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Lutz Sports

Bishop McLaughlin football enters new era after joining district

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Bishop McLaughlin quarterback R.J. Perciavalle says his team is excited about joining a major district for the first time in program history, and expects to be competitive in each game this season. (File photo)
Bishop McLaughlin quarterback R.J. Perciavalle says his team is excited about joining a major district for the first time in program history, and expects to be competitive in each game this season. (File photo)

For the first time in the program’s nine-year history, the Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes are in a major district — Class 3A-District 4 — that will now make them eligible for the postseason for the first time sine 2007.

That has players excited for what could be coming down the road.

“We’re a private school and still a very young program,” senior quarterback R.J. Perciavalle said. “Moving into a district was necessary for moving the program forward.”

District 4, Perciavalle said, is one of the best districts in the state, and that’s going to be a challenge for the Hurricanes.

“Obviously we’re going to go out and try to win every game,” he said. “We know we’re young, but we’re trying as hard as we can, and we want to go out and prove ourselves.”

In its first district appearance since the 2007-08 season when it was in the now-defunct Class1B-District 8, Bishop McLaughlin will match up with Berkley Prep, Tampa Catholic, Fort Meade, Frostproof and Lakeland Christian. Three of those teams made the playoffs last season, and none had a losing record.

Bishop McLaughlin, however, finished last season at 4-7 as an FHSAA Independent in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference.

Intimidated? Not at all, Perciavalle said.

“We’ve been picked last in a lot of preseason rankings and stuff like that, and we just want to show that we’re here to fight and not just some pushover team,” Perciavalle said.

One of the blueprints to how Bishop McLaughlin plans to reach its success can be found in the school’s cross-town rivals — Carrollwood Day School.

Though the Hurricanes lost to the Patriots 41-7 in their inaugural spring game back in May, the young program has drawn plenty of comparisons to Carrollwood Day, which went to the Class 2A region finals last season just three years after moving into its first district, 2A-5, because of how they are building their program.

Perciavalle threw for 1,319 yards with 15 total touchdowns last season and expects to use those numbers to help lead the team to a stronger upcoming season. Third-year coach Derrick Alexander said after the spring game that it will take leadership from players like Perciavalle to set up the program for success.

“We want to get stronger and in better shape,” Alexander said. “Just because we don’t have the big numbers, our guys have to be in maximum shape, because they’re playing on both sides of the ball.”

That’s even more important this season with a much tougher schedule ahead of Bishop McLaughlin.

“We’re trying to put in some extra work in the weight room, on the field and just do everything you can do to just better prepare ourselves,” Perciavalle said. “We know it’s not going to be easy, but we’re definitely up for the challenge.”

–Statistics as entered by coaches on Maxpreps.com

LaPace signs with Eastern Michigan

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Former Steinbrenner right-handed pitcher Logan LaPace committed to Eastern Michigan University on July 25. He was 7-2 with a 1.67 ERA last season, helping the Warriors win their first district title in program history. (File photo by Tim McClain)
Former Steinbrenner right-handed pitcher Logan LaPace committed to Eastern Michigan University on July 25. He was 7-2 with a 1.67 ERA last season, helping the Warriors win their first district title in program history. (File photo by Tim McClain)

Former Steinbrenner High baseball player Logan LaPace has signed with Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, coach John Crumbley announced on July 25.

LaPace, a right-handed pitcher and 2013 graduate, went 7-2 as a senior last season with a 1.67 ERA, two saves and three complete games for the Warriors.

He told The Laker/Lutz News in a text message that he felt good after making an official visit to the school the day his commitment was announced.

“It’s still so surreal to think that I’ve been granted an opportunity to play collegiate baseball at its highest level,” LaPace said. “I can’t wait to make the most of it.”

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound LaPace also earned wins for the Warriors in the Class 7A-District 9 finals against Wiregrass Ranch, and in the region quarterfinals over Seminole High.

He is the second Steinbrenner player in program history to commit to Eastern Michigan after Chad Witkowski did in 2011. Witkowski, however, later opted to attend junior college.

Eastern Michigan is an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles finished with an overall record of 26-28 last season.

Former Steinbrenner player transfers
Former Steinbrenner High second baseman and outfielder Christian Diaz has transferred from Jacksonville University to Eastern Florida State College due to personal reasons, he told The Laker/Lutz News.

Diaz, who graduated from Steinbrenner in 2012, was set to enter his second season with the Dolphins after redshirting his freshman year. But after the dismissal of coach Terry Alexander and a lack of scholarship funds for him this year, Diaz said it was time to leave the Division I program.

“I’m excited to have a new start,” Diaz said in a text message. “Hopefully, things will work out a little better this go-around.”

Diaz batted .343 with 17 RBIs and one home run during his senior year at Steinbrenner.

Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College, is a National Junior College Athletic Association program located in Brevard County that competes in the Southern Conference.

The Titans finished with an overall record of 25-23-1 last season.

Steinbrenner loses another girls soccer coach

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For the fourth time in as many years, the Steinbrenner High girls soccer team will have a new coach leading the charge.

Angela Gillisse resigned from the position on July 11 after just one season at the helm and said she has taken a position with a local nonprofit group.

Gillisse, a former Durant High and University of Tampa standout, who was also a physical education instructor at the school, took over the program in July 2012 and said she was “excited about the opportunities and where the program can go.” However, the Warriors failed to win their fourth consecutive Class 4A-District 8 title, falling to Wiregrass Ranch in the championship game, 2-1.

They made the playoffs as district runner-up, but lost to Lakeland George Jenkins in the region quarterfinal to end the season with a 14-6 overall record.

Gillisse’s resignation means even more turnover at the top for Steinbrenner, which won the 2011 Class 4A state title under former coach Teresa Patterson. Patterson, who was with the team for its first two seasons, compiled an overall record of 38-4-4 and stepped down after a 16-year coaching career to start a family.

At 24-years-old, Patterson became the head coach at Marshall University, and — at the time — was the youngest women’s soccer coach in Division I history. She also had assistant coaching positions at University of Alabama and Alabama-Birmingham and high school head coaching positions at Orlando Dr. Phillips, Largo and Gaither, before coming to Steinbrenner when the school opened in 2009.

Robert Woodard coached the team for one season in 2012, but he too resigned for unspecified reasons after a 16-4-2 campaign, which included a playoff win over Bartow.

Before coming to Steinbrenner, Woodard previously served as an assistant boys soccer coach at Jesuit and Bloomingdale in the mid-1990s.

The position is being advertised on the Hillsborough County School District’s website, but there is no timetable on when a decision will be made, according to school athletic director Eddie Henderson.

The Warriors return University of Tampa commit Miranda Gonzalez and East Carolina commit Danielle Eule, but will have to replace seven seniors lost to graduation this season, including the program’s all-time leading scorer Alexis Bredeau, midfielder Marley Opila and starting goalkeeper Stephanie Hirsch.

Steinbrenner also moves up into Class 5A-District 7 this season, which includes Alonso, Countryside, East Lake, Plant and Palm Harbor University.

Freedom’s Williams commits to Broward College

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Freedom High girls basketball player Monet Williams committed to Broward College in Fort Lauderdale on July 18. The point guard was one of the Patriots’ key players during their run to the Class 7A state semifinals averaging 2.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. (File photo)
Freedom High girls basketball player Monet Williams committed to Broward College in Fort Lauderdale on July 18. The point guard was one of the Patriots’ key players during their run to the Class 7A state semifinals averaging 2.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. (File photo)

Another one of the Freedom High girls basketball team’s key contributors during its run to the Class 7A state final four is moving on to the next level, coach Laurie Pacholke announced.

Point guard Monet Williams signed with Broward College in Fort Lauderdale on July 18 after averaging 2.4 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game for the Patriots last season.

Williams, who transferred to Freedom from Riverview prior to the start of the 2012-13 school year, overcame two major knee injuries in 2012 with the Sharks when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a game in January, and again five months later while rehabbing the injury.

For her comeback and contributions to Freedom’s region title, Williams was awarded with second-team honors on The Laker/Lutz News’ 2013 Girls Basketball All-Star Team.

Pacholke praised Williams for her hard work and said the team would not have made it as far without her.

“Mo was vital to our success. Not just on the court, but off the court as well,” Pacholke said. “The girls saw her drive and passion first-hand, watching her go through rehab and how hard she worked to get back on the court.

“Mo’s best basketball still lies ahead of her, and she is going to do great things at Broward and beyond. I’m so happy for her and extremely proud of her. Not many kids could or would do what she did.”

Broward College competes in the Southern Conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Seahawks finished with an overall record of 9-18 last season.

The Laker/Lutz News sports section earns state honor

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For the second time in three years, the Florida Press Association has honored The Laker/Lutz News’ Community Sports section as one of the top in the state.

At the FPA/FSNE’s annual convention on July 19 in Orlando, judges from the association awarded former editor and sports editor Kyle LoJacono, staff writer Jeff Odom and art director Matthew Mistretta with a second-place finish for The Laker/Lutz News’ sports section out of thousands of entries in the Better Weekly Newspaper contest.

“This honor by the Florida Press Association is a true testament to the hard work, dedication and countless hours put in by Kyle LoJacono, Matthew Mistretta and each freelance correspondent that has aided in our coverage along the way,” Odom said. “It is an amazing feeling to work for such a wonderful staff and to serve our loyal readers each and every week with the best high school, college and youth sports coverage in all of Tampa Bay.”

The Laker/Lutz News sports staff also took home individual awards as LoJacono placed second in two categories for education reporting and on-the-spot sports reporting for two stories titled “Wiregrass Ranch leads on course, in classroom” and “Gaither’s improbable district championship run.”

The Florida Press Association was founded in 1879 as a nonprofit corporation to protect the freedoms and advance the professional standards of the press of Florida. It includes all of the daily newspapers and most of the weekly newspapers in the state of Florida in its membership.

Sunlake’s Smith Earns State Coaching Honor

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Sunlake weightlifting coach Matt Smith has developed the Seahawks into one of the premier boys lifting programs in Tampa Bay.

Smith’s squad, which has won four straight Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, finished in fifth-place in Class 2A state weightlifting competition last season.

This year, Sunlake has seniors Jack Holloway, Eddie Burgos and Raymond Busbee competing in states April 19 and 20 at the Kissimmee Civic Center.

Smith’s success was recognized earlier this season when he was named National Federation of State High School Associations 2012 Florida Coach of the Year.

“Coach Smith is a blessing,” said Seahawks athletic director Russ Schenk. “He’s really turned some kids around. He has great rapport, and does a great job for the kids and Sunlake High School.”

 

Matt-Smith
Sunlake coach Matt Smith was recently named the National Federation of State High School Associations 2012 Florida Coach of the Year. (File photo)

Smith was Hernando’s football coach for three years and spent 11 seasons as the school’s wrestling coach before joining the staff at Sunlake when the school opened in 2007.

“It’s a great honor anytime you receive an award like that,” Smith said about the NFSHA recognition. “It shows the amount of work the kids put in. … A lot of things play a factor (in the program’s success). The entire football staff works out, and that sets an example.”

Weightlifting has been a part of Smith’s life going back to his days as a student at Springstead, where he lifted and played guard on the football team.

“I’ve been involved with weights for 25 years,” Smith said. “I think weightlifting teaches a lot of self-confidence and self-esteem.”

Self-confidence served Smith well after he was seriously injured in an accident in high school.

“I had a bad motorcycle accident my junior year right after football season,” Smith said. “I spent 56 days in the hospital with a broken arm and leg.”

Smith came back from the injury and resumed lifting and playing football his senior year. He went on to Culver Stockton College in Canton, Mo. where he was a nose guard.

The Sunlake lifting program is filled with football players, but there is growing interest among all students.

“We had 51 lifters this year. That’s the most I’ve ever had, and all of them got at least one meet. I was happy to build a program when I came here. Other schools have a hard time getting a full lineup,” said Smith, who is also the defensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Seahawks football team.

“There are a few things I try to do,” Smith added. “I have a good approach with my workout plan, and I jump in there and demonstrate to them. We pretty much do a full-body workout. Competing against the coaches is a big motivation. It’s a fun environment.”

Holloway, who competes in the 129-pound class, credits Smith for getting him involved with lifting as a freshman.

“I had a weightlifting class in P.E., and I liked it; it drew me in,” Holloway said. “Coach Smith pretty much will do anything for us. He definitely works us, but he’s a really good guy.”

Burgos was a running back and Busbee a linebacker on the football team. Burgos lifts in the 183-pound and Busbee in the 238-pound class.

“I got thrown into lifting competition last year, and I liked it,” Burgos said. “People think lifting is an individual sport, but everybody has to push each other to the max. … Coach Smith works on technique and pushes us from the bench. He’s a real good coach that doesn’t yell. He tells us calmly what to work on.”

Sunlake graduates 14 lifters, but Smith said his squad will be competitive as ever next season as his 22 freshmen develop.

“We graduated 15 kids off of last year’s team,” Smith said. “I try to get so many freshmen to come out. I have many of my lighter kids in class, and they have potential to be strong. … Jack weighed 106 pounds when he was a freshman, and I encouraged him to come out. He moved up in weight, and now has a good shot to be on the podium at the state finals this year.”

Smith credits football with creating much of the growth in weightlifting.

“I believe we got started because every football coach wants to prevent injuries and make their team stronger,” Smith said. “It’s a big part of the way we coach at Sunlake. I encourage the kids and try to keep them motivated. I’m proud of them and want them to improve as athletes and students.”