Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

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 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.

“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.

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

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

By Zack Peterson

The sound of a record 462 pairs of feet pounding pavement signaled another Independence Day 5K run in Lutz.

“It’s the biggest turnout we’ve had yet,” said race coordinator Terry Donovan.

The increased participation brought out the sights and smells the Lutz people have always grown accustomed to: the multitude of sponsors greeting people with smiles, the freshly cut grass surrounding the Lutz Community Center and the love for a tightly knit community radiating from everybody.

It also brought out the competition.

The Independence Day 5K Race lured in runners from multiple different communities spread across Florida.

While some woke up in Lutz and stepped right outside their front doors to the starting line, others rolled in from Sarasota or, in the case of top woman’s finisher Ali Crabb, St. Petersburg.

Crabb finished with a unofficial time of 17:37 and claimed victory for the first time in the Lutz Independence Day 5K Race.

“Last year I came in second place behind Jacki Wachtel,” Crabb explained.

For the past eight years Crabb has been running but claims she only got serious about running the summer before her senior year.

Her successes with running lead her to the University of Florida, where she’s since participated in the track and field and cross country programs there.

Now that she’s home for the summer, Crabb says she prepared for the race by training with the Florida Forerunners.

“The Florida Forerunners are based out of Tampa and St. Pete,” Crabb said. “It’s just a group of people who love to run, meet up whenever and enjoy training together.”

According to Crabb, the Forerunners train together during the hot summer heat and run at local races everywhere.

“We even had a few run the local midnight race,” Crabb said.

The Midnight Run, hosted in Dunedin the night before the Independence Day 5K, had several Independence Day 5K runners participate in its events, including Oscar Orozco, the first male finisher and the overall winner of the Independence Day 5K race.

Orozco, 23 and a student at USF, finished with an unofficial 5K time of 16:25. He also won the one-mile race at the Midnight Run with a time of 4:36.

Like Crabb, Orozco has been an active runner for the past eight years, and trains frequently with the Tampa Bay Running Center, a runners group located near Gaither High School. He too was a first-time winner of the event.

“I was kind of tired because I did the Midnight Run last night. I was running on some tired legs so I didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Orozco said. “I thought I was barely going to get under seventeen (minutes).”

According to Orozco, the heat was a challenging factor, but something “that’s expected.”

“Overall, it’s a flat course; it’s a fast course,” Orozco said.

From the initial start Orozco pushed his way to the front and ran in a pack of three.

“The competition was good,” Orozco said. “We stayed close together.”

It wasn’t until a final break in the bend that spectators would see Orozco shoot towards the finish line with no competition in immediate sight.

And for Orozco, victory was sweet.

At the finish line, he gleamed from ear to ear, exasperated, sweating and breathing hard, but thrilled nonetheless.

“I’m happy with it all,” Orozco said. “It’s not the Fourth of July without a couple races.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Wesley Chapel will need to find a new starting quarterback as sophomore-to-be Alex McGough has transferred to Gaither.

Both Gaither coach Jason Stokes and Wesley Chapel coach Ben Alford confirmed McGough is now a Cowboy. Stokes said the 6-foot-2, 150 pound McGough is already participating in 7-on-7 competitions and other team activities.

“He’s a good kid who is still learning the offense,” Stokes said. “We’re going to find a way to work him into the offense this year because he is very talented.”

McGough completed 42 of 102 passes for 418 yards and one touchdown as a freshman in 2010, guiding Wesley Chapel to a 3-7 record. He was also running the Wildcats first-team offense in the spring and at the start of the Pasco County 7-on-7 league.

McGough said he was looking forward to playing another season with a year of experience at Wesley Chapel, but he said he had to move. He declined to comment on what forced the change in address into Hillsborough County.

Alford said he first learned McGough was leaving the Wildcats program on June 14. He said there is no true leader for who will take over as the starting quarterback, but did say Troy Cothan had been running the second team offense during the summer.

“Troy was out of town when we found out last week Alex was leaving, and Angel Locicero stepped up and filled in for a week,” Alford said. “He stepped up big yesterday in 7-on-7 and he really impressed me with how the guys rally around him and how he is such a leader out there. You will find nobody that loves the game as much as Angel.”

Locicero has never taken a snap at quarterback in a high school game. Alford said he is likely to see time on both offense and defense in 2011.

“Losing Alex is going to hurt us, there is no doubt about that,” Alford said. “I thought he was doing a lot of things better this year and was going to take a major step forward. We’ll just need to regroup and find out who will be our starting quarterback in the fall.”

McGough’s transfer will also affect two other Wildcats programs. He was a goalkeeper for the Wesley Chapel boy soccer team as a freshman and recorded four shutouts. McGough also played in five games for the baseball team as an outfielder, where he posted a .400 batting average with three RBI and one steal in 2011.

The Cowboys have openings at both spots, as starting goalkeeper John Nardozzi and outfielder Zach Jackson both graduated. However, Gaither has an established starter under center for the football team.

Junior-to-be Shug Oyegunle has been the Cowboys starting quarterback since halfway through his freshman season. He completed 97 of 227 passes for 1,412 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010. He also posted 287 rushing yards on 94 carries and four more scores to help Gaither finish with a 3-7 record.

Gaither plays its kickoff classic contest at home against Sickles on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. The Cowboys first regular season game is also at home against Alonso on Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Wesley Chapel’s kickoff classic is at South Sumter on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. The Wildcats first game is against cross-town rival Wiregrass Ranch at home on Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

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