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Tom Fisher

Top 2019 sports moments

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Teams captured state titles and local athletes turned in outstanding performances, during a year that brought shining moments and countless lasting memories.

Here is a look at some of the top moments in sports, from across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

Longtime Zephyrhills High boys hoops coach Alan Reed (File)

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

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.

The 71-year-old 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.

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

He remains a volunteer coach at the school, to this day.

Sunlake varsity girls weightlifting won its first state title in February. (File)

Sunlake girls weightlifting wins state title
The Sunlake High varsity girls weightlifting program, under longtime coach Denise Garcia, perennially has been among the more dominant programs in the area, wielding multiple conference and district titles over the years. And, the Seahawks took the next step forward in February, winning the 2019 FHSAA Class 2A girls weightlifting state championship, in Panama City Beach. The title marked the end of the sport’s longest-active streak of consecutive team championships held by Navarre High, who won four straight from 2015 through 2018.

The feat marked Sunlake’s second state championship among all boys or girls sports — the school’s competitive cheerleading team won a state title back in 2014.

Academy at the Lakes softball repeats at states
A year after claiming the school’s first-ever FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic) state championship, the Academy at the Lakes Wildcats did it again in May. Behind the arm and bat of two-time Gatorade Florida State Softball Player of the Year Lexi Kilfoyl, the Wildcats mowed through the Class 2A state playoffs, outscoring opponents by a combined 35-0 — including an 11-0 shutout against Mount Dora Christian Academy in the state title game.

Women’s sports museum opens in Wesley Chapel
Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice is widely known as the largest hockey facility in the Southeastern United States and training ground of the gold-medal winning 2018 U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team.

In March, it became known for another meaningful reason — the home of the first virtual museum dedicated to women’s hockey trailblazers.

Called the Women’s Sports Herstory Museum, it is the brainchild of female hockey coaching legend Digit Murphy and her friend, Jeff Novotny, a Wesley Chapel resident.

Situated in a second-floor viewing room at Center Ice, the museum features interactive wall panel displays where visitors scan QR codes to view content online in the form of videos and in-depth stories.

Poster-sized displays highlight several of hockey’s female pioneers, including Katey Stone, Katie Guay and Amanda Pelkey. The room is also filled with various sports memorabilia and equipment, including a signed jersey and signed pictures of all 23 members of the U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team.

Zephyrhills tennis center breaks ground
Years of talks and planning to bring a state-of-the-art tennis center to Zephyrhills finally became a reality in July, when a groundbreaking ceremony officially marked the beginning of construction on the long-awaited Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness, at 6585 Simons Road, Zephyrhills.

Situated on more than 8 acres of land, the multimillion complex when complete will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, four padel courts, along with an adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor wellness center housing a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, café, kids’ area and more.

Slated to open in summer 2020, the facility is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district tennis champion, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Land O’ Lakes Little League baseball celebrated its first state title since the early 2000s. (File)

Land O’ Lakes Little League wins state crown
It is believed to have been more than 15 years since a Land O’ Lakes Little League baseball team won a state title — until this summer.

In July, the Land O’ Lakes all-star squad composed of 14- to 16-year-olds bested seven other teams all across the state at the 2019 Little League Baseball Senior League Florida State Championships, in Bradenton.

The roster was made up of players from Land O’ Lakes, Sunlake, and Cypress Creek high schools, who put aside local prep rivalries to come together as a group.

Before advancing to and winning states, the team moved through districts and sectional tournaments in Tampa, Land O’ Lakes and Plant City, respectively.

Playing in round robin, double elimination formats, Land O’ Lakes lost initial games in sectionals and states, forcing them to play from behind and win multiple games in same days to claim the respective tournaments.. They went 7-2 in all three tournaments combined, outscoring opponents by a 57-27 margin.

Wesley Chapel fishing enthusiast Keven Barber. (File)

Local fisherman featured on national television
Wesley Chapel’s Keven Barber got the fishing trip of a lifetime, when he was featured on the Union Sportsman’s Alliance “Brotherhood Outdoors” television series on the Sportsman Channel. Barber’s August saltwater fishing trip along the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana was shown to the masses on television in October.

Barber was selected for the show based on his combination of passion for the outdoors, union membership and involvement, volunteer efforts and more. When he’s not working or fishing, the father of four boys stays busy as a scout leader and director of tackle football for the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association.

Pasco High claimed victory over Zephyrhills High in this year’s 9-Mile War rivalry football game. (Courtesy of Pasco High Athletics)

Pasco High gets revenge in 9-Mile War
The year 2014 was the last time Pasco High had beaten Zephyrhills High in the annual 9-Mile War rivalry football game, in a 35-34 nail-biter.

Since then, the contests had been extremely one-sided in favor or Zephyrhills, who won the ensuing four games (2015-2018) by a combined 187-39 scoring margin.

But, in November, under first-year head coach Jason Stokes, Pasco finally unseated the Bulldogs – winning the November matchup by a decisive 27-9 mark. Even better for the Pirates, they did it on the Bulldogs home turf. The Pirates now lead the series 41-21, in a tradition that dates back to 1941.

Steinbrenner High boys’ cross-country (File)

Steinbrenner boys’ cross-country claim first state title
After finishing state runner-up the past two years, the Steinbrenner High boys’ cross-country program at last collected its first-ever state championship in the FHSAA Class 4A meet in Tallahassee in November.

The Warriors were paced by senior Josh King, who finished in sixth place overall, crossing the finish line in 15:52.32. The rest of the team’s top five runners were senior Blake Walker (19th, 16:05.88), senior Gabriel Lara (32nd, 16:19.79), junior Zachary Harrigan (45th, 16:26.18) and senior Rama Jonnalgadda (56th, 16:30.95). Steinbrenner’s 129 points in the meet were enough to edge out second-place team finisher Nease High (140)

Gaither, Steinbrenner football programs reach state semifinals
It was a banner year for the two Lutz area prep football programs, as both Steinbrenner and Gaither high schools reached the state semifinals in Classes 6A and 8A, respectively. Both programs were buoyed by top-flight senior quarterbacks— Haden Carlson for Steinbrenner, Tony Bartalo for Gaither — plus several other Division I prospects dotting their respective rosters. Moreover, both local programs went 12-2, marking the only 10-plus win seasons from teams in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Published January 01, 2020

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

Pasco High gets new football coach

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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.

Jason Stokes has been named Pasco High School’s football coach. (File)

Stokes, 43, replaces longtime Pasco coach Tom McHugh, who was relieved of his coaching duties following four consecutive losing seasons, including a 2-8 mark this past year.

Stokes most recently coached at Lake Region High School, in Polk County. The perennially struggling program went winless in his lone season there.

Stokes has achieved coaching success elsewhere, however.

In 2017, he served a season as offensive coordinator at Indian Rocks Christian High School, which went 9-3 and reached the 2A regional finals.

He’s best known for his time at Gaither, from 2011 to 2016 — steering that program to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons. (He later resigned in the middle of the 2016 season after reports surfaced about using ineligible players, which led to three games forfeited that year.)

Before that, Stokes was the head football coach at Bloomingdale (7-5 in 2008) and Middleton (10-10 combined record in 2009-10) high schools.

In taking over for McHugh, Stokes undoubtedly has big shoes to fill.

McHugh compiled an 86-50 mark in 12 seasons, winning six district titles (2007-12) and two regional titles (2008, 2011).

He is the county’s fifth winningest coach in public schools, behind John Benedetto (195 wins at Land O’ Lakes), Tom Fisher (124 wins at Zephyrhills), John Castelamare (103 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell) and Scott Schmitz (94 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell).

McHugh also coached a trio of Pasco players who would go on to the NFL— Josh Johnson, a former San Diego Charger and Jacksonville Jaguar cornerback who now plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League; Janarion Grant, a wide receiver currently on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad; and, Joey Ivie, a defensive tackle currently on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.

Yet, the Pirates have struggled in recent years under McHugh, going a combined 10-30 the past four years. Moreover, the program suffered four straight defeats to crosstown foe Zephyrhills High School in the annual 9-Mile War rivalry game, losing those games by an average margin of nearly 40 points.

Despite the difficulties of late, the Pirates do have a young roster stocked with promising players.

That includes linebacker Gabriel Barnes, tailback Malcolm Gibbs, receiver Darrion Robinson and lineman Savion Spaights, who will all be juniors next season, as well as rising seniors in quarterback Desmin Green, defensive back Jordan Mclaughlin and offensive/defensive tackle Cody Rand, among others.

New Sunlake football coach Trey Burdick, left, pictured with former Sunlake all-star linebacker Adam Jarvis. (Courtesy of Trey Burdick)

Meanwhile, Pasco isn’t the only local school to undergo a coaching change this offseason.

In early December, Sunlake High School named assistant Trey Burdick as its next head coach, to replace the now-retired Bill Browning, the only head varsity football coach in the school’s history.

Burdick, 36, has been an assistant at Sunlake since 2008, where he’s coached linebackers, tight ends, special teams, and served as the team’s recruiting coordinator; he’s also been the school’s head track coach for six years, a role he’ll continue as head football coach.

Prior to Sunlake, Burdick was an assistant for two years at Tallahassee Godby High School, working under Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Famer Shelton Crews. He also played football for Tallahassee Lincoln High School, where he was a member of the 1999 6A state championship team.

Sunlake is coming off back-to-back 4-6 marks. Before that, from 2010 to 2016, the Seahawks strung together seven consecutive winning seasons and four playoff appearances.

Published January 16, 2019

Recalling some top moments in sports for 2017

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Coaches were celebrated, state titles acquired and local athletes turned in outstanding performances.

The past year brought countless moments and lasting memories in sports, from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, across to Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

Here’s a look back at some of the top sports happenings from 2017:

Florida Hospital Center Ice opens
Hockey and ice-skating enthusiasts rejoiced when the largest ice sports facility in the Southeastern United States finally opened its doors in Wesley Chapel.

Florida Hospital Center Ice has been a hit since it opened in January. The five-rink facility is on pace to draw 1.5 million visitors in its first year. (File)

The 150,500-square-foot Florida Hospital Center Ice, unveiled in January, took about 2 ½ years to complete.

The main attraction of the $22.5 million complex, of course, is its four full-size rinks (one Olympic, three National Hockey League) and one kid-size rink.

Previously, many Pasco and northern Hillsborough residents would trek to Brandon’s Ice Sports Forum to get their hockey and skating fix. Others may have used the Clearwater Ice Arena or the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar.

Besides serving local hockey players, skaters and curlers, the facility already has scored on Pasco’s sports tourism initiative by hosting a number of camps, collegiate competitions and other tournaments — drawing an estimated 1.5 million visitors in its first year.

It has also become the training home of the U.S. women’s national hockey team, as members prepare for the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Land O’ Lakes High wins state softball title
It had been nearly 25 years since a Pasco County school won a state softball title — until May 20.

On that day, Land O’ Lakes seized the Class 6A state softball championship, unseating powerhouse Plantation American Heritage 3-1, at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach.

Land O’ Lakes High School ended Pasco County’s state softball title drought, after defeating American Heritage 3-1 in the Class 6A state championships on May 20. The victory marked the first fastpitch title for the Gators, and first for a Pasco school since 1992

The achievement marked the first fastpitch title for Land O’Lakes and the first for a Pasco County program since Ridgewood High won in 1992.

What made the victory even sweeter for the Gators was downing the same team that eliminated them in the 2016 state semifinals.

They did it in comeback fashion, too.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Land O’ Lakes unearthed timely hits and capitalized on opposition mistakes to build the lead for good — against an American Heritage program that was making its fourth-straight championship game appearance and had previously won seven state titles.

The Gators ended the year with a 29-3 record.

And, the accolades didn’t stop there.

In July, Gators coaches were named the 2017 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) High School Coaching Staff of the Year, beating out staffs from other top-tier programs in California, New Jersey, Illinois and Kansas. The recognition went to Gators fourth-year head coach Mitch Wilkins and assistants Edwin Rodriguez, Janet Sciales and Vinny Guarracino.

Paralympic athletes excel at nationals
It was another banner year for Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay.

The team in July won its second straight Small Team Division at the National Junior Disability Championships in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Three athletes — Eric Lowry, 17, of Land O’ Lakes; Danielle Kanas, 12, of Lutz; and 16-year-old Logan Krepop of Parrish — earned a combined thirty-three medals and set nine national records. In total, they collected 18 gold, 11 silver and four bronze medals.

Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay this July won its second straight Small Team Division at the National Junior Disability Championships in Middleton, Wisconsin. Lutz resident Danielle Kanas, a single-arm amputee, earned 15 gold medals and set six national records this year.

Kanas — a single-arm amputee, missing her left arm below the elbow — herself collected 15 gold medals and set six national records this year.

That included a javelin throw of 19.66 meters, shattering the previous record for her age group by six meters.

After the season, Kanas earned Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay’s “Spirit of Excellence” award. The club’s highest honor, it recognizes courage, strength, determination and demonstration of a positive attitude as a role model.

Beyond athletics, Kanas is a “straight-A” student at Martinez Middle School, and member of the National Junior Honor Society, a Girl Scout, and patient ambassador at Shriner’s Hospital for Children-Tampa. She’s also a talented guitar player.

The others likewise have overcome various hardships to shine in athletics.

Lowry has spina bifida and competes from a wheelchair. It didn’t stop him from benching 190 pounds, earning a gold medal and setting an Adaptive Sports Junior national record.

And Krepop, who has cerebral palsy, earned a gold medal in the 400-meter run. His time of 1:33.14 set a new Adaptive Sports record for his age group.

Zephyrhills High honors winningest football coach
It was the perfect time for Zephyrhills High School to honor its winningest football coach.

The Bulldogs earned a district championship, won a playoff game, and finished the season with 10 wins.

That was all last done in 2002 — under former longtime coach Tom Fisher.

This year, the school’s Bulldog Stadium was formally renamed Tom Fisher Field at its Oct. 27 homecoming

During the school’s Oct. 27 homecoming, Zephyrhills High’s Bulldog Stadium was officially renamed Tom Fisher Field after its longtime coach of 21 years. Fisher retired in 2008 as the program’s winningest coach, with 124 career victories.

The dedication ceremony was attended by Fisher, and drew dozens of former players and coaches, as well as many of his family members and friends.

Fisher — regarded as a hard-nosed, no nonsense type who voraciously studied game films — retired in 2008 after 21 years as head coach.

In his tenure, Fisher won 124 games (most in program history) and led Bulldogs teams to eight playoff berths, four conference championships and three district titles; he also was a four-time conference coach of the year.

Moreover, the Zephyrhills football program had gone 47 years without a state playoff appearance until Fisher’s arrival, making it in his first season in 1989.

Another example of Fisher’s extensive impact: The Bulldogs’ past two head coaches, Nick Carroll and Reggie Roberts, both played for him over 20 years ago.

The most successful player under Fisher was defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, who played 14 years in the NFL, mostly for the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers. Pickett, a 1998 Zephyrhills graduate, started as a freshman at Ohio State, left after his junior season to play professionally and was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Though its been nearly a decade since the 65-year-old Fisher last roamed the sidelines, he still can be found in the stands at many Bulldogs home games.

Academy at the Lakes wins state football title
Following three straight losing football seasons, Academy at the Lakes football experienced a remarkable turnaround in 2017 — capped by its first eight-man state title on Dec. 9 with a 30-9 win over Jacksonville Old Plank Academy.

The Wildcats, under fourth-year head coach Shawn Brown, finished the season 11-1, with a 7-0 district mark.

Many of their wins came in dominating fashion, with an average scoring margin of nearly 34 points.

Academy at the Lakes football overcame three straight losing seasons to win its first eight-man state title on Dec. 9. They finished the season 11-1, after going a combined 9-20 the past three years.

It was quite the contrast from past years.

The team went 2-8 in 2016, after finishing 4-7 and 3-5 the prior two seasons.

This year’s success harkens back to its summer offseason program, which included weightlifting sessions three days a week, participating in Division I college camps, and competing in various seven-on-seven tournaments — sometimes facing 11-man schools from Classes 7A and 8A.

The Wildcats’ solid talent base didn’t hurt its gridiron performances, either.

Senior tailback/linebacker Daniel Gonzalez was the most productive two-way player in the eight-man ranks— rushing for 1,125 yards and 24 touchdowns on offense, and tallying 138 tackles and 7.5 sacks on defense.

Several others made significant impacts as well, including freshmen Jalen Brown and Jordan Oladokun, juniors Jamaal Johnson and Dylan Price, and senior Isaiah Smith, among others.

The football program’s last state title came in 2006, when Academy at the Lakes played in the six-man ranks.

Some other notable highlights from 2017:

  • Wesley Chapel High varsity softball has first winning season in program history
  • Cypress Creek High varsity football wins its inaugural game against Gulf High
  • Wesley Chapel hoops product Erik Thomas appears in NCAA Tournament
  • Academy at the Lakes athlete Alexis Kilfoyl makes 2017 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team
  • Land O’Lakes’ Jabari Ramsey becomes the first boys swimmer from Pasco County to win three-straight state titles in the same event (100 breaststroke).
  • Carrollwood Day School volleyball wins the Class 4A state title, to earn the school’s first state championship in any sport.

• Steinbrenner baseball alum Kevin Merrell is selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Published December 27, 2017

Zephyrhills High names ‘Tom Fisher Field’

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It’s been nearly a decade since Tom Fisher last roamed the sidelines, but his name won’t soon be forgotten at Zephyrhills High School.

The namesake of Zephyrhills High School’s football field, Tom Fisher, served as the high school’s football coach for some 20 years. Fisher was bestowed the honor at a dedication ceremony during the Friday night football game against Hudson. (Fred Bellet)

The school’s Oct. 27 homecoming festivities added greater significance, when Zephyrhills’ Bulldog Stadium was formally renamed “Tom Fisher Field.”

The dedication ceremony, held at midfield and attended by Fisher, drew dozens of former players and coaches, as well as the longtime coach’s family members and friends.

Thousands of Bulldogs faithful, were there, too — in a show of respect for Fisher, who retired after the 2008 season, following 21 years as head coach.

He is the football program’s winningest coach (124-86), leading Bulldogs teams to eight playoff berths, four conference championships and three district titles; he also was a four-time conference coach of the year.

Fisher, now 65, still attends several Zephyrhills games each year, sometimes wishing he was still donning a headset and calling plays.

“I miss it a lot,” Fisher said, “but, all these great kids that I’ve coached over the years, for them to come back, I really appreciate it.”

While receiving a round of applause for his years as coach of the Bulldogs’ football team, Tom Fisher, holding one of his grandchildren, McKenzi Moncrief, 3, of Zephyrhills, is surrounded by friends, family, former players turned coaches of the team and well-wishers.

Not one to wax poetic about his coaching career, Fisher said many of the 20 years “all blend together.”

“Working with the kids was great; football’s been my life,” he said.

As coach, Fisher influenced hundreds, if not thousands of lives.

Among them is current Bulldogs coach Nick Carroll, who has guided the program to two consecutive eight-win seasons — including Friday night’s 62-0 romp of Hudson High School.

Carroll was apart of Fisher’s 1996-1997 playoff team.

He has vivid memories of that season.

“We had a lot of success; won a lot of football games. For us to get the first playoff win for him, it was a special moment for him, and for us,” Carroll said.

Fisher’s coaching demeanor isn’t lost on Carroll, either.

“He was old-school, man,” Carroll said. “You didn’t mess with coach Fisher. If his lip ever curled, he was mad.”

“I didn’t cause him no trouble,” he added.

Former player, now head coach, Nick Carroll leads the Bulldogs this year.

Carroll noted several of his assistants, including B.J. Booker, Bryan Thomas and Troy Hochstetler, also played for Fisher at some point.

“They say great leaders develop great leaders, so there’s four of us right there that have come back and kind of stepped in his role, and made a chance to—not build it—but have success the first two years we came here to Zephyrhills.”

Reggie Roberts, who coached the Bulldogs from 2010 to 2015, was another former player—and team captain — of Fisher’s.

Roberts, now a captain with the Zephyrhills Police Department, recalls Fisher as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach.

“Those were the days when you didn’t have water breaks every 30 minutes — and we had to grind,” Roberts said. “Sometimes as we grow up, we always have people that mold us, and he was one of them, especially coming back here to coach, you bet that was the first phone call I made.”

Zephyrhills’ No. 6 Tyreese Wigfall jumps for joy and celebrates yet another touchdown with No. 7 Jaquan Sheppard during game action against Hudson. Zephyrhills beat the visiting Cobras.

But, Roberts also remembers Fisher for his acumen and attention to detail.

“You’re talking about somebody that studied game film—he was a student of the game,” Roberts said.

“I wish when I was coaching I could be half as good as he was watching video and actually coming up with a game plan. He was excellent at that. We may not have been as talented as a lot of people, but we played a lot better than a lot of people because we were prepared. That’s one thing I can say about him — he got us prepared.”

The Pasco County School Board approved the field renaming in June, after the idea was presented by Zephyrhills school officials.

Zephyrhills High School athletic director Bruce Cimorelli said it was about time Fisher received “a real good sendoff.”

“He deserves it quite a bit,” Cimorelli said.

“Tom did a great job. He took a mentoring to the kids. He was a great person to work for, so it’s something that’s well-deserved.”

Tom Fisher: By the numbers
124 wins (most in school history)
86 losses
Eight playoff appearances
Four conference championships (1989, 1995, 1997, 2002)
Four district titles (1995, 2002, 2006)
Four Conference Coach of the Year awards (1989, 1994, 1995, 1997)

Published November 1, 2017