Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

When Zephyrhills High principal Steve Van Gorden named Reggie Roberts as football coach in January he listed several reasons for the selection.

“Coach Roberts was chosen because of his strong connections in the community, his football knowledge and his character,” Van Gorden said.

It seems Roberts’ methods are working as the Bulldogs won their Kickoff Classic game 14-13 on Aug. 27 against River Ridge High. Zephyrhills will be able to savor the tight victory because the team has a bye this week before playing again at home against Wiregrass Ranch High Sept. 10.

Roberts played linebacker for the Zephyrhills football team and graduated from the school in 1990. Playing with Roberts on those teams was a young Marcus McCants, who will be the Bulldogs strength and conditioning coach and will help coach the quarterbacks as well.

McCants, who was a volunteer coach for the team last year, was also on the nine-member selection committee that helped pick Roberts as the next Zephyrhills coach.

“Reggie is a really good person and we thought he would make a fine coach,” McCants said. “I remember the guys on the team used to call him the deacon because he was a church-going and truly moral kid. He was also a good student and we thought those qualities would help the players and we’ve seen that.”

Roberts said he has a triangle of things that are most important to teach the players.

“Academics is on the top of that triangle,” Roberts said. “With that is community service and good health. That means getting your workouts in and staying away from drugs and other things that hurt your body and mind. If the team stays in good health we will be a strong football team.”

It seems Roberts’ methods are working.

“Coach Roberts has been a true inspiration to the students faculty and community members of Zephyrhills,” Van Gorden said. “He has stressed academics, community service and emphasized a passion for hard work. The program has grown rapidly with close to 70 young men on the field. Coach Roberts has outreached into the community spreading the message of character, discipline and community service.

“I have been totally impressed with the direction the program is headed,” Van Gorden continued. “I expect great things from the team on and off the field.”

One of the leaders of the team is junior Jamal Roberts, who will play running back, wide receiver and corner back.

“We’ve been working really hard to get better on the field and coach has also pushed for us to be better students,” Jamal said. “He makes sure we know it’s important.”

McCants has also been making more of an impact than in past years. His business, McCants Clip Appeal at 35211 W. SR 54, said he has added a new barber, Chris Carodine, which has allowed him to spend more time as a coach.

“I’ve been working a lot with our quarterback Chris Reaves to get his footwork right,” McCants said. “We’ve worked a lot on his technique and he’s grown a lot as a throwing quarterback.”

Reaves and all the other Bulldogs are ready to show how much they have improved under their new coach.

“We’ve put in a lot of work this summer,” Roberts said. “I’m confident in what I see. They’re coming together to learn the system and now that they have experience in the system with workouts and 7-on-7 this summer they have the confidence to execute on the field.”

Zephyrhills will start their season at home against Wiregrass Ranch High Sept. 10.

Quarterback to pick 2010 area high school games

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

When Drew Weatherford started playing football with the Citrus Park Bills of the Tampa Bay Youth Football League he could not have expected his career to come back full circle.

Those first fields at Skyway Park near the Veterans Expressway where he learned the game are also where his tryout was with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (AFL). Weatherford, 25, made the team as a backup quarterback and special teams player.

“I love playing football and this opportunity with the Storm was such a blessing from God,” Weatherford said. “Ever since I was little I wanted to play professional football. I didn’t think it would be in the AFL, but it’s still great to be able to continue to play.”

Weatherford, of Odessa, played at Land O’ Lakes High. He was the third of six brothers to play for the Gators, including current senior quarterback Stephen Weatherford. Also playing with Land O’ Lakes were his older brothers Will and Sam and his younger brothers Joe and John

Stephen said he got to see his brother play a couple of times in person this year and also watched on TV whenever he could. While it was a little strange to watch him running down the field on special teams, he said it is still nice to see his older brother play professionally.

As a senior at Land O’ Lakes Weatherford led the Gators to a 12-1 record with 2,639 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2004.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Weatherford said of playing at Land O’ Lakes. “I had a great relationship with coach John Benedetto. I was the water boy from the time I was 12-years-old until I played there. I had a great relationship with the coaches and it was like playing for my dad.”

Benedetto coached for 32 years before retiring after the 2008 season.

Weatherford, who was born in Dallas but grew up in Florida, was ranked as the sixth best quarterback prospect in the country by Rivals.com, a national athletic evaluation group, when he decided to sign with Florida State University (FSU).

He took a medical redshirt his first year at FSU after hurting his ankle, but came back to set an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshman record with 3,208 passing yards. Weatherford finished his Seminoles career with 37 touchdowns.

Weatherford made the All-ACC Academic Football Team twice while at FSU and graduated with a degree in finance and real estate.

After graduating, Weatherford went undrafted by an NFL team, but was invited to participate in the Chicago Bears mini-camp. He also had tryouts with the New Orleans Saints and others with the Orlando Tuskers of the United Football League and with the Canadian Football League.

Weatherford did not get to play with those teams, but their loss was the Storm’s gain. He is also working full-time with Imperium Development as its head of business development and government relations. Weatherford will be the expert high school football picker for The Laker/Lutz News this year.

“God works in funny ways sometimes,” Weatherford said. “I get to play for my home team and am getting a chance to do what I love. I couldn’t really ask for more than that.”

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

Steinbrenner High is entering its second school year and the football team is looking to create some rivalries with its closest competitors in north Hillsborough County.

“The kids are all excited about the upcoming season and even more ready for it because our kickoff classic is against Sickles (High) and then our first game is against Gaither (High) after that,” said Steinbrenner coach Floyd Graham. “Those are our nearest competition and we want to get to the level so they see us as their rivals.”

Senior Tobi Antigha went to Middleton High his first two years, but he still wants to build those rivalries as much as former Gaither and Sickles players on the team.

“I can see that in a few years these are going to be some of the top rivalries in the county,” Antigha said. “Steinbrenner, Sickles and Gaither. This is the old breeding ground for those schools, so I’m excited to get those rivalries started.”

The Warriors have high aspirations for 2010, but the first season did not go as smoothly as they had hoped. Steinbrenner played a split schedule with the four games against junior varsity (JV) teams and six varsity contests.

The Warriors went 3-0-1 in JV games, but 0-6 as a varsity squad. The offense scored just 44 points in varsity games, but Steinbrenner’s quarterback does not think that will happen again.

“We’ve done a lot more during the offseason with lifting and that kind of stuff,” said senior Christian Carriere. “I’ve seen just more commitment to be honest with you. In 7-on-7 we had a good turnout basically every week. I don’t think we missed a week because kids weren’t here. We’re ready to show people how far our offense as come.”

Carriere was at Sickles before Steinbrenner opened. He was the only Warrior to complete a pass in 2009. In total he completed 59 of 84 passes for 453 yards and two touchdowns. Antigha said he has seen progression in Carriere’s game.

“Our quarterbacks have really improved,” Antigha with a laugh. “Christian, I don’t mean to rag him out, but his arm has been like night and day. His arm is so much stronger now.”

Antigha had a team-leading 15 catches for 250 yards and two scores while playing mostly tight end last year. The 6-foot-2 Antigha said he will play more at wide receiver this year because the Warriors will be throwing the ball a lot more. He also sees progression in the team as a whole.

“Just our chemistry overall,” Antigha said. “Our quarterbacks have been responding well and the defense looks good. The whole team chemistry has been a lot better.”

One of the leaders of that defense is its shortest — junior linebacker Cody Cazin.

“We’ve improved a lot,” said Cazin, who went to Wharton High before coming to Steinbrenner. “In terms of tackling and flying to the ball. Just the overall intensity is a lot better.”

Another defensive leader is senior linebacker Alex Bombino.

“Offensively we’ve had a lot of improvements because that’s what 7-on-7 is really about,” Bombino said. “It’s more for the offense to get its timing down. On defense we’ve been working on our zones with our new coaches. With this new defense we’re using I think it’s going to catch some people off guard.”

Graham said Bombino is probably the toughest player on the team. He broke his arm during a Friday night game last season, went and got a cast put on and was cleared to practice the next Wednesday. Graham also said he broke a rib toward the end of the season and did not tell anyone he was in pain. The injury was only revealed after the year.

“Bombino has probably worked harder in the offseason than anyone else on the team,” Graham said. “There was times when he was on vacation and he drove back from fishing in south Florida just to make workouts and then he’d go back. He’s probably gained the most in the weight room. He’s about 35 pounds heavier than last year.

“Cody is a little undersized, but he plays through that,” Graham continued. “He hits a lot bigger than he is.”

Steinbrenner had four sports win district championships during the school’s first year and the football team is looking to add to that total this season.

“We just have to put in the time and effort,” Antigha said of how the Warriors can win a district title. “We come in and work out at 5:30 in the morning and we stay late, so we should be up at the top pretty soon.”

The Warriors’ first regular season game is at home against Gaither Sept. 10.

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of Aug. 23. To reach Kyle LoJacono e-mail him at .

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

After three straight playoff appearances, the Gaither High football team had a rebuilding year in 2009, but the current group of Cowboys plan on starting another streak this season.

“We’re getting through all the little aches and pains after not having to hit anybody since May,” said Gaither football coach Mark Kantor. “I thought they’ve given outstanding effort and it’s a work in progress. It’s like building a house. Right now we’re just starting to build that house.”

The Cowboys went 1-9 and struggled offensively, scoring 66 points all season while allowing 334. The Cowboys’ lone victory was a one-point win against Wharton High. Offensive leaders like junior running back Devonta Martin vow the scoring will be up in Death Valley Stadium this year.

“It’s been going well,” Martin said of preseason practice. “A lot better than last year. We’re progressing. We’re more aggressive on offense. I know we’re going to do better and win more games, score more touchdowns and score more points.”

Also key to that Cowboys offensive attack is quarterback Shug Oyegunle. The sophomore became Gaither’s starter halfway through last season.

“Truthful I think putting in 110 percent in practice all the time is more of a motivation,” Oyegunle said. “That’s my motivation, just getting better.”

Oyegunle threw 123 passes while completing 42 for 535 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted 11 times and lost three fumbles.

“Anytime you get a young kid in there they’re going to have growing pains,” Kantor said. “Just like in the NFL, if you put a first-year guy in there he’ll have growing pains because they’ll see things they’ve never seen before. But he has matured. He’s done a lot of 7-on-7 work. He has progressed enough to where we can do some new things and he’s going to do some outstanding things at quarterback.”

The defense was the team’s strength last season, which at times created a split between the two sides of the ball. Martin played mostly linebacker last season and has seen that division close.

“We’re coming together as a team,” Martin said. “Last year it was offense versus defense. Now we’re coming together and that’ll help us win some games this year.”

Gaither mainly used a variation of the option offense last season, where the quarterback rolls to one side and makes the defense commit to either covering himself or flanking teammates. At the last moment the quarterback either pitches the ball to a teammate or keeps it.

The option is one of the simplest offenses to learn, which was needed to help Oyegunle his first year. Now that he has some experience the Cowboys can be more creative.

“We’re going to be multidimensional,” Kantor said. “It’s not going to just be one thing. They’ll be drop backs, there’ll be rollouts and some option. He’s going to be doing a lot of things at quarterback.”

Martin has also seen progression in Oyegunle.

“He came back and so did a lot of our receivers and most of the offensive line,” Martin said. “So (Oyegunle) got better timing with the receivers from last year to this year. They’ve spent a lot of time in 7-on-7 throwing passes, so they’re on the same page.”

While most of the offense is returning, the defense lost its two biggest leaders, defensive back Jamal Allen and linebacker Derek Bavol, to graduation. Both signed scholarships to play at The Citadel.

Kantor said a number of players will fill the void on the defense, including Angle Alvarez, Josh Scarberry, Levon Brookins, Tyler McCollun, Josh Rife, Chadd Hannah and Xavier Wynn.

Gaither will start the season at its northwest Hillsborough County rival Sickles High Sept. 9.

“We’re so ready,” Oyegunle said. “I don’t think we’ll go 1-9 again. It’s just how we work I know we’ll be better than last year. With the way everyone has been working in the offseason, we will be better.”

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of Aug. 23. To reach Kyle LoJacono e-mail him at .

High-flying offense and new spirit comes with new coach

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

For years Wesley Chapel High was a running football team, but the Wildcats are poised to change that distinction this season.

Much of that shift comes with new coach Ben Alford, who grew up in Dade City and was a quarterback at Pasco High.

“We’re going to throw the ball a little more than they have in the past,” Alford said. “We’re still going to run the ball so we keep the defense honest and then we can decide when to go down the field.”

Before this year Wesley Chapel mainly used the wing-t offense under former coach John Castelamare, who had been the only coach since the school opened in 1999.

“He did great things with this program and some of the things he’s done here and in the community are terrific,” Alford said of Castelamare. “I just hope I can do a lot of the same things, but I’ll do things a little differently to add up to the same thing.”

Alford plans to use a variation of the spread offense, which uses three-five receivers on most plays. Many offensive players have enjoyed the switch.

“We ran the ball a lot and as a receiver you mostly block in the wing-t,” said senior wide receiver Patrick Jackson. “In the spread more people get the ball and we feel more a part of the offense.”

Fellow wide receiver and running back Devon Henry, a junior, agrees with Jackson.

“In spread you get the ball with more space to work with,” Henry said. “When we did throw last year it was short passes with the defense all over us.”

Henry is also a corner back and will be one of the defensive leaders with senior linebacker Jake Fisher.

“I think our defense will be a strong point for us,” Fisher said. “We had a couple of rough years, but we’re ready to get out there and shut other teams down.”

Last season Wesley Chapel was 3-7. Castelamare was forced to retire after the year, which was his fifth in the deferred retirement option program. Alford was hired in the spring.

“Coming in during the spring I thought these kids grasped (the offense) enough,” Alford said. “So we’re throwing everything at them in the first week when most teams put two or three things in until they get used to the offense.”

The Wildcats are in Class 3A, District 7, which has been won the last three years by Pasco. In addition, Land O’ Lakes has made the playoffs from the district for a Pasco County record 13 straight years.

“The competition is good,” Alford said. “There’re going to be a lot of good ball games played this year.

“We have to believe we can beat Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, Wiregrass (Ranch) and Pasco,” Alford continued. “They had a tough season last year, so we need to get their confidence up. We’re a young team. We’ve only got three seniors who are probably going to start, so everyone else are juniors, sophomores and a couple freshmen who I think can help our varsity team.”

Alford graduated from Pasco in 2003. During his time with the Pirates he never beat Wesley Chapel except his freshman year on junior varsity. Current Pasco coach Tom McHugh was the Wildcats defensive coordinator during that time.

“At the time, like a lot of high school kids, I didn’t know who the defensive coordinator was,” Alford said. “I knew the head coach. I knew coach (Castelamare). Now I know coach McHugh and he does a great job at Pasco and he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves for all the games he’s won up there the last few years. He’s one of the elite coaches in the county and we want to be able to compete against them.”

Alford is an adapted physical education teacher at Wesley Chapel.

“I really enjoyed volunteering with the Special Olympics,” Alford said. “Those kids need a lot of help too and I love doing that. I take pride doing that stuff. When I was offered the position I was so happy. I didn’t give it a second thought.”

Wesley Chapel hosted half of the county’s Special Olympics games for the first time in the spring and Alford is hoping many of his players volunteer with the program.

In addition to that future community service, the Wildcats have made several trips to give a fresh coat of paint at the old San Antonio Boys Village.

The Wildcats will start the season Sept. 3 in Wesley Chapel against Clearwater Central Catholic High.

“The seniors are looking to go out with a bang,” Jackson said. “We want to be over .500, win the district and go deep in the playoffs. I think we have a good shot to make a run at states. We expect big things.”

Pasco High has only known district championships since Tom McHugh became the coach three seasons ago.

If the Pirates are to make it four in a row they will again rely on throwing the ball all over the field using a version of the spread offense.

“Jacob Guy will be our quarterback to start the year and he has a lot of good receivers to throw to,” McHugh said. “Guys like Hakeeme Ishmar, Mike Clower and Jackson Johnson.”

Guy, a junior, is the younger brother of former Zephyrhills High quarterback Tyler Guy. Last year he was the backup for D.J. Clower, who had 1,525 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior. Guy attempted just 19 passes, completing 13 for 159 yards and one score in 2009.

While Guy will have many receivers to choose from, one stands out. Ishmar, a senior, has received more than 10 scholarship offers, several from Division I schools. He had a team-leading 400 receiving yards as a junior.

Ishmar, along with Chaise Dunn, Mitchell Wozniak and Janarion Grant, each had at least 350 yards receiving last season. Dunn and Wozniak each graduated, but Grant is only a sophomore.

One of the team’s defensive leaders is linebacker Jamie Byrd. The 6-foot senior had a team-high 129 tackles while adding six sacks and four fumble recoveries last year. He also had 136 rushing yards and two scores as a fullback.

Pasco went 9-2 last year and loses only nine seniors from that team. McHugh said the graduates received some kind of scholarship and will play football at the collegiate level.

“That’s something I’m proud of because they’re going to school first of all and their football talents are helping pay for it,” McHugh said.

In the Pirates district is Wesley Chapel High, who has a familiar face running their program — Ben Alford. The 2003 Pasco graduate was the Pirates quarterback and had some trouble against McHugh while playing.

“When I was the defensive coordinator at Wesley Chapel we beat him every year,” McHugh said with a laugh. “Right now I wouldn’t call it a rivalry between us. They’re 10 miles away and we have that other team nine miles south in Zephyrhills that is our big rival. It can become a good rivalry and I like the competition in east Pasco County.”

The annual district battle between Zephyrhills High and Pasco is known as the 9-Mile War. Pasco has won the game the last two years, including a 48-7 victory last year.

While the Pirates are ready for the season, the team is coming off a recent loss. Dan Brown graduated from Pasco in the spring and was to start as a freshman at Defiance College in Ohio, but was killed in a car accident last month. Brown was 19 and spent three years as a defensive and offensive lineman.

“As a 16, 17 or 18-year-old kid you don’t talk about those things much,” McHugh said. “If you look down deep it has to impact the guys who knew him. I’m sure it’s there in their minds. It will probably be a motivating factor for them because they remember which one was his locker and how he played for us.”

Pasco has a bye the first week of the season. The Pirates will start the 2010 campaign against American High in Dade City Sept. 10.

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of Aug. 23. To reach Kyle LoJacono e-mail him at .

The Tampa Bay Storm came up just short of winning the franchise’s sixth Arena Football League (AFL) championship by losing to the Spokane Shock 69-57 in Area Bowl XXIII.

A member of that Storm squad is Drew Weatherford, who graduated from Land O’ Lakes High in 2004. Weatherford, 25, was a rookie this season and played both on special teams and was the backup quarterback.

While the ending did not go as Weatherford wanted, he still managed to help get Tampa Bay (13-6) to the title game in his first season of professional football.

“I had a great time playing this season,” Weatherford said. “I have a great bunch of teammates who I loved playing with this year. I just love football. This is the game I grew up loving as a kid.”

Weatherford had a team-leading 20 tackles on special teams this season. He also had his first professional touchdown pass in a win against Bossier-Shreveport. He totaled 64 passing yards on four completions in the regular season.

Weatherford still lives in Odessa and managed to play with the Storm while holding down a full-time job with Imperium Development.