors (9-1) came back from a first half deficit to deliver the Patriots (8-3) their third straight loss, 55-40.

The Warriors looked rusty early, as Freedom’s speedy passing and aggressive defense halted scoring chances throughout the first half. Allen told his players to relax, and they slowly cut into the Patriot lead.

“We came out a little bit tight and a little bit tense, but I think part of that is due to the nature of the game,” Allen said. “It was our first big challenge that we’ve had in quite a long time, but after the first quarter we talked about getting the ball to the inside because that’s where we had an advantage.”

Steinbrenner freshman forward Rachel Briere led the charge in the comeback win, putting up 13 of her 21 points in the first half to pull the Warriors within one entering the third quarter.

“I really think all of the great passes helped so much,” Briere said. “Just the team knowing and trusting in me, I felt so confident.”

Steinbrenner came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, forcing Freedom’s offense to settle for outside shots that wouldn’t fall.

The Warriors went ahead for the first time when junior forward Baylee Hooker scored on a layup off a cross court pass from senior center Rebecca Cohen to go up 27-26, a lead they never surrendered.

Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke said her team has to turn things around by taking advantage of its opportunities.

“We got to get better,” Pacholke said. “We’re not playing well enough right now … we fell asleep on defense and they beat us backdoor, and that can’t happen.”

On the boys side, Steinbrenner (6-1) defeated Freedom (3-5) 67-43. Steinbrenner senior center Joey Maloney led the way recording 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks en route to the victory.

“We just got to keep the momentum going,” said Maloney. “We weren’t playing our game early in the second quarter and coach told us to play the second half hard.”

Steinbrenner coach Steve Williams said the early success of the program comes from its surplus of veteran players and leadership.

“We’ve just had the guys in the program for three years, we started with most of these guys as freshman and sophomores, and I just think they’ve matured over the time that we’ve been together and they’re beginning to understand what it takes to be successful,” said Williams.

 

 

 

By Eugenio Torrens

The Land O’ Lakes boys soccer team had a meeting before its rematch against cross-town rival Sunlake on Dec. 12,

Coach Mark Pearson, in his 16thseason with the Gators (9-1-2), told his squad to apply pressure to the Seahawks (9-2-2).

Or, as senior Josh Davis put it, “Once we score and get up, we need to just step on their throat and knock them out.”

Davis had four goals as Land O’ Lakes heeded its coach’s advice en route to a 5-1 win against its district opponent. The two faced off early this year resulting in a 1-1 draw on Nov. 16.

“I know we can still play better, which sounds a little crazy because of the score, but I know we can do better,” Pearson said. “I thought we left about four, maybe five, goals off the field tonight. … Fortunately, Josh Davis had one heck of a game again today.”

But it was Davis’ teammate, Andy Garcia — who was missing from the first game — who got the Gators on the board first in the 14th minute.

Garcia broke some tackles and dribbled left before firing. Sunlake’s goalkeeper Brandon Jungbauer got a piece of it, but couldn’t get a good enough handle to stop the ball from finding the back of the net.

Then Davis took over.

After booming a kick that ricocheted off the crossbar, he later got past two defenders, broke free with the ball and slammed it in for his first goal to put Land O’ Lakes up 2-0.

Pearson told his players to be wary of their lead.

“(Pearson) said that’s the worst lead to have,” Davis said.

Davis heeded his coach’s words and scored again 3 minutes into the second half off a crossing pass. Later, he wheeled around and tapped in his third goal to nab the hat trick.

“I don’t really celebrate my goals, I don’t know why,” Davis said. “To me, I got a hat trick — I’m going to work to get another one.”

Sunlake’s Daniel Calderon prevented the shutout on a goal off a rebound with 14 minutes remaining in the contest.

Davis answered on an assist to Miguel Laliberte with 6 minutes left to secure the four-goal victory.

“We’re in good standings now,” Davis said. “We beat the team we need to beat.”

While Land O’ Lakes won bragging rights after the rematch, neither coach was too invested in the significance of the win.

“About the last week we haven’t been playing our best either, so I was kind of a little worried coming into tonight,” said Sunlake coach Sam Koleduk. “Can’t complain too much considering it’s our first loss. I think we still definitely have a little mystique still coming here. They’re very tough here.”

Pearson was pleased with the win, but cautioned that a district win wouldn’t mean much come playoff time.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that the district championships are a different breed,” Pearson said. “We’re not thinking that this is proving our case for the year, because we know it hasn’t.”

Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes will participate in the Berkeley Prep Invitational on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. before taking a winter break. The Seahawks resume play on Thursday, Jan. 5, while the Gators will take the pitch on Monday, Jan. 9.

Former Land O’ Lakes High cross country and track and field athletes reunited at the Flapjack 5K at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Dec. 11.

Lee Stephens, who graduated in 1998, claimed first place at the event by running a 16:23.

“Lee is the grandfather of Land O’ Lakes cross country history,” said Land O’ Lakes cross country coach Kris Keppel. “Lee was on my very first team as a freshman back in 1994.”

Several area student-athletes also ran in the event. Wiregrass Ranch junior Ermias Bireda took third place by finishing in 16:58, while Gators sophomore Jake Poore ran a 17:20 to finish in fourth place.

Pasco-Hernando Community College freshman volleyball player Lindsey Watson has been named to the 2011 Academic All-American first team by the National Junior College Athletic

Association (NJCAA).

“We are very proud of Lindsey and her accomplishments this season,” said Conquistadors coach Kim Whitney. “She exemplified an incredible work ethic throughout the season, and the honor is very well deserved.”

Watson, a libero from Bandon, helped lead PHCC to a 31-11 record, to a regional championship and to the No. 16 rating in the country. She was named the Defensive Player of the Week twice by the Florida College System Activities Association and received all tournament honors four times during the season.

Watson, a criminal justice major, recorded a team-high 798 digs and added 29 aces while playing in all 133 of the Conquistadors’ sets this season.