Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

WESLEY CHAPEL — The Kohl’s U.S. Youth Soccer American Cup has tabbed Wesley Chapel District Park for an Oct. 31-Nov. 1 tournament.

The recreational series will feature about 1,500 boys and girls on 85 teams competing in Under-8 to Under-14 divisions. Teams come from Region III, which consists of eight southeastern states including Florida.

“It’s an honor for Wesley Chapel to be hosting such a high-level tournament,” said Vicky King, the Land O’ Lakes High girls soccer coach who also has coached and refereed throughout Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Kohl’s American Cup began in 2000 to showcase recreational-level players and promote fait play. The focus is on equal playing time with participation taking precedence over competition.

The tourney is not nearly as competitive as the Sun Bowl, a series for high-level players that takes place each December throughout the Tampa Bay region. The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex and Ed Radice Sports Complex in northern Hillsborough have hosted Sun Bowl games.

Kohl’s American Cup is a series of 70 tourneys played thoughout the nation from February through December. Players must be registered with a U.S. Soccer State Association recreational league to be eligible.

Wesley Chapel District Park is located at 7727 Boyette Road. Admission is free.

Locals aim for tour

By Derek Highley

Golf Columnist

The Professional Golf Association Tour season is pretty much over. A couple of local pros, however, are on a quest to make the tour by completing three stages of Q-School.

Land O’ Lakes’ Brennan Webb, who heads to Q-School for the sixth time, will draw from last year’s positive experience when he advanced to the final stage to make the Nationwide Tour, the PGA’s feeder system. Brennan is in South Carolina this month to compete in the first stage.

Jake Halligan, an assistant pro at Plantation Palms in Land O Lakes and a Saint Leo graduate, headed to Texas for his first attempt a Q-School.

I have had the pleasure of playing golf with Webb and Halligan, but when it comes to Q-School it is more then just skill-level being tested. The grueling three-stage, 14-round pressure-cooker tests a player’s stamina, nerve and will.

Webb has experience and the knowledge that his game is good enough to play at the highest level. He also has the pressure of playing professionally for a career. It is how he supports his family. Anything less then securing his Nationwide Tour playing privileges again will be a setback.

Halligan, on the other hand, is not as experienced so he can approach the first stage with less pressure. By advancing through pre-qualifying and competing in the first stage he has already achieved success. The experience will help as he continues to build his resume. Anything that happens now is a bonus.

I wish both the best of luck as they head off to their respective stage sites and hope to follow them along all the way to the final stage, set for Dec. 2-7 at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.

A third player, Zephyrhills resident Travis Hampshire who golfed at Purdue, also is competing in the first stage.  I don’t know Travis personally, but I wish him well.

You can track these players play online at www.pgatour.com/qschool also visit Brennan’s website at www.brennanwebb.com.

Derek Highley is a PGA member and managing partner of Global Golf Marketing. Call him at (813) 310-5122, or e-mail Derek @globalgolfmarketing.com.

Land O’ Lakes Vipers

The Land O’ Lakes Vipers won the USSSA Wood Bat Tournament Oct. 16-18 at Leesburg by going undefeated (4-0) in the 11-year-old division. The roster included: (bottom, left to right) Kolby Stoltz, Colden Peeples, Blake Carroll and Patrick Herbert; (middle, left to right) Darin Kilfoyl, Jake Metrosky, Troy Klemm, Jake Stearns, Ethan Nuebling, Carter Fish and Max Law; (top, left to right) coaches Doug Klemm, Dave Herbert and Mike Peeples.

Mitchell wins in 2A-12

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

DADE CITY — Try as they might, Pasco girls golf teams never won a district crown — until Oct. 19 in Bushnell.

The Pirates can finally put up a championship banner in the school gym after winning the Class A, District 8 crown at Shady Brook in Sumterville.

“It’s a big thing for them” Pasco athletic director Jim Ward said. “They’re really excited about it. You’re talking about a program we’re not used to having in that position, and now we do. This is huge.”

Kellianne May won individual medalist honors with a round of 92 to lead Pasco. Runner-up Spencer Valdespino, of Bishop McLaughlin, finished three strokes back while Pasco’s Mary Kassabaum, Victoria Bryant and Tori Norris also earned points.

Megan Van Etten, her sister Rebecca, Emma Fivecoat, Victoria Kinny and Kristen Pitts led Mitchell to the 2A-12 title at Meadow Oaks.

Rebecca, a sophomore, shot a team-leading 69 as the tourney runner-up. Three-time Sunshine Athletic Conference champion Megan, a senior, carded a 72.

The Mustangs are coached by Scott Schmitz, that school’s former football coach who resigned after last season, but is in his first year with the girls golf program.

At Silverado, Zephyrhills senior Sarah Baniszewski shot a 90 to place fifth in the 2A-6 tourney and advance to regionals.

In A-9 at Plantation Palms, Saddlebrook’s Lauren Riechle won with a round of 90 while Academy of the Lakes’ Ellen Crowley was eight strokes back as the runner-up.

Steinbrenner’s Alex Milan won the A-14 crown at Cheval.

Gaither was the runner-up in 2A-10 at Silver Dollar in Odessa. Wharton also the 2A-11 runner-up at Heritage Isles in Tampa.

Saddlebrook takes A-9 title

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

WESLEY CHAPEL — Individual medalist Dylan Larson shot a 74 to lead Wiregrass Ranch to the runner-up spot in the Class 2A, District 6 tournament at El Diablo in Citrus Springs.

Larson, who carded a 35 on the back nine, was joined by teammates Nick Stutt, Logan Harrison, Chris Kluender and Ronnie Segal. The Bulls are coming off their first Sunshine Athletic Conference championship.

Sunlake’s Donald Eubank qualified for regionals with an 84.

Bishop McLaughlin was the runner-up and Pasco took third in A-8 at Hernando Oaks.

Bishop McLaughlin’s Kentaro Toyota, a junior who shot a 77, was the individual medalist in that tourney. Scoring for the Pirates were Winston Johnson, Stephen Lavelle, Austin Riddaugh, Jaxon Moore and Eric Clayton.

Host Saddlebrook won the A-9 tourney with the Spartans’ top player, Alex Bensahel earning individualist honors by shooting a 73. Teammate Adam Chowdhari was one stroke back as the runner-up.

Also scoring for the Spartans were Arthur Edelman and Seokil Kim. The team is bidding for its first state title since winning it all back-to-back in 2002 and 2003.

Wesley Chapel was the runner-up and Academy at the Lakes placed third. Top five finishers for the Wildcats were Jacob Fleck and Brandon Mumaw.

Leading the way for Academy at the Lakes was Jason Giglio.

In the 2A-12 tourney at Fox Hollow in Trinity, Ridgewood’s Austin Padova was the county’s lone representative to qualify for regionals.

Chamberlain’s Gary Bufflington was the individual medalist in 2A-10 at Temple Terrace. Gaither, led by Jimmy Stanger, placed third.

Sunlake graduate Mike Shaver playing football at North Greenville, S.C.

LAND O’ LAKES — Mike Shaver, a 2009 Sunlake graduate, is playing football for North Greenville, a Division II school in South Carolina. He came up through the Pop Warner program, playing for the South Pasco Predators

Shaver posted several firsts for the Seahawks. He became the first Sunlake player to return a kickoff for a touchdown, as well as the first in school history to rush for 100 yards and 200 yards in a game. Shaver gained 698 yards as a senior and topped the 1,000-yard rushing career mark.

Swampfest scheduled Nov. 6-8 at Land O’ Lakes Community Center

LAND O’ LAKES — Swampfest, a fund-raiser for Land O’ Lakes High athletic programs, will take place Nov. 6-8 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center off US 41.

The festival, highlighted by a midway and carnival rides, is the second organized by the booster club. The inaugural Swampfest was last spring at Land O’ Lakes High’s Gator Stadium. Sponsors and vendors are needed. To purchase a booth, call Darlene Harris at (813) 235-5859 or visit www.lolswampfest.com.

Bishop McLaughlin catcher T.J. Wharton commits to North Carolina Greensboro

SPRING HILL— T.J. Wharton, a junior catcher for Bishop McLaughlin, has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina Greensboro. A two-year varsity starter, he batted .428 with two home runs and 29 RBIs last season.

If he joins the Spartans in 2010, Wharton would be the first Hurricane to play in Division I.

Four Bishop McLaughlin ballplayers have gone on to the next level. That list includes Marcel Duarte, Class of 2008, Johns Hopkins; Taylor McGillis, 2009, Saint Leo; Mike Gonzalez, 2009, Carson Newman; and Jeff Pope, Oglethorpe.

—   Steve Lee, Sports Editor

By Steve Lee

Sports Editor

DADE CITY — The Land O’ Lakes-Pasco game had all the makings of an epic, but the battle between playoff contenders turned out to be a bit one-sided.

Host Pasco, a two-time district champion and state semifinalist last season, bested Land O’ Lakes, which is riding a county-record 12-year playoff streak.

The Pirates’ 28-16 win thinned out a three-way logjam in Class 3A, District 7. Pasco, 6-1 overall, is tied with Mitchell at 5-0 in the district. Meanwhile, Land O’ Lakes fell to 6-1 overall, 4-1 in 3A-7.With only two playoff spots up for grabs, this race could go down to the final week.

In a battle of the county’s top quarterbacks, Stevie Weatherford passed for two touchdowns for Land O’ Lakes while Pasco’s D.J. Clower had three touchdowns, including two by running.

But Weatherford, who had scoring passes to Will Irwin and Kent Taylor, fumbled and was interepted for two turnovers.

Clower tossed a 41-yard score to Mitch Wozniak after Weatherford’s fumble that was recovered by Allen Wells. Clower then followed Tyler Peak’s fumble, recovered by Jamie Byrd, with a 21-yard touchdown run. Clifford Phillips added a scoring run for the Pirates.

MITCHELL 16, SUNLAKE 3: The Mustangs remained the lone unbeaten team in the county at 8-0 after a win over resurgent Sunlake. The win was Mitchell’s ninth in a row, a streak that began with last year’s 24-7 defeat of Sunlake.

The Seahawks, off the their best start with three victories, could only muster a field goal in the third quarter with Jordan Landry converting a 20-yarder.

Although standout tailback Ricky Trinidad was held in check, Mitchell got two touchdown runs from Freddie Jones and a 39-yard field goal by Codi Folsom.

ZEPHYRHILLS 14, WESLEY CHAPEL7: The Bulldogs finally got a win and made it two straight against the host Wildcats, but needed overtime for their first of the season.

Jamal Roberts, an offseason transfer from Wesley Chapel, had the decisive touchdown against his former team. The Wildcats came up short in their overtime possession.

Anthony Viernes completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Sanchez for a 7-0 lead by Zephyrhills in the first quarter, but Wesley Chapel tied it on Keegan Tanner’s quarterback keeper in the fourth.

HUDSON 22, RIDGEWOOD 21: Hudson remained in the playoff hunt by converting a daring call by coach Mark Nash. Following a late touchdown and trailing by a point, the Cobras went for the conversion run and made it.

Ridgewood scored just before Hudson’s final touchdown, capping a 12-play, 81-yard drive with Nick Martino’s pass to Ralph Dawkins.

Hudson quarterback Zack Wynn passed for 60 yards on the last touchdown drive of the game, finishing it off with a pass to Mike Powers. Wynn then ran the ball into the end zone for a narrow victory.

GULF 48, ANCLOTE 6: The Bucs halted a four-game skid against first-year Anclote. Madison Burr, Alphonso Blanch and Will Burbridge each scored twice for Gulf.

TARPON SPRINGS 24, WIREGRASS RANCH 7: The Bulls lost their second straight game, scoring early on James Tringali’s pass to Assad Nevel.

SHORECREST 20, BISHOP McLAUGHLIN 6: The lone touchdown for the Hurricanes came on Giovanni Perone’s 20-yard run.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff writer

NEW TAMPA — Freedom got the big play it needed on special teams to seal a 16-7 victory over Class 5A, District 7 rival Wharton.

Freedom’s Keith Lewis scored on a 2-yard run set up by a Wharton fumble. Wharton tied the game after recovering a muffed punt near the Freedom 10-yard line shortly after. The Wildcats cashed in on the mistake on a 2-yard touchdown run by Malik Williams.

The tie did not last long as Freedom’s T.J. Mutcherson took the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to put the Patriots up for good. Wharton’s Ryan Hatter passed for 152 yards.

“It has just been a tough year for us offensively,” Wharton coach David Mitchell said. “We really need to figure out how to score, because our defense is keeping us in ball games.”

CHAMBERLAIN 13, GAITHER 6: Last year, these teams meet in the playoffs, but both are playing out the string.

First-year Chamberlain coach Joe Severino got his first win thanks to two long scoring drives and timely defense. Chamberlain had a 95-yard touchdown drive capped by an Andra Hubbard 7-yard run and a 78-yard drive result in a 54-yard run by Blake Bell.

Gaither’s lone score was a 1-yard run by Zach Condon that was set up by a 24-yard catch by Jamal Allen. It was the first points of any kind for Gaither since Sept. 25.

SICKLES 38, LETO 0: Sickles’ triple-option offense ran all over Leto to seal a playoff berth following a 3-7 season.

Carey White, Hillsborough County’s leading rusher, ran for 160 yards and two scores, while Brieann Dollard and Scott O’Donoghue each had a touchdown. Chris Nahat added a 48-yard punt return for a score, and Andres Vasquez had a 47-yard field goal.

STRAWBERRY CREST 32, STEINBRENNER 27: In a battle of first-year teams who played earlier this year at the junior varsity level, Strawberry Crest got its first varsity win and avenged a season-opening home loss to Steinbrenner.

The Warriors had a 19-12 halftime lead on a Daniel Fernandez scoring  run and 80-yard kickoff return, and a Kendall Pearcy catch from Christian Carriere. Carriere added a touchdown run. Steinbrenner lost the lead in the second half by allowing 20 straight points to the Chargers.

CARROLLWOOD DAY PREP 56, NAPLES FIRST BAPTIST ACADEMY 7: Carrollwood Day Prep kept rolling up points against Naples First Baptist. The Patriots scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters and added 14 in the fourth.

Billy Embody threw for five touchdowns — two each to Deuce Gruden and Dillon Floyd, and one to Matt Monteilh. Darius Bing had two rushing scores and Monteilh added another.

The lopsided victory ended the Patriots’ shutout streak at home.

By Capt. Ric Liles

Fishing Columnist

You might recall me stating that I was ready for some cooler weather in last week’s column, and would probably be satisfied with it until sometime in February.

I have never been so wrong.

I have already had enough and want for those hot, steamy days back. Last weekend’s front was enough for me.

On one chilly day, I had two anglers on the boat from Minnesota who were amused at my lack of resistance to the cold. Let me tell you, anything under 60 degrees is too brisk and I’m not ashamed to say I’m not tough enough to live up north. The way I see it is if God wanted me to live in those conditions he would have given me fur.

The weather made fishing a little uncomfortable and slowed the bite a tad, but we caught fish on every outing. The day before the front, the fish gorged as they always do.

I fished that day, networking closely with Capt. Lee Blick to keep redfish bouncing back and forth between boats. It worked out well, as we took turns chumming the fish with sardines, keeping them happy and not needing to go elsewhere for food.

One good thing to keep in mind is that two or three boats can manage a school of redfish better than one when the execution is right. Move the boat slow with a trolling motor or push pole, and be as quiet as possible. As cooler temperatures arrive water clarity increases, making a stealthy approach even more important.

It’s not all doom and gloom with the weather. The water tempeeratures dropped down into the mid-70s, and that is fantastic for our fish. The front has passed and the temperatures are lower than they were causing the bite to get back on track.

I did a fun trip with my friends, Capt. Brady Nelson and Matt Smaby, one afternoon. We had our best bite at dusk after the winds calmed.

We are on the brink of some really good fishing. The next several weeks should be really good for snook, giving us plenty of time to catch that keeper before the season closes Dec. 1. The grouper diggers should start to get excited, knowing it’s only a matter of time until that bite explodes. I know I’m ready for a fresh grouper sandwich.

Until next time, good luck and be safe on the water. Remember: don’t let your kids be the ones that got away, take them fishing.