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Wesley Chapel native relishes second shot at ‘American Idol’

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Wesley Chapel native Zach D’Onofrio made his first brief appearance on ABC’s hit reality television show “American Idol” back in 2018.

Then he was a timid 17-year-old Wiregrass Ranch High School student who perhaps came away best known for his colorful sock collection, before being eliminated during the show’s “Hollywood Week” competition in Los Angeles.

Wesley Chapel native Zach D’Onofrio wowed ‘American Idol’ judges with his rendition of Billy Joel’s ‘New York State of Mind,’ during a March 21 episode to advance to the second round of ABC’s hit reality television series. The 20-year-old college student’s run ended shortly thereafter, during the duet challenge of the competition. (Courtesy of Gigi Stevens/Freemantle)

D’Onofrio’s second chance at stardom proved more fruitful.

Entering as a more seasoned and confident 20-year-old college sophomore studying at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, D’Onofrio aimed to advance farther in the competition and to have a more enjoyable experience overall.

Mission accomplished for D’Onofrio.

He made it to the second round of “Hollywood Week” thanks to his rendition of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” as part of the show’s genre challenge.

He also had previously impressed celebrity judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie — in a live audition broadcast March 14 singing “Golden Slumbers” by The Beatles solo, and “Falling” by Harry Styles with girlfriend and former “Idol” contestant Catie Turner.

However, D’Onofrio’s run ended in the show’s duets challenge on March 22, where showrunners paired him with Sloane Simon, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader from the Pittsburgh area.

Together, they belted out a cover of “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates.

Following the aired performance, Perry said of D’Onofrio: “Listen, I believe in you. You really have grown and overcome.”

In the same breath, however, the Grammy-nominated pop star said both D’Onofrio and his duet partner “need more experience” and “it’s not the time” for them to continue in the competition.

But, she later added this of D’Onofrio on the broadcast: “Next time he comes back, he’s going to show us — the underdog always wins, always.”

Despite a rejection witnessed by millions of viewers nationwide, D’Onofrio came away pleased to have achieved more compared to his first go-round, thanks in part to countless choir and voice lessons taken the past couple years.

He also left with several friendships forged with other talented contestants throughout his appearance on the show.

He traded in his unique socks for showy, colorful sweaters, too.

“My whole thing the second time was getting out of my shell, and I really did think I got out of my shell,” D’Onofrio told The Laker/Lutz News in a recent phone interview.

“I definitely felt better the second time. I just didn’t want to get cut earlier than I did the first time. I just wanted to make it farther, that was my main goal, and I did.”

D’Onofrio acknowledged that he felt more comfortable this time performing in front of the daunting star-studded cast of judges — who are among the world’s all-time best-selling artists in their respective genres. After all, it wasn’t the first time he performed for them.

“I definitely was more confident, because I was like, ‘Yeah, they know me, I’ve done this before,’ like it really wasn’t that bad,” said D’Onofrio, who grew up in the Seven Oaks neighborhood in Wesley Chapel.

“I just saw (the judges) as people this time, instead of figures, because they really do give advice, and talk to you heart-to-heart and it feels real, because some things on TV are sometimes fake, obviously, but when you’re actually there in person and you can connect person to person, it just feels really nice.”

D’Onofrio began singing around his junior year of high school, making his talent known at Dreamhouse Theatre in Lutz, which was then owned by his family.

The budding singer-songwriter adeptly plays the piano, electric guitar and ukulele, and fancies himself an old soul at heart — with a passion for oldies and classics music dating to the 1940s era.

“It just feels right when I sing those types of songs,” said D’Onofrio, who lists Billy Joel among his favorites.

“That was kind of my goal with “American Idol,” to introduce the new generation of people that maybe aren’t familiar with that type of music…so it’s like taking older songs and just making them fun and new and that’s kind of my goal, just so people don’t dislike oldies.”

Newfound celebrity
While D’Onofrio said no music labels have reached out to him since his latest “Idol” appearance, he’s received offers to perform at some local piano and jazz bars in Tampa Bay.

His college also has been quite supportive of his career, hosting an “Idol” watch party and has “offered a lot of really cool opportunities,” such as on-campus performances.

He’s also acquired a certain level of fame — from getting verified on Instagram to having fans reach out to him on social media from Argentina, Brazil and Philippines, and other places.

Even former “Idol” contestant Clark Beckham, who finished runner-up on the show in 2015, reached out to him for words of encouragement.

Every once in a while, D’Onofrio is even recognized on campus, or about town.

But, people tend to be timid about approaching him.

“At school, I get so many stares,” he said, noting he realizes it’s because of his American Idol appearances.

He doesn’t say anything, because he thinks that would make them feel awkward.

“People want to say something but they never do, and I’m like, ‘I’m not scary, I swear, it’ll be OK.’”

Music is the motivation
D’Onofrio continues to make music from his college dorm room — which he’s transformed into a makeshift studio.

He also collaborates on projects with a friend through FaceTime calls.

He plans to release a single titled, “Don’t Leave,” in late April, which he describes as “a pop piano ballad.”

He’s also working to produce and release an EP album by summertime.

Now the lingering question: Could the third time be the charm for D’Onofrio, on “American Idol” or another reality television singing competition?

At the moment, D’Onofrio is focused on finding success as an independent artist and pursuing a degree in music management.

But he hasn’t closed the door on music competitions.

“I’m sure I’ll audition again just to see,” he said.

But he doesn’t know if that will be to “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent” or “The Voice.”

If he makes a return to “Idol,” he’d like to make it to at least round three.

While he’s exited the show this year, 19-year-old Alanis Sophia, of Dade City, remains active in the competition.

Published March 31, 2021

Zephyrhills High names ‘Alan Reed Court’

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A little more than a year after naming its football field after legendary coach Tom Fisher, Zephyrhills High School has named the school’s gymnasium floor after longtime varsity boys’ basketball coach Alan Reed.

From now on, anyone stepping on the gym floor will be walking on “Alan Reed Court” — which has been visibly stenciled along the sidelines.

Zephyrhills High School game-goers in the front row seats sit near the newly inlaid name of retired basketball coach Alan Reed. Reed was honored in between the junior varsity game and the varsity game, against Pasco High School. (Fred Bellet)

A formal dedication ceremony for Reed was held Jan. 18 — an evening that coincided with a Bulldogs defeat of crosstown rival Pasco High, 61-34.

Reed, 71, served as Zephyrhills boys’ basketball coach for a total of 16 years — in four separate stints — 1975 to 1979; 1981 to 1986; 2006 to 2010; and, 2014 to 2016.

During that time he became — and still is — the school’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

His teams claimed two district titles and a final four appearance. He was conference basketball coach of the year three times.

His coaching efforts goes beyond hoops, too.

In total, he’s been involved with Zephyrhills athletics for more than 35 years, also coaching volleyball, track, football and softball.

To this day, he remains a volunteer coach at the school.

In that role, Reed spends countless hours with players in the weight room, scouting, and of course, offering strategy advice when broached.

“It beats sitting on the couch,” Reed said of volunteering. “It keeps me busy. I love the game. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. It’s my whole life.”

Before embarking on a lengthy coaching career, Reed played high school basketball in Pennsylvania and then for Florida Southern College in Lakeland. In-between, Reed spent four years in the U.S. Air Force where he reached the rank of sergeant, and also played hoops.

Alan Reed was presented with a basketball career memento signed by former teammates, players and coaches who attended the surprise, special event.

At Zephyrhills, Reed’s most successful basketball teams came 40 years apart from each other.

In his second season — 1976 — the Bulldogs went 21-7 and won a district title.

Fast forward to 2016 — his final year as a head basketball coach —and that squad went 27-5 and reached the 5A state semifinals. It also marked the program’s first final four appearance since 1966.

There were many other memorable seasons scattered throughout, too.

Said Reed: “There’s a lot of ’em. I  had a lot of special teams that didn’t have good winning records, but were much better at the end of the road (season) than the beginning.”

Yet, Reed’s biggest contributions to the school is more than just wins and losses, Zephyrhills athletic director Bruce Cimorelli said.

“The guy knows his basketball,” Cimorelli said, “but, he’s just a really good influence on the kids — teaching them work ethic, being on time, those sorts of things.”

Reed’s impact was undoubtedly apparent in the welcoming he received at the pregame dedication.

Dozens of former players and coaches — as well as a handful of Reed’s former teammates — joined hundreds of Bulldogs fans in congratulating Reed and giving him a rousing ovation when the gymnasium floor was officially named for him.

For Reed, the special event was “totally unexpected.”

“I can’t even put it into words,” Reed said. “I love this community. I love this high school. It’s just an honor.”

In that group of cheering attendees was Academy at the Lakes varsity football and basketball coach Shawn Brown, who once served as an assistant junior varsity basketball coach for Reed at Zephyrhills and also as a football coach at Stewart Middle School.

Prior to the presentation of a special basketball memento and dedication ceremony, Zephyrhills High School athletic director, Bruce Cimorelli, left, asked coaches, former players coached by Reed and former teammates who played basketball with Reed to sign a memento to honor Reed’s great coaching career. Here, former student Joe Galyan, of Zephyrhills, signs the memento. He was coached by Reed from 1975 to 1978.

“He was straight old school,” Brown, who has won back-to-back eight-man state football titles at the Academy, said, describing Reed.

“He was good with adapting to the new style of everything, but he was strict on his ways and his philosophy. That never wavered. When he did something, he did it that way.

“I thought one thing he did really good was he always invested everything with the team and the community. He made sure the kids always had team shoes, uniforms. It was always a top-of-the-line type program.”

Brown added the Zephyrhills hoops coach is “definitely a person I learned a lot from.”

“I run some basketball drills that I learned from him — a couple of different plays I stole from him,” Brown said, with a hearty chuckle.

Meanwhile, the renaming of the hoops court comes at a good time for the Bulldogs’ boys squad, which stands at 12-4 overall and 8-2 in district play, as of Jan. 21.

Solid record and all, it didn’t keep Reed from giving an honest assessment of the roster he volunteers with each day.

“We’re not playing to our potential,” Reed said while the Bulldogs sported a 31-17 halftime lead over Pasco. “We’re struggling a little bit in a lot of areas. We just haven’t put it all together yet. We’ve got some good players, some good kids. We have a lot of inexperience…so they’re still catching up.”

Published January 23, 2019

Local schools receive Special Olympics honor

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Land O’ Lakes High School’s Unified Special Olympics program received international attention more than three years ago, when its coed soccer team won the bronze medal at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

Now, the school’s Unified program has earned another prestigious honor — 2018 Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Unified program has had many years of success. Under coach Vicky King in 2015, its coed soccer team won the bronze medal at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, defeating China 2-1. (File)

The designation, based on the 2017-2018 school year, means Land O’ Lakes met 10 standards of excellence set forth by Special Olympics International. These standards focus on four key areas: Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, Whole School Engagement and sustainability for the program.

Land O’ Lakes was one of just 13 schools in Florida — and 132 schools nationally — to receive the designation. New Port Richey’s Longleaf Elementary School and Seven Springs Middle School also were named Unified Champion Schools.

The Unified Special Olympics sports program pairs special needs athletes with nondisabled peers, called partners. Together, these athletes and partners compete year-round against other unified programs in sports, such as basketball, soccer, swimming, golf, and others.

According to Special Olympics Florida’s website, the Unified program enables Special Olympics athletes to not only learn and play new sports, but also experience meaningful inclusion. Each athlete is ensured of playing a valued role on the team. The teams also provide a forum for positive social interaction.

All participants are of similar age and ability, and unified teams are designed to provide training and competition opportunities that meaningfully challenge and involve all athletes.

Special Olympics sports rules, moreover, make sure that everyone has “a fair and enjoyable competitive experience.”

The national honor brings satisfaction to Vicky King, who’s coached Special Olympics programming at Land O’ Lakes for more than 30 years.

“It means that we’ve done a lot,” King said, “and, we have a student body and community that is very involved, because it’s all about inclusion and acceptance everywhere, not just in athletics, but just as a school and a community.”

According to King, the Land O’ Lakes Unified program last year featured more than 20 coed athletes and nearly 40 partners, representing a solid participation rate based on the school’s ESE (Exceptional Student Education) population.

For the 2018-2019 academic school year, the Pasco County school district relocated its special education unit —and Unified program— to Sunlake High School.

Before the transfer, King estimates the Unified program was installed at Land O’ Lakes sometime in the early 2000s, after the school had a traditional Special Olympics sports program.

King noted the Unified program did wonders for involvement between the school’s students with special needs and the rest of the student body. “If you look at some Special Olympics athletes in some places, they’re singled out, they’re not included; but when our athletes were here, they were just other kids,” King said.

Club keeps students involved with Special Olympics
While Land O’ Lakes no longer has its own Unified teams, the school still remains active in Unified sports programming. The school has an organization called the Student Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which numbers about 90 students who volunteer at local Special Olympics events and/or become Unified partners.

Through the club, Land O’ Lakes sophomore Courtney Eckel became a Unified partner. She also volunteers with other Unified sports, as a scorekeeper in flag football and a lane assistant in bowling.

Courtney wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Haley Eckel, who’s volunteered for Special Olympics for several years and was a Unified partner on the Land O’ Lakes soccer team that went to the World Games. (Haley is also a former standout varsity soccer player at Land O’ Lakes and now a sophomore midfielder at Florida Southern College.)

The involvement has proven rewarding for Courtney.

“It’s really great,” she said of being a partner. “It’s so nice to see (the athletes) when they can do something good and score, and see the excitement on their face and know that they can do whatever they want to, and, it’s nice to play with them and help them achieve their goals.”

Courtney, too, believes Unified programming has been beneficial for promoting acceptance among all students.

“I think it’s really important because it keeps everyone included,” she said. “It teaches people how to be inclusive, even if someone’s not special needs. Just teaching how to include everyone and almost be like more understanding and respectful to everyone and their needs.”

King noted many Unified partners and volunteers develop bonds and tight-knit relationships with the athletes, adding that many continue as Special Olympics volunteers and participants through adulthood.

“It becomes just like a way of life,” said King, who still remains in touch with many of the athletes even after they’ve graduated from Land O’ Lakes.

In addition to the bonds they form, King noted that many local Unified athletes excel in their sport — regardless of intellectual or developmental disabilities.

King put it this way: “Sometimes the developmental delay is only academic. It has nothing to do with your physical capabilities, so a lot of our athletes are awesome athletes, so that’s why a lot of times on the field we’ll get called for player domination, rather than partner domination. Everything’s supposed to be equal, but we have some really good athletic partners and good athletes, so it makes a great combination.”

In all her years working in Special Olympics, King’s favorite memory comes as no surprise — the 2015 trip to Los Angeles.

“World Games was the best event — opening ceremonies and just the whole experience,” King said. “When we were out there, everyone just wanted to take pictures with us.”

Making Pasco proud
Pasco County has about 1,100 athletes and 500 Unified volunteers participating in more than a dozen sports, according to Special Olympics-Pasco co-director Val Lundin.

Having a trio of Pasco schools earn national recognition for their Unified programs is a testament to the commitment of those athletes, volunteers and coaches, she said.

“We’re very proud. We’re proud of all our athletes and our coaches,” said Lundin, who’s been involved with Special Olympics for more than 35 years, oversees the county’s Unified programs.

“It amazes me — Pasco County’s pretty small in comparison to many of the counties around the state, yet when we take our (state games) delegations, we’re always in the top five, as far as the amount of athletes, so we’re up there competing with the Orange and Miami-Dade (counties), which I think reflects well upon our program here. We’re obviously doing something right.”

Lundin also heaped plenty of praise towards King, who she said helps set the standard for many other Unified school programs in the county.

King was named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year in 2015.

In addition to dedicating her time toward Special Olympics, King is one of the state’s top varsity girls soccer coaches — guiding Land O’ Lakes to the state semifinals the last three years and winning a state title in 2003.

“There’s not enough you can say about Vicky,” Lundin said. “She’s just an amazing coach. She’s an amazing person. She just has a way about her that can bring the best out in her athletes and her partners. It’s just a reflection upon her and her club — the CEC club is one of the largest in the county. It takes a lot of time and work, and on top of it, she’s one of the top varsity soccer coaches in the county. She’s tireless, and she works hard. She believes in the program and her students, and it shows every day.”

National Banner Unified Champion School standards
A National Banner School must meet 10 standards of excellence among four categories, including unified sports, inclusive youth leadership, whole-school engagement and sustainability.

  • Unified Sports is offered in at least two seasons throughout the school year.
  • Unified Sports participation occurs regularly over the course of each sport season or school term and includes competition.
  • An adult coach for each sport has received training on Special Olympics Unified Sports.
  • Unified Sports is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other athletics and activities.
  • A Unified Club or student group offers leadership opportunities and training for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
  • The inclusive club meets at least once per month throughout the school year.
  • The inclusive club has an adult liaison and is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other clubs.
  • At least two whole-school engagement activities are implemented per school year.
  • Students with and without disabilities are involved with planning and leading the awareness activities.
  • The school is currently self-sustainable or has a plan in place to sustain the three components into the future.

These 10 standards of excellence were developed by a national panel of leaders in education and Special Olympics. A school meeting the standards is eligible to receive national banner recognition.

Land O’ Lakes High School is one of 13 Florida schools to be named a 2018 Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

Other recipients are: Seabreeze High School, Stirling Elementary School, Homestead Senior High, Park Vista High School, Lely High School, Longleaf Elementary School, Seven Springs Middle School, Plant City High School, Lawton Chiles High School, Leon High School, Tavares Middle School and Immokalee High School.

Published October 31, 2018

Frank Lloyd Wright on display at Florida Southern

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Ask most people to name a few famous architects and chances are they’ll say Frank Lloyd Wright. And no one else.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on Florida Southern College’s campus in Lakeland is one of 12 buildings Frank Lloyd Wright designed there. The college boasts the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world. (Karen Haymon Long)

His masterpiece home, Fallingwater, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, his circular Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, his desert gem Taliesin West, outside of Phoenix, and his charming prairie homes in the Chicago suburb Oak Park, are all far from Florida.

But, the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world are on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland. And, they are open to the public.

Wright designed and oversaw the construction of 12 buildings between 1938 and 1958 on the campus he called “Child of the Sun.’’

All on the west side of campus, near Lake Hollingsworth, the buildings include a library with a circular reading room, and two chapels, side by side and both featuring concrete walls with colorful glass inserts that Wright said reminded him of Florida flowers and butterflies.

Red, green, blue and yellow – the inserts sparkle like sea glass in the Florida sunshine.

Colorful cast glass inserts in the concrete block walls of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel shine in the sunlight. Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the chapel, said they reflected Florida’s flowers and butterflies.

One of Wright’s trademarks was to always incorporate buildings in their natural settings and to use local materials when he could. He did this in Lakeland, where he nestled buildings into natural berms and along slopes, then included whole walls of glass windows that open onto nature.

He liked mimicking nature, too. The concrete columns on esplanades, or covered walkways, that connect many of his campus buildings are shaped like orange trees – and are spaced 18 feet apart, the same distance that orange trees are spaced in nearby groves, says Carol Hall, who leads tours of Wright’s buildings.

At the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, visitors can go into a Usonian House, designed by Wright, that was built in 2013.

Wright created the blueprints for it in 1939 and envisioned professors living in his Usonian homes in neighborhoods across from campus. He figured the 1,300-square-foot homes would cost $20,000 each, which he thought was affordable – in 1939.

That never happened.

His plans were resurrected for this one, and construction – because of the craftsmanship and materials – cost $1.3 million.

Like many Wright homes, it features low ceilings in the entranceway, then soaring ceilings in a large gathering place, with a fireplace, built-in dining table and couch, other Wright hallmarks.

Soaring toward the ceiling, these thunderbird designs adorn the sanctuary of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland.

The house also features his signature Cherokee red poured concrete floor, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward the yard and built-in bookcases. And, like in many of his campus buildings, colorful cast glass sparkles from tiny indentations in concrete walls.

Across the street, on campus, visitors can see his other creations, starting with his Water Dome, a 160-foot-diameter fountain that was renovated in 2007 and sprays water 45 feet in the air at full blast. Wright called it “the fountain of knowledge.”

Then, there’s “Mister Wright’s Library,” as Hall calls it, built from 1942-1945 to house books and a circular reading room, but now used for meetings and lectures. It still has Wright’s beautiful wood desks, examples of his chairs and another looming fireplace.

Nearby, a newer library, designed by one of Wright’s students, blends with Wright’s creations.

A wall of colorful glass in the William Danforth Chapel is typical of expansive windows designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Two of his most picturesque buildings are chapels – the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel and the William H. Danforth Chapel, both still used for services, weddings and other special events.

Both have low-slung entranceways that make you feel as if you have to bow to enter, roofs soaring skyward and lots of glass windows.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel has a wall of windows similar to those in Fallingwater, a home Wright designed over a waterfall in 1939 that’s now opened to the public as a museum.

It also has soaring concrete designs in the shape of thunderbirds and a door at each of the chapel’s four corners instead of a central front door, which makes it challenging for brides to make a grand entrance, Hall quips.

The Danforth Chapel is smaller and features a wall of red, yellow and clear glass behind the lectern. Like in the larger chapel, Cherokee red cushions pad wooden benches.

The Polk County Science Building has other Wright touches: the columns on the organic sciences side of the building are concrete shaped like orange trees, like those on the covered walkways. Those on the industrial sciences side are all straight lines made of aluminum. Hall said Wright tested them in his shower to be sure they’d withstand rain and heat.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed what he called ‘Geometric Butterflies’ into the registrar’s building at Florida Southern College. The building is now used as an administration building.

A theater in the round in Wright’s Ordway Arts Building has such excellent acoustics that an actor standing in the center of the circular space can say lines in a normal voice and they’ll be heard by everyone in the room.

Whispers from the entrance of the theater distinctly carry all along the circular wall to someone standing halfway around the circle. This is the only theater in the round Wright designed.

Surrounding the Ordway Arts Building and other Wright buildings are ponds, orange trees, flowering bushes, a rose garden, smaller fountains, hedges and lawns, typical of Wright’s “harmonious union of art and nature.”

“We have lots of gardens and lots of green space, and that’s all Wright’s influence,” Hall says.

And, thanks to Wright, The Princeton Review named the 3,000-student  Florida Southern College campus the most beautiful in America, she says.

Wright himself wasn’t shy about bragging about his creations. When the then-college president refused to tear down the perfectly attractive red brick buildings that pre-dated Wright’s, the architect told him that was fine, that they’d just be “ugly bridesmaids to my beautiful brides.”

Tips for the trip
Florida Southern College in Lakeland is home to 12 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, Frank Lloyd Wright’s campus headquarters, is at 750 Frank Lloyd Wright Way, across from campus, next door to a Wright gift shop.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily; closed major holidays.

Tours start at the gift shop. Guided hour-long tours are $20 and are given Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m.; 2 1/2-hour, in-depth guided tours are offered daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and cost $35. A 10-percent discount is given for reservations made online at FlSouthern.edu. Hit “About” at top of screen, scroll down to Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture, and look for the reservations button.

Reservations can also be made by calling (863) 680-4597.

Self-guided tours are another option. Those brochures are sold at the gift shop.

Chapel Poem
William H. Danforth, who paid for the chapel on campus named for him, asked Wright to feature this poem within it somewhere. On a wall in an alcove by the entrance, it says:

“DEDICATED TO

THE WORSHIP OF GOD

WITH THE PRAYER

THAT HERE

IN COMMUNION WITH THE HIGHEST

THOSE WHO ENTER

MAY ACQUIRE THE SPIRITUAL POWER

TO ASPIRE NOBLY

ADVENTURE DARINGLY

SERVE HUMBLY’’

By Karen Haymon Long

Published October 10, 2018

Local teen moves on to next round on ‘American Idol’

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Zach D’Onofrio has received a Golden Ticket, and his next national appearance on American Idol will be during Hollywood Week.

The 17-year-old Wiregrass Ranch High School student impressed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie with “The Way You Look Tonight,” a Frank Sinatra song.

When he appeared before the celebrity judges in New York, the first thing he did was give each of them a pair of socks from his collection.

Katy Perry immediately put the socks on her hands.

Zach D’Onofrio said he didn’t feel too rattled while singing for celebrity judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Luke Bryan. His performance earned him a Golden Ticket, taking him to the next round of the competition in Hollywood. (Courtesy of ABC)

Then, when Zach began singing, Perry came down from her chair and began dancing with him. Meanwhile, Richie and Bryan danced, too.

The Wesley Chapel teen said the judges appeared to be surprised when he started to sing.

“Can I hear you speak again?” Bryan asked. “Is this really your speaking voice, you swear?”

Zach responded: “I swear, this is my natural voice.”

Then Richie added: “You are unique.”

Then they asked him to sing for them again.

Richie then gave Zach a Golden Ticket, signaling that he’d made it to the next round.

Despite performing before celebrity judges, Zach wasn’t rattled.

“I wasn’t really too nervous,” he said, in an interview. “I tried to stay confident and believe I could do well in front of them,” he said, adding that it helped to have his mom in New York with him.

Zach’s American Idol experience began when he auditioned at Tampa Bay Idol at Florida Hospital Center Ice, an event hosted by ABC Action News and Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend.

There, he received a Front of the Line Pass for the next audition in Orlando.

His mom, Darci, and his dad, Bryan, took the day off from work to go to Orlando, and his sister, Taylor, took the day off from classes at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, to be there, too.

“We got there at 7 a.m., or so,” Bryan said. “There were roughly 5,000 people auditioning that day. The majority of them had to wait in this huge line. But, we only had to wait probably about an hour, and Zach got to sing in front of some of the judges.”

Still, Bryan said, “it was a LONG day.

“That was in August. It was all outside at Disney Springs,” Bryan said.

“In the sun,” Darci added.

“It was brutal,” Bryan said.

Zach finished his first audition, and then was held back for a second one later in the day before he found out he had made the cut to sing before the celebrity judges.

At that point, he had a choice to sing in various cities, Darci said.

Zach D’Onofrio has a collection of 40 pairs to 50 pairs of colorful socks. He gave each of the judges a pair, and Katy Perry promptly put them on her hands, like gloves.

Zach announced: “We’ve got to go to New York, Mom. I’m a Frank Sinatra guy. I’m a crooner.”

Darci and Bryan had to decide which of them would accompany Zach because they had a show scheduled at their Dreamhouse Theatre, which they operate in Lutz.

“I pulled the Mom card —  ‘Hey, I birthed him,’” Darci said. Plus, she added, “I’ve never been to New York.’”

Zach hadn’t been there, either, so the two of them made the most of it.

They arrived on a Sunday and stayed for three days, in a hotel within walking distance of Times Square. They visited The Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial.

The day they went to the 9/11 Memorial was the morning after the shootings in Las Vegas, Darci said.

“It was very, very touching to be there that day,” she said.

Zach’s audition day was on a Tuesday. The day began at 6 a.m., with Zach auditioning around 1 p.m.

“By the time we were done with filming, we weren’t out of there until 10 o’clock that night. It was pretty intense,” Darci said.

Bryan and Darci knew that Zach could sing, but didn’t realize how well he could sing until Zach came across a Frank Sinatra album, while shopping for vinyl with Bryan.

“When he heard Frank Sinatra, he was like: ‘I think I kind of sing like him’,” Bryan said.

Zach, who has performed in various Dreamhouse Theatre productions, said initially he ran the lights and the sound for shows.

“I would always see the actors on the stage perform, and I always wanted to go on the stage and perform myself, but I was always too nervous to do it because I wasn’t sure what other people would say about my voice,” he said.

After singing Sinatra-style for his parents, he decided to sing for cast members of “Little Shop of Horrors” at the theater.

“They really liked my voice, and they thought I should keep pursuing this and keep putting myself out there,” Zach said.

Although he’s interested in becoming a doctor, Zach is now considering the possibility of a singing career.

Like most things in life, time will tell.

Published March 14, 2018

Saint Leo University gets set for beach volleyball

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Brooke Turner had her fair share of options to play indoor volleyball coming out of Gaither High School.

But, none could match what Saint Leo University offered: an intercollegiate beach volleyball program.

“I wanted to come here to play both,” Turner said.

“And, it’s also close to home, too.”

The Saint Leo beach volleyball team began practices in January. The first game is March 17. (Kevin Weiss)

Turner, a freshman, is one of 16 players on Saint Leo’s inaugural beach volleyball team.

Like others, she is a crossover athlete who also plays for Saint Leo’s indoor team, as an outside hitter.

Also like her peers, she’s trying to learn the many nuances of the beach sport — from hitting and passing, to its tempo and rapid-fire decision-making.

“It’s just a lot different,” Turner said of beach volleyball, acknowledging she played some recreational matches throughout high school.

“I feel like there just needs to be a little bit more hustle on the beach. It’s harder to run on the sand than on the court with shoes,” she said.

Beach volleyball is also a new competitive realm for Jamee Townsend, who spent four years as a libero on Saint Leo’s indoor squad from 2013 to 2016.

Now a graduate student at Saint Leo, Townsend was able to join the beach team, as NCAA bylaws allow student-athletes to play a fifth year in a different sport.

“I’ve always had an interest in training for beach,” said Townsend, noting she casually played in some offseason beach tournaments, but never seriously trained for them.

“It’s something I feel like I can play forever, versus indoors, which is really hard to play when you’re older. There’s not as much availability in (indoor) pickup games and stuff, so I was interested, and it just worked out that I was able to join.”

For Townsend, “coming out of retirement” to play a new sport has been a challenge physically — but also an invigorating venture.

“It was really hard — still is hard to keep my endurance up — but being a libero in college I wasn’t allowed to hit, so now I’m getting to attack and do a lot more components of the game than I did in indoor, so that’s exciting for me. I’m learning how to block again and doing things that I didn’t get to do in indoor,” Townsend said.

Last May, the university announced the addition of beach volleyball as its 20th sport and 11th in women’s athletics, initially as a nonscholarship offering.

Erik Peterson is tasked with guiding Saint Leo’s beach volleyball program. The inaugural 16 players are crossing over from the university’s indoor team. (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Following that was the completion of a five-court beach volleyball complex — believed to be the largest in Division II — on a portion of the intramural field, adjacent to the Saint Leo Tennis Center.

Beach practices began in January, led by assistant beach volleyball coach Erik Peterson.

The Lions’ first game is March 17 — a tri-match against Florida Southern College and Stevenson (Maryland) University, in Lakeland.

Slowly but surely the upstart program is coming along, the beach volleyball coach said.

“Sometimes we have some great practices, and then sometimes we forget how to do everything which is exactly part of it,” Peterson said.

“There’s some very different concepts and things that we’re trying to get them to comprehend and understand. It’s just a lot of the actual application takes some time and some reps.”

“Out here (on the beach), we don’t have the ability to hide all the deficiencies of indoor where you’re very specialized. For them, they have to pass, they have to set, they have to attack, they have to serve, they have to block, they have to defend, so they’re literally being asked to perform all of those skillsets fairly proficiently — and a lot of it’s new,” Peterson said.

Beach volleyball only calls for two players from one team to be on the court during matches. Both players must work together and become jack-of-all-trades and dominate on many fronts, including passing, setting and hitting. Indoor volleyball, however, calls for players to be much more specialized.

Even with a steep learning curve, Peterson said the team has maintained a positive attitude throughout lessons and practices.

“It’s very easy for indoor players to come out to the beach and get very frustrated because there are those significant speed bumps. They kind of just work through it, and they don’t let things weigh them down when they’re getting frustrated. They kind of bounce back pretty quick and always stay mentally dialed in,” Peterson said.

Players also are encouraged by strides made in the last several weeks.

“We’re just now getting to the point where we can be comfortable and be competitive when we play doubles. It was a lot of training and getting back to basics,” Townsend said.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot better, and everyone is ready everyday,” Turner said.

“Everyone enjoys coming to practice, and they’re just excited so it kind of shows, and we’ve gotten better already in a month just practicing.”

Saint Leo is one of four Sunshine State Conference institutions to now offer beach volleyball, joining the University of Tampa and Florida Southern University as the three newcomers. Eckerd College has a program, too.

Within Florida, a total of 10 institutions competed in beach volleyball during the 2017 season: Eckerd College, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State, Jacksonville, Stetson, North Florida, Webber International and Warner.

At the start of the 2016-17 academic year, a total of 66 NCAA member institutions had either added the sport or announced their intention to do so. The NCAA added a national collegiate championship for beach volleyball as its 90th championship in January 2015, after a target of 40 institutions had added the sport.

Peterson is no stranger to the sand-based sport. He’s been deeply involved with USA Sand Volleyball since 2007 and previously served as head coach for beach volleyball at Division I programs, such as Texas Christian University and the University of Central Florida. Other stops include the University of Oklahoma and the University of South Florida, as an indoor volleyball assistant coach.

With a schedule that includes fellow Sunshine State Conference foes and Division I programs, such as Florida International and Jacksonville University, Peterson said compiling a record of at least .500 in Year 1 “would be a nice measuring stick.”

“I think our biggest thing is trying to just get them to really buy into the process,” Peterson said.

“For this being such a new program and these being such new athletes, I think it’s really kind of hard to put a significant, quantifiable goal. It’s going to be more of just really looking at the growth, and each more individual and personal goals versus a team goal,” the coach added.

Cultivating an upbeat, energetic environment for home matches is another objective in Year 1, Peterson said.

It shouldn’t be too tough, as the Lions brand-new facilities — and imported bleachers — are squarely situated among other athletic complexes and provide for easy walking distance from one Saint Leo sport to the next.

“It’s such a unique type of atmosphere for beach volleyball versus a lot of these other sports that are very rigid in structure,” Peterson said.

“There’s communication, there’s heckling, the crowd can get involved. There are all these different exterior things that are happening — there’s music playing the whole time — so it’s just going to be a really cool atmosphere when we have the opportunity to host home matches, and get the fans and the students excited,” Peterson said.

2018 Saint Leo Beach Volleyball roster
Player                                              Hometown/School
Annabella Arcari, freshman        (Shelby Township, Michigan/Eisenhower High School)

Avery Bradshaw, sophomore      (Tampa/Steinbrenner High School)

Paloma Da Silva, senior              (Pocos De Caldas, Brazil/Park University Missouri)

Allie Daul, freshman                    (Grayslake, Illinois/Grayslake Central High School)

Anna Garrett, freshman              (Merritt Island, Florida/Merritt Island High School

Dallas Jasper, sophomore          (Annapolis, Maryland/Broadneck High School)

Jenya Kruglova, senior                (Moscow, Russia/St. Petersburg College)

Victoria Omoregie, freshman      (Tampa/Newsome High School)

Maddy Powell, senior                   (Tampa/ Steinbrenner High School)

Ashley Quero, freshman              (Hialeah, Florida/Palmer Trinity School)

Fabiola Rosado, freshman           (Lakeland/McKeel Academy of Technology)

Britt Sederholm, senior                (Ogden, Utah/Saint Joseph Catholic School)

Jamee Townsend, grad student (Plant City/Strawberry Crest High School)

Brooke Turner, freshman           (Tampa/Gaither High School)

Reggie Van Devender, sophomore       (Phoenix, Arizona/Seton Catholic Preparatory)

Nina Vattovaz, freshman            (Trieste, Italy/Liceo Artistico-Alessandro Vittoria)

Published February 28, 2018

Saint Leo adds women’s beach volleyball

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It’s a sport sweeping the nation — and one local institution is taking advantage.

Saint Leo University is the latest Florida college to add women’s beach volleyball as a varsity NCAA sport.

Current Saint Leo indoor volleyball coach Sam Cibrone will move into a new role as director of volleyball. An additional full-time assistant coach will be added for the new beach volleyball program, while current assistant coach Carlos Ramos will work exclusively with Saint Leo’s 2017 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) champion indoor volleyball program.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Competition for the sand-based sport begins Spring 2018, as an independent (non-conference) team. It marks Saint Leo’s 20th intercollegiate sport and its 11th offering in women’s athletics; the recommendation to add beach volleyball was made by the university’s Gender Equity Committee, and approved by University President Dr. William J. Lennox Jr.

It will initially be a non-scholarship sport.

“The addition of beach volleyball will provide additional opportunities for women to compete in the Green and Gold for Saint Leo University and is a natural fit for Saint Leo athletics,” Saint Leo athletic director Francis X. Reidy said, in a statement. “Between our location in Florida and the strength of our existing indoor volleyball program, I believe beach volleyball has a bright future here at Saint Leo.”

Construction will begin this summer on a new five-court beach volleyball complex on a portion of the intramural field, adjacent to the Saint Leo Tennis Center.

The facility — expected to be the largest in Division II — is slated to be “practice-ready” this fall and “competition-ready” by January.

The complex will benefit the beach volleyball program and the university’s intramurals program, as well. There also will be opportunities to host youth, club, and collegiate events at the new beach volleyball complex, generating revenue and exposure for the university and the beach volleyball program.

Sam Cibrone, currently the Lions’ head volleyball coach, will move into a new role as director of volleyball. An additional full-time assistant coach will be added for the new beach volleyball program, while current assistant coach Carlos Ramos will work exclusively with Saint Leo’s 2017 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) champion indoor volleyball program.

Saint Leo University has added women’s beach volleyball as a varsity NCAA sport. Competition for the non-scholarship sport will begin in Spring 2018

The new position appears to be a seamless transition for Cibrone, the winningest coach in Saint Leo volleyball history and three-time SSC Coach of the Year.

A beach volleyball player for more than 20 years, Cibrone created the Clearwater-based Sunshine State Outdoor Volleyball Association in 2004, drawing hundreds of junior and adult teams in year-round tournaments.

He’s taking Saint Leo’s upstart sport seriously, with hopes to make it a national power — like the indoor volleyball program.

In 13 seasons as volleyball head coach, Cibrone has compiled a 255-164 record, guiding the program to eight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, including four in a row.

“Our indoor program has a great history of being successful, and we’re going to expect the same thing from our beach program,” Cibrone said. “I want the quality to be at the same level as our indoor program, because we’re not treating this like a club.”

Besides hiring an assistant beach coach, Cibrone’s next step is filling a roster of 16 players. Several athletes from the Saint Leo indoor team are expected to join the beach program for the first year.

Cibrone’s ultimate goal, however, is to mold primarily beach-only players.

“We really want to grow this program as a separate entity,” Cibrone said. “Plus, that’s not going to help our gender equity issue if we just take the same kids and have them play two sports.”

Beach volleyball only calls for two players from one team to be on the court during matches. Both players must work together and become jack-of-all-trades and dominate on many fronts, including passing, setting and hitting. Indoor volleyball, however, calls for players to be much more specialized.

“The kid that can do everything well is a good beach player,” Cibrone said. “You don’t have to be a super phenomenal athlete; you just have to be a good volleyball player.

Beach volleyball doesn’t yet have a strong high school presence, making the recruiting process “completely different” compared to indoor.

As opposed to scouting prep teams, coaches will recruit open club competitions, such as the Dig the Beach Tournament Series in Siesta Key.

“I’m going to be going to a lot of beach tournaments and recruiting through the beach circuit, because there’s tournaments all over in Florida,” Cibrone said. “I think you’re going to see those kinds of big tournaments come to focus.”

Cibrone is also tasked with building a 16-game schedule for 2018.

Many opponents figure to come from in state, he said.

Within Florida, a total of 10 institutions competed in beach volleyball during the 2017 season: Eckerd College, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State, Jacksonville, Stetson, North Florida, Webber International and Warner.

Additionally, the University of Tampa and Florida Southern College have announced their intention to add the sport for Spring 2018. The growth of beach volleyball has skyrocketed in recent years since it was first approved as an “emerging sport” by the NCAA in 2009. At the time, data showed that more than 200,000 females ages 6-17 played beach volleyball, and more than 60 percent competed exclusively in the sport rather than indoor volleyball.

At the start of the 2016-17 academic year, a total of 66 NCAA member institutions had either added the sport or announced their intention to do so. The NCAA added a national collegiate championship for beach volleyball as its 90th championship in January 2015, after a target of 40 institutions had added the sport.

While building a championship contender is a focus, Cibrone also wants Saint Leo’s beach players to have an enjoyable athletic experience.

“I want to make it a great experience,” he said, “because I understand they’re coming with just their academic money, and so they’re making a sacrifice.

“I think some of these programs that are not fully funded—they’re pushing the kids too hard and making it not a great experience.

“I’m going to make it fun for them, challenging and super competitive.”

Published June 6, 2017

Local athletes sign with colleges

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The athletic talent pool continues to flourish throughout north Hillsborough, and east and central Pasco.

Zephyrhills High’s Antwione Sims will play football for the U.S Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He missed the 2016 season after tearing his ACL last March.
(Courtesy of Antwione Sims)

Dozens of local high school athletes signed their letters of intent (LOI) on Feb. 1 to various colleges and universities as part of National Signing Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in February.

Once again, schools in our coverage area were well-represented.

Wiregrass Ranch High School led the way with 13 signings, followed by Land O’ Lakes High with nine. Other high schools, including Gaither and Steinbrenner, featured a handful of signings.

While Zephyrhills High had just one signing, it was arguably the most memorable.

Bursting with emotions and tear-filled eyes, senior running back/safety Antwione Sims signed his LOI to play football at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The day signaled a redemptive moment for Sims, who missed his entire 2016 senior season after tearing his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) last March.

A trio of Freedom High School athletes signed to various colleges on Feb. 1. From left: Kalijahe Spann (Warner University), Megan Clark (Tennesee Tech University) and Tyler Bray (Maryville College).
(Courtesy of Freedom High School)

Oftentimes, football players — even those as talented as Sims —have athletic scholarships withdrawn after a serious injury, particularly from Division I programs.

But, Navy upheld its offer.

“It’s a blessing to have (this) opportunity,” Sims said, “because not everyone has that…”

Putting pen to paper marked the end of a “long journey” for the 5-foot-11, 208-pound gridiron star.

It, too, signals the beginning of a new one.

“It’s not about the next four years,” Sims said, “it’s about the next 40.”

Sims, one of the most dynamic athletes in Pasco County, was one of just four football players from the county to sign with a Division I football program.

The others were Wiregrass Ranch quarterback/kicker Chris Faddoul (Florida A&M University) and defensive lineman Jason Winston (Stetson University), and Wesley Chapel safety Ellrie Allen (Florida A&M University).

Four athletes from Wesley Chapel High School participated in National Signing Day on Feb. 1. From left: Bailey Hern (Saint Leo University), Lauren Campoe (Ave Maria University), Jacob Thomas (Mars Hill College) and Ellrie Allen (Florida A&M University).
(Courtesy of Wesley Chapel High School)

Sims, though, is the most high-profile prospect of the group.

At one point, the consensus three-star recruit had scholarship offers from nearly a dozen schools.

His recruitment picked up steam after he rushed for a school-record 2,093 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2015.

Despite that production, he won’t likely play in Navy’s offensive backfield.

Instead, he’s expected to contribute in their defensive backfield, as a safety.

Sims noted he started closely following Navy’s football program “ever since they started recruiting me.”

On the surface, he made a solid selection.

Navy, renowned for its vaunted triple-option offense, went 9-5 in 2016. Under coach Ken Niumatalolo, they’ve had a winning season in eight of the past nine years.

Sims’ choice is about more than football, however.

“I feel like making this decision will allow me to set myself up for life,” he said.

A roundup of signings of athletes in our coverage area:
Gaither
Football
Decalon Brooks—Florida State University
Estefano Feliciano—Old Dominion University (Virginia)

Soccer
Ben Hickson—Florida College
David Garzon—Florida College

Softball
Kasey Heslin—Pasco-Hernando State College

Freedom
Basketball
Megan Clark—Tennessee Tech University

Football
Kalijahe Spann—Warner University (Florida)

Golf
Tyler Bray—Maryville College (Tennessee)

Land O’ Lakes
Baseball
Troy Klemm—Palm Beach Atlantic University
Max Law—University of North Florida
McCabe Sargent—Saint Leo University
Dustin Harris—St. Petersburg College

Football
Spencer Childress—Lyon College (Arkansas)

Soccer
Devyn Cabral—Erskine College (South Carolina)
Haley Eckel—Florida Southern College

Cross Country
Skylen Acuna—Pasco-Hernando State College

Steinbrenner
Basketball
Mary Katherine Miller—Hillsborough Community College

Football
Devon Connors—U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado)
Noah Ruggles—University of North Carolina

Soccer
Claire Morrison—Stetson University

Softball
Emmalee Jansen—University of Tampa

Sunlake
Football
Tyler Peretti—Southeastern University (Florida)

Softball
Casey Gottschall—Broward College (Florida)
Shelby Lansing—Southeastern University
Haley Kirinsky—Flagler College (Florida)

Wharton
Softball
Mackenzie Allen—University of Tampa

Volleyball
Kathryn Attar—Yale University (Connecticut)
Alexandria Schneider—Florida College

Wesley Chapel
Football
Jacob Thomas—Mars Hill University (North Carolina)
Ellrie Allen—Florida A&M University

Soccer
Lauren Campoe—Ave Maria University (Florida)
Bailey Hern—Saint Leo University

Wiregrass Ranch
Golf
Morgan Power—King University (Tennessee)

Football
Chris Faddoul—Florida A&M University
Jason Winston—Stetson University

Tennis
Noah Makarome—University of Pennsylvania

Soccer
Connor Nixon—Presbyterian College (South Carolina)
Erin Brenner—Huntingdon College (Alabama)
Ysabelle Borgstadt—Andrew College (Georgia)
Sydney Chase—Saint Leo University
Maddie Moore—Shaw University (North Carolina)
John Pease—Jacksonville University (Florida)

Softball
Alexis Ridolph—Hillsborough Community College
Samantha Hiley—Edward Waters College (Florida)
Jaime Valenta—St. John River State College (Florida)

Zephyrhills High
Football
Antwione Sims—U.S. Naval Academy (Maryland)

Zephyrhills Christian Academy
Football
Serion Bellamy—Shorter University​ (Georgia)

Published February 8, 2017