The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Local commitments

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Gaither High junior linebacker/defensive end Chance Coleman verbally committed to play collegiate football at Division I FBS University of South Florida. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Coleman posted 71 tackles and 10 sacks in 2018. He also holds Division I FBS scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic and Liberty universities, among others. (Courtesy of Gaither High School Athletics)
The Saint Leo University men’s soccer team landed a verbal commitment from Tampa Catholic High School senior goalkeeper Jackson Eckley. This past season, the 6-foot-2 Eckley posted a 1.095 goals against average and 130 saves, with a 9-3 record and eight shutouts. In his high school career, Eckley started 63 games as a four-year letterman and two-time captain, also helping the Crusaders to multiple regional tournament appearances. (Courtesy of Tampa Catholic High School)

Solid hauls

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Matt Norris, shown here, teamed with Tim Grimes to win first place at the South Pasco Bassmasters’ (SPBM) March tournament, hauling in five fish for a total weight of 11.74 pounds on East Lake Tohopekaliga, in Osceola County. The duo caught their fish flipping assorted plastic baits in lily pads and isolated grass in 3 feet of water. The next SPBM tournament is April 20 at Crooked Lake in Polk County. For information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Locals shine in state wrestling tournament

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Several area wrestlers put together top-notch performances at the 2019 Florida High School Athletic Association Wrestling State Championships earlier this month at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, including multiple first place individual finishes in Class 1A.

Here’s a look at how top results from local teams and individual wrestlers:

2019 FHSAA State Wrestling Championships

1A
Carrollwood Day School—12th place (49 points)
Zephyrhills Christian Academy—15th place (31 points)

152-pound
Jonathan Conrad, Carrollwood Day, freshman (first place)

Note: Conrad (42-5) defeated Lake Highland Prep’s Dominic Isola in the first place finals match.

160-pound
Jacob Conrad, Carrollwood Day, senior (first place)

Note: Conrad (41-3) defeated Lake Highland Prep’s Cameron Monzadeh in the first place finals match.

285-pound
Malik Jones, Zephyrhills Christian, junior (first place)

Note: Jones (10-0) defeated Wakulla’s Darius Wilkins in the first place finals match.

2A
Pasco High School—Tied-30th place (14 points)
Sunlake High School—Tied-30th place (14 points)

195-pound
Tim Johnson, Pasco, senior (fourth place)

Note: Johnson (56-7) fell to Charlotte’s Anthony Andou in the third place finals match.

220-pound
Cayman Wiseman, Sunlake, (sixth place)

Note: Wiseman (35-10) fell to Palmetto Ridge’s Trillyon Fils-Aime in the fifth place finals match.

3A
Steinbrenner High School—Tied-23rd place (21 points)
Truman Noble, Steinbrenner, junior (fourth place)

Note: Noble (46-6) fell to Fleming Island’s Luke Chop in the third place finals match.

Local signing

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Sunlake High School senior multi-sport athlete Solomon Davis has signed to play college football at NAIA Ave Maria University. Davis, a 6-foot-1 safety, tallied 39 tackles and an interception last season. In addition to football, Davis competes in basketball, weightlifting, and track and field.

Local commitment

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Zephyrhills High senior athlete Cartrell Strong recently committed to play collegiate football at Division II Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia). The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Strong — a 2018 Class 5A first-team All-State selection — last season posted 1,709 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns, along with 98 tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defensed and three forced fumbles on defense. Strong is also a standout on Zephyrhills’ varsity basketball, and track and field teams.

Local commitments & signings

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Myron Bloom (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High Athletics)

Land O’ Lakes High senior linebacker Myron Bloom committed to play college football at Division II Limestone College (Gaffney, South Carolina). The first-team All-Pasco defensive stalwart’s 122 tackles last season were tops on the team and seventh among all Class 6A players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan Boudreau (Courtesy of Sunlake High Athletics)

Sunlake High senior right-handed pitcher Morgan Boudreau has signed to play college softball at NJCAA Division I University of South Carolina-Sumter. Boudreau last season posted a 7-0 record with a 1.00 earned run average and 44 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.

Hefty hauls

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(Courtesy of John Medvid)

Allan Dorman, left, and Kristofer Sampson teamed to win first place at the South Pasco Bassmasters’ (SPBM) February tournament, hauling in five bass for a total weight of 26.24 pounds on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes. Their haul also included the biggest bass of the tournament, weighing 7.44 pounds. The duo caught their fish around docks and submerged grass using Rat-L-Traps and assorted June bug and watermelon red plastic baits. The next tournament is March 16 at East Lake Tohopekaliga, in Osceola County. For information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Inaugural Senior Night

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(Courtesy of Cypress Creek Athletics)

The Cypress Creek Middle High School varsity boys’ basketball team recently had its inaugural Senior Night, to celebrate the program’s first group of eight seniors. They are: Jai-Keem Anthony, Tai-Sheem Anthony, Elijah Clarke, Samuel Flook, Xavier Hasan, Trevor Maxwell, Cedric McBride and Brandon Smith.

Sunlake softballer joins Canadian junior national team

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Sunlake High sophomore outfielder Kendra Falby (Courtesy of Sunlake High School athletics)

Kendra Falby, a sophomore outfielder on the Sunlake High varsity softball team, was recently selected to the Canadian Junior Women’s National Team.

Falby, whose father is from Canada, made the 19-member team following a selection camp last month in Fort Myers.

As a member of Team Canada, Falby will compete at the Canada Cup International Softball Championship in July (Surrey, British Columbia), followed by the WBSC XIII U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup in August (Irvine, California).

Falby is a University of Florida softball commit. As a freshman last season, Falby posted a .644 batting average, tops among all hitters in Class 7A, to go along with 15 extra base hits, 31 RBIs, 37 runs scored. Additionally, her 35 stolen bases were second-most in Class 7A and seventh-most among all state classifications.

McHugh joins Wesley Chapel High football staff

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Longtime Pasco High Pirates head football coach Tom McHugh is continuing his coaching career in east Pasco County, albeit at another public high school.

McHugh was recently named an assistant coach at Wesley Chapel High, where he’ll coach linebackers and quarterbacks under Wildcats fourth-year head coach Tony Egan.

McHugh was relieved of his coaching duties at Pasco following a 2-8 mark in the 2018 season.

Former Pasco High Pirates head football coach Tom McHugh has joined the coaching staff at Wesley Chapel High as an assistant; he’ll coach linebackers and quarterbacks. (File)

He compiled an 86-50 mark in 12 seasons at Pasco, winning six district titles (2007-12) and two regional titles (2008, 2011).

McHugh is the county’s fifth winningest coach in public schools, behind John Benedetto (195 wins at Land O’ Lakes), Tom Fisher (124 wins at Zephyrhills), John Castelamare (103 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell) and Scott Schmitz (94 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell).

The Pirates, however, struggled in recent years under McHugh, with four straight losing seasons for a combined 10-30 mark.

Moreover, the program suffered four straight defeats to crosstown foe Zephyrhills High School in the annual 9-Mile War rivalry game, losing those games by an average margin of nearly 40 points.

Wesley Chapel is coming off a 5-5 mark last season. They went 6-4 and 7-2 in 2017 and 2016, respectively.