The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Class instructors sought

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Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex is seeking potential instructors to teach new classes that are not already offered at its facility, at 7727 Boyette Road.

Interested individuals can email the recreation coordinator at .

Local athletes named scholarship finalists

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Positive Coaching Alliance – Tampa Bay, the local chapter of the national nonprofit Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), has named 49 local high school student-athletes from the senior class of 2023 as finalists for its Triple-Impact Competitor® Scholarship Awards.

Finalists were selected based on their applications, which included short essay responses and selected references noting how applicants strive to improve and develop themselves, their teammates and their sport. Scholarship finalists will receive multiple opportunities to meet and connect with each other through various events supported by the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Lightning. During the scholarship program, PCA’s mentors provide guidance and advice on how to be an effective leader during the applicant’s senior year of high school and how to use what they’ve learned from sports to make the transition to college.

The finalists from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are: Hannah Beatty, Land O’ Lakes; Myah Cendan, Pasco; Chloe Danielson, Wesley Chapel; Rebekah Miller, Sunlake; Aidyn Rosochowicz, Land O’ Lakes; Morgaen Stewart, Wiregrass Ranch; Grace Vaughn, Bishop McLaughlin.

Up to 25 winners will be selected this fall as recipients of the scholarship, with each receiving $2,000 for college expenses.

To learn more about the PCA, visit PositiveCoach.org.

Football coach sets record

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On Aug. 26, the Gaither football team hosted nearby rival, Steinbrenner, to kick off the 2022 season. With a thrilling, comeback win by the Cowboys (1-0), their coach, Kirk Karsen, became the winningest coach in program history. Karsen took over the program in 2017 and has amassed a 43-16 record entering his sixth season at the helm. In the game vs. the Warriors, Gaither was led by sophomore quarterback Jayce Nixon, who went 24-for-34 passing for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Steinbrenner saw its star running back, senior Kirby Vorhees, rush for 176 yards and two scores.

Bassmasters tournament winners

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Tim Troutt, left, and Derek Boswell won the South Pasco Bassmasters monthly tournament for August. On Aug. 20, Troutt and Boswell teamed up on Lake Marion in Polk County and reeled in a total weight of 17.60 pounds using topwater, swimbaits and flipping creature baits in two to four feet of water in assorted vegetation. The club’s next tournament will be on Sept. 17, on the Lake Harris Chain in Lake County.

Schools get turf fields

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Gaither High School field and stadium (Mike Camunas)

This offseason, turf fields were installed at several Hillsborough County high schools, including Freedom and Gaither. Other schools, such as Steinbrenner and Wharton already had turf fields.

In total, 15 of the 28 public schools in Hillsborough have artificial turf fields, while over the next few years, all schools will have the turf installed, according to the county. The schools also received other upgrades. Video scoreboards were added to every public school football field and to every high school and middle school gym.

Over in Pasco, Athletic Director Matt Wicks said the county plans “to start rolling out some (turf fields) if the ‘Penny for Pasco’ referendum is passed in November.”

Basketball Summer Champs

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The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex recently crowned its 8-year-old to 10-year-old and 11-year-old to 13-year-old Summer Youth Basketball League Champions on Aug. 1. The Legacy are the champions in the ages 8 to 10 division; the Knicks are the champions in the ages 11 to 13 division.

The complex will host a Winter League season, with registration beginning the last week in November. For more information, call 813-929-1220, or visit PascoCountyfl.net/252/Parks-Recreation-and-Natural-Resources.

(Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex)

Sprinter signs to run track

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(Courtesy of BeBe Roberts)

Annalyse Rogers, a sprinter for Wesley Chapel High, signed to run track for Southeastern University, a private Christian liberal arts university in Lakeland. The Fire compete in the Sun Conference. Rogers was a Sunshine Athletic Conference selection in the 2022 spring season, nabbing the award in the 100m and the 4×100 relay.

Lutz baseball teams advances to World Series

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(Courtesy of Tim Daley)

Lutz Baseball 18U Hellcats won the Babe Ruth League Southeastern Region tournament, going a perfect 5-0 in play, to advance to the World Series. The Hellcats won the regional championship on July 24 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The team secured a bid to the Babe Ruth League World Series to be played Aug. 4 through Aug. 14 in Ephrata, Washington. The team consists of Justin Deak, Miller Grade, J.J. Bareto, Nate Green, Owen Buggy, Ethan Humphries, Tyler Daley, Ben Geraghty, Jaden Shearer, Jimmy Curtis, Logan Dombroski, Tyler Katz, coach Russ Humphries and manager Tim Daley.

Local softball standout spends off time coaching youth players

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Former Land O’ Lakes softball standout, Callie Turner, worked with Lutz Softball All-Star players, including 10-year-old Addy Torres, left, and 9-year-old Teagan. (Courtesy of Amanda Torres)

Callie Turner, a former Land O’ Lakes High softball player and current pitcher for the University of Arkansas, recently spent time with Lutz Softball players, coaching them in drills and spending time mentoring young players.

Turner worked with the Lutz Softball 8U All-Star Team, which won the district and advanced to the state tournament where the team placed sixth. On July 12, Turner spent time with the players at Oscar Cooler Park in Lutz.

Turner, who graduated from Land O’ Lakes High in 2019, batted .459 with 19 RBI and four homers as a senior in becoming the Class 6A Player and Pitcher of the Year. She just transferred from Tennessee, where she was 18-10 with a 2.50 ERA with 103 strikeouts for the Vols.

Baseball team honored

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The Academy at the Lakes baseball team was one of nearly 700 college and high school programs that received the 2021-2022 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Academic Excellence award. The awards are bestowed to teams coached by ABCA members that post a GPA of 3.0 or above for the current academic year. The Wildcats, who went 10-15 this past spring, maintained a 3.7 GPA in the past school year.