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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wesley Chapel/New Tampa Sports

Coyotes girls soccer make first state appearance

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They believed in themselves.

That’s all the Cypress Creek girls soccer players — and their coach, Jessica Herzek — had to do, including drawing inspiration from the Apple TV+ hit show, Ted Lasso.

In the show, Ted Lasso, played ever-optimistically by Jason Sudeikis, is an American football coach hired to coach an English Premier League soccer team. Lasso will constantly tell his players, who don’t have faith in him since he’s never coached soccer, homespun anecdotes and inspirational quotes, as he points to a small, yellow-and-blue sign he has hung in the locker room

The sign just says, ‘Believe.’ 

The Cypress Creek girls soccer team became the first team in school history to advance to a state tournament since the school opened in Wesley Chapel, in 2017. The Coyotes (15-6) then faced state powerhouse Plantation American Heritage, losing 6-0. (Courtesy of Jessica Herzek)

That’s all Lasso, and also Herzek, wants the players to do, to believe in themselves and each other.

“When I watched that show,” Herzek excitedly recalls, “I was like, ‘He coaches like I do!’ … So yeah, it’s about (we) ‘Believe,’ so let’s go get it. We’re doing it the way that we believe in ourselves, so with a big game, I’m sending (my players) texts and telling them what to expect and getting mentally prepared for that game, and we come out better for it.

“The biggest thing I found in girls’ sports is you have to have unity — there can’t be bad attitudes,” she added. “They can’t be mad at each other or have animosity, which can cause discontinuity as a mental unit. This year, I focused a lot on the mental aspect of the game because we needed to focus as being one unit. That can be hard in high school.

“But it paid off.”

Channeling her inner Ted Lasso certainly paid off, as Herzek led the Coyotes (15-6) to becoming the high school’s first varsity team to advance to a state tournament since the school opened in 2017 in Wesley Chapel.

“It’s pretty awesome — it’s a really good feeling,” Herzek said. “Girls’ sports don’t get a lot of accolades or a lot of attention, and this girls soccer team is quite amazing. We knew it was a big deal, and we were very excited about it.

“It’s nice for them, for the players, to feel as though they’ve accomplished something and deserve the accolade that they worked very hard for.”

Unfortunately, the Class 5A state final four appearance most definitely didn’t go as the Coyotes would have liked, as they ran into one of the best teams out there: perennial state powerhouse, Plantation American Heritage. 

Cypress Creek lost 6-0 on Feb. 17.

“From Day One, I told them we were a final four team,” Herzek said. “I told them they have the abilities of a final-four team, but they have to work for it. When they did, they finally believed they were a final-four team.

“But they never gave up (in the state semifinal). That’s one of the best teams in the nation, and they never gave up.”

The Coyotes have had a strong run in the postseason the past four seasons.

Starting in 2020, they broke through for their first regional tournament appearance, but lost to Englewood Lemon Bay in the first round. In 2021, Lemon Bay ended the Coyotes’ season again, but this time the loss came in the region finals. In 2022, after jumping up to Class 5A, Merritt Island knocked out the Coyotes in the first round.

Herzek began coaching the team three years ago. However, she’s been coaching some of the players, including three senior starters, since seventh grade. They are: goalie Alex Capocy (114 saves), Abby Pittman (defensive stalwart) and Brooke Evans (five goals, five assists).

The Coyotes leading scorers were junior Allison Souers (30 goals), junior Ashley Olds (22 goals) and Avery Blevins (12 goals). All three had a team-high 10 assists.

As Herzek looks ahead, she “believes” the team will build on what’s become its yearly success.

“It was amazing going to states and really fun to experience it with the girls,” Herzek said. “I loved seeing how excited they were, especially because they really accomplished something. … What we did was historical, but like Ted Lasso, I try to also instill in them to not take it so seriously. If we can’t have fun in soccer, then why are we even doing it?

“That’s the neatest part about coaching.”

Published March 01, 2023

Coyotes out to prove they’re not a fluke

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The Coyotes lost their best player ever — in their best season in just their short six-year history.

Yet, the Cypress Creek High baseball team has no plans to take a step back in competitiveness.

“Actually, our group, and myself, we’ve come in with high expectations,” said Coyotes coach Joe Neale, who is 64-43 since starting the program. “I think we’ll be very competitive, and we’re going to compete every night, but I don’t think there’s anyone that thinks that if we need a win, that we can’t go get it.

Senior outfielder and pitcher Ryan Buelk returns to the Cypress Creek High baseball team after the Coyotes had its most successful season in 2022. The team, entering its sixth year, finished 16-8 and advanced to the Class 5A Regional Semifinals, losing 5-4 to Melbourne Eau Gallie. (Mike Camunas)

“The district (Class 5A-8) is wide open, so there will be close ballgames, but we’re deeper (on the roster) than a year ago, so we’re happy about that.”

That is something of itself since the Coyotes saw the departure of two-way player Ethan Petry, the 2022 Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year and now budding freshman at the University of South Carolina.

Petry, a third baseman, batted .479 on 34 hits with 18 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and a team-high six homers. On the mound, Petry was 5-2 with a 1.97 ERA and a team-high 60 strikeouts.

Also now playing collegiate ball is Caden Kwiat at East Georgia State College after going 4-3 with a 1.71 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 2022 and catcher Nick Sanchez at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina after batting .306 with 22 hits, 14 RBI, two doubles and two triples.

Sophomore third baseman Ethan Morris flips the ball home on a bunt drill during a Coyotes practice.

But Neale is expecting big things from senior pitcher and first baseman Max Menendez, who was 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA and 43 strikeouts on the mound and who drove in a team-high 20 RBI last season.

“It feels great (to step into the No. 1 pitcher role), but now it’s time to show,” Menendez, a Thomas University (Georgia) signee, said. “I know (Petry’s) shoes are big to fill, but I’m going to do my thing and make my own big shoes to fill for next year.”

Helping fill in for Petry is transfer Ryan Maggy. The junior shortstop will take over for Petry not only in the infield, but at the plate, where he batted .534 with 39 hits, 47 RBI, four homers, 48 runs scored and had 16 stolen bases for Peru High in New York.

Coyotes coach Joe Neale enters his sixth season at the helm, with an overall record of 64-43.

“I’m just glad to get here and play baseball everyday, nothing beats that, because we’re shoveling snow off the fields in February,” said Maggy, a University of West Virginia commit. “I’m just trying to contribute just as much, if not more, than any of the previous teammates we’ve had, like the seniors that left last year. It’s not that I’m the new guy or thinking about the previous seasons — I’m thinking about this season and how I can make it a good one.”

Others looking to make it a good season will be Ryan Buelk, who will step into a closer role and “can be lights out on the mound,” Neale said. Plus, Derek Carson will become a starting pitcher after throwing just 7.2 innings in 2022.

“We expect big things out of Derek,” Neale said. “As a lefty on the mound, he doesn’t throw too hard, but has great command and really keeps guys on their heels. If we give him three or four runs a game, we’re going to win those games.”

While the Coyotes might be experienced and have depth, they are still young — but ready to return to the postseason after winning their first playoff game in the regional quarterfinals: a 6-4 win over Okeechobee.

“I think since it’s always so competitive, that the guys are never comfortable,” Neale said. “They’re never complacent and humble enough that they know they have to work hard. When you see these guys want to work enough so they can get the starting spot and work hard to climb over each other, it just makes everyone better.

“So, we don’t feel like last year was a fluke.”

Districts
Class 7A-District 7
Alonso
Palm Harbor University
Plant
Riverview
Steinbrenner
Sumner

Class 6A-District 5
Land O’ Lakes
Mitchell
Springstead
Sunlake
Wiregrass Ranch

Class 6A-District 9
Armwood
Gaither
Hillsborough
Leto
Tampa Bay Tech
Wharton

Class 5A-District 8
Cypress Creek
Fivay
Lecanto
Pasco
River Ridge
Wesley Chapel
Zephyrhills

Class 5A-District 9
Braden River
Brandon
Freedom
Jesuit
Parrish Community
Southeast
Spoto

Class 2A-District 5
Bishop McLaughlin
First Academy
Hernando Christian Academy
Redeemer Christian
Seven Rivers Christian

Class 2A-District 10
Academy at the Lakes
Cambridge Christian
Carrollwood Day
Foundation Christian Academy
Seffner Christian
Sports Leadership & Management

Independent
Zephyrhills Christian

*Bolded teams are Pasco County teams and teams in the publication’s coverage area.

Published February 22, 2023

Seniors are strolling and striding

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The seniors are stepping on up.

The Senior Walking Club makes its way around the more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways around the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. The group meets weekly. (Mike Camunas)

They are getting in their daily steps with the Senior Walking Club. It’s a new weekly activity at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road, that meets in the mornings, stretches and walks more than a mile or 30 minutes, as a low-impact workout and a social meetup.

“We just thought it would be a good way to get in exercise in under an hour,” said Recreation Specialist Shannon Saracena, who leads the group each Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. “We get a lot of walkers here at the park and we figured, why not get them together?”

The club will meet and stretch for a bit and then head out onto the more than 2 miles of paved pathways and trails at the district park.

Recreation Specialist Shannon Saracena, left, shares a laugh with Wesley Chapel resident Monica Locke, while leading the weekly meetup of the Senior Walking Club at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. Several local seniors meet on Tuesday mornings at the pavilion, next to the gymnasium, to stretch, and then they walk on the complex’s paved trails for 30 minutes or more. It’s an easy, free way to get in a low-impact workout.

The club has walkers of all abilities and they come from various parts of Pasco County. They have this in common, though: They’re looking for a brisk walk and a nice conversation.

“It’s a great social aspect,” Saracena said. “I love that people come and meet new people and get to know one another better.”

The club has no real official members or memberships. All are welcome and so are leashed pets.

However, the best part?

It’s a free, great way to take a stroll with new friends.

“They can walk as much as they want with us, or go further without us, but we’re not restricting anyone or saying this is what we do each and every week,” Saracena added. “All we want to do is to provide a nice weekly get-together for residents and people who love this park to join in and have a great walk to get their steps in.”

Senior Walking Club
When: Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road
Cost: Free
Details: A weekly meetup of seniors looking for low-impact exercise and some friendly conversations. Participants can walk as much or as little as they like throughout the complex’s paved trails. There will be 15 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes or more of walking and a 15-minute cooldown. Pets on a leash are welcome.
Info: Call 813-345-3145, or email .

Published February 01, 2023

Debbie Dyer holds her dog, Frankie, after the little pup became worn out during a session with the Senior Walking Club at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex.
The Senior Walking Club makes its way around the more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways around the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. The group meets weekly.
The Senior Walking Club uses more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways at the Wesley Chapel

Dinking in the dark

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It was fun while it lasted.

And even after — because as the lights came on, the pickleball players were still enjoying themselves.

They had gathered to play Cosmic Pickleball — a fun, new twist to the incredibly popular sport. In this version, players were encouraged to wear neon colors and then played with neon balls under black lights, with laser light displays and music amping up the atmosphere.

Neon pickleballs were used during Cosmic Pickleball at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14, allowing players to see them glow under the black lights. (Mike Camunas)

The three-hour event, at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14, was a new take on a sport that’s taken the recreation world by storm.

After about an hour of playing in the dark, many players asked to switch back to normal lighting.

Even so, event organizers were pleased with the turnout and the different spin on pickleball.

“Well, now we just have a dance party, huh?” joked Shannon Saracena, the Pasco County recreation specialist that organized the event. “It’s kind of sad we had to turn the lights on, but it was a good turnout and everyone still played, so that’s all that matters.
“We’re just glad everyone had a good time.”

Saracena said they got the idea for Cosmic Pickleball from a regular pickleball player that played in a similar event in North Carolina. That one, however, was outdoors and only featured three courts.

Cosmic Pickleball at the complex in Wesley Chapel was indoors, allowing for the black lights and laser displays, as well as featuring six courts in the gym.

Ann McHugh, of Wesley Chapel, returns the ball during a round of Cosmic Pickleball at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14. Recreation specialists at the park decided to try a different spin on the very popular game, encouraging players to wear neon colors that would show up under the black lights, with laser light displays and music playing during the three-hour event.

“We also encouraged everyone to wear bright or neon colors,” Saracena said. “And some people didn’t disappoint, as those were some bright pickleball outfits (laughs).”

To aid match play, neon balls were used, as they would light up under the black lights. Additionally, some balls had glow sticks inserted inside the middle, or even had some glowing material from inside the glow sticks painted on the balls.

Players were given glow sticks to wear, as well.

Moving forward, Saracena says they will host another Cosmic Pickleball event, but this time for youth players. They figure kids might play the whole event in the “dark,” as the one kid who was there — 12-year-old Rey Gonzalez Jr., who played with his dad, Rey Sr. — was disappointed when the lights came on.

“Oh, yeah, we think the youth will really like Cosmic Pickleball,” Saracena added. “So, we’re looking forward to having that event and keeping it cosmic the whole time.”

Michael Vizza, of Wesley Chapel, hits a pickleball under the black lights and laser light displays at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex.

How to play Pickleball
Pickleball is played on a court that is 44 feet by 20 feet, with a net that’s 36 inches tall. The game features a non-volley zone often referred to as “The Kitchen.” It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes (similar to a wiffle ball).

The game starts with the “Two Bounce Rule,” meaning the serving team serves cross-court to the returning team and the ball must land past the kitchen in the box diagonal from the server to be a valid serve. Any serve that lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault.

The returning team returns the ball off of a bounce (bounce 1) and now the serving team also has to let the ball bounce before hitting it (bounce 2). From there, play is open, meaning everyone is now allowed to hit balls out of the air.

Balls can only be hit out of the air when standing outside the kitchen. If a player hits the ball out of the air while in the kitchen or standing on the kitchen line, a point is lost. If the ball bounces inside of the kitchen, a player can move into the kitchen to hit the ball off of a bounce, but the players must reset their positioning and get out of the kitchen before hitting the ball out of the air.

Scoring is called out in a three-number sequence: the server’s score, the returner’s score and whether server 1 or 2 is serving. For example, if the server calls out a score of 2-1-1, that means their team has two points, the returning team has one point, and they are the first server.

Only the serving team can score points. A side out is when the service switches teams. Matches are best two out of three games format, and games are played to 11 points, win by two.

Published January 18, 2023

Sending the perfect assist, on and off the field

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Lexi Mangione knows she has a nice kit — and plenty of clothes.

However, some, especially foster children, aren’t always afforded that.
“Foster kids, they literally have nothing,” the Wesley Chapel High senior midfielder said. “Or the things they do have, they don’t even have a bag to put those things in — sometimes it’s just a garbage bag.”

Wesley Chapel High girls soccer senior midfielder Lexi Mangione stands in the Caterpillars to Butterflies Foster Closet in Zephyrhills, which holds donations the nonprofit receives. Mangione, whose family has been fostering children for more than a year now, volunteers to help at the closet and organizes clothing drives with her soccer team and in her neighborhood. (Mike Camunas)

Mangione is talking about children in the foster care system. Her family, led by father David and mother Carissa, have been fostering children for more than a year now. Sometimes, the children stay a while, such as the toddler the Mangiones have been caring for, for a year. Other times, it’s a nightly or weekly stay — just a place until the child can get into a more permanent situation.

The family has fostered nearly 30 kids in that short span.

But each time a child walked through the door, Lexi was shocked at the state of their clothes, or lack thereof.

She decided she wanted to something about it.

“It wasn’t something that just pulled at my heartstrings, so I thought I would do some community service hours — no, I really wanted to help out those kids,” she said. “Because now that I’ve seen what’s in the foster system, I want to help and make it better for the kids in the system.”

So, Lexi started hosting clothing drives.

She began in her Wesley Chapel neighborhood, making sure the donated items went to local organizations, such as the nearby Caterpillars to Butterflies. The Dade City-based nonprofit collects clothes for foster children, but also makes sure they have other resources they need to live a better life.

Lexi recently had a clothing drive in her neighborhood geared toward collecting items for teenage girls, such as makeup, hair and skin care products, and sanitary items. Those donations went to Beautiful Beginnings Boutique, out of Bay Hope Church, in Lutz. It provides underprivileged teens with clothing and other items.

Lexi didn’t stop there.

She enlisted the help of her Wildcats teammates to have clothing drives.

The soccer team did it last year and is doing it again this year.

Those items go to Caterpillars to Butterflies, where Lexi volunteers as much as she can by helping with fundraising or keeping their foster closet organized.

“It’s very impressive with what she does — starting up another foster drive with the team,” said Mark Leonard, now in his sixth year as the Wildcats’ coach. “Lexi is an amazing kid from an amazing family. … She’s kind of old school — does it the right way, knows her role, doesn’t make excuses, always asks how can I be a better player and how can I make the team better.

Lexi Mangione sprints down the field during a Wildcats game on Nov. 28.

“That’s why I picked her as (team) captain.”

Leonard says Lexi has earned every bit of her captaincy, as well as her role as starting midfielder. Lexi stepped into that position her junior year after hard work. It netted her six goals and six assists, as well as helping the team pull off the upset for a district title over River Ridge last season.

“She’s earned everything she gets, and younger players see that,” Leonard said. “When I look at her, I say, ‘That’s how you want your players, especially your captain, to be.’”

The Wildcats have won four of the last five district championships and return a lot of seniors, including leading scorer Tatum Moore (30 G, 12 A). So, the team wants to “make their senior year worth it,” Lexi said.

“Our season (2-3-1) isn’t starting out the way we like it to, but it kind of plays out that way every season,” Lexi added. “Everyone doubts us, and we come back and win when we need to.”

If anyone is winning, it’s the children the Mangiones, especially Lexi, are helping.

“We’re always just blown away by what she accomplishes with the clothing drives,” Carissa said. “Her and her teammates do a great job of that.

“Plus, she’s great at home, too, with the kids that come in. She’s right there with all the kids and the babies that live with us. She’s so responsible — she’s like a second mom.”

And to Lexi, everyone can use an assist — especially foster children.

“I just thought the kids needed more,” Lexi said. “That’s why I like Caterpillars to Butterflies. They make sure foster kids have all the things they need because most of the time they really don’t have anything at all.”

Caterpillars to Butterflies Charitable Foundation
Caterpillars to Butterflies Charitable Foundation is a Dade City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides resources to children to help them accomplish goals, explore passions and take part in activities they enjoy. Founded by Tracy Hanson, this organization relies on donations and volunteers who can take meals to foster families, help at fundraising events or work in the foster clothes closet.
The Wesley Chapel High girls soccer team is doing a clothing drive for the organization and looking for children’s PJs, socks, shoes, underwear, diapers and more. To donate to the team’s drive, email .
For more information, visit Caterflies.org.

Published December 07, 2022

Wildcats dream season comes to an end

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They did it.

It took the program nearly 20 years to do it again and the current players nearly two years, but the Wesley Chapel Volleyball Team accomplished the goal the players set well before this season started.

The Wildcats (23-6) made the Class 5A state tournament.

The Wesley Chapel Volleyball Team reached its main goal this season, which was a state tournament appearance, the program’s first since 2003. (Courtesy of Wesley Chapel High Athletics)

“We’ve had these players that have poured their hearts out for this team for the past two, three, even four years,” sixth-year-coach Brittany Collison said. “In the end, they accomplished our goal and it’s amazing to see how far some of them have come.”

Unfortunately, the season did come to an end for the Wildcats after a 3-0 (27-25, 25-13, 25-21) loss to Naples Barron Collier on Nov. 5 in a state semifinal match. It ended a season that saw Wesley Chapel win its first conference title (undefeated in regular season matches), its second-straight district championship and its first regional championship for these players.

“We spoke to them after the game and told them they should be proud,” Collison said. “To do all the things they set out to do, accomplished them, to get to the state tournament for the first time since 2003, that’s pretty huge. In no way does (losing in the state tournament) diminish what they accomplished this season.”

The Wildcats also will say goodbye to Chloe Danielson, arguably one of the best players in program history. Danielson finishes her career with 1,031 kills, including a team-high 241 this season and a school-record 375 in her junior season.

“It’s, obviously, so sad to lose her,” Collison said. “To see how far she’s come for her whole high school career and just see her for four years, it was incredible.”

While losing seniors Danielson and Jenna Ly (a team-high 451 assists), a number of skilled players are returning.

Those include the next top three team leaders in kills: juniors Lizzie Ekechi (195), Grace Korta (184) and Emma Letourneau (164). Also entering her senior year next season will be Brooke Ashkenase, who led the team with 337 digs.

“Just two core seniors, who will be missed, but all those juniors are a core part of the team,” Collison added. “Our million juniors — Lizzie, Brooke, Grace, Emma — it was incredible to see how hard they worked, even in the offseason, so it’ll be great to have them all back next year.”

And the Wildcats will need those players, as they look to continue their winning ways and secure the program’s third state tournament berth.

That’s just another goal already set forth to be accomplished.

“I mean, it wasn’t the outcome we hoped for, but it was still an incredible season with an incredible team that looks to do it again next year,” Collison said. “This season, we got to where we wanted to be and we just want to do it again already.”

Published November 09, 2022

 Wild about reaching the state tournament

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They all wrote the same thing.

Before the season started, the Wesley Chapel High volleyball players had a meeting with their coach where they were asked their goals for the 2022 season. At the meeting, each player went to the whiteboard, took a dry erase marker and passionately wrote the same thing.

State tournament.

Wesley Chapel senior middle hitter and reigning Pasco County Player of the Year Chloe Danielson leads the team with 202 kills. She also has led Wildcats to back-to-back district titles. Danielson and the team have high expectations, as the squad is looking to make the program’s first state tournament appearance after falling a match short in 2021. (Mike Camunas)

Coming off the Wildcats’ best season in program history, in which the team nearly reached said state tournament, the players were anxious from Day One to get back on the court and wildly chase down that collective goal.

“When we met with coach, we all wrote on the board either states or state tournament,” said senior middle hitter Chloe Danielson, who leads the team with 202 kills. “That taste of getting so close, we want it again and we want to achieve our goal of getting to states.”

The Wildcats (20-5) were so close last season, falling just a match short of the state tournament in the final round of the regional tournament: a 3-1 loss to Ocala Vanguard. It was easily the best season in program history, but it left a resonating feeling the players have been chasing for a year now.

“We did all write it down on that board because no matter what, we wanted to make it further than last season,” junior outside hitter Grace Korta said. “We’re all super eager to even just get to states — it’s been the goal from Day One.”

Junior outside hitter Grace Korta is third on the team in kills (154).

“Of course everyone starts writing down states,” sixth-year coach Brittany Collison added. “I had to stop them and take the marker away, because look, we have to win districts first, then we have to win regionals, where it gets much harder from there.”

Wesley Chapel is off to a good start, having secured its second-straight district title with a 3-0 win over nearby rival Cypress Creek (16-7) on Oct. 20 at Fivay High. The Class 5A-District 6 title secures the Wildcats home-court advantage, which is always beneficial; however, the team has been dominant all season.

Danielson, the 6-foot reigning Pasco County Volleyball Player of the Year, may not have as impressive stats as 2021 when she had a team-record 375 kills, but she’s had help.

Korta and fellow junior Lizzy Ekechi are third (154) and second (160), respectively, on the team in kills, while senior Jenna Ly has a team-high 46 aces. Adding to the fray has been Pasco High transfer Emma Letourneau, a 5-foot-11 junior who led the Pirates with 198 kills, only to turn around and be fourth best on the Wildcats (133).

This has all led to an incredible stat: the Wildcats were undefeated in regular season matches, with their five losses all coming in tournaments.

Sixth-year Wildcats coach Brittany Collison proudly displays the team’s second-straight district championship trophy to the team. It has bigger aspirations as it heads into the regional tournament.

“I think we’ve had big expectations for this season because of how we did last year and (because we returned eight of the 12 players) from last season,” Collison said. “Getting (Letourneau) from Pasco gave us a lot of versatility on the team.

“But (the tournament losses) were a big wake-up call,” she added. “They understood that we’re good, but we can be better — we’re not perfect and always have stuff to work on.”

“I was very confident coming into the season knowing who was back and who came to the team,” Korta said, “and I’m super excited to see how far we can go.”

Danielson agreed, adding the returners stayed cohesive the whole offseason.

“We were able to gel right away — get on our A game right away,” Danielson said. “We all know each other, so we were ready to go right from the start.”

Now, it’s the start of a postseason run that the players are hoping ends at the place they all wrote down.

“This year,” Danielson said, “we all had the same mindset because we all went through it together, we all went through getting so close and not getting our goal, which was to go to states.

“The talent is all there, but to finish it off, we just have to stay focused as a team and keep up the team camaraderie. If we can, I think we can get to where we want to be.”

Regional Tournament games
Classes 2A-4A, Oct. 25
Classes 5A-7A, Oct. 26
All games are at 7 p.m.

Class 7A
No. 8 Steinbrenner (18-8) at No. 1 Venice (17-4)

Class 6A
No. 7 Fort Myers (10-8) at No. 2 Land O’ Lakes (21-7)
No. 6 Sunlake (13-9) at No. 3 Bloomingdale (14-4)
No. 5 Springstead (22-4) at No. 4 Mitchell (18-5)
No. 8 Wharton (15-9) at No. 1 Punta Gorda Charlotte (17-1)

Class 5A
No. 8 Fivay (12-14) at No. 1 Wesley Chapel (20-5)
No. 3 Cypress Creek (16-7) at No. 6 Lake Wales (14-4)
No. 8 Freedom (10-4) at No. 1 Naples Barron Collier (15-5)

Class 4A
No. 6 Anclote (12-15) at No. 6 Lemon Bay (11-9)

Class 3A
No. 2 Tampa Prep (15-7) at No. 7 Carrollwood Day (20-6)

State tournament
Host: Polk County Public Schools
When: Nov. 11-12
Where: Polk State College – Winter Haven Health Center, 999 Ave H N.E., Winter Haven

Info: Visit FHSAA.com/sports/gvb.

Published October 26, 2022

Coyote boys golf swinging back toward states

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The thing about the first time is that it can’t be repeated.

However, the Cypress Creek boys golf team sure is going to try to repeat its incredible success from 2021.

From left: Connor Newbold, Trey Sasser, Levi Wade and Joaquin Parrilla make up the Cypress Creek boys golf team that finished sixth at the Class 2A state golf tournament in 2021. (Mike Camunas)

“We’ve been trying to build on each match, and focus on practice and get better each day,” the team’s No. 1 golfer, junior Connor Newbold, said, “and really just prepare for the playoffs. That’s what we’ve really been looking at because we know that’s where the competition will be the hardest.

“Because it’s all about getting back to states.”

One can’t blame the Coyotes (10-2) wanting to get back to their most successful season ever in the program’s short history. Last year, Cypress Creek finished sixth in the Class 2A state tournament, which is obviously a best for the school and a best for local teams.

“The expectation is, absolutely, to improve upon what we did last year,” said Dennis Martin, the team’s coach. “We only lost one senior from last year, and had two really good freshmen jump right in and make a difference, so the expectation is to get back.”

Junior Connor Newbold carded a 5-over par over two rounds to finish fifth at last season’s state tournament, giving him the best score among all local golfers.

“We’re feeling pretty confident about getting back,” Newbold added, noting the team has experienced players who have competed in tournaments and at states.

“So, they can play 18 holes out there, and score low and play smart.”

Playing smart will start with Newbold. As the team’s No. 1 golfer, he’ll be looking to go low in the postseason, including when he finished fifth at the 2A tournament last year with a two-round 5-over par (149). The score gave him the best score among all local golfers.

Newbold will need help, but the Coyotes do return three other of the top five starters, including Trey Sasser (tied 66th, +32), Joaquin Parrilla (tied 70th, +34) and Levi Wade (93rd, +58).

“(They’re) easy to coach — I don’t have any knuckleheads,” Martin said. “They’re a great group of guys and they’re not just recreational golfers, if you will. They’re very serious about it and put in the work and can be hard on themselves because they expect to do well.”

So far so good, as the Coyotes lost just twice in the regular season — to the perennially top team, Mitchell, and Jesuit, which was 2A state runner-up last season.

“The mindset has been one match at a time,” Martin reiterated. “That’s what we focus on, and if we continue to practice and play up to our potential, then the results will take care of itself.

“We don’t really talk about states — we talk about the next match, and they’re focused on the task at hand. Sometimes they don’t even know who the next opponent is because the day before they’ll ask, ‘Who are we playing tomorrow? Where are we playing?’ (laughs).”

High School Golf Postseason

Districts
Class 3A-District 9
Host: Mitchell High School
When: Boys – Oct. 25, 9 a.m.; Girls – Oct. 26, noon.
Where: Boys: Crescent Oaks Golf Club, 3300 Crescent Oaks Blvd., Tarpon Springs; Girls: Heritage Springs Country Club, 11345 Robert Trent Jones Parkway, Trinity
Teams: Countryside, East Lake, Land O’ Lakes, Largo, Mitchell, Palm Harbor University, Pinellas Park, Sunlake

Class 3A-District 10
Host: Wharton High
When: Boys – Oct. 24, 7:30 a.m.; Girls – 7:30 a.m.
Where: Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club, 10630 Plantation Bay Drive, Tampa
Teams: Alonso, Armwood, Gaither, Steinbrenner, Hillsborough, Leto, Plant, Plant City, Sickles, Strawberry Crest, Wharton, Wiregrass Ranch

Class 2A-District 9
Host: Springstead High
When: Boys – Oct. 25, 9 a.m.; Oct. 24 – 9 a.m.
Where: Hernando Oaks Golf & Country Club, 5230 Delacroix Drive, Brooksville
Teams: Central, Cypress Creek, Fivay, Gulf, Hernando, Hudson, Nature Coast, Pasco, River Ridge, Springstead, Weeki Wachee, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills

Class 1A-District 10
Host: Tampa Prep
When: Boys – Oct. 25, 9 a.m.; Girls – Oct. 25, 9 a.m.
Where: Westchase Golf Club, 11602 Westchase Golf Drive, Tampa
Teams: Academy at the Lakes, Bayshore Christian, Berkeley Prep, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, Cambridge Christian, Carrollwood Day, Hernando Christian, Seven Rivers Christian, Tampa Catholic, Tampa Prep

Regional Tournaments
When: Oct. 21 thru Nov. 2
Where: Varying sites

State Tournament
When: Class 1A, Nov. 11-12
Class 2A, Nov. 15-16
Class 3A, Nov. 8-9
Where: Mission Inn Resort & Club, 10400 FL-48, Howey-In-The-Hills

Info: Visit, FHSAA.com/sports/golf.

*Bolded teams are Pasco County teams and teams in the publication’s coverage area.

Published October 19, 2022

Pirates punching up the points

By

The Pirates are making waves again.

And not just the extremely loud sound waves from cannon fire that reverbs W.F. Edwards Stadium each time Pasco scores a touchdown. The Pirates, the county’s most successful high school football program, seemingly is back as one the area’s top teams, thanks to an impressive 4-0 start.

First-year Pasco High Football head coach Alphonso Freeney has the Pirates off to a 4-0 record, which is a stark contrast to last season when the Pirates went winless and scored just 18 points. (Mike Camunas)

A start that all began with a new head coach.

“Honestly, it’s about making the kids care about football again,” said first-year head coach Alphonso Freeney, who after seven seasons as an offensive assistant at Mitchell was hired by Pasco in December. “And not just football, but care about school. First thing we had to do was get them to understand that you’re not just an athlete, you’re a student-athlete. When they started buying up there on the hill (at school), everything else started rolling.

“Because I told them, if you go to school and get that done, then you come down here (to football), it’ll be easy — doing something you love will be easy. And at the end of the day, they’re high school kids — they’re not professionals. They’re kids and it needs to be fun.”

Senior running back Tayshaun Balmir is leading the way in the Pirates’ impressive 4-0 start, thanks to his 840 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, which rank him third and fourth in the state, respectively.

Unfortunately, Pasco High Football — the only county team to ever win a state championship (1992) — hasn’t had much fun since 2014, which was the last time the Pirates had a winning record. After 12 seasons under coach Tom McHugh (2007-2018), the program’s winningest coach (86-50), the Pirates struggled, to say the least. Three seasons under Jason Stokes produced a 9-22 record, including a winless 2021 season that saw Pasco score just 18 points.

Last season was a brutal stretch that included two forfeited games and a season-ending 56-0 loss in the 9-Mile War to rival Zephyrhills.

“Coming from Mitchell where we were successful, I told the kids, ‘I don’t know what it’s like to go 0-10 — I hope I never have to.’” Freeney said.

Junior safety Angel Miles is tied for the team high with two interceptions, and also leads receivers with two touchdown catches.

“As far as I’m concerned, that’s in the past, so we don’t even bring it up. We don’t go back there.

“When I first got the job, people asked how are we going to be, to give them football talk. I said, ‘I’m not going to give you football talk,’ and you know, we go off (winning), but we practice like we’re 0-0, that’s the mindset we take into each game,” Freeney added.

“But when I came in and I saw these kids, I said we’re going to be a pretty good football team and knew from the get-go we had something special.”

Senior defensive end Anthony Pratt leads the Pirates with 31 tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries. The Pirates have allowed just 66 points in four games after allowing 343 points in a winless 2021.

It seems the Pirates have found something special — lightning in a bottle in the form of senior running back Tayshaun Balmir. Through four games, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound back has rushed for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns, ranking him third and fourth, respectively, in the state in those categories. In fact, Balmir’s yards are almost 400 yards more than the next county running back: Zephyrhills’ Rodney Smith, at 465.

“I expected myself to make a little noise, but I never expected to go (that high) in the state — I ain’t gonna lie (laughs),” Balmir said. “You know, it is pretty great, so I figure I’ll just keep running when I get the ball.”

Balmir didn’t play for the Pirates last season, but was around, even if now he is formally a starter. But like all Pirate football players, he’s well aware of the history, and the community’s affinity, for this team.

“Everybody is congratulating us, and making me feel good,” Balmir said. “(What’s different from last season is) communication on the team. Last year, our players were all fighting, like we weren’t playing as a team — we were just out there playing with no direction.

“Now, it’s a lot of fun. We have fun at practice, we have fun at the games, we have fun outside of football and school — like we just have a bomb as a team.

“And, yeah, it’s fun to win, too.”

Fellow senior and linebacker Anthony Pratt agrees.

“It was really tough,” said Pratt, who leads the team in tackles (31) and sacks (five). “Coming out here every Friday and knowing you were just going to get beaten. It was, of course, not fun. But now practice is fun, the games are fun, and I feel as if we’re all on the same page out here, finally, and the results are showing we are.

Senior quarterback Enrique Matos has amassed 386 total yards and five touchdowns.

“Hopefully, our offense keeps putting up points and our defense keeps stopping (the opponent).”

Cypress Creek (4-0, 0-0) vs. Pasco (4-0, 0-0)
When: TBA due to Hurricane Ian
Where: W.F. Edwards Stadium at Pasco High, 36850 State Road 52, Dade City
Coaches: Cypress Creek – Michael Johnson; Pasco – Alphonso Freeney
Outlook: Pasco and Cypress Creek head into district play, both undefeated and looking to get a leg up in the district standings for postseason positioning. Expect the Pirates to turn to star running back Tayshaun Balmir, whose 840 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns is not only best in the county, but some of the best numbers in the state. Pasco was winless last season and only scored 18 points, but has quickly turned things around under new head coach Alphonso Freeney, outscoring opponents 140-66. … The Coyotes are really churning behind a two-punch offense led by quarterback Jack Niemann (762 passing yards, nine touchdowns) and running back Malachi Askin (526 yards, eight touchdowns). This is just the sixth season in program history for Cypress Creek, which is looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Class 3 Suburban, Region 2, District 7 Standings
Pasco  4-0
Cypress Creek 4-0
Zephyrhills 2-2
Wesley Chapel 0-4

Published September 28, 2022

Curl up with this different type of sport

By

It’s a sport that typically only gains attention during the Winter Olympics, but curling is becoming a more popular sport, locally.

Russ Thor, of New Tampa, slides a stone across the ice on a rink at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel during a practice session of the Tampa Bay Curling Club. The club’s fall season began on Sept. 10 and runs through November. New people looking to take up the sport are encouraged to join at any time. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

It’s a pursuit that looks a little like shuffleboard on ice, with a splash of household cleaning.

And, there are opportunities to try your hand at it at AdventHealth Center Ice, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

That’s the home of The Tampa Bay Curling Club (TBCC), which offers league play.

It’s also where people who are interested can give it a try, in Learning to Curl sessions.

“It’s a great sport because it doesn’t matter how old or how athletic you are, anyone can curl,” said John Drysdale, a hockey and curling coach at Center Ice. “A lot of people even do it as a date night — I know my wife and I do! It’s a very social sport, too. You can come out and chat, and interact with everyone, so it’s a very cordial atmosphere out here.

“So they come out thinking it looks easy on TV, and everything looks easy on TV, but they find out it’s also a blast to play.”

When Center Ice started the curling club in 2017, it came with a huge distinction: the largest curling club in the Southeast, even if Drysdale can’t remember the exact number it started with. However, the club has reached as high as numbers as 16 teams and 150 players.

“It’s something different,” he said. “It’s something unique and, in the time anyone does it — an hour to an hour and a half — they realize just how fun it is, too.”

The TBCC gains new members all the time, usually after they get hooked thanks to Learning To Curl classes hosted Saturday evenings before league play begins.

Andy LaRosa, of the curling team, I Swept With Your Wife, holds a perfect position, as he slides a stone down the ice at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, as part of the Tampa Bay Curling Club. The league hosts play on Saturday evenings. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

Cost is $30 per class, and Drysdale says he sees a lot of people trying it as a fun group activity, only to want to join the club, once learning about it.

“I guess it is a little like bowling,” Drysdale admitted. “A lot of teams, they’ll get here a little early, go up and get something to eat and drink at (the restaurant) Top Shelf, and then you come down and play.

“Then after the match, you go back up with all the teams and eat and drink some more maybe, then leave around midnight and the whole thing is very social — and a lot of fun.”

The Learning to Curl classes touch on the basics of curling, along with safety, etiquette and techniques. Teams of four slide a 38-pound to 44-pound stone, or rock, down the sheet that is 150 long and 16 feet wide, to the target, or house. Brooming techniques are taught, too, as they are used to speed up and slow down the stone.

Kyle Van Der Meyden, of the curling team, Mount Brushmore, works with his sweeping and stone sliding form during a practice session of the Tampa Bay Curling Club at AdventHealth Center Ice. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

While Learning to Curl is a very popular activity at Center Ice, Drysdale does admit every time the Winter Olympics coverage pops up, curling interest also increases.

“The Winter Olympics creates a boom (in participation) because there’s a lot of curling coverage during the Olympics, and sure, they probably showed it ironically back in the day, but it’s (well-watched now). People see it and they’re like, ‘Oh, I want to try that,’ and then realize, ‘Hey, it’s right here in Wesley Chapel!’”

Which is exactly how Mike Valentine, of the curling team, Athletic Calves, came from Clearwater to curl.

Ryan Schleich, of the curling team, Athletic Calves, directs his teammates where to slide the stone during a practice session of the Tampa Bay Curling Club. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

“It’s hard to find in Florida,” Valentine said. “I took a couple of classes of Learning to Curl and just got hooked. … (People) have no clue, really, (about curling) and you have to explain it to them. Sure, you’ve seen it on the Winter Olympics, but it’s harder and more fun than you see on TV.”

Other curlers didn’t need the Olympics to spur their interest.

Lutz resident Charles Lauricello, with the club since nearly the beginning, said: “I love curling because it’s like chess on ice.

“You’ve got to strategize a lot,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how much strategizing goes into curling, but I love it.”

Tampa Bay Curling Club
When: League play and practice is on Saturday evenings.
Where: AdventHealth Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Details: The Tampa Bay Curling Club promotes and supports the growth of the sport in the Tampa Bay and surrounding area. It provides education and training to curlers 15 years or older via instructional programs and league play. All experience levels are welcome, however, it is recommended curlers bring their own brooms and shoe sliders. Participants are encouraged to dress warm.
AdventHealth Center Ice also hosts Learning to Curl sessions prior to league play on Saturday evenings. Cost is $30 per class and new curlers are recommended to attend at least three sessions before joining the club.
Cost: $1,000 per team per season ($25 per player per game), plus there is an annual membership fee of $85 per player.
Info and registration: Visit TampaBayCurling.com, or email .

Published on September 14, 2022