Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Capt. Ric Liles

Fishing Columnist

Fishing has been pretty good lately, but before I get to that I want to inform everyone of Nov. 10 meeting, from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm, at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

The statewide Manatee Forum should be a great place for anglers to voice concerns. Every now and then, readers get upset with my political views, but it’s part of my business as a fisherman and I want you to be informed. If I’m not on a charter that day I hope to see you there.

Back to the good stuff. This past week was a good one on the water with schools of redfish continuing to be the big attraction. We have had the best results on the St. Petersburg side of the bay.

Trout catches have come in 30-40 fish per outing, but most have been under the legal size. We should have a great spring for trout.

I had some kids on the boat and by the time we got back to the dock their 14-inch trout had grown to monster status. You’ve got to love the way a kid makes a fish bigger with time. Truth of the matter is, it’s not just kids who do it.

The snook are already staging around the mouths of creeks and rivers due to cooler water temperatures. A recent cool snap got them headed in that direction.

Mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel have slowed down, but it appears that sharks have taken up the slack. We had several small sharks come to the boat and I even found out what it’s like to get my fingers stuck in a shark’s mouth. Just so you know, a small shark has very strong jaws. Lesson learned.

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.

Baseball region finals return to single-elimination format

DADE CITY — The Florida High School Athletic Association’s two-year trial with baseball playoffs is over and the best-of-three series for region finals will be abolished. The single-elimination format, as is the case with other playoff rounds, will return for the 2010 season.

Pasco was the lone county team to compete in that short-lived format. The Pirates split a pair of region final series games with Palatka before being eliminated with a 9-6 loss in the third game of the 2008 playoffs.

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 took place in March 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.

Chiefs play final youth football games at Oscar Cooler Park on Oct. 17

LUTZ — The Lutz Chiefs of the Pasco Police Athletic League have called Oscar Cooler Park home for more than three decades. The youth football and cheerleading organization will play at the park’s expansion area next season and their final games at that site are Oct. 17 against the Zephyrhills Bulldogs. Divisional games in five age groups will be played from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. Entry is a $3 donation.

Two USF football players win Big East Conference weekly honors

TAMPA — University of South Florida football players Nate Allen and Carlton Mitchell were honored by the Big East Conference, following their team’s 34-20 win over Syracuse.

Allen, the defensive player of the week, forced two of a school-record seven turnovers. The senior safety had two interceptions and eight tackles. Mitchell, a junior wide receiver from Gaither, had six catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

—   Steve Lee, Sports Editor

Pasco leads all-time series 36-16

By Steve Lee
Sports Editor

DADE CITY — Zephyrhills shook off its underdog label in the 9-Mile War by capitalizing on a first-quarter turnover for a 7-0 lead against archrival Pasco.
The Bulldogs never found the end zone again.
The Pirates countered with 27 straight points for an insurmountable 20-point halftime lead en route to a 48-7 rout of the Bulldogs on Oct. 2 in front of a partisan crowd at W.F. Edwards Stadium.

That gave Pasco a 36-16 lead in the county’s oldest rivalry, but the victory meant much more than bragging rights and civic pride. It gave the two-time district champions a 3-1 overall record and 2-0 mark in Class 3A, District 7.
Zephyrhills remained winless at 0-4, 0-2 in the district.
“You need to enjoy the weekend,” Pasco coach Tom McHugh told his players in a postgame huddle. “Read the newspapers and gloat a little.”
After that, however, the coach reminded his players that Monday’s practice would mean getting back to the business of pursuing a playoff spot. The Pirates advanced to the state semifinals last season and are eager for another shot at the title.
Jamie Byrd, who ran for three touchdowns and scored on a fumble return, put Pasco’s win in perspective.
“It means a lot, but now I’m focused on the next game,” said Byrd, a junior who splits time at fullback and middle linebacker.
The win was especially rewarding for Pasco quarterback D.J. Clower. The senior, who spent two seasons on the Zephyrhills junior varsity before transferring, turned 18 on game day.

“It’s a good win on my birthday,” Clower said with a smile.
Pasco dominated on both sides of the ball with a high-powered offense balanced by a ball-hawking defense that forced six turnovers, including four fumbles.
The outcome looked like anything but a sure thing early on. Zephyrhills linebacker Ben Williams intercepted Clower to set up Jamal Roberts’ 2-yard scoring run.
But Pasco got that back and more on two touchdown runs by Byrd, Mike Clower’s score on a fumble recovery, a safety and a Brennan Allen field goal.
Janarion Grant and Clifford Phillips added second-half touchdown runs for the Pirates.
Zephyrhills threatened in the third quarter, reaching the red zone on a 54-yard pass play from quarterback Charles Smith to Peterman. That drive was halted by Mike Clower’s second interception.

Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer

NEW TAMPA — To help turn around last year’s 4-6 record, which included five straight losses, Freedom brought in James Harrell as the new coach.

Harrell, who spent nine seasons as a National Football League linebacker, had never coached a high school team, but was Plant’s defensive coordinator for four seasons. The Panthers were 38-4 in that span, including Class 4A state titles in 2006 and 2008.
“It was kind of hard to leave a school that you helped turn into a contender, but head coaching jobs don’t come around every year,” Harrell said. “I figured we won two titles, so maybe it was time for me to start my head coaching career.”
Harrell grew up in Tampa and played mostly linebacker for Chamberlain and the University of Florida. Then came his NFL career, eight with the Detroit Lions and one with the Kansas City Chiefs. In all, Harrell played in 89 games, starting 32, from 1979 to 1987.
That time spent playing and coaching defense shaped Harrell’s approach to football.
“If you can stop the other team from scoring your team has a better chance of winning,” he said. “It’s not that hard to figure out, but you also need to establish the run and be real physical. So the real key is to be physical on both sides of the ball.”
Harrell was not the only member of his family to come to Freedom from Plant this year. His son Anthony is a linebacker like his father was, but he also plays fullback and tight end. A junior, he has the advantage of playing in his father’s defense for the past two years.
“It gives me an advantage,” Anthony said. “I already understand his defense, because I am always with him. I really know what he wants me to do without him even asking.”
But there is a price to pay for being the coach’s son.
“The other guys when they go home don’t have their coach always looking at them,” the younger Harrell said. “He is always trying to push me to work harder. He’ll say ‘get up, go work out, why aren’t you studying’ and things like that, instead of me just sitting around.”
That pushing seems to be helping Anthony, who had 44 tackles and five sacks for the Panthers last season. Through two games this year, he had a team-best 21 tackles with a sack and fumble recovery as well.
It has not been all smiles for the father, either.
“First, when you coach your son it’s really difficult because your level of expectation is so high for him that it is more than he expects of himself,” Harrell said. “But you just try and teach him the fundamentals and teach him the importance of studying game film. I try and do that with all the kids, and play through them because I can’t take any more snaps.”
Another Freedom defensive standout is senior safety T.J. Mutcherson, who had 10 tackles through two games. Mutcherson also led the team with 204 receiving yards and 33 return yards.
“He has brought a lot of discipline to the team,” Mutcherson said of Harrell. “He also is a really good motivator and gets a lot out of us on every drill and play.”
Learning from an NFL veteran, Mutcherson said, is “a great experience. We know that what he tells us to do will really work because of that, and we have seen our defense get better. We are all flying around to the ball and making people pay for every yard they get.”
Mutcherson also praised quarterback Tyler Guy, a senior transfer from Zephyrhills. Guy is new to Freedom’s spread offense, but had for 432 yards and five touchdowns.
The Patriots got off to a 2-1 start, but will have to be better at home to make the playoffs. Freedom, which had not won at home since a 2007 game against Middleton, snapped that skid with a 30-12 home win over Gaither on Sept. 25.
“We knew we had to get that first home win to get our fans excited,” Anthony said. “We need the crowd support, but we needed to give them a reason to come out and cheer.”