Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball (MLB)’s 2020 first-year player draft has been shortened to five rounds, from the usual 40 rounds in previous years. The draft, scheduled for June 10 and June 11, assigns amateur baseball players to MLB teams. Even with the new consolidated format, however, several locals from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have a solid chance at being … [Read more...]
School remains in session, online
April 28, 2020 By
Students aren’t returning to campus, but leaders in the Pasco County school district are encouraged by the progress students are making online. The district went to online learning on March 31, after Gov. Ron DeSantis closed school campuses until at least April 15, due to concerns about the threat of the spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). DeSantis has since announced that school … [Read more...]
Pasco County all-star football rosters announced
November 6, 2019 By
High school football in December? It’s becoming a tradition in Pasco County. Some of the county’s top senior high football players will get to experience Friday night lights one final time, at the 2019 Pasco County East-West Classic. The fifth annual all-star showcase is slated for Dec. 13 at 7 p.m., at Sunlake Field, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The game, organized by the … [Read more...]
Hockey team formed for Land O’ Lakes High
May 29, 2019 By
It all started as an idea between two dads who just wanted the best for their hockey-playing sons: What if we started our own hockey team at Land O’ Lakes High School? After long months of conversations, fundraising and coordination, Joshua Whitman and Bill O’ Connor’s theoretical question became a reality. This coming fall, the Land O’ Lakes High School hockey club will begin its first … [Read more...]
Pasco High gets new football coach
January 16, 2019 By
Pasco High School will have a new head football coach roaming the sidelines, for the first time in more than a decade. The school recently announced its next head coach is Jason Stokes — a coaching mainstay in the Tampa Bay area, most notably at Gaither High School. Stokes, 43, replaces longtime Pasco coach Tom McHugh, who was relieved of his coaching duties following four consecutive … [Read more...]
Records are shattered at conference swim meet
October 17, 2018 By
A swimming and diving team — that is not named Land O’ Lakes High School — can finally lay claim as tops in Pasco County. The Land O’ Lakes High School’s boys squad had won every conference meet dating back to 2001, while the girls squad had won the conference meet since 2009. But, this time around, the Gators boys finished behind Mitchell High, and the girls squad was unseated by Sunlake … [Read more...]
Prep football midseason review
September 26, 2018 By
With five weeks of high school football in the books, the midway point of the 2018 season has been reached. Here’s a look at some of the storylines and highlights from schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Boisterous Bulldogs No Charles Harrison III? No problem. The Zephyrhills High Bulldogs have maintained their winning ways, even without the prolific and record-setting … [Read more...]
A Beautiful ICI Home In Time For The Holidays
July 25, 2018 By
Summer is the busiest time of year to buy a home, because families want to know what school their children will be attending in their new neighborhood, and because they want to be moved and settled before the holidays. This summer, however, many families have become frustrated and have stopped looking because of the low supply of available houses. If your family is wanting to move up to a … [Read more...]
Military academy appointments include soccer standout
June 20, 2018 By
Growing up, Victoria Mitchell always knew she wanted to serve her country with a career in the military. She’ll soon get the chance, when she’s officially inducted into the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 28. The 17-year-old recent Wesley Chapel High School graduate received her official appointment to the Navy in late March — about 10 months after she verbally … [Read more...]
AATL softball captures first state title
May 30, 2018 By
A pitcher’s duel, extra innings and weathering wet, muddy conditions were all needed before Academy at the Lakes softball could finally claim its first-ever state championship. Overcoming hurdles, they wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The Wildcats (26-4) defeated Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings on May 22 in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A … [Read more...]
