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Jayvaughn Myers

Locals make impact in college football ranks

December 5, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

The college football regular season has come to a close, and dozens of players with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area showcased their skills on Saturdays in the fall.

More than 100 players from the area are a part of various programs at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Series (FCS) levels, as well as Division II, Division III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Here’s a closer look at a few of the top performers from the 2018 season:

Amani Oruwariye

Amani Oruwariye—Penn State University, redshirt senior cornerback
High School/Hometown: Gaither High School/Tampa

The former Gaither standout earned first-team All-Big 10 honors, finishing the season with three interceptions, 12 pass breakups and 48 tackles — part of a secondary that allowed 186.5 yards through the air per game, a number that ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference.

Some outlets, including Pro Football Focus and CBS Sports, project the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Oruwariye as a possible first-round talent in the 2019 NFL Draft, for his ideal size, ball skills and man-to-man coverage responsibilities.

Oruwariye is one of several Gaither alums playing at the Division I football ranks. Others include DeCalon Brooks (Florida State, redshirt freshman linebacker), Estefano Feliciano (Old Dominion, redshirt freshman linebacker), Donovan Jennings (South Florida, freshman offensive lineman), Cayden Jordan (Charleston Southern, freshman wide receiver), Shane McGough (Florida International, redshirt sophomore center) and Matthew Wood (Holy Cross, freshman linebacker).

Jaylen Pickett

Jaylen Pickett—Eastern Michigan University, senior linebacker
High School/Hometown: Zephyrhills High School/Zephyrhills

After playing in just six contests last season, the Zephyrhills High product bounced back for a productive senior campaign — registering 72 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and two sacks; and, helping Eastern Michigan (7-5) become bowl eligible for the second time in three years. Should Eastern Michigan earn a bowl bid, the 6-foot-1, 224-pound Pickett will suit up one final time as a Division I FBS football player.

Pickett also happens to be college teammates with another athlete with local ties — sophomore running back Willie Parker, who attended Carrollwood Day School.

The Pickett name is a familiar one in Zephyrhills — Jaylen’s father, Damian Pickett, and his  uncle, Ryan Pickett (13-year NFL veteran) are both former Bulldogs greats from the 1990s.

Scott Patchan

Scott Patchan—University of Miami, redshirt junior defensive end
High School/Hometown: IMG Academy/Freedom High School/New Tampa

Coming out of Freedom High (and transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton for his senior year), Patchan was one of the state’s most highly rated prospects in the 2015 recruiting class.

He’s finally starting to live up to the hype of being a four-star recruit who was once courted by blue blood programs like Florida State, Ohio State, Notre Dame and others.

After playing tight end for Miami last season, he moved back to his more natural position of defensive end, posting 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble in 11 games. He played in just five games the last two seasons combined.

Provided he stays healthy, look for the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Patchan to be one of Miami’s top defensive players next season.

Patchan is something of a Miami legacy, as his father Matt Patchan III won national titles with the Canes in 1983 and 1987.

DeCalon Brooks

DeCalon Brooks—Florida State University, redshirt freshman linebacker
High School/Hometown: Gaither High School/Tampa

The son of NFL Hall of Famer/Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Florida State legend Derrick Brooks appears set on paving his own legacy at the same institution his father once starred.

After logging repetitions on the Seminoles’ scout team last season—and dealing with a nagging knee injury throughout — the younger Brooks emerged to become one of the Seminoles’ more productive defensive players in 2018 — registering 46 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and forced fumble in 11 contests.

Moving forward, the undersized, yet speedy 5-foot-11, 211-pound backer looks to be a building block for a Seminoles program, which just suffered its first losing season (5-7) since 1976, under first-year head coach Willie Taggart.

Brooks is one of several young Seminoles with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, joining freshman defensive back Isaiah Bolden (Wesley Chapel High School), sophomore tight end Tre’ McKitty (Wesley Chapel native/Wesley Chapel High/IMG Academy) and freshman offensive lineman Chaz Neal (Wesley Chapel High).

Chris Faddoul

Chris Faddoul—Florida A&M University, sophomore punter
High School/Hometown: Wiregrass Ranch High School/Wesley Chapel

The former Wiregrass Ranch multi-sport star emerged as one of the nation’s premier specialists this season, earning first team All-MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) honors and leading the Division I FCS ranks in punting average (47.0 yards per punt) — up from 39.4 yards per punt he posted as a true freshman in 2017.

As a further show of Faddoul’s leg strength, 14 of 41 punts were 50 or more yards, including a long of 67 yards. He also tallied seven touchbacks, nine fair catches, and 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.

While at Wiregrass Ranch, it seemed as though no sport was off limits for Faddoul. He played football, soccer, tennis, and also competed in track & field.

Also noteworthy, Florida A&M has another Wesley Chapel native on its roster — sophomore safety Ellrie Allen, who prepped at Wesley Chapel High School.

Other news and notes on locals in college football:

—Former Zephyrhills High record-setting running back Antwione Sims made solid contributions in his freshman season at Samford University, tallying 150 rushing yards on 35 carries; also added 10 receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown.

—Before he suffered a torn ACL in late October, Dade City native/Pasco High/Tampa Bay Tech alum Mike Penix Jr., saw some action throughout his freshman season at Indiana University, completing 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown in three appearances.

—Wesley Chapel native/ Wesley Chapel High/IMG Academy product Tre’ McKitty had a strong sophomore campaign at the tight end spot for Florida State University, catching 26 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.

— Former Wiregrass Ranch High standouts Jordan Miner (Penn State) and Daniel Biglow (Florida Atlantic University) were forced to retire from football before their college freshman seasons due to similar cardiovascular conditions. (Physicals revealed the sport would put too much stress on their hearts.) Miner and Biglow, who are cousins, helped Wiregrass Ranch to two straight playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017.

—Wesley Chapel High product Isaiah Bolden had his freshman season at Florida State University cut short when he suffered season-ending shoulder injury in September. Since Bolden played in only one game this season, NCAA rules allowed him to redshirt this season and have four more years of eligibility.

— Dade City natives and half-brothers Nate Craig-Myers (Pasco High/Tampa Catholic) and Jayvaughn Myers (Pasco High) both left the Auburn University football team in September.

Craig-Myers, a junior receiver, and Myers, a redshirt sophomore defensive back, both have two years of eligibility remaining at the program they transfer to. (The NCAA’s new redshirt rules allow players to play in up to four games before losing the ability to redshirt and preserve a season of eligibility.)

Published December 5, 2018

Pasco Pirates off to solid start

September 14, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

Just a few weeks into the regular season, the Pasco High football team already has surpassed its win total from all of last season.

In fact, they’ve doubled it.

Pasco High head coach Tom McHugh, in his 11th season, has a career mark of 83-35, which includes a string of seven straight playoff appearances from 2007 to 2013. (File)

The 2016 season was unpleasant for the Pirates, losing nine straight games until they beat Gulf High — a struggling program that’s now lost 22 straight regular season games — in the season finale.

The 1-9 record was its worst since 1978, when Jimmy Sessoms coached the team.

The struggling campaign was a surprise to many, considering the Pirates often have been one of the county’s upper-tier programs under longtime head coach Tom McHugh.

McHugh, in his 11th season, has a career mark of 83-35, which includes a string of seven straight playoff appearances from 2007 to 2013.

Additionally, under McHugh, the Pirates have produced some of the county’s top players who have gone on to collegiate and professional careers, including, defensive tackle Joey Ivie (University of Florida/Dallas Cowboys, defensive back Josh Johnson (Purdue University/Canadian Football League/Jacksonville Jaguars), athlete Janarion Grant (Rutgers University) and defensive back Jayvaughn Myers (Auburn University).

Yet, perhaps the biggest disappointment to the Pirates’ faithful wasn’t the abysmal 1-9 record, but its devastating 46-0 home loss to Zephyrhills High in the annual 9-Mile War — oftentimes a one-sided affair in which Pasco High claims the all-time series record 40-19.

This season, however, appears to be a strong contrast to last year.

The Pasco High Pirates have rebounded from last year’s dismal 1-9 mark. The 2017 squad features 17 seniors, including middle linebacker Cameron Smith. (Courtesy of Tom Ketchum)

The Pirates handily won its first two contests over both Hudson High (22-10) and Gulf High (46-0), and proved dominant in its preseason game, a 36-18 victory over Ridgewood High.

And, unlike the 2016 season, the Pirates have a bevy of experienced depth, both on offense and defense. This year’s roster features 19 seniors. Last year’s had just seven.

Besides a steady, game-managing presence at quarterback in junior Doug Crawford, the Pirates display an explosive rushing attack currently averaging more than 200 yards per game — thanks to a trio of runners in senior Jaleel Hansberry, and juniors Early Knight and Jacquez Mobley.

The defense, too, has shown an ability to create pressure and limit opposing yardage, early on.

It also doesn’t hurt that the Pirates have three reigning All-Sunshine Athletic Conference players in senior offensive lineman/defensive tackle Camron Craig, senior middle linebacker Cameron Smith and senior defensive lineman Cody Mercer.

The Pirates, meanwhile, have several winnable games on their 2017 slate.

In addition to facing upstart Cypress Creek Middle High at home, the Pirates should match up well against Superior Collegiate Academy, along with district foes Sunlake— which appears to be in a rebuilding year — and Land O’ Lakes high schools.

But, contests against the likes of Mitchell, Springstead and Zephyrhills high schools should determine how good this team is.

And, how far it will go.

 

–Stats compiled by Maxpreps.com

Published September 13, 2017

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08/18/2022 – ZooTampa Story Time

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Story Time with ZooTampa: Senses in Nature” on Aug. 18 at 10 a.m., for ages 3 to 6, online. The program will use stories, action rhymes, songs and interactive activities to combine an animal experience with early literacy skills, to encourage reading readiness and social interaction. Register online through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 08/18/2022 – ZooTampa Story Time

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