Local Sports

Wharton QB Chase Litton decommits from USF

July 31, 2013 By Jeff Odom

Wharton High senior quarterback Chase Litton decommitted from the University of South Florida on July 26. (File photo)

One of the highest regarded local prospects in the state won’t be joining the University of South Florida football team next season.

Wharton High senior quarterback Chase Litton announced on his Twitter page July 26 that he has decided to back out of his verbal commitment with the Bulls to explore other options.

“I want to apologize to USF, but I will be decommitting and opening my recruitment up for my senior year,” Litton tweeted.

Litton’s decision comes a month after he made the choice to join the program alongside first-year Bulls coach Willie Taggart in front of a live television audience on Bright House Sports Network.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Rivals.com, Litton was on a trip to Gainesville July 27 and 28 to visit the University of Florida. He also has offers from several other Division I programs including Louisiana State University, South Carolina, Florida, Miami and Notre Dame.

As a junior, Litton compiled an area-leading 2,732 yards with 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions for the Wildcats. He was also the top quarterback this summer for the IMG Academy’s Team Tampa 7-on-7 squad, which won its second consecutive national championship.

If the 6-foot-6 Litton kept his commitment to USF through National Signing Day in February, the three-star recruit would have battled returning starter Matt Floyd, Penn State transfer Steven Bench, Mike White of Fort Lauderdale High School and former Jesuit standout Tommy Eveld for the starting job.

LaPace signs with Eastern Michigan

July 31, 2013 By Jeff Odom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wiregrass tennis standout wins USTA title

July 31, 2013 By Jeff Odom

Wiregrass Ranch boys tennis player Noah Makarome recently took home the USTA National Clay Court Championships’ Boys 14 Singles title for the competition in Fort Lauderdale. It’s the second time Makarome has won a National Championship Gold Ball. (Photo courtesy of James Makarome)

Noah Makarome is no stranger to dominating opponents on the tennis court.

The Wiregrass Ranch High sophomore-to-be continued that trend recently during a summer competition at the U.S. Tennis Association’s National Clay Court Championships, winning the Boys 14 Singles title at the prestigious Jimmy Evert Tennis Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Makarome’s route to the championship wasn’t easy, though.

He fought through challenging opponents and bouts of heavy rain the entire week, which, at times, delayed competition. Makarome also dealt with an illness he contracted midway through the tournament.

However, dizzy spells, nausea and severe body cramps did not hold him back. Makarome battled through it all to win his second career USTA National Championship Gold Ball to go along with the organization’s 2013 National Open 14 Boys Sportsmanship Award, which was given to him two weeks earlier after a vote by his peers.

The gold ball is the highest award the USTA gives to amateurs after winning the national championship.

His sister, Star Makarome, also got in on the action, too.

The Wiregrass Ranch girls tennis team’s top-ranked player placed fourth at the Girls 18 USTA National Open Tournament in Denver in early July. It was the first time she competed in that event.

Phillies’ Brown unfazed in All-Star Game spotlight

July 25, 2013 By Jeff Odom

When Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel called Domonic Brown into his office on July 7, the former Pasco High standout could only think of one reason — he was being traded.

Manuel and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro sat Brown down and closed the door. They told him he needed to pack his bags, but not because he was being dealt away from the organization. No, this news was much better.

Philadelphia Phillies left fielder and former Pasco High standout Domonic Brown struck out in his only at-bat during the 84th annual MLB All-Star Game, but told MLB.com that the entire experience was “a lot of fun.” (File photo)

Brown was going to the MLB All-Star Game.

“I was always (rumored to be) being traded,” Brown told reporters during Media Day at Citi Field in New York where the 84th Midsummer classic was on July 16. “I was always hoping I wouldn’t be, but my name was always being mentioned.”

The 25-year-old Brown, a Zephyrhills native, spent his first three years of high school at Pasco, before moving to Stone Mountain, Ga. for his senior year. He was the second player from Pasco High to make a major-league roster. The only other Pirate to make it to the big leagues was Gene Nelson, who played parts of 13 seasons with six different teams.

And, although he did not have a marquee night in the National League’s 3-0 loss against the American League, striking out on just three pitches in his only at-bat against Toronto Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil, Brown said he still enjoyed his first trip to the All-Star Game.

“It was unbelievable to be out there with all those great All-Stars,” Brown said. “It was a lot of fun, a lot of fun. I can’t believe it’s already over.”

Brown almost had another opportunity to put a ball in play in the bottom of the ninth, but was left in the on-deck circle when Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alverez popped out to center field to end the game.

“I was hoping Pedro would hit one and I’d come up in a special situation,” Brown quipped. “Maybe next year. I just have to keep working hard.”

During the first half of the season, Brown was one of the best hitters in baseball by batting .273 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs. He’s currently tied for second in the NL for homers and is third in total bases with 175.

Production wasn’t always easy for Brown, though.

Despite being rated as Baseball America’s No. 1 minor-league prospect three seasons ago, Brown, who was a 20th round pick by the Phillies in 2006, struggled throughout his first two seasons at the professional ranks, before turning the corner this year.

“It takes some guys longer than other guys,” Brown said of his past struggles. “You definitely have to go through your own journey and see how it works out. But the biggest thing is never giving up. You just keep working on what you have to do, keep working hard and everything maybe works out.”

This season’s All-Star Game also featured another prominent talent from the Tampa Bay area as former Alonso High standout Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins pitched for the National League.

The 20-year-old Fernandez, a 2011 graduate and former first-round draft pick, was called up to the Marlins at the beginning of the season after never playing higher than Class-A minor-league ball. So far, the right-hander has performed well for Miami going 5-5 with a 2.75 ERA.

Fernandez, the Marlins’ lone representative at the Midsummer classic, pitched a perfect sixth inning for the NL, striking out two batters, including former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox and current home run leader, Chris Davis, of the Baltimore Orioles.

“I’m proud of how I went out there and didn’t try to overdo anything,” Fernandez said. “That was one of things that I look back and I’m pretty happy about. The result was good, but I’m happy I wasn’t trying to overdo stuff.”

–Information from MLB.com was used in this report. Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter @JOdomLaker

Steinbrenner loses another girls soccer coach

July 25, 2013 By Jeff Odom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom’s Williams commits to Broward College

July 25, 2013 By Jeff Odom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Laker/Lutz News sports section earns state honor

July 25, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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

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

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

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

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

Sunlake’s Smith Earns State Coaching Honor

April 24, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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