Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Recent Land O’ Lakes graduate Nicole Woodard signed a track and field scholarship with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, an NAIA program in Daytona Beach.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Nicole said. “It’s the perfect place for me.”

Nicole competed in the long and high jumps, and also the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays as a senior. She qualified for the Class 3A state meet in all four events.

The 5-foot-10 Nicole started competing in track while in seventh grade at Pine View Middle, but did not begin doing the jump events until she entered high school. She qualified for the state track meet as a freshman, junior and senior, missing out only during her sophomore year when she suffered a torn anterior curciate ligament (ACL).

Nicole won the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) and 3A-7 district championships in the long and high jump as a senior, plus another district title in the 4×400 relay with Samantha Austin, Hallie Grimes and Alyssa Lonsway. She was named the All-Laker/All-Lutz News and SAC Girls Track Athlete of the Year for her accomplishments as a senior.

Nicole, who will likely stick to the high and long jumps in college, won’t be the only Woodard on the Eagles track team, as her older sister Reta is a junior on the squad. Reta, a 2009 Land O’ Lakes graduated, focuses on the throwing events.

“It’s an amazing thing,” Nicole said. “We push each other a lot and know what the other is thinking. We also can see if the other is doing something wrong in our events.”

Reta, who made states her last two years, also relishes the opportunity to compete with Nicole in college.

“I remember in high school we were the only two from the school to make states my junior year, and that was a privilege,” Reta said. “Now we get to do it again in college and it will be a great opportunity. I have someone who I’ve been with my whole life and I can help her grow. … We’ll get to show everyone what Woodards can do.”

Nicole had success with other Gators teams her senior season. She was the center on the girls basketball squad that went 24-3 en route to claiming a district championship and the first regional finals appearance in program history.

Nicole had a team-high 80 blocks, while adding 176 rebounds, 69 steals and 6.7 points per game. She made the All-Laker/All-Lutz News first team and All-SAC East second team for her work in the paint.

During the fall, Nicole played middle hitter on the volleyball team. She amassed 136 blocks, tied for third most in Florida, and posted 186 kills and 20 aces to help the Gators go 19-4.

Nicole made both the All-Laker/All-Lutz News and All-SAC East volleyball first teams. She was the only student-athlete to make the All-Laker/All-Lutz News first team during the fall, winter and spring seasons this year, but is drawn more to track than any other sport.

“I like that in track you have to push yourself more,” Nicole said. “It’s more individual. You have to do it yourself.”

Nicole also enjoyed learning from Gators coach Harold “Rock” Ridgeway.

“Coach Rock was the best coach I’ve ever had,” Nicole said. “He’s the coach I would always want.”

Nicole will pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in homeland and cyber security, counter terrorism intelligence. She would like to work with the FBI after graduation.

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

The tight end also nominated as Army All-American

By Kyle LoJacono

Before he runs his first route, makes his first block or even opens his mouth in any game or practice, Land O’ Lakes senior Kent Taylor stands out from the crowd.

Not only does the 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end tower over every Gator teammate or opposing player, but Kent is also constantly working to improve his game.

“This offseason it’s been making sure I run my routes precisely,” Kent said. “I don’t want to give anything away with how I’m lined up, and I don’t want to get lazy and round off anything in the route. It’s just to make sure the defender has no idea what I’m going to do.”

Even if his opponent knows what Kent is going to do, it is unlikely the defender, or in many cases the multiple defenders, will be able to do a thing to stop him.

On deep routes, defensive backs aren’t tall or strong enough to stop him from picking up huge chunks of yards. Linebackers cannot keep up with him when Kent goes over the middle. When he stays in as a blocker, defensive linemen find out he is more than just a pass-catching threat.

Basically, Kent has taken every part of his role as a tight end to heart.

“If you want to be a valuable tight end, you have to be able to block and catch,” Kent said. “All the best tight ends in the NFL can do both. I think it just adds another aspect to your game if you can block a 290-pound defensive end and outrun a linebacker or safety to catch the ball.”

Kent, who is also an outfielder for the Land O’ Lakes baseball team, started playing football at age 9 with the Tampa Bay Youth Football League’s Westchase Colts and cannot get enough of the sport.

“The excitement and adrenaline is something I can’t find anywhere else,” Kent said.

Kent’s bloodline made playing on the gridiron almost inevitable before he ever picked up the oddly-shaped ball.

His father Rob was on offensive lineman in the NFL, playing eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1986-93.

“I don’t pretend to be an expert at who’re the best players, but I do know I’ve always been impressed with the catches Kent makes,” Rob said. “He certainly can run better than I can.”

Rob may not be an expert talent evaluator, but Kent has been going nowhere but up in most national college recruiting charts. He is rated No. 68 nationally by Rivals.com. Scouts.com, Rivals and Maxpreps.com all rank him as the top tight end in the country. He currently has more than 40 scholarship offers, many from BCS conference schools.

“It’s humbling,” Kent said. “A year ago no one had any interest at all, and now there are more offers than I can remember.”

As a sophomore, Kent saw limited playing time, recording only seven catches for 68 yards, but hauling in four touchdowns.

The catch-to-touchdown ratio remained high in Kent’s junior year as his touches increased. He posted 35 receptions for 571 yards and nine touchdowns in 2010. Mix that in with his blocking and the combination has Division I coaches and offensive coordinators salivating. Kent said he will likely wait until after the season before picking a school.

Kent has seen an increase in notoriety in the past few months, but his coach Brian Wachtel said the added attention has not changed him.

“Kent is a great kid,” Wachtel said. “He has amazing talent on the field, but he’s great off the field too. As a football coach I’m thrilled to have somebody like that on the team, but what’s special about him is he brings a unique balance.”

His attention even makes things easier for the Gators defense.

“He helps us a lot on the defense,” said Land O’ Lakes linebacker Shadow Williams. “Not only does he get us points, but the other team will focus on stopping him. If they’re worried about just stopping him in practice, that’s less time they can work on getting through our defense. It helps us fly under the radar.”

Kent was recently nominated as one of 400 players with a chance to play in the 2012 Army All-American all star game. He will learn in November or December if he makes the final cut.

“To get invited to play in the game was kind of a surprise,” Kent said. “It’s something I wanted to do and it would be really cool to play against the best kids in the country.”

Gators quarterback Ryan Bird is thrilled for Kent and also with the prospects of throwing to an All-American this fall.

“I was really excited for him when I heard,” Bird said. “I mean how many people can say they’re an Army All-American? Not many.”

Kent and the Gators will have their first challenge of the 2011 season in their kickoff classic at Anclote on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Their first regular season game is at Zephyrhills on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

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

By Kyle LoJacono

Three years ago, the Pasco Police Athletic League (PPAL) had 11 teams and the most players participating in the near 40-year-old organization. Now PPAL is just trying to survive with its six remaining teams.

League director Tim Couet said he is working to merge PPAL with the Mid Florida Football and Cheerleading Conference to try and save the league.

“It would be a shame if there weren’t opportunities for our local kids to play football and cheer,” Couet said. “PPAL has been around for a long time and we’re looking at the best options to keep it around for another 30 years.”

The first team to leave PPAL in recent years was the New Tampa Wildcats, which opted to join Pop Warner Football after the 2009 season.

The Lutz Chiefs joined the Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL) in 2010 after nearly 30 years with PPAL. Additionally, more than half of the players and adult leaders from the Trinity Mustangs split off to form the South Pasco Steelers, which also joined TBYFL.

PPAL has also lost three of its former member clubs to Mid Florida within the last year, including the Dade City Pirates, Wesley Chapel Bulls and West Hernando Cougars.

The Pirates were the most recently team to leave. The departure stemmed from the club being moved to Stanley Park in Lacoochee three years ago from its original home at John S. Burks Memorial Park. Couet said PPAL asked the east Pasco County team to move because the Lacoochee site could accommodate more spectators.

However, Pirates director Britt Dorsett said the move reduced the number for children who could attend the games.

“Last year we could barely field a full team for each game,” Dorsett said. “We only had 60 kids total last year. In September, it was everything they could do just to finish the games with such low numbers. And forget being competitive. There just aren’t enough kids from that area to form teams with a sufficient amount of players in all the age groups.”

The remaining PPAL squads include the Land O’ Lakes Gators, Zephyrhills Bulldogs, New Port Richey Buccaneers, Crews Lake Cowboys, Hudson Cobras and Trinity Mustangs.

Couet chalks up the movement to competition for players during a bad economy.

“It’s like capitalism,” Couet said. “You always have competition to keep players because there are other leagues out there. Families are tightening their belts and there aren’t as many kids playing or cheering right now either.

“I’ve always said if parents find something better for their kids, then they should do it,” Couet continued. “Options are a good thing. As long as there are options for the kids.”

Along with that competition, PPAL has also struggled deciding whether or not to have a play-down rule, which allows players who are very small for their age to play in a younger age division to help reduce the risk of injury. Couet said Chiefs and Steelers left the league in part because they eliminated play downs, which has since been brought back.

Couet said if there is a merger with PPAL and Mid Florida, the Pasco league wants to remain as an independent division within the larger league.

“(PPAL) wanted to join us but they want to stay intact as a league and oversee their district as a PPAL district of Mid Florida,” said Mid Florida president James Hogan. “We just get teams together and organize the league. We don’t have any control on how they operate. The individual organizations control themselves and we didn’t see a need to add a third party.”

Couet said the desire to maintain some level of control goes back to the long history of PPAL. Pasco resident John Short helped form the league in 1973 when he teamed up with the New Port Richey Police Department.

“There is a lot of history with us in this county,” Couet said. “We have parents who grew up playing and cheering in PPAL and now their kids are doing the same thing. We want to make sure we have some control over what our teams do so they are here for the current players’ kids to play in.”

Couet said the league is also making changes to improve PPAL in case it remains independent.

“We’ve changed the entire governing board to people who want to be more involved,” Couet said. “That was one of the biggest complaints is we didn’t have enough communication with the teams. Before I got here three years ago the thinking was help the teams, but don’t run them. We’re more hands on now.”

Couet added the board is also doing stricter background checks so only good people are involved with coaching the kids.

For more information on Mid Florida, visit www.midfloridafootball.org. To learn about PPAL, visit www.pascopal.org.

By Kyle LoJacono

Courtney and Meghan Durbin were picked for the Queen of Diamonds Softball Showcase South, making them the first Sunlake High student-athletes to participate in the event for top players.

“They sent an email and kind of tricked us into thinking we weren’t picked at first,” Courtney said. “It said, ‘Many of you will learn that delivering the not so good is the toughest job.’ I was disappointed, but I kept reading and it said, if you’re reading this you were picked. I was so excited.”

Courtney read the email before Meghan.

“My mom told me to check my email and I was really upset when I started reading it,” Meghan said. “When I found out it was a joke, I was literally jumping for joy.”

The showcase is during September at Winthrop University in South Carolina.

The Durbins, who are seniors, are two of 2,000 players from the United States and Canada who applied for the showcase. The 264 selected were picked based on their ability, academics, leadership and community involvement, according to event spokesman Kirt Whiteside.

“It’s a great honor to be picked because it’s about more than just softball,” Meghan said.

The fraternal twins have identical grade point averages (GPA) of 4.138, putting them in the top 5 percent of their class.

Courtney said she is interested in history and science classes and plans to go into athletic training or physical therapy. Meghan enjoys reading/writing and history classes, but is unsure what career to go into.

The duo made the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) all-academic team for participating in at least two sports and maintaining a 3.2 GPA as juniors. Meghan is also a libero on the Sunlake volleyball team, while Courtney was on the girls weightlifting squad.

As for school involvement, Meghan and Courtney are members of the National Honor Society, Key Club, Class of 2012 Leadership Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The girls also volunteer for the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, Miles for Moffitt Race, Metropolitan Ministries, the Land O’ Lakes Food Bank, Treats for Troops and the Baldomero Lopez VA Nursing Home.

“Everyone has a point in their life when they go through a rough patch,” Meghan said. “My family has been there when my mom (Kay) had cancer, and I feel like you should always help people out because you don’t know what they’re going through. I feel as a person you should always give back. It’s going to be worth it for the people you help.”

Kay recovered fully from the breast cancer, but that scare altered the way the Durbins see life.

“Our mom had cancer when we were 8 years old,” Courtney said. “When she was at Moffitt for treatment we saw so many people who went out of their way to help. It made us want to give back.”

Softball has been as important to the twins since the then 7-year-olds first started playing at Land O’ Lakes Little League.

“We’d been doing gymnastics and wanted to try something different,” Courtney said. “Our mom and dad (Steve) both played in college, so we wanted to try it. I like the competition and that anyone can play no matter how big or small they are.”

Meghan said it’s the game play that keeps her interested.

“Whether it’s a hit, running to a base or throwing a pitch, you always have to give everything for that one moment,” Meghan said.

Meghan plays second base and pitches for Sunlake, but is a left fielder for her travel team and in the showcase.

“I love outfield,” Meghan said. “For high school I play wherever coach asks me, but for travel ball I love playing outfield.”

Courtney is always an outfielder.

The sisters play for the Stealers Gold 16U travel club, which is made up of girls from across central Florida. The Durbins helped the squad win the Florida Armature Softball Association of America (ASA) State Tournament on Father’s Day weekend this weekend, earning a trip to nationals in Tennessee in August.

During the 2011 high school season, Courtney had a team-high 15 steals while batting .460 with 40 hits, 34 runs scored, 25 RBI and 13 doubles. She made the SAC east first team and the All-Laker/All-Lutz News second team.

Meghan had a 9-1 record as a pitcher with a 1.52 ERA and while batting .393 with 24 hits, 18 runs scored, 14 RBI and three doubles. She made the All-Laker/All-Lutz News first team. Sunlake went 19-4 in 2011, but was upset in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A-District 8 tournament.

The sisters are currently preparing for the showcase, ASA nationals and their senior year. Their schedules are almost always packed, but both agree it is worth it.

“We both put a lot of time in with school and volunteering, but this showcase shows it’s worth it,” Meghan said.

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

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Zephyrhills High graduate Mike Smith was named the Bulldogs new wrestling coach on Aug. 3 and plans to bring some consistency to a program that has had three coaches in as many years.

“They want some stability here,” Mike said. “They have only had one or two dual matches at home in the last three or four years. We’ve already got a dual match scheduled for Dec. 8 at home and it’ll be exciting for the kids to get to compete at home.”

Bulldogs principal Steve Van Gorden said it was Mike’s overall personality and wrestling expertise that separated him from other potential coaches.

“I decided to hire coach Smith for his dedication to kids, his strong wrestling knowledge, his personal character and his commitment to the Zephyrhills community,” Van Gorden said.

Mike, a 1994 graduate, competed at Zephyrhills during his last three years.

He qualified for the state meet as a junior and senior while competing at 189 pounds. Mike entered states as a senior with a district and regional title and a 26-2 record, but lost to the eventual state champion by one point.

Mike, who was also on the weightlifting and football teams at Zephyrhills, was humbled by the chance to lead the program at his alma mater.

“It’s a great honor and great responsibility,” Mike said. “I want to do well for the kids. The big thing is to give the kids stability and to have a positive impact on them.”

It is the first time Mike has coached a wrestling program, but he is no novice to leading a squad.

Mike has coached the six-man team at Zephyrhills Christian Academy, where he is also the principal, since he started the program four years ago. The Warriors had a perfect 13-0 season capped off by winning the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) state championship in November.

Mike is also the pastor of Fair Haven Baptist Church in Zephyrhills. He said the coaching opportunity was “perfect” because it will not interfere with his coaching the Warriors football team or his responsibilities as a principal or with his church.

Mike’s brother Dale and Zeke Casaerz, who both attended Zephyrhills, will be his assistants. Casaerz was a state qualifier in high school and wrestled while in the Marines, where he compiled a 28-0 record.

“They were both really good wrestlers and will be a big help,” Mike said.

The start of the wrestling season is still months away, but Mike is ready to hit the gym and start working to bring home district, regional and state championships during the coming seasons.

“The kids are already pumped about the season,” Mike said. “They want us to get things going as soon as we can. I’m expecting 30-40 kids to try out. They’re excited and so am I, so I think we can do some special things.”

 

By Kyle LoJacono

On Aug. 1, 15 young ladies piled their way into a brightly lit gym. Some of them know each other like sisters, while others have barely met, but all have one thing in mind.

Suddenly the 15 come together as one in a huddle and break with a mighty shout of “Quistas.” It’s the first day of practice for the Pasco-Hernando Community College volleyball team; the defending National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Division II national champions.

The Conquistadors posted a 36-7 record in 2010 en route to becoming the first Florida team to win the Division II title. It is also the first athletic national championship of any kind for the school.

“We had a great group of girls coming into last season,” said PHCC coach Kim Whitney. “The year before they came up with goals and were literally one off of everything. It was kind of funny because it was in tournaments, GPA, everything. Just one off. It was in their mind coming into last year that we were that close. The good thing was, and this is really rare for a two-year school, most of the players were back. It drove them the whole year.”

Sophomore outside hitter Torii Koester was a part of the squad that brought home the crown.

“It took a lot of hard work, but it was a lot of fun,” Koester said. “I’ve never been on a winning team before, so to accomplish every single one of the goals last year was very special.”

The squad wanted to set the same goals as prior to the 2010 championship season.

“I wouldn’t let them do that because this team needs to find its own identity,” Whitney said. “Something that is different for them. We’ll keep those things a secret for now, but the big thing is they all want back-to-back national championships.”

Koester set a personal goal as well.

“Now I’m one of the sophomores and I know I have to take on more of a leadership role,” Koester said. “In fact that is one of the goals I set for myself. I want to help the younger players because I struggled a lot with the difference in college from high school.”

Whitney said the team will lean on leadership from returners like Koester and team captain Jessica Imbimbo. The right side hitter does not shy away from pressure of being the reigning national champs.

“Because we are defending our title, it just puts that much more pressure on us,” Imbimbo said. “We’re held to a higher standard now. We have a target on our back whether we like it or not. Personally I like that pressure, because that’s when I get the most out of myself.”

Imbimbo can hardly contain herself when talking about getting back to the national tournament.

“Just the thought of getting back to that national championship; I just can’t even put it into words how much I want to get back,” Imbimbo said. “Feeling that moment and being there. It’s just indescribable and I want to share that with this team again this year.”

Imbimbo knows it will be tough to get back to that point given the ever-changing nature at a two-year school like PHCC

“Becoming a team is a huge part, and last year we did that right away,” Imbimbo said. “We fell into that right away and kept becoming closer all the way through. We kept working for each other and making each other better. I think that’s why we made it to national championship.”

Imbimbo will also be counted on to produce on the court as well as in her leadership role. She posted 263 kills, 298 digs, 48 blocks and 28 aces, all the most of any returning player. Koester had 119 kills, 117 digs, 13 aces and 11 blocks last season.

The squad returns one middle hitter, Quynn Fonseca and her 20 blocks, 23 kills and 27 digs from 2010. The Conquistadors also add freshmen Azya Glass and Lauren Wixted in the middle.

PHCC will need to find replacements at setter and libero. Morgan Hill was the primary libero in 2010, putting up a team-high 955 digs while adding 42 aces.

Ashley Seal was not only the starting setter last year, but was also the Conquistadors team captain. She led the squad with 1,471 assists and 83 aces plus 375 digs, 105 kills and 59 blocks. She was also named the MVP of the NJCAA national tournament.

“I look up to Ashley,” Imbimbo said. “She’s one of my role models in what she did on the court, off the court and in the classroom. She is a very special person and I want to take what I learned from watching her into this year.”

There are still questions with the defending national champs, but the enthusiasm is running high with the players.

“I’m so excited for this season,” Koester said. “I can’t wait for the season to start. I have goosebumps right now just talking about it.”