Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Eugenio Torrens

Pasco showed its opponents it can score in a multitude of ways, even if its offense is on the sidelines.

The Pirates (3-0) used a 43-point first half to beat Wiregrass Ranch 53-0 at home on Sept. 16. Pasco has outscored the opposition 92-6 during its past two games.

“Our whole team had a great game,” said junior running back Janarion Grant, who returned the opening kickoff 84 yards to get the Pirates on the scoreboard before the offense even took the field.

“When we get the ball, I’m usually amped to return the punt — well the kickoff,” Grant said. “Really, I never got it last year because everybody knew if I get it, I’ll do something with it.”

Grant also hauled in five receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulls, who were missing starters quarterback Jake Day and running back Jamie Barone because of concussions sustained in Week 1, were unable to generate much offense. Linebacker and wide receiver Joe Irizarry also sat out because of concussion-like symptoms, though Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Shobe said he was not diagnosed with a concussion.

Wiregrass Ranch (0-3) had many young and inexperienced players starting at multiple positions.

“We probably have five kids or so that played varsity football (last year) and it shows,” Shobe said. “We make a lot of young mistakes. In open field, we haven’t seen speed like that, and we can’t simulate that in practice. Fortunately, this is probably the type of speed we’ll see a few games this year, but not every week.”

After a quick three and out and a nine-yard punt from the Bulls on their opening position, Pasco took over on offense from the Bulls 24. Pirates quarterback Jacob Guy found wide receiver Trey Dudley-Giles for Pasco’s second touchdown. It was the first of three consecutive touchdown receptions for Dudley-Giles, whose four grabs tallied 61 yards.

Wiregrass Ranch fumbled the ball after getting a first down on its next drive, and again handed the Pirates prime field position. The Pirates marched down the short field and Guy found Dudley-Giles in the end zone on a lob pass from the 1-yard line. Guy found Dudley-Giles again on Pasco’s next possession, this time from 27 yards out.

Not to be left out, Grant had two more touchdown catches, one for 53 and another for 45 yards to finish with three scoring grabs.

“Janarion and Trey are just dynamic,” said Pasco coach Tom McHugh. “Whenever they get their hands on the ball, I like to watch it.”

Wiregrass Ranch’s offense continued to stall against the Pirates defense. The Bulls didn’t get the ball into opposing territory until 8:31 left in the second quarter, courtesy of a turnover on downs.

The Bulls sniffed the end zone thanks to a 32-yard tipped completion by athlete Ryan Shea from quarterback Ricky Weisbrodt, but Wiregrass Ranch lost a fumble from 7 yards out. It was the only series all game the Wesley Chapel squad played in Pirates’ territory.

Guy and Co. went into half with a 43-0 lead. The senior signal caller was taken out in the second half, but still put up 207 yards and five touchdowns on 10-of-15 passing. Of the 10 completions, nine went to Grant and Dudley-Giles.

“Both of them (Grant and Dudley-Giles) catch the ball maybe two yards down the field, and any time they catch it, they can go for 50 (yards),” Guy said. “That just makes my job a lot easier.”

Pasco running back David Emmanuel had a 46-yard run for the Pirates sole touchdown of the second half. Kicker Carson Brock booted a 39-yard field goal, his second of the night, for the game’s final points.

Pasco travels district rival Gulf on Friday, Sept. 23. Wiregrass Ranch will host its first district game against Gaither the same night. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wiregrass Ranch boys and girls cross country teams have experienced a strangely similar last 12 months.

Both won conference, district and regional championships and entered the Class 3A state meet with high expectations of finishing better than any other Bulls team in the school’s history. Both teams had, by their standards, disappointing finishes in the final race of year, with the boys taking 10th and the girls finishing 13th, giving both motivation to improve in 2011.

In addition, both programs lost four of their top-seven runners to graduation, creating a need for new leaders to step up. That similar road toward the 2011 season has created a common motto for the Bulls squads.

“Both of our teams’ shirts say ‘Prove It’ because on both sides, the boys and the girls, we lost some of our top runners,” said girls coach Don Howard. “My girls say they’re going to continue the tradition. Chris’ boys say the same thing. They’re out to prove it to themselves and everyone else. We use that target as our motivation to continue to do well. I tell the girls there are people training to beat you specifically, so you need to always work to improve.”

The girls lost Ariel Grey, Marissa Tomei, Kelsey Sturman and Taylor Hixson to graduation. The squad does return Nikita Shah, Chelse Davis and Elise Cedre, and Howard plans on using their experience to help get the team back to a championship level.

“Those three girls are going to be our leaders this year, but the key for us is are those other kids going to step up,” Howard said. “All three of those girls have it upon them to help pull the next bunch up. To run with them and practice and show them the things to do to get girls who have never run under 22 minutes to get their times down.”

Howard said Shah, a senior, is their No. 1 runner, but the junior never looks at it as if she is separate from her teammates.

“Cross country is a team effort and it’s fun to be on a team,” said Shah, whose personal record (PR) in a 5-kilometer race is 18:59. “I’m excited about this season. I think myself and a lot of the girls are ready to stay at the top. We lost some good runners, but I know our returning runners have been working very hard and have already improved their times. I think we can regain our titles we got last year.”

The boys lost Josh Reilly, Ryan Pulsifer, Ian Cassette and Logan Selzer to graduation, but coach Chris Loth said he has the right kids to help fill those holes.

“We have a good group of kids step up as leaders,” Loth said. “As far as talent, we have 38 kids on the team to choose from. There are available slots and everyone is motivated to fill them. They want to live up to the expectations that they’ve created. That’s the goal. Whether or not it happens we’ll have to see.”

One of the kids Loth will lean on for his times is senior Sam Hippely, whose PR in a 5K is 16:21.

“Losing four seniors from last year is going to be tough for us, but I think our Nos. 4-9 spots are really good and competitive,” Hippely said. “They’re all trying very hard and it pushes all of us to do better. It’ll be interesting to see where those spots go.”

The boys will also be led by junior Ermias Bireda, whose PR is 16:26. Bireda said he has been working to get his core stronger during the summer, along with regular running with the squad.

“I’ll do whatever I can to get better at running,” Bireda said. “I know that if you have a strong core you can go further at top speed.”

Loth has also changed his training regime based on what he learned in 2010.

“We had a disappointing day at states last year and I’ve adjusted a couple things because of that,” Loth said. “We started a little bit later in hopes that we won’t peak too early, which I think we did last year. Keep them fresh. I’m going to adjust things later in the year too.”

Both Bulls programs have become constants at the top of conference, district and regional meet leader boards during the last few years, making them a target for other programs to shoot for.

“We’re glad that other teams respect our program,” Loth said. “After realignment we’re in a more competitive district and region than we’ve ever been in — teams like Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Chamberlain and a couple other squads — so we’re going to have to push ourselves just to get to a state meet. If we have a bad day it could be over.”

—All stats as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association.

By Kyle LoJacono

The 2010 Steinbrenner girls golf team became the first Warriors sports program to make it all the way to states, something the current squad plans on making a tradition.

“Our expectations are to improve going into districts,” said Steinbrenner coach Mark Mann. “The girls want to get back to state as a team. They’re hungry to do that and capable of getting back. I think this is the best overall team that I’ve coached in my seven years from top to bottom. All the kids are interchangeable with their scores.”

The Warriors won the Class 1A-District 14 championship last season in the program’s second year, and followed that up with a regional runner-up finish. Steinbrenner returns three of the five players that competed in states last year, but one of those losses leaves a large void.

Alex Milan won four individual district championships, two at Sickles and two at Steinbrenner, and also made it to states three of her four years in high school. Her efforts last year made her the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Golfer of the Year and also earned her a golf scholarship with Florida State University.

“She helped put us on the map,” Mann said. “She’s someone that was able to make us recognized for golf. I think she’s set a legacy here that a lot of these girls want to help build on.”

While all on the team admit it will be difficult to replace Milan, they are using what she taught them to help continue the Warriors budding tradition in girls golf.

“It’s very exciting when you have these kids who were able to see and learn from Alex,” Mann said. “It showed them that with hard work you can go far. I think the girls have taken to it well this season and have been working hard all year.”

Steinbrenner senior Michelle Stein added, “As a freshman I had no idea what I was doing, and Alex kind of brought me along. She showed me how to have great integrity and helped me have a passion for the game. She also showed me how to be a calm influence on the other girls to help everything go easier. She showed us it’s OK to have a bad shot, because the next one is right in front of you.”

The Warriors are young, with two seniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Mann said his seniors, Sara Bair and Stein, are more than capable of filling that leadership void.

“It’s so funny because I’m looking around for the older players,” Bair said with a laugh. “There’s supposed to be someone else here. It’s definitely different, but it’s fun to have that new role and bond with girls at a new level. I think Michelle and I can handle it and help the team get to where we want to.”

Mann has coached both Stein and Bair since their freshmen years at Sickles.

“They’ve been through this for three years, so they know what to expect from the season and the routines,” Mann said. “They were able to get some experience and leadership from Alex and that torch is passed to them. It’s really fun for me because they are such different players from when they started. Now our young girls look up to them.”

The Warriors have started the season fast, winning their first five matches including a 161-167 victory against perennial powerhouse Plant on Sept. 8. Freshman Claire Becker shot a career-low 37 to lead Steinbrenner, followed by Stein’s 40, Bair’s 41 and freshman Kelsey Holbert’s 43.

The young team will also have to deal with moving up in classification into 2A-10 with such schools as Freedom and Wharton. The last two years the Warriors were placed in a lower class by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and played schools with smaller student populations, which is a common practice by the organization to help new programs.

Mann said his team likes the challenge of competing against different schools in the district.

“We’ll be playing more of the public schools in this area and that helps make some more rivalries for us,” Mann said. “The school won a bunch of district championships last year and the girls soccer team won states, and it’s those things that help bring in more interest from the students at the school.”

Along with that state soccer title, Warriors athlete Alexis Wright won the 2A state 100-meter hurdles championship, and the Steinbrenner boys cross country team finished as the 2A state runner-up last season. Stein said it is an honor to be a part of a young school creating a winning tradition.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of the history of a school,” Stein said. “To have our name on a district trophy and be there for that winning moment.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Robert Woodard has been named the girls soccer coach at Steinbrenner High, Warriors athletic director Eddie Henderson announced on Sept. 12.

“We felt like Robert has the right qualities to lead our successful girls soccer program here at Steinbrenner High School,” Henderson said. “We had a lot of very qualified people apply for the job, and we were fortunate that Robert was one of them. He brings a strong knowledge of soccer and a passion to coach.”

The Warriors won the Class 4A state championship last season in the school’s second year, defeating Merritt Island 2-1 in overtime in the title game. Steinbrenner finished with a 21-2-2 record in 2010-11 after going 17-1-2 in 2009-10.

“I’m really happy to be working with such a great group of players,” Woodard said. “Winning a state championship was a monumental accomplishment. No one has ever won a (soccer) state title in the second year of a program.”

Woodard has more than 20 years experience coaching and playing soccer. He was an assistant at Jesuit and Bloomingdale before coming to the Lutz-based school.

Woodard worked with both the boys and girls programs while at Bloomingdale, where he coached in six state title games, including the Bulls boys’ state championship seasons in 1993, 1995 and 1998. That experience as an assistant in state final fours has made him accustomed to pressure that comes with high expectations.

“Obviously there are tremendous expectations (here), but the standards were equally high at Bloomingdale,” Woodard said.

Training begins in October for the Warriors, but Woodard said he is confident the girls are already doing everything they can to be prepared for the season.

“These girls already know how to train and play, so it’s a matter of establishing our identity for the upcoming season,” Woodard said.

Steinbrenner moves up in classification into Class 5A-District 8, which includes four playoff teams from last season. Besides the Warriors, the alignment includes Class 5A regional finalist Gaither, Class 4A regional finalist Wiregrass Ranch and Freedom, which won the 5A-9 district championship the last two years.

Woodard will likely return most of the top contributors from the Warriors’ championship squad, losing only three seniors to graduation.

One of those key returners includes senior forward Cici Gonzalez, who posted 33 goals and 34 assists last season making her the only girls soccer player in Hillsborough County with a 30/30 year. She was also named the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Also likely to return is junior forward Alexis Bredeau and her 24 goals and 13 assists from last season, as well as sophomore midfielder Danielle Eule, who had 11 goals and 12 assists last year.

Woodard also joined Steinbrenner’s staff as an exceptional education instructor. He replaces Teresa Patterson, who had coached the Warriors since the school opened in 2009, but resigned the post early this year to start her family. Patterson also coached at Gaither in 2008-09.

Steinbrenner will start the 2011-12 season at Jefferson on Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

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

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner football team recorded the first shutout in the program’s three-year history by winning 28-0 at Strawberry Crest on Sept. 16.

The victory moves the Warriors to 2-1 on the season, giving them a winning record for the first time ever, but Steinbrenner coach Floyd Graham knows the squad needs to clean up its mistakes to reach its potential.

“I think we can play a whole lot better than what we did,” Graham said. “We had a couple of touchdowns called back because of penalties. If we’re going to compete in our district we can’t do that.

“We had way too many punts, way too many penalties and the penalties came at the wrong time,” Graham continued. “We gave them an automatic first down on defense when it was third and 18; we ran into the punter and gave them another first down. Those things cannot happen.”

The Warriors defense has allowed just 24 points in its first three games, music to Graham’s ears.

“I’m a big believer in winning on D,” Graham said. “We expect to win with defense, special teams and ball control. Against Crest the defense played outstanding.”

Steinbrenner got on the board when running back Kendall Pearcey raced 94 yards for a touchdown on a sweep play.

“I was really proud of Pearcey because last year he got a concussion against Crest and never really bounced back,” Graham said. “Then the first time he touched the ball against them this year he goes 94 yards for a touchdown and scores in the same end zone he got the concussion last year.”

Running back Jake Carroll had scoring catches of 45 and 34 yards from quarterback Curtis Fitch. Wide receiver Zack Jones also had a 5-yard touchdown run.

Graham said he was happy with the 2-minute offense, as the team was able to complete an 80-yard touchdown drive that began with 1:14 left in the first half to go into the locker room up 14-0.

The Warriors will host Class 7A-District 7 rival Freedom on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Volleyball, cheerleading, soccer see gains

By Kyle LoJacono

The number of high school students participating in sports has dropped during the last year, according to data released by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) last week.

The overall number of participants fell by 2,365 from the 2009-10 school year, down to 245,079 in 2010-11. That decrease happened despite the student population increasing by 4,665 during that same time.

Boys participation dropped by 1 percent during that time, down from 140,096 to 139,751. Girls participation dropped 2 percent, down from 107,348 to 105,328.

The sport that lost the most student-athletes was softball, which fell by 3,771 participants, or 23 percent, from the 2009-10 school year. Girls tennis also dropped by 5 percent, down to 4,692 players.

Boys cross country and track and field participation dropped by 3 percent each, down to 6,683 and 15,493 respectively.

Despite the slight decrease, Pasco County athletic director Phil Bell is optimistic about sports participation in the area.

“I think the decrease has something to do with the down economy,” Bell said. “If you look at the totals during the last few years you’ll find the number is up during that time. It is just down a little bit from last year to this year.”

FHSAA records show the number of student-athletes has increased every year during the last decade except between the last two years. There were 2,726 more participants in 2010-11 than the 2008-09 school year.

The numbers have dropped within the FHSAA despite a record-breaking number of students participating in high school sports nationally. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), of which the FHSAA is a member, reports 7.7 million kids in the United States played some high school sport last school year, or about 55.5 percent of all students at member schools.

“While the overall increase was not as much as we’ve seen in the past few years, we are definitely encouraged with these totals given the financial challenges facing our nation’s high schools,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “The benefits of education-based athletics at the high school level are well-documented, and we encourage communities throughout the nation to keep these doors of opportunity open.”

The sport that saw the largest increase in participants at FHSAA member schools during the last year was girls volleyball, which added 534 new players, a 4 percent increase.

Both boys and girls soccer also saw gains in Florida, with an additional 434 and 419 student-athletes respectively. Cheerleading increased by 403, while football saw a modest increase of 183 players.

Lacrosse participation in the state also increased by 687 combined for boys and girls teams, but the sport is not offered through the FHSAA in either Pasco or Hillsborough counties. Bowling had 453 more total student-athletes than two years ago, but it is also not offered in the area.

For the FHSAA’s complete participation statistics since 1973, visit www.fhsaa.org.

Zephyrhills duo claim doubles crown

By Kyle LoJacono

Zephyrhills residents Gus Bondi and Walt Shine expected to do well at the Eastern National Shuffleboard Doubles Championship, and they went out and showed why their city is known for the game.

“I was hoping, but you know with shuffleboard it’s a game of mistakes and if someone makes a mistake you can be pretty well eaten up fast,” Shine said. “I had a good partner in Gus Bondi, and I knew if we played well we had a pretty good chance.”

The final match went to a decisive third game, which became a back-and-forth contest. Bondi and Shine took a big lead of nearly 40 points, but the opposition managed to tie things up. The Zephyrhills duo finally broke through to win the championship on Sept. 2.

The two have played as a team a few times before, but never at a national tournament. Despite the lack of experience together, they managed to go 4-0 in the event en route to winning the title in Hendersonville, N.C.

“Gus is very good to play with,” said Shine, who started playing in 1998. “He knows if I make a mistake I didn’t do it on purpose, and I know that too. We’re all trying to play our best and we all make mistakes. That’s his attitude, and it’s easy to play with someone like that. I would definitely play with him again.”

Bondi echoed Shine’s sentiment.

“I made mistakes and he didn’t say anything; he made mistakes and I didn’t say anything,” said Bondi, who picked up the sport 10 years ago. “It takes two to win a tournament. Everybody makes mistakes, but whoever makes the fewest mistakes and comes back from their mistakes wins.”

Bondi has played in Hendersonville about five times before, but it was Shine’s first time on those courts.

“I had a wonderful time,” Shine said. “I play to have fun, so that makes me more relaxed and makes it more enjoyable. It’s a game, so you’re going to win and lose, but certainly I want to be the one who wins. If I don’t, it’s only a game.”

It is the second national title for each of the east Pasco County residents. Shine won the Summer National Championship Any Doubles title at Betmar in Zephyrhills in June. Bondi claimed his first crown at the Eastern Nationals in 2005.

Bondi and Shine were not the only Zephyrhills residents near the top at the event. Buddy Allen came in third in the men’s singles tournament. Bondi said that speaks to the level of play in east Pasco.

“Zephyrhills in my opinion is the shuffleboard capital of the world,” Bondi said. “There are a lot of good shufflers, and wherever they go there is always a fair representation on the leader board.”

Bondi and Shine are now in Arizona playing in the East West Goodwill Games.

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco football coach and longtime Dade City resident Tom McHugh was named the Pirates’ new athletic director on Sept. 8.

McHugh, who is also a physical education instructor at Pasco High, was hired in 2007 to lead the school’s football program after spending the previous eight years as the defensive coordinator at Wesley Chapel. During his first four years at the helm, McHugh has guided Pirates football to four district championships and a 41-10 record, the second most wins by a coach in program history.

McHugh’s football squad reached the Class 3A state final four in 2008. They are currently 3-0 this year, including a 39-6 victory over Sunshine Athletic Conference rival Land O’ Lakes on Sept. 9.

“Being a part of this football program has been a real joy for me,” McHugh said. “I’m excited to be a part of all the athletic teams at the school now as athletic director. I love coaching kids, and now I can be a part of helping all our student-athletes.”

Pasco assistant principal Norm Brown said McHugh’s success as a football coach was a big part in his selection, as was his connection to the community.

“He knows everything about this area and is very knowledgeable about sports,” Brown said. “He has the trust of everyone here. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to replace Jim Ward.”

Ward resigned as the Pasco athletic director on Aug. 25, citing a desire to spend more time on his personal life. Ward remains an instructor at Pasco, and also as the wide receivers coach on McHugh’s football staff.

The Land O’ Lakes boys cross country team won its first meet of the regular season at the Seffner Christian Invitational on Sept. 10.

The Gators boys took the team title at the 14-school event thanks in part to sophomore Travis Nichols setting a personal record on a 5-kilometer course, finishing in 16:45 to take the individual crown. He was followed shortly by teammates Tyler Stahl, who placed fourth in 17:30, and Jake Poore, who took 10th in 18:32.

Land O’ Lakes finished with 64 points, besting second place Mount Dora Bible’s 94. The Gators average time at the meet was 18:45.48. Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) rival Wesley Chapel came in ninth with 245 points and an average finish of 22:51.84.

The Land O’ Lakes girls also participated in the event, coming in 13th among 17 schools. Louisa Cestone, who placed 49th among 110 competitors in 24:57, led the Gators.