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Land O' Lakes Sports

Sunlake boys cross-country finishes state runner up

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The year 2020 will live on in infamy for many.

For the Sunlake High School boys cross-country team, it will be viewed in a more positive lens — it will be remembered, as the year the Seahawks became the most decorated group of prep runners in Pasco County history.

The Sunlake High boys cross-country team finished in second place at the FHSAA’s 3A state championships last month. It marks the highest such finish in Pasco County preps history. (Courtesy of Florida High School Athletics Association)

The team has achieved many accomplishments and created lasting moments in becoming one of the area’s most dominant forces over the past couple seasons, under the guidance of head distance coach Randal Reeves. For one thing, it finished in fifth place at the 2019 state meet.

But, last month, the program accomplished something it has never done: A second-place overall finish at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 3A state championships.

The event was held Nov. 14 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, and Sunlake’s runner-up finish represents the all-time best mark ever achieved by any Pasco County prep cross-country program.

The 3A state title went to Miami’s Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, which tallied 30 points after its top five runners went first, second, seventh, eighth and 18th place, respectively. It represents that private school’s fourth state title and 12th all-time.

Meanwhile, Sunlake tallied 123 points, as its fleet went ninth, 12th, 42nd, 46th and 48th.

Third place went to Ponte Vedra High School (143), whose runners went 11th, 31st, 35th, 47th and 54th.

Put another way: Sunlake can lay claim as the best public school distance program in 3A.

Junior Colby Robbins, who paced the Seahawks, broke the 16-minute mark by clocking 15:58.2, which equates to a 5:08 per mile pace.

Following Robbins were sophomore Alejandro Pena (16:02.7); juniors Andres Alfonso (16:52.3) and Cason Meyer (16:55.6); and, senior Cade Whitfield (16:55.6).

The team’s sixth and seventh varsity runners — whose scores aren’t tallied in the results — were junior Max Goserud (17:10.7) and sophomore Nathan Lee (17:45.8)

The timed average for Sunlake boys was 16:33, equating to an average of 5:20 per mile. There was just a 58-second gap between its number one through number five runners.

The pinnacle state showing concludes a banner campaign for the Sunlake team, which also  swept its conference, district and regional championship meets along the way. This all happened after the team was quarantined for nearly two weeks between September and October — as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.

Making the feat even more impressive is the team’s small roster size compared to other top-flight 3A programs that often boast 50 to 100 athletes.

For instance, Sunlake’s 15-boy roster paled in comparison to Belen Jesuit’s 53-person crew.

In addition to Sunlake, several other local teams and individuals exhibited solid showings at the state finals, including the Sunlake girls team, which finished 10th in their meet.

Elsewhere on the team front, the Steinbrenner High boys program garnered a 10th-place finish at the 4A meet — a year after they claimed its first state crown.

Meanwhile, a pair of the six other individual qualifiers from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area garnered top-three finishes in their respective classifications.

Wharton High senior Jared Hamill earned a third-place finish in the 4A meet, turning in a 15:51.9 — the quickest time among all local runners from every classification, respectively.

Land O’ Lakes native Elli Black — a home-schooled seventh-grader who runs for Cambridge Christian School — finished state runner-up in the 1A girls meet, posting 18:28.5.

Other state qualifying individuals included Steinbrenner senior Jacquelyn Abansas (eighth place, 19:08.0, 4A girls); Wharton junior Brooke Reif (31st, 20:04.2, 4A girls); Land O’ Lakes junior Maranda Hildebrand (74th, 21:09.7, 3A girls); and, Gaither senior Lorenzo Martinez (89th, 17:39, 3A boys).

Roundup of local teams and individuals at the 2020 FHSAA cross country state championships:

Boys
4A
Steinbrenner (10th place)
Ethan Bhatt senior (52nd, 17:02.3)
Ryan Campbell, senior (55th, 17:06.6)
Zachary Harrigan, senior (61st, 17:13.4)
Sohan Khanvilkar, senior (66th, 17.19.8)
Jaden Simpson, junior (73rd, 17:23.9)
Bryce Krueger, senior (93rd, 17:55.4)
Ronald Aeschleman, junior (99th, 18:04.3)

Individual(s)
Wharton: Jared Hammill, senior (third, 15:51.9)

3A
Sunlake (Second)
Colby Robbins, junior (15:58.2)
Alejandro Pena, sophomore (16:02.7)
Andres Alfonso, junior (16:52.3)
Cason Meyer, junior (16:55.6)
Cade Whitfield, senior (16:55.6)
Max Goserud, junior (17:10.7)
Nathan Lee, sophomore (17:45.8)

Indvidual(s)
Gaither: Lorenzo Martinez, senior (89th, 17:39)

2A
No local teams or individual runners

1A
No local teams or individual runners

Girls
4A
Individual(s)
Steinbrenner: Jacquelyn Abanses, senior (eighth 19:08.0)
Wharton: Brooke Reif, junior (31st, 20:04.2)

3A
Sunlake (10th)
Shannon Gordy, senior (40th, 20:23.4)
Shelby Viseur, junior (47th, 20:29.5)
Sara Ellington, junior (50th, 20:37.2)
Ashley Spires, senior (55th, 20:42.7)
Caitlyn Culpepper, junior (82nd, 21:23.8)
Annie Winborn, sophomore (84th, 21:28.4)
Alanta Lofton, sophomore (94th, 21:59.5)

Individual(s)
Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes junior (74th, 21:09.7)

2A
No local teams or individual runners

1A
Elli Black, Cambridge Christian (Land O’ Lakes resident), seventh grade (second, 18:28.5)

Published December 02, 2020

Sunlake XC strides for another banner finish at states

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It’d be understandable if the Sunlake High School varsity cross country program took a slight step back following a banner 2019 campaign that saw its boys team finish fifth and girls team sixth at the Class 3A state championship — the best combined finish that year among schools in all classifications in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Those respective Seahawks’ seniors — many of whom are now running in college — all but carried the program to the banner showing, including:

  • Five of the boys team’s top seven runners were seniors, four of whom are now running on scholarship at in-state Flagler College, Saint Leo University and Southeastern University, respectively.
  • Three of the girls team’s top seven runners were seniors, including decorated and school record-setting Liina Winborn, who finished fourth overall at the 2019 state finals (18:11.16),

and is now on a distance running scholarship at Division I University of Florida.

But, this year’s Seahawks teams may soar to even greater heights, once the season officially crosses the finish line.

The Sunlake High School boys and girls cross-country programs are poised to each have its highest finish at the 3A state finals on Nov. 14 at Apalachee Regional Park, in Tallahassee. Each squad swept its conference and district meets. The boys team won regionals, while the girls finished runner-up, respectively. (Courtesy of Randal Reeves)

The boys and girls squads each swept its conference championship and district championships. At regionals on Nov. 7 at Holloway Park in Lakeland, the boys took first place and the girls took runner-up.

With that, both advance to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 3A state championships on Nov. 14, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

Expectations at states are a top three or four finish for the boys, and a top four or five for the girls, respectively.

So, what else separates this team from years past? A valuable combination of depth, dedication, accountability, and some natural talent, of course.

“We lost a lot of seniors last year who went on to run in college,” said Sunlake distance coach Randal Reeves, “but, returning runners from last year just really stepped it up, by putting in all the training over the summer; that’s what made the difference, and all that hard work is just paying off.”

Reeves further praised teammates for having the commitment to show up to practices and workouts each day, and doing what is asked of them, and more.

“These kids are extremely dedicated,” the seventh-year coach said. “You’ve gotta have the right kids involved, and I’m blessed. I do have the right kids.”

The effort level comes from many of the runners’ desires to earn college scholarships and compete at the next level, the coach said.

“Every single one of these kids is looking to run in college,” Reeves said. “They don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to get their training in so that they can perform well, so I think that’s what the difference is with these kids. They all want to get some races in so they can show a recruiter, ‘Hey, look at the times I’ve been running,’ so I think that might be where a lot of the dedication is from.”

The inner drive to succeed elsewhere comes from distance runners having what likely would’ve been a banner track season ripped away from them back in March, as all spring sports were canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic surge.

“I think it’s definitely a lot of build-up from almost having an incomplete season of track,” said junior Caitlyn Culpepper, a team captain.

“I think that motivation definitely carried into our summer training, because I know when I ended the (track) season, I was like, ‘Wow, I have so much more left to give,’ so we just carried that motivation into our summer training, ‘Hey, we’ve gotta work harder. We weren’t able to achieve this goal of state tracks, so let’s put this toward cross-country,’ so I think that drove a lot of us. We were just ready to get out there and start competing again.”

More with less
Other top-level 3A cross-country programs may have anywhere from 50 to 100 runners on their roster.

Sunlake has less than 30 runners combined between the boys and girls teams.

The 3.1-mile state meet course at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee features a mix of hills and flat terrain. The team has prepared for the course in training at Trout Creek Park in Thonotosassa. (Courtesy of Florida High School Athletic Association)

In this case, it’s about quality, not quantity.

Both squads boast eight closely matched runners who are strong enough to register points (finish in the top five for their team in a race).

Each squad’s No. 6 or No. 7 runner may finish as high as No. 4 or No. 5 in a particular meet or race.

It’s one of those good problems to have.

“I have the problem, of my top seven, any one of ‘em would be varsity on any team in the state of Florida. I mean, they’re that good,” Reeves said.

This tight margin among Sunlake runners has created an accountability factor among each other, keeping everyone on their toes and forced to give their best effort in practice and meets.

The girls team, for example, has eight runners who run a 5K (3.1 miles) under 22-minutes, led by senior Shannon Gordy, who’s personal record is 18:53. The boys team has eight runners who can finish under 18 minutes, led by junior Colby Robbins, who captured individual titles at conference, districts and regionals, and whose personal-best 15:56 is two seconds off the school record held by the graduated Gavin Kennedy (15:54.6).

“We’re so close in times, which gives us that awesome pack up in the front,” Culpepper said, “and, you know, we have that accountability for each other, so we’re able to push each other, so that inner competition among each other creates for great competition against other teams.”

The depth means “it could be anybody’s race,” even for those lower-ranked runners, said Gordy. “Those No. 6 and No. 7 runners, they know that we’re strong as a whole and they have a part in the team. They may not score points, but they know they’re important to our team. As the team runs, we run as a group,” she said.

Robbins likewise underscored how the depth — and corresponding camaraderie, he said — has carried the team so far: “If somebody decides to slack off, instead of just saying, ‘Oh, that’s not me, it’s individual sport,’ we’re going to get on them because we care, so I think that’s what sets us apart. We have a degree of responsibility that we uphold for each other, because I’m not going to be the one that holds my team back, because we all care about each other.”

Coach’s impact
Other reasons for the program forming as one of the state’s best is Reeves, who’s earned his fair share of Sunshine Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in cross-country and track.

“He can take anyone and turn them into a great athlete, and if you have natural talent, he can then turn you into world-class,” said Robbins, who entered Sunlake as a soccer player but made the transition to distance running freshman year, and is now among the state’s best runners in Class 3A.

The Sunlake cross-country program is among the state’s top-ranked teams entering the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 3A state championships. The boys and girls teams compete on Nov. 14 at Apalachee Regional Park, in Tallahassee. (Courtesy of Florida High School Athletic Association)

“Even though we don’t have the biggest group, because of coach’s training and because of our buy into the training, he’s able to take a group of 15 boys and make them state contenders.”

Senior Cade Whitfield missed all of last season amid a hip injury. He returned this year as the team’s No. 3 runner and a personal-best 16:37.

Whitfield credits Reeves’ passion for the sport and attention to each runner’s needs and goals.

“I’ve never experienced a coach like him,” he said. “He sat down with me with college recruiting and told me every single step I’ve needed to take, and he’s honestly the one that inspired me to give it my all like he does, because I just didn’t want to give 50% for him.”

Gordy expressed similar feelings for the coach: “He knows every runner has different motivations and different goals, so he makes sure that he specializes our training to what we want to run, like our times, and like what we want to do after high school, and how we want to get there.”

Running through quarantine
Even with myriad medals and trophies earned this season, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Sunlake this season.

The team was forced to quarantine from Sept. 24 through Oct. 3 after one of its runners tested positive for COVID-19.

Unable to practice together as a group, runners had to train individually and log their times online each day. Meetings and workout instructions were held virtually, through Zoom.

The team took the setback in stride, viewing it as an opportunity to not take the season for granted.

“Being quarantined, it really showed the value of having teammates to run with,” said Culpepper. “When you’re running on your own, you’ve gotta push yourself a little more, versus, when you’re running with the team as committed as you are, it definitely helps you.

“It’s definitely made us more appreciative of our team and our dynamic, and the ability that we have to be able to run together and even have a season this year. It was kind of a new perspective that we needed,” he said.

Gordy believes the occurrence made the team stronger, in the end, too.

“I feel like when we came back, we were eager to race and be better at the races, and we were more rested,” she said. “It was like a refreshment, kind of. Like a break, and then we focus on what we want as a team.”

As Reeves puts it: “The world gave us lemons, and we decided to make lemonade out of it.”

Now, looking ahead to this weekend’s state championship, the Seahawks are confident for a strong showing — maybe even better than 2019’s version.

Training at Trout Creek Park in Thonotosassa — plus past experience competing at states —  has prepared Sunlake for the mix of hills and flat terrain at the Apalachee course, Reeves said.

“It plays well for us,” Reeves said of the state meet course. “We do a lot of our training that replicates parts of the state course, and so they’re not surprised. When they get out to that course, they’re going to feel fine, nothing’s going to shock them, they’re going to know how to run.”

Sunlake varsity boys cross-country

  • Colby Robbins, junior (15:56)
  • Alex Pena, sophomore (16:15)
  • Cade Whitfield, senior (16:37)
  • Cason Meyer, junior (16:48)
  • Andres Alfonso, junior (16:54)
  • Max Goserud, junior (17:13)
  • Nathan Lee, sophomore (17:39)
  • Cody Smith, junior (17:47)

Sunlake varsity girls cross-country

  • Shannon Gordy, senior (18:53, personal record)
  • Ashley Spires, senior (19:59)
  • Atlanta Lofton, sophomore (20:26)
  • Shelby Viseur, junior (20:44)
  • Caitlyn Culpepper, junior (20:44)
  • Sarah Ellingson, junior (20:48)
  • Annie Winborn, sophomore (21:01)
  • Abigail Williams, freshman (21:10)

Published November 11, 2020

Senior guards leave a lasting impression

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The 2019-2020 season for the Land O’ Lakes High School varsity basketball program is sure to be remembered for some time.

Not only was it the final of 31 seasons for longtime head coach Dave Puhalski, but it also marked the senior campaigns of Mekhi Perry and Chase Farmer — two of the most decorated players in Land O’ Lakes and Pasco County history.

Perry exits as the Gators all-time leading scorer, with 1,616 career points.

Second on the list? Farmer, who finished his Gators career with 1,403 points.

Land O’ Lakes senior guard Mekhi Perry exits as the school’s all-time leading scorer. He’s signed with Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. (Courtesy of James Trapani)

Those figures surpassed former Land O’ Lakes star Jeff Baisley’s 1,394 career points — a record held strong since 2005.

The dynamic guard duo and team captains sparkle school record books in many other categories, too.

Perry, a four-year starter, exits as the program’s all-time leader in games played (101), made 3 pointers (178), second in assists (394) and 10th in rebounds (440), steals (138) and blocks (59).

Meantime, Farmer is the school’s all-time leader in dunks (90), seventh in assists (191) and 10th in blocks (72). He compiled those stats in just three seasons, transferring in from Leto High School following his freshman campaign.

Also, both players have been named Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Player of the Year during their career — Farmer his junior year; Perry as a sophomore and senior.

The combo, naturally, won their share of games when on the court side-by-side for three years — going a combined 63-17 and twice reaching the Class 7A regional semifinals.

Their skillsets played off each other well and kept opposing teams off balance.

Land O’ Lakes senior guard Chase Farmer is the school’s all-time dunks leader and second leading scorer. He’s signed with Cape Fear Community College, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

At point guard, the 6-foot-1 Perry played the role of ball handler and outside shooter.

Farmer, at 6-foot-3, offered more as a slasher and rim finisher from the off-guard spot.

Those complementing styles formed “a match made in heaven on the court,” Puhalski said.

“It was tough for teams to match up with us,” he said, “just because if you isolated on one, the other would kill ya.”

Of the hundreds of players coached at Land O’ Lakes, Puhalski considers Perry and Farmer “together, the best one-two guard combination that we’ve had.”

“We’ve had some really good point guards, good two-guards, but these two were the best together at each position,” said Puhalski, who won 479 career games at Land O’ Lakes.

“They were probably two of the better basketball players in Land O’ Lakes, maybe Pasco County. They’re really special kids.”

Their talents shine
While the two generally had separate friend and peer groups at school, Puhalski noted “once they hit the court they were on the same page.”

The pair was a coach’s and teacher’s dream off the hardwood.

“They were just really two good kids,” Puhalski said. “They were never in trouble. They never had a minute of problems at school, never were suspended, never been to ISS (in-school suspension), never any problems off the court, either. Just great kids. I never had any problems with either one of them.”

Puhalski knew he had something special when he first saw Farmer join offseason team workouts and practices in spring 2017. The Land O’ Lakes coach had only heard of the Leto transfer’s talent secondhand from his AAU coach, Mario Lovett.

Puhalski recalled, “You could tell he was already head and shoulders above the kids, him and Mekhi.”

Land O’ Lakes reached the Class 7A regional semifinals the past two seasons, winning more than 20 games in each.

Perry also salivated about the team’s possibilities in initial workouts with Farmer. “As soon as I saw him play and I saw his athletic ability,” Perry said, “I automatically thought we could be a good duo if we both kept developing.”

That, they did.

The pair made it a point to add strength in the weight room “and that just elevated their game,” Puhalski said.

Farmer went from benching 145 pounds as a sophomore to 260 by his senior year. Perry added some size on his own throughout high school, with the help of his father, a bodybuilding enthusiast.

“They had the skillset, and all they needed was some strength,” Puhalski said. “I think that was the key for these guys, to have that next level body when the college coaches came in and looked at them and said, ‘Well, geez, these guys have a next level body already on them, they’re not that skinny high school kid.’”

Both strived to make each other better every day, too.

“We always wanted to push each other, and wanted to push everybody,” Farmer said. “We knew that me and him could get to a different level, so we just wanted to make sure we helped each other every day in practice.”

The accomplished seniors soon will be going their separate ways — embarking on what they hope are illustrious college careers.

Perry is headed to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Farmer is off to Cape Fear Community College, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Both look back fondly on their prep careers and made memories at Land O’ Lakes.

Farmer said he’ll mostly miss the school’s gameday atmosphere, road trips and being coached by Puhalski. (Land O’ Lakes fans will certainly miss his signature breakaway windmill dunks.)

“It’s a really good community. I like the people,” Farmer said. “Coach P just led me in with open arms; we just went on from there.”

Perry, too, appreciates what was a positive basketball experience overall.

“The different teams I got to mesh with, hanging out with all those guys, it was just fun,” Perry said. “Every year we got closer and closer, but the freshman year varsity team (in 2016-2017) being around all those seniors, that kind of like exposed me to what Land O’ Lakes was about and that was probably one of my favorite years.”

Now retired from coaching, Puhalski will make it a point to catch as many of the duo’s college games as possible. He’s already planning dates to St. Petersburg and North Carolina, as well as a tournament in Orlando that’ll feature Farmer’s new team.

Said Puhalski, “It’s really gratifying that these last few years, with these two guys on the team and the success they had, and we had, just makes me feel real good. Now, I can watch these guys play at the next level, and that’s really the best feeling right there.”

The coach added: “I don’t know how well they’ll be at the next level, but they’ll be great citizens, and that’s the important part.”

Published May 06, 2020

New Land O’ Lakes coach enjoys the gridiron

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When Ronald “Trac” Baughn moved to Florida a couple years ago, his sights were set on enjoying retirement.

He pictured himself fishing every day and visiting nearby family members on a regular basis.

But, it wasn’t long before he fantasized about stepping back on the gridiron again.

And that’s after three long decades of coaching high school and college football — mostly throughout Mississippi.

New Land O’ Lakes head football coach Ronald ‘Trac’ Baughn served as the program’s defensive coordinator the last two seasons.(Courtesy of Brandon Franke)

The coaching bug bit again in summer 2018 — when he accepted a position to become assistant coach/defensive coordinator for the Land O’ Lakes High School varsity football program.

“I thought I was just going to fish for a little while, and then it got to being late June and I said, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ I about had enough fishing,” Baughn said of his foray back into coaching.

Fast-forward to 2020: Baughn is now the Gators new head football coach.

He replaces the man he spent the past two seasons working for — Chad Walker, who in January accepted a head football coach position at Cambridge Christian School, in Tampa.

Baughn was selected from among 40 applicants for the position.

About 15 of the applicants were interviewed, according to Land O’ Lakes athletic director Michael Frump.

Baughn’s decorated coaching background, plus recent time with the Gators, served him well.

During 32 years of coaching football, Baughn has molded NFL veterans. He’s rubbed shoulders with legendary SEC coaches in the Mississippi junior college ranks. And, he found notable success as head coach and defensive coordinator throughout the Mississippi preps scene.

His college coaching stops have included the following: tight ends coach at Division I FCS Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tennessee), running backs coach at Division II Delta State University, defensive assistant East Mississippi Community College, and defensive coordinator Holmes Community College (Goodman, Mississippi).

His high school experience, which all came in the Magnolia State, is varied, too. He coached at Cleveland Central High School, Meridian High School, Kosciusko High School, New Hope High School and Wayne County High School, respectively.

Baughn said his experience equates to “an awful lot of time dealing with kids and working with (football) schemes.”

He added, modestly: “I don’t know, 32 years of coaching experience, it’s all been valuable to me.”

His two seasons as Kosciusko’s head football coach may serve most relevant to the Gators program.

He guided that team to 10-3 marks in both 2015 and 2016, reaching the third round of Mississippi 4A playoffs both years. He was twice named “Area Coach of the Year” as those teams finished ranked in the Mississippi Associated Press 4A top 5.

Baughn feels his time as head coach at the Central Mississippi-based school can translate to his new undertaking at Land O’ Lakes.

He put it like this: “I thought that I had been successful as a head coach before, and I kind of know what it entails, and I felt like I might be able to help right the ship over time.

“We’ve got really good kids (at Land O’ Lakes), and just felt like they deserved somebody that that was willing to give their best shot,” the coach said.

Success starts with large senior classes, rosters
The past two seasons at Land O’ Lakes offer a glimpse of the highs and lows of the Land O’ Lakes football program.

The Gators went 7-3 in 2018, narrowly missing the playoffs. That was the school’s first winning campaign since 2013 — restoring some confidence in the historic program.

Perhaps just as important that year, the Gators finally supplanted crosstown foe Sunlake High in the annual “Butter Bowl” rivalry game — the first such victory in eight years.

The 2019 team, however, was another story. It finished the season with a 2-8 mark.

The only wins came against Freedom High and Zephyrhills Christian schools. And, most of the team’s losses were blowouts, with a 31-point loss, three 40-plus point losses and two 50-plus point losses, among others.

All told, the Gators were outscored 137-363.

As a member of the coaching staff both years, Baughn knows what went wrong in 2019.

The coach blamed a “much more difficult” schedule and an “extremely young” roster with few seniors. “It kind of created a situation where we had a bunch of young kids that were going to struggle a little bit. That’s just the way it went,” Baughn said.

While a tough schedule will remain in 2020, Baughn is on a mission to “get the numbers up” and recruit more athletes from inside the school’s hallways to join the football program.

He has a list of more than 65 athletes interested in playing football, and he’s still actively looking for more.

“We need kids to come out,” Baughn said. “You can’t have four or five or six seniors every year. You need to have some classes with 15 to 20 (seniors) in it.”

So, what’s in store for next season?

Baughn’s philosophy, in a nutshell, is predicated on running the football and being fundamentally sound on defense.

“We’re gonna be a lot more physical, a lot less finesse than we have been,” the coach said.

He plans to teach those principles through a mantra centered on “tough love.”

“When they’re out there, I’m going to demand they do their best, and I won’t put up with anything less than that,” Baughn said.

“We are going to hold their feet to the fire and make them do the right thing, and try to develop and instill some work ethic in them, not that they don’t have that already, but we’re going to demand a lot of them.”

‘Last Chance U’ ties
Interestingly, Baughn has several ties to the hit Netflix original documentary series, “Last Chance U,” which profiles junior college football programs and recruits.

Fans of the widely popular show are familiar with East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), profiled in seasons 1 and 2 of the show.

Long before EMCC became a household name and drew a cult following, Baughn was a defensive assistant there.

“I watched some of (Last Chance U), and I was like, ‘Hey, there’s our old house right there…,’” Baughn quipped.

Baughn has coached against EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens, a prominent figure in the series, throughout the Mississippi JUCO ranks.

Baughn pointed out he notched a win against Stephens when he was then-defensive coordinator at Holmes Community College and Stephens was then-offensive coordinator at Pearl River Community College.

Stephens, notorious for his firebrand demeanor, has gone on to win five NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national championships at EMCC.

“He’s done a phenomenal job there,” Baughn said.

The new Land O’ Lakes coach also claims to have once hired and worked with Marcus Wood — another prominent Last Chance U regular as EMCC’s offensive coordinator.

Baughn said the show is “kind of neat, because you know all those people.”

At the same time, he feels some of the moments are sensationalized for entertainment’s sake.

“TV kind of makes things one-sided a little bit,” he said. “Some people say, ‘Is it really like that?’ and I say, ‘Well, sometimes it’s really like that, but not all the time.’”

Key losses

  • Ethan Forrester, quarterback
  • Brett Gwinn, tight end
  • Michael Lansford, running back/linebacker

Key returnees

  • Isaac Tavo, offensive lineman
  • Zavian Mckinnon, defensive lineman
  • Nick Kleoppel, wide receiver

Worth noting about Ronald ‘Trac’ Baughn

  • He has much of the assistant coaching staff in place, which includes offensive coordinator Spencer Van Meter (previous coach at Chamberlain and Jefferson high schools, respectively).
  • Is seeking two more assistant coaches, including a defensive coordinator, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of handling those duties himself. “If we can find somebody that I feel good with running our defense, that I have confidence in, then I’ll go that route. If I can’t (find someone), I’ll do it myself,” he said.
  • While coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has halted offseason football workouts, Baughn has spent the downtime evaluating game film, scouting 2020 opponents, putting playbooks together and assigning at-home workouts to players, among other activities. Baughn acknowledged all the mandated coronavirus precautions “kind of set us back in the plan that we had moving forward, for sure” and “puts us a little further behind the eight-ball than we already were in regards to trying to get things going.”
  • He’s coached at least “15 or 20” players who’ve gone on to play in the NFL, a list that includes two-time Super Bowl Champion running back Antwowain Smith.
  • Has worked with prominent coaches including longtime (SEC) coaches Tom Goode, S.E. Sullins and Robert Henry.

Published April 08, 2020

Land O’ Lakes hoops coach retires after 31 years

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Land O’ Lakes High School varsity boys basketball coach Dave Puhalski is ready for a timeout.

After 31 years roaming the Gators sidelines, barking orders, drawing up plays, and molding boys into young men, the longtime coach announced his retirement following the 2019-2020 season.

Puhalski’s swan song was a memorable one — sending off eight seniors to the tune of a 21-6 record, a 5A-7 district title and an appearance in the 5A regional semifinals.

Dozens of members of the Land O’ Lakes High School community celebrate Dave Puhalski’s retirement as head coach of the Gators varsity boys basketball team. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High Athletics)

Puhalski, 57, exits as one of the longest-tenured and among the most-decorated coaches in Pasco County sports history. He compiled a 479-349 career mark since taking over the Gators program in 1988.

In total, he spent more than 35 years coaching hoops.

Before taking over at Land O’ Lakes, Puhalski was an assistant at state champion Ocala Vanguard for three seasons and an assistant at University of Tampa for a year.

Any basketball coach knows what all that entails: Countless hours tied up into practices and games. Long nights busing around the state. Sitting on steel bleachers for junior varsity games. Too many family gatherings and vacations missed.

He said the timing’s right to take a break from the hardwood.

He put it like this: “After 35 years, I’ve never had a Christmas vacation, (or) a Thanksgiving vacation; the month of June is all summer league, kids playing, so really, it’s just time.”

‘All about the kids’
So, what made all of these years coaching worth it?

“The kids,” Puhalski said without hesitation.

“They’re the ones that keep me young and keep me in the game for so long. You know, every year you almost get a different set. You get to see kids grow and develop,” he said.

Having an understanding wife, too, helped him to stay in the game for the better part of three decades.

“You’ve gotta have a coach’s wife, and that’s what I have,” Puhalski said of longtime wife Erika. “So, I give her a lot of credit, because she did a lot of the raising of the kids.”

Puhalski’s longevity allowed him to coach “kids of kids” and attend many a former players’ weddings. Seeing Gators hoops alums grow up, start families and lead successful lives is “one of my favorite things,” he said.

The care for hundreds of teenage hoopers has been seen firsthand by Land O’ Lakes boys basketball assistant/booster club president Steve Thomopalos.

His son, Justin, was coached by Puhalski from 2008 to 2012, and the coach helped the player develop into a two-time team MVP.

Thomopalos observed: “If a kid needs a pat on the back, he’ll give it, but also if he needs to be disciplined, he’ll give that, too.”

The assistant added the head coach’s go-to expression goes like this: “All about the kids.”

Puhalski’s tough love is something Gators players grew to revere and appreciate.

“You can tell he cares,” senior guard and team captain Mekhi Perry said. “Getting yelled at is frustrating — but him doing that, you know his heart’s in the right place.”

The 2019-2020 Gators went 21-6 and won a 5A-7 district championship in Puhalski’s final season as head coach. (File)

Senior guard and fellow captain Chase Farmer added Puhalski “was like a father figure to me.”

“As a player, he was there for me,” said Farmer, the school’s all-time dunks leader. “He did a lot of things that some coaches don’t do. He gave me a shoulder to lean on, I could cry in his arms — anything I needed, he was there.”

Revered for defense, old-school nature
Of course, Puhalski knows a thing or two about hoops.

The coach frequently emphasized “rebounding the ball, taking care of the ball and defending the ball.”

He’s particularly regarded for his defense-first mentality — a philosophy that centered heavily on the man-to-man variety, with little regard for zone defenses.

“We play man to man,” Puhalski said pointedly. “In 31 years, we’ve probably played a minute worth of zone.”

And, if players weren’t giving at least equal effort defensively as on offense, Puhalski wasn’t afraid to make an example. “You know, we’ve had really good players that have been pulled at night because they never play defense,” Puhalski said bluntly.

Farmer amicably described Puhalski’s coaching style as “old school, but sometimes he might flare it up.”

Farmer added: “He loves defense, (but) he loves steals, highlights and dunks, all that.”

Perry, the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,616 points, added Puhalski “made a huge impact” on the more nuanced aspects of his game.

“I already came into school like knowing what I was doing, but just the tidbits and details expanded my game even more, and every year I learned more,” the Gators standout said.

It wasn’t just players who’ve learned from Puhalski.

Assistant coaches, too, picked up what it takes to run a quality, winning program.

“Everybody learns from coach,” Thomopalos said. “I’ve never seen, up close and personal, a game managed better…especially at the end, when it’s coming down to the wire and it’s close.”

The assistant added: “He is a real basketball man, through and through.”

Fellow assistant Connor Jordan has worked with Puhalski around a dozen seasons.

From Puhalski, Jordan learned Xs and Os are just a small part of leading a successful high school program.

“It’s really about discipline and making sure everything’s organized, expectations and keeping kids held accountable and things like that,” Jordan said. “All that stuff that coaches talk about, (Puhalski) actually follows through on.”

Whoever takes over the Gators program indeed has a tall task in replacing Puhalski.

That very well could be Jordan, who many in the program — including Puhalski —  hope lands the head post. “Gigantic shoes to fill,” Jordan of the possibility.

Meantime, Puhalski is considering teaching physical education for another year at Land O’ Lakes. He also said he wants to continue helping with the program and acclimate whoever next becomes head coach.

“I want to try to keep this going at the level we have it at now,” Puhalski said. “I’m not going to have a whole hand in it, but I’ll be there in whatever (the new coach) needs me to do.”

Published April 1, 2020

Sunlake girls weightlifting state champs — again

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Since taking its first-ever state title last year, Sunlake High School’s varsity girls weightlifting had a newfound target on their back — as hungry competition looked to dethrone the team all season long.

Some opponents went so far to say it to their face.

The Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting team are back-to-back state champs. After winning the program’s first state title last year, the Seahawks again took gold at the 2020 FHSAA State Weightlifting Championships in Panama City Beach. (Courtesy of Denise Garcia)

“We knew there were going to be people trying to take the title and trying to overcome us in general,” Sunlake senior Antoinette Farmer said. “We even had people straight up telling us, saying they were going to beat us.”

Apparently, their foes spoke too soon — as Sunlake again won the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A State Weightlifting Championships in Panama City Beach last month.

Along the way, the Sunlake team took district and regional crowns, too.

The Seahawks tallied 28 points to edge second-place finisher Navarre High School (26) and third place Winter Springs High School (24) — to become back-to-back state champions.

The program also experienced another milestone — with two weightlifters earning individual state titles in the same year: Seniors Gianna Levy (139 pounds) and Juliette Pacheco (169 pounds) took first place in their respective weight classes. Pacheco set a state record 225-pound bench press in her weight class.

All told, five of Sunlake’s seven state lifters earned points with top-six finishes in the bench press and clean-and-jerk aggregate lifts.

  • Madison Guincho, junior — second place, 119-pound (180-160 — 340)
  • Gianna Levy, senior — first place, 139-pound (175-180 — 355)
  • Juliette Pacheco, senior—first place, 169-pound (225-185 — 410)
  • Brianna Caban, senior — third place, 183-pound (200-170—370)
  • Antoinette Farmer, senior—second place, 199-pound (210-190 — 400)

“We were ready for the challenge,” Farmer said of winning states again.

She said she and her teammates fed off the “good competition energy” sent their way throughout the 2019-2020 campaign.

Pacheco concurred: “We all just have a really competitive mindset, and when we hear that people are saying they’re going to beat us… it just motivates us more.”

Pacheco also credits the team’s overall success to the myriad multi-sport athletes on the team’s weightlifting roster. Many have participated in cheerleading, softball, swimming, and track and field, among other sports.

There are many “all-around athletes,” Pacheco said, noting “we all have really high goals for every aspect of our lives, and we all just put it together and do what has to be done.”

Pacheco has a lengthy background in gymnastics and cheerleading, both of which she said have helped her build upper body strength over the years.

She also holds the school’s pole vault record in track and field.

“It’s just like every sport that I’ve done has aided me in (weightlifting),” Pacheco said.

Sunlake head coach Denise Garcia acknowledged there was more pressure to win a second state title, but praised her group for maintaining a positive mindset and working hard throughout the journey.

This team embraced challenges
Garcia noted several girls balanced schoolwork, other sports and extracurriculars, and part-time jobs to get their work done in the weight room.

Her message to the team entering the year: “Nothing will work unless you do.”

It’s something the team bought into it from the get-go, she said.

“They came together again, they wanted it again,” said Garcia. “They worked even harder, if that’s even possible. They’re such good workers, their work ethics are amazing.”

She added: “It just warms my heart that they succeeded, that they did what they wanted to, and that they put their heads together themselves and they did it. That’s a big accomplishment for them, individually, as well as a team.”

Garcia has led Sunlake’s weightlifting program for more than a decade. Her specialty and strategy comes in teaching proper bench press technique, trying to maximize the potential from each of her lifters. Pacheco’s state record is a case in point, but Garcia noted she strives to get everyone to bench at least 150 pounds.

“I love the bench,” Garcia said. “They say clean-and jerk-wins everything, but bench is good, too, because it’s the total (score), and if I can get them high in the bench, it puts pressure on the other girls (from opposing teams) to do even more.”

Though Garcia will be without four state-placing seniors, she believes the program is shaped up for another strong showing next season.

The team figures to center around, among others, rising senior Madison Guincho, who placed second at the state meet in the 119-pound division. “She’s one to look out for,” Garcia said. “She’s my future.”

Guincho likewise has high expectations for what’s to come: “I think we still will be good next year, because we have a lot of good up-and-coming girls that nobody really knows about yet. I think overall, we’re still going to be one of the best.”

Elsewhere locally, Zephyrhills High School’s varsity girls weightlifting team finished third at the FHSAA Class 1A State Weightlifting Championships. Bulldogs senior Lakisia Thomas won an individual state title in the 183-pound division, posting a 190-185 — 375. She was one of four Zephyrhills lifters who earned points with top-six finishes at the meet.

Class 2A
Team results
Sunlake — first place (28 points)
Wiregrass Ranch — no placing (0)

Bench press-clean-and-jerk—Total (in pounds)
Individual results

101 pounds
Alexandria Black, junior, Wiregrass Ranch: no placing (scratch)

110 pounds
Gabriella Schwarz, sophomore, Sunlake: 12th place (tie); 125-125 — 250

119 pounds
Madison Guincho, junior, Sunlake: second place; 180-160 — 340

139 pounds
Gianna Levy, senior, Sunlake: first place; 175-180 — 355
Gianina Rios, senior, Wiregrass Ranch: seventh place; 185-140 — 325

169 pounds
Juliette Pacheco, senior, Sunlake: first place; 225-185 — 410
Daniella Vance, junior, Sunlake: 13th place (tie); 145-160 — 305

183 pounds
Brianna Caban, senior, Sunlake: third place; 200-170 — 370

199 pounds
Antionette Farmer, senior, Sunlake: second place; 210-190 — 400

Class 1A
Zephyrhills — third place (18 points)
Bishop McLaughlin — no placing (0)
Cypress Creek — no placing (0)

Bench press-clean-and-jerk—Total (in pounds)
101 pounds
Andje Costa, sophomore, Cypress Creek: seventh place (tie); 95-125 — 220

139 pounds
Kayla Zine, senior, Zephyrhills: 18th place; 125-130 — 255

154 pounds
Sarah Davis, senior, Zephyrhills: third place; 185-160 — 345
Madison Aguillera, junior, Zephyrhills: fourth place; 135-185 — 320

169 pounds
Kayla Robbins, senior, Zephyrhills: second place (tie); 180-170 — 350

183 pounds
Lakisia Thomas, senior, Zephyrhills: first place; 190-185 — 375

199 pounds
Kyleigh Smith, senior, Zephyrhills: seventh place (tie); 160-145 — 305

Unlimited
Adorina Lee, senior, Bishop McLaughlin: seventh place (tie); 210-150 — 360
Diamond Cowart, junior, Zephyrhills, 15th place; 175-165 — 340

Published March 11, 2020

Land O’ Lakes youth runner setting new records

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Elli Black didn’t just win the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K women’s race last month, she also set a major milestone — becoming the youngest winner in the event’s 40-plus year history, at just 11 years old.

The Land O’ Lakes youth clocked 30:57 in the 4.97-mile course to best more than 2,200 female participants in the popular annual race on Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard. The second-place female finisher, St. Petersburg’s Mary Beth Layfield, 37, timed 32:23.

After winning the Gasparilla Classic 8K women’s race, 11-year-old Elli Black poses for a photo with long-distance Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. (Courtesy of Jacqueline Black)

On becoming race champion and making history, Black said: “It’s a really big accomplishment and I’m really proud of myself, and I just know that I’ve been very blessed with a God-given talent, and I’m just really happy to be able to use it to the fullest.”

Previously, the event’s youngest winner was 13-year-old Ellie Pleune, who won the race in 2017, with a time of 31:13.

Black had good performances in previous years, too. She placed fifth and seventh female overall the prior two years, respectively.

Her goal this year was to win, of course, and to at least break 32 minutes. Besides just naturally growing stronger and upping her training of late, Black also credited the “perfect” weather conditions, compared to the past couple years when “it was really, really hot.”

The Gasparilla Race award isn’t Black’s only piece of distinguished hardware, and it surely won’t be her last.

The home-schooled sixth-grader recently completed her first year running on the Cambridge Christian high school cross-country team, where she collected All-State honors after winning an individual regional title and placing third overall at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 1A state girls’ cross-country championships. For the record, her 5K personal best sits at 18:19, set at December’s Jingle Bell Run in Tampa — a race she also won.

Black said her first year running high school cross-country “was actually really fun,” despite competing regularly against much older girls.

Said Black: “Like the girls on my team are basically all high schoolers, but they were really nice and most of the high school girls that I ran against were nice, so it was overall, a really nice experience.”

Black now has her eyes set on the high school track season, where she wants to eclipse the 11-minute mark in the 2-mile. Her current personal record sits at about 11:30.

Elli Black is now gearing up for her first high school track season. She hopes to break the 11-minute mark in the 2-miler.

She also has much bigger long-term goals in sight: “I do want to run in college, and my goal is to run in the 2024 Paris Olympics,” she said.

Cambridge Christian School distance coach Ray Friedman sees the immense potential.

“We may be looking at someone that may one day be on the Olympic stage,” Friedman said of Black, in a recent telephone interview. “I don’t say that lightly, I’m telling ya. She ain’t normal.”

Friedman noted Black’s running style resembles that of some of the world’s greatest runners that come from the East African country Kenya.

“It’s bizarre, but her body and her stride is very Kenyan-like, and I don’t say that flippantly,” the coach explained.

Friedman is no stranger to working with elite-level talents. He’s coached University of Florida distance runner Trevor Foley and Riverview High’s Alyssa Hendrix, the Gatorade State Runner of the Year who’s signed to North Carolina State University, among others. Friedman himself set multiple school records at Gaither High School and La Salle University, and went on to make to the U.S. Triathlon world team.

In the young runner, Friedman simply sees tools that can be molded into future greatness. Friedman observed, “She is extremely determined. She’s very disciplined, and of course, obviously very talented. She has the ‘it’ factor. You can’t learn it. It has to be born.”

Black got an early head start in the endurance sport, compared to most of her similarly aged peers.

Black first started running at just 4 years old, where she would accompany her parents on 1-mile or 2-mile jogs around their former Columbus, Ohio neighborhood. At 6 years old, she competed in her first 5K.

“We’ve always been active runners, so she would always want to run with us,” said Black’s mother, Jacqueline.

The passion for running has stuck with the youth ever since.

Today, Black runs roughly 25 miles per week. She generally runs five days a week, with a cross-training bike or swim workout mixed in, too.

“It’s just really fun,” Black said of running. “It  just makes me really happy to be able to use one of my talents.”

Besides a dedicating training routine, Black comes from an athletic family background.

Her father was a Division I basketball player at Bowling Green State University who went on to play professionally overseas. Her mother played three sports in high school, though none of them track or cross-country.

“We’re obviously very proud of her,” Black’s mother said. “Everybody always tells us how special she is, and we know that’s more than just running. We’re very faith-based, and we know that God has given her this talent…so we’re just extremely proud of all of her accomplishments.”

Published March 4, 2020

Sunlake distance runners leave lasting mark

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For this group of distance runners, the thousands of miles of foot to pavement have finally paid off — in the form of college athletic scholarships.

The past few years, Sunlake High School’s boys and girls cross-country and long distance track programs have established themselves as among the best in the area, and the state.

This year’s National Signing Day festivities underscored that fact: Five senior runners made their college commitments official on Feb. 5 — Luke Scheid (Flagler College), Gavin Kennedy (Saint Leo University), Drew Knobl (Southeastern University), Albert La Red (Saint Leo University), and Liina Winborn (University of Florida). A sixth distance runner, Emily Jenkins (Pasco-Hernando State College) participated in an early signing day ceremony in December.

Five Sunlake distance runners signed their National Letters of Intent on Feb. 5 to various colleges and universities. From left: Luke Scheid (Flagler College), Drew Knobl (Southeastern University), Albert La Red (Saint Leo University), Gavin Kennedy (Saint Leo University), and Liina Winborn (University of Florida). A sixth distance runner, Emily Jenkins (Pasco-Hernando State College), not pictured, participated in an early signing day ceremony in December. (Kevin Weiss)

Sunlake also celebrated two boys lacrosse signings — Jason Schwarz (Barton College) and Roberto Valentin (Webber International University).

But, it was a particularly special day for the Seahawks’ runners, who leave a lasting legacy as they take the next step to the college ranks.

The Seahawks cross-country program in 2019 experienced arguably its best season ever, as the boys squad finished fifth and the girls team sixth at the Class 3A FHSAA state championships. Both teams also claimed conference titles and had strong showings at districts. The girls took first place, and the boys finished runner-up. Both squads also garnered top-five finishes at regionals — boys, third; and girls, fourth.

Many of those same distance runners also helped steer the school’s 2019 track team to sweep conference and district crowns. The boys team went on to win regionals, while the girls finished runner-up that season, then advanced to states.

Saint Leo University signee Albert La Red believes the distance team’s recent string of success and the large 2020 signing class now will help underclassman gain exposure from colleges and universities “that weren’t looking at us before.”

“It’s exciting,” La Red said, “because now we get these young guys over there, they have such a bright future for them.”

Sunlake’s distance runners logged an estimated average of 1,600 miles per year, with some runners racking up as many as 7,000 miles during their four-year prep running careers.

Besides developing their athletic skills, the grueling practices and stressful meets also forged lasting bonds and memories for La Red and other distance runners.

“I grew up with everybody at this school, and so it was super fun just running with my friends all time,” La Red said. “We always hang out outside of school and stuff, always inviting each other over, always doing things.”

Fellow teammate and Flagler College signee Luke Scheid also appreciates the “lifelong friends” established through the cross-country and track programs — ones that helped push him through daily workouts.

Scheid said the thing he’ll likely miss the most from his time at Sunlake is the way he felt during hard practices — when running with his teammates was motivating, and made those difficult practices feel easier.

Liina Winborn’s pledge to the University of Florida marks the cross-country team’s first NCAA Division I signing in program history.

In her time at Sunlake, the decorated distance runner set several school records, claimed multiple conference and district individual titles, and earned fourth-place and sixth-place individual finishes the past two years at the 3A state cross-country championships.

With that, the two-time Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) East girls’ cross-country runner of the year and defending girls track runner of the year had trouble settling on her favorite memory as a Seahawk.

“It’s hard to pick one,” Winborn said, noting there were so many fun and funny moments.

Born into a military family, Winborn transferred into Sunlake as a sophomore from an international school in Belgium.

The school’s cross-country and track programs made the cultural transition easier — by offering Winborn an immediate peer group.

“The hardest thing was getting used to it and making new friends,” she said, “but having the team automatically gave me those amazing friendships that I know are going to last forever.”

The highly coveted athlete said she’s relieved to be done with the recruiting process, which ended when she signed the dotted line to become a Florida Gator.

“It feels amazing to finally not stress about it for one, but to have my future set and to be going to such an amazing school,” she said.

She also said: “I wouldn’t be going there without my team and my coach, and just everybody at Sunlake supporting me.”

Winborn received looks from other NCAA Division I programs, but it was Florida that ultimately stood out, offering her what she thinks are the best tools to be successful. She explained, “They personally told me they could take me as far as I wanted to go, athletic and academic-wise…and them saying that they could make that possible for me is bottom-line what I wanted to do.”

Sunlake athletic director Reesa Pledge at the ceremony said the group of distance runners “put Sunlake on the map,” adding, “their hard work and dedication has been unmatched by previous by runners that have been here at the school.”

Sunlake track coach Brett Hodros added he was “so proud” to see the distance runners’ efforts being rewarded in the form of scholarships.

“They were doing probably the hardest workouts in the track program,” he said, “because they were definitely putting in the most miles.”

Emphasizing that point, Hodros mentioned when he tries to pitch athletes around the school to join the track team, they question whether they’ll have to put in the same amount of time and effort as long distance runners.

Explained Hodros: “It’s very, very difficult to get people to run track first off, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re not going to be make me run like those distance kids,’ and that’s what these kids did every single day, these four years they’ve been at Sunlake.”

Hodros also read prepared remarks from Sunlake distance coach Randal Reeves, who was unable to make the signing day event.

In a later telephone interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Reeves commended the scholarship recipients for their efforts, and for buying into the distance program.

Said Reeves, “These kids have been leaders amongst the rest of the group in getting everybody together to run as group, really year-round.”

Even more college signings could be on the way for other Sunlake senior distance runners before the year’s end, Reeves said. Eleven of his 12 seniors intend to run at the next level, either through scholarship or as walk-ons.

“The success of the program has really led to a lot of attention to our runners,” he said. “My job is to get them recruited, to put them in the spotlight so they can earn the college scholarship opportunities, where all that hard work pays off.”

Published February 12, 2020

Land O’ Lakes seeks new football coach

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Land O’ Lakes High School athletics department underwent a search for a new head football coach in 2018.

The school again is heading back to the drawing board to find the next leader of its varsity football program, a mere two years later.

Chad Walker, who coached the Gators in 2018 and 2019, resigned from his post to become the head football coach at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa; the private school made the announcement official earlier this month.

Chad Walker resigned from Land O’ Lakes High School to become the head football coach at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa. The Gators program went a combined 9-11 in his two seasons. (Courtesy of Cambridge Christian School Athletics)

Walker’s exit from Land O’ Lakes marks the only varsity head football coaching vacancy in Pasco County this offseason.

Walker undoubtedly has big shoes to fill at his latest stop. He replaces Bob Dare, who in 11 seasons steered Cambridge Christian to five straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2A state title game in 2015. Dare also is Cambridge’s all-time winningest football coach, with 72 victories. Walker takes over a team that went 8-3 last season and reached the 2A regional semifinals, losing to Admiral Farragut.

Walker’s tenure at Land O’ Lakes was somewhat of a mixed bag, after he replaced former coach Brian Wachtel, who held the post for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017.

In Walker’s first season in 2018, the Gators went 7-3, narrowly missing the playoffs, but achieving its first winning campaign since 2013, restoring some confidence in the historic program.

Perhaps just as important that year, the Gators finally supplanted crosstown foe Sunlake High in the annual “Butter Bowl” rivalry game — the first such victory in eight years. (Land O’ Lakes did win the Butter Bowl game in 2011, but it was later forfeited due to recruiting violations.)

The 2018 team also saw wins over Citrus, Cypress Creek, Lakeland Christian, Pasco, Anclote and Fivay high schools, respectively.

Walker’s second season was a reversal of fortune, though.

The 2019 team slumped to a 2-8 mark, its only wins coming against Freedom and Zephyrhills Christian schools. And, most of the team’s losses were blowouts, with a 31-point loss, three 40-plus point losses and two 50-plus point losses, among others. All told, the Gators were outscored 137-363.

The Land O’ Lakes Gators varsity football team went 2-8 in 2019. (File)

The letdown season was a bit surprising, as the team returned All-Conference quarterback Ethan Forrester and added a couple of prominent assistant coaches, including former NFL players Aveion Cason and Kelvin Kinney. The team, however, graduated about two dozen seniors from the prior season, including eight All-Conference selections.

Walker joined Land O’ Lakes as a 33-year-old with a background as a veteran college football assistant, with stops at Division I FCS, Division II and Division III levels. He was an All-Conference tight end at Division I FCS Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, then parlayed that into a professional stint in NFL Italy and the European Federation of American Football. While at Land O’ Lakes, he worked for Tampa-based Applied Science and Performance Institute (ASPI), which provides advanced training and development to college and pro football players and other athletes.

The next leader of the Gators’ program will become the sixth football coach in school history. Besides Walker and Wachtel, previous head coaches were Matt Kitchie, John Benedetto and Dan Sikes.

For many years, Land O’ Lakes had one of the top football programs in Pasco County, earning a string of 14 straight playoff appearances from 1997 to 2009 under coaches Benedetto and Kitchie.

But, the team hasn’t made the playoffs since, as recent success of other programs in the county — as well as an ever-challenging district — have made winning consistently a tall task.

The team will have to groom a new starting quarterback with the graduation of Forrester, but the bulk of the roster is expected to return in 2020.

Published January 22, 2020

Pine View football duo readying for prestigious tournament

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Two Pine View Middle School seventh-graders are gearing up for one of the nation’s most prestigious youth football events.

As members of FBU (Football University) Team Tampa, center Niko Spilotro and quarterback Jayce Nixon will participate in the annual FBU National Championship tournament in Naples, beginning Dec. 7.

Pine View Middle School seventh graders Niko Spilotro, left, and Jayce Nixon will participate in the annual FBU (Football University) National Championship tournament in Naples, beginning Dec. 7. They are members of FBU Team Tampa, which features the Tampa Bay area’s top middle-schoolers. (Courtesy of Toni Spilotro)

The 32-team tournament is described as “youth football’s biggest event,” uniting all-star athletes and elite-level prospects of all backgrounds from across the United States. Pine View Middle is in Land O’ Lakes.

National champions are crowned for sixth, seventh and eighth grade divisions.

The team’s first game is against FBU Jacksonville. If Team Tampa wins, it will vie for the Florida region championship, against the winner of the Dec. 8 game between Team Central Florida-Team Southwest Florida.

The Florida region winner then would advance to Championship Week, which is Dec. 15 to Dec. 19, where the team could potentially face other FBU all-star teams from across the country, beginning with the Southeast region winner (either a team from Georgia, Mississippi or northwest Florida), and on from there.

Hundreds of FBU national alumni have gone on to play in the NFL and Division I college football. Some notable names include Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Joey Bosa, New York Jets safety Jamal Adams, and Clemson University quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Getting to compete against the nation’s best and likely some future big names thrills the two 12-year-old teammates and friends.

Spilotro called it “a great honor” to be on Team Tampa and participate in the national showcase.

“I love to be able to compare myself to other great players to help enhance my game more,” he added.

It’s likewise a “pretty big” deal for Nixon, a left-handed pocket passer.

He put it like this: “I get to tell my friends I’m one of the kids (on Team Tampa) and I get to play with Niko, and I get to meet all these new kids.”

Plus, he said: “I also get to go against better competition that’ll make me better in the long run.”

Besides being Pine View teammates, the fact that they are the team’s center and quarterback makes their Team Tampa journey all the more unique, they agreed.

“It’s very special,” Spilotro said. Having been on the same team, they are familiar with how each of them plays, which will work to Team Tampa’s advantage.

Nixon said the Team Tampa coaches have praised the duo for their cohesion during snap exchanges and other drills during regular practices at Jefferson High School.

The team’s head coach is Carlo Thompson. The assistant coaches are also high school coaches and former college players.

“The coaches said we work really good together and (they) could tell that we’ve played together before,” Nixon said. “We developed that trust with the team, so having (Niko) there is always good.”

The 32-team FBU National Championship tournament is described as ‘youth football’s biggest event,’ uniting all-star athletes and elite-level prospects of all backgrounds from across the United States. Champions are crowned in sixth, seventh and eighth grade divisions. (Courtesy of Football University)

With FBU games being streamed online at FloFootball.com, it also could give the duo some more national exposure and get them on the radar of scouts and college coaches. A few games may even air in select television markets.

It’ll be a new experience, Nixon said.

“I really never played in a league like this where people are going to play on TV and stuff,” he said.
When it comes to the pigskin, both of these boys are serious.

The 6-foot-tall Spilotro plays hockey and basketball to improve his footwork, balance and hand-eye coordination in the offseason.

But, that’s all in a quest to enhance his football skills as an offensive and defensive lineman .
“Football is definitely my favorite sport,” he said.

He loves that it’s a team sport and requires the entire team to perform well.

He also likes to measure his personal progress.

“I love to see how far I have come and how far I’m going to be able to go. I really love just how you’re able to kind of let loose and play aggressive,” Spilotro said.

Nixon, meanwhile, started running track last year to improve his speed and agility.

He picked up the new sport “not to become a running quarterback, but just have the ability, if the pocket does break down, to get out and make a play.”

He also regularly plays flag football and in 7-on-7 football leagues to hone his overall quarterback skills.

The two boys took different routes to Team Tampa, which is coming off back-to-back seventh grade FBU national championships, which they claimed in 2017 and 2018.

Spilotro last year attended an FBU mini-combine in Naples, then attended an FBU regional camp in Orlando, where he was selected to the 2019 FBU Top Gun Showcase, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The South Carolina event is an annual national showcase designed to highlight the country’s middle school and prep student-athletes in an intense position-specific test of technical skill and ability.

He performed well enough at the showcase to be named a Class of 2025 All-Top Gun Team selection.

And, he carried that momentum into Team Tampa tryouts, where he made the roughly 25-member squad that features the Tampa Bay area’s top seventh-graders, with players from as far away as Avon Park and Bartow.

It hasn’t all come easily for the athlete, however.

Spilotro has overcome a rare eye disorder called congenital nystagmus, a condition where the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements, which can result in reduced vision and depth perception. A Shriners hospital patient, Spilotro had surgery to correct the condition about two years ago.

“Physically, he’s had to really overcome some things to get to the level where he’s at,” his mother, Toni Spilotro, said. “He just didn’t walk into this world being a big, tough boy. It’s something he’s had to learn over the years and overcome his own challenges.”

Nixon, meanwhile, didn’t go through the FBU camp circuit. He instead was discovered by a rival coach while playing for the Bay Area Packers in the Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL). The signal-caller impressed enough to make Team Tampa after being invited to a tryout.

His new team has opened his eyes to the amount of talent in the Tampa Bay area.

“With my other (youth football) teams, it’s usually about one or two really good kids, but with this team, it does feel as a step up,” he said.

Published December 04, 2019