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Local Sports

Pasco all-star baseball and softball rosters named

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Baseball and softball rosters have been announced for the 2019 Pasco County East-West Classic.

The third annual all-star showcase, organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, features many of the top high school seniors in Pasco County.

Academy at the Lakes pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl is one of dozens of high school seniors selected to play in the 2019 Pasco County East-West Classic on May 25. (File)

Players on the East teams will represent Academy at the Lakes, Cypress Creek, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools.

Players on the West teams will represent Anclote, Bishop McLaughlin, Fivay, Gulf, Hudson, Land O’ Lakes, Mitchell and River Ridge high schools.

The softball and baseball games are each scheduled for May 25 at noon, at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School.

Tickets are $10; parking is free.

For information, contact Bob Durham at (813) 784-4410 or , or visit PascoAllStarBaseball.com.

All-Star rosters

Baseball
East team
Head coach: Chris Stambek, Sunlake

Cypress Creek
Roy Camacho, catcher

Pasco
Brandon Mills, shortstop
Caleb Johnson, outfielder
Bristol Sargent, catcher
Emilio Villa, first baseman

Sunlake
Luke Lenhert, outfielder
Tyler Lord, pitcher
Dawson Place, outfielder
Ryan Rodriguez, shortstop
Nick Shumek, pitcher

Wesley Chapel
Thomas Byron, second baseman
Jesse Rhodes, third baseman
Joe Gomez, outfielder

Wiregrass Ranch
Nate Crissey, third baseman
Austin Hiatt, outfielder
Jalenn Mead, first baseman
Paul Sustachek, second baseman

Zephyrhills
Jaydon Bishop, outfielder
Ricky Dunn, first baseman
Zach Schneidmiller, third baseman
Dylan Wood, catcher

West team
Head coach: Mike Vavasis, Hudson

Anclote
Brock Decker, pitcher

Bishop McLaughlin
Bryce Carroll, outfielder
Justin Koehler, third baseman
Shafer Magee, outfielder
Derick Stager, catcher
Thomas Sutton, first baseman

Fivay
JJ Erazo, shortstop
Jarod Lyon, pitcher

Gulf
Logan Martin, shortstop

Hudson
Pat Coleman, catcher
Sam Roush, second baseman

Land O’ Lakes
Ethan Frasca, third baseman
Nick Jennings, first baseman
Kaleb Jimenez, catcher

Mitchell
Kyle Lang, outfielder
Sebastian Zieba, first baseman

River Ridge
Gabe Fusco, second baseman
Logan Ganoe, outfielder
Devin Henwood, first baseman

Softball
East team
Head coach: Yamani Vazquez, Wiregrass Ranch

Academy at the Lakes
Tristen Gittens, outfielder
Lexi Kilfoyl, pitcher

Cypress Creek
Payton Hudson, shortstop
Jasmine Jackson, second baseman/catcher
Ashley Nickisher, third baseman
Neely Peterson, catcher

Pasco
Sarah Jones, first baseman/outfielder
Rachel Roberts, pitcher/first baseman

Sunlake
Morgan Boudreau, pitcher/first baseman
Alexis Duff, pitcher/first baseman
Shea Forgas, second baseman
Paige Maseda, outfielder

Wesley Chapel
Logan Coward, shortstop/catcher
Breana Delgado, third baseman/infielder

Wiregrass Ranch
Kimmie Cheung, outfielder
Ashtin Jordan, third baseman
Miranda Perez, shortstop

Zephyrhills
April Lorton, third baseman
Madison Pysher, outfielder

West team
Head coach: Mitch Wilkins, Land O’ Lakes

Bishop McLaughlin
Savannah Lee, pitcher

Fivay
Ariel Simonsen, outfielder

Gulf
Samantha Pressler, pitcher

Hudson
Alex Kastrenakes, pitcher
Sydney Klenert, first baseman
Hailey Smith, shortstop

Land O’ Lakes
Trinity Duran, utility
Haylee Fernandez, outfielder
Destiny Rodriguez, utility
Callie Turner, pitcher
Shelby Westbrook, first baseman

Mitchell
Alex Hare, shortstop

River Ridge
Jessica Bryson, outfielder
Tera Smith, outfielder
Melanie Rogers, pitcher

Published May 02, 2019

Spring football preview for area teams

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High school football is back in session, as spring football practices are now underway statewide.

And, while the 2019 prep season remains months away, Florida high school football fans still will get a taste of how their teams are shaping up with a series of exhibition games and jamborees in late May.

Florida high schools are allowed a maximum of 20 practice sessions from April 22 through May, according to Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) guidelines. The first allowable day for full-contact tackling is April 27.

Take a look at these five area teams to watch as spring practices ramp up:

Academy at the Lakes will seek its third straight eight-man title in 2019. The team is currently on a 20-game winning streak dating back to 2017. (File)

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats
The back-to-back defending eight-man Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) state champion Wildcats will have another target on its back as it enters the new season on a 20-game winning streak (including a win by forfeit) dating back to September of 2017.

But, that shouldn’t faze an Academy at the Lakes squad that again returns the father-son combo of head coach Shawn Brown and rising junior quarterback Jalen Brown.

Shawn Brown is a two-time reigning FCAPPS Coach of the Year, while Jalen Brown won the 2018 FCAPPS Heisman Trophy Winner award, given to the eight-man league’s top player.

Last season the 6-foot-2, 180-pound quarterback completed nearly 58 percent of his throws for 1,105 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns on 93 carries.

In addition to Jalen Brown, the team returns All-Conference standouts in center Dwight Downing and defensive end Elijah Freedman. Also expect significant contributions from the likes of tailback Adrian Leverette, receivers Cole Lallanilla and Caleb Yann, and linebacker Denzyl Downing, among others.

Perhaps the biggest question for the Wildcats is finding ways to replace the production left behind by graduating All-State linebacker Dylan Price and All-State defensive back Jullian Jennings, as well as All-State offensive lineman Andrew Kilfoyl, who has since transferred to Gaither.

Land O’ Lakes Gators
Under new head coach Chad Walker, the Gators achieved its first winning season since 2013, going 7-3 and narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.

Land O’ Lakes is looking to build off last season’s 7-3 campaign under head coach Chad Walker.

The turnaround season also included a 35-24 win over crosstown foe Sunlake to crack an eight-game losing streak in the annual ‘Butter Bowl’ rivalry game.

Naturally, fans of the storied Pasco County program will expect similar success again this year.

It won’t come easy, however, as the team moves on from a sizable senior class that included its leading rusher, leading receiver, leading tackler and top kicking specialists.

Working in the team’s favor, though, is the return of one of the area’s top signal callers in rising senior quarterback and two-year starter Ethan Forrester.

Last season the 6-foot-3, 220-pound athlete completed nearly 52 percent of his passes for 1,429 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Gators have put together a tough 2019 regular season slate that includes five teams that made the playoffs last season — Gaither, Mitchell, Tampa Catholic, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills Christian, respectively.

Steinbrenner Warriors
Following a disappointing 2-7 output in 2017, the Warriors rebounded last year to finish 6-5 overall with a 4-2 mark in District 6-8A, including a four-game winning streak to close out the season.

Steinbrenner has plenty of weapons to build off last year’s 6-5 mark.

With a bevy of returning talent, the momentum should continue into 2019 under longtime head coach Andres Perez-Reinaldo.

The Warriors feature multiple NCAA FBS Division I football targets, such as receivers Aidan Bitter and Dean Patterson, and Matthew Adcock, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive lineman.

The squad is stacked with other playmakers, too.

Quarterback Haden Carlson, the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Jeff Carlson, is poised to build off a junior campaign where he completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,418 yards, 10 total touchdowns and four interceptions.

The rising senior will have plenty of weapons at his disposal in the likes of Bitter (32 receptions, 568 yards, six touchdowns), Patterson (39 receptions, 391 yards, two touchdowns), Jett Law (22 receptions, 212 yards) and Deon Silas (1,198 all-purpose yards), among others.

The Warriors also return several of its top players on the other side of the ball, including rising junior linebacker Austin Brannen, who registered 130 total tackles, including 12 for loss.

Meanwhile, special teams figure to be another strength, with All-State punter Cameron Brown, kicker Trevor Haire, and a return game that collectively averaged 28.2 yard on kick returns and 13.2 yards on punt returns.

Wiregrass Ranch Bulls
With a string of three consecutive winning seasons and playoff appearances under head coach Mark Kantor, Wiregrass Ranch seems positioned for another year as one of Pasco County’s premier programs.

With a large senior class, Wiregrass Ranch will seek its fourth straight playoff berth in 2019.

And, most any win will be hard earned in 2019, particularly with new district foes in Class 6A state runner-up Armwood, East Bay and Tampa Bay Tech.

In fact, every opponent on the Bulls’ 10-game schedule sported a winning record last season, aside from crosstown rival Wesley Chapel, who finished with a 5-5 mark. Of those teams, half qualified for the playoffs from their respective classification.

Fortunately for the Bulls, the team has the benefit of experience on its side with about two dozen rising seniors.

That includes one of the Sunshine State’s most productive defensive players in first team All-State linebacker Dylan Ridolph.

Ridolph’s 22 sacks last season ranked second in the state, trailing only Winter Garden Foundation Academy’s Warren Sapp II (24). The 6-foot, 215-pound Ridolph already holds the county record for most career sacks (37).

Some other upperclassman to keep an eye on include defensive back Jonavon Tills (five interceptions) and tailback Keith Walker (667 all-purpose yards, nine touchdowns).

Meantime, the Bulls will have to break in a new quarterback with the graduation of two-year starter Grant Sessums.

Such duty will likely fall to promising rising senior dual-threat quarterback Hunter Helton.

Last season Helton served as the team’s backup quarterback option, but showcased his athleticism as the team’s leading receiver (16 receptions, 315 yards, four touchdowns).

His last extended action under center came as a sophomore on junior varsity, where he completed nearly 54 percent of his throws for 557 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception.

Zephyrhills Bulldogs
Going undefeated in the regular season on its way to securing its second straight district title, the Zephyrhills Bulldogs in 2018 put together one of the more notable campaigns in recent memory.

Coming off back-to-back district championships, Zephyrhills will look to several new faces to make an impact in 2019.

It also added to the program’s tally of winning seasons, which now numbers eight straight dating back to 2011.

Maintaining their sustained dominance this year may prove challenging, though, as the Bulldogs say farewell to 23 seniors from last year’s 11-1 squad, 10 of whom earned All-Conference honors.

Among that group is the team’s starting quarterback, several leading receivers, multiple leading tacklers and top special teamers.

Serving another blow to the team’s 2019 depth: All-Conference linebacker Ja’varrius Wilson recently announced his intention to transfer to Clearwater Academy International for his senior year. He was fourth on the team in tackles (91) and second in tackles for loss (18).

On the bright side for Zephyrhills, up-and-coming head coach Nick Carroll returns for 2019, looking to build upon a combined 29-6 mark his first three seasons.

Of course, the Bulldogs won’t be totally devoid of impactful playmakers in 2019.

Rising senior two-way lineman Demetris Wright (40 pancake blocks, 30 tackles), and rising juniors Zyre Roundtree (541 rushing yards, six touchdowns) and Tre Gallimore (45 tackles, two interceptions) are a few to watch, among others.

Schools in Laker/Lutz News coverage area (and their 2018 records)
Hillsborough County:

  • Carrollwood Day School Patriots: 6-6 overall, 2-2 region
  • Freedom High School Patriots: 4-6 overall, 2-4 district
  • Gaither High School Cowboys: 7-4 overall, 4-2 district
  • Steinbrenner High School Warriors: 6-5 overall, 4-2 district

Pasco County:

  • Academy at the Lakes Wildcats: (10-0 overall, 7-0 district)
  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Hurricanes: (4-5 overall, 3-1 district)
  • Cypress Creek Middle High School Coyotes: (3-7 overall, 1-0 region)
  • Land O’ Lakes High School Gators: (7-3 overall, 2-2 district)
  • Pasco High School Pirates: (2-8 overall, 0-4 district)
  • Sunlake High School Seahawks: (4-6 overall, 1-3 district)
  • Wesley Chapel High School Wildcats: (5-5 overall, 4-3 district)
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls: (7-4 overall, 4-2 district)
  • Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors: (7-4 overall, 0-1 region)
  • Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs: (11-1 overall, 6-0 district)

Spring game schedule
May 16
East Ridge at Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills Christian at Fivay
Jamboree: Freedom, King, Wharton at Hillsborough
Jamboree: Gaither, Sickles, Steinbrenner at Alonso

May 17
Anclote at Sunlake
Cypress Creek at Pasco
Land O’ Lakes at Wesley Chapel
Wiregrass Ranch at East Lake

May 18
Bishop McLaughlin at Carrollwood Day

May 24
Jamboree: Academy at the Lakes, Master’s Academy, Lakeside Christian, Solid Rock at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center

Player to watch from each area team
Hillsborough County

  • Shelton Quarles Jr., Carrollwood Day, athlete
  • Tawfiq Thomas, Freedom, defensive tackle
  • Chance Coleman, Gaither, linebacker
  • Deon Silas, Steinbrenner, athlete

Pasco County

  • Jalen Brown, Academy at the Lakes, quarterback
  • Adam Berry, Bishop McLaughlin, tailback
  • Jalen Warren, Cypress Creek, athlete
  • Ethan Forrester, Land O’ Lakes, quarterback
  • Darrion Robinson, Pasco, receiver
  • Jonathan Wallace, Sunlake, defensive end
  • Jelani Vassell, Wesley Chapel, athlete
  • Dylan Ridolph, Wiregrass Ranch, linebacker
  • Zyre Roundtree, Zephyrhills, tailback
  • Malik Jones, Zephyrhills Christian, defensive lineman

Published April 24, 2019

Imagine School captures girls soccer title

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Caidee Sumner and Bella Wood were determined to end their middle school soccer careers on a high note.

The eighth-grade team co-captains did just that — leading the Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes Dragons to the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League (TCAL) girls soccer championship title.

“It’s our last year here and we wanted to go out as a champion,” Wood said.

The Dragons (9-2) entered the TCAL playoffs as a No. 3 seed, after losing its only regular season contests to Learning Gate Community School and Lutz Preparatory School, respectively.

The Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team won the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League championship. It marked the middle school team’s second title in three seasons. (Courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

In each of those defeats, the Dragons were without one of those team captains.

But, with its top two players fully available for the playoffs, the Dragons were poised to claim its second TCAL title in three years.

Sumner’s presence was undoubtedly felt in the games that mattered most.

In the semifinal game against the No. 2 seed Learning Gate, Sumner scored an unheard of four goals in the team’s 5-3 win.

She followed that performance in the title game, scoring the lone goal in the 1-0 win against No. 1 seed Lutz Prep.

It was par for the course for the Dragons forward, who led the team with 42 goals.

Said Sumner, “It’s really nice just to know that my last year here, I get to score the last goal. The ball got up the field by our team for me to score, so I mean it’s a team effort.”

She added: “Every goal I scored, I was thinking for our team, ‘I have to score. I’m the scorer. I have to score for us to win.’ Every goal was for this team, which was really nice just to score to know that like we’re going to win, and the team’s behind me.”

As the one-nil score would indicate, Lutz Prep was the Dragons’ toughest test all season long.

The Dragons figured as much heading into the game.

“We were fighting the whole time, until we scored the goal,” Wood said.

“We had that drive just to win,” Sumner said. “I told them (teammates) before, ‘We have to fight hard if we want to win this game, and we did. We came through.”

The victory added extra meaning as it marked the third straight year the two local charter schools have matched up in the title game. The Dragons lost to the Bolts in last year’s championship, but won in 2017.

“Those are our rivals. We always want to beat them,” Sumner said.

Such familiarity helped the Dragons’ game plan for the Bolts, Sumner said.

She explained: “Over the years, we learned that they had a few of their stronger players we have to watch out for, so we just focused on them, marking them, blocking them, like putting them down so they just didn’t get the ball much.”

The championship put a bow on a season where the Dragons posted seven shutouts and outscored opponents 75 to 9.

It was also a proper sendoff for a quartet of eighth-graders moving on to the high school ranks, made up of Sumner, Wood, Natalie Magharus and Trinity Slone. The rest of the team’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders are expected to return next season.

“I’ll miss everyone because it was so fun,” said Wood, who’s moving on to Land O’ Lakes High School with Sumner. “We were a family, and it’s going to be hard to leave them because we’ve known them for three years.”

The season likewise couldn’t have ended any better for Dragons first-year coach Henry Cheung, who coaches the team alongside Saint Leo Hall of Famer Sam Koleduk.

“Overall, it’s a good season. I am proud with the girls for what they did, and I’m happy my first year coaching I got a championship,” Cheung said.

He added: “The girls are hardworking. They gave everything they had.”

Coaching chops aside, Cheung credited the team’s talent level and ability to play together as reasons for the on-field success.

“We’re united,” he said, noting the team knows how to play well together.

And, despite the exodus of Sumner, Wood and the others, the coach has high hopes for next season.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Cheung said. “Under coach Sam (Koleduk) and all the other girls, we’ll do good next year, too.”

2019 Imagine School girls soccer roster

  • Abigail Courtney
  • Madalyn Courtney
  • Lilie Shen-Dale
  • Ava Folkman
  • Emily Folkman
  • Angelisse Force
  • Natalia Magharus
  • Aurora Nelson
  • Julissa Novillo
  • Siena Pena
  • Madylena Perez
  • Annelisa Russo
  • Trinity Slone
  • Mya Smith
  • Caidee Sumner (co-captain)
  • Gabriella Suppa
  • Payton Webster
  • Bella Wood (co-captain)
  • Keeley Yarbrough
  • Coach: Sam Koleduk
  • Coach: Henry Cheung

Notable performers

  • Caidee Sumner — 42 goals, 13 assists, 97 points
  • Bella Wood — 15 goals, 17 assists, 47 points
  • Annelisa Russo — 13 goals, 9 assists, 35 points
  • Julissa Novillo — 3 goals, 12 assists, 18 points
  • Madylena Perez— 4 goals, 7 assists, 15 points
  • Lilie Shen-Dale— 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points
  • Keeley Yarbrough — 7 shutouts

By the numbers

  • 9-2 overall record
  • 75 goals scored
  • 9 goals allowed
  • 7 shutouts

Game-by-game results for 2019 season

  • New Springs School (13-0 win)
  • Sunlake Academy (15-0 win)
  • Henderson Hammock (10-0 win)
  • Trinity School (7-0 win)
  • Learning Gate (1-0 loss)
  • Lutz Prep (5-4 loss)
  • Hillsborough Academy (7-0 win)
  • Classical Prep (6-1 win)
  • Terrace Community (7-0 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Semi-Final: at No. 2 seed Learning Gate (5-3 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Championship: at No. 1 seed Lutz Prep (1-0 win)

Published April 17, 2019

Sunlake sweeps conference track championships

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For the second straight year, the Sunlake High track and field program reigned supreme at the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) Eastside championship meet, as its boys and girls teams earned first-place overall finishes to best six other east Pasco high schools.

Liina Winborn, of Sunlake High School, right, in the lead over Natalie Abernathy, of Land O’ Lakes High School, during the girls 1600-meter run. (Christine Holtzman)

The Sunlake boys team tallied 189 points, comfortably ahead of second place Wiregrass Ranch (101) and third place Land O’ Lakes (94.5).

The Sunlake girls team registered 253.5 points, more than doubling the point totals of both Wiregrass Ranch and Land O’ Lakes, who tied for second with 125 points.

Cypress Creek, Pasco, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills also participated in the April 3 meet at Cypress Creek Middle High School in Wesley Chapel.

Both Seahawks squads combined to place first in 18 of the 34 events.

That included a near sweep of middle and long distance events, which encompasses the 4×800 relay, 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs. Land O’ Lakes senior Natalie Abernathy was the lone non-Sunlake distance runner to win an event, placing first in the girls 3200-meter, clocking 11:46.60.

D’narijo Troupe, of Sunlake High School, competes in the high jump.

The feats by many of Sunlake’s distance runners shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the success of the school’s cross-country teams this past fall. At the 2018 FHSAA Class 3A state championships in Tallahassee, the Seahawks boys team finished fourth overall and the girls placed 10th.

Grueling summer and fall workouts for cross-country hence laid the groundwork for track season, Sunlake distance coach Randal Reeves said.

“We kind of knew we were going to be out front,” Reeves said of the conference meet.

“They’ve been working their butts off.”

Allison Fleming, of Wiregrass Ranch High School, jumps over a hurdle during the girls 300-meter hurdles race.

Sunlake junior distance runner Liina Winborn turned in one of the more noteworthy meet performances.

She took first place — and set personal bests —  in both the girls 1600-meter (5:09.25) and 800-meter (2:27.35). She opted not to compete the 3200-meter run, though she was seeded No. 2 entering the event.

Winborn’s mark in the 1600-meter was particularly eye-opening — a whopping 21 seconds quicker than second-place finisher, Abernathy (5:30.49), a two-time SAC East Track Athlete of the Year.

“I feel really great because I PR’d and I tried my best, and I had a lot of great supporters out here,” Winborn said of her meet results.

“I want to do my best every race. I don’t really have a specific time in mind. I just set my goals high to where they can be achievable.”

Donte Sol, running for Wesley Chapel High School, is in the lead during the boys 400-meter dash.

Winborn has picked up right where she left off in the fall, where she finished sixth in the Class 3A cross country state meet.

Established as one the state’s top distance runners, Winborn is receiving looks from “quite a few” NCAA Division I programs, her coach said.

“Overall, as a runner, she’s probably top 10 in the state, performance-wise,” Reeves said.

Her achievements — in track and cross-country — don’t come by accident.

Reeves said the distance runner has never missed a practice — even in times when she’s been sick. The coach added Winborn also makes it a point to train alongside the top distance runners on the boys team.

“She is a coach’s dream,” Reeves said. “She does everything I ask of her — and asks for more. Her dedication really says it all. She puts it all out there, and she’s a leader in that regard.”

2019 Pasco County Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside championships

Team Scores (Boys)
1) Sunlake (189 points)

2) Wiregrass Ranch (101)

3) Land O’ Lakes (94.5)

4) Wesley Chapel (84)

5) Zephyrhills (75.5)

6) Cypress Creek (68)

7) Pasco (28)

Event winners
Track events
100-meter dash: Cartrell Strong, Zephyrhills, senior (11.22)

200-meter dash: Donte Sol, Wesley Chapel, senior (22.62)

400-meter dash: Donte Sol, Wesley Chapel, senior (48.75)

800-meter run: Edward Scheid, Sunlake, junior (2:03.38)

1600-meter run: Dominic Burleson, Sunlake, senior (4:32.20)

3200-meter run: Dominic Burleson, Sunlake, senior (10:15.09)

110-meter hurdles: Brian Parker, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (15:46)

300-meter hurdles: Brian Parker, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (40.64)

4×100-meter relay: Zephyrhills — Maguire Neal, freshman; Ja’Quan Sheppard, senior; Clayton Cornelius, sophomore; Cartrell Strong, senior (43.33)

4×400-meter relay: Sunlake — Issac Taveras, junior; Ludcheel Colas, junior; Cade Whitfield, sophomore; Edward Scheid, junior (3:31.51)

4×800: Sunlake — Dominic Burleson, senior; Edward Scheid, junior; Cade Whitfield, sophomore; Ludcheel Colas, junior (8:10.62)

Field events
High jump: Isaiah Burns, Wesley Chapel, sophomore (5 feet, 10.75 inches)

Pole vault: Shayne Tenpow, Sunlake, senior (11 feet, 0.25 inches)

Long jump: Jacquez Mobley, Pasco, senior (20 feet, 6.50 inches)

Triple jump: Cartrell Strong, Zephyrhills, senior (43 feet, 8.50 inches)

Shot put: Kasean Ridgel, Wiregrass Ranch, senior (49 feet, 10.50 inches)

Discus: Joseph Perez, Sunlake, senior (151 feet, 9 inches)

Team Scores (Girls)
1) Sunlake (253.5 points)

2) Wiregrass Ranch (125)

2) Land O’ Lakes (125)

4) Cypress Creek (60.5)

5) Wesley Chapel (39)

6) Zephyrhills (33)

7) Pasco (9)

Event winners
Track events
100-meter dash: Delcina Gilespie, Cypress Creek, junior (12.58)

200-meter dash: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior (26.70)

400-meter dash: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior (1:02.18)

800-meter run: Liina Winborn, Sunlake, junior (2:27.35)

1600-meter run: Liina Winborn, Sunlake, junior (5:09.25)

3200-meter run: Natalie Abernathy, Land O’ Lakes, senior (11:46.60)

100-meter hurdles: Allison Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (16:35)

300-meter hurdles: Allison Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (47.63)

4×100-meter relay: Sunlake — Nia Johnson, junior; Jaymonda Calmes, Gianna Levy, junior; Hannah Kilmer, junior (49.97)

4×400-meter relay: Land O’ Lakes — Ashley Doers, junior; Lauren Bates, junior; Abigail Perez, junior; Lizzie Epps, freshman (4:19.01)

4×800-meter relay: Sunlake — Shannon Gordy, sophomore; Ashley Spires, sophomore; Emma Burleson, freshman; Justine Ruhlman, senior (10:19.77)

Field events
High jump: Ondrasha Joel, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman (4 feet, 11 inches)

Pole vault: Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior (10 feet)

Long jump: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior (17 feet, 2 inches)

Triple jump: Jayda Forester, Sunlake, junior (33 feet, 8 inches)

Shot put: Lauryn Beacham, Sunlake, senior (38 feet, 4.25 inches)

Discus: Lauryn Beacham, Sunlake, senior (108 feet, 10 inches)

Published April 10, 2019

New Tampa teen’s javelin throw among nation’s best

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As a kicker on the Wharton High School varsity football team and a defender on the varsity boys soccer team, Zach Godbold relies on his legs quite a bit.

But, it’s his right arm and throwing ability, that could take him furthest in his athletic endeavors.

The 17-year-old New Tampa resident happens to be one of the nation’s top high school javelin throwers, as a junior on the Wharton varsity track and field team.

New Tampa teen Zach Godbold is ranked among the nation’s top high school javelin throwers. The 17-year-old Wharton High School junior’s best mark so far this season is 191 feet. (Courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

At an AAU meet last month in Fort Lauderdale, Godbold recorded a javelin throw of 191 feet, which, for a short period, ranked No. 1 nationally for junior athletes 18 years old and under.

While the mark has since been surpassed, it still ranks among the top 10 throws nationally —and tops in Florida.

“He’s by far the No. 1 in the state,” Wharton track and field coach Kyle LoJacono said.

The feat earned Godbold a coveted spot at the annual New Balance National Outdoor meet, regarded as the most prestigious postseason track and field championships for high school athletes. The meet, set for June in Greensboro, North Carolina, showcases more than 2,900 of America’s elite and emerging high school talent.

Not one to regularly look up his national ranking, Godbold couldn’t help himself following his recent performance in South Florida.

“I actually hadn’t been looking at the national rankings at all,” he said, “but then, after I threw that one and it felt really good, I went and looked it up, and I was very happy, obviously.”

Godbold isn’t settling with his current mark, though. He said he wants to surpass 210 feet in the javelin by the end of the year.

“I was very excited with my throw this year because it’s so early in the season, that later on I’m hoping to improve on that, obviously,” Godbold said.

Javelin comes naturally
Success in javelin is not foreign to Godbold, since taking up the discipline about six years ago.

When he was 12 years old, he finished second overall in javelin for his age division at the 2014 AAU Junior Olympics Track and Field meet in Des Moines, Iowa.

Over the years, he’s gone on to finish among the top performers multiple times for his age bracket in the Junior Olympics championships, including earning a gold medal as a 14-year-old when the meet was in Houston, Texas.

Godbold also competes in the shotput and discus.

Like javelin, he took up the throwing events after growing tired of always running in track and field, which he did mainly to stay in shape for football season.

“I really didn’t want to run anymore,” Godbold said, “so I just tried all three of the throwing events.”

Javelin has come most natural to Godbold, as a multi-sport athlete with a background in baseball and football.

He explained: “I’ve always been playing sports where I have to like throw a ball. I always played baseball, football — I was the backup quarterback for like Hail Marys — so I’ve always just been like throwing something and it just translates, like having a strong arm.”

“It was something that just translated to me really well,” he said.

Javelin, however, takes more than throwing ability to master, said Godbold, who stands at 6 feet and 190 pounds.

As “probably the most technical” of all throwing events in track and field, Godbold noted javelin requires power and strength from the lower body.

Godbold practices his throws about two or three times per week. The rest of the time is dedicated to quick sprints and medicine ball work, as opposed to lifting heavy weights.

“It’s more like throwing with your legs than your arms, despite what people think. It’s about more running and working with your legs and stuff,” he said.

Lofty goals ahead
Godbold’s javelin performances of late have drawn the attention of major college track and field programs.

He’s received interest from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Cornell and Stanford universities, among others.

“I’m definitely trying to make the Division I level,” Godbold said.

The 2024 Olympics is also on his long-term radar. “That would definitely be a goal of mine, to compete for the U.S.,” he said.

More immediately, Godbold is looking to make history at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) track and field meet over the next two years.

The FHSAA, for the first time ever, will crown an individual champion in the javelin as a provisional event, after it’s been an exhibition event each of the last two years.

However, the javelin throw won’t accumulate points toward team scores until the 2020 season when it officially becomes the FHSAA’s 18th sanctioned track and field event.

“My goal is to win states,” Godbold said, “and then hopefully next year, when it’s an official event, do the same and score points.”

Meantime, the prospect of finally being able to benefit from the elite javelin thrower has Wharton coaches excited.

“It’ll be huge,” LoJacono said, noting the track team would’ve won a recent divisional meet had Godbold’s javelin throws counted toward scoring.

It also has the team gearing up for the event sooner than other area schools, said longtime Wharton throws coach Wes Newton.

Said Newton, “Because we have Zach, and because they’re (the FHSAA) going to put the javelin in, we started the javelin much earlier than most everybody else, and so, no school in this county does what we do, because we have him.”

Newton also said Godbold’s presence in the javelin has led to several other Wharton athletes taking up the throwing event.

“We have four guys that throw the javelin and about five girls that throw the javelin,” Newton said. “No other school has that.”

Published April 03, 2019

Land O’ Lakes tennis standout eyes district title

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After a sophomore campaign that yielded an undefeated mark in regular season dual matches and being named Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Girls Tennis Player of the Year, Land O’ Lakes High School’s Courtney Piltaver has even bigger goals in sight this season.

The junior is eyeing a 6-3A district title.

“I’m hoping to win districts this year,” she said.

Beyond that, Piltaver is hoping for a deep run in the Florida High School Athletic Association state series, at regionals and possibly a state qualification.

Land O’ Lakes High School varsity girls tennis standout Courtney Piltaver is the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She’s building off last season’s sophomore campaign with a 4-0 start to the 2019 regular season. (Kevin Weiss)

In doing so, Piltaver must first avenge last season’s defeat in the district finals — a back-and-forth battle to East Lake’s Marissa Penning, who’s currently ranked among the state’s top 25 sophomores by Tennis Recruiting Network.

“It was like a really close match; it was a good, long one,” Piltaver recalled.

Penning, however, transferred schools and is not competing at the high school circuit this year, said Piltaver, who often trains and plays with the Clearwater sophomore in high-level USTA junior tournaments.

That could open the door for an elusive district crown and maybe more.

“I’m not sure if there’s any other competition coming out of East Lake, because typically a lot of good players come from there, so hopefully I can make it to the states,” Piltaver said.

Of course, Piltaver would again like to repeat as east Pasco’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year and garner all-conference first-team honors. “That’d be nice,” she quipped.

Piltaver said winning the awards last year “made me feel good, like I accomplished something that I worked really hard towards, so it was just another thing that made me feel good about all the work I put into tennis.”

She’s certainly on the right track again, with a 4-0 mark on the 2019 season.

“I’m hoping to stay undefeated this (regular) season,” she said, “which I’m thinking I will.”

The tennis standout has the work ethic to back up her play.

In addition to regular high school practices and matches, Piltaver trains five days a week at the Dobsha Tennis Academy in Odessa, where she fine tunes technical skills, including serves and footwork; on weekends, she competes in high-level USTA (United States Tennis Association) junior tournaments.

When it comes to the court, Piltaver means business, said Land O’ Lakes girls tennis coach Jen Gaete.

“She’s really focused; you can see the high energy,” Gaete said. “She does have that wanting to pursue, wanting to chase the dreams.

“She’s really just driven by the sport and wanting to do well,” the coach added.

Gaete also noted Piltaver is quick to give her teammates positive feedback and pointers during matches, offering in-game strategy and reminding less experienced players about techniques, such as proper racket grip, court positioning and so on.

“She’s always willing,” Gaete said. “She helps me with a lot of those leadership roles and wanting to give the girls some coaching.”

Gaete went on: “She’s encouraging of the others. It’s always about being a part of the team.”

Handling the grind of the sport comes naturally for Piltaver, who’s been playing tennis nine-plus years.

“I just love playing, I love competing,” Piltaver said, “and, I just like to challenge myself, and I think that has like really helped me with life skills. Yeah, it gets hard sometimes but, honestly, I just love doing something. Like, it’s really become my life.”

Besides her all-around tennis skillset, Piltaver said her biggest strides of late have come from upping her physical fitness and mental focus — areas that have come in handy during long, drawn-out matches in the Florida heat.

“I feel like I have the body and the mentality to be an athlete, and I think that’s really the thing that’s gotten me so far, said Piltaver, who’s ranked among the state’s top 80 players for the 2020 recruiting class by Tennis Recruiting Network. “When matches get really tough I’m able to stay in it and not lose focus, which is something really important.”

She added, “The sun out here is really horrible, so just being able to endure that for two hours and play another match after that definitely was a big jump.”

Mental and physical strength also helped her recover from a pair of back injuries in recent years.

Early on in her freshman season, Piltaver suffered a grade 3 back strain. She was only able to compete in one high school match and therefore ineligible for postseason play.

“It’s weird because I’ve never been injured and then all of a sudden I hurt my back and then I was out for like five months because it was really bad,” Piltaver said, noting it took another few months to get back to her regular form. “Once you get past the struggle point you’re like, ‘OK,’ and then you start taking off.”

And, before the start of this season, Piltaver was in a car accident, sustaining pulled ligaments in her back.

A less serious injury compared to her freshman year, Piltaver was only sidelined her for a couple weeks before returning to action; she said she now feels 100 percent.

“I’m fine,” Piltaver said. “I think it was just sore. I needed to let my body rest.”

Now fully healthy, Piltaver is looking to play in as many USTA junior tournaments as possible —in addition to her high school slate — to prepare for what lies ahead at the next level, as one of very few tennis players from Pasco County receiving offers to play collegiate tennis.

Piltaver’s actively going through the college recruiting process and considering multiple NCAA Division II schools, including Belmont-Abbey College, Barton College, University of Montavello, Limestone College, and North Greenville University, to name a few.

Piltaver said she’s considering Division II schools “mostly because I feel like academics is important, and I just feel like they have the better academic side that I was looking for.”

Said Piltaver, “I’m trying to get my officials visits in September, so I can sign in early fall, because that’s really what I’m looking toward.”

Published March 27, 2019

All-Pasco County winter awards announced

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High school coaches from the Pasco County School District recently announced the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2018-2019 winter sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West division.

The following high schools from our coverage area were represented in the East: Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

This is a listing of the recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

The Land O’ Lakes varsity boys basketball team enjoyed a banner season that included a district title and a 27-3 record. (File)

Winter Sports (Boys)
SAC East All-Conference Boys’ Basketball

Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes

Coach of the Year: Dave Puhalski, Land O’ Lakes

Player of the Year: Chase Farmer, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Chase Farmer, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Isaiah Ramsey, Wesley Chapel, junior

Elijah Howell, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Mekhi Perry, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Jordan Golden, Sunlake, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Jamaal Wright, Sunlake, senior

Dontae Marchman, Zephyrhills, junior

Ethan Jones, Wesley Chapel, junior

Logan Ghoumari, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Jerry Peace, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Honorable Mention
Matthew Webster, Pasco, freshman

Cedric McBride, Cypress Creek, senior

The Wiregrass Ranch High and Pasco High varsity boys soccer teams were named co-team champions of the Sunshine Athletic Conference’s East division. The Bulls went 17-3-4 and the Pirates went 20-1-3. For Wiregrass, it marks their sixth-straight conference crown. They also haven’t lost a game (not including ties) to a Pasco County squad since the 2013-2014 season. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys’ Soccer
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch & Pasco

Coach of the Year: Dave Wilson, Wiregrass Ranch

Offensive Player of the Year: Jason Nicolette, Pasco

Defensive Player of the Year: Malcolm Lewis, Wiregrass Ranch

First Team All-Conference
Jason Nicolette, Pasco, senior

Malcolm Lewis, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Jaxon Landry, Sunlake, junior

Justin Amis, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Javier Todd, Sunlake, senior

Adrian Maldonado, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

(Courtesy of Pasco High School Athletics)

Jake Bierhorst, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Jake Rodriguez, Sunlake, junior

Landon Surratt, Pasco, sophomore

Ben McQuay, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Alan Castro, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Logan Grace, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

Omar Rios, Pasco, senior

Lincoln Morgan, Sunlake, senior

Sebastian Victoria, Sunlake, sophomore

Alex Montes, Pasco, senior

Collin Corrao, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Adam Mihalek, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Camilo Torres, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Nathan Oparka, Sunlake, senior

Carlos Morales, Zephyrhills, junior

Jared Jimenez, Pasco, junior

Honorable Mention
Marco Svolinsky, Cypress Creek, junior

The Sunlake boys wrestling team was named team champion of the Sunshine Athletic Conference’s East division, for the second year in a row. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys’ Wrestling
Team Champion: Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Sergio Matos

Wrestler of the year: Timothy Johnson, Pasco

106-pound: Nate Ames, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

113-pound: Orion Magoon, Sunlake, freshman

120-pound: Niko Caropreso, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

126-pound: Darion Skelly, Pasco, junior

132-pound: Travis Knowlton, Pasco, junior

138-pound: Tyson Gillott, Wesley Chapel, junior

145-pound: Jack Evans, Pasco, sophomore

152-pound: Scott Kren, Land O’ Lakes, senior

160-pound: Mathew Paduani, Sunlake, senior

170-pound: Mark Kieper, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

182-pound: Zach Spicer, Sunlake, junior

195-pound: Timothy Johnson, Pasco, senior

220-pound: Cayman Wiseman, Sunlake, junior

285-pound: Trent Gilbert, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

Second Team All-Conference
106-pound: Zac Demello, Zephyrhills, sophomore

113-pound: Kyle Eldridge, Land O’ Lakes, junior

120-pound: Krystian Maldonado, Sunlake, senior

126-pound: Jaiden Martinez, Zephyrhills, freshman

132-pound: Tristan Cowley, Zephyrhills, senior

138-pound: Cade Menozi, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

145-pound: Samuel Gilley, Sunlake, junior

152-pound: Kevin Johnston, Pasco, junior

160-pound: Issam Hamad, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

170-pound: Alexander Perusek, Sunlake, junior

182-pound: Benjamin Tomas, Wesley Chapel, senior

195-pound: Angel Vasquez, Land O’ Lakes, senior

220-pound: Andrew Martin, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

285-pound: Bradley Jasper, Sunlake, senior

Honorable Mention
Sam Payne, Cypress Creek, freshman

Connor O’ Malley, Cypress Creek, senior

The Wesley Chapel varsity girls basketball team captured its first conference title in 11 years and first district title in 10 years, on its way to a 22-3 mark. (Courtesy of Wesley Chapel High School Athletics)

Winter Sports (Girls)
East All-Conference Girls’ Basketball
Team Champion: Wesley Chapel

Coach of the Year: Peter Livingston, Wesley Chapel

Player of the Year: Kayla Grant, Wesley Chapel

First Team All-Conference
Kayla Grant, Wesley Chapel, junior

Zoi Evans, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Genesis Gonzalez, Sunlake, senior

Trinity Blanc, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Ariana Heppenstall, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Mia Nicholson, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Emilia Cameron, Pasco, senior

Madison Gant, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Taija McCullough, Zephyrhills, sophomore

Emari Lewis, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Honorable Mention
Erin Whitely, Cypress Creek

After going 3-13 in its inaugural campaign in 2018, the Cypress Creek Middle High varsity girls soccer team enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this season, winning a conference championship and finishing with an 11-4 record. (File)

East All-Conference Girls’ Soccer
Team Champion: Cypress Creek

Offensive Player of the Year: Heather Sefton, Wesley Chapel

Defensive Player of the Year: Katelyn Leavines, Cypress Creek

First Team All-Conference
Heather Sefton, Wesley Chapel, senior

Avery Damjanovic, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Gaby Cardenas, Wesley Chapel, junior

Taylor Denney, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Teresa Rodriguez, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

Ysa Novak, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Katelyn Leavines, Cypress Creek, senior

Courtney Eckel, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Kaci Landry, Sunlake, senior

Ashley Doers, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Mackenzie Spurling, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Jeanine Sullivan, Sunlake, senior

Raegan Bourne, Cypress Creek, junior

Sophia Mitchell, Cypress Creek, junior

Kaylei Koschman, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Kat Llanos, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Bryanna Joseph, Sunlake, junior

Emily Esquinaldo, Wesley Chapel, senior

Sydney Bauer, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Abigail Murphy, Cypress Creek, junior

Maddy Golka, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Madison Holcombe, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Hope Johnson, Zephyrhills, senior

Kamryn Cummings, Pasco, senior

The Wiregrass Ranch High varsity girls competitive cheerleading team were tops among eastside Pasco County schools at the annual ‘Best of Pasco’ tournament. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Girls’ Competitive Cheerleading
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch

Coach of the Year: Dawn Wetherby, Pasco

Cheerleader of the Year: Reagan Steele, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Rachel Trapeni, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Molly Doyle, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Alexandra Cristafaro, Sunlake, senior

Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior

Emelina Brown, Sunlake, freshman

Reagan Steele, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Abigail Runkel, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Kimberly Benson, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Gabrielle Flannery, Pasco, senior

Megan Partain, Pasco, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Tara Powers, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Cara Alvarez, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Kaytie Odom, Pasco, senior

Mallory McCann, Pasco, senior

Kristal Prado Zapata, Wesley Chapel, junior

Sydney Moye, Wesley Chapel, senior

Lyla Lewczyk, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Haley Cogan, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Camryn Steele, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Emma Runkel, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

The Sunlake High varsity girls weightlifting team captured its first state championship, in the FHSAA Class 2A girls weightlifting state finals. The feat marks the second state title by a team sport in the school’s history. (File)

East All-Conference Girls’ Weightlifting
Coach of the Year: Denise Garcia

Athlete of the Year: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
101-pound: Gabriella Schwarz, Sunlake, freshman

110-pound: Prestine Carter, Pasco, senior

119-pound: Madison Guincho, Sunlake, sophomore

129-pound: Loah Castro, Sunlake, senior

139-pound: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior

154-pound: Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior

169-pound: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes, senior

183-pound: Alyssa Kremer, Land O’ Lakes, junior

199-pound: Sydney Murski, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Unlimited: Abby Shaffer, Zephyrhills, senior

Second Team All-Conference
101-pound: Savannah Soriano, Land O’ Lakes, junior

110-pound: Christina Graziano, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

119-pound: Alexandro Cristofaro, Sunlake, senior

129-pound: Gianina Rios, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

139-pound: Sarah Davis, Zephyrhills, junior

154-pound: Kayla Robbins, Zephyrhills, junior

169-pound: Brianna Caban, Sunlake, junior

183-pound: Abigail Schmook, Sunlake, junior

199-pound: Cynthia Wilkes, Zephyrhills, senior

Unlimited: Sabrina Diaz, Sunlake, junior

Honorable Mention
Dinah Hardin, Wesley Chapel, senior

Amanda Reyes, Cypress Creek, senior

Published March 20, 2019

Women’s sports museum opens in Wesley Chapel

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Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice is widely known as the training grounds of the gold-medal winning 2018 U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team.

The Women’s Sports Herstory Museum is a virtual museum dedicated to female pioneers in hockey. Located on the second floor of the AdventHealth Center Ice hockey complex, it features interactive wall panel displays where visitors scan QR codes from their phones to view content online; the museum is also decorated with various female hockey memorabilia and equipment. (Kevin Weiss)

Now, the 150,500-square-foot ice sports complex houses what is believed to be the first virtual museum dedicated to women’s hockey trailblazers.

The museum, called the Women’s Sports Herstory Museum, is the brainchild of female hockey coaching legend Digit Murphy and her friend, Jeff Novotny, a Wesley Chapel resident.

Situated in a second-floor viewing room of the ice hockey complex, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., the museum features interactive wall panel displays where visitors scan QR codes to view content online in the form of videos and in-depth stories.

The poster-sized displays highlight several of hockey’s female pioneers, including Katey Stone,  the first-ever female head coach of a USA Hockey team in the Olympics and current head coach at Harvard University; Katie Guay, the first to officiate an NCAA Division I men’s hockey game; Sara DeCosta Hayes, a two-time USA Hockey Women’s Player of the Year; Amanda Pelkey, a 2018 gold medalist and all-time scoring leader at the University of Vermont; and, of course, Murphy, who became the winningest coach in Division I women’s hockey at Brown University.

The room is also decorated with various sports memorabilia and equipment, including a signed jersey and signed pictures of all 23 members of the U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team.

At some point, the museum will highlight a “local hero” for women’s sports in the Tampa Bay area.

Women’s Sports Herstory Museum co-curator Digit Murphy speaks at a March 6 VIP event at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

“Girls and women need to hear the stories of the women that played before them,” Murphy said, during a March 6 VIP event for the museum. “When girls and women walk through this museum, I want them to see themselves sitting in the seats of the women that came before them. We need our little girls looking in this room going, ‘Oh, I could be a gold medalist…’”

She continued, “It’s really important that people see their heroes and leaders and role models in pictures and stories, because, especially in sports, you see men all the time and you don’t see it for girls.”

The museum — which opened to the public on March 9 — will be housed at Center Ice for the next three years, through a room sponsorship from Murphy’s Play it Forward Sport and United Women’s Sports organizations, which also will award $1,000 scholarships to local female high school seniors.

The concept was born last year after Murphy took a visit to Canton, Ohio, where she discovered — and became irked — that a $100 million expansion was being made in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Murphy recalled the moment: “I’m like, ‘$100 million for football? Unbelievable.’”

Digit Murphy is the winningest coach in Division I women’s hockey at Brown University.

From that, the hockey legend got in touch with Novotny, an engineer, who figured they could develop a platform where museums about women’s sports could be brought to already existing venues.

“I recognize the importance of how it’s important that we celebrate the women in our lives that do special things, so this was an opportunity to kind of do something unique,” said Novotny, who met Murphy years ago at a hockey clinic for one of his daughters.

Novotny then reached out to AdventHealth Center Ice general manager Gordie Zimmermann, who signed off on a virtual museum in his facility.

Zimmermann is pleased with how it turned out.

“This is an inspiring room, for sure,” Zimmermann said, during the VIP event. “We walk by this room constantly and there’s little kids in here hanging on the walls and now they’re going to be looking at the walls instead.

“We’ve always talked about girls hockey and what can we do with girls hockey. There is a place, for sure, in this sport for girls and the future’s so bright for them.”

Meanwhile, the Wesley Chapel location could be just the tip of the iceberg for Murphy and Novotny’s virtual women’s sports museum initiative.

The co-curators hope to expand the project to highlighting women in various other sports in other cities.

Novotny said they’ve even been approached by some universities to create a virtual museum for their alumni female athletes. “It’s scalable to any sport,” he said.

And, Murphy wants to see the virtual museums “everywhere.”

“We want this to be something that goes viral,” she said. “We want more of women’s stories out there, so that Herstory can happen.”

For more information about the museum, visit GetHerStory.com.

Published March 13, 2019

Land O’ Lakes standout finds home in new pro football league

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Not too long ago, Shaheed Salmon was making thumping defensive stops as an All-State linebacker all over the gridiron of John Benedetto Stadium at Land O’ Lakes High School.

He’s still doing the same — now, as a professional football player.

The 2014 Land O’ Lakes High graduate is a backup linebacker in the American Alliance of Football’s (AAF) Birmingham Iron franchise.

The league is about the closest level to the NFL as you can get.

Former Land O’ Lakes High standout Shaheed Salmon is now playing professional football in the Alliance of American Football’s Birmingham Iron franchise, where he’s a reserve linebacker. Salmon graduated from Land O’ Lakes in 2014, then went on to star at Division I FCS Samford University. (Courtesy of Birmingham Iron)

It features numerous NFL veteran players and coaches, plus dozens of big names from the college football ranks.

Salmon’s team alone includes one of the league’s most recognizable faces — running back Trent Richardson, a former NFL first round pick and two-time BCS National Champion and All-American at the University of Alabama.

“The competition — it’s great,” Salmon said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “You look to your left and you’re playing with someone who played at Alabama, at the highest level, even in the NFL.”

The AAF launched this year by television producer Charlie Ebersol and Hall of Fame NFL general manager Bill Polian.

The eight-team, 10-game season league is an unofficial complement to the NFL by showcasing developing talent.

Play began in February, with games broadcast on CBS, CBS Sports Network, NFL Network and other properties.

Salmon played collegiately at Division I FCS Samford (Homewood, Alabama), where he developed into an All-Conference standout as one of the nation’s most productive tacklers.

Post-college, the 6-foot-2, 227-pound Salmon signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in May.

He was cut three months later after suffering an ankle injury.

Salmon admittedly was unsure what the future held for his football career, as he worked to rehab his injury and get back into playing shape.

“There was definitely a week or two I was kind of confused of what I was going to do next with my path,” Salmon said.

Salmon said he considered entering the Canadian Football League, but “luckily I got a contract to come to the Alliance.”

Salmon made the 52-man Iron squad following a league-wide training camp back in January.

Salmon has, like other AAF players, a non-guaranteed contract worth $250,000 over three years, with additional bonuses tied to performance, statistics and fan engagement.

Shaheed Salmon lettered all four years at Land O’ Lakes, earning All-State, All-Conference and All-County nods. The linebacker registered 261 career tackles and 20.5 sacks, including 117 stops as a senior. (File)

While not NFL money, it’s still a good chunk of change by most standards.

Moreover, Salmon gets to play in a city that’s just a stone’s throw away from his old college stomping grounds.

“You know, I feel real comfortable here in the 205 (area code),” Salmon said, “because I look at the fans and I see a lot of familiar faces, just coming to support me and stuff, so it’s really neat to be back in Birmingham.”

He’s quickly made a name for himself as a pro.

Salmon received some national attention when he made a pivotal play in the Iron’s Week 2, 12-9 win over the Salt Lake City Stallions on Feb. 16.

In a nationally televised broadcast on TNT, Salmon recovered a fumble — forced by teammate Jamar Summers on a punt return — in the end zone near the end of the third quarter, shifting momentum the Iron’s way as it fought back from a deficit.

Recognition followed on national television, sports websites and social media.

Salmon remains humble about the moment.

“I was just grateful for the touchdown. Jamar made an excellent play, and I just kind of did my job and I was at the right place at the right time,” he said.

Besides the fumble recovery for touchdown, Salmon has one assisted tackle through three games, playing mainly in a reserve role.

Like others in the AAF, Salmon dreams of getting to the NFL someday.

The AAF is regarded as a farm system of sorts for the NFL.

In fact, the league has an “NFL out” written into its player contracts, allowing players in the league to sign with an NFL team if given the opportunity.

“That’s everyone’s goal in this league; everyone’s trying to get back to the NFL,” Salmon said.

Salmon acknowledged that widespread goal brings an added layer of competitiveness and intensity to the startup league.

He explained: “Everyone that’s in this league was pretty much told no (by NFL teams), so it kind of makes them hungry, so that everyone’s a competitor.”

Salmon’s more immediate target, however, isn’t on the NFL.

Instead, it’s striving to do the best he can for the Iron.

“I’m just trying to perfect myself in this defense that we’re playing in,” he said. “I’m just focused right now on this team.”

Meantime, Salmon reflects fondly on his days at Land O’ Lakes.

He lettered in football all four years, collecting 261 career tackles and 20.5 sacks, including 117 stops as a senior in 2013.

The pro footballer said his favorite year as a Gator was as a wide-eyed freshman on varsity in 2010.

(That team finished 9-2, but later had all its wins forfeited after being found guilty of recruiting violations by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).)

“I was on varsity, so it was just an exciting feeling (as a freshman),” Salmon said. “We were pretty good, too, so I just soaked up all the knowledge I could from the older guys and stuff, so that experience was pretty cool.”

Salmon can next be seen in action March 9, when the Iron hosts the Orlando Apollos. Game start is scheduled for 2 p.m., ET on B/R Live. The game can be streamed online at Live.bleacherreport.com.

Published March 6, 2019

Stellar hoops season ends for Land O’ Lakes

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The Land O’ Lakes High varsity boys basketball team’s banner season — and hopeful bid for a state finals appearance — has come to a close.

After winning a district championship and then dismantling King High 62-35 in the regional quarterfinals, the Gators fell at home to Hillsborough High 52-36 in the Class 7A regional semifinals, on Feb. 26.

The defeat ends what was one of the best hoops seasons ever for Land O’ Lakes, who finish the 2018-2019 season with a 24-3 record and a 7-0 district mark, under longtime coach Dave Puhlaski.

The Land O’ Lakes High boys basketball team finished the 2018-2019 season with a district title and a 24-3 record. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High Athletics)

Land O’ Lakes last surpassed the 20-win plateau during the 2011-2012 season — when they went 22-7 and also won a district crown.

The Gators entered the playoff contest against Hillsborough on a 16-game winning streak.

Their last defeat had come on Jan. 1, a 72-65 overtime loss to Wildwood Middle High in the Greg O’ Connell New Year’s Shootout tournament; the team’s other loss was against Wesley Chapel High 57-53, on Dec. 21.

But, the Terriers’ (27-2) size and experience proved too much for Land O’ Lakes, with a roster featuring nine seniors and six players 6-foot-5 or taller.

Land O’ Lakes shot 29 percent from the field and had just two players in double figures, as standout junior guards Chase Farmer and Mehki Perry scored 11 points apiece.

(Hillsborough went on to qualify for the state final four after beating Auburndale High 75-71 in the Class 7A regional final on March 1.)

Disappointing defeat aside, the Gators again figure to be one of the area’s top contenders next season.

The team expects to return its top four scorers, including Farmer (19.1 ppg) and Perry (14.1 ppg), and leading rebounder, 6-foot-5 post Brett Gwinn (6.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg).

Meantime, another local school hoping for a state finals appearance also saw its season come to an end.

The Freedom High boys basketball team fell to Wharton High 69-51 in the Class 8A regional semifinals, on Feb. 26.

The Patriots finished the season with a 25-4 record and 12-2 district mark.

Unlike Land O’ Lakes however, the Patriots may be in for some rebuilding next year, as the team loses nine seniors, including its top five scorers and rebounders.

2018-2019 Land O’ Lakes High varsity boys basketball

  • Myron Bloom, senior
  • Jerry Cribbs, freshman
  • Levi Downing, junior
  • Emmanuel Durojaiye, senior
  • Chase Farmer, junior
  • Brett Gwinn, junior
  • Justin Knowles, senior
  • Dayvion Luqman, junior
  • Aleks Marczak, senior
  • Jerry Peace, junior
  • Mekhi Perry, junior
  • Nate Santana, sophomore
  • AJ Smith, junior
  • Dave Puhlaski, Head coach, 30th year

Published March 06, 2019