The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Wounded warrior gets new home for the holidays

By

B.C. Manion

Army Sgt. Joel Tavera will be home for the holidays.

The highly decorated wounded Army veteran was hailed with a hero’s welcome on Saturday, as he rode in a motorcade including Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies on motorcycles, fire trucks, a military vehicle, biker groups and other vehicles.

The procession made its way from the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital through Lutz, to Grand Hampton, a North Tampa community of upscale, architecturally diverse homes. The entry of the normally gated community was opened on Saturday, Nov. 19, to allow in the flow of cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Flags lined the roads leading to the war hero’s home and people of all ages stood along the sidewalks waving flags and homemade “welcome home” signs as the procession crept through the subdivision. The procession stopped just short of Tavera’s new home at 20007 Outpost Point Drive.

Hundreds of people were there, on a beautiful, breezy morning, to celebrate with the man who has endured 73 surgeries since March 12, 2008, when he was riding in an armored SUV inside the Tallil Airbase in southeastern Iraq. Five rockets struck the armored vehicle, killing three of the soldier’s friends.

Tavera initially was thought to be dead.

He suffered serious head trauma. He lost sight in both of his eyes. He lost his right leg and four fingers on his left hand. He sustained critical burns to 60 percent of his body.

At the time of the incident his parents, Jose and Maritza Tavera, were told that their son was the second most severely injured soldier to survive the Iraq war.

Tavera was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and, on Saturday morning, Nov. 19, he was honored in a homecoming celebration at his new four-bedroom home.

The home is valued at $456,580. It was built by William Ryan Homes as part of a nationwide project spearheaded by Building Homes for Heroes, an organization that organizes efforts to build new homes for returning wounded veterans. So far, nine homes have been built and others are in the pipeline.

Features in the 4,300-square-foot home include hardwood and ceramic tile floors, granite countertops and stainless appliances.

It also has a water softening system for Tavera’s sensitive skin, a 13 feet by 26 feet pool with therapy jets and a swimming exercise treadmill and a front door that opens automatically upon Tavera’s approach.

Tavera was clearly elated during Saturday’s event– delighted both by the gift of the new home and by the size of the crowd of supporters there to share his big moment.

“I’m grateful for everybody who took the time from their busy schedules to make it out here, to come celebrate this with my family – with both my wonderful caretakers, my mother and my father,” Tavera said.

The celebration included plenty of pomp and ceremony. There were bagpipe players, a formal presentation of colors and speeches by dignitaries. Honored guests included high-ranking military officers and top-level staff of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.

Kelly Hallman, the Building Homes for Heroes mission leader in Tampa – who also is a Hillsborough County firefighter — could barely keep his composure as he expressed gratitude for Tavera’s service and courage, and spoke of the generosity that resulted in the solder’s new home.

Andy Pujol, the founder and president of Building Homes for Heroes, and Jeff Thorson, of William Ryan Homes, were also there to salute Tavera’s service and welcome him to his new home.

When it came Tavera’s time to speak, he told the crowd that he heard people referring to him as a hero, but he doesn’t see himself in that light.

“You are! You are!” a man shouted from the crowd – to which the audience broke out in cheers and applause.

But Tavera responded: “I got hurt doing my job.”

The wounded warrior was clearly touched by the generosity shown to him.

“I cannot exactly name every single person who was involved in putting this home together,” Tavera said.

A banner posted near the house reinforced how difficult it would be to thank every supporter by name. It listed hundreds, if not thousands, of names of people who helped in some way on the project.

Some of the biggest contributors were nearly two dozen of the homebuilder’s business partners. They donated products, materials and services, totaling about $150,000.

Those supporters include:

–Guardian Protection Services, $50,000

–John Madison Landscape, $24,000

–Masco Cabinetry, $14,000

–Jeffco Construction, $9,000

–Aquascape Pools, $8,500

–Seagull Lighting, $5,000

–Seagull Lighting, $5,600

–Prestige Electric, $5,200

–Hartshorn Custom, $5,200

William Ryan Homes, a family-owned company, builds in three Tampa Bay locations, include Ashton Oaks in Wesley Chapel, Harbour Isles in Apollo Beach and Grand Hampton.

For more information on Building Homes for Heroes, go to www.BuildingHomesforHeroes.org.

Helping others during these hard times

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Serving up hot meals, food boxes and kindness at Thanksgiving

By B.C. Manion

 

In homes across the region on Thanksgiving, the aroma of roasted turkey will fill the air, as family and friends gather to share a feast and the pleasure of one another’s company.

Scores of volunteers, however, will be devoting a portion of their holiday to serving or delivering hot meals to those who are less fortunate.

So many people signed up to help at the second annual Turkey Gobble Feast at the Dairy Queen in Wesley Chapel that the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel had to ask some volunteers if they could help deliver toys for Christmas, instead.

“It’s amazing how many people want to volunteer,” said Jennifer Cofini, one of the Turkey Gobble’s organizers.

Cofini is customer and community relations manager for Heritage Ford, which is one of the sponsors for the Turkey Gobble.

Dan Byrne, who owns the Dairy Queen, said he had hoped that fewer people would need by this time this year – but many people are struggling because of the tough economy.

The event is aimed at helping not only the unemployed, the underemployed and the homeless, but also shut-ins who have no way of getting a holiday meal, Byrne said.

Last year, the goal was to provide 400 meals. This year, the organizers are being more ambitious. They hope to feed 750.

When they created the event last year, the idea was to have people dine at the Dairy Queen, where they could share the experience with others, Bryne said.

In retrospect, however, organizers decided it would be better to give people a take-out option, so they could enjoy the meals at home, he said. So, this year, diners have a choice. They can enjoy their meal of turkey and all the fixings at Dairy Queen, or take it home.

For those who are unable to go to the Dairy Queen, 27328 SR 54 in Wesley Chapel, there are volunteers who will deliver the meals, Cofini said.

Besides the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, Metropolitan Ministries, Dairy Queen and Heritage Ford, other primary event sponsors are the International Hair Co. and Florida Medical Clinic. There’s also an anonymous donor who has contributed $2,000 for the Thanksgiving feast and another $2,000 for toys for Metropolitan Ministries, Byrne said.

The group has reached out to churches, schools, homeless shelters and others to ask them to spread the word about the Thanksgiving meal.

Others across the region also have given out their time and treasure.

Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel gave out 200 turkeys to families last week during the church’s weekly food pantry, said Scott Lindner, church pastor. The New Tampa Rotary Club helped distribute the turkeys and other holiday foods, he said.

The church raised money to purchase the turkeys through a special fundraising event. Wolf’s Den, a local restaurant, donated all of the food for the breakfast at the fundraiser.

The church also received $2,000 in donations from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a fraternal organization based in Appleton, Wis. to help pay for the turkeys.

In another act of kindness, Heritage Ford created a collection site in its dealership where people brought in enough donations to fill 50 food boxes in its first Boxes of Hope campaign for Metropolitan Ministries of Pasco County. The dealership, at 28739 SR 54 W., collected 686 pounds of food and donated a turkey for every box it filled.

At Wesley Chapel Nissan, 28519 Wesley Chapel Blvd., the dealership’s owner, Jay Rosario, its general manager, Glenn Gibson, and its internet director, Troy Stevenson, provided $800 in gift cards to help 47 families in need in the community of Wimauma, through efforts led by Myrtle Lake Baptist Church in Land O’ Lakes.

Last week, the WWJD Food Outreach was busy gathering donations for Thanksgiving dinner boxes for 225 families. The goal was to collect enough donations to give each of those families a turkey, as well as other items to create a holiday meal.

The Chancey Road Christian Church also planned to provide meals on Thanksgiving for the elderly, homeless, lonely and elderly. Reservations for those meals were due by Nov. 22.

Efforts are ongoing at Keystone Community Church, 21010 SR 54, in Land O’ Lakes. The church has been collecting food, turkeys and toys for Thanksgiving in its third annual Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Collection Tent.

The church’s youth group collected 1,486 pounds of food in a single day by collecting bags filled by contributors in the community.

The Thanksgiving drive was set to end on Tuesday, Nov. 22. That tent will reopen on Saturday, Dec. 10 and will remain open until Wednesday, Dec. 21, to accept contributions for Christmas.

Odessa company lands $106 million job

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Doing things the same old way won’t bring new contracts, CEO says

By B.C. Manion

Motorists buzzing down Gunn Highway in Odessa likely are oblivious to a German-based company that has its U.S. headquarters on a side street called Byrd Legg Drive.

But the company – Bauer Foundation Corp. – is known throughout the world and recently landed a $106 million contract to install a barrier wall at Center Hill Dam in Cookeville, Tenn.

While other companies are giving employees pink slips or holding steady on their staffing, Bauer is hiring.

The company especially needs engineers, said Charles Puccini, president and CEO of the company in Odessa. He’s especially interested in people who can think through solutions.

Winning contracts, Puccini said, means figuring out ways to do things faster, better and cheaper than they were done in the past.

“We have to outthink our competitors every day and be better every day,” Puccini said. “If we re-tender the same idea we had last time, we lose.”

When they fail to secure a contract, Puccini tells his employees: “We were outthought by our competitors. We didn’t think about it enough.”

He also reminds them they always have to be looking to the future. Something that used to be acceptable may not be good enough today, he said.

In other words, “In 2002, it was a great idea. It’s going to be 2012 in a couple of days. You have to be improving every day,” he said.

The company leader places paramount importance on an educated work force. That’s why his company offers robust internship and training programs.

“You pull the economy out through technology and the only way you get technology is through education,” Puccini said.

The company is constantly looking for ways to improve its equipment, to get better results in the field, he said.

The company began as Coastal Caisson in the 1970s and was purchased by its parent company, Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, based in Schrobenhausen, Germany, in the 1990s.

Bauer is a leader in the execution of complex excavation pits, ground improvement, deep foundations and in-ground walls, utilizing the most up-to-date equipment and installation techniques.

Loren Winckler, who has been with the company for 20 years, said he explains what his company does this way: “I work for a construction company, but you don’t see anything we build because everything we build is under the ground. Once we get to the ground level, we’re done. It’s all foundation work.

“We’re in the beginning processes of building a bridge, building a building. We’re the first ones on the scene, the first ones on the job,” he said.

Winckler handles much of the company’s training program.

“Drilling into the ground is a very specialized field,” he said, noting interns at the company generally spend six weeks learning about various facets of the company.

“What our company makes is the equivalent of a tunnel boring machine, but we go vertical instead of horizontal,” Puccini said.

So, instead of tunneling through an area and pushing away the debris, it drills down.

“We have to lift up all of this rock chips and cuttings – it’s just tons of materials,” Puccini said. “This is not easy. This requires lots of research and development.”

Puccini said the company chose to move to Odessa because it had outgrown its site on Ulmerton Road.

It wanted a site that had ample room to accommodate growth, was on a trucking route and was in an area with good roads that was not heavily developed.

Pasco County, near the Hillsborough County line, fit the bill.

 

 

Helping others in need for the holidays

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By B.C. Manion

As the holiday season approaches, Keystone Community Church in Lutz and Heritage Ford in Wesley Chapel are stepping forward to help others in need.

Keystone Community Church will hold its third annual Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Collection Tent and Heritage Ford is having its first Boxes of Hope campaign.

Both efforts will benefit Metropolitan Ministries of Pasco County, which in turn will help families in need at the holidays.

Heritage Ford, at 28739 SR 54 W., has already begun accepting food donations in its Boxes of Hope campaign.

The goal is to collect enough food to provide Thanksgiving meals for 50 local families, said Jennifer Cofini, community relations manager for the car dealership.

“If we get more, that’s great,” Cofini said. “I figured 50 (food boxes) was a good place to start,” she said.

The dealership will contribute a turkey for every box of food it collects, Cofini said.

Those wishing to help can bring their food donations to the dealership’s showroom.

Items that are needed include canned fruits and vegetables, stuffing, mix, rice, beans, canned yams, gravy mix, cookies and Jello pudding.

Those contributing items also are invited to enter a drawing for a free deluxe vehicle detail valued at $149.95, Cofini said. It’s the dealership’s way of showing appreciation to the community for taking part in the food drive, she said.

The dealership’s food drive began on Oct. 26 and runs through Friday, Nov. 18. Contributors are invited to drop by the dealership’s showroom with their donations anytime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Cofini said.

While Heritage Ford’s food drive is well under way, Keystone Community Church is just gearing up for its third annual Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Collection Tent.

The church will kick off its annual effort by having a Holiday of Hope Tent Blessing at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.

Those attending are asked to bring a canned food item to donate, representing their “first fruits,” which refers to terminology used in the Bible.

The event will be at the church, 21010 SR 54 in Lutz, near the intersection of US 41 and SR 54.

The donation tent will begin operation on Nov. 12 and will receive donations through Nov. 22. It will reopen on Dec. 10 and remain open through Dec. 21 to accept additional contributions for Christmas.

Florida Blood Services will be on site during the opening day, so those wishing to donate blood will be able to do so.

Angela Hobson, the church’s outreach coordinator, said the intersection of US 41 and SR 54 is an ideal spot to gather donations because it is in such a central location in Pasco County.

She said the founders of Keystone Community Church have had a longstanding relationship with Metropolitan Ministries.

When the church was established at such a prime location, it decided it wanted to do its part to help Metropolitan Ministries of Pasco County — formerly known as Joining Hands Community Mission, Hobson said.

The church wants to do what Metropolitan Ministries in downtown Tampa does, at a smaller scale, Hobson said.

“We’ve scheduled dates throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays” to collect donations of food and new toys, Hobson said.

After the church collects the items, it delivers them to Metropolitan Ministries, which then distributes the items to families in need.

Hobson said she’s trying to get additional churches and community organizations to help out by providing volunteers to help at the collection site.

First United Methodist Church of Lutz has stepped up, Hobson said. Their volunteers are going to cover a day at the collection tent.

Middle school and high school students that need to earn community service hours can pitch in, and so can community groups, the outreach coordinator said. The church is not encouraging groups of young children to help because the site is in a high-traffic area and they don’t want to take any chances of anyone getting hurt, Hobson said.

Contributors are encouraged to donate canned fruits and vegetables, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, cereal and other nonperishable items. Frozen turkeys are also welcome because the church has freezers it can use to store them, Hobson said.

The church is also collecting gift items, especially gifts for teenagers. Items that are in high demand include board games, jewelry, makeup, hair accessories, footballs, basketballs, DVD and CD players, journals, sketchbooks and gift cards.

New items for infants also are in great need, Hobson said.

 

/Heritage Ford Boxes of Hope food drive

The drop off location for food items at Heritage Ford is in the vehicle showroom reception area. The dealership is at 28739 SR 54 W. in Wesley Chapel.

For more information about the car dealership’s food drive, contact Jennifer Cofini at (813) 907-7800 or email .

Sunlake escapes with 22-21 win

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By Eugenio Torrens

Seven seconds.

That’s how much time was left when Ocala Vanguard missed a game-winning 44-yard field goal extending Sunlake’s postseason ride into the second round of the Class 6A playoffs with a 22-21 win.

Seahawks defenders Nick Morrison, No. 32, and Ben Chin stop Vanguard running back Kyle Sander at the goal line on fourth down to give Sunlake a chance to win the one-point contest.

“The only thing I was saying was please God make him miss, please God don’t let this go through the uprights,” said senior quarterback Cameron Stoltz.

The Seahawks (10-1) converted a two-point conversion after an offsides penalty against the Knights (7-4) on the point-after-touchdown attempt to take the one-point lead. Senior Jerome Samuels vaulted over the middle for the game’s final points as Sunlake held on to write a new chapter in its history-making season.

“When they jumped, it was one of those deals I’m either going to be the hero, or I’m going to be the biggest jerk in the world,” said coach Bill Browning, who has been with the Seahawks since their inception in 2007. Browning said his son, Brandon, asked him ‘Did you come here to win or tie?’ after Vanguard committed the penalty.

“So dad listened to son’s advice,” Browning said.

The two-point conversion came after an eight-play, 98-yard drive sparked by another game-changing call.

The Knights had the ball at the Sunlake 1, but were stuffed on fourth and goal to keep it a one-score game.

“Everything was running through my head, all I was thinking was just seek and destroy,” said senior lineman Nate McCoole, who was in on the defensive stop.

Seniors Nate McCoole, No. 77, and Nick Morrison celebrate after Sunlake’s 22-21 playoff victory at Ocala Vanguard on Nov. 18.

Vanguard opened the game intent on running the ball. P.J. Williams, a Florida State University commit, ran 59 yards to put his team up 7-0.

Sunlake went three and out, but Vanguard fumbled the ball on its next series.

The Seahawks took over at the Knights’ 28-yard line. Stoltz lobbed a pass to Jamal Jones in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.

The Knights responded emphatically when Jamarius Quary ran the ensuing kickoff back about 14 yards before pitching it to Williams, who took it 61 yards for his second score of the night.

Vanguard had the ball to start the second quarter, but the offense sputtered and the punting team was brought out. The snap was low and the punter had to scramble before trying to get off a kick that was blocked setting up Sunlake at the Knights’ 30.

Stoltz found Eddie Burgos on a 25-yard touchdown strike to tie the game 14-14.

Vanguard kept pounding the Sunlake defense in the second half, scoring on a nine-play drive without attempting a pass to go up 21-14.

Another Seahawks series ended with a punt to give Vanguard the ball with 2:26 left in the third. The Knights ate up five and a half minutes before Sunlake’s defense slammed the door shut on fourth and goal from its own 1.

Sunlake didn’t squander its next chance.

The Seahawks had been unable to generate much offense when starting on their own side of the field, but all that went out the window after they drove methodically 98 yards.

Then Stoltz found a matchup he knew he could exploit — a linebacker on Rashaud Daniels. The result: a 44-yard pass down the sideline. One play later, Stoltz snuck it in himself.

The routine point after brought the game-changing drama when the Knights were flagged for being offsides. And while some may have questioned the two-point call, it didn’t seem like there was a Seahawk that didn’t believe in Browning’s play call.

“My mindset was coach Browning, you a crazy old man,” Burgos said. “You crazy, but I love coach Browning so much, and I trust coach Browning.”

The conversion put Sunlake up, but it didn’t win the game right there. Vanguard got the ball back two more times, including one last stab at winning with 17 seconds left.

The Knights were near midfield, when quarterback Cody Miller found Williams who streaked to the Sunlake 27, setting up a field goal with 7 seconds left that sailed wide left.

“I’m going to enjoy this for the rest of my life,” Daniels said.

The Seahawks travel to Gainesville on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Cowboys complete 16-point comeback over Durant

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By Kyle LoJacono

The Gaither football team found itself trailing 23-7 at halftime against Durant in the Class 7A regional quarterfinals on Nov. 18 but fought back to win the program’s first playoff game since 2007.

Junior Shug Oyegunle racked up 230 yards of total offense, including 72 passing, and recorded two scores in Gaither’s 38-30 comeback victory over Durant.

The Cowboys (8-3) scored 31 second-half points off three touchdown passes by quarterback Alex McGough, a 19-yard run by Shug Oyegunle and a 27-yard field goal by Dalton Gilson to win 38-30.

“At halftime we told them listen ‘you’re champions, but you’re just not playing like it,’” said first-year Gaither coach Jason Stokes. “Throw everything else out the window. You just have to execute.’ We told them ‘do you want to go home and turn your gear in tonight, or do want to keep playing?’”

Stokes’ words hit home as the Cowboys were a different squad coming out of the locker room, picking up 305 yards of total offense after halftime.

Gaither’s defense sacked Cougars (7-4) quarterback Nick Fabrizio four times and picked off three of his passes. Safety Eddie Pastrana took the first interception 35 yards for his squad’s first points, while the final two found the hands of cornerback Tyler McCollum.

McCollum said he wasn’t expecting to pick off two passes against Durant’s run-heavy read-option offense, but was happy there were a few attempts to his side of the field.

“If they were going to throw my way I was going to do everything I could to pick them off and make them pay,” McCollum said.

Tyler McCollum’s two second-half interception were pivotal in Gaither winning its first playoff game since 2007.

McCollum’s first interception came on the Cougars’ drive after the Cowboys had taken a 31-30 lead, giving them the ball with 3:49 remaining in the game. Durant had one timeout left and Gaither would have been able to run out the clock with one first down, but Oyegunle decided a one-point victory was too close.

“When I saw Tyler get that pick, I knew it was show time,” Oyegunle said. “I told Alex get me the ball and I’d get in the end zone.”

McGough did find him on the fifth play of the drive, connecting on a screen pass that Oyegunle took 62 yards for the game’s final points.

“When I got the ball in my hands I was just thinking touchdown touchdown touchdown,” Oyegunle said.

The Cowboys started the game slowly. Stokes said the start was partially due to arriving late after their bus got stuck in traffic, forcing them to cut warm-ups short.

“We basically came out the bus, touched our toes and played football,” Stokes said. “We were totally out of whack.”

Cowboys senior wide receiver Carlo Perello leaps over a Durant defender to score on a two-point conversion on Nov. 18.

Gaither was also dealt an early blow on its second possession when McGough was forced out of the game after Durant defender Chris Heald put a big hit on his throwing arm. The Wesley Chapel High transfer sat out much of the first half, but came back to record 235 yards on 14-of-29 passing, including scoring strikes of 6 and 59 yards to Demarcus Sexil and Carlo Perello, respectively.

Oyegunle filled in for McGough, going 3-of-8 passing for 72 yards. He also added 107 yards on four catches, 24 yards on four carries and another 27 on a kick return.

“It was a total effort,” Stokes said. “We got some good runbacks on special teams, got some key picks and we’ve got some big-time players on offense. When it comes down to it, when the rubber meets the road, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.”

The Cowboys travel to district rival Tampa Bay Tech on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. for the regional semifinals. The Titans defeated Gaither 17-14 on Nov. 4 on a last-minute field goal.

Shah takes fourth, Wiregrass Ranch boys claim sixth

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By Kyle LoJacono

A year ago, Wiregrass Ranch cross country runner Nikita Shah could barely finish a 5-kilometer race in less than 20 minutes, a far cry from her performance this year.

The junior ran a 17:53.96 at the Class 3A girls state meet on Nov. 19 at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, the third straight week she has cracked the 18-minute mark and the fastest time of any girl from Pasco or Hillsborough counties at the event.

Bulls junior Nikita Shah ran a 17:53.96 at the state meet on Nov. 19 at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, faster than any other girl from either Pasco or Hillsborough counties.

The performance was good enough for fourth place overall, the best finish of any Bulls runner in the school’s six-year history. Shah’s time would have made her the individual state champion in any of the other three class’ final race.

“I was aiming for fifth place because I was seeded sixth, but fourth is good for me too,” Shah said with a smile.

Last year Shah placed 27th at states, ten spots worse than how she ran as a freshman. The slowdown was caused by a bout of anemia that zapped her strength during the second half of her sophomore season.

After diagnosing the problem, Shah started taking iron supplements and her speed returned to the point where she brought Wiregrass Ranch its first state medal.

“It means everything to me that I can perform like this,” Shah said. “Last year it kind of upset me to be getting worse instead of better when I was training hard, but this year it worked out how I wanted. It only means everything in the world to me basically.”

Wiregrass Ranch junior Ermias Bireda’s finished 15th at the state meet, better than any other Bulls boy in program history.

The trip to claiming that medal wasn’t easy for Shah as the anemia basically took away a whole year of training at a high level.

“It’s very satisfying as a coach to see her run like that after what she’s gone through,” said Bulls girls coach Don Howard. “Phenomenal run by her going under 18 minutes again. She had a strategy to run out with the lead pack and to make a move at the 2-mile mark. She did exactly what she set out to do.”

Shah gave credit to Howard for getting her into top shape for the year’s biggest race.

“My coach trained us to peak at exactly the right time,” Shah said. “I did a lot worse than the girls on my level at the beginning of the season, but I knew I was going to peak later. … This is the best shape I’ve ever been in my whole life. I can only thank my coach for that. Without him I couldn’t do anything.”

The Bulls’ 232 points gave them seventh place, one spot off the best state performance in program history — quite a feat considering they had to replace four of their top-seven runners from last year.

“I told our principal at the beginning of the season that this was a rebuilding year for us, but the new girls just came on so well that we exceeded what we did last year,” Howard said.

Wiregrass Ranch picked up a couple of girls from other sports. Berlin Waters was only a soccer player last school year, but decided to give cross country a try as well. The story was the same for Savannah Goode, who was focusing on cheerleading at this time last year.

The Bulls boys took sixth by scoring 200 points, matching their best place at states.

“We were pushing to be the best team in school history,” said Wiregrass Ranch boys coach Chris Loth. “We were seeded ninth and we thought between sixth and fourth was a possibility. We were less than 10 points out of fourth place, and we’re happy with that. Our top three, Ermias, Sam and David, had outstanding races. Ermias finished better than any other boy in school history. Outstanding exclamation mark to the end of a great season.”

Like the girls, the Bulls boys had to replace four of their top seven.

“The kids were out to prove they could overcome that and I think they did,” Loth said.

Wiregrass Ranch was led by Ermias Bireda’s 15th-place finish in 16:09.1, one spot and 1.64 seconds better than Land O’ Lakes’ Travis Nichols.

“Travis has beaten me most of this season, so this time I really wanted to win,” said Bireda, who placed 67th at the event last year as a sophomore. “I feel good and I’m excited for my senior year. I can’t wait to get next season going.”

Nichols, a sophomore, also improved his placing greatly from a year ago when he finished 68th.

“It gives me confidence to be somewhat near the top in my second time here,” Nichols said. “I was way near the bottom last year.”

Bulls senior Sam Hippely ran a 16:22.14 to take 26th in his final high school race.

“This course has been tough on Sam the last couple years, and he was able to redeem himself today,” Loth said. “It put a great end to a great career — a hall of fame career.”

Steinbrenner had a bit of a disappointing day. The squad finished as the 2A state runner-up last year but could muster only 12th place in 3A this year by scoring 308 points. Land O’ Lakes’ 517 points made it 21st.

The girls 4A meet included Freedom and Wharton, which took 14th and 20th, respectively. The Patriots were led by senior Ashley Smith’s 20:30.98, good enough for 67th overall. Wildcats junior Taylor Griffith took 93rd in 21:07.68.

Messy transition spurs new idea

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County commissioners plan to make chair selection nonpolitical

By Kyle LoJacono

There was tension in the air on Nov. 15 when the Hillsborough County Commission was selecting its new chair for the next year.

Outgoing chairman Al Higginbotham nominated Mark Sharpe to succeed him and made his opinion very well known. However, the other five commissioners backed Ken Hagan, who officially takes over the role this week with Sandy Murman serving as vice-chairman. It is the fourth time Hagan has held the gavel on the board.

After the 5-2 vote, members began talking about changing the process of selecting its chair.

Commissioner Les Miller, who was also voted as chaplain for the next year, said the idea is to make the appointments on a regular schedule to take “behind-the-scenes wrangling” out of the picture.

The idea is to have the position pass to the member with the most seniority who hasn’t served at the post for the next two years.

“This would take the politics out of the process,” Miller said. “I was shocked to be getting calls a month before this from people asking me to support certain nominations.”

Murman agreed with Miller’s idea, saying the way the board’s leader is selected has gotten “out of control.

“Our process is flawed,” Murman continued. “We need to change it.”

Miller’s plan got a 5-2 early approval, with Higginbotham and Victor Crist opposing the motion, meaning it would likely be passed after the required two public hearings to get feedback about the proposed ordinance.

Crist and Higginbotham both said they did not disagree with the plan of taking out the politics of the selection process, but wanted more time to think about the options before supporting the measure. Crist, whose District 2 includes all of Lutz, also wondered why anyone would want to push for certain people to be the chair.

“The chairman has no more influence than any other member of this board,” Crist said. “Lobbyists who want certain people in charge don’t understand how the commission works.”

The chair is the board’s leader in name and guides its meetings, but has no additional powers.

If officially adopted, the new system would go into place for 2012. Sharpe is the one in line to be chairman, with Kevin Beckner serving as vice-chairman. Beckner would take over in 2013, with Murman serving as vice-chairwoman.

After those two years, the position would be rotated sequentially through the districts, starting with District 1 in 2014 and moving to District 2 in 2015. Murman currently represents District 1, which includes all of Odessa/Keystone.

Commissioners will have the first of two public hearings on the proposal on Wednesday, Dec. 7. For additional information on the proposal, call (813) 272-5900 or visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.

Building a girls soccer powerhouse at Gaither

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By Kyle LoJacono

Last season, the Gaither girls soccer team snapped a five-year playoff drought and made the regional finals for just the second time in the school’s 27-year history.

Gaither sophomore forward Taylor Meek scored 12 goals last season, more than any returning Cowboy.

The deep postseason run not only gave the returning Cowboys (3-3-1) confidence in their ability to compete at the highest level, but also a hunger to take another step forward with the program.

“I know the girls are ready for the season,” said third-year Gaither coach Trevor Scott. “We had a really good summer and had at least 20 girls at every session. They’re ready to show they can compete with anyone.”

The Cowboys won at Venice 2-1 and defeated Gulf Coast 1-0 in double overtime at home in the regional tournament before losing on the road to Seminole 3-0 just one win away from the Class 5A final four.

“It was tough to have the season end there, but it was good for the girls who are coming back because they know what it’s like,” Scott said. “They won a regional game on the road, they played really tough teams, so I think that experience will help this year.”

Senior midfielder Kaycee McGuire said being so close to states pushed everyone to work harder in the offseason.

“It was really amazing because we were the underdogs,” said McGuire, who led Gaither with 10 assists last year. “To get so far when we weren’t supposed to felt really good. We were all really sad when the season ended. … You look back and see that we were right there. It’s just like come on, couldn’t we have won just one more game? Just one more step.”

Cowboys junior defender Angela Anderson will likely be one of the squad’s major contributors on the backline this season.

Scott, a 2004 Gaither graduate, said that attitude of expecting to win is something that was not present a year ago.

“They had a lot of doubts coming into the season because it was a long time since 2004,” Scott said. “They had a new coach each year for a couple years, so I think it helped to have the same voice pushing them. They got to work together and that consistency helped, but a lot of it came down to the seniors pushing each other and the younger players wanting to win for them.”

Gaither will have to find players to fill in for four graduating seniors, including Lauren Moore and Carly Cepelak who are playing at the University of Tampa and Lincoln Memorial University, respectively, on soccer scholarships.

Moore led the Cowboys with 13 goals while adding five assists. Cepelak added one score, but was a big member of the Gaither defense.

The Cowboys also lose Caity Chandler, who played almost every position on the field last season while adding 10 goals and two assists.

“We also lost Jessica Carter at goalkeeper, who didn’t play in goal as much, but she was always ready for practice and pushed Amanda High as our starter,” Scott said. “You need to have players like that to keep everyone else working to get better. … You can’t ever replace everything a player does, but I can see new girls stepping up. They’re doing things I didn’t see them do last year on the field and in leadership roles.”

High, a sophomore, returns as the Gaither starting goalkeeper. She had 77 saves and eight shutouts while allowing just seven goals last season.

“I was only a freshman, so I had no idea what to expect for all of the year,” High said. “It was really cool to set some high standards to live up to.”

Gaither’s defense was a strength last year, as the team allowed only nine goals on the season. Scott said he will lean on defenders Angela Anderson, a junior, and senior Lexy Bubley, who transferred from Steinbrenner.

Forward Taylor Meek’s 12 goals last season are the most of any returning player. The sophomore said she feels she needs to “step up” her game as a sophomore. She also added playing alongside Moore helped her become a better player.

“She worked really hard and she tried to make sure we worked well together,” Meek said. “She’d get me the ball to score and I’d do the same back. She was always so nice and tried to work well with everyone.”

Gaither plays at Chamberlain on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m.

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

Wharton High students dominate national signing day

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By Kyle LoJacono

If national signing day was a game, Wharton High would have been named the area champion this year.

Four Wildcats student-athletes inked their names to letters of intent to compete in college during the first day of early signing on Nov. 9. Monica Santos will play softball at the University of South Florida (USF), tennis player Steven Sepulveda will attend Reinhardt University, Tyler Liberatore will wrestle at Arizona State University and Stephany Brown is headed to Palm Beach Atlantic University to play volleyball.

From left are Wharton seniors Monica Santos, Steven Sepulveda, Tyler Liberatore and Stephany Brown. The foursome each recently signed to continue their athletics in college.

Monica Santos

Monica Santos cannot remember a time when she wasn’t playing softball.

“It’s all I know and I’ve been doing it all my life,” Santos said. “I started playing baseball when I was 3, and I’ve had a bat and a ball in my hand since I was 2.”

The third baseman has been a fan of USF for almost as long.

“I watched the softball games there when I was 6 and just fell in love with the program,” said Santos, who is interested in sociology. “I can’t see myself going anywhere else. It’s been my dream to go to USF, so I’m just living my dream right now.”

Santos posted a .368 batting average with 18 runs scored and nine RBI in 2011. She also showed plate discipline by striking out only four times in 71 plate appearances while drawing 12 walks.

The senior’s play drew attention from USF as well as from the Puerto Rican national team. She plays on the commonwealth’s women’s squad, most recently competing at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico.

“It was an amazing experience,” Santos said. “I even played against team USA. Their coach is Ken Eriksen, who will be my coach at USF, so that was strange and fun at the same time.”

Steven Sepulveda

Steven Sepulveda is a relative newcomer to tennis, picking up the sport about five years ago.

“I played soccer for a long time and I was definitely a lot better at tennis,” Sepulveda said.

Despite his natural talent for the game, he was unable to make Wharton’s team his freshman year. He used the disappointment to fuel his desire to get better.

“I definitely practiced a lot more after that happened,” Sepulveda said. “It told me I have to go back and figure something out if I want to play in high school.”

Whatever he found in those practice sessions helped him make the Wildcats team in 2010, the year the squad brought home the Class 4A state championship. Wharton made it back to the state tournament the following season.

“This year I want to have a good season and I’m training four days a week right now to be ready when we start,” Sepulveda said. “We want to try and get back to states.”

Sepulveda plans to study business at Reinhardt. He added the school is a good fit for him because it has a low number of students per class, which is an environment that helps him learn.

Tyler Liberatore

Tyler Liberatore has been a constant at the wrestling finals since his freshman season, finishing as the state champion the last three years.

He transferred to Wharton for his senior year after spending the previous three at Brandon High, but he has no plans to slow down as a Wildcat.

“I’m out to pin everybody all season,” said Liberatore, who was 15-0 last year. “Nothing less than that.”

Liberatore started wrestling around age 8. He said he always wanted to be a part of a Division I program, and decided Arizona State was the right place quickly.

“I’ve gone to some of the wrestling camps and after meeting their coaches I found their style goes well with mine,” said Liberatore, who is undecided on his major. “Plus I’m a Florida boy, so I love warm weather. It’s one of the few good wrestling programs that is in warm weather, plus it’s a good academic school.”

Now that the first part of his dream has come true, Liberator can put the second phase into action.

“It feels great, but I’m definitely not content with just wrestling there,” Liberatore said. “I’m definitely playing to win some national titles while I’m there. It was always the goal to get to a Division I school and then win national titles.”

Stephany Brown

One look at Stephany Brown would not lead many to think she is one of the most imposing middle hitters in Florida.

The 6-foot-2 Brown always has a smile on her face and said she is friendly to everyone — off the court that is.

“When I get in front of the net my mentality changes,” Brown said. “I want to block everything that comes my way.”

Brown’s 1.3 blocks per set is tied for 10th most in the state this season. She also had 157 kills and 29 aces.

Brown, who will study sports medicine, started playing volleyball in eighth-grade.

“I played basically every sport you can think of and volleyball is the one I have the most passion for,” Brown said. “I also run track, but volleyball just called my name more.”

Brown’s play helped Wharton go 19-4 this season, the first time the program has won double digit matches in five years.

The Wildcats came up one match short of earning a berth in the playoffs, but Brown said the memories of her senior campaign are nothing but positive.

“It was a really exciting season,” Brown said. “Our outcome obviously wasn’t what we were hoping for, but we became so close and the relationship I have with each of my teammates is something I won’t forget.”

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