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Land O' Lakes Sports

Land O’ Lakes youth reaches motocross championship

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Colt Golembeski’s dream of racing in the sport’s premiere amateur competition is coming true this week.

The 10-year-old Land O’ Lakes resident is competing this week in the 37th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, held at the iconic Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

Colt Golembeski began riding dirt bikes at age 6. Qualifying for amateur nationals isn’t the only accomplishment the young rider has had. In 2017, Golembeski won the Florida Winter Amateur Series 65cc 7-9 division. In 2016, he won the Dade City MX Triple Crown Series for his age group. (Courtesy of Brian Golembeski)

Golembeski, who began racing at age 6, endured a series of area and regional qualifiers in multiple states to earn one of 1,446 coveted spots, out of about 22,000 hopefuls. The national championship event runs through Aug. 4.

The lengthy qualification period ran from April through June, and took Golembeski throughout Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio and Virginia.

His performance culminated with a fifth-place finish in the 65cc 10-11 division at the Loretta Lynn’s Northeast Regional Qualifiers at Birch Creek Motorsports Park, in Sutherlin, Virginia. Only the top six finishers in each racing class from each regional earned a spot to amateur nationals.

Golembeski said the feeling “was awesome” when he crossed the finish line and realized he qualified for the Loretta Lynn Amateur Nationals: “I mean, I was like yelling, ‘Yeah!’”

“Man, we were ecstatic,” added Golembeski’s father, Brian, who travels race to race with his son. “It’s hard to explain to people that are outside the sport, but it’s like going to the Super Bowl — it’s huge.”

Not unlike the Super Bowl, just reaching the exclusive national race is an achievement in itself, said Golembeski’s father.

It requires an immense amount of time, effort and skill — not to mention a little luck, he said.

The Loretta Lynn AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is regarded as the premiere amateur national series in the United States, and the proving grounds for America’s future professional Supercross and Motocross riders. Colt Golembeski earned one of the 1,446 spots, out of approximately 22,000 hopefuls. (Courtesy of MX Sports Inc.)

He explained: “You can fall, you can have bike problems, you have all the different variables, different tracks, different guys, and, on top of it, they’re all good (riders),” he said.

“There’s tons of skill and all that, but then you’ve gotta put all of it together and on that day have everything go right,” he added.

Loretta Lynn’s, as it’s simply called, is “a Holy Grail of sorts” for motocross riders, as it tends to be the final stop for amateur riders before entering the pro ranks.

Many of America’s top professional motocross racers, including James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Ryan Dungey, have won AMA Amateur National titles at Loretta Lynn’s.

Golembeski, who’s entering the fifth grade at Florida Virtual School, will compete in 65cc and 85cc classes. In total, there are 35 different classes of competition, for children as young as age 4, all the way up to a senior division for riders over 50.

Racers will compete in three 15- to 20-minute races per class over the course of the week.

The track contains a variety of jumps, corners and other obstacles, all designed to test the skills and stamina of racers.

That could work to Golembeski’s advantage, who said he likes to ride on “really rough, deep rutted tracks.”

Golembeski trains locally at Dade City MX, Tampa MX and Spyder MX in Wildwood. He said he’s worked to “just get better at riding everyday,” specifically getting faster out of the starting gate.

In addition to the tracks, Golembeski said he’s “done tons of stuff” to up his strength and endurance in preparation for the event — everything from riding his road bike and running regularly, to weightlifting and other bodyweight exercises.

The fitness component, his father said, may be the key to gaining an edge against competitors: “One of the big parts of this race is not only being a good rider, but being physically super-fit,” he said.

“That’s what really separates guys, because they all get really good and then the strongest guys are able to hold that for the entire Moto,” he added.

Golembeski is no stranger to success at big races.

In 2017, he won the Florida Winter Amateur Series 65cc 7-9 division. The year before that, he won the Dade City MX Triple Crown Series for his age group. He’s also collected several other top-five and top-10 finishes in other major during the past couple years.

“He’s done really, really well, in a short period. He’s a good rider,” Golembeski’s father said. “He’s a strong, physical rider.”

Determined to perform well in his first appearance at Loretta Lynn’s, Golembeski also wants to have some fun and take in the entire experience with his mom and dad, who are all trekking to Tennessee in an RV.

Besides the races, the weeklong event hosts many family friendly activities, including swimming, a talent show, concerts and live entertainment, making it an ultimate family vacation.

“I just want to do the best I can and see where that is — if it’s first (place) or it’s 15th,” Golembeski said.

Loretta Lynn’s isn’t the only big race for Golembeski this year, however.

He also plans to compete in the Ponca City (Oklahoma) MX Amateur Nationals in October and the Thor Winter Mini-Olympics (Alachua) in November.

He estimates he’s raced in more than 60 events since picking up the sport nearly four years ago.

“I just love riding my bike and feeling free. It’s just like my whole other world,” the 10-year-old said.

Published August 1, 2018

Academy at the Lakes gets a new baseball coach

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Just two months after guiding Carrollwood Day School to the state final four, Ken Akins looks to achieve similar results at another local private school.

Akins is the new head baseball coach at Academy at the Lakes (AATL), replacing John DiBenedetto, who left the Wildcats program after three seasons for an athletic director position at Mother of Teresa Calcutta Catholic School, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Lutz.

Ken Akins is the new head baseball coach at Academy at the Lakes. This past season he guided Carrollwood Day School to a 24-4 record and state final four appearance. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

Under DiBenedetto, AATL achieved its first winning season in program history, a 12-10 record and 6-4 district mark in the 2A ranks. He exits as the program’s winningest coach with 29 career wins.

With a solid foundation in place, Akins is tasked with taking the Wildcats program to even greater heights — like he did at his previous stop.

Carrollwood Day went 24-4 and reached the Class 3A state semifinals — its best finish in program history — in Akins’ lone season as head coach. Moreover, all six of his graduating seniors on that squad signed to play college baseball. Prior to that, Akins previously served as an assistant coach at the school for five seasons.

Akins, however, said the AATL position “was one that I just really couldn’t turn down.” He also noted a “tighter community” and “stronger academics” for his two children.

“We did have success at Carrollwood Day, but I love to build programs, and that opportunity on the baseball side was very, very inviting,” Akins said. “The thought process of putting a two-to-four year program together is extremely exciting for me.”

An initial goal is increasing overall participation for the program’s varsity roster, while establishing full-fledged junior varsity and middle school teams, said Tom Haslam, AATL’s athletic director.

The Wildcats had just 13 players on the 2018 varsity roster. Four of those players were middle-schoolers.

“We need that roster right away,” Haslam said, acknowledging that’s usually a challenge for smaller schools like AATL. “Baseball is one of the hardest sports to build because you need a number of players.

“There’s a big difference in having 13 players on your varsity roster and 20 players on your varsity roster,” he said.

Academy at the Lakes baseball celebrated its first-ever winning season with the help of a roster chock-full of young players, including, from left: freshmen Jack Teeter, Andrew Kilfoyl and Spencer Boynton. It will now look to build upon that success with new Wildcats head coach Ken Akins. (File)

To solve this dilemma, Akins said he plans to tap into baseball connections throughout Hillsborough County to find more players and encourage kids already enrolled at AATL to try out for the team.

“There’s no question that we’ve gotta build the numbers at Academy,” Akins said. “It starts with getting the Academy name out there in the community. I think spreading the word inside the hallways is a great way to get it going.”

Another designated goal for Akins is drumming up more support for an on-campus baseball field.

Last season they played their “home” games nearly 45 minutes away from the school campus, at Northwest Little League near Leto High School. They also hold practice at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

“There is no question that Academy needs its own home facility,” Akins said. “You build facilities and kids will come. You put a quality facility out there and that just adds to the complete package that Academy can offer.”

Meantime, Akins is focused fielding a quality team come springtime, and, perhaps competing for district crowns in the crowded 11-team District 5-2A.

The Wildcats appear to have talent to do so someday, provided most of the players from last season return, aside from its two graduating seniors.

In 2018, the team batted a collective .347 with a .455 on-base percentage, setting a program record in about every offensive statistical category, from home runs (nine) and doubles (34), to RBIs (144), runs scored (171) and stolen bases (94).

The pitching staff combined to post a 3.94 team ERA and 179 strikeouts in 126 innings pitched that season.

“You’ve gotta buy into the program,” Akins said of building a top-notch contender. “The bottom line is the kids need to, obviously, understand what the goal is and then to be able to buy into the daily routine, which in turn, creates success.”

The school’s athletic director believes Akins is up to the task — citing his overall baseball acumen and dedication to coaching.

“He’s just a grinder,” Haslam said of the new baseball coach. “He’s one of those guys that just works hard all year round and that’s what we needed. It’s one thing to be a good coach in-between the lines, but there’s so much that a small-school high school coach has to do year-round to promote his program and build something, especially if it’s not an already established program.

“We’re not starting from scratch, but we’ve basically been in the middle of our district for the last several years, and we think Ken, with his passion and work ethic year-round, can get us to that next level and vie for district championships, consistently.”

Published July 25, 2018

AATL softball captures first state title

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A pitcher’s duel, extra innings and weathering wet, muddy conditions were all needed before Academy at the Lakes softball could finally claim its first-ever state championship.

Overcoming hurdles, they wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

The Wildcats (26-4) defeated Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings on May 22 in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A state finals at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach.

Academy at the Lakes varsity softball won the FHSAA Class 2A state title on May 22 after defeating Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings. The Wildcats finished the season 26-4. (Kevin Weiss)

Academy at the Lakes (AATL) junior pitcher and Alabama commit Alexis Kilfoyl outdueled Aucilla Christian senior and Florida signee Elizabeth Hightower in the team’s most difficult test of the season.

In addition to unleashing a 13-strikeout, four-hit shutout, Kilfoyl was responsible for the game-winning single that allowed freshman shortstop Brooke Blankenship to score on a two-out single in the 11th inning.

“The 11 innings really pushed us to our max. It was definitely a tough pitcher battle,” Kilfoyl, one of the nation’s top pitching prospects, said afterwards.

What made the triumph even sweeter was knowing they unseated an Aucilla Christian program that’s won state crowns two of the last three years.

“Probably one of the greatest (feelings) I’ve ever had. Just all the hard work we put into it, it feels good to finally pay off,” Kilfoyl said.

A post-season celebration was held at the school on May 24 to honor the softball team’s achievements. Players, their families and friends, and school administration all gathered to soak in the momentous achievement.

“It’s finally setting in a little bit,” Blankenship said with an ear-to-ear smile at the celebration. “We’re just kind of looking back on all our hard work…so next season we’ll know what it takes.”

In 2017, the Wildcats ended a 20-win season with a disappointing 5-3 loss to St. Petersburg Canterbury in the Class 2A regional final.

Coming up short motivated the team to improve under the watch of second-year head coach Diane Stephenson, a longtime Division I softball coach for Indiana, Purdue and Iowa universities.

To better prepare for the 2018 playoffs, Stephenson and her staff ventured to compile a challenging regular season.

Matchups were scheduled against larger public schools like Freedom, Land O’ Lakes, Mitchell and River Ridge high schools, among many others.

Said Stephenson, “It was great for our kids because they learned a lot of resilience and they learned to play from behind. They learned so much. They learned mental toughness.”

It proved fruitful in the grind-it-out state title game.

“When we got into that game and it was 0-0, they flexed a couple times, but they weren’t worried, and that’s what mental toughness does for you. It prepares you for the battle, and we were prepared for the battle for sure,” Stephenson said.

With a varsity roster of no seniors and mostly underclassmen and some middle- schoolers, the Wildcats figure to be a staying power for the foreseeable future.

It also could mean a state title repeat in 2019.

“It’ll definitely be fun,” Kilfoyl said of next season’s possibilities. “I’m really looking forward to it because I know we can definitely do it again, if we do what we did this time.”

Having Stephenson back as a coach will serve well, too.

The highly regarded coach was inducted into Indiana University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. She won 402 games in 15 seasons, and led the Hoosiers to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1996.

“She’s definitely someone we all look up to. Her energy helps us, and she knows the game,” said Blankenship, a Florida State commit.

In addition to its feats on the softball field this season, Academy at the Lakes likewise dominated in the classroom.

Their combined cumulative grade-point average of 3.85 was the highest of any softball-playing team in the state.

Meantime, it’s been quite a year athletics-wise for the private school, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary in existence.

In December, the AATL football team went 11-1 and won its first-ever eight-man state championship, under head coach Shawn Brown.

“It’s been a great year,” said Wildcats athletics director Tom Haslam. “It’s big for the community, it’s big for our program and, best of all, it’s big for the kids because that just builds confidence, and now they’re excited more and they want to do it again.”

Academy at the Lakes 2018 varsity softball
Roster

  • Alexis Kilfoyl, junior
  • Allie Glatfelter, seventh grade
  • Amber Nadeau, sophomore
  • Aubrey McLeod, sophomore
  • Brooke Blankenship, freshman
  • Caitlin Blankenship, seventh grade
  • Devyne Davis, freshman
  • Elisabeth Robichaux, eighth grade
  • Hannah Church, eighth grade
  • Hayley Reed, eighth grade
  • Jessica Mott, sophomore
  • Mia Fields, sixth grade
  • Nicole Gilleland, freshman
  • Tristen Gittens, junior
  • Vanessa Alexander, freshman

Coaching Staff

  • Diane Stephenson, head coach
  • John Counts, assistant coach
  • Robbie Blankenship, assistant coach
  • Kennedy Lachicotte, assistant coach

Published May 30, 2018

Academy at the Lakes savors first winning season

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After five seasons of varsity baseball, senior Eric Hutchison can finally say he was part of a winning team.

“It’s always nice to be the first success in something. The fact that I’m a senior makes it much better,” said Hutchison, a team captain pitcher/infielder who’s played for Academy at the Lakes (AATL) since eighth grade.

The Wildcats just wrapped up its first winning season in program history, posting a 12-9 regular season mark, under third-year head coach John DiBenedetto.

Pitcher/infielder Eric Hutchison is one of just two seniors on Academy at the Lakes’ baseball roster. He finally got to celebrate a winning season after five seasons of varsity baseball. (Courtesy of Brian Teeter)

As several other of the school’s sports programs achieved notable success of late—namely football, basketball and softball— baseball often lagged behind.

The baseball team suffered five consecutive winless seasons from 2006 to 2010, and went a combined 17-45 from 2011 to 2015.

Hutchison remembers some of those trying years.

“When I played in eighth grade, it was rough,” he said. “We only won one or two games and that was due to forfeit…”

It hasn’t been the case the past three years under new leadership, however.

Since the 27-year-old DiBenedetto took over, the program has quietly been on an upward trajectory, going 8-11 in 2016, 9-12 in 2017 and then 12-9 this season.

A former standout at Blake and Newsome high schools, and later playing college baseball on scholarship in New Hampshire, DiBenedetto has brought an approach that prioritizes skill development and proper fundamentals, and mastering game situations via organized, purposeful practices and workouts.

A sign of the team’s previous struggles, DiBenedetto is already the program’s winningest coach with 29 career wins.

“He’s a really fun dude to play for,” said freshman middle infielder Jordan Oladokun, who’s played varsity baseball since seventh grade. “Honestly, I was thinking about quitting baseball, and he was the one that made me keep continuing my baseball career. …So, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here playing baseball right now.”

DiBenedetto’s in-game strategy is best described as “overly aggressive” — taking extra bases, stealing often, and manufacturing runs via hit-and-run plays.

The Wildcats collectively have 93 stolen bases (out of 103 attempts).

It’s a style that puts added pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses in the 2A ranks, forcing them to “make a play.”

“Because they’re high school kids in the moment, it’s not easy to field a ground ball and make a throw,” DiBenedetto said of the strategy.

But, the Wildcats newfound success is more than just a byproduct of small ball.

A quick glance at the numbers and it becomes clear why the Wildcats have enjoyed a breakout campaign.

The team batted a collective .351 with a .456 on-base percentage, setting a program record in about every offensive statistical category, from home runs (nine) and doubles (34), to RBIs (142) and runs scored (169).

The lineup showcased four .400-plus hitters — Oladokun (.455), freshman Andrew Kilfoyl (.452), Hutchison (.424), and freshman Jack Teeter (.411) — and two others batting over .350—freshman newcomer Spencer Boynton (.359) and senior Joel Eason (.353).

The pitching staff, anchored by Hutchison and others, likewise held its own, posting a 3.62 team ERA and 174 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched.

Making the most of a young roster
It was all done with a thin roster of just 11 healthy players, composed mainly of freshman, sophomores and eighth-graders.

Though young, the team was battle-tested with many who’ve played varsity since seventh grade and eighth grade, under DiBenedetto, respectively.

Players suggest the prior seasons together yielded greater camaraderie and trust, and therefore more success.

Academy at the Lakes celebrated its first-ever winning season with the help of a roster chock-full of young players, including, from left, freshmen Jack Teeter, Andrew Kilfoyl and Spencer Boynton.

“We kept the same guys here the whole time, so we all got closer, all started getting to know each other. We really got to know each other better, so that was really good,” Oladokun said.

“We play for each other,” Kilfoyl added. “We’ve been playing together, not so much for ourselves, but as one whole team.”

Meanwhile, DiBenedetto had an inkling 2018 was time for a breakout, after building up the program the last couple years.

Entering the season, the coach saw “a much more well-rounded team” with a strong batting order top to bottom and a deep pitching staff — even following the graduation of Darin Kilfoyl, Andrew’s older brother, who was perhaps the most dominant pitcher/hitter in program history. He now plays at St. Johns River State College in Palatka.

“We kind of knew coming in that, if it wasn’t last year, it was going to be this year,” the Wildcats coach said of a winning season.

“You didn’t have the superstar (Darin Kilfoyl) anymore, and that was the only fear at first…but, they’ve all complemented each other in their own certain outright way,” he said.

Along with a roster chock-full of underclassmen, the Wildcats racked up victories despite losing two key players to injuries in the first week of the season.

Not having a true home field was another challenge they’ve overcome.

While the team practices at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, its handful of “home games” was at Northwest Little League near Leto High School in Hillsborough County, at least a 45-minute drive from the Academy at the Lakes campus. It’s a neutral site, at best, the coach said.

Moreover, several road games were in Citrus, Hernando, Pinellas and Polk counties.

“We’re traveling all over the place and to be where we are right now, it’s a credit to them,” DiBenedetto said.

Exceeding opponents’ expectations
Wherever they play and no matter the competition, DiBenedetto noted Wildcats players this year always came to the ballpark with a winning attitude and belief in themselves.

It resulted in winning several close games and coming from behind in others — each the makings of “a good baseball team.”

Third-year head coach John DiBenedetto, pictured with freshman middle infielder Jordan Oladokun, has helped turn around the Wildcats baseball program. A former college baseball player, DiBenedetto brings an aggressive coaching style combined with a focus on skill and player development.

Said DiBenedetto: “We have the conversation, ‘Prove everyone wrong because nobody expects you to do stuff. Continue to prove people wrong, and battle and chip, and fight and claw for what you deserve.’ That’s kind of been the motto we’ve adopted and hung onto all year, so we’ve embraced it; it’s been fun.”

Ask players their favorite game this season and it’s unanimous: A 6-5 win against Canterbury in early March — the Wildcats’ first-ever victory against the rival St. Petersburg-based private school.

Oladokun summed it up best: “Played them every single year, can’t beat ‘em. Played them twice a year, can’t beat ‘em. And, this year, everyone kind of was doubting us because we didn’t have Darin Kilfoyl, ‘the man.’ Everyone’s doubting us, and we went in there, beat ‘em 6-5, close game.”

The contest had extra meaning for Hutchison, the senior leader.

Two years ago, Hutchison allowed the winning run in the ninth inning of the district quarterfinals Canterbury, a 3-2 loss.

“It was super, super depressing because a bunch of seniors left that year, and we kind of sent them off on not the best note,” Hutchison recalled.

This time around, however, Hutchison made the last play to end the game.

“I got the ‘last say’ essentially. That was such a great feeling,” he said.

And, it’s likely not the last time Academy at the Lakes will get the best of Canterbury or other teams who previously dominated the once-floundering baseball program.

With a solid young corps to build around combined with coaching stability, the outlook seems promising for 2019 and beyond.

“It’s been a really fun year, and I’m looking forward to next year,” said Boynton, a shortstop/pitcher in his first year at Academy at the Lakes after attending Benito Middle School. “Hopefully we can get some more wins next year, too.”

DiBenedetto said the goal is to make modest improvements each season.

Still, he can’t help but think about the possibilities once his crop of talented freshman, like Boynton, become seniors.

“Just imagine three years from now when they’re going to be big and strong. It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be exciting,” he said.

Published May 2, 2018

Local soccer player scores prestigious statewide honor

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Whenever the Land O’ Lakes Gators needed a score, Sydny Nasello was there to answer the call.

And, she delivered often, racking up 120 goals during her four-year varsity soccer career.

In this past season alone, the senior tallied 45 goals and 13 assists — guiding the Gators to the regional finals, a 23-3 record and undefeated (7-0) district mark.

Land O’ Lakes High School senior forward Sydny Nasello was named Class 3A Player of the Year. She tallied 45 goals and 13 assists this season, leading the Gators to a 23-3 mark. (File)

Her skills on the field — combined with remarkable statistics — have since garnered attention statewide.

Earlier this month, Nasello was named Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year. She was a finalist for the 2018 Miss Soccer award, too, finishing third in voting by coaches and the media in Florida.

Locally, Nasello was a shoo-in for the Sunshine Athletic Conference Girls Soccer Player of the Year, also announced this month.

The recent accolades recognize Nasello’s commitment.

“When I first heard about it, it was just like everything I’ve been working for in life and just in soccer — like everyone else can see it and it’s paying off,” the forward/midfielder said.

Nasello added she’s proud to “leave a mark” at Land O’ Lakes, and to be an influence to the program’s younger generation.

She was one of a trio of Gators seniors, also including Brooke Hannigan and Morghan Craven, who played all four years on varsity.

During that time, the Gators went a remarkable 90-10-3 with three Final Four appearances, and captured three district and regional crowns apiece.

“I don’t think anyone has ever done that at Land O’ Lakes,” Nasello said, matter-of-factly.

Her role transformed, too.

“I went from freshman year, being like the little kid — super nervous, having all these older role models — to being the role model for the freshmen and the sophomores,” she said.

A University of South Florida signee, Nasello has sights set on a professional career in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Someday she hopes to represent the United States in the Olympic Games, too.

She looks to be on the right track for each.

She was one of just 24 players to take part in a training camp for the under-18 national teams late last fall in California. The U-18 team provides a transition for a number of players that could possibly make up the core of the team that would attempt to qualify for the following U-20 women’s World Cup, or even contribute to the current cycle of U-20s, according to the United States Soccer Federation.

“It was very beneficial,” Nasello said of last year’s tryout. “Basically you can compare yourself to the best of the best around the world, see where you stand, see what you need to improve upon, see what these girls are doing better than you, so you know where to start.”

Lauded for her speed, versatility and flashy attacking on-ball style, Nasello has worked on improving her runs off the ball “because that’s what my college coach wants me to do.”

She credits Gators head coach Vicky King as a key influence in her development as a player.

“She’s never let up,” Nasello said of her high school coach. “Like, she’s probably harder on me than she was any other player, and sometimes I would think, ‘She’s just being mean or whatever,’ but really she’s just pushing me to do my best in all areas of life, whether it’s on or off the field.”

King — who’s coached multiple Division I soccer players over the past three decades — describes Nasello as an “excellent player” who’s “really matured and grown over the last few years.

“She can be a difference-maker in the game. She has a nose for the ball and can play anywhere on the field,” King said.

“She’s really driven to succeed,” the coach added.

Part of it stems from her family’s ties to the game.

Those familiar with the local high school soccer scene are well aware of the Nasello name. Her two older sisters, Lacy and Holly, both were standouts at Land O’ Lakes and eventually played college ball, at University of Tampa and Point University (Georgia), respectively. Younger sister, Lexy, also plays soccer and her father, Tim, played college soccer.

Nasello strived to follow in the footsteps of Lacy — now a sophomore at University of Tampa — who she was teammates with at Land O’ Lakes for two seasons, in 2015 and 2016. Lacy was regarded as a stellar defenseman, with goal-scoring prowess.

“(Lacy) was basically the best of the best,” Nasello said. “She was the big, aggressive one, and I always looked up to her and always wanted to be who she was, what she was on the field, played at what her level was, so we used to work out all the time together in the summer.”

Being around other skilled, experienced players on the team also helped, her high school coach noted.

“We’ve had some other very talented players, and I think her observing them also helped her grow into a better player, as everyone always has someone to grow and improve like that,” King said.

Nasello is currently playing for the Tampa Bay United club soccer team and gearing up for the Elite Club National League championships in May.

Nasello is eager for the next phase of her soccer and academic career.

“I’m so excited to start college,” she said.

Her future USF coaches are also eager for her to arrive.

“Sydny is an amazing talent,” USF head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said in a released statement. “She is arguably the most creative attacking player to come out of the state in quite some time…We are tremendously excited to get her here on campus and continue her development at the next level.”

Published March 21, 2018

Track and field standout leaps into nationals

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It didn’t take long for Keymo Pearson to realize Arielle Boone oozed potential when she joined his AAU track club last spring.

“Day 1, when I saw her…I said, ‘Hey, if this girl stays with the team, she’s going to be great.’ My exact words were, ‘She has the chance to be one of the best jumpers in Pasco County history,’” said Pearson, an assistant track coach at the Wesley Chapel-based Speed Starz Track Club.

Turns out the coach’s assessment is pretty spot on.

Sunlake High School senior Arielle Boone will compete at New Balance Indoor Nationals at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City, from March 9 to March 11. She will take part in the triple jump and high jump events. (Courtesy of Speed Starz Track Club)

Boone will compete this weekend in both the high jump and triple jump events in New Balance Indoor Nationals at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City.

A senior at Sunlake High School, Boone will join more than 3,500 of the country’s best track and field student-athletes, from more than 40 states and Canadian provinces — each looking to run, hurdle, jump, throw and walk their way to titles and All-American honors in 48 boys’ and girls’ championship events.

The event runs from March 9 through March 11.

Boone qualified for the prestigious competition after posting elite qualifying marks in triple jump (39’ 2.5) and long jump (18’ 2.5) at recent AAU meets in Orlando and Birmingham, Alabama.

She is believed to be just the second track and field athlete from Pasco County to ever compete in the national event. The other is former Pasco High star Alfreda Steele, who qualified in 2014. Steele now is a sprinter and jumper at the University of Miami.

Boone isn’t nervous about the big stage, despite squaring up alongside countless future Division I track starts and possibly some Olympians-in-the-making.

Instead, she’s poised to hold her own — especially after going toe-to-toe with such athletes at AAU meets throughout the summer and fall.

“I’m not worried about it. I’m just there to compete and to get my marks,” said Boone, who acknowledged she used to be intimidated, when she first began training for AAU meets in the spring and summer.

A former gymnast, Boone joined her high school track team as a freshman at the behest of former Sunlake track coach Nick Carroll, now the head football coach at Zephyrhills High School.

“Coach was like, ‘If you’re one of my fastest girls, you have to run for me, OK?’ Like, he really pursued me. He wanted me to run track. And, I was like, ‘You know what? My dad’s been telling me that for years, so I’ll try it,’ and I ended up being pretty decent, so I stuck with it,” Boone explained.

Early on in her high school career, Boone mainly competed in sprints, such as the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, and the 4×100 relay.

It wasn’t until last season she took field events seriously.

The leap into those events — especially the triple jump — was bred out of pure curiosity.

Said Boone, “Triple jump seemed so complicated and just difficult, which it is. It’s the hardest event track puts on your body. I just wanted to see how it works; I had no idea.”

Sunlake girls track coach Trey Burdick said Boone’s jumping numbers really took off toward the end the 2017 season.

“Something clicked at districts last year,” Burdick said.

All of sudden, Boone started hitting personal records of 2 feet, then 4 feet in the triple jump, and that’s something you don’t usually see, Burdick added.

Boone firmly solidified herself at the Class 3A state championships as one of the state’s top jumpers after securing a ninth-place finish in the triple jump (then a 36’ 11.25), just one spot away from podium honors.

She was also named named the Sunshine Athletic Conference’s Girls Field Athlete of the Year.

“I was just like, ‘Wow, I have been doing this event for not even six months, and I got this close. Next year I’m going to wreck it. That’s what I really want to do,’” Boone said.

After the season Boone joined Speed Starz to work one-on-one with Pearson, himself a former college track and field standout at Kansas-based Friends University and Independence Community College. He serves as an assistant with BB Roberts, who founded the AAU club in 2013.

Pearson trained Boone on core strength, plyometric movements, and shoring up her bounding technique to make her an even better jumper.

“I saw that she was very explosive, and that was really what drew my attention,” Pearson said.

“Just seeing the talent that she had without an offseason training, it just was like, ‘Wow, I know the drills that I’m going to give her is going to make her that much better as an athlete.’”

“I had to bound my way into becoming a really good triple-jumper,” Boone said. It’s a lot of training involved. It’s an event that you can’t play with it. You have to do a lot.”

After the national competition, Boone will go back to focusing on her final high school season.

In addition to Sunlake High records in the triple jump (38’ 9.5) and high jump (17’ 9.75), Boone also claims school records in the 200 meters (26.32 seconds) — which she’s owned since her freshman year — and as a leg on the 4×100 relay (49.55 seconds).

Burdick noted Boone could soon own the school record in the 100 meters, once she gets the chance to run the event. High school track athletes are allowed to compete in a maximum of four events per meet.

“She’s probably the reason why we’re the favorite to win conference this year,” Burdick said.

“She’s one of those athletes that if I could put her in six (events) I’d put her in six. She’s a guaranteed first place in at least three of her events every meet, and most of the times it’s four.”

Boone’s recent emergence, meanwhile, has the caught the eyes of multiple Division I college track programs statewide.

She’s picked up scholarship offers from South Florida, Central Florida, Florida Atlantic and Florida International universities.

Boone said she plans to spend the next month visiting colleges before making a decision by the time the spring singing period begins on April 11.

Whichever program Boone chooses, those coaches will be getting a dedicated and focused athlete.

“She catches on really fast — that’s what’s great about her. She listens, she’s disciplined, and she actually works on those things on her own so it makes it that much easier,” Pearson explained.

“Motivation’s never been an issue for her,” Burdick said. “She’s always came to practice everyday and is just like strictly business, ‘This is what we need to get done today’ and boom that’s what she’s doing.’”

“She knows (the) drills, she picks up on them, and she knows how to go out there and do it without me telling her,” he added.

Published March 7, 2018

New Land O’ Lakes football coach embraces program’s traditions

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Chad Walker, a veteran college football assistant, is bringing his experience to Land O’ Lakes High as its new head varsity football coach.

He is replacing Brian Wachtel, who resigned in November after a combined 25-42 mark in seven seasons. His only winning season was in 2013, when the team went 8-3.

Walker, was among 40 applicants for the position.

The Pennsylvania native was selected from a field of 11 applicants interviewed for the job, according to Land O’ Lakes High School athletic director Michael Frump.

Chad Walker has been named Land O’ Lakes High School’s new varsity head football coach. The 33-year-old has a decade of coaching experience, primarily at the postsecondary level. (Courtesy of Chad Walker)

At 33, Walker is relatively young. But, he doesn’t lack experience. He’s coached at the postsecondary level for about a decade.

His stops include Division II Pace University in New York, where he served as offensive coordinator/quarterback coach; Bridgton Academy in Maine, as head coach; Division III Kenyon College in Ohio, as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach; Division I FCS Lafayette College, coaching linebackers, tight ends and special teams; and Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, as defensive line coach.

Several of those roles required rebuilding and transforming losing programs into stable ones, Walker said.

He looks to do the same at Land O’ Lakes.

“I coached at Kenyon College, where we hadn’t won a game in four years. Pace University, the same sort of thing. So, I’ve always been a part of these turnaround jobs. I’ve really kind of learned what works, what doesn’t work,” Walker said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Walker’s playing career also is notable.

Groomed as a tight end, he earned four varsity letters at Lafayette from 2002 to 2005 and was a Patriot League All-Conference selection in 2005.

He later played professionally for two years in NFL Italy as a player/coach and the European Federation of American Football in Sweden. A knee injury ended his playing career and routed him to coaching.

“Football’s my passion,” Walker said.

For the past year, Walker has served as director of football operations/quarterback coach at Tampa-based Applied Science and Performance Institute (ASPI), which provides advanced training to elite athletes and pro football hopefuls. He now is overseeing logistics for nearly 50 football players, as they gear up for the NFL Combine.

At APSI, he’s gotten to work alongside former Tampa Bay Buccaneers like Yo Murphy, Reidel Anthony, Booger McFarland, Todd Washington and others.

“Being around these former NFL players, seeing how they relate to the guys, seeing as how they coach on the field during position drills and different things — it’s really continued to help me grow, not only in the football side of things, but also in life,” Walker said.

While he balances his duties at APSI, Walker has been familiarizing himself with the Gators program.

He’s met with current and prospective players and assistant coaches, and has observed offseason workouts and weightlifting sessions.

He’s also spent time watching film of the 2017 season, evaluating returning players and their skillsets, while scouting team opponents.

He’s also in the process of filling out the rest of his coaching staff.

“One thing that caught my eye about Land O’ Lakes was the tradition,” Walker said. “Obviously, there’s some things to be done, but there’s some tools in place,” he added.

Walker becomes Land O’ Lakes’ fifth head football coach since the program started in 1975. In addition to Wachtel, previous head coaches were Matt Kitchie, John Benedetto and Dan Sikes.

For many years, Land O’ Lakes had one of the top football programs in Pasco County, earning a string of 14 straight playoff appearances from 1997 to 2009 under coaches Benedetto and Kitchie.

However, the recent success of other programs in the county — as well as an ever-challenging district — have made winning consistently a tall task.

Despite taking over a Gators program in the midst of four straight losing seasons—and a 4-5 mark in 2017— Walker is optimistic about the future.

Said Walker, “I don’t necessarily think there’s an overhaul that needs to be done or a complete cultural change because I do think there’s a foundation there that you currently don’t see at a lot of places when people talk about, ‘Well, there hasn’t been success in the past.’

“I think Coach Wachtel laid a pretty sturdy foundation with that, and now it’s just to try and take it to the next level, and obviously get guys to buy into what my philosophy is and what our foundation’s going to be, and just learn to compete and to grow,” Walker said.

Part of that starts with encouraging more Land O’ Lakes athletes — such as the school’s basketball players — to join the football team.

“There are definitely athletes in the school right now I think can benefit not only the football program, but could benefit them as well,” Walker said, adding he went to see a Gators varsity basketball game within the first few weeks of being hired.

The new coach is mum on the types of schemes he plans to implement on offense and defense, but described it as “something that I’ve been successful with, and something I think the kids will enjoy as well.”

He added: “At the end of the day, it’s about the kids and bringing back some excitement in the Land O’ Lakes football program. We’re going to be, I think, fun to watch on Friday evenings.”

Playbooks aside, the Gators should have budding talent to work with — on both sides of the ball — in 2018.

Leading rusher Kyle Leivas, who tallied 1,050 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017, is expected to return for his senior season, teaming up with a promising quarterback, Ethan Forrester, who will be a junior this season.

On defense, the Gators are expected to return its top three tacklers in linebackers Myron Bloom (76 tackles, two sacks) and Clayton Hendriksen (75 tackles, 1.5 sacks), and safety Nate Howard (66 tackles, one interception).

Meanwhile, Walker’s experiences — especially as a college coach — may yield additional recruiting and scholarship opportunities for some of those Land O’ Lakes players.

“I do think one thing that is beneficial that I do bring to the high school level is the understanding of recruiting,” the new Gators coach said.

That includes such things as “how to market yourself to a college coach” and “how to market yourself to an admissions office academically,” he said.

There are also other things that need to be addressed, including community service and “growing yourself as a young man to put yourself in the right position,” Walker said.

NOTE: Spring practices begin in Florida on April 23; the first allowable day of contact practices is April 28.

Published February 21, 2018

Land O’ Lakes swim teams celebrate ‘dream’ season

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Land O’ Lakes High School’s 2017 swim season was a memorable one.

The Gators thrived in the Class 2A swim meet last month, earning medals and shattering school records in jaw-dropping fashion.

The girls squad finished fifth (out of 47 teams), while the boys placed 10th (out of 39 teams) — marking the highest combined finish at states on record for both teams.

They collectively earned eight medals and set five school records.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Swimming & Diving team wrapped up perhaps its most successful season ever. At the Class 2A swim meet last month, the girls squad finished fifth (out of 47 teams), while the boys placed 10th (out of 39 teams) — marking the highest combined finish at states on record for both teams. Both teams also won conference and districts meets, and were regional runners-up. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes Swimming & Diving Team)

The state championships capped an otherwise noteworthy campaign for the Gators, consistently one of the county’s top high school swim programs.

They won district and Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, and were regional runners-up. The conference titles marked the 17th straight for the boys team and ninth straight for the girls.

Both teams also went undefeated (7-0) in their dual-meets this season.

Those moments and more were celebrated during the program’s end-of-year banquet on Dec. 5

“We’ll never have another season like this; this is like your dream season,” boys coach Brian Vaile said, of the 2017 campaign.

Ramsey reflects on historic career
Senior Jabari Ramsey was already a household name, but his final go-round further cemented himself as one of the Gators most accomplished swimmers.

He earned his third straight state gold medal in the 100 breaststroke, with a time of 56:11.

And with that, he became the first boy swimmer from Pasco County to win three straight titles in the same event.

“This whole season went incredibly well. It’s something that as swimmer you dream of,” Ramsey said.

His favorite memory though, was that of being a key member of the Gators 200 medley relay team.

He joined forces with Patryk Pilkowski, Zachary Davis and younger brother Zuri Ramsey to win the state 200 medley relay in 1:35.97 — smashing last year’s school record of 1:39.09 —becoming the first-ever Pasco County relay team to win gold at the Class 2A state championships.

“It still gives me goose bumps,” Ramsey said of the event. “It’s amazing to do it with the team. To win it is great, but to win it with individuals who care just as much as you do just means that much more.”

Ramsey’s four gold medals altogether is also a new county record — surpassing former Mitchell standout Devin McCaffrey, who earned three individual titles during his prep career.

The accomplished Gator has received looks from several universities since the season ended, from the likes of Nevada-Las Vegas and Grand Canyon, as well as Florida and Florida State.

Wherever Ramsey lands, he won’t soon forget a remarkable high school career and the countless relationships forged.

“The group of people, especially this year, has been amazing. It’s been a dream come true,” Ramsey said. “It’s been my pleasure to be a part of a team like this. We’re not selfish. We treat everyone equally. From the slowest person to the fastest person, everyone comes together.”

Beyond the pool, Ramsey will be remembered for his leadership qualities. He’s been a team captain since sophomore year.

He said his goal was just to make the team better and not necessarily become the “best swimmer.”

“I wanted to put the team in a better place every single year,” Ramsey said. “To be able to, after four years, being with a team like this, making the memories, records, everything altogether — it’s been a true blessing.”

Ramsey, who is home-schooled, just recently began taking a few classes on campus. It never deterred him from setting positive examples, however.

“I’ve seen him develop a lot as a leader; he has great leadership skills,” said Vaile, who’s coached high school swimming since 1997.

Vaile noted many home-schoolers can be shy and withdrawn, but insists “Jabari is not that.”

Said Vaile, “He’ll be a good coach. He loves swimming. His knowledge of swimming…is really good, and he generally likes helping people that don’t know. Yes, he got faster, but he developed more as a person.”

Foreign student makes immediate splash
Ramsey wasn’t the only individual boys swimmer to reach the state podium. 

Pilkowski was another recognized medalist, earning third place in the 100 backstroke (51:75) — a time that broke the previous school record by a full 3 seconds.

He also set a school record in the 100 free (47.66) earlier this season.

The junior this year moved from Poland to Land O’ Lakes, staying with his aunt so he could study in the United States.

An accomplished swimmer in his native country, Pilkowski’s arrival was a pleasant surprise for the team, which was in need of a backstroke specialist.

“Talk about a godsend,” Vaile said, “because he is fast.”

The Gators coach still recalls when Pilkowski showed up for the team’s first practice; tryouts had already taken place.

The Gators boys 200 medley relay team became the first-ever Pasco County boys relay team to win gold at the Class 2A state championships. From left: junior Patryk Pilkowski, senior Jabari Ramsey, senior Zachary Davis and freshman Zuri Ramsey.

“I looked at him and could tell he was a swimmer,” Vaile said.

The coach said the English language was often a barrier for Pilkowski, but noted “it got better as the year went by.”

Pilkowski explained it was his “dream” to one day study in America, when he visited the country two years ago.

He acknowledged being on the swim team eased the transition culturally.

“I met a lot of friends here,” Pilkowski said. “Everyone helped me because I’m coming from a different country, and it’s stressful. Everyone was very friendly. Everyone smiled and every time would say to me, ‘Good Luck.’”

Pilkowski is still deciding whether he’ll remain at Land O’ Lakes for his senior year or return to Poland.

“I’m just going to say a little prayer, see if Patryk can maybe bring a friend of two,” Vaile said, jokingly.

Proper sendoff for Schmitz, Schrader
The girls team’s fifth place finish at states was its highest ever — and a marked improvement from previous years.

The group finished 13th last year and 11th in 2015.

It was also a sendoff of sorts for third-year coach Tanner Schmitz, who is stepping away to pursue a master’s degree and a career as a school administrator.

“It was such a great way to finish,” said Schmitz, who previously coached at Wiregrass Ranch and Mitchell high schools.

“We walked out of (states) with our heads high, and the girls were ecstatic to be able to accomplish that.”

The Gators girls 200 free relay team became the first-ever Pasco County girls relay team to finish top three at the state championships. From left: junior Taylor Ward, senior Ashley Schrader, junior Margarita Czupryn and junior Romina McCloskey. 

The team medaled in five events at states — 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 relay and 400 relay.

And, it was all was done by just four girls — juniors Taylor Ward, Romina McCloskey, Margarita Czupryn and senior Ashley Schrader.

The quartet became the first girls relay team in Pasco County history to record a top-three finish at states after they placed third in the 200 free relay in 1:39.71—a school record.

The feat was something Schmitz predicted would happen when he witnessed the budding talent on his first day of practice three years ago.

“I’d been looking at their times and the very first day, I crouched down next to the lane where they were at and I said, ‘Look at each other. Before you graduate, you will be the first Pasco County relay team to finish in the top three.’ …To have that goal that they set as freshman and then do exactly what they set out to do, just as a coach, it doesn’t get better.

“It’s been a really amazing group of girls, to watch and mature through their high school years,” he added.

The 2017 season is likewise nostalgic for Schrader, the relay team’s lone senior.

“This was definitely my favorite year,” she said.

Schrader exits Land O’ Lakes as a three-time state qualifier and a part of three school records (200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 free relay).

She plans to swim at New York University next season.

“It’s so sad being gone because now I won’t be there for them anymore, but it was so much fun,” she said of the 2017 season. “There were so many memories. It was just a really good experience.”

Schrader will also miss Schmitz’s coaching influence the past few years. She noted he “helped bring the team all together” after longtime coach Robin Hilgenberg retired in 2015.

Unfinished business for Ward
Besides being a key cog on the Gators 200 and 400 free state relay teams, junior Taylor Ward also delivered a pair of silver medals in the 200 and 500 freestyle races.

Now, she has gold in her sights.

“Definitely the goal for next season is to win a state title,” Ward said.

Her title aspirations seem well within reach.

The 500 free could be wide open considering three of the top four medalists (besides Ward) were seniors.

Meanwhile in the 200 free, Ward again will likely compete against Bayshore junior Ryley Ober (first place) and Clay freshman Sara Stotler (third place).

“If I had money to bet on it, I think she’s going to get a state championship next year,” Schmitz said of Ward.

“That’s her ultimate goal. She came so close this year… .I think she’ll break through next year.”

Ward’s dedication to the sport certainly won’t hurt. She trains year-round, only taking a week off in the summertime.

In addition to swimming daily, her regimen consists of two-a-day practices, or “doubles” on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. She also lifts weights and runs twice a week, to boost strength and endurance.

Yet her biggest strides in the water have been cerebral.

“I feel like I’m definitely stronger physically, but not only physically, but mentally with my swimming,” Ward said. “I feel like I’m a lot more strategic with my races…so rather than swimming harder, I’m swimming more smarter.”

Land O’ Lakes High School Swimming & Diving
Class 2A state medalists

Boys
200 Medley Relay (1:35.97; first place): Patryk Pilkowski (junior), Jabari Ramsey (senior), Zachary Davis (senior), Zuri Ramsey (freshman)

100 Breaststroke (56.11; first place): Jabari Ramsey

100 Backstroke (51.75; third place): Patryk Pilkowski

Girls
200 Freestyle (1:50.27; second place): Taylor Ward

100 Freestyle (53.07; sixth place): Romina McCloskey

500 Freestyle (4:56.57; second place): Taylor Ward

200 Free Relay (1:39.71; third place): Romina McCloskey (junior), Margarita Czupryn (junior), Ashley Schrader (senior), Taylor Ward (junior)

400 Free Relay (3:38.54; fourth place): Margarita Czupryn,

Romina McCloskey, Ashley Schrader, Taylor Ward

Published December 20, 2017

Academy at the Lakes football relishes playoffs, breakout season

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Academy at the Lakes football head coach Shawn Brown anticipated a team turnaround before the season.

He was right.

After three consecutive losing seasons in the eight-man football ranks, the Wildcats are in the midst of one of its best in program history, with a state title in reach.

The team currently stands at 9-1, including a 7-0 mark in Florida Christian Region 2 — worthy enough for a No. 2 ranking in the state among all eight-man schools.

And, they’re just a win away from reaching the FCAPPS (Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools) championship game.

Most recently, the Wildcats downed Canterbury 54 to 6 in the state quarterfinals on Nov 17.

Academy at the Lakes’ offense is averaging a staggering 51 points per game this season, aiding the team during its eight-game winning streak. The Wildcats downed Canterbury 54 to 6 in the state quarterfinals on Nov 17.
(Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

The playoff blowout isn’t a shock. The Wildcats have scored an average of 51 points per game this season while allowing just 15.2 points per game.

That season-long dominance has allowed Brown and his coaching staff to build depth among its 24 active players — utilizing backups in place of starters during second-halves of several games.

“It’s been really neat to watch the whole dynamics of a true team, overall,” said Brown, who is in his fourth season as head coach. “Our starters giving up a lot of playing time for our backups to get in, and our backups this year have gotten a lot of playing time.

“Most teams don’t beat people like we have, where the backups get a lot of playing time.”

The team’s next game is Dec. 1 against Orlando’s Eastland Christian (10-1) — the only team to defeat the Wildcats this season, back on Sept. 7.

The Wildcats lost that matchup 50-35, despite entering halftime with a 28-14 lead. Brown explained dehydration and cramping issues among several starters stymied the team in the second half.

“We probably needed to be humbled,” Brown said, of the September loss. “We, as coaches, are reminding them that we’ve been on that losing side for so long, so we tell them to, ‘Respect the game.’”

Academy at the Lakes went 2-8 in 2016, after finishing 4-7 and 3-5 the prior two seasons.

Much of the past struggle can be credited to youth and inexperience.

This year’s team, however, is dotted with upperclassman and skill players.

Brown expected improvements this season, though not to this extent.

“Has it been a surprise to me to how we played? Absolutely. But, I can’t say we were going to come here and mop people like we have,” he said.

“At some point we were going to have a breakout season. It just happened to be this season,” he said.

Brown credits the team’s summer offseason program, which included weightlifting sessions three days a week, participating in Division I college camps, and competing in various seven-on-seven tournaments, sometimes facing 11-man schools from Classes 7A and 8A.

The work, Brown said, taught Wildcats “to be competitive.”

Pure talent and execution on offense is another key reason for the team’s historic run, added offensive coordinator Landon Smith.

Freshman quarterback Jalen Brown has displayed composure and maturity, throwing 11 touchdowns and just one interception.

Seniors Daniel Gonzalez (889 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns) and Isaiah Smith (17 receptions, 495 yards, 13 touchdowns) have been explosive playmakers, as has junior Jamaal Johnson (642 scrimmage yards, eight touchdowns).

“From one game to the next, we probably run about seven plays, and they just execute those plays very well. These kids are getting chunks of yards with the same play over and over,” Landon Smith explained.

“A lot of these kids have been here since eighth-graders, so at this point, they’ve had a number of years to learn this system. I like to think it’s the play calling, but I think it’s more of the kids and their talent and execution that’s making us, offensively, as good as we are,” he said.

The team’s defense likewise has flashed, posting a combined 59 sacks and 90 tackles for loss, 18 forced fumbles, and 13 interceptions — which includes 10 picks by freshman cornerback Jordan Oladokun, the younger brother of University of South Florida quarterback Chris Oladokun.

“I think what’s really leading to our success this year is we’re having fun,” said Jalen Brown, the son of head coach Shawn Brown.

“We’re winning, and starting new traditions and everything. The atmosphere is totally different this year than it was last year. We’ve got handshake celebrations and everything. Our defense cheers for our offense, and our offense cheers for defense.”

Seniors, too, are cherishing the 2017 campaign and what remains.

“It’s been an honor. It’s been an awesome ride,” Daniel Gonzalez said. “I wouldn’t want to end my senior year any other way. This is a heck of a ride. I’m having a lot of fun; all these guys are so into it, and everyone wants to win a state championship this year.”

Isaiah Smith defined this season as “awesome and inspiring.”

“Last year it was like having training wheels, and we were just getting our feet wet, to be honest. Now, this year, it’s kind of showing what we can do now,” Smith said.

“I think it’s just a statement of how far we can go to reach the top.”

Game-by-game results:
Aug. 25: at Citi Christian Academy (40-22 win)
Sept 7: Eastland Christian (50-35 loss)
Sept. 22: Canterbury (48-16 win)
Sept. 28: Solid Rock Community (80-0 win)
Oct. 2: at Saint Lucie Christian (49-12 win)
Oct. 13: Lakeside Christian (40-21 win)
Oct. 20: at Donahue Catholic (36-0 win)
Oct. 27: Seacoast Christian Academy (68-7 win)
Nov. 3: at Hernando Christian Academy (57-29 win)
Nov. 17: Canterbury (54-6 win)

Published November 22, 2017

Local high schools shine at state swim meets

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The 2017 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Swimming & Diving Championships wrapped up its meets across all four classes on Nov. 11.

Land O’ Lakes High School shined in the Class 2A swim meet on Nov. 3 at the Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart. The girls squad finished fifth (out of 47 teams), while the boys placed 10th (out of 39 teams). (Courtesy of Brian Vaile)

Among local schools, Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake displayed the strongest showings at the state event, held at Sailfish Splash Water Park in Stuart.

The Sunlake High School girls team placed fourth (out of 48 schools) in the Class 3A meet, marking the highest finish of any team in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The showing yielded six state medals and six school records.

Seahawks sophomore Chloe Grimme exhibited perhaps the most impressive performance, placing first in the 50 free (23.11) and second in the 100 free (51.18), earning All-American honors.

Grimme also teamed with Tori Eurell, Elise Ballash and Hanna Barton win the 200 free relay (1:36.88). She, too, teamed with Eurell, Barton and Audrey Ballash to finish third in the 200 medley relay (1:48.13).

Other Seahawks highlights included Elise Ballash’s seventh-place finish in the 100 breast (1:06.10) and Audrey Ballash’s 11th-place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:09.91).

On the Sunlake boys side, sophomore Dominic Ortanez placed fourth in the 50 free (21.63), and sophomore Jay Jay Fonnotto placed 19th in the 100 fly. His time of 53:43 is a school record.

Sunlake High’s swim and dive program had several strong performances at the Class 3A state meet, including a fourth place finish by the girls team, along with strong individual performances on the boys side. Pictured front, left: Jay Jay Fonnotto (sophomore) and Dominic Ortanez (sophomore). Pictured back, from left: Coach Lorin Macdonald, Elise Ballash (junior), Audrey Ballash (sophomore), Alex Sprague (freshman), Hanna Barton (junior), Tori Eurell (sophomore), Chloe Grimme (sophomore) and Coach Shelly Koutras. (Courtesy of Shelly Koutras)

Land O’ Lakes High School, meanwhile, thrived in the Class 2A swim meet.

The girls squad finished fifth (out of 47 teams), while the boys placed 10th (out of 39 teams).

Two-time defending state champion Jabari Ramsey earned his third straight gold medal in in the 100 breaststroke, with a time of 56:11.

The Land O’ Lakes senior became the first boy swimmer from Pasco County, and just the fifth from the area, to win three straight titles in the same event.

He tied former Mitchell standout Devin McCaffrey for the most career individual titles by a North Suncoast swimmer with three.

The hardware didn’t end there for Ramsey. He teamed with Patryk Pilkowski, Zachary Davis and Zuri Ramsey to win the 200 medley relay in 1:35.97, smashing last year’s school record of 1:39.09 — becoming the first ever Pasco County relay team to win gold at the Class 2A state championships.

Along with Jabari Ramsey, Pilkowski reached the podium as an individual with his third-place finish in the 100 backstroke. His mark of 51:75 broke the previous school record by a full three seconds.

On the girls side, junior Taylor Ward earned a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 free (1:50.27) and the 500 free (4:56.57).

Ward also teamed with Romina McCloskey, Margarita Czupryn and Ashley Schrader for third in the 200-yard free relay (1:39.71) and fourth in the 400 free relay (3:38.54) — both school records.

Another school record was set by McCloskey in the 100 free (53:07). The individual time was good enough for an eighth-place finish at states.

The FHSAA championships wrapped up an otherwise notable season for the Gators, historically one of the county’s top high school swim programs.

Both boys and girls squads won district and Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, and finished runner-up at regionals. The conference titles marked the 17th straight for the boys team and ninth straight for the girls.

Other schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area with teams or individuals represented in the state meet were: Academy at the Lakes, Freedom, Steinbrenner and Wesley Chapel high schools.

2017 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Championships results:

Class 4A
Boys

Steinbrenner High School (22nd place—26 points)

Notable(s): Kyle Stoker finished seventh in the 200 free (1:42.67) and with teammates Max Martino, A.J. Harkness and Bradley Stoker 11th in the 200-yard free relay (1:29.81)

Girls

Steinbrenner High School (14th place—63 points)

Notable(s): Freshman Lexie Mulvihill placed second in the 50 free (23.16) and with teammates Justine Answeeney, Taylor Holmes and Mackenzie Hall fifth in the 200 free relay (1:38.16) and ninth in the 400 free relay (3:36.83)

Class 3A
Boys

Sunlake High School (25th place—24 points)

Girls

Sunlake High School (fourth place—131 points)

Freedom High School (10th place—86 points)

Notable(s): Sophomore Abigail Leisure finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:07.35), third in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.30) and with teammates McKaley Goldblum, Genevieve Clark and Hannah Labohn seventh in the 400 free relay.

Class 2A
Boys

Land O’ Lakes High School (10th place—92 points)

Girls

Land O’ Lakes High School (fifth place—114 points)

Wesley Chapel High School (29th place—23 points)

Notable(s): Senior Brooke Duncan placed fifth in the 50 yard free (24.52)

Class 1A
Girls

Academy at the Lakes (23rd place—24 points)

Notable(s): Freshman McKenna Smith placed fourth in the 100 free (51.10)

Published November 22, 2017