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Hometown kids shine in 2019 college football season

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The college football season has come to a close, and it was one in which many players with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area showcased their skills.

Dozens of area athletes are a part of programs at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Series (FCS) levels, as well as Division II, Division III, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and junior college ranks.

Here is a look at some of them.

Noah Ruggles
College: University of North Carolina, sophomore kicker
High School: Steinbrenner High (Odessa native)

Steinbrenner High product Noah Ruggles (Courtesy of University of North Carolina Athletics)

The Steinbrenner product appears entrenched as UNC’s long-term answer at kicker, as he enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, converting 19 of 27 field goal attempts, including a long of 49 yards, and converting all 45 of his extra-point attempts.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Ruggles was nearly automatic on kicks inside 40 yards, but struggled on some longer kicks, including going 0-for-3 on attempts of more than 50 yards.

Arguably, his most defining moment came when he kicked the game-winning field goal in a 20-17 home win against conference rival Duke University on Oct. 26. It was a just week removed from UNC head coach Mack Brown benching Ruggles, after he missed two overtime field goal attempts in a road loss to Virginia Tech.

While at Steinbrenner, Ruggles developed into one of the nation’s most coveted kicking prospects, ranked as the No. 9 kicker by 247sports.com and the No. 12 kicker by ESPN.com for the 2017 recruiting class.

Chris Faddoul
College: Florida A&M University, junior punter
High School: Wiregrass Ranch High (Wesley Chapel native)

Since he stepped foot on FAMU’s campus as a freshman in 2017, Faddoul’s leg has been put to good use.

Wiregrass Ranch High product Chris Faddoul (File)

A three-year starter, Faddoul again earned consecutive All-American honors after another banner season for a team that went 9-2 and undefeated in conference.

His average of 46 yards per punt ranked second in Division I FCS (Football Championship Series). The 5-foot-11, 210-pound specialist tallied 40 punts for 1,841 yards, with 19 punts placed inside the 20-yard line, 16 punts of 50 yards or longer, and only five touchbacks. He also registered a career-long punt of 72 yards in an Oct. 20 overtime win over nationally-ranked North Carolina A&T State.

At Wiregrass Ranch, Faddoul was something of an athletic unicorn, playing football, soccer, tennis, and also competing in track and field. His senior year on the gridiron, Faddoul guided the Bulls to a state playoff appearance in 2016, as the team’s starting quarterback, kicker and punter.

Michael Penix Jr.
College: Indiana University, redshirt freshman quarterback
High School: Tampa Bay Tech/Pasco High (Dade City native)

Dade City native Michael Penix Jr. (Courtesy of Indiana University Athletics)

The Dade City native got off to a roaring start as Indiana’s starting signal-caller in 2019, helping guide the Big Ten program to its best start since 1993, up until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in November that required surgery.

Indiana was 5-1 in games played by Penix, who completed 69% of his throws for 1,394 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions, and tallied 119 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The 6-foot-3, 203-pound lefty made history by becoming the first freshman quarterback to start an opener for the Hoosiers since Antwaan Randel El in 1998.

While Penix seemingly has a bright future ahead, injuries have become a concern. He also suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2018 as a true freshman.

For his prep career, Penix played his first two seasons at Pasco High, then transferred to Tampa Bay Tech, finishing with 6,986 total yards and 76 touchdowns. He is something of a Pirates legacy, as his father was an All-State tailback/defensive back at Pasco High in the early ’90s; his uncle played there, too.

Donovan Jennings
College: University of South Florida, sophomore left tackle
High School: Gaither High (Tampa native)

Gaither High product Donovan Jennings (Courtesy of University of South Florida Athletics)

The 6-foot-5, 328-pound Jennings has established himself as a reliable and consistent protector for USF quarterbacks’ blindside, playing in a combined 22 games his freshman and sophomore seasons. He began the 2019 season at right guard, before moving to and finishing the season on the left side of the offensive line.

The Gaither High product this past season was USF’s highest-graded offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus (66.9), a website that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League and NCAA Division I football.

Jennings has been lauded by coaches for his pass protection skills and effectiveness in the run game, because of combination of quick feet, balance and strength. He often was tasked with blocking opponent’s top pass-rushers in one-on-one situations last season.

Jennings is actually a late bloomer to the gridiron, as he didn’t begin playing football until his freshman year of high school because he exceeded the size limit for youth football leagues. He instead turned his attention to basketball, where he played four years on varsity at Gaither.

His future, however, was found in football.

He developed into an All-State player and a three-star prospect, earning scholarship offers from Central Florida, Virginia, Marshall, Old Dominion and Toledo universities.

Nate Craig-Myers
College: Colorado State University, redshirt junior wide receiver (Auburn transfer)
High School: Tampa Catholic/Pasco High (Dade City native)

Dade City native Nate Craig-Myers (Courtesy of University of Colorado Athletics)

After transferring from Auburn early in the 2018 season, the Dade City native and former blue chip prospect put together his most productive college season, becoming Colorado State’s fourth-leading receiver in 2019, hauling in 23 receptions for 329 yards and a touchdown, in nine games.

Before his transfer, Craig-Myers seemed like a star-in-the-making for the powerhouse SEC (Southeastern Conference) Alabama-based school.

He posted 16 catches for 285 yards and three touchdowns for Auburn’s 2017 squad that went 10-4 and reached the SEC Championship.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound athlete was expected to break out for Auburn in 2018, but a lack of targets in the early going led him to seek opportunities elsewhere. His half-brother and former Pasco High standout, Jayvaughn Myers, also left the team around the same time.

Craig-Myers wasted no time making an impact with Colorado State this past year, making five catches for 88 yards in his first game against Toledo on Sept. 21. He followed that up with strong showings in his next two games against Utah State (three catches, 97 yards) and San Diego State (four catches, 68 yards, touchdown), respectively.

In the prep ranks, Craig-Myers spent two seasons with Pasco High before finishing his career at Tampa Catholic High. He was one of the nation’s most touted football recruits, a consensus four-star prospect with more than 40 scholarship offers, including from the likes of Ohio State, Florida and Florida State universities, among others.

Other notables

  • University of Miami redshirt senior defensive end Scott Patchan (IMG Academy/Freedom High) finished with a career-high 33 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, in 13 games and six starts.
  • Florida State University junior tight end Tre’ McKitty (IMG Academy/Wesley Chapel High) collected 23 receptions for 241 yards, in 11 games.
  • Samford University redshirt sophomore tailback Antwione Sims (Zephyrhills High) racked up 108 all-purpose yards, in 11 games.
  • Florida State University redshirt sophomore DeCalon Brooks (Gaither High) tallied 15 tackles, in 11 games.
  • Florida State University freshman defensive back Isaiah Bolden (Wesley Chapel High/Jacksonville Bartram Trail) collected eight tackles, two pass breakups and an interception, in 12 games.
  • Morehouse College freshman defensive back Cartrell Strong (Zephyrhills High) registered 15 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception, in eight games.
  • University of Cincinnati freshman safety Ja’quan Sheppard (Zephyrhills High) had five tackles, in four games.

Cypress Creek girls soccer finds success in year two

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They went from one of Pasco’s worst, to one of the firsts.

That’s one way to describe the turnaround the Cypress Creek varsity girls’ soccer team experienced this season.

After winning just three games in its inaugural campaign during the 2017-18 season, the Coyotes this year emerged as one of the county’s top programs.

They finished the season with an 11-4 mark — quite the contrast to last year’s 3-13 finish.

It included wins against such rival schools as Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch, each of whom have fielded top-flight squads over the years.

The Cypress Creek varsity girls soccer team recently won the first conference championship among all sports in school history. (Courtesy of Jennifer Richardson)

In fact, the Coyotes went undefeated against all of its Pasco opponents.

The team’s only defeats came against private schools: Berkeley Prep, Clearwater Central Catholic, Academy of the Holy Names, and a season-ending 1-0 loss in the District 9-2A quarterfinals to Tampa Catholic.

The Coyotes biggest accomplishment, however, was winning the Sunshine Athletic Conference East championship.

It marked the first conference championship for any boys’ or girls’ sport for the second-year Wesley Chapel-based school.

They claimed the title after securing late-season conference wins against Pasco (5-0) and Wiregrass Ranch (2-1), respectively.

“It’s super exciting,” Coyotes second-year head coach Jennifer Richardson said of the conference crown. “It’s a great accomplishment for the team, for the school. The girls were very excited and they knew what was on the line in the last game, and they came and they played hard.”

Said senior sweeper Katelyn Leavines: “It makes me proud that I know I can end my senior year like this, and, like helping the school bring its first conference championship in history…makes me really happy.

She added, “Going from winning three games last year to now being conference champs, it just shows like the dedication that we all have and the hard work that we put in to make it happen.”

So, how exactly did Cypress Creek secure a winning season so quickly?

An influx of talented newcomers — including a group of eight freshman — bolstered a roster that previously lacked much soccer experience.

“Last year we didn’t have as many players that were soccer players. We had people that came out to the team that had never played soccer before, so this year, more people came out to play that had played soccer previously,” Richardson explained.

The most significant addition perhaps was junior goalkeeper Alina Vizza. She joined the team after not playing last year.

Vizza’s contributions can be summed up in the team’s goals allowed per game.

This year the team surrendered less than two goals per game, with three shutouts.

Compare that to last season, when the Coyotes gave up an average of 5.5 goals per game.

“She made a huge difference in our game,” Richardson said. “She’s tall. She knows how to move in the right spot and cut the angles. She wants to win.”

Freshman striker Emily Dominguez was another key addition. She finished the season as one of the team’s top scorers with nine goals.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes returned some experienced playmakers in juniors Raegan Bourne (who led the team in with 12 goals and five assists) and Sophia Mitchell (nine goals).

The new-look squad brought a hard-nosed approach to each game.

“We’re physical players,” Richardson said. “We’re tough, physical players. Our midfield is strong, physical.”

An upbeat mindset and newfound confidence also helped throughout the season’s course, players said.

Leavines put it this way: “Every week we always kept it positive no matter who we were playing, and, we never had an attitude of, ‘Oh, this team’s going to beat us’ or like, ‘Oh. they’re better than us.’ We just kept it positive and knew that we had a chance every single time, and, to just play our hardest.”

Added Dominguez: “It was like after our fifth game, and we kept winning, and all we could think about was winning. so we practiced hard…and it like improved us.”

Losing just three seniors and all but one starter expected to return next season, Cypress Creek figures to be more than just a one-year wonder.

“The majority of our starting team will be back next year, which is good,” Richardson said, “and I know that there’s middle school girls that know how to play that are coming up, so it’s exciting to know for the future that we’re still going to have players for next year, and we’re going to be a contender again.

“I think we shocked a lot of people, because last year we had three wins.”

2018-2019 Cypress Creek girls varsity soccer roster

  • Head coach: Jennifer Richardson
  • Abby Murphy, junior, midfielder
  • Alina Vizza, junior, goalkeeper
  • Anna Margetis, junior, defender
  • Briana Rivera, freshman, midfielder
  • Brianna Sharpe, freshman, midfielder
  • Emily Dominguez, freshman, striker
  • Hailey Canady, freshman, goalkeeper/striker
  • Katelyn Leavines, senior, sweeper
  • Raegan Bourne, junior, forward
  • Riley Copeland, junior, defender
  • Rylee Crawford, freshman, defender
  • Rylie Showalter, freshman, defender
  • Sierra Rivera, senior, midfielder
  • Sofia Ibata, freshman, midfielder
  • Sophia Mitchell, junior, midfielder
  • Tiffany Pike, senior, goalkeeper/defender
  • Ximena Garcia, freshman, midfielder

Game-by-game results for 2018-2019 season
Nov. 12: Gulf (8-1 win)

Nov. 14: Wesley Chapel (3-2 win)

Nov. 15: at Brooke DeBartolo Collegiate (5-0 win)

Nov. 26: Sunlake (3-1 win)

Nov. 27: Berkeley Prep (3-0 loss)

Nov. 29: Tampa Prep (2-1 win)

Dec. 4: Clearwater Central Catholic (4-1 loss)

Dec. 7: at Land O’ Lakes (3-2 win)

Dec. 11: at Fivay (4-2 win)

Dec. 13: at Academy of the Holy Names (8-0 loss)

Jan. 9: at Tampa Prep (1-0 win)

Jan. 11: Tampa Catholic (4-1 win)

Jan: 18: Pasco (5-0 win)

Jan. 22: Wiregrass Ranch (2-1 win)

Jan. 25: District 9-2A quarterfinals Tampa Catholic (1 – 0 loss)

Published January 30, 2019

McGough, other local athletes get NFL shots

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The 2018 NFL Draft has come and gone, and one athlete from The Laker/Lutz News Coverage area had the privilege of hearing his name called during the three-day event from April 26 to April 28 — Gaither High School product Alex McGough.

McGough was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round (220th overall) as a quarterback out of Florida International University.

Florida International University/Gaither High quarterback Alex McGough was selected in the seventh round (220th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft. (File)

A four-year starter, the 6-foot-3, 214-pound McGough cemented his legacy as FIU’s most decorated passer, completing 807-1335 passes (60.4 percent completion rate) for 9,091 yards, 65 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He also rushed for 535 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Last season, he guided FIU to an 8-5 record — the program’s third-ever winning season and first since 2011 — a mark achieved in Butch Davis’ first season as FIU head coach.

“I couldn’t be happier for Alex,” Davis said, in a released statement on McGough’s draft selection. “His passion, leadership and performance last year was incredible. He played a huge role in our team’s success, and he has absolutely earned this opportunity to play in the NFL.”

In a post-draft media conference call, McGough said he’s “beyond grateful” to get chosen by the Seahawks, adding he’s “ready to get to work.”

Said McGough, “I wanted to come into the draft just kind of open-minded, and obviously, whatever happened, happened…The only thing I could control was the work I put in. I’m very happy with what I put in, and Seattle saw that and they took me.”

Though he didn’t earn an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in March, many NFL draft analysts viewed McGough as a late-round sleeper, spotlighting his physical tools, poise, and red zone accuracy, while also spotlighting his limitations.

An ESPN.com draft analysis characterized McGough as “a good athlete with a good frame, though his hands (9 1/8 inches) are on the smaller side. His 30:19 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the past two seasons isn’t ideal.”

Seattle brought McGough in for a private workout a few weeks prior to last month’s draft. During his visit McGough said he developed a connection with quarterbacks’ coach Dave Canales and came away overall impressed with the organization.

“It’s an organization full of great people, and they want to win bad,” McGough said.

McGough was one of 13 quarterback prospects taken in this year’s draft and the

first by the Seahawks since Russell Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2012 draft.

Besides Wilson, Seattle’s starting quarterback and a four-time Pro Bowler, the roster includes two other quarterbacks — seven-year veteran Austin Davis and second-year player Stephen Morris.

McGough likely will have to beat out one of those backups in training camp and preseason to solidity a roster spot.

“I’m a competitor that wants to win and I’ll do everything to win,” McGough said. “I just want to play football and succeed.”

Though he’s facing a relative uphill battle, McGough is no stranger to perseverance, nor proving doubters wrong.

He most recently underwent a full recovery from a broken left collarbone he suffered in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl in December.

And, despite a noteworthy high school career — amassing more than 5,100 career passing yards and 52 touchdown passes in four varsity seasons — McGough was rather under-looked. He earned just two football scholarship offers (FIU and Colgate University, in upstate New York). He went on to achieve instant success at FIU, setting numerous school passing records and then becoming the program’s eighth player to be drafted in its 14-year football history.

Meanwhile, McGough joins rare company as just the fifth player from a Hillsborough County high school to be drafted as a quarterback in the last 50 years. The others are Robinson’s John Reaves (1972), Leto’s Gary Huff (’73), Chamberlain’s Dean May (’84) and Plant’s Aaron Murray (2014). (McGough transferred from Wesley Chapel High School to Gaither following his freshman year.)

Besides McGough, a handful of other athletes with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have been given shots with various NFL teams, signing as either priority undrafted free agents or invited tryout players.

Each will have an opportunity to stick with their respective teams at rookie mini-camps, which run from May 11 through May 14.

Here’s a closer look at the others:

Janarion Grant, receiver — Baltimore Ravens (mini-camp tryout invitation)
College: Rutgers University (Piscataway, New Jersey)
High School: Pasco High School; graduated in 2013

(File)

When healthy, the 5-foot-9, 177-pound receiver was one of the most electrifying offensive playmakers in college football, chiefly in the return game. But, Grant struggled to stay on the field of late, playing in a combined 11 games the last two seasons, dealing with an ankle injury and other nagging ailments. Despite limited action in 2016 and 2017, Grant

became Rutgers’ all-time kickoff return-yardage leader (2,857 yards) and tied for the NCAA record for combined kick return touchdowns (eight). That skill on special teams perhaps gives him a leg up on other tryout players the Ravens signed.

Before college, Grant left a lasting legacy at Pasco High School, where he was a four-year starter and still holds the county record for most career touchdowns (77) by a skill player. He was also a two-time All-State selection.

Also notable, Grant is the grandnephew of Lacoochee native Jim “Mudcat” Grant, a 14-year MLB veteran and two-time All-Star, who, in 1965 became the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League and the first black pitcher to win a World Series game for the American League.

Trey Johnson, defensive back—Pittsburgh Steelers (priority undrafted free agent)
College: Villanova University (Villanova, Pennsylvania)
High School: Steinbrenner High School; graduated in 2013

(Courtesy of Villanova University Athletics)

A standout defensive back at a small school in the FCS ranks — 45 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 13 pass break-ups in 2017 — Johnson further landed on NFL scouts’ radars after showcasing elite athleticism at Villanova’s Pro Day in late March. At the sanctioned workout, the 5-foot-11, 177-pound Johnson touched 36 inches in the vertical jump, reached 10-foot-8 in the broad jump and posted a sizzling 4.37-second 40-yard dash.

Johnson becomes the first Steinbrenner High graduate to sign an NFL contract. There, Johnson earned four varsity letters in football, as well as three in basketball and two in track. He was also inducted into the National Honor Society.

Jacob Pugh, linebacker — Seattle Seahawks (priority undrafted free agent)
College: Florida State University
Schools: Godby High School (Tallahassee); Jefferson County High School (Monticello, Florida); Pasco Middle School (Dade City native)

(Courtesy of Florida State University Athletics)

A decorated high school player and highly-touted blue chip prospect who won state championships at two different north Florida programs, the Dade City native never seemed to fully blossom at Florida State, where he posted a combined 108 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two interceptions across four seasons.

Solid numbers, sure, but a bit anticlimactic considering Pugh was named an Under Armour High School All-American and widely viewed as one of the nation’s top five linebacker prospects in the 2014 recruiting class.

Blessed with length, agility and athleticism in a sturdy 6-foot-4, 246-pound frame, Pugh has moldable traits to stick on an NFL roster.

Pugh attended Pasco Middle School before his family moved to the Panhandle, where he began, and ended, his prep career.

His ties to east Pasco run deep. His uncles, Darren and Troy Hambrick, led Pasco High to the county’s only state championship (1992) before spending five years each in the NFL. He’s also related to Pasco High alums Janarion Grant (Rutgers) and Josh Johnson, a former NFL who now plays in the Canadian Football League. Pugh is also cousins with fellow Auburn wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers, a Dade City native who attended Tampa Catholic, where he was one of the most prized football recruits to come out of the Tampa Bay area in years.

Shaheed Salmon, linebacker—Tampa Bay Buccaneers (mini-camp tryout invitation)
College: Samford University (Homewood, Alabama)
High School: Land O’ Lakes High School; graduated in 2014

(File)

The 6-foot-2, 232-pound outside linebacker solidified himself as one of the most dominant tacklers in the FCS ranks the last two seasons, racking up a combined 202 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks in 2016 and 2017. Though an undrafted player from a lower-level division of college football, a path to the NFL isn’t out of the question for Salmon, as more than 150 FCS players made NFL active rosters in 2017.

At Land O’ Lakes, Salmon was a four-year starter and an All-State selection as a senior. He also competed in basketball and track.

Published May 9, 2018

Carrollwood soccer beefs up talent, schedule

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Jim Harte has seen a massive turnaround of Carrollwood Day School’s boys soccer program since he became head coach four seasons ago.

The Patriots varsity soccer program was just four years old when Harte arrived, and the team had been struggling mightily.

The team was winless in its first three seasons and had just won five games the year before Harte arrived.

Carrollwood boys varsity head coach Jim Harte (left) pictured with the team’s trainer, Dudu. (Courtesy of Denise Pironti)
Carrollwood boys varsity head coach Jim Harte (left) pictured with the team’s trainer, Dudu.
(Courtesy of Denise Pironti)

Under Harte’s tutelage, Carrollwood has amassed an impressive 55-24-14 mark in four seasons.

Harte left a cushy gig at Clearwater Central Catholic—winning six state titles in 25 years—to help lead the turnaround of Carrollwood boys soccer.

Harte relished the challenge, but also saw the program’s long-term potential.

“I thought, ‘Why not give it a shot? Why not take this blank canvas and see what we can do with it?’ I felt very confident the people coming up into the program were going to make it special,” he said.

Via his annual Marauder Soccer Camp—the longest running soccer camp in the Tampa Bay area, Harte was able to witness Carrollwood’s up-and-coming talent firsthand.

“A lot of CDS (Carrollwood Day School) kids came to my camp as second- and third-graders, and they were good players,” Harte, 59, said. “There was percolating talent in the school that just needed to be harnessed.”

To help steer Carrollwood soccer in a positive direction, Harte enlisted the help of several assistants, including a former Brazilian professional soccer player by the name of Dudu.

“Dudu played in Brazil with some of the greatest soccer players ever. He came up in the time that Pele was coming up,” Harte said. “He’s forgotten more soccer than all of us will ever know.”

The Carrollwood boys soccer program has thrived under the leadership of Coach Jim Harte. Since taking over four seasons ago, the Patriots have a combined 55-24-14 record. In building the program, Harte has focused on scheduling tough nonconference competition.
The Carrollwood boys soccer program has thrived under the leadership of Coach Jim Harte. Since taking over four seasons ago, the Patriots have a combined 55-24-14 record. In building the program, Harte has focused on scheduling tough nonconference competition.

The Patriots finished the 2015-2016 season with a 15-8-2 record, but were 9-0 in conference play. Despite injuries to key seniors and a young roster that underwent growing pains, Harte said the season was “one of the most rewarding in my coaching career.”

While the team lost eight games — the most in a single year at the school since Harte became head coach — it’s because the team took on a substantially more difficult nonconference schedule compared to previous years, he said.

In an effort to “get better,” Harte scheduled games against the likes of Mitchell High, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, Tampa Catholic and Tampa Prep.

“We proactively chose to give ourselves a harder schedule this past year. We picked some big fights,” Harte explained.

“If we had played the kind of schedule we’ve been playing in the past, we would probably be undefeated.”

Next year, Harte plans to follow a similar blueprint of scheduling tough nonconference games—hoping for matchups with Steinbrenner High and Palm Harbor University High.

In taking on such large public schools, Harte is trying to develop a team mindset of “picking on the bully.”

The tougher schedule could yield a couple of additional losses, but that doesn’t trouble Harte.

“Your record is a lot about how you schedule,” the Patriots coach explained. “You can schedule yourself a really good record, or you can schedule yourself an average record.

“We’ll be 1,000-to-1 underdogs in (those) games, but you never know until you play the game,” he said.

With a bevy of talented young players on the rise— the starting lineup included an eighth-grade goalkeeper, three freshmen, five sophomores and one junior — Carrollwood soccer figures to be a mainstay in the area for years to come.

Published February 17, 2016

New Wesley Chapel football coach settling in

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It’s been a while since the Wesley Chapel High School football team has celebrated a winning season—since 2011 to be exact.

Anthony Egan, the new head coach, hopes to change that.

Egan coached both the offensive and defensive line at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey for the past three seasons. He was named the Wildcats’ head coach in early January.

He officially begins working for Wesley Chapel High on Feb. 1 as an autism spectrum disorder specialist.

Anthony Egan was recently named the new head football coach at Wesley Chapel High School. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant offensive/defensive line coach at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey. (Courtesy of Anthony Egan)
Anthony Egan was recently named the new head football coach at Wesley Chapel High School. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant offensive/defensive line coach at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey.
(Courtesy of Anthony Egan)

His first few weeks as Wesley Chapel’s head football coach have been a bit of a challenge logistically, as he’s had to drive from River Ridge to Wesley Chapel to orchestrate the football team’s offseason workouts and conditioning sessions.

Egan replaces Tico Hernandez, who stepped down after three tough seasons at Wesley Chapel, where he finished with a combined record of 4-26.

Despite the football program’s struggles over the past few seasons, Egan is confident he can improve the record, noting the program’s foundation and culture have already been instilled by the previous coaching staff.

“I’ve been checking out some of the talent we have, and I’m pretty excited about the quarterback, some returning running backs, and (we) even have a really good returning running back/linebacker, so I’m excited about coaching the kids that are coming back,” Egan said. “I’ve met the kids, and the kids seem to be excellent kids. …The (coaches) in the past have instilled that character in the kids.”

Quarterback Jacob Thomas, who’ll be a senior next season, is expected to be the centerpiece of the offense after throwing for more than 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015.

“That quarterback, J.T., is pretty good, so definitely I’m going to try to give him opportunities,” Egan stated. “If that means running a little bit of the spread (offense), that’s fine, but I definitely want to give him his due opportunities because he was a very good quarterback for (Wesley Chapel) last year.”

While Egan plans to implement some principles of the spread offense to accommodate the skillset of Thomas, he also plans to put his own stamp on the team’s offensive philosophy, with the hope of giving them a better chance to win more regular season games.

“They struggled at times last year when they tried to spread it out and run that type of offense, and I think they’d be a lot closer in some of those games, and maybe have a chance to win some of them at the end, if they’d kept it closer with a little bit more ball control,” said Egan, who’s a former high school offensive lineman. “Maybe by taking a different approach and what I’m going to try to do with the (team), we can try to get the wins up and the losses down.”

Despite a lackluster record in 2015, the Wildcats had opportunities for more wins —losing three games by a margin of 7 points or less, and another by just 12 points.

Besides a different offensive philosophy from the previous coaching staff, Egan will also implement a pressure-oriented, 4-3 defense on the other side of the ball.

“It’s an aggressive, run-stopping defense with a lot of blitzing,” Egan explained. “It’s kind of a newer defense, and I don’t know if a whole lot of people know about it.”

As he transitions to his new post, Egan is also in the process of filling out his coaching staff at Wesley Chapel. He retained both Leon Haynes and JV coach Kudura Douglas from Hernandez’s staff, but is looking to add two, or possibly, three more assistants.

Egan joins a solid list of River Ridge alums who’ve gone on to become high school head football coaches at some point in their careers. The others include Mike Gregory (Tampa Catholic), Ryan Benjamin (River Ridge), Andy Schmitz (Mitchell High School), Brian Wachtel (Land O’Lakes High School) and Justin Fenton (Hudson High School).

Published January 27, 2016

Imani Thomas scores 1,000 points

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When it comes to scoring points, Academy at the Lakes’ Imani Thomas is in rare company.

The Wildcats’ junior post player became the fifth player in school history to surpass the career 1,000-point mark when she scored 17 points in a 79-45 victory over Cornerstone Orlando on Dec. 2.

“It was great,” said Thomas who is coached by Karim Nohra.

“When I got to 1,000 points, coach called a timeout and my (teammates) all gave me a hug and congratulated me.”

Coach Nohra put the achievement in perspective.

Imani Thomas goes up for close-range shot during a recent contest. The junior center is averaging a double-double in points and rebounds this season. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)
Imani Thomas goes up for close-range shot during a recent contest. The junior center is averaging a double-double in points and rebounds this season.
(Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

“It’s a huge accomplishment because not everybody gets to a landmark like 1,000 (points),” said Nohra, who’s in his sixth year coaching the Wildcats. “She actually did it early in her junior year, which is even more impressive.”

Standing at 5-foot-10, Thomas plays with a bruising mentality, utilizing her strength to gain position in the post and get easy baskets, even against taller opponents.

“She goes up against 6-footers and has no problem because she uses her size and abilities to her advantage,” Coach Nohra said. “She has good feet and she jumps pretty well for her size. When she comes to play it’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness, she’s tough to stop.’ ”

In addition to averaging 13.2 points per game, Thomas is able to leverage her size and leaping ability to average 13 rebounds per game.

Since her freshman year, Thomas has continually refined her game by improving her post up moves and shooting ability, while learning to efficiently dribble with her left hand.

“As a freshman, I was still learning and trying to develop my skills,” said Thomas, who’s been playing basketball since the sixth grade. “Now, I’m putting up more shots, rebounding more and taking the ball to the basket harder than I was my freshman year.”

Coach Nohra added that Thomas, who has an offer to play college basketball at Flagler College in St. Augustine, has a better understanding of the game, and also has more control over her emotions compared to when she was younger.

“I think she’s grown as a player in that a lot of things used to upset her and now, they don’t upset her as much,” he said. “Before, as a freshman, I had to sometimes yank her out of the game to calm her down because she’d be like, ‘I got fouled, Why didn’t (the referees) call a foul on me?’ ”

As she’s matured, Thomas has used the lack of foul calls as a motivating factor to play tougher defense and make plays at opposite end of the floor.

“I’m a lot bigger than my other teammates and I know I’m not going to get the foul,” Thomas stated. “It’s frustrating, but I know when I get back on defense I’m going to get a stop and I’m going to come back down (the floor) and score.”

Coach Nohra believes Thomas doesn’t get more foul calls because the general consensus from refs and officials is that “she can take a beating” because of her unique combination of size and strength.

“She’s got people draped over her and when you hit her, she doesn’t flinch,” he said. “She absorbs those hits. That’s how strong she is.”

With just a few games left in the regular season before district play, Coach Nohra is hoping to lead the Wildcats to the Class 2A girls basketball state championships for a fifth consecutive year.

“It’s something that no team in the area can say,” Nohra remarked about reaching the state finals the past four years. “Our overall goal is always to win the district, be one of the best teams in the area and get to Lakeland for the state championships. … We have a great shot to get there.”

Nohra, who’s been coaching for 23 years — with stops along the way at Tampa Catholic, Cambridge Christian and Wesley Chapel high schools — subscribes to a philosophy that focuses on playing up-tempo, utilizing defensive pressure systems and scoring baskets quickly in transition.

He refers to his coaching methods as “choreographed chaos.”

“If you looked at our team, you’d say, ‘What in the heck are they doing? That’s not what normally happens,’” said Nohra, who’s amassed over 500 career wins. “We do not follow standard basketball protocol…like a point guard must dribble down the middle of the court or when you line up for a free throw, you have two people from your team on the line.

“I think our success lies in the fact that we do things so differently than other teams do.”

From a player’s perspective, Thomas said many of Coach Nohra’s drills seem peculiar in practice, but end up benefitting the team in live-game situations.

“Every practice we go through drills and sometimes I’m thinking like, ‘What is he doing? These drills are not made for me. This is not going to work,’ ” Thomas said. “And then, when he explains it we go into a game and we do it and he says, ‘This is the drill I told you to do. This is the drill we’ve been working on…they’ll work for you.’”

With the likelihood of playing several more games in the postseason, Thomas and her fellow teammates are focused on sending the roster’s two seniors, Janise Cassanello and Luz Santiago, out on a high note.

Thomas believes this year’s team has the formula to do just that.

“We connect outside of basketball and inside of basketball,” Thomas said. “We connect with each other and that’s what a team is. If you connect, you’ll play well on the court.”

Published January 13, 2016

LOL girls soccer works hard, aims high and consistently wins

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When a team lets the opponent score 11 goals in soccer, it sounds like the defense is struggling.

But, when those goals occur over a 17-game span, it sounds like a championship defense.

The Land O’ Lakes Gators girls soccer team is seeking a championship, and the defending Class 3A-8 champions are off to a 15-2 start.

Earlier this year, the Gators closed out its previous season in a 2-1 loss in the title game against American Heritage from Plantation.

While some teams might stumble a bit after that kind of loss, Land O’ Lakes has raced to a strong start. Aside from a 3-0 loss to Academy of the Holy Names on Dec. 1 and a 2-3 loss to Mitchell High on Dec. 14, only a handful of their games have been particularly close. And, they have won several of their games by sizable margins.

Coach Vicky King doesn’t see any secret formula to the Gators’ success.

“We work hard. We do have a good bit of talent. They have high expectations,” she said. “We work for everything we get. We know that nothing is given to us.”

That work includes a preseason conditioning program, which ensures that the athletes are in good shape when the first whistle sounds. Many of them also play club soccer, which helps, King said.

Many of them also play on different club teams, which the coach sees as an advantage. The players come together after being exposed to a variety of philosophies and styles of play, and when they play for their high school team, they execute at a high level on the field.

Even bumps in the road can have positive benefits. The loss to the Academy (who was also undefeated) was a lesson that they still have areas that need improvement.

“It was a good game. It was very challenging for us and shows what we need to work on,” King said. “It makes us refocus. If we want to reach our goals and succeed, then we know we have work to do.”

“Work” is a common theme with King. It has built a strong program over her 29 years as the team’s soccer coach, and it’s something she discusses with her players regardless of their opponent or their record at the time. By maintaining that focus, it builds a level of expectation that freshmen and sophomores recognize immediately, and work to meet or exceed from the very beginning.

It also helps maintain impressive records from year to year. Including the two losses this year, the team has lost only six games since the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

With that much success, some coaches might see a return to the state championship game as a likely event, or at least one that has a good chance of happening. But, King lives by the “one game at a time” mentality she preaches to the athletes. Like her players, she takes nothing for granted and only allows that continued success is a possibility if they remain focused and work hard.

“A lot of things can happen. They’re teenagers. Injuries, illness — the cards have to fall just right,” she said.

Those cards tend to fall into place for Land O’ Lakes, but it doesn’t happen with animated yelling or aggressive coaching on game days. The real work is done in practice, King said. If a team is prepared and focused, that should show up on the field. And, with all the players understanding what’s expected of them, most of the pieces are already in place when they step onto the field.

At that point, it’s up to them to execute. With all her success (the team won a state title in 2003) King said it’s ultimately their team, and they understand what it takes to continue the winning legacy of Land O’ Lakes girls soccer.

“I coach the team, but the team belongs to the players,” she said. “It’s their team. They know what our expectations are as far as performance on the field, performance in the classroom and performance in the community.”

The team has two remaining games on its schedule. It plays Pasco High on Jan. 6 at 7:45 p.m., and it plays Tampa Catholic on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

Published December 30, 2015