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Locals among top MLB draft prospects

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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball (MLB)’s 2020 first-year player draft has been shortened to five rounds, from the usual 40 rounds in previous years.

The draft, scheduled for June 10 and June 11, assigns amateur baseball players to MLB teams.

Even with the new consolidated format, however, several locals from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have a solid chance at being among the 160 athletes drafted. And, they have the possibility of living out their boyhood dreams and landing signing bonuses of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.

Steinbrenner High product CJ Van Eyk, now at Florida State University (Courtesy of Florida State University athletics department)

Four athletes with area ties are listed among MLB.com’s top 200 nationwide draft prospect rankings, including two within the top 100.

The highest-rated local is Steinbrenner High alum CJ Van Eyk, a junior right-handed pitcher at Florida State University (FSU) — listed as the No. 39 overall draft prospect, by the website.

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Van Eyk registered an 18-5 win-loss record, 3.21 ERA, 1.274 WHIP and 225 strikeouts in 176.2 innings pitched across three college seasons.

The Lutz native has been a known commodity going back to his prep days, earning first-team All-American honors and a gold medal with the 18U USA National Team. He also led Steinbrenner to its first state championship as a junior in 2016 and was crowned Florida Dairy Farmers’ Class 8A Player of the Year.

Van Eyk was drafted out of high school by the New York Mets in the 19th round of the 2017 draft, but didn’t sign, opting for college instead.

A snippet of MLB.com’s analysis on Van Eyk reads: “The Florida State ace is capable of being a complete pitcher because of his willingness to pitch in with his fastball, his ability to throw his breaking ball at any point in the count and his feel for mixing his pitches to keep hitters off-balance, though issues with his command persisted over his first four starts in 2020. His potential as a starter still should have him in consideration in the top two rounds of the Draft.”

Sunlake High product Tommy Mace, now at the University of Florida (Courtesy of University of Florida athletics department)

The next highest-ranked local is Sunlake High product Tommy Mace, a junior-right handed pitcher at the University of Florida — rated the No. 70 overall prospect for the 2020 draft.

In three seasons at Florida, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound Mace compiled a 16-5 win-loss record, 4.37 ERA, 1.299 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 179.1 innings pitched. He was off to his best college campaign this year, tallying a 1.67 ERA in a team-high 27 innings, until the remainder of the season was canceled thanks to COVID-19.

Mace was a three-year varsity player at Sunlake. His senior year he guided the program to a 17-12 mark and the Class 7A regional final. He then was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round of the 2017 draft, but like Van Eyk, didn’t sign to pursue the college route.

MLB.com’s profile on Mace reports states the following: “Mace generally does a nice job of throwing strikes, keeping the ball down in the zone and getting ground ball outs. He gets high marks for his mound presence and makeup, putting him among a solid crop of top two round college pitchers in Florida.”

Though slightly outside our coverage area, an athlete in west Pasco County also cracked MLB’s top 200 prospect list.

Wesley Chapel native/Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High product Carson Ragsdale, now at the University of South Florida (Courtesy of University of South Florida athletics department)

Trinity native Jackson Miller, a senior catcher at Mitchell High, is rated as the 2020 draft’s No. 105 prospect. The Wake Forest University commit posted a .414/.498/.591 slash line in 88 games across four varsity seasons.

Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel native/Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High product Carson Ragsdale, a redshirt junior right-handed pitcher at the University of South Florida (USF), is ranked as the draft’s No. 170 prospect.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Ragsdale transitioned to a starter’s role this year at USF, after pitching out of the bullpen his freshman and sophomore seasons. (He missed the 2019 season following Tommy John surgery). He posted a 3.75 ERA, 1.391 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 50.1 innings across three college seasons. Off the field, he was selected to the 2018-2019 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

Ragsdale was a four-year letter winner at Bishop McLaughlin. He compiled a 1.58 ERA and .352 batting average in his high school career. Those Hurricanes teams that Ragsdale played on went a combined 77-21 from 2013 to 2016.

MLB.com’s report on Ragsdale observes: “Ragsdale threw a lot of strikes this spring, but is still more control than command at this point. Given that scouts only saw four outings from Ragsdale as USF’s Sunday starter, there’s very limited track record for teams to look at, but his size and arm strength, even if it ends up in the bullpen, could be enough for teams to take a chance on him in this year’s Draft.”

Robust draft history
It’s not uncommon for at least a couple locals from area high schools and colleges to be drafted each year.

Last year, Land O’ Lakes High/St. Petersburg College second baseman Dustin Harris was selected in the 11th round by the Oakland Athletics, while Pasco-Hernando State College/University of Tampa pitcher Tyler Beck was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 30th round.

The 2018 draft yielded four local products:

  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High/University of North Florida pitcher Frank German (fourth round, New York Yankees)
  • Saint Leo University pitcher/first baseman Jake Sims (31st round, San Diego Padres)
  • Saint Leo University second baseman Zach Scott (32nd round, Seattle Mariners)
  • Wiregrass Ranch High/University of North Florida pitcher Austin Drury (34th round, Los Angeles Dodgers)

The 2017 draft also was particularly kind to local talent. In addition to Van Eyk and Mace getting drafted out of the prep ranks, six other athletes with local ties were chosen:

  • Odessa native/Bishop McLaughlin/College of Central Florida pitcher Nate Pearson (first round, Toronto Blue Jays)
  • Steinbrenner High/USF shortstop Kevin Merrell (first round compensatory, Oakland Athletics)
  • Steinbrenner High first baseman Patrick Morris (14th round, Toronto Blue Jays)
  • Steinbrenner High/Bishop McLaughlin/University of Pittsburgh pitcher Josh Falk (17th round, Oakland Athletics)
  • Odessa native/Alonso High pitcher Jordan Butler (34th round, New York Yankees)
  • Bishop McLaughlin outfielder Paul Coumoulos (40th round, Philadelphia Phillies)

Locals on MLB.com’s top 200 prospect rankings

  • Steinbrenner High/Florida State University pitcher CJ Van Eyk (No. 39 overall draft prospect)
  • Sunlake High/University of Florida pitcher Tommy Mace (No. 70)
  • Trinity/Mitchell High catcher Jackson Miller (No. 105)
  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High/University of South Florida pitcher Carson Ragsdale (No. 170)

Published May 27, 2020

Special Olympics keeps athletes engaged — virtually

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Like it has done with seemingly everything else — coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) threw a wrench into Special Olympics-Pasco’s event schedule for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Annual Special Olympics-Pasco events, such as area and state games, have been canceled the past two months, thanks to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Shown here is a Special Olympics event last year at Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel. (File)

The pandemic led to the cancellation of local and state-level competitions and practices for more than 1,500 local Special Olympics athletes. It also forced the cancellation of the organization’s two largest annual fundraisers — a 5K race set for April and a golf scramble set for May.

It’s all meant less than ideal circumstances for Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, who’s set to retire this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization.

“It kind of stings to end this way,” Lundin said. “But, it is what it is.”

The longtime director has spent her final weeks offering support to local Special Olympics athletes, letting them know they’ll see a ballfield or gymnasium before too long.

“This has been very hard for our athletes,” Lundin said. “They don’t really quite understand, and this is their life, so we’ve made some of those phone calls ensuring them things will get back to normal, and to just hang in there.”

While traditional Special Olympics-Pasco activities have been temporarily shuttered, its statewide counterpart, Special Olympics Florida, has organized a slew of virtual daily activities and events hosted on Zoom and social media platforms.

They include live workouts, Zumba, crafts, dance classes, beginner-level martial arts, as well as segments on nutrition, fashion, and stress management.

The statewide organization also has introduced a daily fitness challenge series on Facebook called, “Fit 5 Like a Pro,” which encourages Special Olympics athletes to exercise five times per week, eat five fruits and vegetables daily, and drink five glasses of water a day. The challenge features minute-long videos from various professional, world-class athletes giving tips on building strength, flexibility, endurance and so on.

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, right, stands with athlete Bobby Robinson. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

Notable athletes who’ve submitted minute-long videos include Tampa Bay Rays All-Star outfielder Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate and Orlando Magic point guard D.J. Augustin, among many others.

Meanwhile, the statewide organization last week put together a “Spirit Week,” where athletes were encouraged in an online setting to show off their medals, personality and team pride.

Special Olympics-Pasco, like other county programs throughout the state, has worked to spread word on the virtual programs and to involve as many athletes as possible.

Lundin said myriad online programs has helped her athletes stay busy and “keep their spirits up” in lieu of the canceled 2020 State Summer Games — the pinnacle of the season.

That had been scheduled to take place this month at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

“There’s something every day for them to just keep them engaged, as some of them may be feeling the pinch of (not having) state games,” Lundin said.

Many special memories
Lundin started with Special Olympics-Pasco in 1984, also working as an adaptive physical education teacher at Cotee River Elementary in New Port Richey.

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, right, is alongside athlete Matt Paoletti. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

For her, the gig melded a perfect fit — combining her love of children, sports and education.

“I’ve just truly, truly been blessed to fall into the career,” Lundin said. “I’ve always said it probably gave me more than I’ve given it.”

When she began her career more than three decades ago, the county’s Special Olympics program had approximately 125 athletes. Bowling and track and field were the only sport offerings.

Today, the local program has more than 1,500 athletes competing in 19 different sports.

Lundin credits the Pasco County school district for being onboard with so many Special Olympics events and programs over the years, such as “Unified Sports,” which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams across elementary, middle and high schools. It’s helped cultivate more inclusion, understanding and friendships among Special Olympics athletes and non-disabled students, she said.

“We’ve just been so blessed that the school district has supported us, as it does any athletic program within the school district,” Lundin said. “They allowed us to build a program, and as Special Olympics Florida added sports, the athletes just loved it and the program kept growing…”

As her lengthy tenure winds down, the longtime Special Olympics advocate has spent ample time rummaging through old photo albums, as she begins to clean out her office.

It’s all evoked “so many special memories, it’s overwhelming to even think about it,” Lundin said.

She observed: “It’s just been incredible. Being able to work with these athletes, they’re just so inspiring, they’ve kept me going, and it’s times when it gets busy and overwhelmed, you just think about what it means to them.”

Special Olympics-Pasco director Val Lundin, left, shown with athlete Chip Smith. Lundin is retiring this summer after 36 years with the nonprofit organization, which provides sports programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (Courtesy of Val Lundin)

One of the biggest highlights of her career was seeing the Land O’ Lakes Special Olympics unified soccer team represent Team U.S.A., at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

The team earned a bronze medal after defeating China, 2-1.

“It was an exciting time for us — those athletes and partners worked so hard,” she said.

In general, being able to send athletes to other states and countries to compete is rewarding, she added.

“We’ve sent athletes to Ireland, Greece, Minnesota, North Carolina —  those are some proud moments because that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some of those athletes,” Lundin said.

Though soon officially retired, Lundin isn’t heading into the sunset anytime in the near future.

She plans to  continue to volunteer at Special Olympics-Pasco.

“You just don’t just spend 35 years in building a program and let it go, so I will still be involved.”

As for when Special Olympics in-person activities may resume locally, Lundin said the decision will be made by the state organization’s CEO, Sherry Wheelock, in accordance with guidelines put forth by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Our fingers are crossed for the beginning of June, but that could change tomorrow,” Lundin said.

For information, visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org/pasco.

Published May 20, 2020

Hoops coach brings overseas pro pedigree

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It’s not uncommon for Derrick Sharp to be recognized when he’s out and about in the Tampa Bay area, while he’s shopping, running errands or just going about his day.

The new Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball coach has been approached by strangers at clothing stores, mall kiosks and tire shops, among other places.

And, it’s usually not because they remember him as a 6-foot-1 sharpshooting combo guard and leading scorer at the University of South Florida (USF) in the early 1990s.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball coach Derrick Sharp spent 18 years in Israel playing professional basketball. (Courtesy of Derrick Sharp)

Rather, it’s his 18-year professional hoops career in Israel that people recognize — perhaps most frequently at the Glazer Family Jewish Community Center in Tampa.

“I have so many stories, it’s crazy,” Sharp said of how often he’s been spotted since moving back to Florida in 2013.

Sharp, 48, may go unnoticed by the casual American basketball observer.

But, overseas, he is something of a folk hero. He played predominantly for the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club — the most successful and widely known team in Israel.

Undrafted out of USF, Sharp made the roughly 6,500-mile trek to Israel pursuing dreams of a professional basketball career.

The Orlando native had an idea of what he was getting into because four former USF teammates (Gary Alexander, Radenko Dobras, Fred Lewis, Bobby Russell) made the jump to the Middle Eastern country the prior year.

Sharp first played for Maccabi Hadera (1993-94) and Beitar Migdal-HaEmek (1994-96), before spending the next 15 seasons (1996 to 2011) with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Mccabi Tel Aviv is where his most notable achievements came. It won 13 Israel national league championships, 11 Israel state cups and three European-wide titles (champions of the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague, 2004 EuroLeague, 2005 EuroLeague).

Sharp also generated a number of individual accolades. He was an All-Star, elected to the Israeli League’s 2000s All-Decade Team, named one of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 11 Greatest Players, and was a member of the senior Israeli national team from 2000 to 2003.

Sharp is best known for one of the most famous baskets in European basketball history.

In 2004, he hit a miraculous buzzer-beating three-pointer that forced overtime in a win-or-go-home game against Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas that lifted Maccabi Tel Aviv to the EuroLeague Final Four. In Israel, it’s simply known as the “Zalgiris miracle.”

Just how famous is Sharp in Israel? Following his retirement, he participated in a docu-reality television show called “Hayehida,” centered on 10 Israeli celebrities being trained as an army entertainment troupe.

Sharp calls Israel his “home away from home.” It’s where he not only had immense hoops success, but also met his future wife and started a family. He became a naturalized citizen and speaks fluent Hebrew.

“I spent half my life there,” Sharp said, “so it’s definitively a part of me.”

For Sharp, uprooting to the land of milk and honey “was a pretty easy transition” more than 25 years ago.

He noted English was the country’s secondary language and described aspects of an “Americanized” culture, “so it really wasn’t that big of a change, actually.”

Moreover, he was eager to go anywhere and do anything to better his craft on the hardwood.

“My main focus was getting better and playing. It was practice and home,” he said. “I was really focused on getting better and trying to reach a level that I was capable of, so I was really mature and disciplined.”

Now, here’s a sign of it being a small world: Sharp played alongside nine-year NBA veteran Anthony Parker for several seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the early to mid 2000s. Parker now lives in Wesley Chapel and is general manager of the Lakeland Magic, a developmental affiliate of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. “He’s probably one of the greatest Americans to play overseas,” Sharp said of Parker. “He’s kind of like the Michael Jordan of Europe.”

Bettering Bishop
Sharp’s playing career stands on its own, but it’s his coaching ability and offspring that’s taking flight.

Derrick Sharp steered the Blake High School varsity boys basketball team to a 22-6 mark and Class 5A regional quarterfinals last season. He accepted the Bishop McLaughlin coaching job in April.

Sharp was named Hillsborough County Coach of the Year after guiding Blake High School to a 22-6 record and the Class 5A regional quarterfinals during the 2019-2020 season.

He spent a total of five seasons at Blake, winning four games combined the first three seasons, then going 11-12 before this year’s breakout run.

It didn’t hurt having his son, Emmanuel Sharp, on the court. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard averaged a state-leading 31.9 points per game this year, while on his way to being named Florida Dairy Farmers 5A Player of the Year.

Both Sharps will head to the private school in Spring Hill, looking to quickly turnaround a program that went 2-22 last year and has just one winning season in the last decade.

In leaving what he’s built at Blake High for a Bishop McLaughlin rebuild, the elder Sharp mainly cited the academic component of more structured, smaller classes for his son. “It’s just a great opportunity,” he said.

In addition to the Sharps, Blake High’s Anthony Davis Jr., and Sickles High’s Dillon Mitchell are also transferring to Bishop McLaughlin. Like Emmanuel Sharp, both hold Division I scholarship offers and are viewed among the top players statewide.

“The kids are going to make the big difference; it’s all about the kids,” Derrick Sharp said.

With an influx of talent, the new coach is looking to beef up the team’s schedule, with more competitive tournaments, road games and so on.

“I’d rather lose by five (points) than win by 40 — to build character and build necessary skills mentally for these kids going forward,” he said.

As for what to expect stylistically, Derrick Sharp plans to run a system heavy on fastbreaks, three-pointers, pressing and trapping.

He observed of his coaching style, “Just being in attack mode on both ends of the floor, play hard, play together, and have fun.”

Bishop McLaughlin athletic director Rex Desvaristes said he didn’t know of Derrick Sharp, until his application and resume came across his desk for the coaching vacancy.

But, Desvaristes said the former Israeli pro quickly emerged as the school’s “best candidate” throughout the interview process because of “his demeanor, his love for the youth and coaching the game.”

Sharp’s selection as head coach was announced last month.

“It was a great match,” Desvaristes said. “He started a program at Blake, similar to where our program is currently, and he built it up to where it is now, and his passion and just teaching and developing these athletes is what stood out to me.”

The athletic director added: “He fits our mission and our motto, and that’s to educate and cultivate Christ-centered athletes.”

Published May 13, 2020

Senior guards leave a lasting impression

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The 2019-2020 season for the Land O’ Lakes High School varsity basketball program is sure to be remembered for some time.

Not only was it the final of 31 seasons for longtime head coach Dave Puhalski, but it also marked the senior campaigns of Mekhi Perry and Chase Farmer — two of the most decorated players in Land O’ Lakes and Pasco County history.

Perry exits as the Gators all-time leading scorer, with 1,616 career points.

Second on the list? Farmer, who finished his Gators career with 1,403 points.

Land O’ Lakes senior guard Mekhi Perry exits as the school’s all-time leading scorer. He’s signed with Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. (Courtesy of James Trapani)

Those figures surpassed former Land O’ Lakes star Jeff Baisley’s 1,394 career points — a record held strong since 2005.

The dynamic guard duo and team captains sparkle school record books in many other categories, too.

Perry, a four-year starter, exits as the program’s all-time leader in games played (101), made 3 pointers (178), second in assists (394) and 10th in rebounds (440), steals (138) and blocks (59).

Meantime, Farmer is the school’s all-time leader in dunks (90), seventh in assists (191) and 10th in blocks (72). He compiled those stats in just three seasons, transferring in from Leto High School following his freshman campaign.

Also, both players have been named Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Player of the Year during their career — Farmer his junior year; Perry as a sophomore and senior.

The combo, naturally, won their share of games when on the court side-by-side for three years — going a combined 63-17 and twice reaching the Class 7A regional semifinals.

Their skillsets played off each other well and kept opposing teams off balance.

Land O’ Lakes senior guard Chase Farmer is the school’s all-time dunks leader and second leading scorer. He’s signed with Cape Fear Community College, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

At point guard, the 6-foot-1 Perry played the role of ball handler and outside shooter.

Farmer, at 6-foot-3, offered more as a slasher and rim finisher from the off-guard spot.

Those complementing styles formed “a match made in heaven on the court,” Puhalski said.

“It was tough for teams to match up with us,” he said, “just because if you isolated on one, the other would kill ya.”

Of the hundreds of players coached at Land O’ Lakes, Puhalski considers Perry and Farmer “together, the best one-two guard combination that we’ve had.”

“We’ve had some really good point guards, good two-guards, but these two were the best together at each position,” said Puhalski, who won 479 career games at Land O’ Lakes.

“They were probably two of the better basketball players in Land O’ Lakes, maybe Pasco County. They’re really special kids.”

Their talents shine
While the two generally had separate friend and peer groups at school, Puhalski noted “once they hit the court they were on the same page.”

The pair was a coach’s and teacher’s dream off the hardwood.

“They were just really two good kids,” Puhalski said. “They were never in trouble. They never had a minute of problems at school, never were suspended, never been to ISS (in-school suspension), never any problems off the court, either. Just great kids. I never had any problems with either one of them.”

Puhalski knew he had something special when he first saw Farmer join offseason team workouts and practices in spring 2017. The Land O’ Lakes coach had only heard of the Leto transfer’s talent secondhand from his AAU coach, Mario Lovett.

Puhalski recalled, “You could tell he was already head and shoulders above the kids, him and Mekhi.”

Land O’ Lakes reached the Class 7A regional semifinals the past two seasons, winning more than 20 games in each.

Perry also salivated about the team’s possibilities in initial workouts with Farmer. “As soon as I saw him play and I saw his athletic ability,” Perry said, “I automatically thought we could be a good duo if we both kept developing.”

That, they did.

The pair made it a point to add strength in the weight room “and that just elevated their game,” Puhalski said.

Farmer went from benching 145 pounds as a sophomore to 260 by his senior year. Perry added some size on his own throughout high school, with the help of his father, a bodybuilding enthusiast.

“They had the skillset, and all they needed was some strength,” Puhalski said. “I think that was the key for these guys, to have that next level body when the college coaches came in and looked at them and said, ‘Well, geez, these guys have a next level body already on them, they’re not that skinny high school kid.’”

Both strived to make each other better every day, too.

“We always wanted to push each other, and wanted to push everybody,” Farmer said. “We knew that me and him could get to a different level, so we just wanted to make sure we helped each other every day in practice.”

The accomplished seniors soon will be going their separate ways — embarking on what they hope are illustrious college careers.

Perry is headed to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Farmer is off to Cape Fear Community College, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Both look back fondly on their prep careers and made memories at Land O’ Lakes.

Farmer said he’ll mostly miss the school’s gameday atmosphere, road trips and being coached by Puhalski. (Land O’ Lakes fans will certainly miss his signature breakaway windmill dunks.)

“It’s a really good community. I like the people,” Farmer said. “Coach P just led me in with open arms; we just went on from there.”

Perry, too, appreciates what was a positive basketball experience overall.

“The different teams I got to mesh with, hanging out with all those guys, it was just fun,” Perry said. “Every year we got closer and closer, but the freshman year varsity team (in 2016-2017) being around all those seniors, that kind of like exposed me to what Land O’ Lakes was about and that was probably one of my favorite years.”

Now retired from coaching, Puhalski will make it a point to catch as many of the duo’s college games as possible. He’s already planning dates to St. Petersburg and North Carolina, as well as a tournament in Orlando that’ll feature Farmer’s new team.

Said Puhalski, “It’s really gratifying that these last few years, with these two guys on the team and the success they had, and we had, just makes me feel real good. Now, I can watch these guys play at the next level, and that’s really the best feeling right there.”

The coach added: “I don’t know how well they’ll be at the next level, but they’ll be great citizens, and that’s the important part.”

Published May 06, 2020

Cancellation of spring sports leaves many dejected

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There was at least a glimmer of hope the 2020 Florida high school spring sports season would resume, even amid concerns about coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

But, optimism vanished when the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all FHSAA-affiliated events.

The cancellations include the state series and championships events, for spring sports.

Due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all FHSAA-affiliated events, including the state series and championships events, for spring sports. (File)

The statewide sports organization also announced no additional eligibility will be granted for spring sport athletes, including seniors, “under the guidance of the Florida Department of Education regarding grade level retention, and upon review of Florida Statutes and FHSAA Bylaws.”

And, just like that, high school senior athletic careers have come to an end.

It happened months sooner than expected, with no clue for athletes that a game, match or meet around mid-March would officially be their last.

The reality has left many local senior athletes feeling dejected, including Sunlake High’s Gianna Levy.

“It was really hard on me,” said Levy. “I cried. To be honest, I cried a lot.”

The prep track and field season offered Levy a final chance to boost her stats and times, to get on the radar of NCAA Division I college programs, as a heptathlete. She’s still holding out hope of being able to compete on the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) circuit this summer to get those college looks, but even that’s no guarantee.

“It definitely is really taking a really big toll on me,” Levy said. “This was a lot of people’s out ticket (to college) and now we don’t have that out ticket.”

Levy was only able participate in a couple track events before the varsity season came to a screeching halt. She was nursing a hip injury, which arose in February after she won a state title in girls weightlifting.

Though she’d already been a three-time state track and field qualifier and holds the school’s 400-meter dash record, Levy was dogged to put forth a banner senior campaign. “I just had so many goals in mind,” she said.

Other seniors had similar ambitions for their high school swan song.

Land O’ Lakes High senior Courtney Piltaver is a two-time Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She was poised again to shine in her final high school tennis season, coming off a district title and state finalist.

From left: Wiregrass Ranch High softball seniors Kailey Riddlesworth, Cassidy Eason, Lexi Gaiefsky and Loryn Finn. These athletes only played nine games of a 27-game regular season schedule, due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Courtesy of Tyler Finn)

“I was pretty upset because it was my senior year, and it really sucks that I didn’t get to enjoy the full season with my team and my coaches, and kind of just close out,” said Piltaver, who’s signed with NCAA Division II University of Montevallo in Alabama.

The tennis standout added that not having the typical ceremonial senior night celebration, “was kind of heartbreaking, because that was something I was really looking forward to since my freshman year.”

Senior infielder Loryn Finn was in the midst of her best hitting season on the Wiregrass Ranch High softball team, sporting a .360/.467/.440 slash line through nine games.

The team captain also was chasing the 100 career hit milestone — a possibility with 18 regular season games remaining on the schedule, until athletics activities were scrapped.

Finn won’t be playing college ball. She hasn’t quite come to grips that a March 11 loss to Wesley Chapel High is perhaps the final time she’ll pick up a bat, ball and glove competitively.

“It’s definitely hard. I’m kind of in shock,” Finn said, bluntly.

Aside from game action, Finn still longs for those last few “bus rides to games, and just jamming to music with players and teammates.”

With a tinge of despair in her voice, Finn labeled her four-year softball experience as “just always been fun.”

Wiregrass Ranch assistant softball coach Tyler Finn feels for his senior daughter and the many other players on the team: “It’s really just not the seniors, it’s freshmen, it’s everybody. It’s tough on them, too. It affects every player, all of them; their season was cut short.”

He also observed his daughter’s high school athletics career coming to an abrupt halt.

Besides softball, Finn was a three-time All-Conference golfer: “She’s gotten to the point where she just wants to get into college and get the education going. She had a really good high school softball career and golf career. …She’s going to miss those kids that she played with since she was little — that’s the hard part.”

Though the traditional season is done, the assistant coach is looking for some way to hold a final showcase in the summer that would bring together various senior high school softball players countywide, assuming restrictions on parks and gatherings are lifted.

“The kids deserve it,” he said.

‘I knew it was coming’
Back on March 31, the FHSAA issued a statement that left open the possibility of a spring sports season, saying they could run from as soon as May 3 through June 30.

The FHSAA also had indicated if a spring sports season is canceled altogether, it was working on a solution to create additional athletics eligibility for students who were unable to participate.

FHSAA-sanctioned spring sports include baseball, flag football, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track & field, boys volleyball, water polo and boys weightlifting.

However, as days and weeks pressed on, many saw the writing on the wall that spring sports would not return this year, due to the pandemic.

Sunlake High senior track and field standout Gianna Levy was looking to get on the radar of Division I college athletics programs before the spring season was cut short. (Courtesy of Gianna Levy)

“I knew it was coming. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I didn’t want to accept it, but I knew it was coming,” said Academy at the Lakes (AATL) varsity baseball coach Ken Akins.

“Once the FHSAA said, ‘OK, we’re thinking about extending it into summer and deep into June,’ there was a little bit of hope there, but once you get into June you start messing with all the travel sports — baseball and softball are huge in the summertime.”

Academy at the Lakes athletic director Tom Haslam offered a similar take on the FHSAA’s decision: “We kind of knew this was coming, but we hated to hear the actual directive.”

He added: “It’s understandable, they have to do it, so we don’t disagree with it, we expected it.”

The directive came at a time when multiple AATL programs were hitting their stride.

The AATL baseball team was on its best start in program history, already matching its win total from 2019  —  thanks to contributions from four seniors.

The school’s boys tennis team, meanwhile, was expected to contend for a state championship, like the prior season.

Of course, the FHSAA’s salvo wiped out the Land O’ Lakes-based private school’s softball, track and field, and boys weightlifting teams.

All told, there were 17 seniors among those five teams.

“It affects everybody’s season,” Haslam said, “but the seniors, you really feel for it.”

He added, “It’s not just athletic seniors, but seniors in anything. You’re talking about proms and special events that just aren’t going to happen. It’s just sad. Sad’s the best word I have for it.”

Though much attention has been brought to how this year’s seniors are affected, and rightly so, the longtime athletic director also believes the canceled spring season could have major ripple effects for juniors looking to get recruited by various college programs.

Haslam put it like this: “It hurts a lot of the juniors, because not only are they putting stats on paper, but they’re also missing workout time, and it’s going to be hard to develop their skills as normal, because they can’t get in the cages and gyms, and there’s no spring ball, and there may not even be travel ball in the summer.

“It’s pretty far-reaching, so it doesn’t just affect seniors on that level. You can’t even go out in a park and shoot hoops,” he said.

Published April 29, 2020

Florida’s Sports Coast seeks rebound from COVID-19

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The months of March and April historically yield the highest tourist development tax revenues seen all year in Pasco County, tourism officials say.

And, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the county’s tourism arm, was expecting another sunny spring — further buoyed by neighbor Tampa hosting WrestleMania and the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament, among other nationwide sports attractions.

The $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is still on track for opening this summer, and hosting a slew of multi-purpose sporting events beginning this fall. (File)

Then coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) delivered a lethal blow — coincidently around the time county tourism leaders were set to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Florida’s Sports Coast rebrand.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time for us,” Florida’s Sports Coast tourism director Adam Thomas told The Laker/Lutz News. “We had new promotions to celebrate and really promote, and really, our balloon got shot down.”

The pandemic didn’t just rain on the tourism agency’s birthday parade. It also forced the postponement or cancellation of at least nine sporting events.

They include:

  • Amateur Athletic Union Florida West Coast Karate Championships in Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill
  • Savage Race and Savage Blitz extreme mud and obstacle course races in Dade City
  • Gran Fondo Florida bicycle race in San Antonio
  • USA Hockey Adult Men’s and Women’s National Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel
  • Florida Premier Football Club Spring Showcase at fields in Land O’ Lakes, Odessa and New Port Richey
  • Caliente Dare to Bare 5K in Land O’ Lakes
  • Amateur Junior Golf Association qualifier event at Saddlebrook Golf Club in Wesley Chapel
  • Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel

But, Florida’s Sports Coast officials aren’t throwing in the towel just yet, even as hotel room nights and economic impact losses pile up.

Thomas said his office is working with the various events rightsholders and decisionmakers in hopes to reschedule many of those postponed events sometime later this year, once travel bans and stay-at-home orders are lifted.

“All we can do is keep those conversations going and keep a positive dialogue with each rightsholder but, at the end of the day, it’s up to them,” the tourism director said.

Meantime, Florida’s Sports Coast officials anticipate a strong rebound from mid-summer onward — as a slew of new sports and recreation facilities are set to come online.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, Pasco County’s tourism arm, is banking on a strong rebound, despite cancellations resulting from the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Among the most ballyhooed is the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County in Wesley Chapel, which is eyeing a July opening. The indoor multi-purpose sports complex is on track to host eight different events in the fall, beginning with a September volleyball tournament.

Thomas called the facility “the big highlight of our summer,” also noting the venue scored a “major, major event” in basketball for 2021.

The county also expects to reap the benefits of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, set to open late summer. The facility figures to have a global reach and play host to large United States Tennis Association-level tournaments. “It’s a little nugget in our back pocket,” Thomas said.

Moreover, Snowcat Ridge, promoted as the state’s first alpine snow park, is still believed to be on track for a November opening in Dade City.

Florida’s Sports Coast communications manager Kolby Kuyck Gayson said that project is integral to the agency’s recovery plan, “because it’s a brand new attraction and it’s going to be hitting right at the time where we’re expecting people to finally be comfortable really getting out there and traveling.”

The tourism office has other reasons for guarded optimism, too.

The 10-daylong Tohrs2Hot4Ice roller derby national championships remains a go for late June and early July at AdventHealth Center Ice. The event could generate as many as 2,000 room nights and an economic impact north of $4 million, Thomas said.

Florida’s Sports Coast also is doubling down on promoting leisure activities, such as a 10-day bay scallop season along the Anclote River, which hopes to draw families within a 350-mile driving radius across Florida, south Georgia and so on.

Elsewhere, the tourism office is pushing to solicit more business meetings and corporate retreats to county hotels through the end of the year.

Pasco had a record year for tourism  in 2019 — hitting the million-visitor mark for the first time ever.

Per tourism office reports, 1,038,700 million visitors generated 1,217,021 room nights in paid accommodations between October 2018 and September 2019. The county’s annual bed tax collections surpassed $3 million for the first time, in that span.

Thomas acknowledged those numbers will be down across the board this year, but added fiscal year 2021 should be “a banner year” from an increased demand for vacations and visitations.

Thomas observed, “This is kind of an anomaly we’re dealing with, not just Pasco, but the entire global tourism marketplace is dealing with the same issue. The demand (for vacations) is at an all-time low now. A year from now, the demand is going to be at an all-time high. …There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a brighter day ahead of us.”

Published April 22, 2020

Local karate academy kicks to virtual

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The dojo is closed for now, but karate lessons press on.

The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has put a halt to many organized recreational activities, but Wesley Chapel-based Keiko Shin Karate Academy has found another way to keep members sharp, while staying home — via virtual classes using the Zoom online video conference platform.

Sensei Ernesto Fuentes now is offering virtual karate lessons from the Keiko Shin Karate Academy in Wesley Chapel. Fuentes opened the academy about 15 years ago. (Courtesy of Keiko Shin Karate Academy)

Many Keiko Shin students find themselves training in their living rooms. Others find enough space in their bedrooms, backyard or lanai.

Even Sensei Ernesto Fuentes, who operates Keiko Shin, makes it a point to change up his own backdrop when facilitating karate activities and workouts to students.

Though it’s not quite the same as the traditional Keiko Shin dojo on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, students make do to practice katas and kick-punch combinations.

“Our kids are so dedicated that they made room, they found room,” Fuentes said. “They moved some furniture, and you’d be surprised to see how much space they have.”

The online classes have been continuing for the past month or so, around when the Pasco County School Board suspended all in-person school events and extracurricular activities until at least May.

To Fuentes, the virtual offerings help maintain students’ progress in achieving their karate goals, also keeping them active and motivated.

“We train hard. Virtually or no, we do train hard,” said Fuentes, who started the academy 15 years ago. “Parents are happy to not see their kids sitting on the couch, playing video games.”

Even in cyberspace, the academy has maintained a full schedule, Monday through Friday.

Keiko Shin karate students practice forms and techniques from the comfort of their homes. (Courtesy of Keiko Shin Karate Academy)

Classes are offered for beginners and advanced athletes of all ages, including adults.

As many as 28 students have joined in at once for an online class, Fuentes said.

To help monitor and ensure proper techniques are followed by all, the sensei enlists the help of black belt-level teenagers to monitor the many split screens “and make sure the kids are doing it right.”

Fuentes said the handful of helpers frankly has made the transition to online easier. He explained it allows those younger, beginner students to get more personalized attention and correction — perhaps the biggest “limitation” of virtual classes, as compared to live, in-person instruction at the academy’s physical facility.

Either way, the virtual classes have kept entire families occupied with something positive to do.

Les Borowski is an adult black belt student at Keiko Shin. His two children, Nicholas and Olivia, are students, too. His wife participates in early morning workout sessions that are offered through the academy.

The regular activities — albeit online — have kept the family up to speed in their respective karate and fitness progression.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re affected, to be honest, by the COVID-19, because we’re still in shape, still doing what we’re supposed to. The only drawback is we cannot compete because all the tournaments are closed,” Borowski said.

He said his children “love” the virtual setup, because there’s no commute, which ultimately gives them more free time. “As soon as they’re done with karate, they can come back into their Minecraft or Fornite (video games), or whatnot,” he said.

Borowski noted he also makes it a point to jump in on his children’s regular Wednesday classes, as a bonding mechanism. “The three of us are bouncing around, so it’s pretty neat, actually,” he said.

This is how Sensei Ernesto Fuentes normally interacts with his students at Keiko Shin Karate Academy. (File)

Besides teaching varied karate forms and techniques, Fuentes has developed improvised at-home strength and conditioning warmups and workouts for both Keiko Shin students and anyone in the community, in lieu of full-service fitness centers now closed.

That includes bodyweight exercises, such as pushups, sit-ups and squats, along with plyometrics, like jumping in place. He’s also resorted to water bottles and one-gallon water jugs as makeshift dumbbells.

Borowski finds the creative workouts “very helpful” for families without home gyms or specialized equipment.

“Sensei’s very adept at using all the items you find around the house — chairs, water bottles, things like that — so he builds the exercises around everyday stuff that everybody has at home already,” Borowski said.

For 17-year-old black belt Lauren Anderson, Keiko Shin’s virtual classes keep her moving and focused through the relative monotony of this new temporary stay-at-home lifestyle.

“If it weren’t for this,” Anderson said, “I would be on my couch, and I would feel like I’m lazy and not doing anything productive.”

Anderson, a student at Wiregrass Ranch High School, simply connects to the classes each week through her smartphone.

While she admits it’s “not the same as being at the dojo,” Anderson said the online instruction is “a really good way to stay in shape, and keep my karate going.”

She added:  “I get a full workout, I’m sweating, I’m sore, even though I’m at home.”

Anderson has been a member of the karate academy for six years.

Though the virtual setup is right now the only option to maintain karate skills, the teen is hoping to someday return to the Wesley Chapel dojo she loves, after the coronavirus pandemic passes.

“It’s just nice to be there and have that open space, and have that communication and personal connection with people, and I actually get to talk to people, and sensei can actually go up to me and say something,” Anderson said.

Meanwhile, Fuentes insists Keiko Shin will follow guidelines put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other state and federal health officials, before reopening the academy.

That means virtual karate lessons will continue indefinitely, he said.

“We try to keep everyone safe and the families safe,” Fuentes said. “To be honest, I’m dying to have my kids back in the academy, but whenever it’s safe and when (health officials) decide it’s safe to come back, then we’re going to open our dojo.”

For information, visit KeikoShin.com, or email .

Published April 15, 2020

New Land O’ Lakes coach enjoys the gridiron

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When Ronald “Trac” Baughn moved to Florida a couple years ago, his sights were set on enjoying retirement.

He pictured himself fishing every day and visiting nearby family members on a regular basis.

But, it wasn’t long before he fantasized about stepping back on the gridiron again.

And that’s after three long decades of coaching high school and college football — mostly throughout Mississippi.

New Land O’ Lakes head football coach Ronald ‘Trac’ Baughn served as the program’s defensive coordinator the last two seasons.(Courtesy of Brandon Franke)

The coaching bug bit again in summer 2018 — when he accepted a position to become assistant coach/defensive coordinator for the Land O’ Lakes High School varsity football program.

“I thought I was just going to fish for a little while, and then it got to being late June and I said, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ I about had enough fishing,” Baughn said of his foray back into coaching.

Fast-forward to 2020: Baughn is now the Gators new head football coach.

He replaces the man he spent the past two seasons working for — Chad Walker, who in January accepted a head football coach position at Cambridge Christian School, in Tampa.

Baughn was selected from among 40 applicants for the position.

About 15 of the applicants were interviewed, according to Land O’ Lakes athletic director Michael Frump.

Baughn’s decorated coaching background, plus recent time with the Gators, served him well.

During 32 years of coaching football, Baughn has molded NFL veterans. He’s rubbed shoulders with legendary SEC coaches in the Mississippi junior college ranks. And, he found notable success as head coach and defensive coordinator throughout the Mississippi preps scene.

His college coaching stops have included the following: tight ends coach at Division I FCS Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tennessee), running backs coach at Division II Delta State University, defensive assistant East Mississippi Community College, and defensive coordinator Holmes Community College (Goodman, Mississippi).

His high school experience, which all came in the Magnolia State, is varied, too. He coached at Cleveland Central High School, Meridian High School, Kosciusko High School, New Hope High School and Wayne County High School, respectively.

Baughn said his experience equates to “an awful lot of time dealing with kids and working with (football) schemes.”

He added, modestly: “I don’t know, 32 years of coaching experience, it’s all been valuable to me.”

His two seasons as Kosciusko’s head football coach may serve most relevant to the Gators program.

He guided that team to 10-3 marks in both 2015 and 2016, reaching the third round of Mississippi 4A playoffs both years. He was twice named “Area Coach of the Year” as those teams finished ranked in the Mississippi Associated Press 4A top 5.

Baughn feels his time as head coach at the Central Mississippi-based school can translate to his new undertaking at Land O’ Lakes.

He put it like this: “I thought that I had been successful as a head coach before, and I kind of know what it entails, and I felt like I might be able to help right the ship over time.

“We’ve got really good kids (at Land O’ Lakes), and just felt like they deserved somebody that that was willing to give their best shot,” the coach said.

Success starts with large senior classes, rosters
The past two seasons at Land O’ Lakes offer a glimpse of the highs and lows of the Land O’ Lakes football program.

The Gators went 7-3 in 2018, narrowly missing the playoffs. That was the school’s first winning campaign since 2013 — restoring some confidence in the historic program.

Perhaps just as important that year, the Gators finally supplanted crosstown foe Sunlake High in the annual “Butter Bowl” rivalry game — the first such victory in eight years.

The 2019 team, however, was another story. It finished the season with a 2-8 mark.

The only wins came against Freedom High and Zephyrhills Christian schools. And, most of the team’s losses were blowouts, with a 31-point loss, three 40-plus point losses and two 50-plus point losses, among others.

All told, the Gators were outscored 137-363.

As a member of the coaching staff both years, Baughn knows what went wrong in 2019.

The coach blamed a “much more difficult” schedule and an “extremely young” roster with few seniors. “It kind of created a situation where we had a bunch of young kids that were going to struggle a little bit. That’s just the way it went,” Baughn said.

While a tough schedule will remain in 2020, Baughn is on a mission to “get the numbers up” and recruit more athletes from inside the school’s hallways to join the football program.

He has a list of more than 65 athletes interested in playing football, and he’s still actively looking for more.

“We need kids to come out,” Baughn said. “You can’t have four or five or six seniors every year. You need to have some classes with 15 to 20 (seniors) in it.”

So, what’s in store for next season?

Baughn’s philosophy, in a nutshell, is predicated on running the football and being fundamentally sound on defense.

“We’re gonna be a lot more physical, a lot less finesse than we have been,” the coach said.

He plans to teach those principles through a mantra centered on “tough love.”

“When they’re out there, I’m going to demand they do their best, and I won’t put up with anything less than that,” Baughn said.

“We are going to hold their feet to the fire and make them do the right thing, and try to develop and instill some work ethic in them, not that they don’t have that already, but we’re going to demand a lot of them.”

‘Last Chance U’ ties
Interestingly, Baughn has several ties to the hit Netflix original documentary series, “Last Chance U,” which profiles junior college football programs and recruits.

Fans of the widely popular show are familiar with East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), profiled in seasons 1 and 2 of the show.

Long before EMCC became a household name and drew a cult following, Baughn was a defensive assistant there.

“I watched some of (Last Chance U), and I was like, ‘Hey, there’s our old house right there…,’” Baughn quipped.

Baughn has coached against EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens, a prominent figure in the series, throughout the Mississippi JUCO ranks.

Baughn pointed out he notched a win against Stephens when he was then-defensive coordinator at Holmes Community College and Stephens was then-offensive coordinator at Pearl River Community College.

Stephens, notorious for his firebrand demeanor, has gone on to win five NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national championships at EMCC.

“He’s done a phenomenal job there,” Baughn said.

The new Land O’ Lakes coach also claims to have once hired and worked with Marcus Wood — another prominent Last Chance U regular as EMCC’s offensive coordinator.

Baughn said the show is “kind of neat, because you know all those people.”

At the same time, he feels some of the moments are sensationalized for entertainment’s sake.

“TV kind of makes things one-sided a little bit,” he said. “Some people say, ‘Is it really like that?’ and I say, ‘Well, sometimes it’s really like that, but not all the time.’”

Key losses

  • Ethan Forrester, quarterback
  • Brett Gwinn, tight end
  • Michael Lansford, running back/linebacker

Key returnees

  • Isaac Tavo, offensive lineman
  • Zavian Mckinnon, defensive lineman
  • Nick Kleoppel, wide receiver

Worth noting about Ronald ‘Trac’ Baughn

  • He has much of the assistant coaching staff in place, which includes offensive coordinator Spencer Van Meter (previous coach at Chamberlain and Jefferson high schools, respectively).
  • Is seeking two more assistant coaches, including a defensive coordinator, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of handling those duties himself. “If we can find somebody that I feel good with running our defense, that I have confidence in, then I’ll go that route. If I can’t (find someone), I’ll do it myself,” he said.
  • While coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has halted offseason football workouts, Baughn has spent the downtime evaluating game film, scouting 2020 opponents, putting playbooks together and assigning at-home workouts to players, among other activities. Baughn acknowledged all the mandated coronavirus precautions “kind of set us back in the plan that we had moving forward, for sure” and “puts us a little further behind the eight-ball than we already were in regards to trying to get things going.”
  • He’s coached at least “15 or 20” players who’ve gone on to play in the NFL, a list that includes two-time Super Bowl Champion running back Antwowain Smith.
  • Has worked with prominent coaches including longtime (SEC) coaches Tom Goode, S.E. Sullins and Robert Henry.

Published April 08, 2020

Land O’ Lakes hoops coach retires after 31 years

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Land O’ Lakes High School varsity boys basketball coach Dave Puhalski is ready for a timeout.

After 31 years roaming the Gators sidelines, barking orders, drawing up plays, and molding boys into young men, the longtime coach announced his retirement following the 2019-2020 season.

Puhalski’s swan song was a memorable one — sending off eight seniors to the tune of a 21-6 record, a 5A-7 district title and an appearance in the 5A regional semifinals.

Dozens of members of the Land O’ Lakes High School community celebrate Dave Puhalski’s retirement as head coach of the Gators varsity boys basketball team. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High Athletics)

Puhalski, 57, exits as one of the longest-tenured and among the most-decorated coaches in Pasco County sports history. He compiled a 479-349 career mark since taking over the Gators program in 1988.

In total, he spent more than 35 years coaching hoops.

Before taking over at Land O’ Lakes, Puhalski was an assistant at state champion Ocala Vanguard for three seasons and an assistant at University of Tampa for a year.

Any basketball coach knows what all that entails: Countless hours tied up into practices and games. Long nights busing around the state. Sitting on steel bleachers for junior varsity games. Too many family gatherings and vacations missed.

He said the timing’s right to take a break from the hardwood.

He put it like this: “After 35 years, I’ve never had a Christmas vacation, (or) a Thanksgiving vacation; the month of June is all summer league, kids playing, so really, it’s just time.”

‘All about the kids’
So, what made all of these years coaching worth it?

“The kids,” Puhalski said without hesitation.

“They’re the ones that keep me young and keep me in the game for so long. You know, every year you almost get a different set. You get to see kids grow and develop,” he said.

Having an understanding wife, too, helped him to stay in the game for the better part of three decades.

“You’ve gotta have a coach’s wife, and that’s what I have,” Puhalski said of longtime wife Erika. “So, I give her a lot of credit, because she did a lot of the raising of the kids.”

Puhalski’s longevity allowed him to coach “kids of kids” and attend many a former players’ weddings. Seeing Gators hoops alums grow up, start families and lead successful lives is “one of my favorite things,” he said.

The care for hundreds of teenage hoopers has been seen firsthand by Land O’ Lakes boys basketball assistant/booster club president Steve Thomopalos.

His son, Justin, was coached by Puhalski from 2008 to 2012, and the coach helped the player develop into a two-time team MVP.

Thomopalos observed: “If a kid needs a pat on the back, he’ll give it, but also if he needs to be disciplined, he’ll give that, too.”

The assistant added the head coach’s go-to expression goes like this: “All about the kids.”

Puhalski’s tough love is something Gators players grew to revere and appreciate.

“You can tell he cares,” senior guard and team captain Mekhi Perry said. “Getting yelled at is frustrating — but him doing that, you know his heart’s in the right place.”

The 2019-2020 Gators went 21-6 and won a 5A-7 district championship in Puhalski’s final season as head coach. (File)

Senior guard and fellow captain Chase Farmer added Puhalski “was like a father figure to me.”

“As a player, he was there for me,” said Farmer, the school’s all-time dunks leader. “He did a lot of things that some coaches don’t do. He gave me a shoulder to lean on, I could cry in his arms — anything I needed, he was there.”

Revered for defense, old-school nature
Of course, Puhalski knows a thing or two about hoops.

The coach frequently emphasized “rebounding the ball, taking care of the ball and defending the ball.”

He’s particularly regarded for his defense-first mentality — a philosophy that centered heavily on the man-to-man variety, with little regard for zone defenses.

“We play man to man,” Puhalski said pointedly. “In 31 years, we’ve probably played a minute worth of zone.”

And, if players weren’t giving at least equal effort defensively as on offense, Puhalski wasn’t afraid to make an example. “You know, we’ve had really good players that have been pulled at night because they never play defense,” Puhalski said bluntly.

Farmer amicably described Puhalski’s coaching style as “old school, but sometimes he might flare it up.”

Farmer added: “He loves defense, (but) he loves steals, highlights and dunks, all that.”

Perry, the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,616 points, added Puhalski “made a huge impact” on the more nuanced aspects of his game.

“I already came into school like knowing what I was doing, but just the tidbits and details expanded my game even more, and every year I learned more,” the Gators standout said.

It wasn’t just players who’ve learned from Puhalski.

Assistant coaches, too, picked up what it takes to run a quality, winning program.

“Everybody learns from coach,” Thomopalos said. “I’ve never seen, up close and personal, a game managed better…especially at the end, when it’s coming down to the wire and it’s close.”

The assistant added: “He is a real basketball man, through and through.”

Fellow assistant Connor Jordan has worked with Puhalski around a dozen seasons.

From Puhalski, Jordan learned Xs and Os are just a small part of leading a successful high school program.

“It’s really about discipline and making sure everything’s organized, expectations and keeping kids held accountable and things like that,” Jordan said. “All that stuff that coaches talk about, (Puhalski) actually follows through on.”

Whoever takes over the Gators program indeed has a tall task in replacing Puhalski.

That very well could be Jordan, who many in the program — including Puhalski —  hope lands the head post. “Gigantic shoes to fill,” Jordan of the possibility.

Meantime, Puhalski is considering teaching physical education for another year at Land O’ Lakes. He also said he wants to continue helping with the program and acclimate whoever next becomes head coach.

“I want to try to keep this going at the level we have it at now,” Puhalski said. “I’m not going to have a whole hand in it, but I’ll be there in whatever (the new coach) needs me to do.”

Published April 1, 2020

Coronavirus cancels many sports events

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As fears regarding coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) continue to ramp up, so do cancellations on the sports landscape — nationally, regionally and locally.

The FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) announced there have been no final decisions concerning state series or state championship events. Furthermore, spring sport rankings will not be released until further notice. (File)

The unexpected cancellations began on March 10 when The Ivy League, a Division I collegiate athletic conference comprised of private schools in the Northeast, announced the cancellation of its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, and it said it would limit the number of spectators that can attend spring sports — as a direct response to accelerated coronavirus cases across the country.

In short order, many other sports organizations — professional, collegiate, amateur, recreational and youth — followed suit by postponing or canceling events during ensuing days.

The NBA and the NHL League suspended their seasons indefinitely. The MLB canceled spring training games and pushed back the start of the 2020 regular season.

Even WWE’s WrestleMania 36 — scheduled for April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa — has been moved to a “fanless” venue at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Meanwhile, the NCAA on March 12 canceled Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments (more widely known as March Madness), as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships, in light of ever-evolving news regarding the public health threat of COVID-19.

In a similar move, the NJCAA (National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association) on March 16 canceled all upcoming basketball championships, as well as spring competition, effective immediately.

The NCAA and NJCAA decisions means that Saint Leo University (Division II NCAA) and Pasco-Hernando State College (Division II NJCAA) have canceled the remainder of the spring season, as well as all activities for all fall, winter and spring sports until further notice.

The Saint Leo athletic department, in a release, said: “The health, safety and welfare of all of our staff and student-athletes is paramount. Taking these precautions now will help keep our student-athletes healthy so they can successfully complete their academic coursework and resume competition in Fall 2020.”

In accordance with the NCAA, Saint Leo University has canceled the remainder of the spring sports season, affecting such sports as softball. Meanwhile, all activities for all fall, winter and spring sports have been suspended until further notice. (File)

Postponements and cancellations also have affected high school sports.

All athletics activities at Hillsborough and Pasco county public schools are canceled until at least April 15, as part of a statewide directive from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Academy at the Lakes has canceled all sporting events, including games and practices, through at least March 29. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School also has canceled athletic practices, games and non-school functions until at least April 15.

The FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) also announced there have been no final decisions concerning state series or state championship events. Furthermore, spring sport rankings will not be released until further notice.

“As we receive information from state authorities and health departments, the FHSAA will continue to make decisions for each sport individually, moving forward,” the statewide athletics organization said, in a release.

Many local youth and adult sports leagues have postponed or canceled their spring seasons, too.

Pasco County Parks announced all events, activities, youth and adult sports leagues, field reservations and so on have been canceled until at least May 1.

County parks will continue to remain open for day-use only, however recreation complexes and community centers remain closed until further notice. That includes the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, Heritage Park Community Center, James Irvin Community Center, Odessa Community Center, among others.

Likewise, Hillsborough County recreation centers are closed and athletic activities have been canceled until at least April 13, but Hillsborough County parks are open.

Meantime, large sports leagues put on by local churches also have been postponed or shuttered.

Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz has canceled the entire spring season for youth baseball, youth softball and men’s softball. Pending developments with the coronavirus, the church plans to ramp up sports registration on July 1 for its fall youth soccer and adult coed soccer leagues.

Grace Family Church, which has campuses in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, has postponed its basketball, kickball and softball leagues, until further notice.

Published March 25, 2020