The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Christian school doesn’t want money to stand in way of education

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By B.C. Manion

A pastor in Zephyrhills doesn’t want money to be the only reason that a child doesn’t get a Christian education.

“We have a lot of kids who come at no cost. We’ve been doing that since Day 1,” said Mike Smith, pastor at Fair Haven Baptist Church and principal of Zephyrhills Christian Academy, 34927 Eiland Blvd.

The pastor’s philosophy is to “never allow money to be the issue.”

Zephyrhills Christian Academy Principal Mike Smith is also the school’s football coach.

Smith said he interviews students and parents during the admission process.

“When I do interviews, I talk to the kid,” Smith said. “I’ll say, “Do you want be here. If they say “Yes,” I’ll give that kid a chance.”

In some cases, a family may be unable to afford the tuition, Smith said.

He said he informs them of scholarships that are available through the “Step Up for Students” program and through the McKay Scholarship program.

But if they are unable to secure those and cannot afford the tuition, Smith said he will do what he can to work with the family.

It costs about $400 a month to attend the Christian school, Smith said.

The school’s enrollment typically hovers between 130-140 students, Smith said.

“I would love to crack 150 this year,” Smith said, noting that a larger enrollment will help the school to expand its facility. Right now, it operates out of 22,000 square feet of space. It wants to add 6,000 square feet, he said.

Smith said he thinks the enrollment would be higher if more people were familiar with the school, which offers a Bible-based curriculum for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

It also provides a wide array of athletics and activities including football, volleyball, basketball, weight lifting and bowling.

When the school opened in 1999, it had just 30 students.

He thinks the enrollment would be even greater if more people were aware of the school.

“I don’t think a lot of people know about our school,” Smith said.

For more information about the school, call (813) 779-9829.

 

Local mother shows community how to save with coupons

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By Zack Peterson

The effects of the recession have had everyone scrambling for footing.

Between high unemployment rates, gas prices and budget cuts, it’s become imperative to pinch every penny, even with simple day-to-day chores like grocery shopping.

That’s where Tracy Shaw comes in.

Tracy Shaw is a stay-at-home mother of two and the originator behind the website www.havingfunsaving.com. Shaw’s personal philosophy is that shoppers can save a lot of money just by wisely using five simple tips that involve coupons.

Shaw, a local of Land O’ Lakes, utilizes coupons to save money, particularly when it comes to weekly grocery shopping.

“I try to help people save money with things that you can use,” Shaw said. “I’m a stay-at-home mom with two kids, and the only reason I can continue to stay at home is because I use coupons.”

Shaw claims the use of coupons has made it possible to save upwards of 80 percent off her weekly grocery-shopping bill.

“My grocery budget has changed dramatically,” Shaw said. “It’s now only $40 thanks to coupons. If I can do it, then anybody can do it.”

For the most part, Shaw shops at Target and Publix, but anywhere she goes, she applies five basic tips.

1. Be prepared

“It sounds simple,” Shaw said. “But it’s actually harder when you try to accomplish it.

“Know what’s on sale. If you run into the grocery store on your way from somewhere or you think you’re just going to run in and grab one thing, what happens is that you end up doing that five times a week and each time you spend a quick 20 bucks, a quick 10 bucks; then all of a sudden you spend 100 bucks and you don’t have any idea what you bought.”

2. Make a list and stick to it

Shaw emphasizes that shoppers must stay true to their lists, despite all the objects that may look appealing.

“Those other things are all going to go on sale eventually,” Shaw said. “Just wait.”
3. Have coupons ready

“I don’t want to do anything crazy when I’m in the store,” Shaw said. “I want to have it there and situated so that when I get up the cash register, I can just hand it to the cashier and I’m done.”

4. Stack coupons

Both Publix and Target have store and manufacture coupons.

Store coupons don’t have barcodes on them, and instead have an LEU number which makes the coupon only usable at a particular store.

However, according to Shaw, Publix will also accept store coupons from other competitors.

“For example, this Publix (off Collier Parkway) will take Publix, Target, Winn Dixie, Sweetbay and Fresh Market coupons.”

Manufacturer coupons are typically the coupons found in newspapers or the ones shoppers have the ability to print from online.

When shoppers stack the coupons together to be used at the same time, the real savings begin.

“You can use both store and manufacture coupons on one item. And then, if you’re in a buy one, get one free scenario at Publix, you can use four coupons. So sometimes, you can even make money on a transaction,” Shaw said.

5. Stockpile goods

Shaw encourages buyers to buy enough of a product to make it to the next sale cycle. These cycles are typically six to eight weeks long.

“You don’t have to be extreme and buy rooms full of things. You just have to have enough to make it to the next sale cycle,” Shaw said. “You always want to buy enough when it’s on sale so that you’re saving your money.”

Shaw notes that this tip dramatically decreases the amount of money spent on groceries.

“If you buy what you need every week, you will spend $100-$150. If you buy what’s just on sale and you have your stockpile in place, I guarantee you can spend at least half that,” Shaw said.

However, Shaw stresses that her methods are not similar to the “extreme coupon movements.”

According to Shaw, enthusiasts of the extreme coupon movement spend six to eight hours a day dealing with coupons and buying food that they may not even ever use.

“I’m just here to help people save money on their groceries so that they can utilize money on other things,” Shaw said. “I only spend an hour to two hours max on the weekend organizing my coupons and I save 60, 70, 80 percent on my grocery bill? I would do it.”

Shaw shares her success with the community by blogging on her website, www.havingfunspending.com and by giving “coupon talks” throughout areas of the community where she explains the method of saving money with coupons through “introduction to coupon sessions.”

“I’m trying to show people that it’s fun,” Shaw said. “I truly believe that we’ve lost something over the last ten years. You know, people don’t say thank you anymore; people don’t open doors anymore. Everybody is so concerned with where the world has gone that we forget about the people around us. I think if I can tell one person about this, then maybe that one person will do it, and maybe that one person will tell someone else and hopefully there will be a domino effect.”

Car fans check out hot rides at Wiregrass show

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By Kaitlyn Hodgins

Rain did not stop car lovers on Saturday, July 9 as more than 120 cars entered the monthly Premium Productions Car Show at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

Young and old alike gathered to display their hard work as they polished and primed their stock, modified, street cars and trucks.

Luis Santiago and “lucky charm” daughter, Isabella, won best of stock, overall with their 2003 Corvette ZO6.

“I’ve washed and waxed this baby twice since I’ve been here,” said Mike Davis of his 2012 Ford Mustang GT.

“Honestly, the rain did discourage me from taking her out, but she’s only two weeks old and so fun to drive it was just too hard to say no,” Davis explained when asked about bringing his car out in the rain.

With scattered thunderstorms scheduled all afternoon for the Pasco County area, Premium Productions judges Judy Pariseau and Carole Halbrook said they were surprised they had such a great turn out.

“Usually the rain discourages owners from brining out their prized cars, not today though,” Pariseau said. “Maybe because there is no entrance fee for today’s show, we usually charge to enter, but today is free in celebration of the holiday that has just past.”

Contestants came from as far as Vermont and California and as close to right around the corner to enter the show, eager to receive one of the 10 Best of Show awards and the 60 other trophies handed out.

Cars ranging from a 1926 Packard with original plates to a two-week-old 2012 Mustang were judged on the “clean and shine of their interior and exterior, including the engine compartments,” according to Halbrook.

Ten Best of Show awards went to various categories, including a 1949 Mercury convertible belonging to Roger Landig, Best of Stock Overall to a 2003 Corvette Stock ZO6 belonging to Luis Santiago and Best of Show to Mike Davis’ 2012 Ford Mustang GT.

“A lot of work goes into getting her ready for shows,” Santiago said. “It takes about eight hours of prep work and cleaning just for one show, but it is so worth it.”

Premium Productions will hold its next monthly car show back at Wiregrass on Saturday, August 6. Visit www.premiumcarshows.com for more information.

Want to taste some authentic gator? They have it here

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Seafood restaurant and market offers wide selection of choices

By B.C. Manion

If you want to get Chad Wright all riled up, just ask him if the gator sold at Sabrina’s Seafood Market and Restaurant tastes like chicken.

The longtime alligator trapper and skinner will put it to you straight: “Gator meat tastes like gator.

Sabrina’s Seafood Market and Restaurant is a family affair. Here’s the Wright family, Cortney, Chad, Rachael, Chad Jr. and Sabrina, in the front row.

“Everybody says it tastes like chicken. That’s my biggest pet peeve,” said Wright, who has been skinning gators since he was 8.

If you had gator that tasted like chicken, chances are, it was chicken, he said.

He and his wife, Cortney, opened Sabrina’s Seafood Market and Restaurant in Dade City in March.

Gator items on their menu include Gator gumbo ($3.75 a bowl and $1.75 a cup), a Gator Nugget Basket with fried gator nuggets, cole slaw and fries or hush puppies ($6.99), a gator sampler ($4.99) and gator burger ($6.99).

The menu also includes a wide selection of seafood baskets as well as all sorts of sandwiches and entrees; wings, side dishes, appetizers, sandwiches and a couple of salads. It has a kid’s menu at both lunch and dinner.

The restaurant bears the name of the couple’s daughter Sabrina, who sold her Grand Champion-prize winning hog, Oreo, to invest in the family’s business.

Before opening for business, the family did a lot of work to make it a comfortable place to eat. The cleaned up the interior and repainted the exterior. The 26-seat restaurant has a cozy feel.

There’s also a colorful sign, featuring a gator wearing an apron, to draw attention to the business, located at 14748 US 98 Bypass.

The restaurant is a family affair. The couple’s daughter, Rachael, helps out. She’s experimented with some stuffed fish dishes.

Some are a hit, Chad Wright said. Others? Not so much. The tasty ones may be offered to patrons; the others, won’t.

The couple’s son, Chad Jr., also helps out by running all sorts of errands, Cortney said.

Another important player at the restaurant is Lori Carter, who manages the restaurant and is Cortney’s dear friend.

Initially, the restaurant and seafood market enjoyed big crowds, but that was before the northerners headed home for the summer, Cortney Wright said. Now, the business has scaled back its hours for the summer months.

The family gets the fresh seafood that it serves and sells directly from boat captains, in places like Tarpon Springs, Weeki Wachee and Anna Maria. That cuts out the middlemen and allows the seafood market and restaurant to offer better prices to its patrons, Chad Wright said.

The gator meat the restaurant serves comes from Chad Wright’s processing plant, which the trapper opened after tiring of selling so many of his gators to other processing plants.

He has been hunting gators since he was 8 years old and is a contract trapper for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In the not too distant future, some of the restaurant’s floor space will give way to a display case for seafood, Chad said.

“Some people come here and they don’t see a display case and it kind of turns them off. We’re going to get a display case,” he said.

Seafood patrons can order fresh seafood before 5 p.m. and pick up the next business day. Available seafood includes blue crabs, gulf shrimp, oysters, mullet, grouper, snapper, catfish, tilapia.

The market also can provide Alaskan show crab, salmon, lobster and clams, but that may take up to a week to receive.

The seafood market is only running two days a week at the moment, now that northerners have headed home for the summer, Cortney said.

The restaurant has cut back its hours, too. It is closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

 

Sabrina’s Seafood Market and Restaurant

14748 US 98 Bypass, Dade City

(352) 518-4280

Restaurant: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Market: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Where lakes got their names

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WHAT’S IN A NAME

By Kyle LoJacono

This week will look into how Lake Jovita and Land O’ Lakes got their names.

(1) LAKE JOVITA is generally associated with the area in the town of Saint Leo between SR 52 and St. Joe, Happy Hills and Hancock Bluff roads. The location contains a large number of small to medium-sized lakes and ponds. The largest is located behind Saint Leo University, which is called either Clear Lake or Lake Jovita.

Lake Jovita’s naming goes back to Feb. 15, 1882 when judge Edmund F. Dunne and his cousin Capt. Hugh Dunne are said to have come upon the lake. The feast of Sts. Faustinus and Jovita is observed on Feb. 15, and the two celebrated the day with their company on the shore.

The original name of the body of water was Clear Lake, but the Catholic immigrants changed the name to honor the saint. The settlers even changed the name of San Antonio to Lake Jovita in 1926, but the city reverted back to San Antonio on Aug. 1, 1931.

(2) LAND O’ LAKES is a relatively new name and is made up of several smaller communities, such as Denham and Drexel, to form the central Pasco County town.

The name first appeared in June 13, 1949 when Denham-Drexel Civic Association members voted to call the area Land O’ Lakes. Many people have taken credit for coming up with the name. One of the well-documented namers is Madeline Prince, a real estate agent and community activist. She spoke at the meeting and pushed for the name because she said the area had, “about 2,000 people and about 2,000 lakes.”

Another story states that a man from Wisconsin, whose name is lost to time, was a winner of a 1949 naming contest. He simply borrowed the name from a popular brand of butter he was used to in Wisconsin.

While the name was adopted in 1949, the Pasco Historical Preservation Committee uses 1950 on its historic marker because that was the year the Ehren Post Office closed and the Land O’ Lakes Post Office opened. The 1950 date was also when the State of Florida Department of Transportation formally recognized the name and began putting it on maps. Local residents Walter and Betty Franzell took the request to Tallahassee on behalf of the new Land O’ Lakes Civic Association.

The civic association convinced the Land O’ Lakes butter company to donate some of its product to the town for the old Flapjack Festival, which has since ceased to operate.

Additionally, while the historic marker lists the name Land O’Lakes without a space after the apostrophe, the original name is with the space. It is spelled with the space by the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Postal Service and Pasco County School District.

For additional information on these areas and how they got their names, visit www.fivay.org.

*The Laker and the Lutz News series on how historic places were named will continue throughout the summer. Information is provided by interviews with Pasco County historian Jeff Miller of Fivay.org and the West Pasco Historical Society. See how LeHeup Hill, McLeod, Meridian Avenue, Prospect and Saint Leo got their names next week.

 

 

Wiregrass Ranch appeals FHSAA fines

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Basketball coach resigns in wake of allegations

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch High is officially appealing the $12,525 it was fined by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) for alleged recruiting violations.

Bulls principal Ray Bonti sent a letter to the FHSAA, which states he is not appealing the 10 sanctions levied against Wiregrass Ranch, but is seeking a reduction in the amount the school was fined. The program was given four $2,500 fines, a $400 fine and must pay back the FHSAA $2,125, which is half the money spent to conduct its investigation.

Seth Polansky, FHSAA spokesman, said they received Bonti’s letter, dated June 27, which includes six corrective actions taken by Wiregrass Ranch.

“Executive director Dr. Roger Dearing and associate executive director Denarvise Thornton will sit down next week to discuss this letter and decide if they will reduce the fine,” Polansky said on July 6.

Polansky said the money comes out of Wiregrass Ranch’s general operating budget.

The FHSAA’s report on Wiregrass Ranch involves illegal recruiting of Briahanna Jackson, who attended the school at the end of her junior and beginning of her senior years. She has since graduated from Freedom High in Hillsborough County.

Greg Finkel

Of the violations, Wiregrass Ranch girls basketball coach Greg Finkel, who has coached the program since the school opened five years ago, was found to have falsified information given to the FHSAA and was not fully cooperative with the investigation.

Finkel resigned as the Bulls coach on July 7, but will remain as a driver’s education instructor. He said he has been a coach for the last 20 years.

Additionally, former Wesley Chapel High girls basketball coach and current director of the Suncoast Basketball Club Warren Jones was found to have given Wiregrass Ranch false information to keep Jackson a Bull. Jones is Jackson’s legal guardian.

Jackson attended Freedom, the school she was zoned for, during the second half of the school year. She became the quarterback of the Patriots flag football team, leading the squad to a 10-1 record and finished as the District 12 runner-up. The FHSAA would not release her illegibility status, but Polansky said there is no investigation going on at Freedom.

In addition to the fines, Wiregrass Ranch’s athletic department has been put on probation for one year, ending June 1, 2012. The Bulls girls basketball program received two years of probation, ending June 1, 2013, and was also forced to forfeit two games Jackson played in during the 2010-11 season.

Bonti’s letter reads:

 

Dear Dr. Dearing,

Wiregrass Ranch High School received the FHSAA report dated June 6, 2011. I have read the entire report, findings, background summary, pertinent bylaws, policies, violations cited and sanctions. The appeal process was also provided. After consulting with our Superintendent’s staff, Mr. Phil Bell, Mr. Jimmy DuBose, WRHS Assistant Principal overseeing athletics; and Mr. David Wilson, WRHS Athletic Director; it is our decision not to appeal the findings and ask the FHSAA for leniency related to the fines applied to this ruling. WRHS will implement the following corrective actions immediately to prevent any future violations.

Corrective Actions:

1. WRHS has implemented a new “use of facilities” procedure to improve coordination of activities between the school use of facilities and outside organizations. Mr. DuBose, Assistant Principal, will now coordinate all “use of facilities,” activities and athletics.

2. This item was redacted by the FHSAA because “it involves an employer-employee action that cannot be shared by a third party,” according to Polansky.

3. The Pasco County Schools Employee Relations Department will review the false statements and documents provided by Mr. Jones to determine disciplinary action. Mr. Jones was a teacher at Anclote High School during the 2010-11 school year.

4. Mr. Phil Bell will provide a compliance seminar with all WRHS coaches during the first week of preplanning in August, 2011. This is a mandatory meeting for all coaches.

5. I will attend the 2011 FHSAA Compliance Seminar or attend the NIAAA Leadership Training Course on September 24, 2011 with Mr. Wilson and Mr. DuBose.

6. Mr. Wilson will attend all team parent meetings to review parent involvement requirements related to FHSAA policies associated with summer programs, AAU, etc.

As principal, I share FHSAA’s commitment to the ideal that the youth of Florida deserve the best possible education both in the classroom and on the playing field. I am determined to make sure that these changes will provide opportunities for our students to participate in interscholastic athletic programs on a fair and equitable basis without favor or exception. Wiregrass Ranch is proud of its athletic programs and I appreciate feedback that leads to future success in doing what is best for our students. I will be calling you during the week to convey this message. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time in this matter.

Sincerely,

Ray Bonti

 

Youth baseball/softball update

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Young Guns ranked second nationally

By Kyle LoJacono

West Florida 9U Young Guns participated in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championship Baseball Tournament at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on June 20-25, finishing in second after the week-long event.

The West Florida Young Guns 9U baseball club took second in the AAU national championship tournament.

The Young Guns, which has players from around the Tampa Bay area including Lutz, lost to Buzz Baseball from Tennessee in the final upper division championship game, but still left the event as the second ranked squad nationally in 9U.

“This is a great group of hard working boys,” said Young Guns coach and team manager Chris Brennan. “They have fun playing the game and work together well as a team.”

The squad has been invited to participate in the United States Specialty Sports Association 9U Elite 32 World Series July 31-Aug. 6 at the sports complex. The Young Guns current record is 57-11-1.

Players on the team include: Trey Bacon, Ezra Brennan, Chase Centala, Jay Cobb, Derek Crum, Sehjin Daley, Trey Hinchliffe, Connor Leach, Jalen Niles, Logan O’Brien, Dawson Place and Jared Stearns. Coaches are Rob Hinchliffe, Charles Centala and Brennan.

For more information on the Young Guns, visit www.leaguelineup.com/wflyoungguns.

Second title for Land O’ Lakes

The Land O’ Lakes 11-12 year old softball all stars are becoming a regular at the top of District 25.

The squad won its second straight District 25 championship by defeating New Tampa 12-0 at Crystal River, keeping it alive to win back-to-back state crowns.

The Central Pasco County squad had a six-run first inning of the title game on the strength of three straight singles followed by a two-run double by Kylie Ellis. Ellis later doubled home another pair of runs in the third inning.

Taylor Holt went 3-for-3 with an RBI in the contest, while pitcher Kayla Redman allowed only three hits to New Tampa en route to a complete game shutout.

While Land O’ Lakes hit the ball early and often, coach Jon Holt was as impressed with the defensive effort from his team.

“Everything was clicking today; defense, offense and base running,” Jon said. “This was one of the games where a coach can sit back and watch his team play like they should be on ESPN.”

Land O’ Lakes’ march toward its second straight state championship continues at Haines City for sectionals on July 12.

Land O’ Lakes takes title

The Land O’ Lakes 9-10 year old softball all stars won the District 25 championship on June 29 by defeating New Tampa 9-5 in the title game.

The Land O’ Lakes 9-10 year old all stars won the District 25 championship June 29.

“We played great defense, got some clutch hits and both our pitcher and catcher went the distance to help us win,” said Land O’ Lakes coach Colleen LoSauro.

Land O’ Lakes also beat New Tampa in the opening contest 8-1 and followed that up with another win against Zephyrhills 12-2. The squad finished with a perfect 3-0 record in the event.

The Central Pasco County squad includes: Alexis Buchman, Shea Forgas, Lexi Kilfoyl, Amber Leafe, Brianna Linder, Alyssa LoSauro, Shannon Maloney, Brooke Rosello, Emma Sica, Ashley Smith and Callie Turner. Coaches include Jim Leafe, Colleen LoSauro and John Maloney.

Land O’ Lakes will next compete in sectionals in Haines City starting July 15.

Lutz all stars win districts

The 11-year-old Lutz all star baseball team won the District 25 championship June 23 by defeating Land O’ Lakes in the finals at New Tampa.

The Lutz 11-year-old baseball all stars won the District 25 title by defeating Land O’ Lakes.

Lutz started out by beating Zephyrhills 22-0, and followed that with victories over New Tampa and Land O’ Lakes 12-2 and 15-11 respectively.

Land O’ Lakes fought back to make the finals, but Lutz proved too much and defeated the central Pasco County squad 8-1. Matt Gaffney pitched a complete game in the championship contest, using 62 pitches in six innings of work.

Lutz players include: Kyle Coppola, Matthew Fischel, Josh Furr, Matt Gaffney, Aaron Jensen, Kyle Lanphere, Huston Richter, Jackson Rosario, Landon Schabes, Drew Spencer, Zach Whitmer, Andrew Wise and Zack Zayas. Coaches are Ron Coppola, Bob Schabes and Mike Spencer.

Lutz next plays at Haines City in sectionals July 15-16. For more information on the squad, visit www.eteamz.com/fldistrict25.

 

Randall begins to assemble staff

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By Kyle LoJacono

Newly named Saint Leo University men’s basketball coach Lance Randall has made his first coaching hire, naming J.R. Blount as his second-in-command.

J.R. Blount

Blount played NCAA Division I basketball as a four-year starter while at Loyola University in Chicago, where he was coached by Randall.

“J.R. is an extremely bright young coach,” Randall said. “His mental toughness and determination as a player were unmatched. He has a keen understanding of the game of basketball and a great attention to detail.”

It is the second time Blount and Randall have coached together, following a stint at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point when both were assistants. Together, the tandem helped the Pointers win the Division II national championship.

“I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity,” Blount said. “I’ve loved working with coach Randall and we’re ready to make Saint Leo into a winner.”

Blount earned two team MVP awards while in college, was named to the Preseason Horizon League second team twice and was picked as the league’s Player of the Week twice. He set the Ramblers program record for most points in a single game with 42.

He was also named the Loyola Male Athlete of the Year twice and is the programs all-time leading score and is 10th all time in assists.

The Milwaukee native also played professionally in Europe, earning British Basketball League all star status and was named to the all-league third team in 2010-11. He finished fourth in the league in scoring and second in assists that same year.

Blount graduated with a double major in psychology and sociology from Loyola. He is now attending UW-Stevens Point’s graduate school of education and will join the Lions after he completes his degree.

 

Kranendonk to lead Land O’ Lakes volleyball

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By Kyle LoJacono

Mary Jane Kranendonk has been named the volleyball coach for Land O’ Lakes High, according to Gators athletic director Karen Coss.

“We are very excited to have such a wonderfully enthusiastic and dedicated coach join our staff,” Coss said.

Kranendonk played volleyball at King High. She is currently a physical education teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary.

“I am very excited about coaching the Gators volleyball team,” Kranendonk said. “Go Gators.”

Kranendonk replaces Laurie Fitzpatrick, who took over the program in 2010. The Gators went 19-4 in 2010 in Fitzpatrick’s first season, eight wins better than the year before, and reached the Class 4A-District 8 semifinals.

Fitzpatrick also took over the Land O’ Lakes girls basketball program last season, where she guided the team to a 24-3 record, 20 wins better than the previous season, and to the first regional finals appearance in program history. She was replaced a few weeks ago by Phyllis Crain, who will join the school as a physical education teacher in the fall.

Coss said both coaching positions were advertised because Fitzpatrick was on staff at Hudson High, her alma mater. Kranendonk is also not on staff with the Gators, but she and her husband, Jim, are big supporters of all Land O’ Lakes’ athletics and their son, John, is a junior-to-be defensive lineman on the football team.

“A lot of the girls were upset and I was also,” Fitzpatrick said. “I knew I would not be hired back for both sports. I lot happened and I argued with administration about it. I’m applying at Hudson for a junior varsity volleyball job and varsity girls basketball. I didn’t apply at other schools because I might as well try and change Hudson’s programs.”

Hudson girls basketball went 1-20-1 in 2010.

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

 

Wiregrass Ranch accused of 10 FHSAA violations

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Bulls fined, put on probation for girls basketball recruiting

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Wiregrass Ranch High has been fined $12,525 and placed on administrative probation by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) after a seven-week investigation identified recruiting violations.

Briahanna Jackson

The FHSAA’s 68-page report found 10 violations of its policies in the months leading up to point guard Briahanna Jackson’s transfer to the school from Wesley Chapel and in her time playing girls basketball with the Bulls.

Among the allegations, the governing board of school athletics charges Wiregrass Ranch with “a lack of institutional control.” Another potentional violation accuses girls basketball coach Greg Finkel, who has coached the program since the school opened five years ago, falsifying information given to the FHSAA and not being fully cooperative with the investigation.

Wiregrass Ranch Principal Ray Bonti said the school is still going through the report to determine if the school will appeal any of the potential violations. He was first given the report on June 6, more than a month ago.

The school has already given written responses to the FHSAA, where they deny any wrongdoing in all but two of the 10 charges. Four of the violations come with $2,500 fines and one cost the Bulls $400. The remaining $2,125 was to repay the FHSAA half the money spent in conducting the investigation, which is standard policy.

Wiregrass Ranch girls basketball was placed on two-year probation, which will end on June 1, 2013. The Bulls entire athletic program is also on probation for one year, which ends on June 1, 2012. Any additional violations that happen within that time could trigger harsher penalties in the future.

“It’s common for a school to go on probation when one of its teams is charged with something like this,” said Bulls athletic director Dave Wilson. “That doesn’t do anything to prevent us playing next season in districts, regionals or state events.”

Bonti and Wilson said no decision has been made on Finkel’s status with the girls basketball team. Finkel is currently a driver’s education teacher at Wiregrass Ranch.

Transfers draw attention

The story starts in May of 2010, during Jackson’s junior year. Jackson transferred from Lecanto High in Citrus County to Wesley Chapel High. She had been living with her mother Cathleen Grippe before coming to Pasco County.

Grippe said, in an interview with Wesley Chapel principal Carin Nettles, that she asked former Wesley Chapel staff member and girls basketball coach Warren Jones to become Jackson’s legal guardian. Grippe said she was a single mother of five and Jackson was struggling in school at Lecanto because of financial problems at home. The family did not want Jackson to drop out of school like her old brother did, according to the report.

“She moved in with me on May 13, 2010,” Jones told the FHSAA.

In the report, Jones told the FHSAA he knew many of the teachers from his time on staff at Wesley Chapel. He felt he could work closely with them to help improve Jackson’s grades, with the goal of getting her into college. At the time, he was working at Anclote High.

Jackson was the starting point guard at Lecanto her junior season and led the Panthers with 18.6 points per game while adding 158 rebounds, 131 steals, 89 assists and 19 blocks.

The FHSAA started looking into the matter because Jackson transferred to Wesley Chapel the same day Shanel Sweet did from Gaither High. Sweet a point guard, subsequently transferred to Land O’ Lakes High and FHSAA spokesman Seth Polansky said she was cleared to play her senior season as the family established permanent residence within that district.

The report states Nettles asked Jones on May 26, 2010 where he and Jackson lived. He said in the Delano Apartment at Cypress Creek on Saxony Way, within Wiregrass Ranch’s district.

Jones told Nettles they were moving into a home on Lexington Oaks Boulevard, within the Wildcats’ district, the next day. Jackson was withdrawn from Wesley Chapel on May 27, 2010 when Jones did not present documentation of the move. She was enrolled at Wiregrass Ranch on June 1, 2010, very close to the end of the school year.

Summer league adds to violations

Jackson played with the Suncoast Basketball Club, an AAU team started in the summer of 2010 by Jones. The club practiced at the Bulls’ gym on at least two, and as many as eight, times before Jackson became a Wiregrass Ranch student.

FHSAA regulations state that any student-athlete who participates with a team affiliated with a school before becoming a student there, and then transfers to that same school, will be considered, “bona fide evidence that the student is attending the school in whole or in part for athletic reasons.”

The report state Jackson participated in two such practices, leading to two of the violations. Because she participated before transferring from Wesley Chapel, Jackson was found to have received improper benefits.

Wiregrass Ranch’s response states the Suncoast Basketball Club is in no way a Bulls’ team because no one affiliated with the school was a part of the program. However, the FHSAA conducted interviews with Jones, Jackson and other parents whose kids played with the club. The organization found evidence that Finkel not only spent time at the practices, but also sat with Jones on the bench for several games.

Additionally, Finkel signed the activity request form that allowed Suncoast to use the Bulls gym instead of Jones or another coach. Suncoast was never charged for use of the gym as it should have, based on FHSAA and Pasco School Districts’ rules, according to the FHSAA report.

Greg Finkel

The FHSAA findings state Finkel’s contact with Jones while Jackson played with Suncoast while she was attending Wesley Chapel constitute illegal recruiting.

In the report, Finkel said he only knew Jones from when their teams played against each other years ago. Jones resigned the girls basketball coaching job at Wesley Chapel in 2008 to join the coaching staff at Saint Leo University.

Finkel told the FHSAA he did not know Jackson was attending Wiregrass Ranch until two days after she started at the school. That statement was considered false by the FHSAA.

The winter basketball season

Jones told the FHSAA he and Jackson lived at the Delano Apartment until the beginning of October. At that time they moved into a home on Amberly Drive, within Freedom High’s district in Hillsborough County.

Jones said he was house sitting for a relative. He told the FHSAA he had an agreement with the manager of the apartments so he and Jackson could move back at anytime. The FHSAA said that does not constitute residence within Wiregrass Ranch’s district because they did not live there, pay for rent or even have furniture after October.

In an interview with the FHSAA, Jones said he told Finkel of the move. When asked what the Bulls coach told him, Jones said, “Nothing. I told him that we started the school year here in zone so we should be OK.”

The Bulls girls basketball season began with two straight wins; a 66-38 victory over Ida Baker High on Nov. 11 and 62-52 against Gulf on Nov. 13. Jackson scored 30 points in those two November contest while adding five rebounds, five assists, four assists and two blocks. She also participated in two preseason games.

Both regular season games happened after Jackson moved in Freedom’s district, so Wiregrass Ranch will forfeit both wins, according to Polansky. The Bulls final record for the 2010-11 season is 14-12.

Finkel wrote a letter to the FHSAA in an attempt to clear Jackson to play her senior season. It reads in part, “I believe in this case, we are stripping (Jackson) of her education and experiences as a senior at Wiregrass Ranch High School. She has been through a lot at home and at school. Since arriving here reluctantly at Wiregrass, she has grown as a young lady. She has made a 180-degree turn as a student and as a person.

“Through this month long investigation, she has had to endure much without anyone telling her why. (Jackson) loves her new school and most of all loves the game of basketball.”

Despite the letter, Jackson sat out the rest of her senior season as the Bulls sought more information on her eligibility. In the report, Bonti said they removed her from competition as soon as the school was told she might be ineligible.

Grippe speaks out about charges

Jackson declined to comment for this story, but Grippe, her mother, did speak. She expressed frustration because she said the FHSAA never directly interviewed her.

“Basketball is my daughter’s life, she lives and breathes it,” Grippe said. “What seemed fishy for me throughout the investigation was they had so many questions as to why Bri was even transferred. They never contacted the one person who could have answered all their questions. Me, her mother. They made remarks and insinuations as to why she was there and they had no idea. I did what was in the best interest of my daughter for her to have every opportunity in life and at what she will make her career, basketball.

“I am appalled by how some individual, probably a parent themselves, that they could do this to a young girl who had and still has nothing but great things happening for her,” Grippe continued. “We do not know where this even stemmed from for them to begin an investigation and we will probably never will know, but the only one who suffered was Bri herself by losing her senior year to play basketball.”

In the end, Jackson may not lose as Grippe said she has several Division I colleges interested in her as a basketball player.

Grippe said Jackson, who graduated from Freedom, will attend IMG Basketball Academy in Bradenton on a full scholarship this year. The facility will allow Jackson to continue growing as a basketball player in a highly competitive environment, while taking classes designed to help on college entrance exams so she can attend the best school possible.

“All I can say to the individual who brought all this on is that all your efforts to discourage a young athlete didn’t work because although this experience for my daughter cost her an important year, she has bigger and better things waiting for her future and my daughter has the drive and the ability to make all her dreams come true,” Grippe said. “… Bri is a natural born athlete and it shows.”

Grippe’s words about Jackson became evident after enrolling at Freedom, where she became a leading athlete on another team.

Flag football at Freedom

Jackson began attending Freedom at the start of 2011 and was quickly named the starting quarterback on the Patriots flag football team. Polansky said the FHSAA will not comment on the eligibility of any student-athlete, but said Freedom is not under any investigation as Wiregrass Ranch was.

During the flag football season, Jackson said she had not played the sport for almost 10 years, but did play in a league in Citrus County. She picked up where she left off years ago, guiding Freedom to a 10-1 record to finish as the District 12 runner-up. The Patriots only loss came to Alonso, the eventual state runner-up.

Jackson set several program records in her only year playing at Freedom. Her 1,023 rushing yards and 18 rushing scores are more than anyone else in program history. She also added 1,289 passing yards and another 18 touchdowns.

As a defensive back, Jackson became the first Patriot to ever have 23 interceptions in a season, and also added 26 flag pulls.

Jackson was selected to the All-Western Conference National Division first team. She was also named the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Player of the Year for flag football. Because she has not been found ineligible to play at Freedom, she will keep that distinction.

–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches, or by coaches themselves.

Wiregrass Ranch part 1

Wiregrass Ranch part 2