Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has released preliminary new football districts for the next two seasons.

The FHSAA redistricts all prep sports every two years to account for new schools opening and changing population. Seth Polansky, FHSAA spokesman, said schools with a similar amount of students are grouped together by location.

“It isn’t very fair for a school with 2,500 kids to play against one with 50,” Polansky said. “Also, this year we’ve added a classification for rural schools to level the playing field. Instead of the old classes, now it’s 1A through 8A. There isn’t a 1B or 2B anymore to simplify the numbering.”

The larger the number of the class, the more students at the school. In Pasco and north Hillsborough counties, the new alignments if upheld will in some cases keep traditional rivalries, split others up and create new ones.

One of the biggest changes from the redistricting would be the splitting up of Pasco’s longest running rivalry — the 9-Mile War between Zephyrhills and Pasco. Despite both being in Class 5A, Zephyrhills has been grouped with three Polk County schools in District 9. Pasco is in 5A-6 with Wesley Chapel.

“I did submit a letter for appeal,” said Zephyrhills principal Steve Van Gorden. “We asked to be moved into 5A-6 as our first choice with Pasco and Wesley Chapel and the other county schools, or into 6A-6 as our second choice. We’ve played Pasco for a long time and it’s a very important match-up for our community here.”

Zephyrhills and Pasco have played each other 53 times. Van Gorden also said the travel for road district games would be another burden that would be alleviated if the Bulldogs were put in 5A-6.

Polansky said all appeals have been submitted and will be addressed in the coming weeks. Finalized districts will be released the last week of January.

Central Pasco rivals Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes will remain district opponents in 6A-6. The two squads were also in 3A-7 last year with Mitchell, who will move into the new district with River Ridge, Central and Springstead.

The Gators reached the playoffs last season as the district runner-up, the 14th straight appearance for the program. The Seahawks finished 8-2 and just missed out on a postseason berth after losing to Land O’ Lakes.

The Seahawks and Gators will likely have an easier time making the regional tournament in the new district alignment as Pasco, which as four straight district championships including 3A-7 last year, is now in 5A. Additionally, the only other new 6A-6 school to make the postseason last year was Springstead as the district runner-up with a 5-5 record.

Moving to the new 7A-7, four area schools have been grouped together — Freedom, Gaither, Steinbrenner and Wiregrass Ranch.

The Patriots and Cowboys were in the same district last year, but this alignment moves fellow north Hillsborough newcomer Steinbrenner with them.

“It’s nice to be moving up,” said Warriors coach Floyd Graham. “2A district we were in with Jesuit and Robinson was a tough one. We think we’ll be able to compete in the new district.”

Jesuit finished 10-0 in the regular season last year, while Robinson was 8-2.

Gaither and Steinbrenner played last year, a 20-7 win for the Cowboys, and Graham said the two programs wanted to continue to play even before learning they would be district rivals. He did say his team still wants to play Strawberry Crest, which had been a district opponent the last two years.

“I don’t really know why, but that’s the team we think of as our main rival,” Graham said. “Maybe it’s because we started the same time two years ago, maybe because that was the first game we played, maybe it’s because we played them two times that first year. I don’t know, but we want to keep playing them.

Wiregrass is the only Pasco school in the tentative 7A-7, but that does not phase the Bulls.

“My philosophy is we’ll play anyone,” said Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Shobe. “We’ll prepare for anyone on our schedule.”

Carrollwood Day has also joined a district for the first time in school history. Last year it was an independent, but will move into 2A-5. Patriots coach Lane McLaughlin said the team wanted to move into a district to have a chance and an FHSAA state championship.

Six-man football teams like Academy at the Lakes and Zephyrhills Christian play in a league not affiliated with FHSAA, so redistricting does not affect those programs.

All the new districts can be viewed at www.fhsaa.org.

Local athletes continue excellence at next level

By Kyle LoJacono

Each year, the best prep athletes sign letters of intent to show off their skills in college and Florida’s largest schools are benefiting from the talent of Pasco and north Hillsborough County high schools.

The Laker and Lutz News checked with the sports information departments from the four most populated public colleges in Florida. Currently, 18 students from Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Odessa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City are on athletic teams at Florida State University (FSU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Florida (UF) or University of South Florida (USF).

Gaither High leads the way with five athletes on teams from the four biggest Florida institutions, followed by Land O’ Lakes with four and Zephyrhills and Freedom with two apiece.

Basketball player Kayli Keough, a forward and guard, knows what it is like to be on not one, but two teams of major Florida universities. She graduated from Land O’ Lakes High and started her college career playing at FSU.

“I was really excited,” Keough said of signing with FSU. “It was a great opportunity. It opens doors to things a lot of people don’t get a chance to do and you get to meet a lot of new people.”

Keough, a junior, moved to UCF this season and has to sit out the year because of NCAA transfer rules, but still has two years of eligibility left with the Knights. She has yet to take the floor with her new team in a game, but Keough has already seen the big differences between high school and college athletics.

“The speed is the biggest thing,” Keough said. “There isn’t time to think in college. You just have to go and react. High school has a much more relaxed nature. A lot of the girls in high school just play basketball for fun, but in college you have a group of girls who were all the best players in high school and are very into the game. Everyone is constantly working to get better.”

Keough helped the Gators go 25-4 and reach the second round of the playoffs in her senior year, the 2007-08 season. She averaged 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, 3.3 steals and 1.9 assists per game her last campaign in high school.

“I loved it,” Keough said of playing at Land O’ Lakes. “I have a lot of close friends from playing there. … You want to go out and represent your town well in college. I’m still really close with a lot of my teammates from Land O’ Lakes and you want to show that we know how to play ball.”

Moving to the gridiron of the football field, Tyler Guy also has experience at two schools, but on the high school level. He played football at Zephyrhills High for three years before transferring to Freedom High for his senior year.

Guy, a high school quarterback, helped lead the Patriots to a program record seven wins in 2009 and reach its second playoff appearance ever. He had 1,640 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and added another 317 rushing yards and five more scores his senior campaign.

“I loved playing high school football,” Guy said. “Moving to Freedom was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I loved playing there.”

Guy, who is the older brother of current Pasco High quarterback Jacob Guy, took a redshirt year this season after walking on at USF. He has switched to tight end and worked on the Bulls practice squad a lot this season.

The Patriots ran a version of the spread offense during Guy’s senior season. The Bulls also use a spread system, which was one of the reasons Guy picked USF.

Making the pros

While many area kids have managed to sign on with Florida’s biggest schools, a few have made it even a step farther. The most tenured professional athlete is Kevin Cash, who graduated from Gaither High. The catcher went on to FSU and then signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 as a rookie free agent.

Cash, who is currently a member of the Texas Rangers, has played eight MLB seasons as a member of six organizations. He has a .183 career batting average, 38 RBI and eight home runs in 246 MLB games.

Also from Gaither, Carlton Mitchell was a wide receiver with the Cowboys and then played at the University of South Florida (USF) from 2007-2009 after redshirting in 2006. He had 105 catches for 1,648 yards in three seasons as a Bull, including nine touchdowns. He also set the USF record for receiving yards in a season with 706 in 2009.

Mitchell was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round in 2010 and made the club’s final roster this season. He has no catches and only one rush attempt for nine yards through the Browns first 14 games, but is still in the NFL.

A new professional is former Pasco High student Dominic Brown, an outfielder. He was called up by the Philadelphia Phillies halfway through last season and batted .210 in 62 at bats with 13 RBI, eight runs scored and a pair of steals and homers.

Staying on the baseball field, Zephyrhills graduate Geoff Parker played at Florida State University the last three seasons, helping the Seminoles reach two College World Series (CWS) tournaments. He went 4-1 with three saves while posting a 4.69 earned run average in 32 appearances, 10 of them starts, his junior season in Tallahassee.

Parker signed with the Colorado Rockies last August after being drafted. He will likely spend the 2011 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery he had last September after tearing an elbow ligament pitching in the CWS.

Also representing east Pasco in the pros is 10-year NFL veteran defensive lineman Ryan Pickett. He graduated from Zephyrhills and was a first-round draft pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2001, playing in the Super Bowl as a rookie. He has spent the last five years with the Green Bay Packers. During his NFL playing career, he has compiled 447 tackles and 9.5 sacks.

NASCAR racer David Reutimann also graduated from Zephyrhills and is amazed at the number of east Pasco County people in professional athletics.

“I didn’t know about all those guys. I guess that shows the whole country where the best athletes are from,” Reutimann with a laugh. “We can really churn out those stud players out in east Pasco.”

Reutimann has a pair of NASCAR wins in four seasons, his latest coming last year in the LifeLock.com 400.

The Laker and the Lutz News has named its inaugural All-Laker/All-Lutz News teams for the 2010 fall high school athletic seasons. Members of the team were selected based on their skill, value to their team, final statistics and head-to-head matchups. Teams in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Saddlebrook Prep, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills and Zephyrhills Christian. Only sports sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) are eligible for the team, not recognized sports. Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team. All stats were as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches and all playoff performances are as recorded by the FHSAA.

Girls golf

–Ellen Crowley, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. Leader of the team that won the first district championship in school history.

–Hana Lee, Fr., Wesley Chapel. Only a freshman, but was the No. 1 golfer on the squad and shot an 86 to qualify for regionals as an individual.

–Kellianne May, Jr., Pasco. Shot a 79 in districts, helping the Pirates earn runner-up in Class 1A, District 8. She followed up with a 79 in regionals, good enough for third place.

–Alex Milan, Sr., Steinbrenner. Won her fourth straight individual district championship.

–Lauren Riehle, Jr., Saddlebrook Prep. Won her second straight individual district championship despite being the only member on the team.

Player of the Year: Alex Milan, Steinbrenner. Milan brought home her fourth straight district tournament and competed in states for the third consecutive season, but for the first time, her team came with her. Milan was the leader of the first Warriors team to reach states and was like a second coach for the squad. She has already signed her letter of intent to play at Florida State University next year.

Coach of the Year: Mark Mann, Steinbrenner. Mann became the Warriors coach when the school opened last year. Most of his new players at Steinbrenner came over with him from Sickles and he has helped turn the second-year school into a girls golf contender. His team will likely return four players who competed in this year’s Class 1A state tournament and the squad will likely be a factor for years.

Boys golf

–Jacob Fleck, Sr., Wesley Chapel. No. 1 golfer on the first Wesley Chapel boys team to reach the state tournament in program history.

–Jon Kopsell, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Was the individual runner-up in districts and helped the Gators reach the regional tournament.

–Dylan Larson, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Leader of the first boys Bulls team to win a district championship in program history and was also the individual champion.

–Brandon Mumaw, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Four-year member of the Wildcats team and finished as the individual runner-up in districts with a 76.

–Jimmy Stranger, So., Gaither. His 77 was tied for the lowest in districts and helped the Cowboys finish as the runner-up in the event.

Player of the Year: Jacob Fleck, Wesley Chapel. Besides being the No. 1 golfer of the first team in program history to reach the state tournament, Fleck won the individual Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament. His 78 was good enough for third lowest in districts and followed that up by winning the individual crown in regionals with a 70.

Coach of the Year: Alan Black, Wesley Chapel. Black has been the only boys golf coach at Wesley Chapel since it opened in 1999 after coaching at both Pasco and Land O’ Lakes and he saved his best team for his last year. While he had taken individuals to states before, including Cameron Knight who won the 2004 Class 2A state title, this was the first time he had taken a team to the event.

Volleyball first team

–Libero: Cary Ann Bame, Jr., Steinbrenner. Led the Warriors with 217 digs while adding 43 aces and helped the squad win its second district title and first regional match.

–Middle hitter: Chelsea Violenes, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Her 1.5 blocks per game was 11th most in the state. Had 138 blocks, a team-high 152 kills and 103 digs.

–Middle hitter: Nicole Woodard, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Her 136 blocks was tied for third most in Florida. She also added 186 kills and 20 aces.

–Outside hitter: Morgan Crescent, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Named the Sunshine Athletic Conference East Co-Player of the Year after putting down a team-high 221 kills and adding 97 aces.

–Outside hitter: Natalia Ortiz, Sr., Steinbrenner. The co-captain put down 84 kills while adding a team-high 31 blocks.

–Outside hitter: Teresa Della Penna, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Played both outside hitter and setter this year and led the Gators with 284 assists and 112 aces while adding 208 kills.

–Setter: Erin McMurtry, Sr., Steinbrenner. Along with her 613 assists, she had 79 digs, 70 aces, 37 kills and 17 blocks.

Volleyball second team

–Libero: Helen Marte, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Finished the year with 371 digs and also contributed 19 aces.

–Middle hitter: Megan Moyer, Sr., Steinbrenner. Led the Warriors with 128 kills and contributed 25 aces and 22 blocks.

–Middle hitter: Tori Quaglia, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led the Bulls with 83 blocks and also added 135 kills and 41 digs.

–Outside hitter: Kaylee Gaskin, Sr., Zephyrhills. After losing three key starters to graduation, Gaskin stepped up and was the frontline leader for the Bulldogs.

–Outside hitter: Ashley Wilson, Fr., Freedom. Led the Patriots with 295 kills and chipped in 205 digs and 25 aces.

–Setter: Kelly Schaller, Fr., Freedom. Racked up 645 assists and a team-high 82 aces. Also had 97 digs, 39 kills and 18 blocks.

Player of the Year: Erin McMurtry, Steinbrenner. McMurtry had not played setter since middle school but had to relearn the position this summer to fill a team need. She did not miss a beat and helped guide the Warriors to their second straight district championship and first regional tournament win. McMurtry was also a co-captain and was a leader on and off the court.

Coach of the Year: Laurie Fitzpatrick, Land O’ Lakes. The first-year coach came in and made a mark on the program quickly. The Gators were 11-9 last season, but improved to 19-4 this year. Land O’ Lakes was knocked out of the district semifinals in a four-set match against Hernando, but were headed in the right direction. Given a few more years she will likely end the Gators 21-year district tournament drought.

Girls swimming

–Nicholette Clark, Sr., Zephyrhills. Qualified for states in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00 and won the race in districts in 2:01.

–Lindsay Gorgen, Sr., Zephyrhills. Won the 100-yard freestyle in districts with a time of 56.71 seconds.

–Megan Huynh, Sr., Sunlake. Won the 50-yard freestyle race in districts with a time of 27.44 seconds.

–Rebecca Pindral, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Came in sixth in the state in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:07.

–Makayla Strickland, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Key member of the Bulls 200-yard freestyle relay team that took first in districts in 1:49.

Swimmer/Diver of the Year: Rebecca Pindral, Wiregrass Ranch. Besides being a part of the Wiregrass Ranch 200-yard freestyle relay team that took first in districts, Pindral came in sixth in the state in the 100 breaststroke. She also won the 100 backstroke in districts. Pindral has been on the team for four years and was also a leader of the team that started to make a name for itself in the school’s fifth year.

Coach of the Year: Jennifer Ordetx, Steinbrenner. Despite coaching a program in its second year, Ordetx took several swimmers to regionals. She was only the girls coach in name, but did everything she could to help the boys as well. Given a couple more years Ordetx will likely add some banners in the Warriors gym.

Boys swimming/diving

–Alex Hill, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Came in second overall in the Class 2A state diving finals with 17 points.

–Nick Keach, Sr., Sunlake. Finished second in districts with in the 100-yard freestyle in 50.05 seconds and part of the 200 freestyle relay team that finished second in the event.

–Matt Menendez, Fr., Wiregrass Ranch. Placed second in the 100-yard butterfly event in districts with a time of 59.32 seconds. Also came in third in 200-yard free in 1:54.

–Giorgi Meyer, Jr., Steinbrenner.    Took first place in diving in the Class 1A, District 7 and followed that up by finishing third in regionals.

–Kyle Shaffer, Sr., Sunlake. Won the 200-yard individual medley in districts with a time of 2:11 and part of the 200 freestyle relay team that finished second in the event.

Swimmer/Diver of the Year: Alex Hill, Wesley Chapel. Coming in first in diving in the Class 2A, District 5 tournament was just the beginning for Hill. He followed that up by placing second in regionals and matched that finish in states. Unfortunately for the Wildcat senior, he was runner-up to Cole Maffeo in both events, but made his mark on state diving in his last year.

Coach of the Year: Tanner Schmitz, Wiregrass Ranch. Schmitz had never coached swimming before this season, but he handled the Bulls team like a seasoned professional. He played and coached football and brought a new level of work and commitment to the boys and girls squads’ practices this year.

Girls cross country

–Lauren Garris, So., Steinbrenner. Finished seventh in the regional event with a time of 20:24.

–Ariel Grey, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Came in 12th place individually in regionals with a time of 19:20.

–Evyn Moon, Fr., Steinbrenner. Her 20th place finish helped the program advance to their first state tournament.

–Nikita Shah, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Helped lead the Bulls to conference, district and regional championships.

–Nicole Solmonson, Jr., Zephyrhills. Made it to the regional tournament as an individual this year.

Runner of the Year: Nikita Shah, Wiregrass Ranch. Despite being only a sophomore, Shah became the Bulls No. 1 runner this season. Her times helped Wiregrass Ranch win the Sunshine Athletic Conference, the Class 3A-3 district and 3A-2 regional championships. She ran the 10th fastest time in regionals, finishing in 19:51. She has plenty of time to get even faster.

Coach of the Year: Don Howard, Wiregrass Ranch. Howard led the Bulls to conference, district and regional titles this year, but also showed his leadership in rallying the team behind a fallen teammate. Lexi Ulrich would have been a junior on the team, but was killed with her family in a plane crash earlier in the year. He and the team dedicated the season to her.

Boys cross country

–Kenneth Fessel, Jr., Sunlake. Was the only member of the Seahawks to advance to states with a time of 16:12 in regionals, good enough for fifth place.

–Hendrix Lafontant, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. No. 1 runner on the Gators team that ended up second in both districts and regionals.

–Alex Newby, Sr., Steinbrenner. No. 1 runner on the Steinbrenner team that won its district and finished second in Class 2A state event.

–Anthony Plourde, Sr., Pasco. Qualified for states individually and came in 35th place with a time of 16:49.

–Joshua Reilly, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Finished third individually in regionals with a time of 16:08.

Runner of the Year: Alex Newby. Newby went out with a bang this year, helping the Warriors program win its first district title in surprising fashion. After taking first in Class 2A, District 5, Steinbrenner came in second in the state event. Newby posted a time of 16:26, good enough for 15th fastest in the state.

Coach of the Year: Bobby McConnell. McConnell came to Steinbrenner from Gaither and won a district title in his first campaign. Even more surprising, the Warriors leader got the squad in good enough shape to finish second in the Class 2A state finals. Things look good as Steinbrenner races into the future.

Football offensive first team

–Quarterback: Stephen Weatherford, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Led Pasco County with 2,136 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while adding another eight rushing and one receiving score.

–Running back: David Emmanuel, So., Pasco. Racked up 1,046 rushing yards on 145 carries and 16 scores.

–Running back: Josh Roberts, Jr., Zephyrhills Christian. Was the leading rusher and scorer on a Warriors team that won the six-man football championship.

–Wide receiver: Trey Dudley-Giles, Jr., Pasco. Led the Pirates with nine receiving touchdowns while adding 547 yards on 24 catches.

–Wide receiver: Will Irwin, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Brought in 18 touchdowns and 46 catches for 1,018 receiving yards.

–Tight end: Jason Tello, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Was the underneath threat for the Gators, catching 58 passes for 846 yards and five scores.

–Offensive line: Sunlake. The unit includes junior right tackle Nate McCoole, junior right guard Matt Sanders, senior center Josh Nobles, junior left guard Randy Silverwood and junior left tackle Canon Clark. The big five helped the Seahawks win a program record eight games and complete their first winning season.

Football offensive second team

–Quarterback: Jacob Guy, Jr., Pasco. Completed 106 passes for 2,014 yards and 27 touchdowns while guiding the Pirates to the regional semifinals.

–Running back: Rashaud Daniels, Jr., Sunlake. Gained 543 yards on 78 carries and found the end zone 11 times.

–Running back: Nick Lomba, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Had 670 yards on 71 carries and 11 touchdowns in helping the Bulls win their first district championship.

–Wide receiver: Mike Clower, Sr., Pasco. Had a team-high 658 receiving yards on 23 catches, including eight for touchdowns.

–Wide receiver: Robert Lohnes, Sr., Freedom. Probably the fastest player on the All-Laker team, racked up 596 yards on 37 catches and five touchdowns.

–Tight end: Kent Taylor, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Was second on the Gators with nine receiving touchdowns and added 571 yards on 35 catches.
–Offensive line: Carrollwood Day. The unit includes junior right tackle Chance Furman, sophomore right guard Collin DeBossier, sophomore center Jarrod Smith, sophomore left guard Adam Morsel and senior left tackle Mak Djulbegovic. Opened up holes for running back Robert Davis to gain 1,523 yards through.

Football offensive honorable mention

–Quarterback: Jacob Jackson, Sr., Sunlake. Stepped up as a passer this season, throwing for 1,258 yards on 82 completions and 18 touchdowns while adding a team-high 1,058 rushing yards on 138 carries and another 12 scores.

–Running back: Robert Davis, So., Carrollwood Day. Ran for 1,523 yards on 124 carries and 15 touchdowns.

–Running back: Janarion Grant, So. Pasco. Picked up five touchdowns and 434 rushing yards on 41 carries and added another seven receiving scores.

–Wide receiver: Tobi Antigha, Sr., Steinbrenner. Most reliable target on the Warriors team that finished 5-5 after not winning a varsity contest the year before.

–Wide receiver: Jamal Jones, Jr., Sunlake. Came up with 19 catches for 308 yards and led the Seahawks with seven touchdowns.

–Offensive line: Wiregrass Ranch. The unit had six players who rotated as starters, including senior tackle Noah Ravenna, junior tackle Justin Scamardo, junior tackle Jacob Sniezyk, senior guard Frankie Walther, senior guard Jared Cameli and junior center Travis Whiddon. The unit returned just one starter from last year, but came together in the second half to help the Bulls reach their first playoff game.

Offensive Player of the Year: Stephen Weatherford. Despite missing the Gators last two games for undisclosed reasons, Weatherford’s 30 passing touchdowns was still tied for third most of any quarterback in Florida to only eight interceptions. His 237.3 passing yards per game was also the eighth most in the state. He added a team-high 476 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 62 carries and brought in one catch for five yards and another score.

Football defensive first team

–Linebacker: Jackson Cannon, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Led the Gators with 123 tackles and 15.5 sacks.

–Linebacker: Josh Scarberry, Jr., Gaither. Led the Cowboys with 75 tackles, nine sacks and three forced fumbles.

–Linebacker: Shadow Williams, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Had 121 tackles, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles from the weakside spot.

–Defensive line: Chadd Hannah, Sr., Gaither. Had 48 tackles and seven sacks this year and has several scholarship offers from Division I schools.

–Defensive line: Mark Landry, Sr., Pasco. Recorded 61 tackles coming off the end with seven sacks.

–Defensive line: Spencer Michelson, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. The team captain moved to the line to help the team and still had 82 tackles and 9.5 sacks.

–Defensive line: Nick Wilson, Jr., Pasco. On a Pirates team that put constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks, he led Pasco with 9.5 sacks.

–Defensive back: Tyler McCollum, Jr., Gaither. His five interceptions and three passes defensed made quarterbacks throw to the check down option.

–Defensive back: Max Pautler, Jr., Gaither. Pautler had four interceptions, but could easily have had many more if opposing quarterbacks threw his way.

–Defensive back:  Eddie Burgos, So., Sunlake. Had four interceptions and 13 passes defensed.

–Defensive back: Justin Tello, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Came up with five interceptions and 45 tackles from the strong safety spot.

Football defensive second team

–Linebacker: Alex Bombino, Sr., Steinbrenner. Was the heart and soul of the Warriors defense, making big plays and not allowing any teammates to quit.

–Linebacker: Jake Fisher, Sr., Wesley Chapel. Recorded 120 tackles, 50 more than any other Wildcat.

–Linebacker: Dale Smith Jr., Zephyrhills Christian. Was the leader of the state championship team despite taking a year off from the sport the previous year.

–Defensive line: Craig King, Sr., Sunlake. Led the Seahawks with seven sacks and added 42 tackles.

–Defensive line: Frank “Duke” Morrison, Sr., Zephyrhills. Probably the most respected by his teammates, Morrison’s leadership was evident in practice and games.

–Defensive line: Noah Ravenna, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Recorded 31 tackles and two sacks while drawing double teams all year.

–Defensive line: Angel Alvarez, Sr., Gaither. Had 36 tackles and was named to the All-Western Conference Football American Division first-team.

–Defensive back: John Ayers, Sr., Wesley Chapel. The safety came up with four interceptions and 70 tackles.

–Defensive back: Chris Reaves, Sr., Zephyrhills. Reaves’ play in the secondary was one of the bright spots for the Bulldogs.

–Defensive back: Wesley Moore, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Led the Gators with seven interceptions while adding two sacks and 92 tackles.

–Defensive back: Raymond Powell, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led the Bulls with four interceptions and added 48 tackles.

Football defensive honorable mention

–Linebacker: Levon Brookins, Jr., Gaither. Brookins had 71 tackles and forced a fumble.

–Linebacker: Keith Lewis, Sr., Freedom. Lewis had some injuries this season, but still managed 104 tackles and three sacks.

–Defensive line: Jose Santana, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Had 6.5 sacks and 54 tackles as a senior.

–Defensive line: Max Osnos, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. Osnos played at many positions, but made the biggest difference up front.

–Defensive line: Cornell Wilson, So., Pasco. The sophomore contributed 62 tackles and three interceptions.

–Defensive back: Dillon Floyd, Jr., Carrollwood Day. Had a team-high six interceptions while adding six passes defensed and 35 tackles.

–Defensive back: Jordan Michelson, So., Land O’ Lakes. Picked off two passes, but had 15 passes defensed to lead all defensive backs on the All-Laker team.

Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Scarberry. The Gaither defense was the squad’s strength and Scarberry was the leader of that unit. He shined with both his play on the field, but also because of his leadership. Opposing coaches spoke of how he never takes a play off. The scary thing is he has another year of growth in high school.

Football special teams

–Kicker: Adrian Krupka, Sr., Sunlake. Had 32 touchbacks out of 63 kickoffs and 40 made extra points.

–Punter: Jacob Guy, Jr., Pasco. Along with running the Pirates high powered offense, Guy averaged more than 40 yards a punt.

–Returner: Robert Lohnes, Sr., Freedom. Averaged 12 yards a punt return and 33 yards per kick return.

Coach of the Year: Bill Browning, Sunlake. In the program’s fourth season, Browning guided the team to an 8-2 record, the first winning season in program history. The competition in Class 3A, District 7 was so tough that the Seahawks just missed the playoffs, but the growth in the program is evident. Sunlake should have more eight-win seasons as long as Browning is patrolling the sidelines.

By Kyle LoJacono

While the high school softball season is still many weeks away, travel ball with Tampa Bay Velocity Gold has been in high gear for months.

The new competitive travel team was created about a year ago by Saint Leo University graduate and former Gaither High coach Heather Castle. The team practices at Roy Haynes Park in Forest Hills, but players come from around Tampa Bay to learn from Castle.

“We’ve got players from east Pasco, west Pasco, Lutz, Brooksville, Tampa, Riverview, Clearwater,” Castle said. “Really from all over the place and they are all good, let me tell you. We’ve got some players on this team.”

Castle has been a travel ball coach for five years and also coached high school for four seasons. She created Velocity to help increase the interest in the sport across Tampa Bay and also as a way to get local players noticed by colleges.

“Basically to get schools interested in you, you have to play travel ball in showcase tournaments,” Castle said. “That’s the only way to get a lot of places to see you. That’s what I want is to make them better and get them signed.”

Center fielder Lauren Thompson has already seen the benefit from playing on the team.

“High school softball is really political,” Thompson said. “Here it’s about just playing and I’ve already had Columbia and Virginia show some interest in me from the exposure from the team.”

Thompson and Velocity catcher Nikki Sedivy both said Castle is a very tough coach when it comes to practice, but only because that is the best way to get better.

“They aren’t easy practices,” Sedivy said. “It’s not like she’s mean or anything like that because she’s easy to talk to and listens. She just wants to make you better.”

Castle said of her style in practice, “I make sure to push them. I’ve seen other practices where the players and coaches mess around more than practice. That’s not going to help them get better.”

Thompson has been a part of the program for several months and said she has seen improvement in her hitting. Sedivy said she most wants to improve her speed and footwork behind the plate to better at throwing out base stealers.

“We’ve still got a very young team,” Castle said. “I mean Sedivy is only 14, so right now we’re still working on the little things and then we’ll really start going to the big tournaments in Las Vegas, Georgia and Texas.”

Along with the goal of getting players signed, the squad was established to help children who cannot afford the sometimes very pricey travel ball season.

“It can be thousands of dollars to play travel ball now,” said Velocity president and assistant Bob Gambino. “With us it’s just $135 for the year. We’ve always found a way to help kids who want to play.”

Gambino added the team is looking for playing sites in Pasco County for a softball complex. He said there is no such area big enough for large softball tournaments in Hillsborough County, but thinks there is a chance something could happen in the northern area.

Castle has also worked with the players to better the community. They recently did several charity drives to collect new teddy bears they then gave to All Children’s Hospital in Tampa.

“Being active in the community is something I believe,” Castle said. “We want to show them making a difference is the right thing to do.”

For more information on Velocity Gold, e-mail Castle at .