The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Zepyrhills High School

Prep football midseason review

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With five weeks of high school football in the books, the midway point of the 2018 season has been reached.

Here’s a look at some of the storylines and highlights from schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

Boisterous Bulldogs
No Charles Harrison III? No problem. The Zephyrhills High Bulldogs have maintained their winning ways, even without the prolific and record-setting signal-caller, who graduated last season and now plays for Division III Brevard College in North Carolina.

The Zephyrhills High Bulldogs have successfully built off last season’s 10-2 campaign with a 4-0 start in 2018. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills High School)

The Bulldogs offense (29.3 points per game) isn’t quite as prolific as last season when Harrison III was under center (41 points per game), however, they’ve managed with a balanced attack through the air and ground.

Meanwhile, an extremely stingy defense (13 points allowed per game) has made life difficult for the opposition.

Zephyrhills could foreseeably run the table for the regular season, considering just one of its remaining foes has a winning record — Wesley Chapel High School, at 3-2 overall — and that’s a home game, where the Bulldogs are 13-2 since 2016.

Further, the Bulldogs arguably have the most talented squad in Pasco County, with bona fide Division I  FBS talent in receiver/defensive back Ja’quan Sheppard and running back/defensive back Cartrell Strong, among other future college prospects.

Also noteworthy: Bulldogs third-year head coach Nick Carroll is off to one of the best coaching starts in county history, with a remarkable 23-5 record since taking over for former coach Reggie Roberts in 2016. That includes 13 straight regular season wins dating back to last season.

Galvanized Gators
The hiring of Chad Walker, a first-time high school head football coach, is thus far paying off for the Land O’ Lakes High Gators.

The Land O’ Lakes High Gators are off to a 3-1 start under first-year head coach Chad Walker. (File)

At 3-1, the Gators are off to their best start since 2013, when the program last had a winning season and finished 8-2.

Whatever happens the remainder of 2018, this season will go down in lore for Land O’ Lakes.

That’s because the Gators broke an eight-game losing streak in the annual Butter Bowl rivalry game against Sunlake High, with a convincing 34-25 home win on Sept. 14. The historic win also coincided with the renaming of the press box at John Benedetto Stadium to the Mike Connor Family Press Box, after the longtime athletics booster and former Voice of the Gators.

Besides a road game against Mitchell High on Oct. 26, the Gators have a manageable slate and very well could complete what’s been a long time coming: a winning season. It also doesn’t hurt that the Gators have one of the county’s top offensive playmakers in senior tailback Kyle Leivas, who’s already tallied 613 rushing yards and six total touchdowns, including two straight 200-yard rushing performances against, respectively, Cypress Creek Middle High (224 yards on 25 carries) and Sunlake (223 yards on 19 carries).

Cool, confident Coyotes
After going winless in its first season as a program, victories are finally coming to the Cypress Creek Middle High Coyotes and second-year head coach Mike Johnson.

Cypress Creek captured the program’s first-ever win on Sept. 7, defeating Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High 42-22 on the road. (Courtesy of Cypress Creek Middle High School)

The upstart program already has two wins on the year, against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic and Pasco high schools.

Also, unlike last season, the Coyotes actually have a senior class.

Among the 12 seniors, the Coyotes have received significant contributions from tailback/safety Tim Ford-Brown, receiver/linebacker/punter Quinton Spears and receiver/safety/defensive end Devin Santana, among others.

Meantime, twin brothers Jehlani Warren, a junior quarterback, and Jalen Warren, a junior receiver, have made the Coyotes a fun watch, as they’ve hooked up for a bevy of big plays and touchdowns this season.

Going forward, expectations should remain modest for a program stepping into the ever-growing competitive area.

Yet, don’t be shocked if the Coyotes pull out another win or two before the end of the 2018 season.

Slow start, strong finish?
While Land O’ Lakes High is experiencing its best start in years, crosstown rival Sunlake High  is struggling with a 1-3 mark.

For the second straight year, Sunlake has opened with a 1-3 mark. (File)

Besides Land O’ Lakes, the Seahawks have faced stiff competition out of the gate, losing to Wiregrass Ranch High and to Zephyrhills High, in overtime.

The Seahawks did, however, open the season with a 25-0 road win over Wesley Chapel High — never an easy task.

The second half of the season shouldn’t be quite as daunting. However, it does include a string of three straight road games in October against Cypress Creek, Pasco and Brooksville Central high schools, respectively.

Interestingly, Sunlake also started off 1-3 last season, before rolling to a 4-6 finish — its first losing season since 2009.

Earl Garcia (File)

Major milestone
Former Gaither High/Boca Ciega High and current Hillsborough High head coach Earl Garcia is one win away from tying former Chamberlain High coach Billy Turner as the all-time winningest coach in Tampa Bay history (254).

Garcia, who coached at Gaither from 1987 to 1991, has a career record of 253-103, including nine 10-win seasons.

Garcia was recently inducted into Gaither’s inaugural football Hall of Fame, joining Greg Callahan, Denny Haywood, Kenny Huebner, Terry Jordan, Chad Muilenberg, Cesar Paz, James Puckett and Lydell Ross.

Garcia at Gaither
1987 — Gaither (7-4)
1988 — Gaither (6-4)
1989 — Gaither (4-6)
1990 — Gaither (3-7)
1991 — Gaither (5-5)

Stat Stuffers
—Tony Bartalo, Gaither High, junior quarterback: Most efficient quarterback in the always tough District 8-7A, completing 72.4 percent of his throws for 627 yards and seven touchdowns.

Land O’ Lakes High senior tailback Kyle Leivas (File)

—Desmin Green, Pasco High, junior quarterback: One of the county’s most effective quarterbacks, completing 56 percent of his passes for 602 yards, and nine touchdowns and four interceptions; also has 227 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns

—Kyle Leivas, Land O’ Lakes High, senior tailback: County’s second leading rusher with 613 yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries; in total has 977 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.

—Jalen Warren, Cypress Creek Middle High, junior receiver: County’s second leading receiver with 16 catches for 321 yards and five touchdowns.

Wiregrass Ranch High junior linebacker Dylan Ridolph (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)

—Logan Kilburn, Steinbrenner High, senior linebacker: Second in the state with 70 total tackles; also has four sacks and eight tackles for loss.

—Dylan Ridolph, Wiregrass Ranch High, junior linebacker: Tied for state lead with 14 sacks; also has 44 total tackles and 21 tackles for loss.

Schools in Laker/Lutz News Coverage Area (and their current 2018 records)

Hillsborough County:
Carrollwood Day School Patriots (Class 2A-Region 3): 3-1 overall, 1-1 district

Freedom High School Patriots (Class 7A-Region 8): 1-4 overall, district 0-2

Gaither High School Cowboys (Class 7A-Region 8): 3-2 overall, 1-1 district

Steinbrenner High School Warriors (Class 8A-Region 6): 1-4 overall, 0-2 district

Pasco County:
Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (eight-man Florida Christian Region 2): 2-0 overall, 2-0 district

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Hurricanes (Independent-Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC): 2-1, 2-0 district

Cypress Creek Middle High School Coyotes (Class 4A-Region 3): 2-3 overall, 0-0 district

Land O’ Lakes High School Gators (Class 6A-Region 6): 3-1 overall, 1-0 district

Pasco High School Pirates (Class 6A-Region 6): 2-2 overall, 0-0 district

Sunlake High School Seahawks (Class 6A-Region 6): 1-3 overall, 0-1 district

Wesley Chapel High School Wildcats (Class 5A-Region 8): 3-2 overall, 2-0 district

Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls (Class 7A-Region 8): 3-2 overall, 1-1 district

Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs (Class 5A-Region 8): 4-0 overall, 1-0 district

Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors (Class 2A-Region 2): 2-2 overall, 0-0 district

Published September 26, 2018

High school football kickoff week

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Jonesing for the return of high school football?

Here’s a look at all the Friday night matchups for teams in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. All Week 1 games are at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 24, unless otherwise noted.

Hillsborough County

St. Petersburg Catholic Barons at Carrollwood Day Patriots (7 p.m.) — Both teams come off losing seasons, but the Patriots feature a large senior class and one of the area’s top quarterbacks in senior Chris Butash.

Freedom Patriots at Steinbrenner Warriors — The Warriors have reigned supreme in this matchup the last three years (and hold the series lead 4-1). However, the Patriots will have arguably the best player on the field in senior receiver/safety Jeremiah Ashe, who boasts over a dozen Division I FBS scholarship offers.

Gaither Cowboys at Chamberlain Chiefs — The Cowboys’ strong running attack (262.5 yards per game in 2017) will be imperative to keep the Chiefs offense and senior quarterback Tyler Riddell off the field; Riddell, a University of Akron commit, threw for 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions last season.

Pasco County

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at Shorecrest Prep Chargers (7 p.m.) — Last time these teams met was in 2013, where the Hurricanes were shut out 40-0. The Hurricanes should have better luck this time around, with Shorecrest Prep coming off a 1-6 campaign.

Cypress Creek Coyotes at Gulf Buccaneers — The Coyotes are seeking its first official win in program history after it was forced to forfeit its 12-0 victory against Gulf last season.

Coming off a 10-2 mark, the Zephyrhills Bulldogs and head coach Nick Carroll, right, figure to again be one of Pasco County’s top teams this fall. They play Wiregrass Ranch on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (File)

Land O’ Lakes Gators at Citrus Hurricanes — Gators first-year head coach Chad Walker faces a relatively manageable test against a Hurricanes squad that has just six seniors and is without several key contributors from last season.

Pasco Pirates at Hudson Cobras — Pasco won last year’s matchup 22-10 and holds the overall series lead, 6-2. A victory here would be a good start for the Pirates, who are seeking their first winning season since 2014.

Sunlake Seahawks at Wesley Chapel Wildcats — Wesley Chapel handily beat Sunlake last year (42-24). Doing so again likely won’t be as easy, as the Wildcats have lost some of the county’s top offensive and defensive players from 2017, including Isaiah Bolden, Dexter Leverett, Malik Melvin and Austin Wittish.

Wiregrass Ranch Bulls at Zephyrhills Bulldogs — Two of Pasco County’s top squads square off in what should be an exciting, back-and-forth affair. Adding fuel to the fire: Former Zephyrhills head coach Reggie Roberts is now an assistant at Wiregrass Ranch.

Later Week 1 games:

North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) at Zephyrhills Christian Warriors (Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m.) — A good barometer for both teams coming off eight-win seasons and appearances in the FHSAA Class 2A playoffs.

Donahue Catholic Shamrocks (Ave Maria) at Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (Sept. 7, 7 p.m.) — The defending FCAPPS eight-man state champions shouldn’t have much trouble against the visiting Shamrocks; the Wildcats won last year’s contest 36-0.

Compiled by Kevin Weiss

Published August 22, 2018

Anderson lifts Sunlake’s girls weightlifting

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Buoyed by the performance of senior Brianna Anderson, the Sunlake Seahawks girls wrestling team has been on a tear of late.

The Seahawks most recently placed first (out of six teams) in the Eastside Girls Weightlifting Tournament at Zephyrhills High School on Dec. 16.

Competing in the 183-pound weight class, Anderson recorded a 160-pound bench press, and maxed out a 195-pound clean-and-jerk for a 355 total, a tournament best.

While Anderson didn’t reach her goal of a 225-pound clean-and-jerk, she still felt comfortable with her performance.

“I was pretty confident, I guess,” she said about her results. “I knew if I (completed) all of my benches, and my first clean-and-jerk, I was going to get first (place).”

Several teams from the Eastside tournament go through bench press warm-up drills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Several teams from the Eastside tournament go through bench press warm-up drills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

A relative newcomer to the sport, Anderson showed an interest in weightlifting as a high school sophomore, hoping to become more physically active to boost her athleticism for basketball and track.

She proved to be a natural in her first year competing, reaching the 2013-2014 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Finals, placing 19th overall in the 199-pound weight class.

As a junior last year, Anderson became more focused on improving her weightlifting totals. She altered her diet and spent more time on proper weightlifting technique, utilizing the expertise of Sunlake High head coach Denise Garcia.

The extra dedication paved the way for Anderson to drop to a lower weight class (183) and enhance her strength enough to place third in the 2014-2015 finals.

“The most improvement I would have to say is clean-and-jerk as far as my technique and going up in my max,” Anderson said. “My favorite is the clean-and-jerk, so for the bench (press) I just try my hardest. My lower body is stronger than my upper body.”

Coach Garcia commended Anderson’s work ethic and believes she has a great chance to win a state title in February.

“I’m hoping that she continues to go up and get that gap, because there’s other girls that are great up there, but with her passion and her wanting it, I know she’ll be on top.”

For Anderson and her Sunlake High teammates, the overall goal is to perform better at the FHSAA State Finals on Feb. 5 in Kissimmee, where the group finished 12th last year.

Before they can look ahead to the state championships, they must first compete in a district qualifier on Jan. 13 at Mitchell High School in New Port Richey. The district meet will determine qualifiers for the 2016 Girls Weightlifting regional meet on Jan. 20 at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, which then determines who qualifies for the state finals.

Garcia believes this year’s group, which features 22 members, is unique because of their overall “commitment and dedication.” She also noted the team’s camaraderie.

“They listen, and they’re coachable,” said Garcia, who’s been coaching girl’s weightlifting at Sunlake High for 10 years. “They’re always working on their personal bests, and there’s no drama.

“They’re all great kids.”

Coaching weightlifting is sometimes a logistical challenge for Garcia, who was to divvy up one-on-one coaching among 22 pupils.

Garcia is typically forced to organize her practice schedule around other sports the girls compete in, such as cheerleading and basketball. Practices are usually held for two hours every weekday (and sometimes weekends), with a focus on strengthening different muscle groups.

For girls that are novices to competitive weightlifting, Coach Garcia said the key is to focus on proper technique and not necessarily how much weight is being lifted.

“It’s always about technique first,” Garcia said. Don’t worry about what the other person is doing. If 55 (pounds) is all you can do, it better be the best 55 (pounds) technically, because if not, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

While Coach Garcia’s team isn’t as large as others she’s had in the past, she’s optimistic about the sport’s future growth, which she attributes in part to the popularity of CrossFit.

“The girls are getting more exposed to it,” she explained. “CrossFit is big, so it’s (transitioning girls) into weightlifting. It’s not just a boy’s sport. The girls are coming in and doing it well.”

Anderson, who plans to join the U.S. Naval Academy after she graduates high school, credits Coach Garcia for her marked improvement over the past three seasons.

“She got me when I couldn’t even clean-and-jerk 100 pounds,” she said. “And now, I can do 200.”

Published January 6, 2016