Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Wesley Chapel girls also advance to regionals

By Eugenio Torrens

It wasn’t the grueling conditions of the British Open, but it was a chilly, blustery day at the Plantation Palms Golf Club for the girls Class 1A-District 9 tournament on Oct. 20.

The event was pushed back two days because of anticipated inclement weather on Oct. 18, but golfers ran into a colder-than-normal Florida morning and wind gusts of 15-20 mph.

The high winds couldn’t blow Saddlebrook Preparatory senior Lauren Riehle off course. The Wesley Chapel resident, who has committed to play at the University of Miami, navigated the course to an even-par 72 to win her third straight individual district championship.

“It’s a very respectable score,” Riehle said. “I did have the ability to go really low today, but I guess it really wasn’t the right day for that.”

Riehel’s classmate, Nina Hwang, finished second with an 8-over 80. Academy at the Lakes’ Ellen Crowley carded a 101 to also advance to regionals.

“(Riehel) played really good today, but that’s to be expected,” said Saddlebrook golf coach Mike Tali. “When I started working with Lauren three years ago she was a mid-80-to-90 shooter, and so in two and a half years she has developed into a top-level junior (golfer). I’m tickled pink. I’m very proud of her.”

Fivay finished first with a team score of 466, and Wesley Chapel shot a 595. The top-three teams from each district tournament advance, but only the Falcons and Wildcats fielded a full four-girl team to qualify. Saddlebrook had three golfers, Crowley was the sole representative of Academy at the Lakes — which won the team district championship last year — and Gulf had two.

The Falcons and Wildcats, as well as the three advancing individuals, played in regionals at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club in Ocala on Oct. 24, but results were not available by press time.

Spartans take district title

Saddlebrook Preparatory rode a blistering team effort to win the boys Class 1A-District 9 golf tournament by shooting a 327 on Oct. 20.

Tom Ng’s 80 earned him the individual district title. Four golfers were hot on his heels with 81s, including teammates Ryoto Furuya and Michael Richards.

Academy at the Lakes and Wesley Chapel finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Only the top-three teams advance to regionals.

Wesley Chapel did have two individual qualifiers in John Nickisher and Corey Mumaw, who shot a 94 and 97, respectively.

Regionals were at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club in Ocala on Oct. 24, but results were not available by press time.

Lone Gator makes regionals

Land O’ Lakes sophomore Eden Shirmohammad finished in third place with her performance at the Class 2A-District 11 girls golf tournament on Oct. 20. She carded a 101 to advance regionals.

As for team scores, Wiregrass Ranch finished in fifth, Sunlake took sixth and Land O’ Lakes claimed seventh. Only the top three teams advance.

Regionals took place at the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club in Plant City on Oct. 25, but results were not available by press time.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch girl soccer player A.J. Blount set a program record by scoring 40 goals last season, but it seems unlikely she will be able to match that mark this year.

The junior forward, who is the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference East Player of the Year, tore the ACL and meniscus in her right knee in early September during a club soccer game.

Despite the severity of the injury, Blount is determined to contribute with the Bulls this season as they work to outdo their 23-3-2 record and regional finals appearance from last season.

The Laker and the Lutz News recently talked with Blount about her knee, the Wiregrass Ranch team and her plans for the year.

Q: When did the injury happen and how?

A: It was Sept. 2 in a tournament. A girl came from behind me and my knee bent wrong. I’m out for a good couple of months, but I plan to come back stronger and better than I was before.

Q: Have you ever had an injury like that before, and did you know it was something that bad when it happened?

A: Never, and hopefully this is the last time something like this will happen because it really hurt. The minute it happened I knew it was bad. I was on the field and couldn’t get up. I just shook my head and was screaming.

Q: How difficult is dealing with the mental side of an injury like this?

A: I just try and stay positive and not let it control me. From the progress I’ve seen myself in rehab; I know I can get back. It’s just all mental. I kind of think of it more as a blessing now because I can watch a little soccer and take in what I see from the sidelines.

Q: Do you have a greater appreciation for soccer now that you have this kind of injury?

A: Definitely. I would work hard every day to get better, and now that I can’t do that I love it even more.

Q: Your team made regionals for the first time ever last year and was one win away from the state final four. What did that year mean to you?

A: It was awesome. To know that we did it all together as a team and to come so far from a team that had never even won a district tournament game.

Q: What are your expectations for this season?

A: My expectations are to not only get back into the game but get better, stronger and faster.

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

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch boys and girls cross country have been a constant at the front of conference meets the last two seasons, but it was a new cast of Bulls that dominated this year.

The boys won their third straight conference title with 30 points, 38 better than second-place Land O’ Lakes. The girls claimed their fourth consecutive crown by finishing with 25 points, besting the 57 tallied by runner-up Gulf.

The Bulls claimed the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) titles despite having to replace four of the top-seven runners on both squads to graduation.

“We entered this year with a big question mark hanging over us,” said girls coach Don Howard. “Our returning girls from last year’s top seven, Nikita Shah, Elise Cedre, and Chelsea Davis, have all improved, and the newcomers have become top runners in the area.”

Those newcomers include Berlin Waters, Savannah Goode and Addie Cornwell. Howard also praised Emily Payne, who has moved up five spots from the No. 10 position on the squad last year. She ran a 21:13 at the SAC meet to finish in eighth place.

Boys coach Chris Loth was equally pleased with his squad’s performance.

“The kids are motivated to be all-conference, so they knew what they had to do and where they had to place,” Loth said. He then added, “Considering the importance we place on this meet I’m very proud.”

Loth’s boys claimed four of the top-eight and seven of the top-14 spots at the meet, which was at Crews Lake Park on Oct. 22. Senior Sam Hippely won the individual SAC title by running a 16:19, besting Land O’ Lakes’ Travis Nichols by 12 seconds.

“Sam ran faster than any Wiregrass Ranch runner at Crews Lake in our school’s history,” Loth said. “He ran an exceptionally smart race and really put the hammer down the last mile.”

The Wiregrass Ranch girls claimed six of the top-nine spots in the race.

“We went into the meet with a goal of placing six girls in the top 10, which would earn them first team all-conference honors, and I was excited to see them accomplish our goal,” Howard said. “Each runner had certain girls they were to be racing with or against, and all our girls came through.”

Bull junior Nikita Shah finished in 19:05, giving her the runner-up spot 34 seconds behind the championship performance by Gulf’s Kari Grippo.

The SAC meet included the cross country teams from the 13 public schools in Pasco County. Howard said, considering the local competition and the squads’ losses from last year, he is happy with the legacy Wiregrass Ranch is building.

“The success of this year’s team begins to establish that we are developing a program; a program that can be competitive year after year,” Howard said. “The girls have great confidence as we anticipate the district meet and look forward to a great matchup with top-five ranked St. Cloud High School at our regional meet. Beyond that, we are setting a goal to return to the top 10 in the state finals.”

Wiregrass Ranch will compete in the Class 3A-District 6 meet at McKethan Lake Park in Spring Hill on Thursday, Nov. 3 starting at 11 a.m. Other area teams in the race include Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner girls golf team defeated Sickles 161-248 at home on Oct. 11 to finish the regular season 10-0.

“You never expect to go undefeated through a regular season,” said Warrior coach Mark Mann. “I knew we had a good team coming in, it was just going to be a matter of them working hard and making improvements from Day 1.”

Steinbrenner defeated Gaither, Sickles, Plant and Wharton each twice and also took down Berkeley Preparatory and Freedom once. Two matches were rained out.

The Warriors were able to navigate the perfect regular season despite having a number of young players, including five underclassmen to only two seniors. The squad also lost Alex Milan, who won four individual district championships while in high school and played in the state tournament three times.

Alex, who was named the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Golfer of the Year in 2010, is now playing at Florida State University on a scholarship, but she still has a presence for Steinbrenner.

“Whenever I’m about to putt all I hear is her telling me not to do this wrong or that wrong,” said Andi Milan, Alex’s sister. “So in many ways she’s still with me on the golf course. … It’s been an awesome season. Of course I miss my sister, and it would have been great to have her here for this, but as a team we’ve just grown together. I can’t say enough about what our freshmen have been able to do to help put this team together.”

Freshman Claire Becker said the closeness of the team is a result of how accepting the seniors have been.

“I’m really surprised actually with how nice they were from the start,” Becker said. “They could have been mean to the freshmen, but they were awesome. I’ve enjoyed every minute playing with them.”

Fellow freshman Kelsy Holbert added, “It’s a lot to live up to, because they had a good team last year. The good thing is we’ve been like a family, and I think that helped us come together. At the beginning of the season I was scared because I didn’t know what it was going to be like on a high school team. Now we’re all so close, and it seems weird that I even felt that way.”

Senior Michelle Stein said she and senior Sara Bair did everything they could to make the underclassmen feel welcome, including giving them rides to matches and practice, tips on their game and guidance.

“Both Sara and I tried to go out of our way to show the freshmen we accepted them,” Stein said.

The final match of the year was made a little sweeter for Stein, as she and Bair attended Sickles (2-6) as freshmen before Steinbrenner opened in 2009.

“I think that added to the emotions,” Stein said. “It was definitely surreal. It was a little nerve racking and bittersweet walking that last hole. It was sad, but I was also happy because I’ve come this far.”

Mann also coached at Sickles for four seasons before coming to Steinbrenner three years ago. It is the first time one of his teams has finished the regular season without a loss in his seven years coaching high school golf. The squad went 10-2 last year before winning the Class 1A-District 14 championship, finishing as the regional runner-up and taking 11th at states.

“It’s the coolest thing that has ever happened to me,” Becker said. “It’s just awesome to come in and go 10-0.”

Becker shot a team-best two-over 38 in the final regular season match. Stein posted a 39, while Brooke Deal and Holbert had 42s. Milan recorded a 48. Bair was sick and unable to play in the final match.

The Warriors played in the 2A-10 district tournament on Oct. 17, but results were not available by press time.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Linebackers are often called defensive quarterbacks and several local athletes perform as well or better than the best signal callers while hitting as hard as semi trucks.

Gaither defensive coordinator Brain Del Valle was a linebacker for the Cowboys and has a couple of characteristics needed to play the spot.

“You have to be tough,” Del Valle said. “Linebacker is the toughest position to play on a defense. You have to not be afraid of contact. You also have to have a little bit of speed to make plays.”

Del Valle, who was the co-defensive coordinator at Land O’ Lakes last year, has had a front row-seat to see three of the most productive linebackers in the area — Gaither senior Josh Scarberry and Gators seniors Shadow Williams and Jackson Cannon.

The three are very different players, but Del Valle has high praise for them all because they display that vital toughness.

“Josh just has a nose for the football and all the things you can’t teach,” Del Valle said. “He’s the kind of person other guys look to, and he never shies away from contact. He’s also very coachable. He takes everything coaches say and use it to make him better. He’s a big student of film and uses that to make him better. That sets a good example for his teammates, because he does all the little things to get better.”

“As for Jackson and Shadow, those two are just tough football players who love the game,” Del Valle continued. “They are both very physical players, but they can really move around for how big they are. Both of those guys are also students of the game.”

SHADOW WILLIAMS

Williams has been a linebacker the longest of the three, taking to the spot at age 5 while playing with the South Tampa Boys and Girls Club.

“When I was a little kid I saw Ray Lewis play, and he was a big inspiration to me,” Williams said. “He’s easily my favorite linebacker. His enthusiasm and his intensity bring the team together. When it’s fourth and one you can count on Ray Lewis to make the stop.”

The 6-foot, 221-pound Williams transferred to Land O’ Lakes from Freedom for his junior season and quickly became a leader of the Gators defense despite the physical and mental demands that come with the job.

“I like the challenges that come with it,” Williams said. “The team has to count on the linebacker to do a lot of things and I want the team to be able to count on me to get it done. You have to get after the quarterback and running back, cover guys and also make sure everyone is in the right position.”

Part of that challenge is learning how to snuff out an offensive play and bring it to a painful end for whoever has the ball.

“When you make that perfect play, when you read the linemen just right and get a clean break into the backfield is like nothing else,” Williams said. “There are times when you can just see what the play is going to be, and it’s one of the greatest things to stop it before it starts.”

Williams most enjoys playing close to the line of scrimmage.

“Sometimes I know I get too close to the line because I’m so anxious to get in there and hit somebody,” Williams said. “Coach sometimes has to calm me down so I make the right reads.”

Williams had a career-high of 17 tackles last year against both Springstead and Wesley Chapel. He posted a career-best four sacks in that contest against the Wildcats. However, Williams said his favorite game was against Anclote last year, when he had nine tackles and one sack.

“Their offensive line was playing really well, but me and our old defensive coordinator (Jason Hatcher) came up with a new blitz on the spot,” Williams said. “It worked perfect.”

Williams has been working on almost everything to take his game to the next level.

“My size, my speed, my footwork, but the thing I’ve been working on the most is trying to read the offense to get a jump on the play,” Williams said.

Williams said he also enjoys playing alongside Cannon, who has been equally productive to the Gators defense.

“It’s great because you have somebody else to push you and motivate you,” Williams said. “We challenge each other to get better. It’s great, because I know I can count on him, and he can count on me.”

JACKSON CANNON

Cannon is relatively new to the position, moving to linebacker as a freshman.

“I played two years of middle school football, but I played mostly fullback,” said Cannon, who has spent all his high school years at Land O’ Lakes. “My coach thought I would be good for the position, and I think it was a good change.”

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Cannon said he also enjoys the physical play at linebacker, but added he likes dropping into coverage as well.

“I play basketball too, so I like being able to drop and pick off a pass every now and then,” Cannon said. “For me it’s all about footwork and quickness. Speed, both physically and mentally. You have to be able to react fast.”

Cannon had a career-high 15 tackles against both Gulf and Wesley Chapel last year. His best sack performance came in what he said is his favorite game, a contest against cross-town rival Sunlake as a sophomore.

“When we played Sunlake a couple years ago I had 13 tackles and five sacks,” Cannon said. “I got defensive player of the game and the game ball. It’s exciting to play well against Sunlake.”

Cannon’s goals to improve his game this year are similar to Williams’: “I’m working on speed and footwork but working a lot on my reads. I already know how to read a guard through fullback, but I’m working to become better at it.”

His appreciation for playing with Williams is also the same.

“We’re all about the competition with each other,” Cannon said. “Who can get the most tackles or the most sacks.”

JOSH SCARBERRY

Scarberry started playing linebacker at age 9 with the Northside Dolphins of the Tampa Bay Youth Football League. Before that he was an offensive lineman. The move seemed to suit him well.

“It’s the physical part,” Scarberry said. “I love to hit. I love it when I’m able to fill a hole when a running back thinks he has space and taking him off his feet. … The mental part is also big for linebackers. You really have to stay focused because you have to play pass, play run and you just have to always know what to do.”

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Scarberry has been an inside linebacker at Gaither since his freshman year but has moved to the outside spot for his senior campaign.

“We lost our outside linebackers from last year, and I knew Josh could make that move and do very well,” Del Valle said. “We wanted to make sure we could shutdown the outside and also show college coaches Josh can do anything they need.”

Scarberry said of the change, “I like the shift because I don’t have to worry about the offensive linemen as much and getting off too many blocks. I have a lot more open space, and I like to work with that and use my speed to my advantage.”

Scarberry, who was named the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, set his career-high with 18 tackles against Newsome as a sophomore and with five sacks against East Bay this season. However, his favorite memory came in his first game with the Cowboys.

“My freshman year I was thrown into the Jefferson game, which was my first game I ever played in high school,” Scarberry said. “I was able to make a big play and got a sack on a zone read, when the quarterback fakes it to the running back and keeps it. I was able to read the play from the start. I still remember that hit. It’s my most memorable moment at Gaither.”

Scarberry said he wants to play in college and is leaving no stone unturned to make that dream a reality.

“I’m working on my grades and doing all I can,” Scarberry said. “Just trying to get better in every way on the field, in the classroom and as a teammate.”

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

By Eugenio Torrens

Freedom football coach Tchecoy Blount warned his team about Wharton’s Darius Page.

“I told the kids all week, ‘He’s a big, bruising back and he has speed. He’s not going to go down on the first hit or second hit,’” Blount said.

The Patriots (1-6) couldn’t heed their coaches warning, and the Wildcats (2-4) rode Page to a 28-7 win at home on Oct. 14.

Page, a senior, rushed 26 times for 148 yards and one touchdown. He also made life easier for Wildcat quarterback Chase Litton, who ran for a score and threw another to Vernon Hargraves.

“We came out kind of slow (on) offense, but we picked it up and we played pretty good,” Page said. “Defense played excellent. They didn’t give up too many big plays.”

Wharton started sloppy with two fumbles in its first three drives, one of which was lost.

But the Wildcats picked up momentum to close the half, including a 50-yard pass from Litton to Hargraves to the Freedom 2-yard line. A holding call and botched snap pushed Wharton back, but Litton eventually ran it into the end zone from 10 yards out. Page ran in for a two-point conversion to go up 8-0 at halftime.

Hargraves picked off Patriot quarterback Taylor King to give the Wildcats prime field position. Page ran it in for his second score.

“Darius Page is a guy, he’s in another zone right now,” said Wharton coach David Mitchell. “He’s a hard worker, he’s a quiet leader — he just does all his work on the field. … He puts the wind in the sails and the ship starts and the ship goes.”

For their third touchdown, the Wildcats drove down 73 yards in just 2:32. Litton found Deon Samson on a key third-and-eight conversion to keep the drive alive. Consecutive 19- and 3-yard runs by Page led Wharton into the fourth quarter, and on the first play in the final period Litton found Hargraves to make it 21-0.

The Patriots’ offense found a pulse in the fourth quarter when a defensive pass interference call on Wharton negated an interception and gave Freedom new life at its own 42-yard line. Tyrel Nunn ripped off a 58-yard scoring run with 5:08 remaining to prevent the shutout.

“That was important to show the kids that they can if everybody does their part,” Blount said. “It hurts these guys so bad, because that play happened towards the end.”

Freedom failed on its onside kick, but the defense held and forced a three and out. The Patriots muffed the ensuing punt, and Wharton recovered at the Freedom 20. Four plays later the Wildcats scored on a 3-yard run by Samson.

“We got a lot of things to work on, so we can’t just be happy with what went on tonight,” Mitchell said. But he added, “A W is a W, and we’ll take it any day of the week.”

Wharton hosts Bloomingdale, and Freedom travels to Gaither on Thursday, Oct. 20. Both district games start at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner football team put up a program record 53 points and recorded its second shutout of the season en route to winning at Riverview 53-0 on Oct. 14.

The win comes less than a week after the Warriors (4-2) had a disappointing 37-7 defeat to Class 7A-District 7 rival Gaither that saw Steinbrenner lose nine turnovers.

“Last week was absolutely horrible,” said Warrior coach Floyd Graham. “I’ve never had a game in 21 years with nine turnovers. It was hard for the kids and hard for me. I was just proud of how everyone did because we were without one of our top running backs.”

Steinbrenner lost starting full back Jake Carroll for the year with a torn ACL he suffered during the opening kickoff against Gaither. The Warriors responded with a ground game that saw eight different players carry the rock.

Kendall Pearcy led the Warriors’ ground attack, posting 167 yards on eight carries and scoring runs of 5 and 80 yards. The junior also had a 60-yard scoring run called back because of a penalty on Steinbrenner’s first play. He also added a 15-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Curtis Fitch.

Steinbrenner’s Brian Gainer had 89 rushing yards on three carries, including a 43-yard score for his first varsity touchdown.

Nick Green ran the ball six times for 31 yards and a 26-yard touchdown.

“We tried three different kids at full back to replace Jake, and all three played great,” Graham said. “We were kind of geared around Jake at that full back position, so when he went down I told them I’ve got to give it to all three of you to see who wants it. I want you to come beg me for the ball, and they all showed they want it.”

The three replacements at full back included Green, Cody Cazin and A.J. Brown, who moved to the offense after starting the season as a linebacker. Brown had a 30-yard scoring run and a touchdown catch of 10 yards.

Fitch had scoring passes of 10, 15 and 20 yards for a career-high three touchdown throws. The sophomore led two scoring drives just before halftime to put the Warriors up 34-0 at the break.

“We drove the ball in 40 seconds and scored without using a timeout, and Fitch orchestrated a great drive,” Graham said. “Then we got a turnover and had a short field, so we jumped back into the 2-minute drill, and he threw another touchdown. We practice it every day, and when Fitch came off the field he said to me ‘That’s why we practice it.’”

Steinbrenner hosts Tampa Bay Tech on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The Titans are tied for first place in 7A-7 with Gaither, while the Warriors are a game back.

“Tech has size and speed, and I mean a lot of speed,” Graham said. “Our goal is to keep their offense off the ball and control the clock. It’s a big challenge. I wish we could get that Gaither game back to put us in a better situation, but this is a must win. The kids understand that, and they’re focused on what they need to do.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Sunlake entered its Class 6A-District 6 football game against Hernando without a loss, but the visiting Leopards ended the perfect season on Oct. 14 thanks to the combination of their rushing assault and attacking defense.

Hernando (5-2) had 260 combined rushing yards from Tyrail Hawkins, Jeremiah Jackson and Marqui Redding. Jackson and Hawkins each had one rushing score.

Sunlake (5-1) was able to contain the Leopards ground game in the first quarter, allowing zero first downs and no points. Hernando’s offense got on track with a 10-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter to go up 6-0. Leopard linebacker Zach Pritz intercepted Seahawk quarterback Cameron Stoltz on the ensuing drive that led to another scoring drive to take a 14-0 lead.

Stoltz hit wide receiver Jamal Jones with a 17-yard touchdown strike just before halftime to cut the lead to 14-7. Hawkins ended Sunlake’s comeback with his scoring run in the fourth quarter for the game’s final points.

Stoltz was under constant pressure from Hernando’s defense. The senior signal caller was limited to 16-of-33 passing for 161 yards and was sacked four times.

Sunlake will have to bounce back quickly, as it hosts cross-town rival and 6A-6 opponent Land O’ Lakes on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The winner will have sole possession of second place in the district and the inside track to a playoff spot.

By Kyle LoJacono

Eyes follow Jimmy Stanger whenever he walks on a golf course.

His Gaither teammates look to him for leadership. Opponents watch to see if he will ever make a mistake on the links. Spectators gaze in amazement at how he navigates a golf course.

Stanger is home schooled but has been on the Gaither boys golf team for the last two years. The junior has been golfing for as long as he can remember, starting around age 5.

“I’ve played pretty much every sport competitively, but now I’m focused on golf,” Stanger said. “Honestly there is no feeling like hitting a golf ball. Also, being out on a golf course just gives me peace.”

Stanger has “peace” on the course, but he is not satisfied with his game.

“I totally rerouted my swing after last year to try and make it more consistent,” Stanger said. “It really started to come around this summer. … Compared to last year I’m a completely different golfer. A year ago if I shot a good round it felt like I got lucky. Now I feel like I can go low every time, and if I don’t it’s not because I hit the ball out of bounds.”

The change has helped Stanger bring his average down to just below 36, which is par for the regular season. He shot a career-low 33 on Oct. 10 in a tri-match against Plant and Newsome.

Cowboys coach Dwayne Olinger said Stanger’s ability to hit fairways and greens has become his greatest strength.

“He’s extremely accurate,” Olinger said. “You try to explain to the young players how important that is. Sometimes they think about the score and not the process. Jimmy thinks about hitting fairways and greens, and that’s why he can make par or under on any hole.”

Stanger’s methods have become an example for his teammates.

“He takes the right approach to the game and plays the way you should,” said sophomore Patrick Highland. “He’s serious every time and plays his heart out. You see a kid play like that and shoots as well as he does, you can’t help but want to be like him.”

Junior Clyde Meadows added, “There have been many times when he’s come up to me and said try this. I try it, and it always works. I’m just like son of a gun; thank you Jimmy.”

Stanger was Gaither’s No. 1 last year, but he has also had to step up his leadership role after the squad lost four seniors to graduation, including members of the squad’s top five Josh Black and Shawn Sirignano.

Stanger said he hasn’t tried to be a loud, vocal leader because that is not within his personality.

“I’ve actually tried to be quieter and lead by example,” Stanger said. “Just talk when I’m needed and focus the rest of the time.”

The squad is very young, making Stanger’s leadership that much more important.

“We only have two seniors on the roster and only one has gotten into a match, so because we’re so young having a guy like Jimmy is even more important,” Olinger said.

“He is unquestionably a leader,” Olinger continued. “Not only is he a great player, so everyone on a team would look up to a player with his ability, but he has a good way of dealing with people and leading by example.”

Meadows said Stanger is one of the most serious people he has met.

“A couple days ago we had a tournament rained out, and everyone was just hanging out, and Stanger was off in the corner talking to his dad about his swing,” Meadows said. “He’s very dedicated to this game. He’s never satisfied with what he shoots. He’ll shoot a two-under, but he’ll still be mad about a couple birdie shots he missed. It amazes me sometimes.”

Meadows admits it isn’t always easy being on a team with a player like Stanger.

“I love the guy, but it is very easy to get jealous of him,” Meadows said. “You’re always comparing yourself to Jimmy Stanger, and you’re never as good. Oh I shot a 39, but Jimmy shot 34.”

Stanger and the Gaither squad played in the Class 2A-District 9 tournament on Monday, Oct. 17 at Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club, but results were not available by press time.

By Eugenio Torrens

Tanner Schmitz didn’t have an illustrious career in the pool to inspire his Wiregrass Ranch boys and girls swimmers.

He didn’t really know swimming before he coached it for the first time last year, but that hasn’t prevented Schmitz from attempting to have his Bulls (4-3) catch up to swimming institutions like Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake.

Things didn’t get easier when Wiregrass Ranch moved from Class 2A-District 5 to 3A-5 with state powerhouses including Palm Harbor, East Lake and Countryside.

“Some of the top teams in the state are all in this one district,” Schmitz said. “These schools have kids that are training for the Olympics.”

How those other schools, as well as other area squads got so good isn’t wasted on Schmitz.

Two years into his coaching career, Schmitz realizes the invaluable bond between high school and club swimming. He knows that’s an integral reason as to why Land O’ Lakes is so dominant in the pool and understands that kind of institution isn’t built overnight.
But in his second year, Schmitz is striving to close the gap in the near future.

“If I’ve got to say anything about it, and if these kids have got anything to say about it, Wiregrass is going to be always talked about as one of those top Pasco County swim programs,” Schmitz said.

Doing so will be difficult after the squad lost a number of seniors from last year’s squad coupled with the new district, but the former Ridgewood football player has brought over his hard-nosed mentality to the Bulls squad.

“I think last year I might have had a little reputation as kind of a hot head,” Schmitz said. “I came in talking a little bit. … In my mind, part of my job as a coach is to exude confidence.
“The one thing I can say about my kids and the Wiregrass swim team is we don’t back down,” Schmitz continued. “They don’t swim scared.”
Some of the Bulls have taken on their coach’s personality.
“He’s disciplined, he’s in your face,” said junior Jacob Strickland. “No slacking, if you’re not doing it to your best, you’re not doing it right.”
Despite the loss of a number of seniors, including 2010 state qualifier Rebecca Pindral and the absence of nine seniors from the boys’ team, the squad is building for the future.
“We started out as a young team,” said senior Fern Powell. “We got a lot of freshmen out here that are really dedicated to our team and stuff, which is great because we’ve got them for three more years.
“What you see this year is what you’ll get next year and even better,” Powell continued. “That’s what a lot of people can look forward to in Wiregrass swimming.”

Current seniors are trying to instill the sense of urgency they have knowing they’re about to graduate.

“There’s no more pushing it like ‘oh I have next year’ because this is it,” said senior Taylor Link. “We try to instill that in them (younger swimmers) now. Get in that pool, and swim like you’re about to die. Give everything you have in the water.”

The Bulls will compete in the 3A-9 district meet on Friday, Oct. 28 at the Palm Harbor YMCA.