The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local Sports

New season, higher goals for Zephyrhills football

By

Last year, the Zephyrhills Bulldogs snapped an eight-year playoff drought by making the postseason for the first time since head coach Reggie Roberts took over in 2010.

This year, the path to an encore doesn’t begin on the practice field, or in the classroom watching game film.

It begins in church.

Head coach Reggie Roberts is looking to build on his team's 8-3 record and accompanying playoff berth last season. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Head coach Reggie Roberts is looking to build on his team’s 8-3 record and accompanying playoff berth last season.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

“I had one of the preachers from a local church say, ‘Coach, you’ve been praying for the playoffs and that’s what you got. Start praying for the state championship this year,’ ” Roberts said while taking a quick break during practice last week.

This year, the goal is a state championship.

But Roberts and the Bulldogs won’t be leaving things up to divine intervention. They’re putting in plenty of hard work as they prepare for the start of the season later this month. Music blares from loudspeakers during practice to keep the athletes motivated while they run drills. Offense, defense and special teams all take over parts of the field to get their practice time in before scheduled breaks.

The players have noted that there’s a new level of seriousness and focus as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“I’ve pushed them. Last week they said it’s been the hardest it’s ever been at Zephyrhills High School, and it probably is because the expectations are higher,” Roberts said. “We’re looking for better things.”

Roberts’ time as coach — he played tight end and linebacker for the school back in his playing days — has been marked by achieving better things. He took over a program that had won just six games in the previous two seasons. It took a year to get things the way he wanted, but since then it’s been a string of winning records, culminating in an 8-3 mark and a trip to the postseason.

Players like running back Myles Carter will be expected to step up for the Bulldogs this season.
Players like running back Myles Carter will be expected to step up for the Bulldogs this season.

The Bulldogs lost a close game to Suwannee High School, and it left them wanting a bigger taste of the postseason.

They’re aiming for a trip to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, where the state championships will be played in December.

Before they can get that far, though, they have to earn it on the field during the regular season.

And before that happens, Roberts wants them to earn it in their studies and in the community.

“The first thing my athletes have to understand is that football is an extension of the classroom. We are student-athletes first,” he said.

Roberts speaks with the decisive tone of a coach who knows what he wants from his players, and he’s already getting their support. They recently worked at a Purple Heart Memorial Dedication earlier this month, and he wants them to bring a blue-collar attitude to everything they do. By focusing on working together and getting things done in class, the coach is convinced it will make them better players on Friday nights.

Roberts will need players to step up and fill some big gaps left by graduating seniors. The coach misses all of them, since they all contributed to the team’s success. But standout players like quarterback Ty Tanner and running back Jaylen Pickett were more than role players, and they’ve moved on. That means the team has to find a way to move on as well.

The coach is confident the team can take the next step with existing talent like Myles Carter, Antwione Sims and Jackie Tucker. And Tucker, a senior receiver, shares his optimism.

“This offseason I’ve been grinding with my two younger quarterbacks, Charles Harrison and Dylan Wood, trying to get them to where my previous quarterback, Ty Tanner, was,” Tucker said.

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound wideout is in his third year with the Bulldogs, and he knows that means taking on a leadership role. He’s embracing the responsibility of being a voice for the team and making sure everyone is doing their job in practice, working out and getting prepared for the upcoming season.

And for Tucker, that includes himself.

“I hit the weight room 10 times harder than I used to,” he said.

The players work hard in the weight room and at practice, where Roberts’ assistants fine-tune their mechanics, and the team races through a battery of drills and exercises.

And, the head coach isn’t making any time for offseason distractions.

They’re in a new district this year.

Roberts isn’t concerned that the Bulldogs aren’t expected to do much with competition like River Ridge and Gulf waiting for them in 5A-8 (“If you look at the polls, we’re way down,” he said. “I love it.”).

The coach brushed off a question about playing longtime rival Pasco High School in November (“Hasn’t even crossed my mind.”).

Roberts also didn’t want to single out any one facet of his team that he expected to stand out this coming season.

But when pressed to choose one — offense, defense, or special teams — the coach gave a smile before responding with a tone that suggested the answer was final.

“Offense. Defense. And special teams,” he said before heading off to focus on his players.

Zephyrhills Bulldogs regular season schedule
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)

Aug. 28 at Wiregrass Ranch

Sept. 4 at Sunlake

Sept. 18 at Gulf

Sept. 25 vs. Fivay

Oct. 2 vs. Hudson

Oct. 9 at Ridgewood

Oct. 16 vs. River Ridge

Oct. 23 at Wesley Chapel

Oct. 30 vs. Anclote

Nov. 6 vs. Pasco

Published August 19, 2015

Sunlake eyes return to playoffs

By

Now that high school football teams are allowed to practice, the Sunlake Seahawks are running routes, conducting seven-on-seven drills, sprinting and diving to the ball.

Sunlake coach Bill Browning leads the Seahawks in practice. They'll try to defend their Class 6A-6 district title this season. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)
Sunlake coach Bill Browning leads the Seahawks in practice. They’ll try to defend their Class 6A-6 district title this season.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)

They’re working hard, but head coach Bill Browning isn’t ready to hand out any awards just yet.

“Seven-on-seven in the summer plays a role, but it’s nothing but glorified PE (physical education) football,” Browning said. “I’m looking for reliability over ability right now.”

Browning’s seen too many quarterbacks and running backs who shine in drills, but lose their luster once the pads come on. So while he’s pleased with his team’s effort so far, he knows the Seahawks have a long way to go to match their recent string of success.

The success they’ve enjoyed includes the school’s first-ever district title last year and no less than eight wins in each of the past five seasons.

Living up to that standard won’t be easy.

Sunlake, like all teams, lost talented players to graduation. Guys — like Nathan Johnson, who paced the offense from the running back position — aren’t there to carry the load anymore.

They’ve also lost players to other issues, Browning said.

It's early in the practice schedule, but the Seahawks aren't taking it easy as they prepare for the season to start later this month.
It’s early in the practice schedule, but the Seahawks aren’t taking it easy as they prepare for the season to start later this month.

Three expected starters on defense won’t be with the team due to accidents on jet skis and motorcycles, as well as lingering injuries.

There won’t be any excuses at Sunlake, however.

Expectations are high, and Browning is looking for players to step up and fill those roles.

“We have some puzzle pieces to put together. We’re far from being polished yet,” he said.

“It’s our job as a coaching staff to get somebody else to replace them who’s a very good football player, and we’re working on that,” Browning said.

Some guys are hard to replace. Browning expects to use a committee approach to handle running back duties, in place of Johnson.

And, he feels good about the offensive line. The unit is mostly intact and experienced, and should be a strong point for the team, which will need them to provide protection for the quarterback, and open up holes for the running game.

“They’re all seniors. They all started last year, they all eat weights, and they all play physical football,” Browning said of the offensive line.

One of those linemen, Bryce Cooley, also sees his position as an important one for the team.

“Without an offensive line, I really think you can’t do anything on offense,” he said. “Seven-on-seven doesn’t mean anything, until you get the big boys out there.”

At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Cooley is one of those big boys who will be out there. Now in his third year with the team, he’s comfortable taking more of a leadership role. That means leading by example mostly, he said, but he’s not above calling out a teammate if they aren’t giving it their all.

Still, the Seahawks are more about camaraderie than calling each other out, Cooley explained. They spend time together away from the field and have developed friendships that make the team closer. He expects that synergy will help them when the season starts.

Until then, Cooley knows there’s a lot of work to do. But he said he loves it, and feels confident in what Sunlake can accomplish if everyone puts in their best effort.

“We’re just going to defend the title, hopefully, and do what we have to do,” he said. “I’ve got faith in these guys.”

Sunlake still has a little time before their preseason game against East Lake High School on Aug. 21, and the start of the regular season on Aug. 28 against Gulf High School. There will be preparation required before the team is ready, but Browning is no stranger to hard work. He’s taken the Seahawks from a winless squad in 2007 to a perennial playoff threat today. He also doesn’t take much time off when the season ends, and now looks forward to replacing top players and pushing the team to meet the high standard he’s set for Sunlake football.

“It makes me thrive. I like these challenges,” Browning said.

Sunlake Seahawks regular season schedule
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)

Aug. 28 vs. Gulf

Sept. 4 vs. Zephyrhills

Sept. 11 at Wiregrass Ranch

Sept. 18 vs. Land O’ Lakes

Sept. 25 at Lakewood Ranch

Oct. 2 at Springstead

Oct. 16 vs. Pasco

Oct. 23 at Mitchell

Oct. 30 at St. Petersburg

Nov. 6 at River Ridge

Published August 12, 2015 

Wharton athlete runs past pain and into college

By

Mollie Golicher was a skilled runner and was expected to be a big part of Wharton High School’s cross-country and track teams.

Mollie Golicher struggled with severe hip pain throughout her junior and senior seasons. But she kept a leadership position on the team while she worked on her running, and her efforts paid off. Wharton High School won district titles in both cross-country and track. (Photos courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)
Mollie Golicher struggled with severe hip pain throughout her junior and senior seasons. But she kept a leadership position on the team while she worked on her running, and her efforts paid off. Wharton High School won district titles in both cross-country and track.
(Photos courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

After all, her older sister, Kallie, was a standout runner for the school. Kallie earned a letter all four years of high school, was a team captain for both cross-country and track, and won school awards for athletic excellence.

So, even before she stepped onto a single track or course, big things were expected of Mollie.

“Her sister was kind of an all-everything runner, and everybody expects her to be the same thing,” recalled Kyle LoJacono, the Wharton boys’ cross-country and track coach who also spends a lot of time working with the girls’ team.

For Golicher’s freshman and sophomore years, things went according to plan. She was one of the school’s top runners in cross-country and track.

But then there were problems.

Specifically, she had problems with her hips.

As she got older and continued to grow, she was having trouble doing her normal running. Her hips would make clicking sounds, and she felt excruciating pain. And that made it impossible to be the athlete she was expected to be.

“It got really bad, to the point that it hurt to walk around school,” Golicher said. “If I sat down for a while, my hips would hurt getting up.”

With her junior year a wash, Golicher focused on bouncing back her senior year, working hard and preparing to re-establish herself at the top of her sport.

She did what her coaches told her to do. She did everything right. Unfortunately, things went wrong.

As a senior, practicing became a constant exercise in pain. Instead of being able to focus on running, Golicher was just trying to get through the activity in one piece.

Coach Kyle LoJacono talks with Golicher after her final high school track meet. But it's not the end of her running career. She'll run for Wofford College in South Carolina as a freshman.
Coach Kyle LoJacono talks with Golicher after her final high school track meet. But it’s not the end of her running career. She’ll run for Wofford College in South Carolina as a freshman.

“The pain is just to the point where she can’t get through simple runs sometimes without just breaking down crying, because there was so much pain,” LoJacono said.

At that point it would almost make sense to quit.

Golicher could have taken the easy path and moved on to something else.

But if being a top runner wasn’t an option anymore, neither was quitting.

Despite her struggles, Golicher became a team captain in both cross-country and track. And she took the leadership role seriously.

“In senior year when I became a captain, I knew I had to support my team no matter what I was going through, to push the younger runners to their full potential and to push the team in general, and be a leader and role model for the younger runners,” Golicher said.

She also got support from Kallie, now running for the College of Charleston, a Division I school in South Carolina. She encouraged her little sister to look at the big picture, and not give up on the idea of running in college herself one day.

She followed her sister’s advice. She encouraged and supported the top runners — most of whom were freshmen and sophomores.

Her attitude and knowledge wasn’t just helpful to the team.

According to LoJacono, it was instrumental to their success.

“We could not have won districts in both cross-country and track without Mollie. She was like having another coach out there,” he said.

As a result, the girls cross-country team won their district for the first time in six years, reaching the state level of competition. The track team also continued its winning ways, claiming their second straight district crown.

And Golicher kept running as well. The pain lessened over time — becoming more manageable — through stretching and strength conditioning.

She also kept working to improve her times.

That effort also paid off.

Golicher will enter her freshman year at Wofford College in South Carolina as a runner, while she studies sociology and business.

So, despite her challenges in high school, Golicher, like her sister, will run for a Division I program in college.

She also realizes that she became a big part of Wharton’s success after all. It just wasn’t the role she thought she would play.

“I was really proud of them, and how far they’ve gone and how far they pushed themselves to even get to states,” Golicher said. “I tried my best to be a role model for them, and support them and help them push themselves to get to states and run the best times they could.”

Published August 5, 2015

Shuffleboard club combines socializing, sports

By

If you can’t clear and hide, you could end up in the kitchen.

That isn’t a down-home saying you might hear from your grandmother.

It’s sound sports advice. In the game of shuffleboard, clearing and hiding are moves you make with your discs, and the kitchen is somewhere you don’t want to be.

Steve Barnett is proud to show off his white Masters jacket, which he earned for his top play on the courts. His friends, from left, John Houghtaling, Chuck Moulton and R.L. Lay, appreciate the difficulty of Barnett's accomplishment, but that doesn't mean they won't tease him at every opportunity. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)
Steve Barnett is proud to show off his white Masters jacket, which he earned for his top play on the courts. His friends, from left, John Houghtaling, Chuck Moulton and R.L. Lay, appreciate the difficulty of Barnett’s accomplishment, but that doesn’t mean they won’t tease him at every opportunity.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)

While they avoid the kitchen, members of the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club flock to their courts at 5209 Eighth St.

They play most mornings and many afternoons, too.

It might taper off a bit in the summer, but the courts are packed in the winter. And there’s usually a foursome willing to break out the cues and discs for a game just about any time of the year.

“This game can get in your head. It literally takes your life over if you really get into it,” said Chuck Moulton, who serves as the club’s treasurer and maintains the website.

Moulton isn’t really obsessed with the game, but he’s been an avid player since he first picked up a cue around 15 years ago. He took to it immediately, and over the years he moved up the ranks from novice to district amateur to state amateur to pro. The club has more than 150 members, and Moulton estimates that around 65 of them have reached the pro level.

That doesn’t mean it’s a cutthroat atmosphere when they play. Tournaments can get serious and players like to win, but what keeps people coming back is the friendships and camaraderie.

“Everybody’s really good friends. I’ll bet I have 500 to 600 friends through this sport that I can tell you their first and last name, where they’re from and something about them,” Moulton said. “It’s its own community.”

That community includes players like John Houghtaling, who moved to Florida from Cooperstown, New York. He used to spend winters here, but made it his permanent home a couple of years ago. And the shuffleboard club played a role in his decision.

“One of the biggest reasons why is the folks that I’ve met and the game, believe it or not,” Houghtaling said.

Steve Barnett, left, and Chuck Moulton enjoy an afternoon game at the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club's courts.
Steve Barnett, left, and Chuck Moulton enjoy an afternoon game at the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club’s courts.

Cooperstown is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and Houghtaling sees similarities between that game and the one he plays almost daily. They both seem simple, but the nuances of each move and the strategies that go into each turn make them deceptively complex.

He said there is a game within the game of shuffleboard.

Some club members have been at the sport for decades.

Steve Barnett has only been playing a few years, but he’s already making his mark. Barnett qualified for the Central District Masters tournament, which requires accumulating points through good showings at tournaments. Only the top eight players for each gender get to participate each year, and the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club normally has multiple qualifiers, giving them a reputation for being one of the more talented clubs.

Barnett is proud of his Masters jacket, but it’s not the most meaningful part of the game for him.

“It’s probably the camaraderie, meeting new people, making friends with people,” Barnett said. We just came back from the Keys, my gal and I, and took one of our shuffleboard couples with us. We had a ball.”

Players can have a ball just sitting around the court and socializing with friends. Even if Moulton isn’t playing on a particular morning, he’ll still make his way down to chat and laugh with other club members. One of those members is R.L. Lay, who doesn’t go to tournaments anymore. After 14 years, he now chooses to play a few casual games most mornings and take in the social aspect of the sport.

“I’ll come in and I enjoy myself. I have fun, and I’ll play three or four games in the morning, and if they can talk me into the fourth one I’ll play. And they enjoy beating up on me,” Lay said with a smile.

Lay might take a good-natured ribbing from his buddies, but he’s no slouch with a cue. His specialty is sending opponents to the kitchen, the section of the court that subtracts 10 points if a disc is there at the end of a turn.

“I win my share of the games and lose my share,” he said.

Win or lose, the goal is for members to have fun at the club. And if there’s an inexperienced person who wants to give it a try, the regulars are ready to greet them with a handshake and tips on how to get started, Moulton said.

“If you came down and said ‘you know, I’m a newbie and I’d like to learn this game,’ all these guys would help you,” he said.

For more information about the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club, call Moulton at (813) 779-9513, email ">, or visit ZephyrhillsShuffle.com.

Published July 29, 2015

Rule requires new clarity for softball substitutions

By

There’s now a specific definition for “projected substitute” in the softball rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The new requirement is spelled out in Rule 2-57, Article Four.

This may not sound like a very big deal, but it could have a big impact.

It could affect how high school coaches manage their softball games going forward.

Land O' Lakes High School softball coach Mitch Wilkins likes the idea of defining projected substitutes. Now that the definition is in place, his team, and all high school teams, will find the addition in the updated rules next year. (Courtesy of Edwin Rodriguez)
Land O’ Lakes High School softball coach Mitch Wilkins likes the idea of defining projected substitutes. Now that the definition is in place, his team, and all high school teams, will find the addition in the updated rules next year.
(Courtesy of Edwin Rodriguez)

If a coach wants to substitute players, the coach is supposed to do it when those players are ready to become active.

On offense, that should be when the coach wants that specific player to bat.

On defense, it should be when the team takes the field when the other team comes up to bat.

But that’s not always how it’s worked during a game.

Some coaches would substitute a player, and inform the umpire of other substitutions they’re making for future at-bats.

Often the umpire would tell the coach to make each one at the appropriate time, but sometimes they would accept the group substitutions.

And that could cause problems, if the coaches made a mistake or changed their mind before the player was actually active in the game.

Those projected substitutes aren’t allowed, but since there wasn’t an actual definition in place for what constitutes one, there was some leeway and inconsistency in how the situations were handled.

Now there won’t be any confusion, because a projected substitute is now officially defined as “a player who does not immediately participate in the game.”

The NFHS expects this will eliminate any ambiguity regarding projected substitutes.

“There was confusion about the rule,” said Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education.

“We’re trying to emphasize that (projected substitutions) is an improper procedure, and so coaches need to be more diligent in reporting their substitutes on offense.”

The offensive side was emphasized because everyone is active at the same time on defense, making everyone an immediate participant in the game.

Making a rule change, or even adjusting a definition, is a three-step process at the NFHS. State associations make proposals to add or change something in the rules, and an 11-person rules committee considers the proposal. If it passes, it goes to an internal rules review committee. After that, the NFHS board has the final say. If the board approves it, the change goes into effect and is added to the rulebook.

It takes a lot of steps just to clarify a definition, but Land O’ Lakes High School softball coach Mitch Wilkins thinks it’s a good move, and believes coaches should already be adhering to the spirit of the rule.

“It makes more sense to be clear to always substitute when the player is actually entering the game,” Wilkins said. “Whatever the situation is, you don’t make the substitution until the time that she’s going in to play.”

Technicalities with regard to substitutions can have a real-world impact on games, Wilkins explained. Last season he had a situation where he forgot to substitute a player in, and she had already faced a pitch. He informed the officials and, after a conference, they called the player out due to an improper substitution.

There was just one problem. That’s not how the rule works.

“I made the announcement before the defense caught it,” he said. In that case, as long as the defense didn’t protest before he informed the umpire, he was allowed to make the substitution without penalty. Wilkins informed the officials of the proper application and, after another huddle, they reversed their decision, and the out didn’t count.

Any clarification that eliminates doubt is a good thing, Wilkins said. And he credits umpires for working hard to get their calls correct.

“The umpires really strive to do a good job, and the umpire associations pride themselves on having educated umpires that do things the right way, and I think that’s very important. Coaches really appreciate umpires that work hard and know the game, and do it the right way,” he said.

And with a clear definition regarding projected substitutes, the NFHS believes everyone, including the coaches, will have an easier time getting things right.

“We’re hoping that those who are guilty of projected substitutes now become more conscious of what they’re doing and will be more thoughtful about the process,” Wynn said.

Published July 22, 2015

Carroll vaults to top spot in Sullivan Award competition

By

As a champion gymnast and pole-vaulter, Nikki Carroll relies on her superior balance. But when she found out that she won the Amateur Athletic Union High School Sullivan Award, she became uncharacteristically shaky on her feet.

Nikki Carroll was a little unsteady after hearing she won the AAU's High School Sullivan Award, but she earned it through her extraordinary balance and skill in pole vaulting and gymnastics. (Photos courtesy of Nikki Carroll)
Nikki Carroll was a little unsteady after hearing she won the AAU’s High School Sullivan Award, but she earned it through her extraordinary balance and skill in pole vaulting and gymnastics.
(Photos courtesy of Nikki Carroll)

“I was just so shocked. I couldn’t even believe what she was saying,” Carroll recalled about the phone call confirming she won the award. “I had to hold onto the table that was next to me. I almost fell on the floor.”

While the AAU hands out the award to four male and four female athletes around the country, just one of each wins the top prize of $10,000 in scholarship money. Carroll, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, beat out hundreds of applicants around the country to take the top female athlete prize.

Her athletic accomplishments are impressive – she’s a two-time high school state pole vaulting champion, and she took the top all-around position for gymnastics at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

But, it takes more than physical skill to win the top Sullivan prize. In addition to participating in at least one AAU sport, athletes are also judged on academics, leadership and character, and had to prepare essay responses on the application.

In those areas, Carroll also compared favorably to her peers. She maintained a 3.7 grade point average in high school, coached younger athletes over the summer and volunteered at Feeding America Tampa Bay, where she sorted food and distributed it to the needy.

She won’t win any medals by volunteering, but Carroll said the result is rewarding just the same.

“It’s such a great feeling, being able to help other people,” she said.

Nikki Carroll is ready to put away her medals and focus on competing for the University of South Florida, where she earned a full scholarship for her pole-vaulting skills.
Nikki Carroll is ready to put away her medals and focus on competing for the University of South Florida, where she earned a full scholarship for her pole-vaulting skills.

Helping young athletes learn new skills was particularly rewarding, Carroll said. Perhaps that’s because she used to be one of those young athletes herself. She’s been doing gymnastics since she was around 5 years old, and her dedication to two sports has required much of her limited free time. At Tampa Catholic High School, Carroll spent several hours a day after school on gymnastics, whether it was beam, bars, floor or vault work. Weekends meant a trip to Merritt Island to practice pole vaulting at Pole Vault City.

And that doesn’t count the out-of-state traveling. As an AAU participant, Carroll travels to places like Iowa and New York to compete in gymnastics and pole vaulting events. She’s been to the Big Apple several times just this year, she said.

She has enjoyed competing against athletes from different states.

She also has had the chance to meet coaches, too, who have provided valuable advice and critiques on her form. She’s even planning to attend a camp run by a coach she met at a competition.

Now that she’s graduated high school, Carroll’s schedule will change.

But it won’t get easier.

She’ll miss gymnastics, but pole vaulting will become a priority, since it earned her a full scholarship to the University of South Florida.

Her academic studies will focus on integrative biology in pursuit of a career in either trauma medicine or forensics.

And the $10,000 in scholarship money won’t hurt, either.

While the monetary prize and the state champion accolades are nice, Carroll is most proud of not just being named a Sullivan winner, but in taking the top female spot out of all eligible high school athletes.

“This is on a whole other level than everything else that I’ve done,” Carroll said.

Published July 15, 2015

Saint Leo hires winning coach for basketball program

By

Saint Leo University has hired a new head basketball coach with a reputation for winning.

“I’m very excited to come to Saint Leo,” said new head coach Vince Alexander. “I think they’re an institution that’s growing. I think it’s an athletic department that really wants to step up their game and really make some things happen.”

New Saint Leo basketball coach Vince Alexander will bring a fast-paced game to the court. He also brings a 285-187 record to his new school and a pedigree of success. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
New Saint Leo basketball coach Vince Alexander will bring a fast-paced game to the court. He also brings a 285-187 record to his new school and a pedigree of success.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Alexander is used to making things happen. He boasts a lifetime winning record above 60 percent during a 16-year coaching career, and spent a decade building his last school, the University of South Carolina-Aiken, into a perennial winner.

His new team has an impressive track record in recent years as well.

Saint Leo finished last season with a record of 14-15, but has enjoyed greater success in previous years.

The Lions reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Men’s tournament in each of the previous three seasons, setting a school record for wins in the 2012-13 season (22) and again in the 2013-14 season (24). The Lions reached the second round of the tournament in both of those record-setting campaigns.

After the off year, coach Lance Randall resigned to accept a position at Lindenwood University in Missouri.

That opened the door for Alexander, who had spent the previous 10 seasons with the Pacers. During that time he took the Pacers even farther than the Lions’ best seasons: In 2012-13, Alexander’s team reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II tournament, and the following year they made the Final Four.

In all, USC-Aiken won four Peach Belt Conference regular season championships. Alexander was named the PBC Coach of the Year four times, and National Association of Basketball Coaches Regional Coach of the Year three times. He has a career coaching record of 285-187.

Those accomplishments and that school might be behind him, but Alexander is bringing the work ethic and philosophy that earned those accolades with him to Saint Leo. He’s also bringing a couple of assistants from his former staff who are among his former players. And, he expects success from his new team both on and off the court.

“What we do is we develop young men. We want them to become champions in life. It’s not just about being a champion on the court,” Alexander explained. “Winning is a by-product of what we’ve done in establishing young men and helping them to become good fathers, good husbands and productive citizens of our community. We’re going to keep that same philosophy (at Saint Leo), and, God willing, we’re going to continue to have the success that we had at USC-Aiken.”

Alexander isn’t the type to preach to others, but is proud to say that God plays a big role in his life. He and his family prayed over the decision to coach at a new university, and he strives to lead by example when it comes to how he conducts himself in his life and career.

Alexander’s practices don’t feature a lot of cursing and yelling. But players would be making a big mistake if they assume practices will be easy. To the contrary, Alexander wants intense sessions as he establishes an up-tempo, fast-paced game plan, which requires moving up the court quickly when they have the ball, and a pressuring defense when they don’t.

NCAA rules do not permit practice over the summer.

Alexander said he has already spoken to returning and incoming players so they know what to expect, and he is working with the strength training coach to make sure that players will be in shape to handle the increased activity and intensity in practice and on game days.

The players have expressed enthusiasm about the style of play, but the coach knows it’s easy to say you’re on board before the conditioning starts. He wants those first practices to be difficult and to really test his players.

The coach said if they stick with his philosophy and follow the game plan, he’s confident the results will show up on the scoreboard.

“Our goal is to have 45-50 points at half time. Not for a game,” Alexander explained.

In a press release announcing Alexander’s hire, Saint Leo athletic director Fran Reidy stated the team’s goals are to challenge for the conference title and eventually reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

For his part, Alexander wouldn’t make any specific predictions regarding how much progress they’ll make toward those goals in his first season. They haven’t even had a practice yet.

But he does have one prediction for the fans: They’re going to like what they see on the court.

“It will be hard for you to sit in your seat because it will be up-tempo, aggressive defense and getting after it on both ends of the floor,” he said.

Published July 8, 2015

No more ‘co’ champs for Wiregrass Ranch tennis

By

Last season, the Wiregrass Ranch boys tennis team captured a state title in Class 3A.

Technically, they had to share it with another school. And while that was an impressive accomplishment, it wasn’t good enough for their coach and his players. It meant another team was always part of the discussion.

“The first thing people ask is, who did you tie with? So instead of being able to talk about your team and what you did, you end up talking about the other team that was there as well,” explained David Wilson, the Wiregrass Ranch coach.

Wiregrass Ranch's tennis team isn't sharing the state championship trophy with anyone this year. The Bulls are the Class 3A state champion, building on last year's co-championship. From left, Sebastian Castillo, Daniel Moreno, Alejandro Feliciano, Foresight Okungbowa, Agie Moreno, Lorcan Kavanagh and Kris Cheung. (Courtesy of David Wilson)
Wiregrass Ranch’s tennis team isn’t sharing the state championship trophy with anyone this year. The Bulls are the Class 3A state champion, building on last year’s co-championship. From left, Sebastian Castillo, Daniel Moreno, Alejandro Feliciano, Foresight Okungbowa, Agie Moreno, Lorcan Kavanagh and Kris Cheung.
(Courtesy of David Wilson)

This year, no other team needs to be mentioned.

The Bulls are the sole owners of the state title after capping off a 21-0 season by taking out the competition at the state tournament in April.

And being a champion is a lot nicer than being a co-champion.

“It’s just a whole lot more fun to hold the trophy above your head and not have to hand it off to somebody else afterward so they can take their pictures,” Wilson said. “Getting rid of the ‘co’ in front of your state championship is nice.”

The team wasn’t very nice when it came to their matches.

It frequently breezed past its opponents, although Wilson said the regional tournament provided especially tough competition, and individual players had some challenging matches during their playoff run.

Before it took the state championship, Wiregrass Ranch had already claimed a title. The team won the DecoTurf High School Tennis Championships in Tennessee, back in April.

In that tournament it faced Hinsdale Central, a team that won the last two championships and hadn’t lost a match in four years. And, if spectators were hoping for a close contest, they didn’t get one.

“It was 7-2, so we actually beat them pretty good,” Wilson recalled.

The Bulls beat a lot of teams this year, but their coach wasn’t surprised. After last year’s success, Wilson (who also coaches the successful soccer team and is the school’s athletic director) thought this year’s team would actually be better than the co-state champions.

It was a sentiment shared by his players.

“We had an idea that we were going to be really good,” said Alejandro Feliciano, who was a big part of the championship team and part of last year’s team, too.

“I think our team had more chemistry this year than we did last year,” said Feliciano, who also is nationally ranked as an individual tennis player.

Feliciano could tell the Bulls had something special this year, and is proud to have completed his high school tennis career with an outright team tennis title. He’ll continue his time on the court with a scholarship to Newberry College in South Carolina.

With players like Feliciano and Foresight Okungbowa graduating, it might seem like a good opportunity for other teams to catch up and possibly dethrone Wiregrass Ranch. Unfortunately for those schools, Wilson is already replenishing the team’s depth, and he’s using familiar names to do it.

Okungbowa’s brother will be a freshman at Wiregrass Ranch next year, and other former and current players have siblings who will enter the school in future years. And with top player Agie Moreno returning, Wilson feels like the team will have the tools to remain competitive.

“I think we should be good for a little while longer,” Wilson said.

For now, the team can enjoy the school’s first outright state championship.

Wilson said the players have benefited from a little celebrity at school, which is common for some athletes, but pretty rare for a tennis team.

Wiregrass Ranch has taken pride in the team’s accomplishment, and Wilson is glad to have been the one to provide it.

“Personally, it meant a lot to me to be the first coach to bring home a state title,” he said. “Leading the athletic program, it was really important for me to sort of set the standard for how hard we should be working and what we do as a program,” Wilson said.

Published July 1, 2015

Real swings on computer courses

By

When Jeff Sproat was offered a chance to play a golf simulator a few years ago, he wasn’t interested. He was a real golfer who played real courses. What interest could he have in a simulation of the game he loved?

Then, he tried it.

“I ended up spending about three hours in there. I got hooked,” Sproat recalled.

Golfer's Grail owner Jeff Sproat works in Tampa, but he can take on a driving range, or even Augusta, anytime he wants. Golfers have 66 options on the simulators, plus putt-putt courses and other games. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Golfer’s Grail owner Jeff Sproat works in Tampa, but he can take on a driving range, or even Augusta, anytime he wants. Golfers have 66 options on the simulators, plus putt-putt courses and other games.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Years later, it’s become more than his hobby. It’s his business.

Sproat is the owner of Golfer’s Grail Indoor Golf & Tap, 10019 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 100, in Tampa.

With four simulators, he’s spent the past couple of years encouraging people who are skeptical of the concept, like he was, to give it a try.

There are many aspects of the indoor golfing simulation that mirror the outside game, Sproat said.

Customers bring their own golf clubs and use them for different shots, just like they would on any course. They use real balls. They swing as hard as they would outside. And they can play just about any game you’d find at a golf club or tournament, including driving contests, closest-to-the-pin competitions and even target golf games. And the game is scored the same way, too.

Still, there are important differences, he said.

Golfers are competing on simulations of real courses and some imagined ones — 66 in all, not counting five putt-putt courses and a program that lets players smash windows for fun.

When they hit the ball, it actually makes contact with a screen onto which the course is projected. While they’re playing, LED sensors track the club swing, and audible sensors track the ball. That data provides an estimate of the accuracy and power of the shot, and the results are displayed by showing the ball either landing in a preferred spot, or somewhere else that reveals flaws in the previous swing.

The simulator is accurate enough to make golfers better at the real game, said Sproat, who plays with a single-digit handicap. Since practice is what improves technique, the simulator allows players to get in extra rounds.

Golfer’s Grail isn’t designed to replace anyone’s outside golfing experience. It’s supposed to supplement those rounds and allow players to get in the practice time they might not get otherwise.

“Every golfer wants to be better. They know that they can be better,” Sproat said. “For the avid golfer, it’s more golf.”

It’s actually more golf with a few enhancements. If a player wants a mulligan, or just to replay a hole over and over, it can be done with a couple of buttons on the console. A round of golf that takes four or five hours outside can be done in less than an hour inside. There’s no dress code, they sell beer and wine a few steps from where players swing, and food can be delivered from neighboring restaurants.

And while you might only spend time with the people in your foursome during your round outside, everyone can be part of a gallery of sorts inside, socializing and watching all the participants.

“In here you can play at whatever pace you’re comfortable,” Sproat said. “The clubhouse and the golf course are together.”

The golf courses draw a lot of attention from customers, Sproat said.

The owner himself got in some real golf at Northdale last week, then took a few swings at the challenging 12th hole at the Augusta National Golf Club (home of the Masters Golf Tournament) on the simulator that afternoon.

It’s a day of golf that couldn’t be accomplished in real life, but pretty simple to manage with a program that stays loyal to the courses they’re modeled after.

Sproat has played a little from every course on the simulator, and said they’re accurate to the real-life counterparts he’s tried out in real life.

The most popular ones are Augusta, TPC Sawgrass in Ponta Vedra Beach and the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.

And while the players aren’t actually at those locations, they won’t get any closer to the courses without airfare, time off from work and a hard-to-get tee time.

“It is the next best thing, because you actually are hitting the ball. You’re playing the shots. When it’s uphill, you have to hit it harder; when it’s downhill, you have to account for that,” Sproat said.

While regular golfers are a big part of his customer base, he particularly enjoys bringing the game to new people.

Sproat has been hitting the links for nearly 50 years, but he knows that many people who try out the simulators don’t play at all. Fathers with younger children can spend time trying out courses together, and disabled players can do things that wouldn’t be practical on a real course.

Golfer’s Grail works with veterans groups, and that sometimes includes amputees being able to get in a round or two.

Expanding the game to those who might not get to enjoy it otherwise is a big plus for a guy who’s been playing since he was 8 years old.

“I love it. That’s probably the best feeling you can have,” Sproat said.

An hour of golf at Golfer’s Grail costs between $27 and $37, depending on the time and day. That cost is split among all players.

The venue is available for individuals, groups and charity tournaments. For more information, call (813) 969-2100 or visit GolfersGrail.net.

Published June 24, 2015

YMCA’s adaptive programs make strides with swimmers

By

When Land O’ Lakes resident Kass Pilczuk came to the New Tampa Family YMCA 11 years ago, she was a swim coach.

Now she’s the adaptive coordinator, creating and maintaining programs for adults and youth with developmental or physical disabilities.

It’s grown a lot over the years, especially considering where the program was when she first arrived.

Kass Pilczuk, left, and her daughter Kathy look at the board commemorating the New Tampa Family YMCA's adaptive program. When Pilczuk first came to the facility as a swim coach 11 years ago, the program didn't exist. Now, she runs it. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Kass Pilczuk, left, and her daughter Kathy look at the board commemorating the New Tampa Family YMCA’s adaptive program. When Pilczuk first came to the facility as a swim coach 11 years ago, the program didn’t exist. Now, she runs it.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“There was nothing,” Pilczuk recalled. “There was a group coming over that would use the pool once in a while, but the Y itself had nothing at all.”

Today, the YMCA’s adaptive programs serve more than 40 people.

The facility has adaptive programs in swimming, art, basketball and volleyball. It also has a group that participates in area walks and runs (they call them “rolls” if the participant is in a wheelchair).

The main program is close to Pilczuk’s heart: Swimming. With both beginner and advanced classes, the swimming program has given people of all ages new confidence in the water.

On May 3, the YMCA hosted its Fourth Annual Adaptive Swim Meet at its pool, 16221 Compton Drive. The meet included swimmers from an Orlando special-needs program and from the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation department.

Pilczuk would like to get more YMCA facilities involved in future events.

The swimming classes give the participants a lot more than lessons on good form, according to Pilczuk.

“It’s something they can succeed at. They may not have the best technique, but they can have fun, and they can feel good about themselves,” she said.

Pilczuk speaks from experience, and not just as the YMCA’s adaptive coordinator, or as a swim coach. Her daughter, Kathy, is developmentally delayed and has been swimming for decades. She participated in the adaptive meet, including making flip turns when she swam freestyle.

Even though she’s one of the more advanced swimmers, Kathy enjoys being a part of the program.

“You have fun and do all the different strokes,” she said.

Some members become very skilled at those strokes. A couple of swimmers went on to swim for both the YMCA’s swim team and their high school’s team, Pilczuk said. That kind of acceptance is important, especially to individuals who don’t assimilate as often as they’d like in school.

Most of the adaptive program swimmers don’t get that far, but they still reach milestones in the pool.

Many had never been swimming before, and Pilczuk recalls one participant who had never owned a bathing suit before joining. But they learn new skills, improve over time, socialize and support each other.

The adaptive activities have helped hundreds of participants over the years, but increasing the size of the program is a constant challenge. Some families might have transportation issues, and the fact that participants must be facility members might discourage some from joining.

That’s disappointing to Pilczuk, because the YMCA offers scholarships for those with financial hardships, and it has a reputation for not turning people away due to inability to pay, she said.

The adaptive program is free with a YMCA membership.

While swimming will always be important to Pilczuk (her son, Bill, was a five-time national champion and took gold at the 1998 World Championships), she also wants to keep building the adaptive program out of the water.

A drama program would be a great addition, she said, but would depend on finding the right teacher.

They’ve added a wellness program for adults, including participating in cardio and yoga classes, which is a separate activity a few days each month and is not included with YMCA membership.

Pilczuk continues to work toward building a stronger, more diverse program.

The most rewarding part of her job, she said, is “seeing the look on their faces when they accomplish something. They’re just so proud of themselves and happy.”

For more information about the adaptive programs at New Tampa Family YMCA, call Pilczuk at (813) 866-9622, or email .

Published June 17, 2015