The Laker/Lutz News

Lexi Kilfoyl

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

Local softball stars soak in national exposure

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It’s a rare feat when any local athlete — or any athlete for that matter — makes a national team.

More uncommon is when two athletes from the same hometown earn such prestigious designation together.

Academy at the Lakes product Lexi Kilfoyl was a member of the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team and is now a freshman righthanded pitcher at the University of Alabama. (Courtesy of USA Softball)

But, that’s what recently happened to Academy at the Lakes product Lexi Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School product Callie Turner.

Both pitchers earned state champions for their respective schools. Now they can also say they were a part of a World Cup championship team.

Back in December, the Land O’ Lakes natives were two of just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team.

Fast forward to this summer, and both 2019 high school graduates competed together on an international stage representing Team USA.

Following a weeklong training camp in June in Houston, Texas, the U-19 squad competed in a series of international tournaments and games that took them to Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; Atlanta, Georgia; and, Columbus, Georgia.

The team then was whittled down to 17 players and three alternates, in advance of August’s WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup in Irvine, California.

Kilfoyl made the 17-player final roster, while Turner was named an alternate player.

The USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team recently won its third straight WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) World Cup. They went undefeated and beat Japan 4-3 in the championship game.

Rather than travel with the club for the World Cup, Turner opted to return home to Land O’ Lakes to train for her upcoming freshman season at the University of Tennessee.

Though Turner, a 5-foot-10 lefty, participated in only a few tournaments, throwing a handful of innings, she cherished the chance to represent her country.

“It was definitely an honor,” said Turner, a former Florida 6A Pitcher and Player of the Year  who guided Land O’ Lakes to a state title in 2017. “You definitely have like this pressure on your back, but it’s kind of like a good pressure that everyone’s rooting for you and not for the other team, so it feels like you’re just getting so much confidence when you’re wearing that uniform, and it’s so nice.”

Naturally, Turner watched and supported the national squad from afar, as it proceeded to go undefeated and win its third straight World Cup. “I was cheering them on the whole time,” she said.

She said competing with fellow elite-level softball peers in her age range was a beneficial experience that showed her “to keep working hard…to get better.”

Kilfoyl, meanwhile, provided a more crucial role for Team USA as it went 10-0 in the World Cup tournament that featured 15 other countries.

The two-time state champion and 2019 Florida Gatorade Softball Player of the Year went 2-0 in the circle with eight strikeouts and no runs allowed in 7.1 innings pitched — facing Czech Republic, Canada, Chinese Taipei and China, respectively. She also added a three-run pinch-hit home run in a 15-0 win over Botswana.

The 6-foot-2 righty was eager to provide a bigger contribution to the junior national team this time around, compared to when in 2017 she was the squad’s youngest member as a 16-year-old high school sophomore.

Land O’ Lakes High School product Lexi Turner was a member of the USA Softball U-19 Women’s National Team and is now a freshman lefthanded pitcher at the University of Tennessee.

“Last time I felt like I was a supporter on the bench the entire time, (so) it was a lot better being able to say that I was part of winning the whole thing,” said Kilfoyl, now a freshman at the University of Alabama.

“Playing against every country was different, because they all like play the game very differently, and being able to see how other people do it was really cool; seeing it and preparing for it was definitely a nice experience.”

Also playing alongside Turner for a portion of the early summer made the experience even better, Kilfoyl said.

“It was definitely unreal,” Kilfoyl said. “Not many people can say that that they’ve done that, that they’ve started playing with one of their childhood best friends that has literally been there since Little League and pretty much make it to the highest of the highs in the softball world playing for USA Softball…”

Kilfoyl’s favorite moment actually came in a game where she didn’t get any action.

It happened to be Team USA’s 4-3 come-from-behind, extra-inning, walk-off win over Japan in the World Cup championship game on Aug. 17.

With Japan leading 3-0 after the top of the eighth, pinch hitter and Oregon State player Francesca Hammoude tied it on a home run. University of Florida’s Charla Echols followed with a two-out triple and scored the winning run on a base hit by University of Oregon’s Jasmine Sievers.

“The last game, that was really crazy,” Kilfoyl recalled. “I thought at one point we were losing 3-nothing and then when (Hammoude) hit that home run, it completely brought us back in the game. She was actually one of the players that didn’t have much (playing) time, so it kind of went to prove that it doesn’t have to be done by someone that’s been in the lineup every single game.”

With the national team run over, Kilfoyl and Turner have turned their attention to preparing for their respective inaugural college campaigns in the powerhouse Division I Southeastern Conference.

For Turner, that consists of improving pitch location and managing expectations as a young college player.

“You can throw as hard as you can, but they can still hit it further, so if you hit your spots more, it’s more effective to where you can get them out, so I really worked on that the last couple months,” Turner said.

“I think I just want to be the best that I can be, don’t put too much pressure on myself because I know in the end that’s just not going to help me. So, go in with an open mind knowing that I am going to get hit, I am going to have some bad games, but it’s just how you get better from that experience.”

Kilfoyl said she is looking to add velocity to her 68-mph fastball and fine-tune the rest of her repertoire.

“I definitely want to get stronger and throw harder,” she said, “and for sure want to work on really being able to command my pitches, so I can get some starting time.”

Published September 11, 2019

AATL gets new softball coach

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Coming off back-to-back state titles, the Academy at the Lakes Wildcats varsity softball team will have a new face leading the successful program.

Wildcats coach Diane Stephenson stepped down after the 2019 season to accept a position closer to her home at St. Petersburg’s Admiral Farragut Academy. A two-time Class 2A Softball Coach of the Year, Stephenson posted a 65-14 mark in three seasons with the Wildcats —steering the program to three straight district titles, three straight region finals and two state championships, respectively.

Academy at the Lakes’ new softball coach Elizabeth Munn (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes Athletics)

Replacing her is Elizabeth Munn, a veteran prep coach from the Midwest who also boasts NCAA Division I coaching experience.

The 36-year-old Munn spent the past three years as head coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She posted a combined 54-41-1, including a 28-14-1 mark and Illinois High School Association state semifinals appearance in 2018.

Prior to her stint at York, Munn held assistant coaching gigs at Division I Stanford, North Carolina State and Northwestern universities, respectively, primarily working with outfielders, and strength and conditioning. She also was a head coach at South Suburban College, a junior college in South Holland, Illinois.

Her college playing career likewise has taken a windy path, to multiple countries, in fact.

Beginning at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, Munn transferred to Queensland, Australia’s James Cook University, then finished her playing career as a walk-on at Indiana University.

The blend of high school and college experience makes Munn an ideal fit for Academy at the Lakes, said Tom Haslam, the school’s athletic director.

“Her resume is outstanding,” he said. “She’s done well, had success at a rather large suburban Chicago high school, and just all that good looked.

“We think she’s going to do an excellent job.” he said.

Munn arrived on Haslam’s radar after her York teams faced Academy at the Lakes in Florida  spring break tournaments the past two seasons. Munn also was recommended as suitable replacement by Stephenson herself, Haslam said.

Moreover, the Wildcats athletic director said Munn’s coaching philosophy aligns similarly with the private school’s culture.

Haslam said Munn embraced the school’s no-cut policy and its philosophy of encouraging players to participate in multiple sports and extracurricular activities.

By the same token, Munn brings a winning mindset, the athletic director said.

“She’s certainly not daunted about taking over a successful program. I think she’s ready for it,” Haslam said.

“I think she’s structured and I think she’s organized, and I think she’s going to hold their feet to the fire about hard work and showing up and things like that…but, she also understands that it’s not a school where you’re going to have 75 kids go out and you cut all but 20 of them; it’s just not that way here.”

Munn, meanwhile, is poised to take the reins of a Wildcats program that has tallied eight straight winning seasons between Stephenson and former coach Jerry English (2011-2016).

She recalled being impressed by the Wildcats program when her York team visited on March 27 —  even though Gatorade Florida Player of the Year (and current University of Alabama freshman) Lexi Kilfoyl wasn’t pitching that day.

Munn’s team ended up winning that game 15-2. Her team lost the previous year to the Wildcats, 3-1.

The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats varsity softball team won back-to-back Class 2A state titles under former head coach Diane Stephenson, who stepped down to accept a position at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg.

She described the Wildcats program as “phenomenal” and “a powerhouse.”

“They were a great team all-around, so I’m really looking forward looking to developing and seeing these girls play together again,” Munn said, in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Munn likewise was impressed by Academy at the Lakes upon flying down for an in-person on-campus visit, meeting with various faculty and students. Munn will be teaching health/physical education at the school.

“I felt like right at home, right away,” she said, “just because everyone makes you feel so welcome and that you’re a part of what they’re building there in that community.”

Munn, naturally, is eager to trade in blistery northern Illinois winters for Central Florida sunshine.

“Oh yeah, you have no idea,” Munn said with a laugh. “I’m excited to leave it in the past for sure. I see myself not moving back.”

Munn said her initial focus in her first year will be building camaraderie and goal-setting, noting she’s been given some beneficial pointers from Stephenson along the way.

“It’s not just one person, it’s the team,” Munn said. “You can have all the talents in the world, but unless everybody comes together to have that bond and team chemistry — that’s what really helps with building a team to win state championships.

“Just bringing everybody together so everybody understands each other and communicates with each other, I think those things are really essential,” she said.

That being said, Academy at the Lakes is headed for some rebuilding in 2020.

Besides the graduations of Kilfoyl and outfielder Tristen Gittens, the program also could be without other names on last year’s 15-player varsity roster.

Even so, Munn said she expects to be competitive, “being over .500, maybe more, depending on the talent we have coming in.”

Published August 28, 2019

Area softball players among best in state

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The high school softball season has come and gone, but local athletes are still picking up accolades from their 2019 campaigns.

Land O’ Lakes senior pitcher Callie Turner was named Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year. (File)

The 2019 Miracle Sports All-State teams were released last month honoring the top players in Florida — and area players were well-represented.

Sixteen athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were recognized, either as first-team, second-team or honorable mention.

Predictably, the back-to-back Class 2A state champion Academy at the Lakes Wildcats garnered the most representatives from the area among all classifications, with a total of seven selections in Class 2A.

That included Wildcats senior pitcher/first baseman Lexi Kilfoyl, who was named Class 2A Player of the Year/first-team All-State.

In the circle, Kilfoyl went 23-1, posting a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched, with opposing batters hitting a mere .097 against her. At the plate, Kilfoyl led the Wildcats in batting average (.482) and RBIs (35), along with five home runs, nine doubles and 41 hits.

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats had seven All-State softball selections, including Class 2A Player of Year Lexi Kilfoyl. The Wildcats (19-7) won the Class 2A state title for the second straight year. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes Athletics)

Other Wildcats on the first-team included junior Jessica Mott, sophomores Devyne Davis, Vanessa Alexander, Caitlin Blankenship, and freshman Hannah Church; seventh-grader Mia Fields was a second-team choice. Additionally, Wildcats coach Diane Stephenson was named Class 2A Coach of the Year, for the second straight year.

The Wildcats finished the season with a 19-7 record, defeating Mount Dora Christian Academy 11-0 in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A state finals on May 22 in Vero Beach.

Academy at the Lakes wasn’t the only Land O’ Lakes-based school well-represented on the All-State team.

In Class 7A, the Sunlake High Seahawks, who finished the season with a 24-3 mark and won its first-ever district crown, garnered six All-State picks.

Most notably was sophomore shortstop/catcher Jenna Lord, who was named Class 7A Offensive Player of the Year/first team All-State. Lord posted a .542 batting average, 13 home runs and 46 RBIs in 83 at-bats.

The Sunlake High Seahawks garnered six All-State softball selections, including Class 7A Offensive Player of the Year Jenna Lord. The Seahawks (24-3) claimed their first district crown this past season. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

Seahawks sophomore Kendra Falby and senior Alexis Duff joined Lord on the first-team, while junior Daisy McQuain and senior Paige Maseda were second-teamers, and senior Shea Forgas an honorable mention.

In Class 6A, the Land O’ Lakes High Gators had two first-team All-State selections, in senior pitcher Callie Turner and senior outfielder Shelby Westbrook. Turner was also named Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year.

The Gators went 22-6 and reached the regional quarterfinals.

Elsewhere, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High senior pitcher/utility Savannah Lee was named Class 3A second team All-State.

There were no All-State representatives in our coverage area from Classes 9A, 8A, 5A, 4A or 1A.

2019 Miracle Sports All-State teams
Class 7A
Offensive Player of the Year: Jenna Lord, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Kendra Falby, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Alexis Duff, Sunlake, sophomore (first team)

Daisy McQuain, Sunlake, junior (second team)

Paige Maseda, Sunlake, senior (second team)

Shea Forgas, Sunlake, senior (honorable mention)

Class 6A
Defensive Player of the Year: Callie Turner, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first team)

Shelby Westbrook, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first team)

Class 3A
Savannah Lee, Bishop McLaughlin, senior (second team)

Class 2A
Coach of the Year: Diane Stephenson, Academy at the Lakes

Player of the Year: Lexi Kilfoyl, Academy at the Lakes, senior (first team)

Hannah Church, Academy at the Lakes, freshman (first team)

Jessica Mott, Academy at the Lakes, junior (first team)

Devyne Davis, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Vanessa Alexander, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Caitlin Blankenship, Academy at the Lakes, sophomore (first team)

Mia Fields, Academy at the Lakes, seventh grade (second team)

2019 Miracle Sports final team rankings
Class 7A
Fifth — Sunlake (24-3)

Class 6A
Honorable mention —  Land O’ Lakes (22-6), Wesley Chapel (15-7)

Class 2A
First — Academy at the Lakes (19-7, state champion)

Published July 10, 2019

Lexi Kilfoyl named Florida’s best — again

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One of area’s most dominant softball players ever has again proved she’s tops in the entire Sunshine State.

Academy at the Lakes (AATL) senior pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl has been named 2019 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year, given to the state’s best softball player, regardless of classification.

Academy at the Lakes senior Lexi Kilfoyl repeated as Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year. (File)

When it comes to receiving the notable distinction, the Wildcats star is on familiar ground.

The 6-foot-2 right-handed ace and first base slugger won the award last year, too, making her just the third two-time winner from the state, joining Dunnellon’s Kasey Fagan (2009-10) and Spruce Creek’s Kelsi Dunne (2006-07). Kilfoyl is the only Pasco County softball player to have ever won the award.

The Gatorade State Player of the Year award was established in 1985 “to recognize the nation’s most outstanding high school student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.”

The program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross-country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one national player of the year in each sport.

The honor is surely deserved for Kilfoyl, who’s set to join the University of Alabama softball program on scholarship this fall.

Equipped with a powerful arm and bat, Kilfoyl buoyed Academy at the Lakes to a 19-7 mark and its second straight FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A state title last month in Vero Beach.

In the May 21 state championship game — an 11-0 shutout over Mount Dora Christian Academy — Kilfoyl fired a six-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the circle, and drove in two runs and scored another on two hits at the plate.

Kilfoyl also pitched a one-hit, nine strikeout complete game shutout in the Class 2A semifinals win over Palatka Penel Baptist Academy, while adding in four runs on two hits of her own.

The state finals were a microcosm of sorts for Kilfoyl’s senior campaign and her entire Wildcats career, for that matter.

She registered a 14-1 record with a 0.48 ERA, striking out 134 batters in 72.2 innings pitched, while allowing just 15 hits in 2019. She also produced the best hitting season of her varsity career, posting a .563 batting average with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs, compiling a .653 on-base percentage and a 1.188 slugging percentage.

Making it all the more impressive: Kilfoyl did it all while nursing a trapezius strain, which forced her to abstain from pitching for about a month in the middle of the season.

Because of that, Kilfoyl actually wasn’t expecting to repeat as state player of the year.

“It definitely was kind of a shocker,” Kilfoyl said, “because my pitching stats weren’t the greatest compared to other pitchers that had that month to get their stats up that much more, so I definitely was very surprised and it almost felt very relieving to know that missing one month can’t kill you.”

What Kilfoyl may have lacked in total innings pitched, she more than made up for with the bat, notching career highs in virtually every statistical category.

The month of pitching missed allowed her to better fine-tune her approach at the plate, she said.

“I think because hitting was mainly the only thing I could do, that was my main focus, and I think definitely had something to do with it,” Kilfoyl said, of her batting numbers.

The 2019 season puts a bow on what’s been a lengthy varsity career at AATL, one that began when Kilfoyl was in the seventh grade.

In her previous five seasons combined, Kilfoyl had a 76-15 record, with a 1.13 earned run average and 842 strikeouts across 571.1 innings pitched. She also generated a .466 batting average with 17 home runs, 38 extra base hits and 129 RBIs in 104 games.

For most of her career, Kilfoyl has been widely regarded as one of the nation’s top prep pitchers and college prospects, being named the No. 5 recruit overall in the Class of 2019 by Softball America.

Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School senior pitcher Callie Turner are among just 20 athletes nationwide who’ve been selection to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team. Kilfoyl also made the junior national squad back in 2017, then the team’s youngest member as a 16-year-old sophomore.

Reflecting on her prep career, Kilfoyl said: “I feel like I did accomplish everything that was possible. I definitely feel like I’ve done everything that I could, and couldn’t have done it any other way, no better way to end it.”

And, helping the AATL softball program win its first state title last year goes down as her all-time favorite moment. It was an 11-inning, rain-soaked pitcher’s duel in which the Wildcats defeated Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0.

“Winning states last year was the most memorable,” Kilfoyl said. “The game was such neck-and-neck, and we didn’t know if we were going to win.”

Kilfoyl, who also was a standout volleyball and basketball at AATL, isn’t the only high-profile athlete in her family, remarkably.

Her older brother, Darin, is a 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher at Division I University of North Florida. He previously starred on the baseball diamond at AATL and St. Johns River State College. Their younger brother, Andrew, is a rising junior offensive lineman at Gaither High School, who is already garnering Division I interest as a 6-foot-5, 275-pound left tackle. Andrew transferred to Gaither after earning All-State honors in the eight-man football ranks at AATL each of the last two seasons.

Kilfoyl said the family regularly works out together, challenging one another for athletics accomplishments.

“We definitely push each other,” Kilfoyl said, “but then there is also kind of a little bit of competitive side to us, like, ‘Oh I did this better than you,’ just how like siblings are.”

Lexi Kilfoyl – 2019 stats

Pitching: 72.2 innings pitched, 12-1 record, 0.48 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 15 walks, .061 batting average against, .122 on-base percentage against

Batting: .562 batting average, 12 home runs, 12 doubles, 37 RBI, 21 runs, 45 hits, .653 on-base percentage, 1.187 slugging percentage

Published June 19, 2019

Stephenson steps down

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Academy at the Lakes’ Coach Diane Stephenson gives a pep talk to batter Kacey Atkins during a regular season game. (File)

As Lexi Kilfoyl gears up for the college ranks, the Wildcats softball program will take on even more of a new look next season, as Head Coach Diane Stephenson, who was named Florida Dairy Farmers 2019 Class 2A Coach of the Year, steps away from the program to accept a job at St. Petersburg’s Admiral Farragut Academy.

Stephenson took over the Wildcats program in 2017 after a lengthy Division I coaching career that took her to Indiana, Purdue and Iowa universities, among other stops.

In three seasons at AATL, Stephenson steered the program to three straight district titles, three straight region finals and back-to-back consecutive state championships, to go along with a combined 65-14 mark.

Aside from Kilfoyl and Stephenson, however, much of the 2019 15-player roster could return next season. Outfielder Tristen Gittens was the team’s only other graduating senior.

AATL tops Land O’ Lakes in postseason tune-up

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Two of the state’s top softball players matched up for the final time against one another in high school uniforms when Academy at the Lakes hosted Land O’ Lakes in a recent non-district game at Starkey Ranch District Park.

Starting pitcher from the Academy at the Lakes, senior Lexi Kilfoyl, on the mound before the start of the game against Land O’ Lakes High School. (Christine Holtzman)

In the latest matchup between crosstown foes, the Wildcats and senior ace pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl bested the Gators and their senior star pitcher, Callie Turner, en route to a 10-2 victory on April 24.

Kilfoyl struck out 14 batters on her way to a one-hit complete game, allowing four walks and two unearned runs.

It marked a confidence-boosting performance for the 2018 Gatorade State Player of the Year and University of Alabama signee, who’s methodically battling back from a right shoulder ailment that’s plagued her since early March.

Land O’ Lakes High School starting pitcher, senior Callie Turner, winds up to throw a pitch in the first inning.

It also put the bow on a 13-7 regular season for the Class 2A defending state champs as they gear up for what is likely another lengthy postseason run.

Kilfoyl’s counterpart and fellow USA junior national team candidate didn’t fare as well, however.

Turner, the Class 6A Player of the Year, surrendered all 10 runs (seven earned) in six innings of action against the Wildcats’ balanced lineup. It was a rare off night for the University of Tennessee signee, who finished the regular season with a 1.76 earned run average and 158 strikeouts in 95.1 innings.

In spite of the late season defeat, the Gators, like Academy at the Lakes, are hoping for a deep playoff run since ending the regular season 20-5 overall and 9-1 in district play. Land O’ Lakes finished last season as the Class 6A state runner-up after falling to Plantation American Heritage in the state title game.

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state softball championships begin May 8 and continue through May 24 for all classifications.

Published May 08, 2019

Academy at the Lakes’ athletic trainer Makenzie Brinker, right, examines the injuries of player Jessica Mott, who was hit by a pitch in the first inning.
Land O’ Lakes High School senior Shelby Westbrook up at bat in the third inning. Westbrook was walked to first.
Academy at the Lakes’ Coach Diane Stephenson gives a pep talk to batter Kacey Atkins during the second inning of the game.

Local softball sensations make junior national team

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They’ve bewildered hundreds of batters.

They’ve won state titles.

They’ve earned state player of the year honors.

They’ve signed with powerhouse Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.

Academy at the Lakes’ Lexi Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School’s Callie Turner have raked in their fair share of achievements across their prep fastpitch softball careers.

And, the latest, places the pitching sensations together on the national stage.

Academy at the Lakes senior pitcher and Alabama signee Alexis Kilfoyl is one of just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team. She also made the team in 2017. (Courtesy of USA Softball)

Kilfoyl and Turner are among just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team.

The high school seniors made the under-19 team following a three-day tryout in Clearwater in December; they were evaluated by members of the Women’s National Team Selection Committee.

Kilfoyl and Turner represent the only selections from Florida. Others on the roster represent just eight additional states (Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas).

Both being from Land O’ Lakes — and close friends, at that — makes the prestigious designation that much sweeter.

Kilfoyl and Turner’s friendship began when they played Little League together, and has been forged through high school and travel ball.

The bond is sure to continue, even as college rivals at the University of Alabama and University of Tennessee, respectively.

“We’re just like really close,” said Turner. “I’d probably say she’s one of my best friends with all that stuff.”

“It’s definitely crazy how things worked out,” Kilfoyl said, “because…we’ve been there for each other pretty much our entire softball careers.”

That was the case in point during the national team tryouts.

Kilfoyl, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, made the squad back in 2017 — then the team’s youngest member as a 16-year-old sophomore.

Knowing what to anticipate, Kilfoyl guided Turner throughout the tryout process, calming her nerves.

“She was kind of my mentor,” said Turner, a 5-foot-10 left-hander. “If she wasn’t there, I’d probably be a little bit more uncomfortable but, since she was there, it really helped me with being comfortable.

Alexis Kilfoyl

“It was really like nerve-wracking at the beginning, just because like everyone that was there deserved to be there because of their talent.”

Kilfoyl added, “Being there two years ago, I knew what to expect, so I explained it to her and it helped a little bit more, and she knew what was coming and there were no surprises for her.”

Turner recalls “tears of joy” upon discovering she made the team.

“I was crying,” she said, “just because it was definitely a hard-work experience getting there, so when you find you find out that your hard work actually paid off in some ways, it was really exciting.”

Kilfoyl, meanwhile, felt some added pressure to make the team a second time around as an older, more mature pitcher.

“It was definitely a relief knowing that they wanted me back again,” Kilfoyl said. “Getting the (selection) email was definitely a relief to know that all the hard work paid off.”

Proud to represent their schools, and Land O’ Lakes
“It really isn’t about one person,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s definitely about the whole team and the whole school.”

“I think it did bring a lot of pride,” Turner said. “People are still congratulating me to this day because it’s such an honor.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will compete in a training camp and exhibition games in Columbus, Georgia, at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, throughout June and July.

The roster then will be trimmed to 17 athletes to participate in the WSBC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Junior Women’s World Cup, in August, in Irvine, California.

Kilfoyl said the experience back in 2017 helped heighten her overall level of play.

Specifically, because she was practicing alongside the nation’s top talents, facing elite international competition, and getting instruction from renowned Division I college coaches.

“It was very beneficial,” Kilfoyl said. “I really got a feel of like what is expected at that age and how you have to be able to do everything right. You can’t leave balls over the plate when you’re pitching. You have to be able to locate very well, and you have to spin very well.”

Land O’ Lakes High School senior pitcher and Tennessee Callie Turner joins Kilfoyl on the U.S. junior national team. She made the team after a three-day tryout in December.

But, before they go off and compete for the United States this summer, Kilfoyl and Turner are gearing up for their high school softball swan songs.

Kilfoyl posted a 23-1 mark in the circle last season, with a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched. She guided Academy at the Lakes to a 26-4 record and the Class 2A state championship.

She also produced a .482 batting average with five home runs, 35 RBI, a .585 on-base percentage and a .788 slugging percentage.

The play earned Kilfoyl 2017-2018 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year honors, distinguishing her as the state’s best high school softball player.

Both players aim for continued excellence
Defending the team’s state championship this season is among Kilfoyl’s top priorities in 2019.

She wants the team to make it as far as it did last year.

“Winning a state championship would be crazy again, and I know we’re going to have a huge target on our backs and it’s going to be that much harder, but definitely want to do that again,” she said.

“As far as personal goals, I guess I’d like to push myself a little bit more.

“I definitely want to go into this year pitching every game like it’s a state championship game, striking out as many as I can and just having a bunch of energy,” Kilfoyl said.

Callie Turner

Turner has similar goals in mind.

After winning the Class 6A state crown in 2017, Land O’ Lakes fell just short of another last season. They went 25-7 and finished state runner-up after falling to Plantation American Heritage 5-1 in the Class 6A state championship game in May.

“I definitely want to end up on top this year,” Turner said. “Last year was kind of rough, just not getting over the peak, especially for our seniors.”

The two-time Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and 2018 Class 6A Player of the Year surely did her part for the team.

Turner posted a 17-6 mark with a 0.78 earned run average and 252 strikeouts in 153.1 innings pitched, including 20 complete games, a no-hitter and six shutouts. She also batted .309 and six RBIs in 65 plate appearances

In the quest to win a second state title in three years, Turner is fine-tuning her repertoire of pitches — changeup, curveball, riseball and dropball.

Turner said she wants to “keep on feeling comfortable with my pitches” and “try to get them more consistent.”

“Sometimes they don’t work, and I just want to be able to like rely on the pitches every time,” Turner said, “so just the practice of the basic things is what I really want to work on this season.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will likely match up against each other on April 23, when Academy at the Lakes hosts Land O’ Lakes in a nonconference game.

Published February 6, 2019

New Year in sports offers plenty to watch, experience

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As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience, and perhaps appreciate.

Here’s a closer look at some of the happenings in 2019:

One major development will be the progression of new sports facilities throughout East Pasco County  —  whether it’s the end-of-year completion of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, or the beginning of construction of others like the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills and the Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center in Land O’ Lakes.

Tied into all that, keep an eye on the initiatives put forth by Visit Pasco, the county’s tourism agency. Since rebranding its slogan to “Florida’s Sports Coast,” the county is looking to become a destination nationwide for youth and amateur sports.

Speaking of amateur sports, the new year is a good time to jump off the couch, get outdoors and pick up a new sport or activity.

AdventHealth Center Ice (formerly Florida Hospital Center Ice) will host several major tournaments in 2019, such as the USA Hockey adult men’s recreational national championships. (File)

The region presents countless opportunities year-round, from adult softball leagues at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, to recreational hockey leagues at AdventHealth Center Ice (formerly Florida Hospital Center Ice) in Wesley Chapel. Many local churches, including Idlewild Baptist Church, Grace Family Church and St. Timothy Catholic Church, offer their own sports leagues for all skill levels, from kickball and basketball, to flag football and soccer.

The cooler, early year temperatures are also a prime time to hit up the myriad of golf courses in Pasco. The St. Leo Abbey Golf Club in San Antonio and Fox Hollow Golf Club in Trinity are well-regarded, as are the more exclusive 36 holes offered at the Saddlebrook Resort & Spa.

Meantime, the adventure-seeking, fitness-oriented crowd may find it worthwhile to bike the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and the Withlacoochee State Trail; sign up for a Savage Race at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City; or, partake in Hillsborough County’s annual hiking spree, which includes visiting a number of nature parks and preserves countywide.

Several local churches, such as Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, offer a multitude of recreational sports leagues. (Courtesy of Idlewild Baptist Church)

There’s other fun, outdoor activities to give a try, too.

Exhilaration and excitement can also be found at places like TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park in Dade City and Skydive City in Zephyrhills. Horseback riding at Odessa’s Northwest Equestrian Conservation Park and rifle shooting at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays in Land O’ Lakes create a fun change of pace, in their own right.

Local sporting events are another highlight of the new year.

AdventHealth Center Ice will showcase its fair share. They include the Mrs. Hockey Invite, featuring the top U-12 girls talent from across the world; the 15th annual Toyota-USA Disabled Hockey Festival, the largest disabled hockey event of its kind; and, the USA Hockey adult men’s recreational national championships.

Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa will play host to a series of premier events, including the Florida Hall of Fame Shoot/Silver Dollar Open, the Florida State Trap Shooting Championships, and the Southern Grand American Tournament.

This rendering shows the proposed Christopher N. Chiles Aquatics Center in Land O’ Lakes, which would add to the growing list of sports facility assets in Pasco County. (File)

Elsewhere, traditional sports-goers should also make a point to check out the various men’s and women’s college sports at Saint Leo University — consistently one of the nation’s Division II athletic programs — and Pasco-Hernando State College. Both institutions provide an up-close look at many athletes who wind up finding success in the professional sports ranks. That’s particularly been the case for Saint Leo’s baseball program, which has yielded seven MLB Draft picks since 2013.

Of course, the high school sports scene is worth watching as well.

The winter prep season is already underway, whereby several local schools are fielding top-notch basketball and soccer teams.

For instance, the Wesley Chapel boys basketball and Sunlake girls basketball have shown early promise, as have the boys and girls soccer teams at Wiregrass Ranch, among some others.

So, don’t be surprised if one or more of those squads wind up making deep playoff runs in their respective sport a couple months from now.

Come springtime, the central Pasco softball scene is sure to provide some exciting moments, as Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake each are coming off 20-plus win seasons.

The Savage Race, an extreme mud obstacle course, is held twice a year at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. (Courtesy of Savage Race)

Academy at the Lakes will be seeking its second-straight Class 2A state title, while Land O’ Lakes will be seeking its second Class 6A title in three years, respectively.

Both squads unquestionably have the veteran pitching firepower to again win state crowns, armed with Alabama signee Lexi Kilfoyl (Academy at the Lakes) and Tennessee signee Callie Turner (Land O’ Lakes) in the circle.

Other local softball programs like Gaither, Freedom, Steinbrenner and Cypress Creek are also coming off strong campaigns to inject some competition in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The 2019 football season, too, should offer some interesting wrinkles.

New coaches will take over at Pasco and Sunlake, effectively replacing two household names in Tom McHugh and Bill Browning, respectively.

Those programs — along with the other public schools throughout Pasco — will look to unseat Zephyrhills, which went undefeated last regular season and is now up to 19 straight regular season victories.

Another storyline to follow: Land O’ Lakes and the progression they make under second-year coach Chad Walker. In his first season as a high school football head coach, the 34-year-old Walker guided the Gators to a 7-3 mark in 2018 — the program’s first winning season since 2013.

The eight-man football ranks is sure to create intrigue, as well.

Academy at the Lakes will be seeking an unprecedented third consecutive state title.

The team — which also went undefeated in 2018 and is on a 20-game win streak — is expected to return many key pieces, including standout quarterback Jalen Brown, who will be a junior.

Published January 2, 2019

Top moments in sports during 2018

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

Here are some of the highlights, from across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

USA Women’s Hockey, fans celebrate gold in Wesley Chapel
Just days after celebrating a gold medal win in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the USA women’s ice hockey team returned to where their remarkable journey started — Wesley Chapel.

The U.S. women’s national ice hockey team posed for pictures on Feb. 28 at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. The team spent more than five months training at the facility and lodging at Saddlebrook Resort. (File)

That’s where the team spent more than five months preparing for the Winter Olympics, training at Florida Hospital Center Ice and lodging at Saddlebrook Resort. It’s also where daily practices, off-ice testing and intra-squad scrimmages were used to determine the 23 players selected in May for the Team USA roster.

The team spent the better part of an hour on the afternoon of Feb. 28 greeting fans, posing for pictures and signing autographs at the Center Ice facility.

The event drew excitement from hockey enthusiasts, such as Wesley Chapel’s Rob Simonelli, who was prideful of the fact the Olympic team trained in his hometown.

“I just was excited that this was their home base. Just following them when they made this their home was kind of cool,” Simonelli said, at the time.

“They’re really friendly, and it’s nice that they decided to come and just kind of say ‘Hey’ to the people,” he added.

The surprise visit was part of a nationwide media blitz that also took them to Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City.

The week prior, the team defeated Canada in a 3-2 shootout to win gold, ending a 20-year drought for the women’s hockey program.

Florida Hospital Center Ice was picked as Team USA’s training ground over such hockey facilities in Boston, Chicago and other cities — placing a feather in Pasco County’s cap in its quest to become a top-notch sports tourism destination.

The time spent by the Olympic gold medalists in Wesley Chapel led them to later be dubbed by some residents as ‘Pasco’s team.’

The stay in Wesley Chapel likewise proved special for the elite athletes, from top-flight training digs and hospitality, to the warm, sunny weather.

Said defenseman Cayla Barnes, then the youngest member of Team USA at 19 years old: “These facilities were awesome, the staff here was amazing, and they really helped us with everything we needed. It was great to be down here, such nice weather, and really nice to train out here in preparation for the games.”

Added two-time Olympian and forward Kendall Coyne: “Hockey in Florida was new to a lot of us, but I don’t think it took long for us to realize that hockey is serious in Florida.”

Local small-school sprinter wins state title
It’s not often a small-school athlete gets to celebrate on a big stage.

But, that’s what happened to Zephyrhills Christian Academy senior Evan Miller.

He captured the Class 1A boys 100-meter dash title in a blistering 10.75 seconds at the Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field 2018 Championships, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy senior Evan Miller won first place in the 1A boys 100-meter dash in 10.75 seconds at the Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field 2018 Championships.

The senior was also the final leg of the school’s gold-medal winning 4×100-meter relay team that scorched the competition with a 42.10 second mark — joining junior NyJohn Moody, sophomore Tyler Davis and senior Calvin Samuel.

Those marked the only first-place finishes at the state track & field meet among athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

It’s also noteworthy, considering Zephyrhills Christian has about 250 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade and was in just its second year offering a boys and girls track & field program.

For Miller, the memorable showing had been a year in the making.

The previous summer, the multi-sport athlete suffered a broken ankle during a 7-on-7 football tournament.

The injury forced Miller, a standout defensive back, to miss several games in the fall as a member of the Zephyrhills Christian varsity football team.

Unable to hit the gridiron, Miller hit the starting blocks instead, as part of his rehabilitation process.

The newfound sport proved to be his true calling.

Miller linked up with well-regarded AAU track coach and personal trainer BB Roberts, who runs the Wesley Chapel-based Speed Starz Track Club, and lists NFL and MLB athletes as training clientele.

Roberts, a former track star in his own right at Wesley Chapel High School and Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College, worked to correct Miller’s running form and technique, among other tips.

The fixtures shaved Miller’s 100-meter personal record from a still-impressive 11.2 to a 10.69 — which he set at the Steinbrenner High Invitational in early April.

Miller is now a freshman sprinter at Division I University of South Carolina, where he’s training under the Olympic pedigree of legendary head coach Curtis Frye.

Academy at the Lakes wins first state softball title
Buoyed by a longtime Division I coach in Diane Stephenson, one of the state’s top arms in Lexi Kilfoyl, and a potent offense averaging nearly seven runs per game, the 2018 Academy at the Lakes varsity softball team lived up to the preseason hype — finishing with a remarkable 26-4 record and winning its first-ever Class 2A state championship.

The state crown was a follow-up to an impressive 20-win season and regional final appearance in 2017.

Academy at the Lakes varsity softball won the FHSAA Class 2A state title on May 22 after defeating Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings. The Wildcats finished the season 26-4.

For the Wildcats, the most dramatic moment of the 2018 campaign came in its most important game.

Academy at the Lakes outlasted Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings on May 22 at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, in a game that featured a pitcher’s duel through wet, muddy conditions.

Kilfoyl, then a junior, outlasted Aucilla Christian senior and Florida signee Elizabeth Hightower by unleashing a 13-strikeout, fourth-hit shutout.

The softball sensation and Alabama signee also did some work with the bat.

Kilfoyl was responsible for the game-winning single that allowed freshman shortstop Brooke Blankenship to score on a two-out single in the 11th inning — unseating an Aucilla Christian program that had won state crowns two of the last three years.

Forecasting ahead, a state title repeat for the Wildcats  in 2019 certainly seems within reach.

Kilfoyl and Stephenson return, as do much of the key contributors from its state-winning squad.

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex breaks ground
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex’s June 7 groundbreaking represented a major step for Pasco County, as it looks to become a premier sports tourism destination in the years ahead.

Expected to open in late 2019, the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot complex is slated to feature eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings.

The $44 million Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is expected to open in late 2019. The 98,000-square-foot complex will have eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings. Also, besides the indoor gym, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

In addition to its indoor offerings, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

The complex — being built off State Road 54, near The Shops at Wiregrass— will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center for youth, adults and seniors, while weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county.

The county will own the facility and share in anticipated profits with RADD Sports, a private company that will operate and manage the sports complex.

Officials say annual economic impact would be about $6.5 million for the new facility. Over 10 years, about $8 million or more in sales and use taxes would be generated, not including tourism taxes from hotel stays, officials say.

The  complex adds to a growing list of premier, state-of-the art sports facilities in east Pasco — and further markets the area as a sports tourism destination primarily for youth and amateur sports.

Other nearby offerings include Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, which opened in early 2017 as the largest hockey complex in the southeastern United States; Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, an upscale resort renowned for world-class golf and tennis training; and, Wesley Chapel District Park, which sits on 144 acres and contains 10 full-size athletic fields, and lighted outdoor tennis courts and basketball courts. Efforts also recently began in a quest to build a premier aquatics facility in Land O’ Lakes, as well as a multimillion dollar tennis complex in Zephyrhills.

Land O’ Lakes High honors ‘Voice of the Gators’
For Land O’ Lakes High School, the 2018 ‘Butter Bowl’ will go down as one of the most historic, as the Gators football team finally cracked an eight-game losing streak to crosstown rival Sunlake High School, with a 35-24 home victory.

Matt Connor, top, and Meaghan Connor of Land O’ Lakes positioned Mike Connor on the sideline area for a dedication of the press box in his name.

The most enduring moment of that Sept. 14 evening, however, happened right before kickoff.

That’s when a special dedication ceremony was held to honor longtime athletics booster Mike Connor. The press box space at John Benedetto Stadium named the Mike Connor Family Press Box.

The dedication drew dozens of friends and family, as well as current and former Gators coaches, who showed their support and appreciation for Connor, who passed away a month later at age 69.

Connor, a volunteer at the school since 1989, was instrumental in building a sustainable athletic and football booster club. His efforts also helped established a yearly scholarship fund for a male and female at the high school.

Connor, too, served as the ‘Voice of the Gators,’ calling the action of every Friday night home game for nearly two decades, and creating catchphrases, such as ‘a gaggle of Gators.’

An area business owner and Land O’ Lakes resident since 1982, Connor operated Taco John’s on the corner of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, as well as Beef O’ Brady’s in Wilderness Lakes. He was also noted for being a key part of the early successes of the Flapjack Festival and, later, in helping to create the Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest.

Academy at the Lakes wins its second straight football title
Following last year’s historic eight-man state title run, questions swirled about how the Academy at the Lakes football program would handle a newfound target on its back and the loss of several impactful players.

The team responded with aplomb— finishing with a perfect 10-0 record and winning its second straight eight-man state title, downing Miami Citi Christian Academy Fire 36-18 in the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) championship game on Dec. 8, at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

In contrast to last year’s Wildcats team that relied heavily on do-it-all running back/linebacker Daniel Gonzalez — the  2017 Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) Heisman Trophy winner — the 2018 squad was forced to play together in all phases of the game.

Filled with new faces and inexperience at some positions, the Wildcats proved to be greater than the sum of its parts, winning games by way of stout defense and timely offense.

The Wildcats, too, showed their share of resiliency throughout the season.

For instance, they withstood a nagging early season injury to senior tailback Jamaal Johnson, who was expected to be one of the most dynamic players on offense; instead, he was only able to play bits and pieces of games from mid-October through the end of the season.

Meanwhile, in the playoffs, the Wildcats overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit in the state semifinals game against Duval Charter, ripping off 27 unanswered points to send them to the state championship game. The state title game also proved to be a test of mettle, as the Wildcats held onto a 22-18 lead late into the fourth quarter before pulling away for good.

Here’s a rundown of some other notable highlights throughout 2018:

  • Zephyrhills shuffleboard great Earl Ball surpasses 1,000 career points
  • Steinbrenner High School baseball coach John Crumbley enters the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame
  • Gaither High School alum/Florida International University quarterback Alex McGough is drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft
  • Land O’ Lakes High School’s Sydny Nasello wins Class 3A Player of the Year, and is named a 2018 Miss Soccer finalist
  • Saint Leo men’s lacrosse becomes the state’s first lacrosse program to make a national championship appearance
  • Carrollwood Day School varsity baseball reaches program’s first state final four
  • Academy at the Lakes varsity baseball celebrates its first winning season
  • Land O’ Lakes High School is one of three Pasco Schools named a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School
  • Land O’ Lakes youth resident Brett Swanbom wins a world championship as a member of the 2018 U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team
  • Sunlake High School girls swimming & diving team unseats Land O’ Lakes High School to win the 2018 Sunshine Athletic Conference Championships
  • Former Gaither High School/current Hillsborough High School football coach Earl Garcia becomes all-time winningest coach in Tampa Bay
  • Wiregrass Ranch junior linebacker Dylan Ridolph sets the Pasco County record for career sacks, with 37
  • Longtime Sunlake High School football coach Bill Browning retires following a 29-year head coaching career throughout the North Suncoast
  • Zephyrhills High School football records an undefeated 10-0 regular season
  • Wesley Chapel High School basketball coach Doug Greseth wins 500th career game

Published December 26, 2018