Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Spring game within sights

By Kyle LoJacono

High school football practices have been underway for a few weeks and the first Pasco County spring games in 19 years are a few days away.

One of the teams looking to build on last year is Wiregrass Ranch High, which went 5-5 in 2009. The five wins are the most in Bulls school history, which opened in 2006.

“Things have been going real well,” said Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Shobe. “We have high expectations. We brought in a whole new coaching staff who are unbelievable and are getting to know the kids and gel with them. The more we play together the more together we will be as a team.”

The staff is new, but the system will remain similar. The defense will run the same 4-3 defense, or four down linemen and three linebackers. The offense will use multiple formations to run the spread offense.

The Bulls are losing 23 seniors from the 2009 team, but have at least that many juniors who will fill that void.

Sophomore lineman Brandon Teeling and junior defensive back Rudy Walker have stepped up on the defense.

“Practice has been going good,” Walker said. “Just putting in hard work is all we do…Having that spring game coming up has helped us a lot getting ready.”

Offensive leaders include wide receiver Donovan Blackman and quarterback James Tringali.

“The thing I’ve really noticed is we have a lot more kids out here this spring versus last year,” Tringali said. “The enthusiasm is good. We’ve got that winning mentality now.”

The players are looking forward to the game, but coaches are focusing on the basics.

“Were just working on fundamentals and getting everyone back in the swing of things,” Shobe said. “We just want to build on last year’s success. We tell them with winning comes expectations and we expect to win.”

LAND O’ LAKES HIGH

Last season Land O’ Lakes High managed to extend its Pasco County record for regional appearances to 13 straight years despite losing John Benedetto who coached the Gators for 32 seasons.

Matt Kitchie took over the program and led them to a 9-2 record, but the Gators are not resting on their reputation.

“Things have been phenomenal in practice,” Kitchie said. “Our goals are to find out who our starters will be and also to find out who’s going to be role players. We need to know who is going to step up and fill in if we have injuries. We need to find out who is going to play varsity and who’ll be (junior varsity).”

Land O’ Lakes ran the spread offense last season and will keep the same system in place in 2010. The system is based on throwing the ball with multiple receivers, which puts added importance on quarterback Stephen Weatherford.

“Stephen needs to get the ball to the right player and make good decisions,” Kitchie said. “We want to spread them out so they’re in a bad position to defend. On defense we play a 3-3 stack like they play at the University of Michigan and blitz a lot to keep them off balance and again put them in a bad position.”

In a 3-3 stack, a team has three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs.

Continuing the playoff streak is likely reason enough to work throughout the spring, but the revival of the game at the end of the season is adding more motivation.

“Before last year I’d never coached at a team that didn’t have a spring game,” Kitchie said. “The younger kids know they’ll get to play against the varsity. It’s a huge carrot for the kids to compete throughout the spring.”

Most teams view playoff appearances as successful seasons, but the Gators have greater goals.

“Every day is a competition and no one is guaranteed a spot, even Stephen has to earn his place,” Kitchie said. “That’s what it will take to win a state title is competing on each play in each practice because district titles are nice, but we want that big prize. If you’re not trying to win that title each day and on each play then you’ll come up short.”

ZEPHYRHILLS HIGH

Whenever Zephyrhills and Pasco play the intensity level is ratcheted up, even for spring football.

“The kids are always motivated to play that team nine miles away, but we are focusing on the fundamentals right now,” said new Bulldogs coach Reggie Roberts, who played for Zephyrhills from 1986 to 1990. “I believe in being fundamentally sound as a team so you don’t beat yourself.”

One of the things Roberts has emphasized to the team is football is important, but not the most important thing.

“When I took the job I said I had a triangle of three important things, with academics on the top of that triangle,” Roberts said. “With that is community service and good health. That means getting your workout in and staying away from drugs and other things that hurt your body and mind.”

Each Monday and Wednesday players with a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) or higher have study hall for an hour before practice. Those with a 2.4 to 2.0 GPA hit the study hall Monday through Thursday. Students are not eligible to play sports if they fall below a 2.0 GPA.

On the field the coaches are learning how to best use the players’ talents.

“Were going to spread it out a little bit on offense,” Roberts said. “That means throwing the ball down the field and getting good work from our running backs like Jacolby O’Neal who’s come over from Pasco.

“On defense we’re going to bring back the old (Tom) Fisher days of defense,” Roberts continued. “That’s smash mouth and making the other team pay for every yard.”

Tom Fisher coached Zephyrhills for 20 years and led the Bulldogs during Roberts playing days.

SUNLAKE HIGH

The 2010 season will be the fourth year of Sunlake as a school and football program and the goal for the Seahawks is to continue to improve.

“We’ve had a good start to the spring,” said Sunlake coach Bill Browning. “We’ve still got a long way to go to get where we want. I like what I see but we still need to improve.”

Sunlake finished last year 4-6, setting a program record for wins. In the first two years the Seahawks won a total of one game, but the practice field has been filled with players hoping to make 2010 the school’s first winning season.

“We have 70 guys out there right now and we’re looking to see who will be our leaders next year,” Browning said. “We ran multiple offensive and defensive alignments last year and we won’t know what we’ll use next season until we sort out the positions.”

The Seahawks emphasized the run last year with 60 percent of the plays staying on the ground.

Sunlake will play Mitchell at home May 28. Bringing back the game changes the spring schedule for the coaches.

“It really expedites things for us,” Browning said. “We have to think about game preparation as we get closer to that. We’ve done as many spring practices as we were allowed during the last few years and this kind of increases the importance of each one.”

WESLEY CHAPEL HIGH

Wesley Chapel is in the first spring practices without former coach John Castelamare running the show, but new coach Ben Alford is not wasting time putting in his system.

“The former coach ran a wing-T and we run more of a spread offense,” Alford said. “That means using four or five wide receiver sets, but we’ll also run out of the I-formation. Basically whatever our kids do best that is what we will do.”

A wing-T is an offense based on running the ball on sweeps to the left or right, while a spread formation relies on the pass.

The former quarterback at Pasco, the University of Northern Iowa and in the American Professional Football League will use a spread offense next year.

“Things are going really well,” Alford said of practice. “We’ve got some leaders emerging and we’ve got 80 kids out there which shows the passion for football in Wesley Chapel.”

Some of those leaders include two-way player Devin Piper, defensive back Davan Henry and linebacker Jake Fisher.

“He will play middle linebacker (and) he is the quarterback of the defense,” Alford said of Fisher. “Great kid on and off the field. The other kids really look up to him. I’m just glad that my first year of coaching that I have a guy like that in the middle of my defense.”

While Alford is installing his system, he has a lot of respect for what Castelamare did at Wesley Chapel.

“Coach Cass is a legend,” Alford said. “He worked here and did a great job. He set the foundation for me to come in and work with. I’ve got some big shoes to fill and I can only hope to do half of what he did here in his career.”

ACADEMY AT THE LAKES

Academy at the Lakes is not the largest school in Pasco, but it has one of the most well-known coaches — John Castelamare who coached at Wesley Chapel from 1999 until last year.

“We’re doing alright here considering some of the kids are still new to the workouts,” Castelamare said. “We have 14 boys on the team now, which is pretty good when you consider the school only has 46 boys in the high school.”

The academy, which has about 110 high school students, will again play six-man football this year, but the goal is to move up to the 11-man version.

“That’s the goal is to make us a traditional football team and grow the program,” Castelamare said. “I keep telling the kids you could be the start here.”

Castelamare does not know what system he will run yet until he learns the players’ strengths. He has however found some leaders in seniors Alex Thompson and Jason Pitcairn.

“They are the only two seniors we’ll have next year,” Castelamare said. “The team only had eight players last year and six of them graduated. We’ll lean on their experience.”

The Wildcats will either play a spring game or an intra-squad scrimmage at the end of the spring season, but that is to be determined.

Pasco spring schedule

Land O’ Lakes at Wiregrass Ranch May 28

Zephyrhills at Pasco May 28

Mitchell at Sunlake May 28

Hudson at Wesley Chapel May 28

Academy at the Lakes vs. TBA

Land O’ Lakes woman starts club to honor her father

By Kyle LoJacono

Members of the Land O’ Lakes Rowing Club enjoy the activity so much they sacrifice sleep each weekend to be the first on Saxon Lake.

“We’ve been meeting for a couple months at 7:30 (a.m.) on Saturdays or Sundays,” said Mary Jane Kranendonk, who started the club. “We have about 17 people who come out right now who are all women in their mid to late 40s from around Land O’ Lakes. Let me tell you if you’ve never been it’s quite a full-body workout.”

The club is on the water early because the winds are usually less strong at that time and there are fewer people on the lake, which creates calmer water.

“It’s also good to get out there early because we all are juggling family life and other things, so it’s the best time to get out there,” said member Darby Harvey, 50. “The boat can get really tippy, so if we don’t get out there before other boats it’s hard to get going.

“Thank goodness I haven’t been in the boat when it has flipped,” Harvey said jokingly. “I think that has only happened once when they were trying to bring it in.”

The club usually spends about an hour and a half rowing. After that, the traffic on the water increases.

Kranendonk, 47, learned how to lead a rowing team from the Tampa Rowing Club and got her U.S. Rowing coaching card from Stetson University. She is also a physical education teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary School in Pasco Lutz.

“I wanted to start the club in honor of my dad (Art Trubiano) who passed away a few years ago,” Kranendonk said. “He was on the crew team at the University of Tampa and coached there too. Our boat is named after him, 4 Truby.”

The 4 in the boat’s name corresponds to the number of rowers that fit into the boat and Truby was his nickname. A fifth person in the boat steers.

Another group member is Mary Cooley, 45, who is a physical therapist for all levels of public schools in east Pasco County.

“When we are setting things up to get the boat in the water you can enjoy the scenery a little bit, but once we get out there we have to concentrate on each stroke,” Cooley said. “We really have to focus and stop talking, but it is still very peaceful out there at that time of day.”

All three women said the appeal originally was because rowing is a total body workout, especially the way they do it.

“The workout is really more about using your core and whole body because we sweep so it’s like doing little crunches while using your legs and upper body,” Harvey said. “…Sweeping is when the seats move too so you can’t just use your arms and it forces you to be in good rhythm with your own body and as a team.”

Rowing is also a low impact exercise, which is good for the women who sometimes have joint pain.

While the team is made up of middle-aged women, their competitive drive still burns within them. Harvey remembered a recent morning when that passion got the better of them.

“We have all these strong spirited women that got a little too into (rowing) a couple weeks ago,” Harvey said. “Mary Jane’s goal is to eventually form a team to enter into the Mayor’s Cup in Tampa and she told us to pretend we were in a race. We all got going a little too fast and got off rhythm and went nowhere fast.

“You’re linked out there and if you don’t do everything in sync things just get tippy and you don’t go anywhere fast,” Harvey continued.

The Mayor’s Cup is a big race each year where teams from around the nation come to compete. While Kranendonk would like to enter the event in 2011, she also wants to spread rowing to Pasco’s high schools.

“I was already given permission to start a club team at Land O’ Lakes High School and hopefully I’ll eventually have the time to get that started,” Kranendonk said. “I want to see more people and young people develop a love for rowing too.”

As a physical therapist in the school system, Cooley sees the benefits to both students and the everyday person.

“It’s awesome for people of all ages and the team aspect would be great for the kids,” Cooley said.

“I think it’s kind of cool to add things to life to make it more interesting,” Colley continued. “We aren’t all people who did this in school or anything. We’re just a bunch of people who get together for a good workout and for each other’s company.”

Emily Rivera wins state championship

Wesley Chapel resident and gymnast Emily Rivera, 9, recently won the level 3 AAU State Meet All-American Award.

The award is given to the top level-3 gymnast in the 9-year-old division in the state.

Her final score was also higher than all the other 229 competitors of all ages at the meet. She just started competing in gymnastics one year ago and trains at East Pasco Gymnastics in Zephyrhills.

By Kyle LoJacono

Before this year, Wesley Chapel High had never won more than half its games, but the team changed that forever in 2010.

The Wildcats also won their first regional tournament game against Nature Coast Tech, but were eliminated by Hernando in the second round.

The Wildcats (24-4) have reached the regional tournament every year since coach Chuck Yingling took over the program for the 2008 season. They were the district runners-up his first year and took the championship last season.

“The season has gone extremely well,” Yingling said. “I think it’s really special to have the kind of season we’ve had. I’d say it’s a little better than we expected. Other teams know we’re tough to play home or away.”

Wesley Chapel built its team on pitching and defense.

“We felt we would mature and grow as a pitching staff this year,” Yingling said. “Matt Wynne is our big closer. Marcus (Crescentini) comes out of the bullpen and has made a couple big starts for us this season too. Jeremy Thompson has stepped up big when needed.”

The two leaders in the starting rotation have been left-handers Cole Miraglia and Brandon Mumaw.

“I think they’ve both had outstanding seasons,” said pitching coach Steve Mumaw. “…To be honest it would have been nice to have Cole for the last two or three years because he is outstanding. He was great with Zephyrhills too and sometimes guys who come to a new program after having success don’t listen, but he’s been very coachable and willing to learn.”

Miraglia (9-1) transferred from Zephyrhills for his senior year. He was out of the fall season because of an old injury to his pitching arm.

“I had a hairline fracture in my arm when I was a sophomore and had to wear a cast for a couple months,” Miraglia said earlier this season. “It was giving me problems and coach Yingling wanted me to have it looked at.”

Miraglia originally suffered the fracture when he and a friend were “messing around” as he put it. He ended up being hit with a bat in his arm and cracked his ulna, one of the two bones in the forearm.

Miraglia finished the year with a team leading 95 strikeouts and a 1.49 earned run average (ERA). He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup.

Steve, who is also the Wildcats athletic director, is Brandon’s father.

“It’s a little bit different coaching your son,” Steve said. “The relationship is different. You can talk with your son in the car and at home, but I treat all the players like they are my sons and as individuals.

“It’s great to watch (Brandon) grow as a pitcher,” Steve continued. “It’s been special to coach him the last three seasons. It’s very satisfying as a father.”

Brandon season was cut short with a few weeks left in the regular season because of a broken finger on his nonthrowing hand. Even though he missed several starts, he still managed a 6-0 record with one save and a 0.50 ERA.

“I think we’ve played up to our potential this season,” Brandon said. “We are a complete team. We get hits when we need to and our pitching and defense have come through all year.”

Brandon also throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. He has 47 strikeouts to just five walks, a ratio of nearly 9.5 Ks to every one BB.

“I’ve tried to work both the outside corner and inside corner and use the least number of pitches possible,” Brandon said. “That’s something our coaches have emphasized to all the pitchers. Getting 12 strikeouts a game is great, but if you can only go four innings it doesn’t matter much. It is better to go deep into the game and get people out quicker.”

The Wildcats have a team ERA of 1.51 and have 225 strikeouts to 52 walks. An important part to any successful pitching staff is strong defense.

“They’ve helped out all the pitchers a lot,” Brandon said of the team defense. “When guys get on I have confidence the defense will get them out…Our catch Justin (Frost) throws out everybody trying to steal and blocks everything we throw at him.”

Wesley Chapel has come a long way from the team Yingling took over three seasons ago.

“They’re a really close team and a lot of people have contributed to the success,” Yingling said. “To see the program come so far in three years is very special.”

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of May 10. Kyle LoJacono can be reached at or (813) 909-2800.

By Kyle LoJacono

The 2010 Gaither High baseball team did things never done before at the school. While the Cowboys (21-4) were eliminated by Venice in the regional first round, the team continued its baseball tradition.

“We’ve only had one losing season since we started and that was the first year,” said Frank Permuy, who has been the only baseball coach at Gaither since it opened in 1984. “…We’ve had a great year. We’ve won 16 games in a row, which is a school record. We also are batting .380 as a team entering regionals and that’s the best team average we’ve ever had.”

Another baseball first came when the Cowboys won their 20th game of the season against Riverview April 22 — the first time Gaither has won 20 games in the regular season.

Before the record-setting season began, Permuy was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Hall of Fame.

“That was a real honor,” Permuy said after hearing of the honor. “There are a lot of great coaches in the hall and I’m pleased to be among them. It’s something very special.”

While the Cowboys were upset in the Class 5A, District 9 tournament championship game by King, Gaither still made the regional tournament for the sixth straight season, according to the FHSAA.

“Alex and Dylan were really our top pitchers,” Permuy continued. “Alex had a tough time in the fall with tendonitis….He recovered from that and is our No. 1 pitcher. Dylan just always does the job. We bring him into shut any game down and he just has one of those arms that can throw almost every day.”

Hathcock, senior, had a 3-0 record with five saves and a 1.30 earned run average (ERA). He has signed to play at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to study business administration.

“I’m really happy with it,” Hathcock said of his senior season. “The seniors and parents have been looking forward to this year because we knew we would have a good year.”

Hathcock throws a fastball, slider and changeup and has team-high 48 strikeouts to 15 walks during his 27 innings of work entering the regional tournament. As a closer, it is his job to get the final outs when the Cowboys are winning.

“I try to be as relaxed as possible on the mound,” Hathcock said. “I try to not let my emotions show or get the best of me.”

Milne, sophomore, led Gaither with eight wins. Of those wins, Hathcock saved two of them.

“It’s good to have someone as reliable as him coming out of the bullpen,” Milne said. “With runners on base he can get out of the inning without them scoring.”

Milne, who is left handed, says he is completely recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out of Gaither’s fall season. He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup and posted a 2.95 ERA and recorded 32 Ks.

The offense has had several standouts, but the three seniors have made the most of their last seasons.

Third baseman Mike Danner had a .425 batting average, 29 runs scored, four homeruns and a team-leading 14 steals, 34 hits and 39 runs batted in (RBI). Before the season he signed to play at Polk Community College.

First baseman Brady North led the team with seven homers and 31 runs scored. He also batted .413, had 31 hits and 30 RBI. He has signed to play at Hillsborough County Community College.

Centerfielder Drew Doty will play at St. Petersburg College next year. He posted a .362 batting average, 28 runs scored, 29 hits and two homeruns at the plate. He was also a perfect 12 for 12 in stolen base attempts.

“They are all great to the underclassman and help us out when we need it,” Milne said. “They’ve seen a lot more and keep us calm when we need to.”

Permuy was happy to send the seniors out as winners.

“I think a good senior season can help springboard players the next year,” Permuy said. “They wanted to get to states, but they still had a great year…I think we’ll be able to be strong again next year because our underclass had a .360 batting average entering regionals and Alex will be back to lead the pitchers. I think we can have another good year next season.”

— All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of May 7.

Gaither baseball achievements

• First 20 win regular season
• School record 16 straight wins
• School record .380 batting average
• Sixth straight regional tournament appearance
• Coach Frank Permuy inducted to the FHSAA Hall of Fame

By Kyle LoJacono

At first glance Lauren Brito looks like any other sixth grader, but she is at the top of her class in both basketball and academics.

The 12-year-old Charles S. Rushe Middle School student is in the finals of the iHoops skills competition and is also an A student.

“She’s played basketball since she was in second grade and I get so nervous watching her play,” said Eileen Brito, Lauren’s mother. “It’s not like I’m afraid she’ll get hurt. I just want her to do her best.”

Lauren plays basketball at Wesley Chapel Athletic Association at the Wesley Chapel District Park. The 5-foot point guard originally played softball, but switched to basketball. Now she is on the court either practicing or playing a game five days a week.

“It’s just so much fun to play,” Lauren said.

Lauren entered a local iHoops skills competition hosted by JAMM Stars in Wesley Chapel, where she came in first place in the 11 to 12-year-old girls division. The competition is an obstacle course that tests ball handling and dribbling skills, shooting and passing.

She advanced to the regional competition, which was in Miami in March, where she again came in first with a time of 24.15 seconds. Her victory earned her tickets to a National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons.

“My favorite player is Dwyane Wade on the Heat,” Lauren said. “He has so many skills and plays with his teammates. I try and play like him.”

Lauren even got to meet Wade, who is listed at 6-foot-4.

“I was just like ‘high,’” Lauren said looking straight up.

Each of the NBA’s 30 franchises hosted an iHoops regional competition. In total, 100,000 children from the United States and Canada participated in local skills competitions and Lauren will enter the national contest ranked No. 1 for her age group.

“I was just trying to do my best,” Lauren said. “When I heard I was in nationals I was like wow. I can’t believe this.”

Eileen was even more excited.

“I’m so proud of her,” Eileen said. “It’s the highlight of parenthood for me.”

Lauren was recently featured on Rushe’s morning show to recognize her accomplishments.

“We’re very proud of her and what an honor to be so highly skilled at basketball,” said Rushe principal Dave Estabrook. “Look at all the children that competed in the iHoops competition and it is obvious just how talented she is.”

Lauren will participate in the national competition in Orlando May 14. The Lutz point guard will go against two other girls to see who will be the 2010 iHoops national champion.

“I sometimes get nervous, but I wasn’t at regionals,” Lauren said. “I don’t even really think about it when I’m playing either. I just look for who can take an open shot and I get it to them.”

Sixth graders are not allowed to play in middle school sports, but next year Lauren plans to be a member of the Ravens team.

“I want to play here next year,” Lauren said. “Just the other day I was playing basketball in (physical education) with only boys and my team was winning. All the guys on the other team were getting mad because we were winning.”

Lauren has proven she can compete against the best in her age group on the court, but she also stands out in the classroom.

“She is a very responsible student,” said Lauren’s language arts teacher Hope Rieffer. “She cares about her grades and always has all her work done on time. She is a little quiet, but she gets along with everyone.”

Rieffer said she has had students who participate in sports use that as an excuse for not completing assignments, but she has never heard that from Lauren.

“She is one of my top students,” Rieffer said. “I’d love to have a classroom full of students like her. She does all her work and is still so good at sports.”

Lauren has been able to transition to middle school comfortably, something that her mother was worried about.

“Like most parents I was so nervous with her going to middle school,” Eileen said. “We all hear the stories about bullying, but Rushe has been so good and making it easy for the kids…Her achievement is based on the school. Middle school is such a big change for kids, but this school is amazing at making it easy for them.”

Lauren has found her passion in basketball, but the sport does not run in her family. Her father, Omar, played baseball in high school and college and her little brother, Omar Brito III, is a jazz dancer.

“My husband was a little disappointed the day she told us she wanted to stop playing softball and switch to basketball,” Eileen said. “Now he is just so proud of what she can do. We all are. It is so special.”

Former Freedom High and Zephyrhills High quarterback Tyler Guy will be a walk-on at the University of South Florida next year.

Guy passed for 1,640 yards and had 11 touchdowns with the Patriots team that set a school record with seven wins last season. As a junior with the Bulldogs he threw for 1,417 yards and seven touchdowns.

Guy was also a pitcher and first baseman in high school. He had a .400 batting average with two homeruns as a senior. He also had a 2-0 record with 22 strikeouts as a pitcher with Freedom.

The 6-foot-6 Guy is not sure if he will play baseball in college at this point.

Hunter Joyer takes state title

Wesley Chapel resident and Tampa Catholic High junior Hunter Joyer won the Class 2A shot put state title May 1, which is the second championship for the family.

Hunter won the title with a throw of 57 feet, 2.25 inches. His older brother, Kamran, took the 3A crown for Wesley Chapel High last year.

Hunter, 16, is also a fullback on the Tampa Catholic football team. He has several scholarship offers from Division I schools, but his father, Jack, said earlier this year his son will likely play at Stanford University because of the school’s academic standards and history of developing running backs.

Summer softball camps this June

Sunlake High softball coach Johnny Dawkins will lead three week-long summer softball camps at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The camps are from June 14 to 18, June 21 to 25 and June 28 to July 2 and each cost $75. Girls ages 8 to 12-years-old will learn basic softball drills and fundamentals.

The camps are presented by the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department and the complex. For more information, call (813) 929-1220.

Silverado golf camp registration

The Silverado Junior Golf Camp will have two sessions this year, June 21 to 25 and July 19 to 23 at Silverado Golf & Country Club.

The five-day camp is $100, which includes lunch, a T-shirt, certificate of completion, video analysis of player’s swing and a 20-foot ice cream sundae at the end.

Each day of the camp starts at 9 a.m. and ends at noon. Instructors include Zephyrhills High boys golf coach Chuck Lail, Nellie Canham and Missey Jones.

Each session is limited to 18 students. For more information, call (813) 788-1225

Sunlake coach leads tennis camps

Sunlake High tennis coach and United States Professional Tennis Association professional Karen Turman will teach four summer camps at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Each weekly session runs from Monday to Thursday beginning the week of June 14. Classes are from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. for children ages 5 to 7, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. for players 8 to 12-years-old, and from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. for players ages 13 to 17.

Each four-day session costs $34 and those interested should sign up before each session. The sessions are presented by the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department and the complex. To register, call (813) 468-1047.

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of May 10. Kyle LoJacono can be reached at or (813) 909-2800.