Wesley Chapel/New Tampa Sports

No swimming off-season for Wesley Chapel’s Duncan

March 20, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When you’re already a state champion in your freshman year, a swimmer might have trouble pushing herself to new heights and staying focused as she continues her athletic career.

Not Abbey Duncan. Not even in the off-season.

“We’re always training for the next season to do our best,” said the Wesley Chapel High School swimmer, who won the Class 2A state championship for the 200-yard freestyle last November. “I swim nine times a week.”

Not only is she in the pool after school, but she gets up early on Saturdays to swim, and avoids junk food and sodas to stay in shape.

She also competes in different swimming events outside of school competition. Last month, she took part in the Orlando Grand Prix at the YMCA Aquatic Center. Duncan had to qualify to get into the open event, which means it was not categorized by age. In Group C she competed against athletes who were years older, but not necessarily better. Yet, Duncan took first in the 100-meter fly and 100-meter back, and sixth in the 200-meter back.

In Orlando she also got to meet stars in her sport, including Olympic athletes like Ryan Lochte, who has 11 medals in his Olympics career and holds the world record in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter individual medley. While Duncan wouldn’t rule out an Olympic opportunity for herself, it’s not the main focus in her swimming career.

She is, however, already considering her athletic career beyond high school and plans to swim in college. Duncan said that a school’s swimming program would weigh into her decision.

But before the Olympics, or college, or even her sophomore swimming campaign, there’s the daily practice schedule and an emphasis on continuing to get better. Duncan said that repetition is important because being a successful swimmer is about more than speed.

“You have to focus on your technique. You have to be focused on swimming as fast as you can, and you have to be focused equally on your technique,” she said.

And that focus has to come before the actual competition. Thinking about maintaining her form is actually the last thing she wants to do while she’s competing, Duncan said. The practice time is designed to create a comfort level with the different strokes, allowing muscle memory to take over and letting her swim as fast as possible without thinking about it too much in the pool.

Those quick responses, which come from the regular practice routines, give her a slight advantage over a swimmer who has to concentrate on their form and technique during a race. And any advantage in a competition measured in fractions of a second can be the difference between winning and losing.

Travis Ten Brink, one of Duncan’s swimming coaches at Wesley Chapel High, said Duncan has not only succeeded in winning, but she’s made her teammates step up their game when they competed together.

“Especially when it comes to relays, they wanted her to succeed as well,” he said. “It seems to me that it brought up the other swimmers. They wanted to compete at a higher level.”

Duncan also spent time with less-experienced swimmers with their turns, starts and stroke technique to accelerate their improvement, he said.

While Duncan motivated her teammates to do a better job, Ten Brink admitted that her determination had a similar effect on him as well. While he’s an experienced swimmer who swam for Zephyrhills High School in his youth, this is his first year coaching.

Duncan’s ability allowed Ten Brink to spend extra time with other swimmers, giving them more personal attention that helped the team overall.

He’s also well aware that she’s just a freshman, and is looking forward to building a strong team in the years to come around a talented young swimmer.

“I’m absolutely excited. I was just telling some colleagues that I can’t wait for swim season,” he said. “I coach soccer, too, and after soccer was over I was like ‘When does swimming start?’”

Published March 19, 2014

A perfect season: Weightman girls go 8-0 in soccer

March 13, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When a soccer team goes 7-0-1 in a season, capturing a championship in the process, what’s left to accomplish the following year?

The Weightman Middle School Wildcats celebrated an 8-0 season — the first in school history for girls soccer — and a second consecutive sectional title. Members of the team include, from left, Carrie Greene, Karissa Olsen, Jillian Skairus and Jessica Brunner. (Courtesy of Brian Dorkowski) — The Weightman Middle School Wildcats celebrated an 8-0 season — the first in school history for girls soccer — and a second consecutive sectional title. Members of the team include, from left, Carrie Greene, Karissa Olsen, Jillian Skairus and Jessica Brunner.
(Courtesy of Brian Dorkowski)

For Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel, that question was answered: A perfect 8-0 season for their girls soccer team and another sectional title.

“The girls are outstanding kids and outstanding soccer players. It was the most talented group that I’ve ever coached,” said coach Brian Dorkowski.

While he wasn’t the coach for last year’s title, Dorkowski isn’t a complete newcomer to Weightman, either. He coached both boys and girls soccer at the school before leaving to coach Wesley Chapel High School boys soccer for 11 years. Upon his return, Weightman not only logged their second consecutive title, but the first perfect season for girls soccer in school history.

The Wildcats didn’t just win all of their games. They dominated most of them, scoring at least five goals in five of their eight matches. In fact, two of them ended 8-0 due to the school system’s mercy rule.

And while they were offensively dominant, their defense was just as good, recording five shutouts as well.

In fact, their starting goalkeeper, Logan Coward, only allowed one goal the entire season. The other goals allowed came when they substituted backups to finish the games, but they only gave up four more in those circumstances for a total of five goals against for the entire season.

Since there are no playoffs at the middle school level, their record earned them the title for their section of Pasco County.

While the numbers suggest that the Wildcats overpowered their opponents, Dorkowski said he was impressed with the level of overall play he found upon returning to middle school soccer.

“It’s been a while since I coached middle school and coached girls, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the talent at the other schools,” he said. “We won by wide margins, but most of our games were against talented teams. The other teams had very talented players as well. These were good teams that we were beating.”

Dorkowski implemented a few strategies to keep his team sharp during the year. When the matches were already in hand, Dorkowski would give the girls in-game challenges to keep up their interest and focus, such as only allowing each girl to score one goal, which forced them to pass more and help their teammates score.

He also would instruct them to only touch the ball three times before passing or shooting, requiring them to make quick decisions on their possessions.

According to forward Tori Mitchell, who was on last year’s championship team and plays club soccer with the Wesley Chapel Flames, Dorkowski also brought a few new strategies to the table.

“He has a lot of background knowledge in coaching. He taught us some new set plays,” Mitchell said, referring to methods for free kicks and corner kicks that led to additional success.

“He definitely knows what he’s doing and helped some newer players who weren’t so familiar with the game.”

Mitchell also said that last year’s season began with a tie, so they knew a perfect season wasn’t possible. This year perfection was definitely a goal for the team, and even though they had the title wrapped up heading into the final game, they wanted to finish 8-0. Once they did, it was time to celebrate with post-game parties and an announcement at school the next day.

Next year will bring new challenges, as some students will graduate to high school, while others might attend different middle schools. But Dorkowski said that, as the school’s physical education coach, he sees plenty of sixth-graders with talent to share with the team next year.

He feels good about their potential next season and he’s proud of what the Wildcats accomplished this season.

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a coach,” he said. “I told the girls at the end of the year that if we hadn’t won any games I would have felt the same way because they were just so pleasant to coach, just the way you’d want them to be.”

Published Masrch 12, 201

National soccer scoring title belongs to Sunlake’s Pimm

February 27, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Any soccer team that played the Sunlake Seahawks this season knew that Remi Pimm was a scoring threat. The sophomore forward was by far the best scorer on his team this season.

Sunlake’s Remi Pimm led the nation in scoring this past soccer season with 64 goals. That mark also makes him the new Pasco County single-season record holder. (Photo by Michael Murillo)

Of course, he also was the best scorer in the district.

And the region.

And the state.

In fact, Pimm finished the year as the top scorer … in the nation. He had 64 goals and 39 assists. Pimm’s total not only was good enough for this year’s national honors, he broke the all-time record for most goals in a season by a Pasco County player of either gender.

Pimm said he takes the substance of the game seriously, but likes adding a little style as well.

“I like to create and have fun with the game, take defenders on, create scoring opportunities,” he said. “When I play I just like to have a good time. I like to do it the right way but also play with flair and good style.”

But flair and style wasn’t on everyone’s mind when he first joined the team this season. Pimm said that people would ask him if he was going to break the county record that had been recently set by another Sunlake player. Connor Gilboy — who joined the University of Florida’s football program and was red-shirted as a freshman this year after graduating from Sunlake — held the mark with 60 goals after last season.

Known for his soccer skills, Pimm said the pressure was on for him to claim the mark for himself. So he was glad to have accomplished that task in his sophomore season.

“Beating his record was my goal at the beginning of the year, and I beat that,” he said. “And I eventually got the Pasco record. I felt really good.”

One goal that the team didn’t accomplish was a state title. The Seahawks fell to Merritt Island 1-0 in the Class 3A state semifinals on Feb. 13. But the team finished with a perfect 16-0 district record and a 29-2-1 overall record.

While the Seahawks wanted to win the title, Pimm said he was proud of the team for playing hard, not giving up, and staying positive.

In fact, a positive mindset is a big part of Pimm’s game. He studies the best professional soccer players — he wants to be one someday — and noticed they bring an intensity and focus even if thing aren’t going exactly the way they want on the pitch.

Pimm believes good players need to have a positive attitude that things will go well, but a short memory if they don’t.

“The secret to scoring this many goals is to quickly forget when you miss one,” he said. “Also studying the game — which is a huge part — watching the professionals do it, and visualizing myself in their position.”

While the Seahawks’ season is over, soccer is still on Pimm’s mind. He plays for the FC Tampa Rangers, a local club based in Lutz, and will participate in the State Cup for the team’s Under-16 boys group, which begins next month.

But wherever he plays, Pimm has learned to keep his attention on the contest at hand, taking deep breaths to regain his focus when necessary.

And he’s also learned patience. While he might score multiple goals in some games, in others those opportunities might not be there in the beginning. He believes the key is to not dwell on a lack of success, but focus on taking advantage at the next available opportunity.

“At no point in the game should you ever hang your head and give up,” he said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

A little coincidence: Three Bulls headed to Bethel

February 20, 2014 By Michael Murillo

At first glance, the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls didn’t have a spectacular football campaign last season.

Jordan Mutcherson, center, make a key tackle for Wiregrass Ranch in a game against Ridgewood last season. Mutcherson and two other teammates will continue to play together at Bethel College in Kansas. (Courtesy of Sniper-shots.com)

They finished 0-5 in Class 7A-District 7 play, and 4-6 overall. However, their points for and points against numbers were respectable, and a couple games were losses by just one score. But their performance on the field attracted the interest of some college football teams.

One school in Kansas was paying particular attention.

Bethel College, a Christian liberal arts college in North Newton, will welcome three Wiregrass Ranch football players as incoming freshmen this fall: Jordan Mutcherson, Giomani Davis and John Harris-Scott IV. And the players consider having familiar faces in the locker room to be an advantage.

“I feel like I’ll have somebody to rely on. Two people, now,” said Harris-Scott, who will play at either running back or safety for Bethel.

Harris-Scott said David and Mutcherson were his good friends, but they didn’t discuss going to Bethel together until they had individually decided to accept their offers.

Davis, who will available at tailback and slot receiver, agrees that it helps to know some teammates before setting foot on campus.

“It’s like good competition, to see who’s doing better and see who’s seeing the field first,” he said. “Also they’re people to motivate you because they know your full potential and what you can do.”

The Bethel College Threshers play in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, which is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. While the NAIA represents smaller colleges than the more-famous National Collegiate Athletic Association, it represents more than 250 schools and has almost two dozen championships across various sports.

Although games might not be in the mammoth 80,000-seat stadiums found in NCAA Division I football, Mutcherson is looking forward to suiting up. He isn’t worried about how many people are in the stands – Thresher Stadium seats 2,500– as long as he can compete.

“I have love for the game so it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “Many people don’t get the opportunity to go to the next level and play a little football.”

Mutcherson will be considered at linebacker and defensive end for his college team.

The trio will look to help out a Threshers football program that has struggled recently. The team has produced two winless seasons and a pair of two-win seasons over the past four years. But they ended last season with a victory, have a new coach at the helm and an incoming group of freshmen who hope to contribute immediately.

The Wiregrass Ranch players aren’t intimidated by the pressure to improve a struggling program, Mutcherson said, because they just did the same thing this past football season.

“We had a big turnaround for the school here,” he said.

The Bulls’ 4-6 record looks average on paper, except Wiregrass Ranch was coming off back-to-back 0-10 seasons. First-year coach Mike Lawrence gave the team a new attitude and work ethic, and that translated into success and respectability on the field.

“Coach Lawrence instilled more discipline. We just had a change in thinking, and we were working out harder,” said Davis, who endured one of the winless seasons before the turnaround. “It just changed our program.”

The players believe they can bring the same intensity to Bethel College.

They’ll also have to get used to a change in climate, as snow could be a part of their football forecasts. But Harris-Scott said it won’t be a concern for him.

“It’s going to be real cold. I’m from up north, so I’m OK with the snow,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the change” in weather.

Of course, there’s more to college life than football, and all three said they want to direct their studies toward business. Harris-Scott wants to focus on the home health field, Mutcherson is looking toward sports management, and Davis wants to consider entrepreneurial opportunities.

The three student-athletes are planning a group trip to Kansas in the near future and are looking forward to college life in the fall. And whatever happens on the field and on campus, they know they won’t have to face it alone.

“When we signed, we sat next to each other,” Mutcherson said. “After we signed we shook each other’s hands and said ‘See you in Bethel.’“

Published Feb. 19, 2014

Wiregrass Ranch’s Melosky eclipses 1,000 points

February 13, 2014 By Michael Murillo

A high-scoring basketball player in her junior year might consider scoring 1,000 points a realistic goal before her senior year. But Wiregrass Ranch’s Amanda Melosky won’t even be thinking about that milestone next year.

Not many players reach 1,000 points in a high school career, and even fewer accomplish it their junior year like Wiregrass Ranch’s Amanda Melosky. (File Photo)

It’s not that Melosky isn’t a talented scorer. In fact, she’s so good that she didn’t need her senior year to reach 1,000 points. She eclipsed that mark on Jan. 23 in a win at home against Anclote.

When that 1,000th point was scored, the game was stopped and her teammates came out to cheer her for reaching the milestone. Melosky even received a game ball to commemorate the accomplishment.

And according to Bulls coach John Gant, she didn’t get those points with uncontested baskets or a lot of long-range shots. She collected them in hard-fought battles to the basket.

“She’s earning them in the trenches, in the paint, working hard and getting put-back, getting rebounds, working to get position,” he said. “She’s earning everything she’s getting. She’s one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever coached.”

That’s high praise from Gant, who completed his third year at Wiregrass Ranch, but has been coaching for more than three decades. He said that it’s one thing to find a player with talent, but the really good ones — like Melosky — have a lot of drive, a strong desire to succeed and consistently work hard to improve their skills and abilities.

Melosky is proud of achieving the 1,000-point mark, but is especially happy it occurred during a successful campaign for Wiregrass Ranch.

“I feel like it’s a big milestone. It was a good year to do it because we’re having a very successful season,” she said. “I’d rather the team have a good year than me reach a milestone any day. I like winning more than anything.”

While Melosky was scoring, the Bulls were certainly winning a lot of games. Although they fell in the playoffs to Strawberry Crest on Feb. 6, they finished with a 26-4 record, including a 13-game win streak in the middle of the season. She said that team success is important to her, so while she takes shots when she thinks she has an opportunity to score, she also won’t hesitate to pass to a teammate if they’re open.

Big numbers are a part of Melosky’s basketball game, but they’re also present in her records off the court as well: She’s maintained a 3.9 GPA. She attributes a successful balance of sports (Melosky also plays soccer) and school success to time management and making sure that neither side of her school career is neglected.

“When I’m not practicing, I’m normally doing my homework. I don’t normally have time to do much else, but that’s more important,” she said.

While she’s already eclipsed the 1,000-point mark, Melosky still has a couple of goals in her sights for next season. She has a realistic shot of reaching 1,500 points for her career, and she’s just 310 rebounds away from recording 1,000 there as well.

Gant recalled when college football great Herschel Walker was a junior at Georgia, his coach said the best thing about him was that he’d be coming back for another year. Walker ended up turning pro, and didn’t come back.

But this isn’t college, and Gant can be more confident in Melosky’s return to help the Bulls continue putting up points and winning games.

“Since it’s high school, I’m comfortable saying that the best thing about Amanda Melosky is she’s coming back,” he said.

Published Feb. 12, 2014

Liberty runs away with coveted spots in county championships

February 6, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Liberty Middle School’s track team began the season with a coach who wasn’t just new to the school, she was new to coaching. And she wasn’t going to hide her enthusiasm when it came to supporting her team.

Under first-year coach Toni Kuzmicki, far right, Liberty Middle School’s track team sent 17 athletes to the county championship. (Courtesy of Liberty Middle School)

“If you had seen me at the track meet, I was the one in the middle of the field screaming her head off,” Toni Kuzmicki said.

Kuzmicki’s enthusiasm paid off for the school, which excelled at their cluster track meet, where athletes from different schools compete in eight events: shot put, long jump, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter open, 800-meter run, 4-x-100 meter relay and 4-x-200 meter relay. Only the top two in each category move on to the county championships, where the top finishers in cluster track meets from across the county compete for spots in the finals.

Liberty not only sent 17 athletes to the county championships, but was represented in the finals in the long jump, 100-meter dash, 800-meter run and the 4-x-100 meter relay.

While Kuzmicki was learning the ropes when it came to coaching, she already had plenty of experience with track events. She was a district champion four years in a row at her high school in Miami, participating in the one-mile and two-mile competitions. She also ran track in college at Nova Southeastern University, and was able to use that background to educate and motivate her team to excel.

The athletes responded to Kuzmicki’s coaching style.

“She worked with the sprinters and she was able to really give them good advice,” runner Alejandro Michel said of his coach. “We were able to take a lot more kids to county than last year.”

He went on to reach the finals and placed seventh in the 800-meter run. Michel also ran track in the sixth and seventh grades, but said that the athletes now have an especially good attitude and relationship with the coaching staff.

Charisma Henry, an eighth-grader who was part of the group that went to the finals, agrees that Kuzmicki and her coaches made a big difference.

“The way they coached, it was cool because we raced against each other and they timed us,” she said. “And we kept on doing that, trying to get better times. And we also conditioned before and after practice.”

Henry believes that the practices set the tone for the team to take things more seriously, and produced better times as a result. In Henry’s case, this year’s trip to the finals was her first.

She also said that even though they raced against each other in practice, the team had strong camaraderie during the races. When she was running, she could hear people cheering and rooting for them.

“You could hear Liberty from miles away. It was really great,” she said.

Kuzmicki is proud of her team’s accomplishments and praised her coaching staff — Jessica Macrae, Stephanie Padilla and Katie Smith — noting that they were all first-time coaches. But she’s also started thinking about how to build on this year’s success.

A number of her top performers were sixth-graders, meaning they still have a couple of years to grow and succeed on the team. Kuzmicki told them to build on the success they achieved.

She’s also looking forward to growing as a coach, and improving the regimen she planned for her athletes. Conditioning is already one area designated to become a priority next year.

“We kind of just took their natural ability and ran with that, but next year we’ll know to get that muscle memory formed at the beginning, and then push them as we go,” Kuzmicki said.

Published Feb. 5, 2014

Wiregrass Ranch girls hoopsters create buzz with fast start

January 8, 2014 By Michael Murillo

With nearly three decades of basketball coaching experience, John Gant usually knows what to expect from his players. And going into his third season coaching the Wiregrass Ranch High School girls, he expected to have a strong team.

But even he admits he didn’t see 19 wins in their first 20 games.

Wiregrass Ranch captain Logan Seoane goes for a jump ball back in her early days on the Bulls varsity team. Now Seoane and her teammates are charging through the regular season, picking up 19 wins in their first 20 games.

“I did expect a good year. I did not anticipate quite this good a record, but I did anticipate a good year for my kids,” he said.

But the Bulls have done just that, starting out hot with a six-game winning streak before losing on the road at district foe Steinbrenner. However, they bounced back from that defeat and have rattled off 13 straight wins (nine of those by double-digits), including an eight-point victory over Steinbrenner in the rematch.

Gant identifies a couple of important team traits that has led to the Bulls’ success. First, the team is unselfish, with scoring relatively evenly distributed and no one player dominating the stat sheet. And second, the Bulls play an up-tempo game with an eye for fast break opportunities and plenty of running up and down the court.

While Wiregrass Ranch’s record is a marked improvement over previous seasons, Gant said his coaching philosophy hasn’t changed. The difference is the team’s receptiveness to what the coaching staff teaches and their ability to come together and excel behind that philosophy.

“It is not difficult to teach” unselfish play, he said. “It is sometimes difficult for kids to buy into it. Really, it comes down to the kids and do they want to buy into it and really make themselves a team, a cohesive unit.”

Bulls captain Logan Seoane, a senior in her fourth year playing for her school, believes her teammates have done just that.

“A lot of us have played together for a long time, and we just clicked this year,” said Seoane, who plays center for Wiregrass Ranch. She also said that developing a fast-break philosophy has meant challenging practices with a lot of transition work, efforts to limit turnovers and a full-court mindset.

But the hard work has been worth it, and other teams have had trouble keeping up with the Bulls.

Still, with all the team’s success, Wiregrass Ranch sits tied with the Steinbrenner Seahawks for the lead in Class 7A-District 8. Both teams have lost just one district game — to each other. If both teams win out, Gant said that regular tiebreakers probably won’t settle the issue. A simple coin toss could determine the tournament seeding, in which the top two teams will advance into the playoffs.

The fact that a 19-1 record doesn’t assure them the top seed in the tournament for a playoff berth isn’t lost on Gant. But he said that tournament seeding isn’t that important, since there will be tough games no matter where they finish.

“We have one of the toughest districts in the state,” he said. That includes Sickles, currently 14-4 overall and 2-3 in the district, as well as Freedom, which is 13-3 overall, and 2-3 in the district.

Of course, no one can forget Steinbrenner, which is currently 19-2, and 5-1 in the district.

“And we’re all very good,” Gant said. “You’re going to have a tough opponent no matter where you are.”

Rather than worry about tournament seeding, part of the team’s philosophy is to just take things one game at a time and not look ahead or take anything for granted. In fact, the coach believes that there’s nothing to take for granted yet, since they haven’t guaranteed themselves anything.

“We’re 19-1, and we’re 5-1 in district,” Gant said. “What’s it mean? Absolutely nothing if you don’t take care of business.”

Their next piece of business is a home game against Freedom on Jan. 8.

His team has also bought into that message as well. When asked how far she thought the team could go this year, Seoane responded with an answer that would make her coach proud: “We just have to take it step by step.”

Sunlake, Wharton football squads fall in playoffs

November 20, 2013 By Michael Murillo

High school football teams fight all year for a shot at the district title. If they fall short, the backup plan is to be district runner-up, because that spot (like the title winner) earns a trip to the playoffs.

Neither the Wharton Wildcats nor the Sunlake Seahawks were able to achieve their top goal of a district title, but both earned a hard-fought runner-up spot to earn a playoff berth. And both battled right to the end in the first round of the playoffs, before falling to their opponents.

Neither team had an easy road to earning second place in the district. For Wharton, two straight district losses put them in a must-win situation at the end of the year against Bloomingdale. The team had faced a big deficit heading into the final period, but scored 22 unanswered points and came away with a 30-23 win, a tie-breaker over the Bulls and that coveted runner-up spot in Class 8A-District 6.

Sunlake dropped its first district game, then rallied to win their next three to earn their second place finish. A tough 28-21 win over Land O’ Lakes in October proved to be the difference between the two teams, and the difference between second and third place. In the end, the Seahawks’ 3-1 record was good enough for runner-up status in Class 6A-District 6.

While those were satisfying finishes for each school, it was really just the end of the regular season: Both teams then entered a separate 32-team regional tournament to determine the state champion. But for both clubs, the beginning of their playoffs would also be the end. Wharton fell in their playoff opener to Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Panthers, 37-10, while Sunlake was a field goal short to the Gainesville Hurricanes, 17-14.

Sunlake Head Coach Bill Browning explained that, despite the loss, he was impressed with the way his team played.

“Gainesville’s a very talented team. They have a ton of speed,” he said. “We played exceptionally well. Physically, we beat them up. The effort was fantastic. Close ballgame.”

The Seahawks out-gained the Hurricanes and had a lead late in the game, but some untimely penalties and a late surge by Gainesville ended their season.

For Wharton, although the final score indicated the game wasn’t close, it really didn’t break open until the final period. The Wildcats were behind 14-3 at halftime and still within two scores in the fourth quarter. Head Coach David Mitchell said it was a few game-changing snaps and some self-inflicted wounds that turned the tide against them.

“They scored based on big plays,” he said. “We had problems with penalties. That’s what hurt us a lot.”

While he didn’t want Wharton to end their year with a loss, Mitchell believes they had a good season and already is looking toward next year. He has a number of returning players, and several of them will participate in other high school sports, which he said will help them on the gridiron.

In 2014, the key will be keeping them on top of their grades (and eligible to play sports), focused and ready for the new season.

Browning has his team looking forward to 2014 as well. He said the Seahawks have plenty of good talent returning — especially on offense — and they’ll be able to use some of the school’s junior varsity players, who enjoyed an 8-0 season this year.

Looking back, the coaches know that making the playoffs is an achievement in itself, both for themselves and the players who work so hard to get there. And for those graduating, many can look back on not just a good year, but a good career at their respective schools.

“For some of those players, it’s the third opportunity (to participate in the playoffs) in three years for them. That’s pretty good,” Mitchell said.

And Browning agrees. “For the kids coming back we’ll have to learn from it (the playoff loss), and for the seniors, we had a great senior bunch. They’re the winning-est senior class in the short history of the school.”

Pride on the line between Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel

November 6, 2013 By Michael Murillo

If you’re looking for a powerhouse matchup between two of the best high school football teams in the area, the Nov. 8 game between the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls and the Wesley Chapel Wildcats probably isn’t it.

Neither team will be going to the playoffs, both are winless in their respective districts, and they have a combined three victories between them (all of them from 3-6 Wiregrass Ranch, while Wesley Chapel sits at 0-9).

So why are both schools looking forward to the match up?

The answer is simple: It’s a rivalry game. And it’s a game among neighbors as well.

The two schools are only about 10 miles apart. In fact, Wiregrass Ranch was created in part due to Wesley Chapel’s overcrowding.

A decade ago, current Bulls students would likely have been Wildcats. They live near each other, interact with each other, and many players participated in youth sports together. So when they face off in a high school rivalry game, the athletes don’t consider it just another date on the schedule.

“These guys have seen each other for a number of years, so it’s always special,” Wesley Chapel head coach Tico Hernandez said. This is Hernandez’s first year running the school’s program, but he understands the pride that goes along with defeating a rival.

But for the Wildcats, there’s also history on the line. Wiregrass and Wesley Chapel have been playing against each other since the 2007 season, and each time Wesley Chapel has come out on top. But this year the Bulls own the better record and some confidence that they can not only beat the Wildcats, but beat them on their own field.

Hernandez said to avoid that outcome and keep his school’s streak going, the Wildcats will have to have one of their better defensive efforts and get more consistency from an offense that can create effective moments, but is also susceptible to what he calls “silly” plays. He believes that putting a complete game together and getting the season’s first win against a rival would be meaningful for the players.

But Wiregrass Ranch head coach Mike Lawrence doesn’t want to hear much about rivalries. He just wants to win.

“Focusing just because it’s Wesley Chapel and a rivalry, I don’t want to play too much into that. I just want to focus on winning the ballgame,” he said.

Lawrence knows his players could get excited about facing the Wildcats, but sees a better road to success by keeping the Bulls focused on their game plan and treating the contest like another game on the schedule. That means both offense and defense prepared for the game, and playing well when they’re on the field.

Like Hernandez, this is Lawrence’s first season as his school’s head coach. But instead of the rivalry aspect of the game, he’s more concerned about Wesley Chapel’s winless record, and their drive to get into the win column for the first time this year.

“They’re hungry and they’re looking for a win. They haven’t won a ballgame yet, and that’s an advantage that they have right now on us,” he said. “They don’t want to finish their season without a victory.”

While that’s true, Hernandez said there’s a little bit more behind their motivation when they see the Wildcats on the schedule. They want a win, but they also want neighborhood bragging rights as well.

“Our team goals at the beginning of the year were to control the classroom and behave on campus and have a certain GPA,” he said. “And one of our other goals was to continue to own Wesley Chapel.”

County moves forward with artificial turf fields at park

October 30, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Players and spectators who frequent Wesley Chapel District Park off Boyette Road already find the accommodations too crowded. And that has one county commissioner questioning why Pasco is more focused on attracting tourists to the field than trying to help service the demand there.

It’s going to take a little more time to see more fields at places like the Wesley Chapel District Park as county tourism officials push for an artificial turf field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The county had sought bids to build two artificial turf fields at the park, only to get one bid that was $499,000 over what Pasco was willing to spend. Having such fields would attract out-of-town tournaments and teams, something Pasco won’t be able to do with grass fields, said Ed Caum with Pasco’s office of tourist development.

“I cannot market grass fields,” Caum told the commission at a recent meeting. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano, who represents west Pasco, disagrees, however. He said those who use the park are frustrated, because they are butting heads with other teams that want to play out there.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said.

The lone bid came from QGS Development Inc., of Lithia, at just under $2.2 million. That was nearly $500,000 over the budget the county set.

Instead of giving up on the artificial turf fields, however, county administrator Michele Baker said she’s ready to just send the request for bids out again with tighter specifications.

“We think that turf fields are the way to go for tourism opportunities,” Baker said.

Yet, Pasco is struggling to meet the demand placed on the fields. In August, eight soccer teams and 120 players transplanted to parks in Zephyrhills. And it could be permanent.

“It places a burden on the families,” Jeff Olsen, a soccer coach whose daughter travels to Zephyrhills, told The Laker/Lutz News earlier this month. “There’s lost time as a family. There’s lost time for homework. There’s an extra rush on the evening schedule and extra costs for gas. So there’s a burden there.”

Wesley Chapel isn’t alone, however, said Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who represents the area. And at some point, the county is going to have to stop building more fields.

“We are never going to be able to give everybody every field they want,” Mulieri said. “Go to Land O’ Lakes, go to the community center, everybody is overbooked. There has got to be a time when the board says this is what we can do, and that is it.”

In the end, Mariano joined the other commissioners in rejecting the sole bid and sending out for new bids to build an artificial turf field.

At the same time, Baker said the county will begin talks with one of the primary users of the field, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, to work out a cooperative agreement covering the new fields once they are built.

However, construction would not begin until next spring at the earliest.