The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Pasco takes defensive struggle against Land O’ Lakes

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By Kyle LoJacono
Pasco and Land O’ Lakes high school boys soccer teams entered the Class 4A regional quarterfinals with only three combined losses, and the fourth ended the Gators year.
Pasco’s Dillon Dunbar shields off Land O’ Lakes’ Nicholas Kempton during the Pirates 1-0 win in the regional quarterfinals.

The Pirates (21-2) took the game against Land O’ Lakes (23-2) 1-0 in Gator Stadium Feb. 3.

“We came with a game plan and it worked,” said Pasco coach Berry Grayling.
That plan – frustrate Land O’ Lakes with lock-down defense and capitalize on mistakes.
“They played very well defensively,” said Gators coach Mark Pearson. “They shut down a lot of our angles and space. We didn’t create as many opportunities as we could.… It wasn’t the most attractive soccer, but obviously effective.”
Effective enough to shutout Land O’ Lakes for the first time all season.
“We weren’t generating enough opportunities,” Pearson said. “It was too few and far between. I don’t want to make excuses, but it’s two years in a row we’ve lost our best players. Nathan Dalton we missed so badly tonight. He is our engine and he’s been our motivator. He’s done so much behind the ball and created so much for other players. We struggled for the last week to try and find a way to replace that.”
Dalton was out with a concussion, while Ryan Bowen was missing because of a broken bone in his ankle.
“All of a sudden a lot of our options got limited,” Pearson said. He then added, “I give Pasco a lot of credit. They did a great job defensively.”
While the Gators were suffering through those injuries, the Pirates got back Daniel Corona and Eric Garcia, who missed Pasco’s upset loss to Hudson High in the district finals.
The lone tally came off the head of junior Dillon Dunbar. The goal found its way past Gators goalkeeper Kody Parker. Dunbar said Grayling moved him into the middle of the Pasco attack to take advantage of his height.
“I’m the tallest on the team and it meant there was someone there in the middle for the passes,” said Dunbar, who is 6-foot-2.
Pasco lost to the Gators 3-2 in January, giving Land O’ Lakes the Sunshine Athletic Conference title. Grayling said he thinks that loss actually put more pressure on the Gators.
“We were the underdogs,” Grayling said. “All the pressure was off us a little bit this time. The boys said they had nothing to lose.”
Dunbar said it was very rewarding to get the win because, “It was the hardest game of the season.
“It’s really tough playing in a game like this,” Dunbar continued. “I’ve been on varsity for three years and I’ve never gotten past the first game of regionals before. I’m just happy to get a win in regionals.”
The Gators had several chances late in the contest, including a deflection off a throw-in by Jake Frahm that went just wide.
“I was worried,” Dunbar said. “They’re all taller than us. Their No. 12 (Frahm), his throw-ins are like corner kicks. He throws them so far. I was just hoping to clear the ball out on the first chance. Thankfully we did.”
The Pirates will host the regional semifinals at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8 against Sunlake High. Pasco defeated the Seahawks 2-0 earlier this year.

Freedom takes district championship against Sickles

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Patriots survive scare in semifinals from Hillsborough

By Kyle LoJacono

It was almost a repeat of last year when the Freedom High girls basketball team suffered an early exit in the Class 5A-District 9 tournament.

The Freedom girls basketball team with the district championship trophy.

With 2.7 seconds left in overtime in the district semifinals Feb. 2, Patriots senior point guard Kaitlynn Pacholke stepped to the line and nailed a free throw, giving her squad a 53-52 lead against Hillsborough High.

Freedom (20-5) held on to win by the same score, avenging a loss to the Terriers (9-13) in last year’s district tournament that ended its season. The Patriots went on to defeat Sickles High 68-65 in the finals Feb. 4.

“That wasn’t a very pretty game for us,” said Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke after the semifinals. “We missed a lot of free throws and let them hang in there. I was having visions of last year.”

The Patriots were the No. 1 seed in the tournament at Gaither High, going 9-1 in the district during the regular season. However, the No. 2 seed Gryphons entered the event winning eight of their last nine contests and as a much more explosive squad than the one Freedom defeated 69-32 in December.

The Gryphons (16-10) had some injuries to starters this year, including leading scorers Amber Henson and Bre Crum.

“They have some good players in Henson and Crum, but I think we have more options and work together better as a team,” Laurie said, who coached at Land O’ Lakes two seasons ago.

Kaitlynn, who is Laurie’s daughter, helps create that balanced team attack with her passes. She averages 8.6 assists per contest, the fourth most in Florida, while adding 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.

In the title game, Kaitlynn had 26 points, while senior Lindsay Taggart and junior Shade Williams added 14 and 17 respectively.

Henson led the way for Sickles in the finals with 31 points and Crum added 23, but the Gryphons got only 11 points from other players.

Freedom will next host Punta Gorda Charlotte at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Land O’ Lakes brings home district gold

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By Kyle LoJacono

Shanel Sweet

Despite having two new starters and a new coach, the Land O’ Lakes High girls basketball team brought home the Class 4A-District 8 championship with a 58-53 win against Citrus High Feb. 5.

The Gators (23-2) were led by sophomore Simone Brown, a Wesley Chapel High transfer, who poured in 27 points including 15 in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Julia Della Penna added 14 to the scoreboard, nearly double her season average.

“It’s been a learning experience for us all,” said Land O’ Lakes first-year coach Laurie Fitzpatrick. “I had to learn what the girls did well and how to make all the pieces fit together. We had some injuries early, which didn’t help that, but by the end we were really clicking and I think that showed.”

Fitzpatrick said most of her girls were sick during the tournament.

“Simone had to run to the trashcan during timeouts because she was getting sick,” Fitzpatrick said. “They weren’t going to let that stop them.”

The Gators took down Wiregrass Ranch 55-49 in the semifinals. Senior point guard Shanel Sweet, a Gaither High transfer, had 17 points in the contest and sunk her last six free throws in the closing minutes to keep her squad ahead.

“It was two games that came down to the very end,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was nervous. I was biting my nails in both games. The girls stepped up big time on a big stage.”

Land O’ Lakes will now host Mitchell High at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Wildcats get first district title

The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team has come a long way from the squad that finished 0-15 last year

Karim Nohra was brought in to coach the Wildcats and installed a pressure defense that helped them defeat Keswick Christian 42-31 in the 1A-9 title game Feb. 5. The academy caused 25 turnovers in the contest.

Marjorie Rivera, an eighth grader, led the academy in scoring with 16 points while adding six assists.

In the semis, the Wildcats defeated one of Nohra’s former squads Cambridge Christian 54-32 thanks in large part to their defense, which held the Lancers to just one field goal in the first quarter.

The academy will next host Sarasota Christian at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Two more Seahawks softball players sign

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By Kyle LoJacono

Each year, many high school seniors play with understanding they may never play their sport again after the season. Players on the Sunlake High softball team will not have that pressure this year.

The last two of the Seahawks’ five seniors signed college letters of intent Jan. 21. Ashley Orta will play at Santa Fe College next year, while Shelley Stohler picked Hillsborough County College.

“It’s definitely a relief for me,” Stohler said of signing. “Now I can go out and focus on my senior year on the field and in the classroom too.”

Orta never really sweated the issue.

“My mom (Corey) has always told me to just let things happen and not worry about it,” Orta said. “I figured if I was good enough, I’d get a chance.”

Orta is the first member of her family to go to college.

The two follow Tyler Riendeau, Alex Rogers and Amanda Solar who signed in November.

“It’s really cool to think that we’ll all be playing in college,” said Stohler, who has attended Sunlake all four of her years in high school. “Our first year we didn’t have a lot of girls. It’s grown and now we think we can really do well this season.”

The Seahawks were 15-10 in 2010. They were eliminated in the second round of the district tournament.

Both Orta and Stohler said they picked their schools because they are close to home and they liked the coaching staffs. Orta is not sure what she will study yet. Stohler is not 100 percent set either, but thinks it will be either engineering or business.

Orta, a first and third baseman, batted .220 with eight runs scored and three RBI last year. In the field she had a steady glove, recording only one error in 21 games.

Stohler, a catcher and third baseman, batted .267 with eight RBI in 2010. She also threw out 11 of 25 potential base stealers.

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

Seven Gator athletes continue into college

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Land O’ Lakes High athletics was well represented on national signing day Feb. 2 when seven Gator athletes signed their letters of intent to play in college.

Of the seven, two are girls soccer players. Morgan Crescent will stay in the Sunshine state and play at Eckerd College, while Tara Marshall will head to Georgia to play at Thomas University.

Crescent played multiple positions for the Gators last year, including some time as goalkeeper. Crescent’s versatility does not stop on the soccer pitch. She was also named the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) Co-Player of the Year in volleyball this season and also to the All-Laker/All-Lutz News volleyball first team.

Marshall, a goalkeeper, received the bulk of the time in net for Land O’ Lakes, posting 177 saves and 10 shutouts this season.

The Gators girls soccer team went 12-6-3 this year, reaching the district semifinals.

Christopher Dotson was the lone cross country runner to sign Feb. 2, choosing to pound the pavement at Lee University in Tennessee. Dotson helped the Gators boys come in second place in the Class 3A regional meet this season and advance to the state competition where they finished 15th in Florida.

The Gators football squad had two athletes sign as well, wide receiver Will Irwin and offensive lineman T.J. Chamberlain. Both will play at Wofford College in South Carolina. The two helped Land O’ Lakes go 9-2 and extend its Pasco County record playoff appearance streak to 14 years.

Irwin led the Gators with 46 catches, 1,018 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder earned first-team SAC honors and also made the All-Laker/All-Lutz News football offensive first team for his performance in 2010.

Chamberlain’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame allowed the Gators offense to flourish again in 2010, averaging 385.1 yards and 38.3 points per game.

Boys soccer players Justin Lyles, a midfielder and forward, and Kody Parker, a goalkeeper, made their intentions known several weeks ago, committing to Thomas University and the University of Tampa respectively. Parker will study international business in school, while Lyles plans on majoring in business and marketing.

Lyles and Parker helped the Land O’ Lakes program win their seventh straight district championship this season, the Sunshine Athletic Conference title and reach the regional quarterfinals.

Pair of Gaither linemen sign

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By Kyle LoJacono

Offensive and defensive linemen do not usually get a lot attention, but two Gaither High seniors impressed enough to earn college scholarships.

Offensive guard Vasilios Nenos signed with Jacksonville University and defensive lineman Chad Hannah picked the University of Cincinnati. The two signed their letters of intent Feb. 2, national signing day.

“It’s always great to see kids sign with colleges,” said former Gaither football coach Mark Kantor, who stepped down following last season. “These two are very good at what they do and I’m proud to see that they’ll continue playing.”

The two were the 69th and 70th players to sign during Kantor’s nine-year tenure. Both Nenos and Hannah have only been varsity starters for one season.

Nenos said he relishes the role of springing his teammates for touchdowns.

“It’s just the personal satisfaction of knowing that without us, the play wouldn’t work,” said Neno, who will study pre-med. “Somebody has to block or no one would get the ball.”

Nenos switched from the defensive line this season and put on 30 pounds, putting him at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.

“Coach Kantor thought I should do it and it was a great idea,” Nenos said. “I give all the credit to him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be going to Jacksonville right now.”

Hannah received 12 scholarship offers despite only playing football for two years. He was mainly a basketball player until Kantor told him he should try out.

“It’s been amazing because I almost quit football last year,” Hannah said. “After our last game my junior year I didn’t play at all, but my dad told me to stick with it and I’m very glad I did.”

Hannah said basketball with the Bearcats is very unlikely.

Hannah had 48 tackles and seven sacks last season on a Gaither defense that allowed 23.5 points per game. He was named to the All-Laker/All-Lutz News first team defense for his performance.

Hannah said he is likely to study physiology. He said his second choice was Rutgers, followed by Texas Tech University.

“They said to me, don’t go to a school that wants you. Go to a school that needs you,” said Hannah, who will play as a defensive end/linebacker hybrid position.

One downfall about playing at Cincinnati is the cold weather. Hannah said he has lived all of his life in the Tampa Bay area.

“I’ve got my winter stuff already,” Hannah said. “The coaches said to me if you get drafted by the Green Bay in the NFL, are you not going? They said weather can’t be the deciding factor and it made a lot of sense to me.”

Two Cowboys continue soccer dreams in college

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By Kyle LoJacono

Gaither High girls soccer players Lauren Moore and Carly Cepelak each started playing the game almost nine years ago and will continue their playing career in college.

The seniors each signed their letters of intent on Feb. 2, national signing day. Moore will play in the Tampa Bay area at the University of Tampa while studying sports medicine, while Cepelak will head north to Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee and major in nursing.

“I’ve always loved playing soccer,” Cepelak said. “All the off-season workouts and practices were all worth it to know I’ll still get to play.”

Moore said of making her commitment, “It’s a great feeling. I’m so thankful I have the chance to keep playing.”

The two helped guide Gaither to a 12-6-2 record and to the first regional tournament appearance for the program in five years and the second regional finals appearance ever. The Cowboys earned the postseason berth by finishing as the runner-up in the Class 5A-District 9 tournament.

Both girls said they have many great memories playing at Gaither, but one moment stands out. In the 5A-9 semifinals, the Cowboys fell behind 2-0 to northern Hillsborough County rival Sickles High. Gaither fought back in the second half to win the contest 3-2, sending them to the tournament finals and ensuring them of a regional spot.

“It was so exciting,” Moore said. “To come back and win and know we were going to regionals. It was amazing.”

Moore, a midfielder, had a team-high 13 goals this season and added five assists. Cepelak, a sweeper, had one score.

Second-year Gaither coach Trevor Scott had one player sign last year, Ashley Acco with Saint Leo University.

“Seeing them sign is what it’s all about,” Scott said. “They have been great players and leaders for us and we couldn’t have made regionals without their leadership.”

Tringali sets standards for Bulls passing

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Senior leader all time in assists and touchdowns

By Kyle LoJacono

It would be an understatement to say Wiregrass Ranch senior James Tringali knows how to set up others to succeed.

James Tringali

Tringali entered this year already as the Bulls leader in passing touchdowns as the starting quarterback and also the all-time leader in assists as a guard on the basketball squad.

“I never really thought of it like that,” Tringali said of leading in both statistics. “It is kind of fun to think of all the time my passes have set someone else up to score. I’ve been lucky to have great teammates in football and basketball to make that happen.”

Tringali became the Wiregrass Ranch starting quarterback halfway through his freshman season. Statistics were not kept as well before Jeremy Shobe became the Bulls football coach in 2008, but Tringali has recorded 3,219 passing yards on 277 completions and 23 touchdowns since then, all program records. He has also added 458 rushing yards and another five scores.

“He’s been very consistent for us and has gotten better each year,” Shobe said. “He’s always gone out and worked as hard as anyone I’ve coached. James is a very competitive person and always wants to be the best. He strives to win. He’s fought his way up.”

Tringali’s play helped guide Wiregrass Ranch to its first district championship in football as a senior and the first winning season in program history (6-5).

“It wasn’t always easy for him,” Shobe said. “Two years ago we had another kid challenge him for the starting spot. His name is (Jonathon) Economou and he got into several games. When James was on the sidelines, he was the perfect teammate. He didn’t put his head down or start feeling sorry for himself. He used it as fuel to get better and I’m proud of him for how he handled that.”

Economou transferred to Freedom High, where he just completed his junior season.

On the basketball court, Tringali has 361 career assists, far and away better than anyone else

Antwan Prince (shooting) and James Tringali are both guards for the Bulls basketball team and also played for the football squad.

in the school’s first five years. His passing has helped the Bulls complete the regular season with an 18-7 record.

He is not limited to playing point guard on the hard court, recording 640 career points, 401 rebounds and 133 steals.

“He’s been very versatile for us over the years,” said Bulls boys basketball coach Jeremy Calzone. “He mainly plays in the backcourt, but moves all over depending on the game.”

One player who has benefited from Tringali’s passing in both sports is senior Antwan Prince. The two connected for 598 yards on 37 completions and five touchdowns in 2010; more than any other Bulls combination. However, in basketball Prince sets up Tringali to score just as often because the two rotate playing point guard.

“It’s kind of fun when you think about it,” Tringali said of Prince setting him up to score in basketball. “In football we did our thing with me getting him the ball, but now he’ll get me the ball just as much. It’s really fun.”

Tringali has enjoyed his time on the field and in the gym, but says the sports could not be more different.

“There are a lot more eyes on you in football,” Tringali said. “A lot more things can happen. Basketball is more of a flow game. You kind of let everything else dictate what you do. You go where the game takes you. In football, as the quarterback, you set the pace and control everything.”

Tringali was a Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) honorable mention for football this season. His basketball goals are to get back to first-team all SAC like last season while leading Pasco County in assists and getting the basketball team its first district championship.

Tringali has received interest from several colleges to play quarterback, including Brown University and Davidson College.

“He’ll be playing on the next level for sure,” Shobe said. “He has the talent and desire and is one of the smartest kids in the school.”

Tringali is currently ranked 71st out of 407 seniors at Wiregrass Ranch with a 3.91 weighted grade point average. He also has 117 community service hours.

“I’ve loved everything about going to Wiregrass Ranch,” Tringali said. “I’ve loved helping build the athletics, but I’ve always understood that education comes first. That’s why we’re student athletes.”

The Bulls next play in the Class 4A-District 8 district tournament at Nature Coast against River Ridge High at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

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

Ryan Pickett represents East Pasco in Super Bowl

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By Kyle LoJacono

A player who honed his skills at Bulldog Stadium at Zephyrhills High School will play beneath much brighter lights on Sunday, Feb. 6.

Ryan Pickett, a member of the Green Bay Packers, is headed to his second Super Bowl.

Ryan Pickett on the sidelines as the Packers won their wildcard matchup against the Eagles. (Photo courtesy of the Packers)

The defensive lineman was born in Zephyrhills and played with the Bulldogs from 1994-1997. Some of his fondest memories are of playing Friday nights against Pasco County rivals like Pasco High and Land O’ Lakes High.

“That’s where I learned the game,” Pickett said. “That’s where I’m from and it’ll always feel like home. I don’t live there anymore, but I take any chance I have to get back.”

Tom Fisher coached Pickett at Zephyrhills and remembers him as one of the biggest and strongest he has seen. Fisher is still a teacher at Zephyrhills and said Pickett was definitely one of the best he has ever coached.

Zephyrhills principal Steve Van Gorden said his performances are a topic of conversation around the school.

“I never meet Ryan, but it’s nice to see a local get to the Super Bowl” Van Gorden said. “It shows if you work hard, you can be successful no matter where you’re from. He’s a great role model for anyone that hard work pays off. It’s going to be great that he can represent not only the Packers, but Zephyrhills.”

As a senior at Zephyrhills, Pickett recorded 119 tackles and seven sacks. His accomplishments were honored in 2008 when his alma mater retired his number 79. Pickett still wears the number with the Packers.

Pickett was one of the top defensive recruits coming out of high school and signed a scholarship to play at Ohio State University. Unlike most freshman in college, Pickett played in every game his first season, including starting the final nine. He recorded 109 tackles, 20 for a loss, and eight sacks at Ohio State.

Pickett, 31, left after his junior season and was selected with the 29th pick of the first round in the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams in 2001. He played five years with the Rams before signing with Green Bay as a free agent after the 2005 season. He was re-signed by the club before this season to a four-year, $28 million contract.

During his 10-year career, Pickett has recorded 454 tackles, nine sacks and 24 passes defensed in 148 games. This season, he played in 14 regular season games, 12 starts, and racked up 32 tackles and a sack.

Pickett reached the Super Bowl his rookie season in St. Louis, but was denied the Lombardi Trophy by the New England Patriots. A decade later, he gets his second shot this weekend in Dallas.

“I’ve never been back and I’ve been dying to get another chance,” Pickett said. “As a rookie I didn’t know what to expect. Getting there as a rookie, you kind of think you’re going to get back every year. After 10 years I’ve learned it’s not that easy. I’m making sure the younger guys know this might be their only chance and to give it everything they’ve got.”

Last year, Pickett was a key part of the Packers No. 1 ranked rush defense that allowed just 83.3 yards per contest, a franchise record. Pickett and Green Bay were the 5th ranked total defense in 2010, allowing 309.1 yards a game.

The Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 to advance to the Super Bowl, where they will take on the Pittsburg Steelers. Pickett and the defense allowed just 83 rushing yards in the contest and he believes containing the run is the key to getting his first championship.

“Those fast, skinny guys on offense may make the highlights, but everyone knows the game is really won and lost at the line of scrimmage with the big boys,” Pickett said with a laugh. “It’s us smacking each other around that are the real superstars.”

Pickett, 6-foot-2, is nicknamed “Big Grease” in part because he tips the scales at 340 pounds. He said the weight comes in handy in frigid Green Bay.

Pickett’s older brother Booker played at Zephyrhills and also in college at the University of Miami. Booker still lives in east Pasco and was an assistant on the Bulldogs football team last season.

Pickett and his wife Jennifer have three daughters,  Esther, Abigail and Lydia, and one son, Ryan Jr. Pickett said his boy is only 3-years-old, but already thinks he will follow in his father’s footsteps.

“Football is in our blood,” Pickett said. “His daddy and uncle played high school and college ball, and I can already see him on the field in a couple years making plays.”

Kickoff for Super Bowl XLV is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. It will be televised on Fox.

Super Hot Suckers make debut during Super Bowl week

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By B.C. Manion

Anyone acquainted with Michele Northrup — the former Guv’na of Lutz — knows that she’s not exactly a shrinking violet.

So, perhaps it should come as no surprise that this woman — who handles marketing for Learning Gate Community School in Lutz — has come up with a new creation that she debuted last weekend at Zest Fest 2011 in Irving, Texas.

Michele Northrup poses with one of her super-hot lollipops at Zest Fest 2011 (Photo courtesy of Michele Northrup)

The fiery foods festival is just one of numerous Dallas-area events leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.

At Zest Fest, Northrup picked up four awards for her sauces and also arranged a different kind of smack down.

She pitted heat-seeking aficionados against one another in the Intensity Academy Lolly Lick-A-Thon.

The object of the contest was to see who could be fastest to lick his or her way through an Extreme Lolly. No chewing or crunching was allowed.

Licking a lollipop all of the way through doesn’t seem much of a challenge.

But these suckers were hot. Practically scalding.

“That lollipop is torture,” said Northrup, who makes anyone who wants to try one sign a waiver.

She estimates the lollipops have a 1.5 million rating on the Scoville scale, which measures the spicy heat of a chili pepper. Northrup said the rating wouldn’t be official until a chemist tests it, but she bases her estimate on the ingredients she used on the African pepper extract she uses to make the lollipops.

“That’s not a little hot. That’s super, super hot,” said Northrup, who sells the candy treats for $3 a pop.

She created the spicy suckers in response to a constant query by patrons at hot sauce festivals she’s attended. She said when potential customers drop by her booth, they frequently inquire: “What’s the hottest thing you’ve got?’”

“Typically, I’m all about the flavor,” Northrup said, noting she uses chili peppers and other spices, but focuses primarily on creating flavorful blends with organic ingredients.

Still, she wanted to satisfy customers in search of a fiery treat, so she decided to create a novelty item.

“I wanted to do something different,” she said. She said she thought to herself: “Why not a lollipop?”

She began researching lollipop companies across the country to see if she could track down one that would be willing to make her super hot suckers.

“I wanted to have organic tea in it,” Northrup said, and to use extract from African peppers — to turn up the heat.

She began calling companies.

Some of the people she reached thought she was out of her mind.

She said that they told her: “You want tea and pepper in your lollipop? Are you crazy?”

“I had a couple of people hang up on me,” she said.

After searching all over the country, she finally found a company right in her backyard.

The company called Lolly Labs is based in Tampa.

When Northrup checked out the company’s website, she knew it was a perfect fit for her project. “They already made Earl Gray lollipops,” she said.

While Northrup’s lollipops got lots of exposure in Texas, you haven’t heard the end of them yet.

There’s already a posting of the competition on YouTube and the contest will be featured on the reality television show, “Midlife Road Trip.” Rick Griffen, a co-host on the show, competed in the contest.