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Plant High School

Saint Leo lacrosse celebrates its program-best season

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Saint Leo University made history in 2006 as the first NCAA lacrosse program in the state of Florida.

The university has added another significant notch to its belt — becoming the state’s first lacrosse program to make a national championship appearance.

Saint Leo’s men’s lacrosse team squared up on May 27 against Merrimack College in the NCAA Division II Lacrosse National Championship at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Saint Leo men’s lacrosse team recently became the state’s first program to make a national championship appearance. They lost to Merrimack College 23-6 in the NCAA Division II Lacrosse National Championship at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

The Lions were overmatched by the Massachusetts-based foe, surrendering 23-6. However, the season still goes down as the best run in team’s 13-year history.

Saint Leo finished the 2018 campaign with a 16-3 overall record, including a 7-0 mark in the Sunshine State Conference.

The team ranked among the nation’s leaders in scoring (11th, 13.63 goals per game), shot percentage (first, .393) and clearing percentage (third, .907).

Leading up to the season finale, the Lions defeated conference rival University of Tampa 11-10 in the national quarterfinals and then downed Lenoir-Rhyne (North Carolina) University 12-11 in the national semifinals.

As the team regroups from a biting title game loss, players are proud to finish national runner-up and be part of the remarkable campaign.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Tom Tatarian described the season as “an incredible run.”

Senior attacker Anthony Visintin evoked similar feelings: “It sounds cool and awesome to say that we had the best record in Saint Leo history and we get to go down as one of the best teams to go through here. Obviously, we would’ve rather it gone the other way and we would’ve rather won and have the whole big grand ending, but I guess you could say it’s the second-best ending that could happen.”

As one of 15 seniors on the 2018 roster, Visintin and others took the onus upon themselves to make their final season count — by improving upon a relatively disappointing 2017 where the Lions finished 9-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

Many of those upperclassman, including Visintin, were also part of squads that finished 9-5 and 7-7 in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

“I think for me, playing for four years, we kind of found ourselves underachieving almost every year,” he said.

“But I think this year we were able to finally put it together. Having a big senior class definitely helped,” added Visintin, who finished with 20 goals and 11 assists.

Saint Leo men’s lacrosse coach Brad Jorgensen said the team, starting in the offseason, “worked hard to go from a pretty good team to a great team.”

Saint Leo men’s lacrosse coach Brad Jorgensen launched the program more than a decade ago.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Jorgensen, who helped launch the program more than a dozen years ago, explained there was a “re-energized” commitment and attitude toward game preparation, strength and conditioning, among other team aspects.

The heightened focus and mindset, Jorgensen pointed out, allowed the Lions to win several close games this year; eight of their wins came by three or fewer goals.

The prior year, the Lions lost two conference games by two goals. They lost two others by four goals and five goals, respectively.

Jorgensen explained: “I think we had a tendency, when the pressure got on, to do what felt comfortable instead of what needed to be done on some occasions and it was really that tougher battle of, ‘Am I willing for the next 10 months to do the hard stuff to get us to where we want to go?’”

He added: “Guys needed to realize the devil’s in the details and, when you lose as many close games as we did in 2017, it just points to a little bit of a lack of attention to detail and commitment to getting the little things right.”

Thinking ahead to next year
Like many of the Lions’ players, Jorgensen acknowledged he’s still reeling from the national championship loss.

But the longtime coach hasn’t lost sight of what just getting there means for the program’s future.

“We got unbelievable exposure over the course of the (championship) weekend,” Jorgensen said. “Being able to have the Saint Leo logo plastered all over Gillette during the final four where you’re talking 35,000 to 40,000 people were able to see us and see our school and be exposed to it, that’s obviously huge.”

It’s especially important for recruiting because the national title appearance enhances Saint Leo’s reputation as a bona fide lacrosse power.

“I think every coach tells recruits that they want to play for a championship and that they’re a championship program and all that other stuff, but it becomes a heck of a lot easier sell now that you’ve been that close,” the coach said.

Meanwhile, the lacrosse program looks to move on without a senior class that made up about 40 percent of the 2018 roster.

Among the key departures is attacker Jake Gilmour, the program’s first-ever United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II First-Team All-American.

Another is defender Jake Bye, who was named USILA honorable mention.

Said Jorgensen, “It’s not like this class graduating snuck up on us, but it is kind of impossible to discount what we’re losing to graduation. …Some guys who have been starting here for four years won’t be here in the fall when we get started. That’s going to be an adjustment.”

Even so, the Lions do have solid core in place for next season.

That includes Tatarian, a second-team All-American goalkeeper who ranked sixth nationally with 13.84 saves per game; attacker Charlie Kurtenbach, who was second on the team in goals (40) and assists (29); and midfielder Julian Taylor, a Tampa product and Plant High School alum who tallied 23 points.

Tatarian, for one, is embracing what’s in store for 2019, where he’ll be a graduate student exhausting his final year of eligibility. (He received a medical redshirt for an injury suffered as a freshman in 2015.)

He will be the longest-tenured player on next year’s roster, likely forcing him to become more of a leader in both actions and words.

Said Tatarian, “There’s really going to be a movement forward to a younger team and I have to take that responsibility upon myself as well as the other seniors to really shoulder the dynamic for this program, for what we’re about, and what we’re going to do moving forward. I think it’s going to be a very exciting process seeing all the young guys coming in and see what they’re going to bring to the table.”

Published June 6, 2018

‘Mr. Don’ provides safety and encouragement

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On weekday mornings and afternoons, Don Niles ushers students to safety at Double Branch Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

Officially, Niles is the school’s crossing guard.

But, the 76-year-old is much, much more to students and faculty.

Known as ‘Mr. Don’ to the Double Branch community, Niles is known for going the extra mile to forge relationships and lend an ear to students.

Don Niles works his post intersection of Chancey Road and Meadow Point Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. Besides ushering students to safety each day, Niles also tries to serve as a mentor and encourager to the Double Branch community. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

He’s been known to tell others that he has upwards of “900 grandkids” — a reference to the enrollment at Double Branch Elementary.

“I’m a BFF (Best Friend Forever). I’m a person that these kids can come and talk to about anything that’s bothering them,” Niles said.

“If there’s a bullying situation taking place, these kids can come talk to me,” he added.

Niles recently was named 2017 Florida School Crossing Guard of the Year by the Florida Department of Transportation.

He was chosen from 4,100 school crossing guards in Florida’s 67 counties.

Niles is humbled by the honor, especially for doing something he loves.

“I don’t do this for money or anything else,” Niles said. “I do it because I want to make a difference in these kids’ lives. I want to have an impact on them. I want to help build their self-esteem, their character. It’s all about the kids.”

Double Branch principal Vaughnette Chandler isn’t surprised that Niles was singled out.

She describes him as an “encourager,” who offers daily pep talks to students.

He views his role as going far beyond telling students to look both ways and helping them to negotiate a crossing, she explained.

“Don is a one-of-a kind,” Chandler said.

“He’s that guy that’s talking to the kids every day. He knows them by name, he knows what they like, what they’re doing — in a lot of cases what classroom they’re in — and he’s encouraging them to have a really great day and really just like reach for the stars,” she said.

Niles also makes it a point to reach out to students who may be experiencing personal troubles, the principal added.

“If a child looks like they need somebody to talk to, he’s going to take minute to check with them and see what’s going on,” Chandler said. “If it’s something we need to know about, he’s going to be right here in the school after the kids are on campus to let us know, ‘Hey, we need to check in with this student to see how things are going, or they might need an extra word of encouragement for the day.’”

Ken Mizerek, who is the crossing guard supervisor in District 2, has witnessed Niles’ caring and observant nature, when he has visited Niles’ post at the intersection of Chancey Road and Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

“All our crossing guards do a great job, but Don is the kind of person that goes beyond his schedule of hours,” Mizerek said.

“He shows a lot of interest in the children so they think, ‘Wow, somebody’s listening to me,’ and I think when somebody listens to them then they can them tell their problems; they open up to him,” Mizerek said.

The supervisor also noted Niles frequently introduces students to him, heaping praise on their respective accomplishments.

“He’ll go on and on about the child to me, and that child has got a gleam in his eye because now they feel important also. It’s really exciting to come out to this post and see what goes on here,” Mizerek said.

Niles has been a crossing guard for about eight years. Initially, he worked at Sand Pine Elementary and then moved to Double Branch Elementary seven years ago.

Before becoming a crossing guard, Niles was a probation officer with the Florida Department of Corrections. He handled pre-sentencing investigations for adult felony defenders throughout East Pasco and Central Pasco.

Niles grew up in a poor, single-parent home after his father abandoned him and his mother. He said his upbringing helps him understand the plight of some youths coming from challenging family situations.

He grew up in dangerous neighborhoods and often struggled to find a hearty meal.

“I know what it’s like to come from a defective home and life was not good. The circumstances were really trying at times,” Niles said.

But, despite those hardships, he understood the value of getting an education.

He graduated from Plant High School and went on to earn an honors diploma from the University of South Florida, in criminal justice.

He tries to mentor children in the same way that pastors, teachers and law enforcement officers did for him when he was young.

“These guys made a difference in my life,” Niles said of adult role models. “They were my surrogate parents in a sense. It really gave you a sense of security and safety, and I got a lot of attention from them.”

Besides his crossing guard duties, Niles sponsors four kindergarten classes each year, providing Double Branch teachers with an account to help them buy school supplies. He also donates gifts for Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Valentine’s Day.

“When I go through these classes,” Niles said, “it gives me a chance to talk to these kids: ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ Listen guys, I want you to work with your teachers. ‘The teachers are building a foundation for your life, and they need your cooperation,’” Niles said.

Published February 21, 2018

‘Get Loud!’ takes aim at sexual assault, domestic violence

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Cheers normally reverberate through Wiregrass Ranch High School’s gymnasium when a boys basketball player on the home team scores.

That didn’t happen though during the initial minutes of the varsity team’s Jan. 30 game against Sunlake High School.

Instead, spectators remained silent, in response to signs being shown to them that said “Shhh” and “Be Quiet.”

Lots of people wore purple to a special event staged during the Jan. 30 basketball game between Wiregrass Ranch and Sunlake high schools. The goal was to raise awareness about the problems of power-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. (B.C. Manion)

The crowd kept quiet until the ninth point was scored and then —responding to signs that said “Break the Silence” — spectators roared.

Obviously, there was a lot more going on than just a routine basketball game.

In fact, a full-fledged public awareness campaign was being staged, too.

Wiregrass Ranch High School’s basketball game was the venue for “Get Loud!”

The event was presented by the high school, in Wesley Chapel, in conjunction with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and Sunrise of Pasco County Inc. Domestic and Sexual Violence Center. It also was supported through a Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation Community Heroes grant.

Staying silent for nine points was intended to call attention to the fact that every 9 seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted or beaten.

Besides making people more aware of the problem, the event aims to spread the message that it’s time to break the silence about these forms of violence, which are sometimes deadly.

Wiregrass Ranch senior Gabby Azzolina led the efforts to bring the event to her school. She said people don’t realize the extent of the problem, and survivors don’t know where to turn for help.

“So many people don’t know there are facilities to help and numbers to call,” Azzolina said. “I want them to know that it’s OK to get loud about it, and break the silence. The Crisis Center’s number is 2-1-1.”

Mathematics teacher Amy Munroe helped Azzolina to organize the event at Wiregrass Ranch.

Munroe said she was happy to help when she was asked. She hopes that more people will begin talking about the problem, as a result of the event.

“Just to be able to talk about it, is a big deal,” Munroe said.

Buttons at the ‘Get Loud!’ event helped spread the message of the problems of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Dottie Urbanek Nash, director of education and prevention for Sunrise, said these kinds of events are important.

“Awareness campaigns like this are wonderful. They do a lot to get the word out about what’s happening, locally. Unfortunately, we tend to think that domestic violence doesn’t happen here,” she said.

It’s also important for people to know there are ways to help prevent these types of violence, she said.

The Wiregrass Ranch event evolved out of a conversation between Gabby’s mom, Madeline Azzolina, and Denise Cassedy, whose daughter, Katie, initiated the first “Get Loud!” event at Robinson High School two years ago.

After Katie graduated, her sister, Carolina, got involved, and now — Robinson, Plant and Hillsborough high schools in Tampa have “Get Loud!” events.

Wiregrass Ranch intends to make this an annual event, Munroe said.

Some sobering statistics

  • One of every three women have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within her lifetime. The same is true for one in every four men.
  • One in five women has been sexually assaulted.
  • One in seven women has been stalked. The same is true for one in 18 men.
  • Nearly two-thirds of all sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

Source: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Do you need help? Call 2-1-1

Published February 7, 2018

Wiregrass Ranch football loses two playmakers

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The 2017 football season is two months away, but one of Pasco County’s top teams already has taken a hit.

In a week’s span, two varsity standouts from Wiregrass Ranch High School — cornerback Shamaur McDowell and quarterback/safety Raymond Woodie III — have exited the rising program, which last season finished Class 7A, District 8 runner-up, making its first playoff appearance since 2010.

Senior cornerback Shamaur McDowell has transferred to IMG Academy, a boarding school and sport-training destination in Bradenton. (File)

On June 16, Woodie III, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior, announced he was enrolling at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, a move that allows him to reconnect with his father, an assistant football coach at the University of Oregon.

“…I would like to thank everyone at Wiregrass for taking me in and giving me the opportunity to be successful on and off the football field,” Woodie III said, in a statement. “I will forever be grateful to the coaches and players, and wish them nothing but the best this season. With that being said, my family and I have decided it is best for me to move out to Oregon with them and attend Sheldon High School.”

Just four days later, McDowell, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound senior, announced his intention to transfer to IMG Academy, a boarding school and sport-training destination in Bradenton.

“My parents and I felt like it was the best decision,” McDowell said, in a statement. “It will allow me to focus on being the best student-athlete I can be. It will also prepare me for the next stage in my life.”

Both are widely regarded as elite prospects for their respective classes.

And, noteworthy losses for Wiregrass Ranch, which figures to be one of the better teams in Pasco in 2017.

Woodie III, who landed at Wiregrass Ranch after transferring from Carrollwood Day School in the offseason, is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect and the nation’s eighth-best dual-threat quarterback for the 2019 class, and boasts scholarship offers from over 20 Division I football programs.

McDowell, a three-year varsity player for the Bulls and verbal commit to the University of Minnesota, is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect and ranked among the state’s top 300 players for the 2018 class; he also holds scholarship offers from nearly 20 Division I schools.

Junior quarterback/safety Raymond Woodie III has transferred to Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, a move that allows him to reconnect with his father, an assistant football coach at the University of Oregon. (File)

For McDowell, the transfer to IMG Academy offers an opportunity to further enhance his skills, and raise his national profile.

The academy, ranked as the top prep program in Florida, typically plays a national schedule.

This season, IMG Academy (11-0 in 2016) will play games in Arizona, California, Maryland, Washington D.C., Utah, Alabama and Virginia, facing some of the nation’s other top prep football schools.

Throughout the school year, McDowell will receive training inside state-of-the art facilities from a staff of full-time coaches, trainers and nutritionists.

He will also compete alongside other top talent — IMG’s entire roster is actively recruited by FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) schools.

Meanwhile, the Bulls remain stockpiled with impact players, even with the two departures.

It all starts with senior defensive back Jordan Miner.

The four-star prospect is ranked one of the state’s top 50 players for the 2018 recruiting class, and claims nearly 30 Division I scholarship offers, including Penn State University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina and University of Tennessee, among others.

Last season for the Bulls, the 6-foot-1, 177-pound Miner tallied 38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and 12 passes defensed.

He also racked up nearly 500 all-purpose yards on offense, defense and special teams.

Besides Miner, the Bulls have numerous players with standing college scholarships offers, including wide receiver/safety Daniel Biglow (Fort Lewis College), safety/running back Kwesi Littlejohn (Webber International University), tight end/defensive end Devaun Roberts (Warner University, Webber International) and wide receiver/slot back Adrian Thomas (Webber International).

The return of 1,000-yard rusher Da Da McGee and a potential breakout campaign from junior quarterback Grant Sessums should also help mask the exodus of Woodie III and McDowell.

Save for anymore unforeseen departures from the program, the Bulls look to build on last season’s success, under third-year coach Mark Kantor.

Kantor, who previously coached at Hudson High School, orchestrated an impressive turnaround from 2015 (2-8 record) to 2016 (7-3 record).

But, the upcoming season won’t be easy.

Besides facing tough district opponents like Plant, Gaither and Wharton high schools, the Bulls kick off the 2017 slate against nondistrict opponents Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake high schools — which went a combined 22-7 last season.

The challenging schedule may come in handy near playoff time, however.

The Florida High School Athletic Association’s new playoff system for football stresses strength of schedule, along with overall record. After the four district champs in Class 7A, Region 2, the other four playoff teams will be determined by a points-based system.

In preparation for the rigors of a demanding 2017 schedule, Kantor arranged a May 19 spring game against Tampa Catholic (33-27 loss) and August 18 preseason classic against Clearwater Central Catholic (9-2 record in 2016).

—Stats were supplied by coaches on Maxpreps.com

Wiregrass Ranch High 2017 football schedule
Aug. 18 – at Clearwater Central Catholic
Aug. 25 – Zephyrhills High School
Sept. 1- at Wesley Chapel High School
Sept. 8 – Sunlake High School
Sept. 15 – at Sickles High School
Sept. 22 – Wharton High School
Oct. 6 – at Gaither High School
Oct. 13 — at Freedom High School
Oct. 20 — Leto High School
Oct. 27 — Plant High School
Nov. 3 – at Auburndale High School

Published July 5, 2017