Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Moments after Sunlake’s 21-10 victory against Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 20, Rashaud Daniels jumped into the arms of his coach Bill Browning and yelled out one powerful word.

“Playoffs.”

The home victory against their Class 6A-District 6 rival gives the Seahawks (6-1) the inside track to make the playoffs for the first time in the program’s five-year history and puts the Gators’ (4-3) 14-year playoff streak in jeopardy.

Sunlake forced the first of three turnovers on the Gators’ second play from scrimmage. Harrison Wood was breaking away from the Seahawks’ defense, but Daniels caught him and knocked the ball out. Mike Lopez recovered the fumble.

The Seahawks capitalized with a 10-play drive capped by Lopez running in for a 3-yard touchdown.

“I wanted to do it for my team and my coaches,” Lopez said. He then added, “We came out here with the mentality that we were going to win.”

Sunlake had touchdowns called back twice on the drive because of penalties; an eerily similar start to the game the Seahawks lost 22-7 against Hernando the week before.

“Last week we had three chances to score early and didn’t come away with anything,” Browning said. “It just seemed like we couldn’t rebound from that. Everything happens for a reason so hopefully it made us tougher for this game.”

Land O’ Lakes got on the board on its ensuing possession with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that included quarterback Ryan Bird converting on fourth and inches with a 2-yard sneak. Wood scored on a 1-yard run.

The Gator defense forced a fourth and one on Sunlake’s next drive, but fullback Jerome Samuels muscled his way up the middle for a 28-yard touchdown.

Land O’ Lakes added a 35-yard field goal from Andrew Garcia to make the score 14-10 at halftime — its last points of the game.

The Seahawks scored on their second drive of the second half when Eddie Burgos caught a 27-yard pass from quarterback Cameron Stoltz. The ball was tipped twice by Gator cornerback Jordan Michelson but found its way into Burgos’ hands.

The Land O’ Lakes offense moved the ball into Sunlake territory on its last three drives but turned the ball over on downs twice and fumbled the ball away once. Nick Hoffman recovered the final fumble with 4:16 remaining.

The ball came lose when Bird couldn’t control a snap while in the shotgun. The Gator signal caller was unable to fall on the ball, leaving Hoffman in the clear to scoop up the fumble.

“I was just thinking do or die; this is the game-changing play,” Hoffman said.

Land O’ Lakes safety Darin Patmon recovered a fumble on Sunlake’s next drive, but it was too late. The Gators gave the ball back for good when Bird’s pass on fourth and nine fell incomplete with 20 seconds left.

Sunlake put up 154 rushing yards in the contest, but spread the touches around. No one player had more than 48 yards on the ground.

“We didn’t change anything,” said center Nate McCoole. “We just came out the same way. We knew we were just going to run it down their throats just like that and we did.”

The Seahawk defense limited Kent Taylor, the top-rated tight end recruit in the nation by Rivals.com. The senior had five catches for 71 yards, but the coverages upset him enough that he slapped the helmet of a Sunlake defender in the final minutes and was ejected.

“The secondary played great and has played well all year,” Browning said. “They finally just frustrated him I think at the end of the game.”

Browning also gave credit to the Gator defense, especially linebacker Shadow Williams.

“Land O’ Lakes played some tough defense and their No. 8 (Williams) was all over the field tonight,” Browning said.

Bird finished 14-of 31 passing with 203 yards. His most productive receiver was Wesley Moore, who finished with five catches for 90 yards. Moore also added 54 yards on kick returns.

Both central Pasco County squads have a pair district games left, which are against the same teams — River Ridge (5-2) and Central (0-8). The Seahawks will clinch a playoff spot if they win or Land O’ Lakes loses one of those games.

Browning pointed out to his players the importance of winning their final district contests.

“Enjoy this one because we have to get back to work and take care of the rest of our games,” Browning said. “We have to stay humble, but I will say this: There’s a new sheriff in town.”

Sunlake travels to River Ridge on Friday, Oct. 28, while the Gators host Central. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

The new sheriff in town

For the last four years, Sunlake got an “L” in its annual matchup against cross-town rival Land O’ Lakes — but not this year.

“We’ve never beat them and it’s definitely a feeling I could get used to,” said senior center Nate McCoole. “It’s a tremendous feeling. All the work we’ve put in has definitely paid off.”

Fellow senior running back Mike Lopez added, “It’s an honor. I’m so proud to be with my 2012 class.”

The Gators entered the contest 4-0 all-time against the Seahawks with a combined score of 125-35. Sunlake was minutes away from winning the contest a year ago, but two fourth quarter touchdowns gave Land O’ Lakes a 29-21 win.

Bill Browning has been the Seahawks’ coach since the school opened in 2007 and understands the significance of a beating a rival for the first time.

“It’s a big win,” Browning said. “In my career coaching when I was at Springstead beating Hernando was a huge milestone. When I was at Hernando and we beat Pasco for the first time that was a huge win. This one is huge too and it ranks right up there near the top.”

By Eugenio Torrens

It’s been a while since Gaither football fans had much to smile about. The 2007 season marked the last time the Cowboys had a winning season.

But with first-year coach Jason Stokes, Gaither (5-2) is reverting back to its winning ways.

The Cowboys shut out Freedom 37-0 on Oct. 20 to nab their third Class 7A-District 7 win and remain unbeaten in district play. It’s also the squad’s fourth straight victory and first playoff-clinching win since 2008.

“I am happy,” Stokes said. “I know I’m gonna get the film and we’re going to see a lot of mistakes, but I tell them all the time if you’re going to make a mistake, do it 150 miles an hour.”

Even the Gaither coaches might have some trouble nitpicking after this win. Quarterback Alex McGough, a Wesley Chapel High transfer, was 13-of-18 passing, throwing three touchdowns and running for another — though he was picked off once. The team also had six rushers combine for 131 yards, including junior Vu Le’s eight carries for 82.

The Gaither defense harassed Patriot quarterback Taylor King, who was held to 45 yards passing and was intercepted once and sacked nine times. Cowboy linebacker Josh Scarberry had four of those sacks and recovered a blocked punt to set up a touchdown.

“I love our defense,” Scarberry said. “To get a win like this is awesome. To come out and play Freedom for our third district game and just 37-0, I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.”

The Patriots ran into trouble early. On Freedom’s second play, Gaither’s Nick Sampson got to King and forced a fumble, which was recovered by defensive end Mikhail Reece. Although the Cowboys were held to a field goal, the pressure on King was a preview of things to come.

After a Freedom three and out, Gaither marched 69 yards and scored on a 20-yard run by Le.

The Patriots struggled to find any offensive rhythm, while the Cowboys ran like a finely tuned machine. Gaither scored 23 points before McGough was intercepted.

Freedom took over on its own 34-yard line and sputtered. A roughing-the-kicker penalty moved the Patriots to their 41, but they moved backward to the 32 thanks to Scarberry’s third sack of the night.

Gaither opened the second half with its first punt of the game. As if to prevent any sort of letdown, the Cowboys blocked Freedom’s ensuing punt and Scarberry recovered seven yards from the end zone.

McGough found Demarcus Sexil for a 7-yard strike to make it 30-0. McGough added a rushing score for the game’s final points.

For Gaither, the comfortable margin of victory was a relief after a 17-16 come-from-behind win at East Bay the week before.

“After getting that close victory, to win by that much is always good,” McGough said. “Just to connect with your players, it boosts confidence.”

But the Cowboys are feeling good because they have proven they can win close or big.

“We’re not used to winning here,” Scarberry said. “The past couple of years it’s been rough, but to come out 5-2 it’s totally different. All the boys are hyped, ready to take the district.”

Gaither plays at Chamberlain on Friday, Oct. 28, while Freedom hosts Tampa Bay Tech. Both games are at 7:30 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

Lutz News correspondent

Fighting for their postseason lives, Steinbrenner faced off against Class 7A-District 7 rival Tampa Bay Tech but fell short 35-25 at home on Oct. 20.

The Warriors (4-3) couldn’t bounce back from two early fumbles, and the running game stalled in the second half giving the Titans (4-3) the district win.

Steinbrenner halfback Kendall Pearcey, who finished with 127 rushing yards and three touchdowns, led the way with an early 30-yard dash setting up the Warriors in scoring position. But Brian Gainer fumbled and Tampa Bay Tech defensive lineman Clifton Dilworth scooped it up and took it back for an 85-yard touchdown that gave the Titans the early lead.

After another fumble on Steinbrenner’s second drive, the Tech offense would sputter against a hungry Warrior defense. The Titans fumbled the ball away on their opening drive when Deon Thompson coughed up the rock and Steinbrenner’s A.J. Brown recovered.

The Warriors answered midway through the first quarter after halfback Shaheem Barthel and Pearcey took turns driving the offense downfield. Pearcey capped off the drive with a touchdown, tying up the score 7-7.

The Warriors took the lead on the first play of their next possession. Barthel took the handoff outside and it was off to the races as he went untouched for a 58-yard touchdown.

On the Titans’ ensuing possession, halfback Cludner Lacount paced the offense and drove the ball quickly downfield. Quarterback Aaron Midthus used his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame to his advantage, calling his own number to reach the end zone on a quarterback sneak up the middle.

The Warriors wouldn’t be deterred. Starting on their own 30-yard line, Pearcey put the team on his back with a 69-yard rush coming just one yard short of the pylon. After a penalty and loss of yards, the Warriors elected to go for it on fourth and goal.

The gamble worked as Brown found a gap and stuffed it in for his first touchdown of the night giving Steinbrenner a 19-14 halftime lead after the 2-point conversion failed.

The Titans made key adjustments on defense in the second half that stalled the Steinbrenner offense for the remainder of the game. After trading a pair of three and outs, Tech found the offensive life it lacked in the first half. Midthus found Lacount deep for a 37-yard touchdown strike and a 21-19 lead that would not be surrendered.

After a stifled drive by the Warriors, the Titans capitalized on a Steinbrenner mistake. Lamarq Caldwell found a seam in the tiring defense and set up Midthus’ second rushing touchdown of the night extending the lead to 28-19.

The lone bright spot for the Warriors in the second half was on the next kickoff. Pearcey received the kick at his own 15-yard line, but thanks to a couple of big blocks and a wide open lane, he turned on the jets and brought the Warriors back to within three points on an 85-yard return score late in the fourth quarter.

The comeback attempt was short lived, as Tech ate up the clock with a constant dose of rushing. Caldwell drove the Titans 52 yards and set up his outside rush to the end zone giving the Titans the 35-25 win.

The loss ends Steinbrenner’s chance of making the playoffs for the first time in the program’s second full varsity season. The Warriors played a split junior varsity/varsity schedule in 2009.

“We tried our best to do what we could,” said Barthel. “As you can see, we came up a little bit short.”

Steinbrenner travels to Wiregrass Ranch (0-7) on Friday, Oct. 28. Barthel says the team will play the final three games as hard as ever.

“We’re going to play every game like it’s our last, so we’ll see what happens.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner girls golf team did not have the lowest round on Oct. 17 for the first time this year but still left the Class 2A-District 10 tournament as runner-up to extend its year.

The Warriors, who completed a 10-0 regular season the week before, shot a 328 at the event, five strokes off Plant City’s pace.

“I was very proud of them,” said Steinbrenner coach Mark Mann. “A few of the girls were a little bit upset with their scores, but overall with the windy conditions it was a good day.”

The Warriors were led by senior Sara Bair’s 76, which tied her for the third lowest round at the event.

“Sara was focused yesterday. Whenever I spoke with her about how she was doing she’d say ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’ Usually when she says that, she’s shooting well, but she’s superstitious and doesn’t want to talk about it until the end. I got the feeling she was doing well.”

Bair said she never adds up her score before finishing a round.

“I thought I was doing well, but I’m never sure until I get to the end and add it up,” Bair said. “It was nice to not have to count for too long because I knew it meant we had a good chance of advancing with a low score.”

Fellow Steinbrenner senior Michelle Stein carded an 82, while Claire Becker, a freshman, shot an 81.

“Claire is a tremendous player,” Mann said. “At the beginning of the year she might have been a little nervous just being new to high school golf. She’s played in other tournaments, but in high school you’re part of a team. She’s proved all year that she is talented, as have all of these kids.”

Steinbrenner won a district title last season, but lost its No. 1 golfer Alex Milan to graduation. Milan, 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.

Freedom also advanced by finishing in third with a 355. Wharton shot a 359 at the event to finish sixth, but only the top-three teams in each district advance to regionals.

Steinbrenner and Freedom both played in regionals at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club in Plant City on Oct. 25, but results were not available by press time.

Stanger takes district title

Gaither’s Jimmy Stanger shot a 3-under 69 on Oct. 17 to finish as the boys golf Class 2A-District 9 individual champion.

Stanger said he felt very poorly about the way he was hitting the ball on the range before the event. The junior turned his game around early to win the tournament by five strokes.

“Really I was hitting the ball about as badly as I have all year in warm-ups,” Stanger said. “That doesn’t always mean I’m going to have a bad round, so I just wanted to get on the course as fast as I could. Sometimes that works, and it did this time.”

Stanger said he has been working on his accuracy all season, and it showed at districts. He hit 14-of-18 greens in regulation and posted five birdies.

The district crown is Stanger’s first. The victory also purged some bad memories from the event last year when he finished in a three-way tie for the lead after regulation but was eliminated after the first playoff hole.

Cowboy junior Clyde Meadows recorded an 81 to finish tied for 10th.

Gaither’s 331 gave it the runner-up spot behind King’s 329, the second year the two squads have finished Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the event. The top-three teams from each district tournament advance to regionals.

The Cowboys played in regionals at Stoneybrook West Golf Club in Winter Garden on Oct. 24, but results were not available by press time.

Jones claims district crown

Freedom sophomore Jimmy Jones won the individual district championship by three strokes at the boys golf Class 2A-District 10 tournament on Oct. 17.

Jones carded an even-par 71 in the event, helping the Patriots finish as the district runner-up eight strokes off Newsome’s championship pace.

Both teams, along with Steinbrenner, advance to regionals by finishing in the top three at the event. The Warriors recorded a 319 thanks to Nik Kalolo’s 77 and Trevor Joseph’s 80.

Wharton, which won a district title last year, finished in fifth place, but Wildcats’ No. 1 golfer Jorge Junquera shot a 76 to qualify individually for regionals.

Junquera and the Freedom and Steinbrenner teams played in regionals at Wentworth Golf Club in Tarpon Springs on Oct. 24, but results were not available by press time.

Two Cowboys make regionals

Gaither girls golfers Morgan Litchfield and Caitlin Milne qualified individually for regionals with their performances at the Class 2A-District 9 tournament on Oct. 17. Litchfield carded a 91 to finish in sixth place, while Milne recorded a 112 to take 10th. Both played in regionals at Windermere Country Club in Orlando on Oct. 24, but results were not available by press time.

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.