Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Sunlake softball program has never had a junior varsity (JV) team before this season, but that did not stop the inaugural squad from completing a 13-0 season.

“I thought we’d have a good year, but I didn’t think we’d be able to win every game,” said pitcher Danielle Micciche. “After our first couple of games we knew we had a chance to be really good.”

JV softball is not only new to Sunlake, but the squad’s coach Kelly Sayre had never taught the sport at that level.

“I wanted them to know the game and the different strategies,” Sayre said. “Softball has a ton of strategy involved, both offensively and defensively. I didn’t have any set record we were going for. I wanted it to be fun for the girls and educational. They have a great varsity team to look up to and follow in their footsteps. I stepped into something really good because we have some great players here.”

The varsity squad has a 17-3 record, the most wins in a season for the program.

“We try to come out and give it our all,” said first baseman Alexis Perez. “Then we see how well varsity is doing too and it’s more encouragement. We want to live up to their standards.”

Micciche, who features a curveball and screwball, was the only pitcher for the JV Seahawks.

Statistics for JV are not as accurately kept as with varsity, but most of the players agreed the squad’s hitting has been a big part of their success. Another part of their perfect season has been the chemistry.

“After a couple games I saw how we were working as a team,” Perez said. “It’s really been about teamwork. We’ve bonded outside of the school, which helped us learn more about each other. There’s no drama at all.”

The varsity team has six seniors, all of whom have signed scholarships to play softball in college.

“Having a good JV team is definitely going to help us fill in for the seniors we’ll lose,” said Sunlake varsity coach Jami Finan. “Looking ahead three years this group of freshmen will be the seniors for us.”

Shortstop Nikki Taylor was the first JV player to move up to varsity about halfway through the year. She was joined by third baseman Mikayla Cochran, center fielder Amber Cole and Micciche after the JV season.

“As far as next season, a lot of these players will move up,” Sayre said. “It’ll be like starting from scratch next year. The good thing is there’s a lot of interest in the program. I know some eighth graders at Rushe who want to join and hopefully we’ll have another solid team next year.”

One thing seems certain. The Seahawks have pipeline of young softball players ready to show the area what they can do.

“I think the school should be known for softball,” Cole said. “Varsity has been really good this year and we didn’t lose a game. If we keep winning and getting better, people will think of Sunlake when they think of softball.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Land O’ Lakes boys tennis team reached its third straight regional tournament by finishing as the runner-up in the Class 2A-District 6 tournament at Wesley Chapel High April 6-7.

The Gators won district titles the last two years, but lost their Nos. 2-5 singles players to graduation.

“I was told it was going to be a tough season since we lost a team of seniors last year,” said first-year Land O’ Lakes coach Jasalyn Gerazounis. “However, I had an amazing journey with my team. I could not be more proud of everyone I had the pleasure of coaching my first year as a Land O’ Lakes High School Gator. Leaving the tournament with multiple ribbons and trophy in hand meant that all of the hard work paid off.”

The Gators entered with a 9-2 record, losing to Wiregrass Ranch and district rival Gulf. They earned 11 points in the event, behind only Mitchell’s 14.

Gator’s No. 1 player Colin Roller won the singles district championship against Wesley Chapel’s Cameron Roth 6-2, 6-0. The win qualified Roller for states as an individual.

“Having Colin on the team is great,” Gerazounis said. “Because a lot of the players on the team look up to him, Colin brings more to the team than talent and points. He is always there to cheer on his team, calm them down when they are getting frustrated and offer some great coaching tips. Colin is simply a well-rounded player, and will undoubtedly experience success in the future.”

Roller, a junior, and teammate Harrison Luong also won the No. 1 doubles championship, giving them a berth in states. It is the third straight year he has reached states for both.

“It was a much different year,” Roller said. “Last year with all our seniors we expected to win districts and go deep in the playoffs. This year was tougher, but in a way that made very rewarding because a lot of people thought we won’t do as well.”

The Gators will travel to play Nature Coast at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Freedom flag football team defeated District 12 rival and defending state runner-up Alonso 27-21 on April 4.

“Obviously this was a big win for our girls,” said Patriots coach Dennis Derflinger. “The girls have always felt we have a team that is special. Until you face a quality program like Alonso, you really don’t know how good your team can play. This win gives the girls the confidence that they can compete with the top teams in the state.”

Freedom (5-0) beat Alonso (7-1) in large part do to the overall play by senior quarterback Briahanna Jackson. The Wiregrass Ranch transfer went 15 for 20 passing for 135 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 126 rushing yards and another score. Jackson also came up with two interceptions while playing defensive back.

Freedom senior Lindsay Taggart had a team-high four catches for 62 yards, while Shadé Williams led the squad with six flag pulls.

The Patriots followed up the victory against Alonso with another district win, 26-6 against Sickles. Next up for Freedom is a game at Brandon on Tuesday, April 12 followed by a home contest against Gaither on Thursday, April 14. Both games are at 7 p.m.

“We still have some areas that we need to work on and for us that is good news,” Derflinger said. “Each game we have been playing a little better and making adjustments. If we can continue to improve at the rate which we have been from game to game, we should be peaking at just the right time.”

The Patriots will host the District 12 tournament on April 25 and 26.

Land O’ Lakes advances as runner-up

By Kyle LoJacono

The Pasco girls tennis team last claimed a district championship in 1994, but the Pirates won in the Class 2A-District 6 tournament in runaway fashion at Zephyr Park April 6-8.

“I was 1 year old in 1994,” said Pasco No. 4 player Norah Taylor. “It gives me goosebumps to think about it. It’s really been about our coaches and the players sticking together. We couldn’t have done it without each other.”

The last day was anticlimactic for Pasco, which had a newly insurmountable lead.

“This puts an exclamation point on the season,” said Pirates coach Don Charlick. “It just confirms that hard work and playing with integrity will get you far. We are a team. We stand together as a team. It’s the team that deserves the credit. Not the coaches, but the team. They’re the ones who came out and won the district championship for the first time in 17 years.”

The Pirates were the top seed in the event thanks to a perfect 8-0 district record and had players in five of the seven tournament finals. Pasco earned 13 points, followed by Land O’ Lakes’ 10. Zephyrhills and Gulf finished with nine each. Land O’ Lakes will move on to regionals with its runner-up finish.

Entering the last day there was the potential for a three-way tie for the runner-up spot. Zephyrhills’ last match ended while Land O’ Lakes freshman Josyln Lafond was playing for the No. 4 championship. It was for the last point available for her squad and she pulled out the three-hour match 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Norah.

“I knew it was coming down to me, but I tried not to think about it,” Lafond said. “I knew I could do it even though I lost the first set. I was hitting too hard and the ball was going into the net, so I hit it a little less hard after that.”

Lafond said the 10 minute break between sets two and three could not pass fast enough.

“I was trying not to think about it because I didn’t want to psych myself out,” Lafond said. “I just wanted to play.”

Gators second-year coach Samantha Taylor said of Lafond’s performance, “She really wanted it and she’s really hard on herself when she doesn’t win. I think she just has the want to win and she showed that in the second and third sets.”

Last year, Land O’ Lakes finished with a 5-6 record and returned seven of 10 players. In 2011 the Gators posted an 8-4 record and earned the No. 2 team seed in districts.

“The girls played so hard all season,” Taylor said. “We had a rough season last year, so it makes it that much sweeter to make regionals.”

While Zephyrhills was unable to defend its district championship, its No. 1 singles player Sarah Vande Berg and No. 1 doubles team of Sydney Owens and Vande Berg qualified for states.

The Zephyrhills No. 1 duo beat out Land O’ Lakes’ Wenyi Gu and Linzi Arndt 6-4, 6-3 for the title. Owens, a freshman, was serving in the clinching game and had to fight back from down 0-30 for the win. The decisive point came off a forehand winner from the first-year high school player.

“It just figures it would come down to my serve to send us to states,” Owens said. “There was a lot of pressure, especially with us being down 0-30. But we’re good at fighting back. It also helps to have a partner like Sarah. I think any doubles team with Sarah on it has a good chance.”

Vande Berg defeated Gu 6-1, 6-1 for the singles title. It is the second straight year Vande Berg has reached state individually and as part of a doubles team. She was beaten in the first round of singles play last year and made it to the second round of the doubles tournament with Chelsea Smith, who graduated.

“Last year I was really happy to make it to states,” Vande Berg said. “This year I want to go a lot further than I did in singles and doubles.”

Pirates coach Don Charlick said the team’s depth and togetherness was key to their championship. Another key was the addition of assistant Thomas Mitchell, who was Pasco’s No. 1 boys player in 2008 and 2009.

“He’s allowed us to have more focus in our practice,” Charlick said. “It lets us run two drills at the same time and let the girls hit 200 balls in practice. He’s volunteered for this. It’s about his love for the game.”

The Pirates will host Nature Coast at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, while Land O’ Lakes will travel to Crystal River at the same time. The 2A state tournament is April 20-22 in Sanford.

Girls come up just short of regionals

By Kyle LoJacono

It isn’t as regular as the sun rising and setting, but the Wiregrass Ranch boys tennis team is making trips to regionals nearly as habitual.

The Bulls entered the Class 3A-District 5 tournament at River Ridge April 6-7 with a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed.

“We expected to do well, but you always have to go out and give your best effort or you will get beat,” said Wiregrass Ranch boys coach Dave Wilson. “The boys came out and didn’t take anyone lightly. I’m very proud of the way they all played.”

Wilson has guided the program since the school opened five years ago. The Bulls were the district runner-up in 2007 and 2008, and also the district champion last year.

Wiregrass Ranch has yet to reach the state tournament as a team, but the addition of Courage Okungbowa may change that this season.

Okungbowa, a sophomore, moved to Wesley Chapel from Virginia and moved into the No. 1 spot for the Bulls.

“Adding a player like Courage at the top of our lineup made us a much deeper team,” Wilson said. “Spencer Ong was our No. 1 last year and is still on the team at No. 2, so everyone slides down. It’s something that has really helped our whole lineup.”

Wiregrass Ranch beat out Lecanto 27-21 for the district title.

The Bulls girls earned 13 points in districts, but were unable to make it four straight regional berths, coming in third behind Citrus (22 points) and host River Ridge (18 points).

Wiregrass Ranch’s Hannah Still, a senior, reached the No. 1 final, but was defeated by River Ridge’s Tijana Subotic 6-3, 6-0. Still beat Subotic in three sets during the regular season and a repeat win would have given her a spot in states individually.

The Bulls reached the state tournament last year, but their top two players Sarah and Elizabeth Means decided not to play high school tennis this season. Wiregrass Ranch entered districts as the No. 2 seed despite the loss of the Means sisters.

“We still had a great year,” said Wiregrass Ranch girls coach Jewell Fye. “They stepped up and fought all year.”

The Bulls boys will host Dayton Beach Seabreeze at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12.

By Kyle LoJacono

Tara Marshall and Shanel Sweet are seniors at Land O’ Lakes High, are members of the Gators softball team and play several sports.

Both say they have loved the chance to play at Land O’ Lakes and have helped bring their squads success.

The similarities end there.

Comfortable in blue and gold

Marshall has attended Land O’ Lakes every year in high school. She has been the Gators soccer starting goalkeeper and on the softball team since her freshman season.

She admits the sports are very different, but there are a few things she can apply to both.

“The team mentality is the same,” said Marshall, who mainly plays shortstop in softball. “You workout and grow together. … Being a goalie and being a shortstop are very similar because you talk to the most people and control the play.”

Marshall, who picked up softball at age 4, has been in 55 softball games during the last four years, playing almost everywhere except as a pitcher. She just had surgery to fix a problem with her shoulder, but said nothing will stop her from getting back on the field for the Class 4A-District 8 tournament.

“She’s been a workhorse for us the last four years,” said 10-year Gators softball coach Jamie Martin. “Softball isn’t her sport by trade, but she works very hard at it. She leads by example and is always working. She’s injured right now, but she still comes out to practice. She’s always here with us.”

Marshall said Martin has been able to relate softball to what she does during the winter between the pipes.

“She has a Goddaughter (Shannon Aitken), who was the goalie at the University of Tampa and went to Land O’ Lakes,” Marshall said. “She can relate things to me like a goalie. She would compare them and relate how to move to the ball.”

Marshall and the Gators girls soccer team reached the regional tournament three of her for years as the 4A-8 runner-up, just missing out this season.

Marshall also was an outside hitter in volleyball her first three years, but gave that up to be a kicker on the Gators football team this year. She said playing football this season is her favorite memory of playing high school sports.

“Football was great this year,” Marshall said. “I wish I could have done it my other years. Volleyball was fun, but football was more than I was excepting.

“The attention of me playing football was bigger than I thought it would be,” Marshall continued. “Also the attention from my teammates was different. I thought they were going to be a lot harder on me, but they were more welcoming than I thought.”

Marshall has signed to play soccer at Thomas University in Georgia, where she plans to major in either international business or prelaw while minoring in criminal justice.

Whatever she decides to do in life, she will never forget her time as a Gator: “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Land O’ Lakes.”

Change from Cowboy to Gator

Sweet went to Gaither her first three years, where she was a point guard and quarterback for the basketball and flag football teams respectively.

Her family moved north of the Hillsborough County line into Pasco County, making her a Gator. She has continued to play basketball, but had to give up flag football.

“They don’t have flag football here in Pasco, so I figured I’d come out and give (softball) a try,” Sweet said. “It’s something to do and I like it. It’s not like I just picked up the game. I played baseball when I was younger for six years.”

This is the first year she has played fastpitch softball, but she has been a quick study.

“She’s just a fierce competitor,” said 10-year Gators softball coach Jamie Martin. “When you go after everything as hard as she does you’re going to succeed. I think if she wanted to be the best golfer or bowler, she’d be able to do those things too. She’s just that kind of kid and that good of an athlete.”

Sweet mainly plays on the infield, but has been everywhere but the pitching mound. She is batting .333 in eight games, and has only two errors.

The Gators girls basketball team lost only one game this season that Sweet played in. The squad went 24-3, 20 more wins than the year before, reaching the regional finals.

Sweet has succeeded in both softball and basketball, despite the stark contrast in the pace of the two games.

“I think competitiveness and athleticism translate to any sport, but the speed is totally different with basketball and softball,” Sweet said. “Different speed, but you need to be ready on every play. The ball can come to you at any time.”

Sweet attributes a lot of her softball success to Martin’s coaching.

“Coach Martin is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Sweet said. “We just click. She’s amazing. She relates playing the infield to playing defense in basketball. She says you need to stay low and be ready like in basketball.”

Sweet scored her 1,000th career point in basketball this season, but another moment stands out to her has her best at Land O’ Lakes.

“The Gulf game in the regional semis,” Sweet said. “… The 1,000 points was a big accomplishment too, but it was over a long time. For one moment, it was the Gulf game.”

The Gators defeated Gulf 69-60 in the semifinals. Both squads entered the matchup without a loss to another Pasco County team during the season.

She said she wants to do something with math, such as entering the business world. She takes several Advanced Placement courses and has a 3.8 grade point average.

“Having a challenge in the classroom is a lot to deal with when you’re always playing sports,” Sweet said. “It’s hard to juggle sports and grades, but I’ve always learned to put my academics first. My dad (Shane) always told me how important it is to keep my grades up.”

Sweet will sign her letter of intent this week to play basketball at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina.

Sweet only wore the Gators blue and gold for one year, but will cherish the memory: “Coming here to Land O’ Lakes was a blessing.”

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

By Kyle LoJacono

Sunlake junior boys weightlifter Nate McCoole finished in seventh place at the Class 1A state heavyweight meet last year, better than any other competitor in program history.

McCoole put up the same total weight as the kid who finished in sixth place at the event, but was dropped down to seventh because he weighed more than the other competitor. That is the tie-breaker and put McCoole one spot away from placing.

“I was so close to placing and I don’t want that feeling again this year,” McCoole said. “I’ve really worked hard and got past 400 pounds on the bench press a couple weeks ago. That was a big goal for me.”

McCoole said he hopes to put up 425 in the bench at the state meet. The 1A heavyweight state champion had a 420-pound bench press last year.

“Nate’s total between clean and jerk and bench has gone up 50 pounds in a year, which is really good considering where he was and lifting as much weight as a 16 year old,” said Sunlake boys weightlifting coach Matt Smith. “We don’t push him every time because he is still a young man and we’re looking out for his health. He’s very competitive and very strong. I’ve only coached a couple guys like him in my 15 years coaching. His strength for his age is unbelievable.”

Smith, who coached at Hernando before Sunlake, has also coached McCoole on the Seahawks football offensive line the last three seasons. In that time, he has seen the junior increase his weight from 215 to 425 pounds. He can not only bench 415, but also posts 295 pounds in the clean and jerk.

McCoole said he has been working out at Powerhouse Gym in Tampa since the football season ended, and he credits what he learns there for some of his recent gains.

“This offseason I was working with the Andrew Yerrakadu, Tony Conyers and James Jacobs,” McCoole said. “They are training a lot of young people around the area and have been a huge help.”

He also gives credit to his longtime coach.

“He’s the best,” McCoole said of Smith. “He has a passion for helping kids out and is a good example for all of us.”

McCoole said his short-term goal is to compete for the state title. He also wants to eventually break the bench press record before he leaves Sunlake.

“The Florida state record is 505 and I’d like to have the new mark,” McCoole said.

The 1A state meet is on Saturday, April 16 in Kissimmee.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills girls tennis players left the Class 2A-District 6 tournament on April 7 thinking they would have a playoff the next day to decide the district runner-up.

Everything changed later that night with an email from Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) senior director of athletics Gary Pigott. It stated a mistake was made in the interpretation of how points were awarded, making Land O’ Lakes the runner-up by one point.

“I got the email around 6:30 (p.m.) and I let the team know the next day,” said Land O’ Lakes coach Samantha Taylor. “We all knew there was some confusion about the scoring. We were told points were being scored one way, then another and then another.”

The problem arose because Fivay High opened and joined 2A-6, giving it nine teams and an awkward bracket. The player or doubles team with the best and second best record were seeded No. 1 or 2, with a blind draw for the Nos. 3-9 spots. The format forces No. 8 and 9 to play against each other before the winner faced the No.1 seed.

Originally that No. 8/9 game was considered a match for a point to the winning team, but a few coaches questioned why what appeared to be a play-in contest was for a tally. Zephyrhills coach and tournament director Lorraine Hinkle relented and it was decided the No. 8/9 winner would not earn a point.

Pigott instead ruled on April 6 the winner would indeed get a team point like another match as Hinkle originally thought. Pigott then ruled on April 7 the No.8/9 winner would still get a point, but if the No.1 seed then won, she would earn two points for her team. The logic being the No.8/9 winner could potentially earn four points for her team if she wins the individual or doubles championship.

“They said it isn’t fair for the No. 1 to be penalized for being the higher seed,” Hinkle said.

Pasco won the district and Pigott’s ruling during the last day of the event gave both the Gators and Bulldogs 10 points. If two teams finish tied, they play against each other in a playoff team match.

Taylor and Hinkle agreed to play at Land O’ Lakes High on April 8 at 3:30 p.m. Hinkle even secured a van to take the team and equipment to the Gators courts and Bulldogs No. 1 player Sarah Vande Berg cancelled playing in a competitive tournament in Fort Myers to play with her high school team.

However, Pigott reverted to the original scoring system, with one point being given for every win, including the No. 8/9 match up. The change gave Land O’ Lakes 10 points and Zephyrhills nine. The irony is the final ruling was how Hinkle originally explained the rule.

“I’m fine with the ruling,” Hinkle said. “Land O’ Lakes deserves to advance. Now I’ll just focus on getting Sarah and Sydney ready for states.”

Vande Berg qualified for states individually and as a doubles team with Sydney Owens.