The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wiregrass Ranch High

New schools being planned in Pasco

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Pasco County is on the grow and the public school district is planning to increase its capacity.

The Pasco County School Board recently approved the district’s five-year school plant survey, which includes existing conditions and recommended plans.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, slated to open this fall, is one of the new schools on the list.

It’s a magnet school that will specialize in preparing students in career fields and technical trades such as automotive maintenance and repair, including diesel; biomedical sciences; building trades and construction technology; cybersecurity; digital media and multimedia design; engineering and robotics; welding; electricity; and, patient care technology.

Kirkland Academy of Innovation is a magnet school that will open in the fall in Wesley Chapel. It will feature a curriculum that allows students to earn a standard diploma, while having the opportunity to earn industry certifications in an array of technical fields. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Students attending the new high school are primarily coming from Wesley Chapel High, Pasco High, Zephyrhills, some from Wiregrass Ranch, and some from Cypress Creek, according to Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district.

Kirkland Ranch K-8, another school on the list, is expected to begin construction soon.

“As soon as they’re done with the Academy of Innovation, they’re moving to the back of this property. That’s going to be a magnet. Similarly, we expect that to have impact on primarily the east side. Weightman, John Long, Centennial (middle schools),” Williams said.

The elementary school students primarily will come from “Watergrass, Wesley Chapel, San Antonio, and even farther out, Double Branch, Seven Oaks, Wiregrass, that whole region,” he said.

The school plant survey also includes a number of other projects that are either planned soon, or are on a longer horizon.

A 6-12 STEM magnet school, in the emerging community of Angeline in Land O’ Lakes, is a four-story building under construction near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco Campus.

The school is expected to open in the fall of 2023, and the school district is delighted by the partnerships it anticipates with Moffitt.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity we’ll have for our students there,” Williams said.

That school also will be the district’s tallest school, the planning director said, noting there is no other four-story school in the system.

A new traditional K-8 is planned on the south side of State Road 54, across the road from the Ballantrae subdivision. The school will be built behind a Ballantrae office complex.

This magnet school, for students in grades six through 12, is expected to open in the fall of 2023. It will feature partnerships with Moffitt Cancer Center, which plans to create its Pasco County campus nearby. It also will be the tallest school in the Pasco County system.

Other plans call for a school campus in the new Two Rivers development off State Road 56, near Morris Bridge Road.

A site has been identified for the campus, but the school district hasn’t purchased it yet, Williams said. The site likely will be co-located with a regional park.

“We have done some preliminary thinking of how that might look. Because we’re going to have a whole campus there, probably K-8 and a high school, along with the park,” he said.

It’s not clear yet whether there will be a joint-use library, although it’s a possibility, he said.

“What are we going to be sharing? Certainly, we’ll be sharing the (athletic)  fields and the parking,” Williams said.

The planning director noted that projects listed in the district’s five-year plan are subject to change because available funding will be influenced by the collection of impact fees, whether the extension of the Penny for Pasco infrastructure surtax is approved by voters, local capital millage funds, and the overall economy.

If there’s a recession, for instance, there will be less construction activity and fewer revenues collected through impact fees.

Also, voters will decide in November whether to extend the Penny for Pasco surtax for 15 additional years.

That being said, a number of  other projects within the Laker/Lutz News coverage area are on the five-year list:

• Starkey Ranch K-8: Expansion for 400 student stations
Work is starting on that immediately, Williams said. When the district opened the school, it knew that the Starkey Ranch development would grow, but it turned out that the magnet school also attracted students who had been attending private schools and charter schools, Williams said.

• West Zephyrhills Elementary: Expansion for 400 student stations
If Penny for Pasco passes, the remodeling of West Zephyrhills Elementary will likely be one of the first projects that’s completed, Williams said. That project would include additional capacity.

• Pasco Senior High: Expansion for 400 student stations
When the first Penny for Pasco passed, the district did a significant project at Pasco Senior High, Williams said. That work did not include substantial work in the cafeteria or kitchen.

The conceptual plan for this project calls for tearing down the one-story building and constructing a two-story structure. The first floor would contain a kitchen and larger cafeteria. The second floor would be classrooms, Williams said. The media center likely would be remodeled, too, he said.

In addition to district projects, Williams said there’s also an expectation of some charter school expansions, as well as some new charter schools that will come online in the next few years.

Long-term school plans
These Pasco County school district projects are possibilities within the next 10 years:
• Classroom wing at these schools: Wiregrass Ranch High; Centennial Middle; and, Chester Taylor and West Zephyrhills elementary schools
• New K-8 school: Villages of Pasadena Hills and in Two Rivers
• New high schools in Bexley Ranch and in Odessa area

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published July 13, 2022

Chalk Talk 04/27/2022

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Jazz performance
The Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road in Tampa, will host “Jazz with Jim” on April 29 at 7:30 p.m.

The show with Jim Burge and The Jazz Directions will feature young performers of the Hillsborough County High School All-Star Jazz Ensemble.

Burge hand-selected the musicians during the All-County Jazz event on April 22 and April 23, and invited them to perform with him and his band.

Tickets are $13 for cultural center members and $18 for non-members.

For information and tickets, visit CarrollwoodCenter.org, or call 813-922-8167.

Enrollment Day events
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) will host High School Enrollment Day events at each of its five campuses.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in advising and financial aid sessions, complete fall registration, and leave with a full course schedule.

The event is for high school graduates only.

To attend, students must RSVP online, complete the HCC admission application for the fall term, and provide any ACT, SAT, PERT, AP or IB test scores, if taken.

Only one guest per registrant is allowed, if attending in person.

Space is limited. Registration is online at HCCfl.edu/enrollment-day.

In-person enrollment days:

  • April 30, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Dale Mabry, Plant City, SouthShore, Ybor City campuses

Virtual enrollment days:

  • May 3, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Brandon campus
  • May 10, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Dale Mabry, Plant City, SouthShore, Ybor City campuses

For more information, contact individual campuses by email: Brandon, ; Dale Mabry, ; Plant City, ; SouthShore, ; and YborCity, .

Textbook drop-off/pickup
Pasco County Schools has released the dates for Dual Enrollment spring textbook drop-off and summer textbook pickup.

Drop-offs:

  • Central Pasco: May 2 to May 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the District Office Complex, 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.; park in front of Building 3N, by the ATM
  • East Pasco: May 2 to May 4 from 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Thomas Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel; park in the lot between Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High
  • West Pasco: May 3 to May 5 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Marchman Technical College, 7825 Campus Drive, New Port Richey; park in the lot in front of the administration building

Pickups:

  • Central Pasco: May 9 to May 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the District Office Complex
  • East Pasco: May 9 to May 11 from 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Weightman Middle School
  • West Pasco: May 10 to May 12 from 3:30 p.m., at Marchman Technical

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/age/dual-enrollment, and click on the “Textbooks” tab.

Odyssey of the Mind
Pasco County Schools on its Facebook page congratulated the Odyssey of the Mind teams from Dayspring Academy (Port Richey), Sunlake High (Land O’ Lakes) and Wiregrass Ranch High (Wesley Chapel), as they will be competing in the OM World Finals, in May.

Nominate a student
Hillsborough County is accepting nominations for the Youth Excellence and Achievement Awards (YEA! Awards), until 5 p.m., on May 13.

The YEA! Awards were created in 2010, to recognize Hillsborough County students for making a difference in their community.

Students honored show initiative, innovation, and a commitment to themselves and others, while pursuing excellence in a leadership capacity. This can be demonstrated in academics, community service, athletics, performing arts, conservation, or other areas.

Nominations can be submitted for both middle and high school students, in each of these categories:

  • Leadership — demonstrating positive impact on others in an ongoing endeavor, such as sports, academics or the arts
  • Success Despite Difficult Odds — overcoming tremendous personal difficulty to attain success and to make a positive impact on others
  • Volunteer or Community Service — allocating discretionary time to help others to complete a project that has improved the community

Nominations will be reviewed by the Commission on the Status of Women.

The awards will be presented in June by the Hillsborough County Commission.

Forms are available for online submissions at HCFLGov.net/YEA.

For more information, call Hillsborough County Communications & Digital Media at 813-272-5194.

Fifth-grade exhibition
Pine View Elementary, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, will host the Pine View Elementary International Baccalaureate Magnet School PYP Exhibition on May 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 5333 Parkway Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Fifth-grade students will showcase their culminating, collaborative experience of their final year of the IB primary Years Program. The exhibition is a “demonstration of student agency, as learners exercise voice, choice and ownership by inquiring into local or global issues that are significant to them,” an email to The Laker said.

The opening ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by student presentations.

Girls’ lacrosse continues rapid growth in Pasco area

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Less than a decade ago when someone in the Pasco County area mentioned girls’ lacrosse, the reactions varied: Many didn’t know it existed in the area, and some weren’t even 100% sure what it was.

Suffice it to say, lacrosse has come a long way. That’s especially true when it comes to girls’ lacrosse.

Now, each local high school boasts a varsity lacrosse team. And, there’s a travel team based out of Pasco, too.

It has been a slow process.

High schools in the Pasco area started by adopting lacrosse as a club sport more than a decade ago.

Last season’s Titan’s squad from top left: coach Miri Perez, Olivia Dusch, Maddy Coker (goalie), Isabella Butler, Alessia Lloyd, Bridgette Currin, Chloe Norman, Miranda Garcia and coach Craig Havemann. Bottom left: Paige Peters, Bethany Bonds, Kennedy Young, Hailey Allen, Eva Risinger, Jerianne Morris, Luna Khatib, Mackenzine Smith and Presley Sartori. (Courtesy of Jessica Norman)

In those days, they searched long and hard to find opposing teams.

Back then, most schedules included just a few games each season and there weren’t any playoffs.

But for the past five years, it has been a school-sanctioned varsity sport. Each school now plays  full district schedules, beginning in mid-February.

The teams play 12 games to 15 games a season. They have a chance to  compete in playoffs, and, then, of course, go for a state title.

The Tampa Titans — the only girls’ lacrosse travel team in Pasco — provides a chance for girls to play the sport year-round.

Some of those players aspire to play at the collegiate level, and some receive offers to do just that.

In addition to the Titans, there’s a team called Titans Carolina, which is for girls who are new to the sport or who are at an intermediate skill level and hope to move up to play for the Titans.

Both the Titans and Titans Carolina are led by experienced coaches from Wiregrass Ranch, Land O’ Lakes, Cypress Creek and Wesley Chapel high schools.

The league also offers clinics during the year for those interested in learning the game or who want to remain active, during their high school team’s off-season.

In case you’re one of those people who is unfamiliar with the sport, lacrosse is a game where opposing teams try to get a small rubber ball into their opponent’s goal. Instead of kicking or throwing the ball with their hands or feet, they use long sticks with a net-like basket, which they use to pick up, carry, throw, catch and shoot the ball.

The Titans lacrosse program is now limited to girls who are in currently in seventh grade up to those entering senior year. But later this year, the organization plans to begin allowing girls as young as age 5 to play.

Jessica Norman, vice president of operations for the Titans, has witnessed the benefits of girls playing lacrosse beyond their school team’s schedule.

Her daughter, Chloe, gave up volleyball and track as a freshman at Land O’ Lakes to concentrate on playing lacrosse. She plays for the Gators and the Titans.

She decided to focus exclusively on lacrosse after noticing interest in the sport beginning to grow.

The senior midfielder’s dedication has resulted in a scholarship to play at the University of Montevallo (Division II) in Alabama in the fall.

Jessica Norman is enthused about opportunities to play lacrosse is being expanded for younger players.

“The biggest benefit will be learning and playing the sport together from a young age,” she said. “When a team plays together from a young age, it can be a force to be reckoned with for many years to follow,” she said. That, she added, “helps build a very strong team as well as many lifelong friendships.”

Alix Baldini coaches Chloe Norman for the Land O’ Lakes girls’ lacrosse team and the Titans.

Baldini knows how beneficial it can be for the girls to essentially play lacrosse year-round.

It gives them more chances to build their skills and to gain exposure, which can be beneficial if they are interested in competing at the college level, she said.

“Lacrosse has grown tremendously within the last decade, especially in areas where most had never heard of the sport unless they were from up north along the east coast,” said the sixth-year coach. “High school lacrosse continues to be one of the top sports played by girls due to its versatility of movements from sports like soccer, basketball, volleyball and hockey, as well as its genuine fun and action-packed atmosphere.”

As the league allows more players, the sport will gain greater exposure and is likely to grow, Baldini said.

“Getting kids into the sport at a young age makes it easier to grow and advance compared to those — who, like me — just started playing when they are introduced to the sport in high school,” she said.

Tampa Titans Tryouts
What: Tryouts for the summer season of the Tampa Titans
When: March 6 and March 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, at the fields
Who: Tryouts open to players currently in seventh grade to 11th grade
Info: Email , or visit https://tampatitanslacrosse.sportngin.com/

By Justin Dargahi

Published February 02, 2022

All-Pasco County fall awards announced (Part Two)

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High school coaches from Pasco County Schools recently announced Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2021-2022 fall sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West divisions.

The following high schools from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were represented in the East: Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

Here is a listing of girls team and individual recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area for cross-country, football, golf, swimming & diving, and volleyball.

NOTE: The Laker/Lutz News published the Boys All-Conference listings in its Jan. 12 edition.

Fall Sports (Girls)

SAC East All-Conference Cross-Country
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Randal Reeves, Sunlake
Runner of the Year: Carlie Ortiz, Cypress Creek

First-Team
Carlie Ortiz, Cypress Creek, sophomore
Abigail Williams, Sunlake, sophomore
Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Sara Ashley, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Ava Schmitt, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
Sara Ellingson, Sunlake, senior
Shelby Viseur, Sunlake, senior

Second-Team
Elyse Alagal, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Avery Pham, Sunlake, sophomore
Virginia Webb, Cypress Creek, senior
Jaiden Wickert, Sunlake, junior
Emma Burleson, Sunlake, senior
Aileen Castillo, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
Ava Adriani, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Madison Poe, Zephyrhills, senior
Trystan Hanly, Pasco, senior
Alexi Benitez, Wesley Chapel, senior

The Land O’ Lakes varsity volleyball team went 25-5 this season en route to its second straight Sunshine Athletic Conference championship title. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School athletics department)

SAC East All-Conference Volleyball
Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes
Coach of the Year: Brittany Collison, Wesley Chapel
Player of the Year: Chloe Danielson, Wesley Chapel

First-Team
Kylie Ciani, Sunlake, senior
Jasmine Christian, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Catie Grimes, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Izabella Horruitiner, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Zoe Van Putten, Sunlake, sophomore
Kayla Baer, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Brooke Ashkenase, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Second-Team
Jenna Ly, Wesley Chapel, junior
Laney Brinson, Cypress Creek, junior
Alice Stryker, Sunlake, junior
Kendyl Okin, Sunlake, sophomore
Emma Letourneau, Pasco, sophomore
Kaitlyn Klemm, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Emma Hatcher, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Honorable Mention
Aamahri Lewis, Zephyrhills, senior

The Sunlake varsity girls golf team finished in 10th place in the 3A state finals. (File)

SAC East All-Conference Golf
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Rob Patterson, Cypress Creek
Golfer of the Year: Alyssa Mixon, Sunlake

First-Team
Alyssa Mixon, Sunlake, sophomore
Taylor Zachary, Sunlake, senior
Tiffany Colin, Cypress Creek, junior
Carmen Phousirith, Cypress Creek, junior
Nikki Watson, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Second-Team
Hailey Stricker, Sunlake, sophomore
Annamarie Ratican, Cypress Creek, junior
Katelyn O’Neil, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
Brooklyn Beckstead, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
Hanna Mathis, Sunlake, senior

Honorable Mention
Brooke Baldus, Zephyrhills, senior
Evelyn Randall, Pasco, senior
Eve Garrett, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

SAC East All-Conference Swimming and Diving
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Karen Westerman, Sunlike
Swimmer of the Year: Lili Hilt, Sunlake
Diver of the Year: Jessica Roehrig

First-Team
200 medley relay: Sunlake — Amber Ewald, senior; Lilli Hilt, senior; Ava Edwards, sophomore; Madi Houck, junior
200 freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, senior
200 individual medley: Lilli Hilt, senior
50 freestyle: Madi Houck, Sunlake, junior
100 butterfly: Lilli Hilt, Sunlake, senior
100 freestyle: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
500 freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, Sunlake, senior
200 freestyle relay: Land O’ Lakes — Catherine Pinkos, senior; Katherine Purcell, freshman; Abigail Hahm, sophomore; Jahzara Ramsey, sophomore
100 backstroke: Madi Houck, Sunlake, junior
100 breaststroke: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
400 freestyle relay: Sunlake — Lilli Hilt, senior; Ava Edwards, sophomore; Amber Ewald, senior; Madi Houck, junior
Diver: Jessica Roehrig, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second-Team
200 medley relay: Land O’ Lakes — Abigail Hahm, sophomore; Catherine Pinkos, senior; Sandali Idippili-Pathiran, sophomore; Jahzara Ramsey, sophomore
200 freestyle: Ava Edwards, Sunlake, sophomore
200 individual medley: Abigail Hahm, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
50 freestyle: Jahzara Ramsey, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
100 butterfly: Ava Edwards, Sunlake, sophomore
100 freestyle: Amber Ewald, Sunlake, senior
500 freestyle: Katherine Purcell, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
200 freestyle relay: Sunlake — RaeAnna Pontliana, sophomore; Ella Dobrzanski, junior; Katie Madley, sophomore; Leah Fonnotto, senior
100 backstroke: Amber Ewald, Sunlake, senior
100 breaststroke: Catherine Pinoks, Land O’ Lakes, senior
400 freestyle relay: Land O’ Lakes — Katherine Purcell, freshman; Ava Adriana, sophomore; Emily Coss, freshman; Sandali Idippili-Pathiran, sophomore
Diver: Isabelle Le-Nguyen, Cypress Creek, junior

Honorable Mention
Victoria Vaile, Wesley Chapel, senior
Kiley Naramore, Cypress Creek, freshman
Kasey Lang, Pasco, sophomore
Alex Bowe-Wootton, Zephyrhills, junior

Published January 19, 2022

Local swimmers make waves at state championships

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Local athletes and teams performed well at the 2021 FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Swimming and Diving Championships, held last month at the Sailfish Splashpark Aquatics Athletics Center, in Stuart.

The Freedom High School girls swimming and diving team finished in fifth place at the 3A state championships last month in Stuart. The squad collected seven medals, including the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay. From left, freshman Alex LaBohn, senior Carly Joerin, senior Michelle Morgan and senior Alexa Valdez Velez. (Courtesy of John Olewski)

Eleven local schools were represented across the four classifications —  Academy at the Lakes (Class 1A), Carrollwood Day School (1A), Cypress Creek High (2A), Wesley Chapel High (2A), Freedom High (3A), Gaither High (3A), Land O’ Lakes High (3A), Sunlake High (3A), Wharton High (3A), Wiregrass Ranch High (3A) and Steinbrenner High (4A).

Two of these programs registered top-10 finishes — the Freedom Patriots girls team finished fifth among the 46 schools competing in 3A, while the Sunlake Seahawks girls team finished eighth in the same classification.

Other noteworthy team showings came on the boys side in 3A — with Freedom notching a 14th place finish and Wiregrass Ranch a 15th place finish, out of 46 schools, respectively.

Freedom had a banner season — its boys and girls squads each won regional titles for the first time in school history — under the guidance of coaches John Olewski and Catherine Wright.

The Steinbrenner High School swimming and diving team was well-represented at this year’s state championships in Stuart. (Courtesy of Steinbrenner High School athletics department)

The squads claimed district and conference titles during the season, too.

“We had a phenomenal season,” Olewski wrote in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. “Assistant Coach Catherine Wright and I are so proud of the Freedom swimmers and divers. The administration, faculty, staff, and students of Freedom High School applaud the Freedom Swim & Dive team members and join them in celebrating their many successes this season.”

Freedom senior Michelle Morgan — a Division I University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill commit —  registered the best individual showing among all area swimmers.

Morgan is a familiar name, for those who follow swimming.

She was one of the state’s top distance swimmers for years and she qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympics Trials in the 400-meter individual medley.

Carrollwood Day School sophomore Adele Sands finished third in the Class 1A 100-yard freestyle (51:50) and fourth in the 1A 200-yard freestyle (1:50.59). (Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School athletics department)

At states, Morgan took gold in the 3A 200-yard individual medley, clocking 2:01.06 to finish ahead of Gainesville High senior Katherine Sammy (2:01.90).

She also won the event last year, posting a 2:00.92.

For reference, the state record in the girls 200-yard individual medley is 1:57.07 set in 2009 by then Countryside High’s Melanie Margalis, who went on become an Olympic relay gold medalist for the U.S. National Team.

Morgan collected more hardware, taking silver in the 3A 500-yard freestyle.

Her time of 4:53.78 trailed only Chiles High senior Stella Watts, who swam in 4:46.86.

She also was a leg on the Patriots’ medal-earning 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relay teams, which finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Other Freedom relay members were seniors Carly Joerin and Alexa Valdez Velez, and freshman Alex LaBohn.

Joerin — a Division I Dartmouth College commit — likewise notched robust individual medalist performances, taking fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:00.03) and fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.56).

The Sunlake High School swimming and diving team earned five individual and relay medals at the state meet. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School athletics department)

Also in 3A, the Sunlake girls tallied five medals (or top-eight finishes).

The Seahawks best showing was the 400-yard freestyle relay, which finished in sixth place with a 3:42.12. The squad consisted of seniors Lillian Hilt, Amber Ewald and Leah Fonnotto, and junior Madison Houck.

Carrollwood Day sophomore Adele Sands was another area standout, in the small-school 1A competition. She took third in the 1A 100-yard freestyle (51:50) and fourth in the 1A 200-yard freestyle.

In the boys’ end of the pool, the highest individual finish came from Gaither freshman Aidan Levine, who took sixth in the 3A 100-yard backstroke (52.85).

Levine also was a leg on Gaither’s 3A 200-meter freestyle relay, which finished 16th (1:33.11).

The next best showing was Wiregrass Ranch senior Noah Porter, who earned seventh in the 3A 100-yard freestyle (48.11).

He also took 11th in the 200-yard individual medley (1:59.12) and was a leg on the team’s 200-yard medley relay (ninth, 1:40.98) and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:21.40).

Altogether, local boys and girls individual and relay teams combined to register 16 medals (top-eight finishes).

Also noteworthy: The girls state 50-yard free record (22.22) set last year by former Steinbrenner High swimmer Lexi Mulvihill remained intact.

The closest to that mark came in the 1A meet, when South Florida HEAT (Home Educated Athletic Teams) sophomore Erika Pelaez posted a 22.29 — .07 behind the record.

Mulvihill is now a freshman scholarship swimmer for Auburn University.

Results among locals at the state meet:

4A Boys
Steinbrenner (tied 41st place, out of 47 schools)

Events:
50-yard freestyle: Gavin Peck, sophomore (disqualified, false start)
100-yard freestyle: Gavin Peck, sophomore (10th, 47.18)

4A Girls
Steinbrenner (22nd place, out of 43 schools)

Events:
200-yard individual medley: Kayla Daley, junior (16th, 2:11.26)
100-yard butterfly: Kayla Daley, junior (14th, 57.69)
100-yard freestyle: Gavriela Daniels, sophomore (15th, 52.96)
200-yard freestyle relay: Charlotte MacGregor, sophomore; Kayla Daley, junior; Gavriela Daniels, sophomore; Abigail Greene, senior (ninth, 1:38.36)

3A Boys
Freedom (14th place, out of 46 schools)

Events:
200-yard medley relay: Martin Ferrebee, junior; Anthony Murashkin, freshman; Gregory Murashkin, freshman; Sean Thatavakorn, freshman (10th, 1:41.27)
200-yard freesyle: Martin Ferrebee, junior (14th, 1:45.62)
200-yard individual medley: Sean Thatavakorn, freshman (15th, 2:00.69)
100-yard freestyle: Sean Thatavakorn, freshman (12th, 48.82)
500-yard freestyle: Martin Ferrebee, junior (10th, 4:41.90)
100-yard breaststroke: Anthony Murashkin, freshman (15th, 1:02.02)
400-yard freestyle relay: Martin Ferrebee junior; Ethan Udagawa, junior; Brandon Thatavakorn, freshman, Sean Thatavakorn, freshman (11th, 3:19.90)

Wiregrass Ranch (15th)
Events:
200-yard medley relay: Parker Munari, senior; Noah Porter, senior; Robert Childers, senior; Kevin Chen, senior (ninth, 1:40.98)
200-yard individual medley: Noah Porter, senior (11th, 1:59.12)
100-yard freestyle: Noah Porter, senior (seventh, 48.11)
400-yard freestyle: Kevin Chen, senior; Robert Childers, senior; Parker Munari, senior; Noah Porter, senior (13th, 3:21.40)

Gaither (tied 31st)
Events:
200-yard freestyle relay: Aidan Levine, freshman; William Acero Clark, senior; Anibal Utrera, senior; Zachary Cannon, senior (16th, 1:33.11)
100-yard backstroke: Aidan Levine, freshman (sixth, 52.85)

Sunlake (tied 31st)
Events:
200-yard freestyle relay: Tien Duong, junior; Jackson Houck, junior; Connor Canfield, sophomore; Alex Thai, junior (13th, 1:32.37)
100-yard breaststroke: Alex Thai, junior (10th, 1:01.04)

Land O’ Lakes (40th)
100-yard butterfly: Michael McCloskey, junior (ninth, 51.83)

3A Girls
Freedom (Fifth, out of 46 schools)
Events:
200-yard medley relay: Michelle Morgan, senior; Alex LaBohn, freshman; Carly Joerin, senior; Alexa Valdez Velez, senior (fourth, 1:49.36)
200-yard individual medley: Michelle Morgan, senior (first, 2:01.51); Carly Joerin, senior (fifth, 2:08.56)
500-yard freestyle: Michelle Morgan, senior (second, 4:53.78); Carly Joerin, senior (fourth, 5:00.03)
200-yard freestyle relay: Carly Joerin, senior; Alexa Valdez Velez, senior; Alex LaBohn, freshman Michelle Morgan, senior (fifth, 1:39.58)
100-yard breaststroke: Alex LaBohn (15th, 1:09.10)

Sunlake (Eighth)
Events:
200-yard medley relay: Amber Ewald, senior; Lillian Hilt, senior; Piyarmard Edwards, sophomore; Madison Houck, junior (seventh, 1:51.26)
200-yard individual medley: Lillian Hilt, senior (seventh, 2:10.31)
50-yard freestyle: Madison Houck, junior (14th, 24.81)
500-yard freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, senior (16th, 5:22.77)
100-yard backstroke: Madison Houck, junior (seventh, 58.77); Lillian Hilt, senior (eighth, 59.57); Amber Ewald, senior (10th, 58.93)
400-yard freestyle relay: Lillian Hilt, senior; Amber Ewald, senior; Leah Fonnotto, senior; Madison Houck, junior (sixth, 3:42.12)

Wiregrass Ranch (28th)
Events:
50-yard freestyle: Maryam Khalil, senior (tied 11th, 24.60)
100-yard breaststroke: Maryam Khalil, senior (seventh, 1:07)

Wharton (37th)
Events:
100-yard breaststroke: Lauren Blevins, sophomore (12th, 1;07.41)

Land O’ Lakes (No points)
Diving: Lillianna Diberadinis, sophomore (20th, 223.55)

Class 2A Boys
No local schools or individual placed finishers

Class 2A Girls
Cypress Creek (No place)
Events:
1-meter diving Isabelle Le-Nguyen (17th, 204.80)

Wesley Chapel (No place)
Events:
1-meter diving: Jessica Roehrig, junior (21st, 126.40)

1A Boys
Academy at the Lakes (34th, out of 38 schools)
Events:
50-yard freestyle: Nathaniel Smith, sophomore (15th, 22.02)
100-yard freestyle: Nathaniel Smith, sophomore (13th, 23.11)

1A Girls
Carrollwood Day School (18th, out of 44 schools)
Events:
200-yard freestyle: Adele Sands, sophomore (fourth, 1:50.59)
100-yard freestyle: Adele Sands, sophomore (third, 51.50)

Published December 01, 2021

Pasco County football all-stars will face off on Dec. 10

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Football bragging rights in Pasco County again are up for grabs — at the upcoming 2021 FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) East-West Classic all-star game.

The seventh annual showcase is slated for Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., at Sunlake High School Field, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The game — organized by the Pasco County Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) — features dozens of the best senior players from 15 county high schools (13 public, two private).

The event is branded as, “the best players from every position, from every school, showcasing their talent.”

Tickets are $10 and can be pre-purchased at any participating high school and at the Sunlake stadium ticket gate on gameday. Tickets also are available online at 2021PascoAllStars.eventbrite.com.

Parking will be $5.

The top senior high school football players in Pasco County will face off in the 2021 Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) East-West Classic all-star game on Dec. 10, at Sunlake High School. The showcase features dozens of the best senior players from 15 county high schools. (File)

Players on the East squad will represent Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills, and Zephyrhills Christian high schools.

Players on the West squad will represent Anclote, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, Fivay, Gulf, Hudson, Sunlake, Mitchell and River Ridge high schools.

Land O’ Lakes head coach Trac Baughn will lead the East squad and Hudson head coach Tim Hicks will guide the West squad.

Baughn steered the Gators to a 9-1 record, playing an independent schedule.

Hicks led the Cobras to a 6-4 mark, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time within district play since 2013.

To select the rosters, coaches from each county high school gather in a “war room” and draft players from every school, and every position.

After much deliberation, the all-star teams get whittled down to 40 players in the East and 40 players in the West.

Wesley Chapel garnered the most All-Star team selections with nine picks, followed by Zephyrhills (eight), Mitchell (seven), River Ridge (seven) and Sunlake (seven), respectively.

The squads are scheduled to begin practices on Nov. 30, where they will devise various plays and strategies.

The idea for a countywide all-star football game was spearheaded several years ago by FCA area director Bob Durham, upon the suggestion of local FCA board of directors. The directors recommended the annual event, pointing to the success of long-established all-star games in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

The Pasco County chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has put on the senior all-star football game every year since 2015. (Courtesy of Fellowship of Christian Athletes-Pasco County)

The local FCA chapter also organizes an annual Pasco County All-Star baseball and softball game in the spring.

The gridiron matchup has proven to be a hit among fans, typically drawing a couple thousand attendees each year.

The all-time series is tied 3-3, though the West team has won the past two years, with scores of  28-0 in 2020 and 23-21 in 2019.

For many players, the showcase provides a chance to perform in front of college recruiters, many of whom attend the game from across the Southeast region.

Though it may signal the last football game ever for some, the event also will feature athletes destined for big-time NCAA Division I FBS football, such as Zephyrhills linebacker Maguire Neal (University of North Carolina at Charlotte verbal commit), Hudson wideout Ladamien Starks (University of Maryland scholarship offer), and Wesley Chapel linebacker Jorden McCaslin (Marshall University scholarship offer), among others.

In addition to the all-star game, players will be recognized at a dinner banquet at Word of Life Fellowship in Hudson, where character awards, courage awards, GPA awards, and various skill awards will be distributed. A “Coach of the Year’” also will be named and voted on by county coaches. An all-star cheerleader team has been assembled for the showcase, too.

The FCA is a 68-year-old ministry in public schools. There are chapters in every high school in Pasco and at five middle schools. Through the many student-led meetings, or “huddles,” that take place on campuses, the FCA works to promote character, integrity, leadership and faith-based principles.

For more information, visit PascoAllStarGame.com, or email Bob Durham at .

Football
East All-Stars
Cypress Creek: Andrew Burgess, Dontrell Clerkley, Colton Corrao, Kione Roberson, Owen Walls
Land O’ Lakes: David Alejandro, Calvin Cockerman, Nick Kleoppel, Xavier Lewis, Hunter Sullivan, Isaiah Tavo
Pasco: Ethan Ayo, Elijah Chilbert, Javon Jeune, Cody Tadlock
Wesley Chapel: Jaylan Blake, Dylan Chana, Sebastian Gutierrez, Ethan Harper, Nehemiah Morgan, Jorden McCaslin, Briac Riles, Ayden Roysdon, Tony Salatino
Wiregrass Ranch: Abram Beer, Nate Kidd, Christian Loaiza, Steven Prevaux, Logan Ridolph, Tucker Schwab
Zephyrhills: TJ Jackson, Tymar McKever, Maguire Neal, Willie Queen, Jackson Rivera, Nick Sheldon, Theotis Smith, Jalen Thomas
Zephyrhills Christian: Austin Henderson, Dontrevius Jackson, Adrian Miller, Donnie Lloyd, Reggie Pry, Demetri Whitehead

East coaches
Head coach: Trac Baughn, Land O’ Lakes
Jason Stokes, Pasco
Cameron Culbertson, Wesley Chapel
Mark Kantor, Wiregrass Ranch
Nick Carroll, Zephyrhills
Mike Smith, Zephyrhills Christian

West All-Stars
Anclote: Gavin Allen, Alec Hale, Daryon James, Quinten Moore
Bishop McLaughlin: Ben Norris
Fivay: Steven Carrol, Zario McCray, Nick Monfre, Melvin Rivera
Gulf: Keonte Adams, Al Blanton, Terrance Henderson, Angel Ortiz
Hudson: Ivan Barahona, Tyler Gauci, Victor Gouveia, Cole Kanehl, Bryan Lindsay, Ladamien Starks, Hunter Young
Mitchell: Adam Buannano, Tyler Geary, Adrian Divcic, Hunter McFarland, Trey Montgomery, Ethan Rice, Deomari Thorpe
River Ridge: Anthony Adams, Mason Cline, John Finch, Tyler Gillespie, Trenton Hawks, Ali Mumtaz, Aiden Schmitz
Sunlake: Owen Campione, Quinn Hewitt, Zeph Johnson, Daniel Lester, Luis Nunez, Kevin Spillane

West coaches
Head coach: Tim Hicks, Hudson
Antony Smith, Anclote
Ken Stills, Bishop McLaughlin
Billy Blair, Fivay
Sean Eperjesi, Gulf
Tim Boggess, Mitchell
Ryan Benjamin, River Ridge
Jordan Gold, Sunlake

Cheerleaders
East All-Stars
Cypress Creek: Faith Welling, Campbell Young
Land O’ Lakes: Peyton Fields, Breana McClung, Paige Randall
Pasco: Haley Enea, Kylie Weiser
Wesley Chapel: Arianna Kiser, Dehlia Lussier
Wiregrass Ranch: Alexis Burns, Chloe Gilligan
Zephyrhills: Emily Kirk, Madison Long
Coach: Ashley Linden, Land O’ Lakes

West All-Stars
Anclote: Crystal Le, Lacey Vey
Bishop McLaughlin: Courtney Deese, Niki Papageorgiou
Mitchell: Hailey Dolen, Colson Gantt
Coach: Mathea Frerichs, Gulf

Pasco County East-West Classic year-by-year results:
2020: West wins 28-0
2019: West wins, 23-21
2018: East wins, 29-22
2017: East wins, 17-14
2016: West wins, 27-21
2015: East wins, 14-2

Published November 17, 2021

Fall football preview: Pasco County

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Fans of the local prep football scene can finally get excited — the 2021 varsity high school season is quickly approaching.

Preseason classics took place Aug. 20, while the regular season kicks off Aug. 27 in the state of Florida.

Here we take a closer look at Pasco County teams in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area —Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic, Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills, and Zephyrhills Christian Academy.

We break down how they stack up for this upcoming campaign, where some teams figure to be powerhouses, while others are in rebuilding mode.

A preview of Hillsborough programs from the coverage area published last week.

Schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area (and their 2020 records):

Pasco County

  • Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (4-2)
  • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Hurricanes (6-4)
  • Cypress Creek High School Coyotes (3-7)
  • Land O’ Lakes High School Gators (1-7)
  • Pasco High School Pirates (5-6)
  • Sunlake High School Seahawks (2-6)
  • Wesley Chapel High School Wildcats (5-4)
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls (4-5)
  • Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs (8-3)
  • Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors (8-3)

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (eight-man)
Coach: Shawn Brown, eighth year
The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats appear to be in retooling mode following the graduations of numerous impact players, most notably veteran dual-threat quarterback Jalen Brown, who anchored the program for five seasons (starting as an eighth-grader) and won back-to-back eight-man state titles in 2017 and 2018. (Brown now will be playing collegiate basketball at NCAA Division II Tiffin University in Ohio.) At least one player to watch is junior defensive end David Scamporino-Blount, who posted 28 tackles (including 6.5 for loss) and 4.5 sacks in six games last season.

 

 

 

 

 

Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes (3A-2)
Coach: Ken Stills, second year
Following three consecutive losing seasons, head coach Ken Stills helped turn things around for the Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes in 2020, guiding the program to a 6-4 mark and runner-up in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC). (Though two of its wins came via forfeit.)

Building upon last year’s success could prove difficult, though, as its 34-man roster includes just four seniors.

The program will miss several impact players including All-State quarterback Adrian Miller (transfer), starting tailback Dontrevius Jackson (transfer) and cornerback Malik Giles (graduated), to name a few.

Another challenge to navigate — the Hurricanes are advancing from the SSAC to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).

On the bright side, Stills may be able to coach his way through it.

After all, he played six NFL seasons from 1985-1990 and brings professional coaching experience from the United Indoor Football and XFL, as well as the nationally recognized IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Cypress Creek Coyotes (5A-9)
Coach: Michael Johnson, fifth year
Cypress Creek comes off a disappointing 3-7 season due in part to a really challenging schedule that featured local powerhouses like Mitchell, Tampa Catholic and Zephyrhills.

Working in the team’s favor in 2021 is an experienced group of upperclassmen headlined by senior quarterback Owen Walls, who completed 54% of his throws for 1,233 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games last season.

Several of Walls’ top targets return, including leading receiver Dontrell Clerkley (29 receptions, 427 yards, six touchdowns), Merrick Simmons (27 catches, 331 yards, six touchdowns) and Dernere Jones (11 catches, 166 yards), among others.

“He’s loaded with weapons on the outside, we’ve got a really deep backfield; he’s going to have a lot of options,” Coyotes head coach Mike Johnson said of his quarterback earlier this month, at North Suncoast prep football media day.

The Coyotes implemented a new playbook, too, since last season.

The coach noted players “put a lot of time in over the summer” familiarizing themselves with the playbook’s concepts and schemes.

Altogether, Johnson said the team is showing “cohesiveness and consistency” in early season practices. “We got better as a team,” he said.

The Coyotes move up from Class 4A to 5A, joining a district that includes Hudson, Brooksville Nature Coast, Weeki Wachee, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

They open the season with a home game against Estero Bonita Springs High, who went 3-6 last year.

Land O’ Lakes Gators (Independent)
Coach: Trac Baughn, second year
Land O’ Lakes Gators head coach Trac Baughn made the curious decision to go independent this year, rather than play a Class 7A slate.

The move is based, in part, to give a youthful roster chock-full of freshmen and sophomores more opportunities to have success and compete game-to-game, rather than get discouraged by a daunting large-school schedule.

After all, the team went just 1-7 last year and was outscored by a 268-72 margin.

At North Suncoast media day, Baughn characterized the independent route as “the best decision for our program at this time.”

There’s still much to be learned about the complexion of this team, as Baughn noted he’s unsure of where the team’s calling card lies, be it offense or defense. “I really don’t know at this point what the strength would be,” he said. “We’re still trying to find ourselves a little bit on both sides.”

In any case, Baughn knows what he’s doing, given that he brings nearly three decades of coaching high school and college football, mostly throughout Mississippi.

Also during media day, Gators players emphasized fellow teammates have entered the year stronger, in better shape and generally positive vibes surrounding the program overall.

Pasco Pirates (6A-5)
Coach: Jason Stokes, third year
The Pasco Pirates have methodically built momentum the last two seasons under the guidance of Jason Stokes, who’s trying to steer the program back to its first winning season since 2014.

Stokes has a decorated resume of doing that over his career, having led three other prep programs to playoff appearances — Bloomingdale, Gaither and Indian Rocks Christian high schools.

The Pirates look to build off a defense which allowed 20.5 points per game, that registered two shutouts and held three other teams to eight points or fewer.

Big responsibility will be given to senior inside linebacker Ethan Ayo, senior outside linebacker/defensive end Javon Jeune, and senior defensive tackle/guard Cody Tadlock, among others.

The Pirates have one of the toughest schedules in all of Pasco County this season. There aren’t many breathers with contests against Nature Coast Tech (8-2 record in 2020), Hernando (8-2), Ocala Vanguard (8-3), Lake Gibson (12-2) and Zephyrhills (8-3).

Sunlake Seahawks (6A-9)
Coach: Trey Burdick, third year
The Sunlake Seahawks expect to make significant strides under third-year starting quarterback Kevin Spillane, who completed 51% of his throws for 873 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games last season.

Sunlake head coach Trey Burdick heaped heavy praise on the senior signal-caller, noting his leadership and work ethic qualities, plus combination of strength, speed and understanding of the game. “One of the hardest kids I’ve ever been around,” Burdick said of Spillane during this month’s North Suncoast media day. “Anything he doesn’t have naturally, he works his tail off to earn it.”

Spillane’s veteran experience further allows the coaching staff to implement tempo, motion and numbers advantages at the point of attack, too, the coach explained.

Besides Spillane, the program shouldn’t lack for depth in the case of attrition, with some 80-plus players expected on the roster.

“We’re excited,” Burdick said. “We feel very confident that this year we’ll be competitive in every game and find ourselves in the end of a game with a chance to win.”

Wesley Chapel Wildcats (5A-9)
Coach: Tony Egan, sixth year
Wesley Chapel head coach Tony Egan is motivated to lead his program to greater heights — following a 5-4 mark last season and back-to-back 5-5 campaigns in 2018 and 2019.

Though the Wildcats technically made the playoffs in 2020 — like every other team under new COVID-19 rules —  the coach is out for a more meritorious postseason berth this time around.

“Last year, people can say it was our first year we went to the playoffs,” Egan said during North Suncoast media day earlier this month. “It really wasn’t, because everyone made the playoffs, so I don’t feel any accomplishment from that.”

“It’s time for us to turn that around and do a lot better and make it to the playoffs, and win a playoff game — that’s our main goal. Our immediate goal is to get to the playoffs and win a game this year.”

The veteran coach is bullish on this year’s Wildcats group, given a hefty senior class of skill players and offensive linemen.

With that, Wesley Chapel is installing a run-heavy offensive attack — therefore steering away from the spread looks of the last few years.

Said Egan, “I think that this year we’re going to surprise some people with what we’re doing, we’re really getting out of that whole, ‘Spread it out, get cute on offense thing.’ It’s coming at you. It won’t be a secret in a week, so I might as well say it right now, we’re going to pound the rock, man, that’s what we’re all about.”

Defensively, it doesn’t hurt the Wildcats to have one of the area’s top linebackers in senior Jorden McCaslin, a bonafide Division I FBS prospect who recently picked up a scholarship offer from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Wiregrass Ranch Bulls (7A-10)
Coach: Mark Kantor, seventh year
Wiregrass Ranch looks to rebound from a 4-5 mark and a season that ended prematurely due to a COVID-19 confirmation.

The program seems poised for a breakout, thanks to one of the Tampa Bay area’s more potent offenses — which racked up at least 41 points in four its games last season.

Senior quarterback Rocco Becht and junior wideout Bryson Rodgers are arguably the most lethal duo in Pasco County — as two of the most highly-touted Division I FBS prospects in the Tampa Bay area.

Becht — an Iowa State verbal commit — completed 53.4% of his throws for 1,550 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven picks last season.

Rodgers — who caught 47 of those passes for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns — is a consensus four-star recruit with more than a dozen college scholarship offers, including blue-chip programs such as Alabama, Penn State and Virginia Tech, among others.

Becht should have ample time to go through progressions and reads, with a more experienced offensive line buoyed by senior blindside Cristian Loaiza, who measures 6-foot-5, 320-pounds.

Bulls head coach Mark Kantor otherwise commended his team for its focus and preparation during early season practices, as well as senior leadership, during North Suncoast media day.

Zephyrhills Bulldogs (5A-9)
Coach: Nick Carroll, sixth year
The Zephyrhills Bulldogs have been a model of excellence over the past five years under head coach Nick Carroll — going a combined 42-14 record in that time, with no losing seasons either.

Following last season’s respectable 8-3 run, expectations again remain high for a Bulldogs squad that offers balance on both sides of the ball.

Senior Jaxon Rivera returns as the team’s starting quarterback (53.5% completion rate, 724 yards, 11 touchdowns, four interceptions), along with a solid complement of weapons such as leading receiver Timothy Jackson (14 receptions, 308 yards, four touchdowns) and second-leading rusher Jaylin Thomas (89 carries for 630 yards, 11 touchdowns).

On defense, middle linebacker Theotis Smith and All-State defensive end McGuire Neal return as the team’s leading tackler and sack artist. Smith posted 85 tackles, while Neal posted 13 sacks, respectively.

All told, Zephyrhills appears to be the early frontrunner to claim Class 5A, District 9, which also features Cypress Creek, Hudson, Nature Coast, Weeki Wachee and Wesley Chapel high schools, respectively.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors (2A-2)
Coach: Mike Smith, seventh year
Zephyrhills Christian is poised to keep momentum going from last season’s 8-3 mark — and continue its streak of four straight playoff berths.

The Warriors have proved they can not only defeat smaller private schools, but larger public schools as well — handily downing Mulberry (34-2), Hudson (42-9) and Sunlake (28-17) high schools last season alone.

Besides several key returnees, the Warriors added even more playmakers to the fold, headlined by dual-threat All-State quarterback Adrian Miller III and tailback/linebacker Dontrevius Jackson, who both transferred in from Bishop McLaughlin.

Miller III completed 60.3% of his throws for 768 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three picks last season for Bishop McLaughlin, while adding another 1,003 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns with his legs.

Jackson posted 973 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns on offense, and 37 tackles and two interceptions on defense for his former team.

Jackson’s also one of the state’s fastest sprinters.

At the 2021 FHSAA Class 1A Track & Field State Championships, he finished fourth overall in the 200-meter dash (22.19 seconds) and fifth overall in the 100-meter dash (10.83 seconds).

This should further boost a team that already was averaging nearly 29 points per game last season.

Adding to the program’s winning swagger is a brand-new artificial turf football field, and weight room, among other frills.

Published August 25, 2021

Local prep athletes shined during 2021 spring sports season

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As the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most, if not all, of last year’s high school spring sports season, these local athletes and teams made up for lost time in 2021.

Here’s a closer look at some of the more notable moments from the recent prep spring sports season within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area — games, events and achievements that couldn’t be celebrated in spring 2020.

Pasco tennis standout secures second state title
If not for the coronavirus outbreak last spring, Pasco High varsity boys’ tennis standout Logan Haga very well could’ve been a three-time state champion.

Pasco High tennis standout Logan Haga, a multi-time state champion (File)

Two will have to do though, when he won the 2021 Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) 3A individual singles state title, downing St. Petersburg High sophomore Peter Keber in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs in late April.

He also defeated Pines Charter’s Sumedh Edavalluri in the finals (6-1, 6-2), Viera’s Leo Da Silva in the semifinals (6-3, 6-2) and Matanzas’ Ilya Korolev in the quarterfinals (6-0, 3-6, 11-9).

Haga also won the 3A individual singles crown as a sophomore in 2019, when he beat Venice’s Benjamin Zipay in the championship draw.

The local tennis star next will be competing at Division I Jacksonville University, in Alabama.

He’s set to join a diverse Jacksonville roster, with new teammates hailing from California, Japan, Italy, England, Ecuador and Slovenia, among other locales.

Haga is a four-star recruit by Tennis Recruiting Network, ranked as the state’s No. 25 prospect and No. 139 nationally.

He’s certainly left his mark at a program not really known as a tennis powerhouse like Wiregrass Ranch or private sports academy like Saddlebrook Prep. He trains regularly at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center.

Land O’ Lakes’ softball finishes state-runner up
After playing in only 11 games during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, the Land O’ Lakes High varsity girls softball program made up for lost time this year.

The Land O’ Lakes varsity girls softball team finished runner-up at the FHSAA Class 5A state championship. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School Athletics)

They finished the 2021 season with a 24-8 mark and earned state runner-up honors after losing 7-6 to Fort Myers High in the Class 5A state championship in Clermont on May 21.

Their run through the state playoffs was impressive, downing Seminole (8-0 win), River Ridge (3-1 win), Palmetto (6-3 win) and Pace (5-4 win) high schools, up until the loss in the title game. The championship game defeat came in excruciating variety, having lead by 3-0 in the top of the first inning, held a 4-3 lead in the fourth and a 6-3 lead in the sixth, until a combination of walks and errors did them in.

Other area teams should beware in the years to come — most of the Gators top contributors are returning next year and beyond, including freshman ace Mia Fields (1.97 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 12 complete games in 96 innings).

The program, led by head coach Mitch Wilkins, has been a powerhouse for some time, also winning a state title in 2017.

Area athletes collect state track and field hardware
Like all other spring sports during 2020, track and field athletes didn’t get an opportunity to showcase their abilities against Florida’s best as competitions abruptly shut down in mid-March last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Land O’ Lakes High field athlete Issac Tavo won state titles in the discus and shotput events, in the Class 3A championships. (File)

But local performers and schools made up for lost time during the 2021 Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) state track and field championships, at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.

More than two dozen boy and girl athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area ran, jumped and tossed their way to podium honors, or top-eight finishes, across all classifications at the state meet on May 7 and May 8. (Several others earned top-16 overall finishes in the finals, as well.)

The performances included a handful of individual and relay gold medalists.

Land O’ Lakes senior Isaac Tavo showed his pure strength, taking first-place crowns in both the 3A boys shot put (57-7) and discus (154-0). Tavo bested Tallahassee Rickards sophomore La’Darion Dudley in the shot put (55-1.5) and Milton senior Dominic Lucas in the shot put (151-5), respectively.

Gaither senior Elizabeth Lydon claimed first in the 3A girls pole vault, clearing 11-9.75, narrowly edging Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy sophomore Sydney Nicholson, who cleared the same height but lost on fewer misses.

Sunlake senior Daniella Vance earned top crown in the 3A girls javelin, tossing 119-6, to beat the event’s second-place finisher, Harmony junior Thora Gaston (117-11).

Local schools that earned points in the state meet for their respective classification included Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Cypress Creek, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wharton, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

Steinbrenner runner named Academic All-State
Steinbrenner High School senior distance runner Zachary Harrigan in April was named to the 27th annual Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team — a recognition program presented by the FHSAA that honors 24 graduating student-athletes (12 boys, 12 girls) who excel in both athletics and academics.

Steinbrenner distance runner Zachary Harrigan (File)

As part of the designation, Harrigan receives a $1,700 scholarship and commemorative medallion.

Harrigan owned a 4.0 GPA and finished top of his class. He lettered in cross-country and track all four years of high school, and was a member of Steinbrenner’s 2019 FHSAA cross-country state championship team. He also was a 2018 state qualifier in track and field.

Off the course and out of the classroom, Harrigan earned more than 225 community service hours working with the Humane Society, Idlewild Baptist Church and Feeding Tampa Bay. He plans on studying pre-medicine at Auburn University in Alabama this fall.

To be eligible for Academic All-State, students must be a graduating senior with a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA, and must have earned a minimum of two varsity letters in at least two different sports during their junior and senior year.

Just three other Tampa Bay area student-athletes were bestowed the honor — Plant High’s Brooks Bak and Hartley Hill, and Clearwater Central Catholic’s Kasey Singer.

Spring football returns
Last year’s prep spring football season in Florida was over before it ever got started, when the FHSAA then in late April officially announced the cancellation of all affiliated sports for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.

The Cypress Creek High varsity football team looked to take advantage of the return of the spring football practice season. (Courtesy of Cypress Creek High School Athletics)

Normalcy returned in 2021 — with gridiron followers again having the chance to see the development of area players and teams, some with new coaches, transfers and different classifications.

Florida high schools were allowed a maximum of 20 practice sessions from April 26 through May, according to FHSAA guidelines.

The first allowable day for full-contact tackling was May 1. Spring games and jamborees were played throughout late May.

The additional practice period provides players an opportunity to have a routine to add strength and conditioning in the weight room, as well as speed, agility, tackling and game strategy drills, under coaches’ supervision.

Schools in Laker/Lutz News coverage area (and their 2020 records):

Hillsborough County: Carrollwood Day School Patriots (5-5), Freedom High School Patriots (0-9), Gaither High School Cowboys (11-1), Steinbrenner High School Warriors (4-3) and Wharton High School Wildcats (7-2)

Pasco County: Academy at the Lakes Wildcats (4-2), Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Hurricanes (4-4), Cypress Creek High School Coyotes (3-7), Land O’ Lakes High School Gators (1-7), Pasco High School Pirates (5-6), Sunlake High School Seahawks (2-6), Wesley Chapel High School Wildcats (5-4), Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls (4-5), Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs (8-3), Zephyrhills Christian Academy Warriors (8-3)

Pasco All-Star Game back on the diamond
The annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Pasco County All-Star Baseball/Softball Game brings together the best senior players, from every school, to compete in one last game for bragging rights between the county’s east and west sides.

The fourth annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Pasco County Senior All-Star Baseball/Softball Game returned to Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School. (File)

It returned this year after being canceled in 2020, due to the coronavirus crisis.

Dozens of baseball and softball players were selected for the event, representing the following schools: Academy at the Lakes, Anclote, Bishop McLaughlin, Cypress Creek, Gulf, Fivay, Hudson, Mitchell, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, River Ridge, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

The May 22 games were played simultaneously on adjacent baseball and softball fields at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, in Spring Hill.

The West All-Stars reigned supreme over the East All-Stars in both contests, winning 10-0 in softball and 11-8 in baseball in extra innings.

While winning was important, to players and coaches alike, the showcase was more about capping four years of high school and relishing the prep ballfields one final time with families, friends and teammates, in a relaxed setting.

Rosters were finalized midway through the regular season, where all-star baseball and softball coaches deliberated the best collection of players through a draft format, taking into account offense, defense, and pitching metrics, among other factors.

The all-star event also included an awards dinner banquet the night before, as well as a couple tranquil meetings and practices in the week leading up. The activities led to lasting memories and positive vibes for all involved.

Published June 30, 2021

All-Star showcase offers lasting memory for Pasco seniors

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For some, it might represent the final time they compete in an organized baseball or softball game.

For others, it’s a confidence-building stepping stone for the launch of their respective collegiate athletics careers.

Academy at the Lakes All-Star East catcher Josiah Bayona dives for a foul tip during game action against the West All-Stars played at Bishop McLaughlin High School. The West beat the East in extra innings. (Fred Bellet)

For all, it was a special event to cherish and remember.

The fourth annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Pasco County All-Star Baseball and Softball Game brings together the best senior players, from every school, to compete in one last game for bragging rights between the county’s east and west sides.

About 45 baseball players and 26 softball players were selected for the event, representing the following schools: Academy at the Lakes, Anclote, Bishop McLaughlin, Cypress Creek, Gulf, Fivay, Hudson, Mitchell, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, River Ridge, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

Besides four designated all-star head coaches, coaches from just about every program pitch in to assist in some form or another.

The May 22 games were played simultaneously on adjacent baseball and softball fields at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, in Spring Hill.

Mitchell High School’s No. 12 Keaton Howard heads back to the dugout after slamming his second home run, ending the extra-inning game against the East.

The West All-Stars reigned supreme over the East All-Stars in both contests.

The West claimed victory in the softball game on a 10-0 mercy rule.

Baseball offered more hijinks, as the West won 11-8 on a three-run, walk-off blast from Mitchell’s Keaton Howard in the bottom of the ninth inning to break an 8-8 tie.

While winning was important, to players and coaches alike, the showcase was more about capping four years of high school and relishing the prep ballfields one final time with families, friends and teammates, in a relaxed setting.

Consider it a swan song, of sorts.

“Think about it — this’ll be the last game that these seniors play, not only for the school year, but for their whole high school career, so we’re sending them out with a big bang,” said FCA Pasco area director Bob Durham, who coordinates the all-star showcase.

Fivay High School All-Star West’s Samantha Proctor gets a hit against the All-Star East team during game action at Bishop McLaughlin High School. The West beat the East, 10-0.

“It’s the best players from every school, getting to play with each other, but against the other side of the county, so they’re pretty excited about it, and they’re ready for their summer, but they’re ready for one more game.

“We just try to make it a special experience for these kids and the parents, and the fans and the community. Every school in the county’s involved, so they try to promote it for a week or two before the game to get some attendance out here.”

Rosters were finalized midway through the regular prep season, where all-star baseball and softball coaches deliberated the best collection of players through a draft format, taking into account offense, defense, and pitching metrics, among other factors.

These coaches “sell their players” to one another, Durham said, until they can all agree upon a final roster. Usually, this exercise takes place in a physical meeting room, but this year the selections were made in a virtual setting on Zoom.

The all-star event also included an awards dinner banquet the night before, as well as a couple tranquil meetings and practices in the week leading up.

In the awards ceremony, Durham explained athletes were recognized not only for on-the-field accolades and statistics — like countywide leaders in strikeouts and RBIs — but also in exhibiting FCA’s core values of service, integrity, teamwork and overall excellence; athletes gunning for these awards submitted personal stories of how they exemplified these qualities in their day-to-day life.

Recognition was bestowed for highest GPA and character, as examples.

“We want to honor those values in kids,” said Durham, “so we make it special, not only in just a game with skill, but in virtues and character.”

Putting rivalries aside to have fun
Wiregrass Ranch varsity softball coach Yamani Vazquez said the all-star shindig is an opportunity to put school rivalries aside and celebrate together in pre-game festivities and practices.

Fivay High School’s All-Star West player Erik Scott leads off second base, in the extra-inning game.

Ironically, Vazquez’s daughter, Hailey was a standout pitcher at Cypress Creek High School — a rival of the program he coaches.

“This is the moment that everyone comes together,” said Vazquez, who’s involved in the event each year. “They were really in high spirits. It was like they knew each other and were really talking to each other. It’s good, because it brings all teams together, and that’s what it should be, you bring the best players from all the teams, to play together.”

Wesley Chapel varsity softball coach Lauren Pasquale — serving as East All-Star head softball coach — likened the event as “a fun last hurrah” and “the prom of the softball season.”

Pasquale graduated from Zephyrhills in 2011 and went on to play Division I softball at College of Charleston in South Carolina.

A decade ago, she competed in the prestigious statewide Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All-Star Classic.

Pasquale didn’t know many of her fellow peers in that event, so there’s something extra special about having a county-specific sendoff for high school seniors, she said.

“Looking back, it would’ve been cool to do this,” Pasquale said, “because it was more kids that you grew up with and played with, so it would’ve been more like a community feel versus a one-in-the-number kind of feel.”

Mitchell High School’s Keaton Howard’s second home run ended the extra-inning game at the fourth annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Pasco County All-Star baseball game. Girls played in the All-Star softball game on an adjacent field.

Wiregrass Ranch varsity baseball coach Marshall McDougall, serving as East All-Star head coach, also characterized the event in a good light: “I think it’s one last time for the kids to go out and have fun, with kids they’ve grown up with, so they’re all the same age, they all play in this area.

“A lot of kids have played together at younger ages and then with different schools, so I think it’s a really good experience they get to play together again, and their parents get to see them play one last time, in a relaxed setting, there’s no stress, and just have some fun.”

A pair of mid-week practices that coaches organized wasn’t about structured drills or high-intensity workouts, but more so about positive messaging as players head off to new endeavors.

McDougal put it like this: “As coaches, you just like to think you can leave an impression on all the kids, about, ‘Hey, baseball’s supposed to be played for the love of the game, have fun with it, you learn a lot of life lessons from it, so just play baseball.'”

That was the general mindset for Cypress Creek pitcher/shortstop Zachary Buelk leading into the contest.

The 6-foot-4 Buelk — primed for college ball at Georgia’s Thomas University — steered Cypress Creek to a 20-6 mark and the 4A regional quarterfinal in early May, posting a 0.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.

“We didn’t get as far as we wanted to (with Cypress Creek),” he said, “so it’s fun to come out here and have one last game, and not really have stress on it; just come out and just play baseball.”

East All-Star teammate Josiah Bayona was a super utility standout at Academy at the Lakes, leading the team in batting average (.361) and stolen bases (33) this season, among other categories.

The county all-star happening has “just been a great experience” for him.

“It’s sort of like one last high school game — a great end to how it should be, compared to the teams here who ended their seasons early, due to just the postseason (losses),” said Bayona, who’s signed with NAIA Webber International University in Babson Park.

He added: “Some of these guys I played with when I was in Little League when we were 7. You know, it’s fun seeing these guys as we’re growing up and now that we’re seniors.”

Academy at the Lakes right-handed utility Vanessa Alexander will continue her softball career at Brown University, a Division I Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island.

Getting picked for the all-star showcase is “really special,” Alexander said, though she acknowledged mixed emotions gearing up for a move some 1,300 miles north of Land O’ Lakes.

“It’s really exciting, but also kind of sad,” Alexander said, before the game. “It’s bittersweet, since this is my last high school game ever, but I’m really excited…to get together and play one last time.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic still on many minds, Alexander said, “I’m really fortunate and glad we were able to play a full season and play this all-star game, which I think is really awesome that they put on every year.”

Sunlake star outfielder Kendra Falby likewise expressed appreciation to organizers for rebooting the all-star event after it was wiped out last year amid the peak of the coronavirus outbreak.

“Because of COVID, we haven’t really gotten to do much, so it’s been nice to come together and put something on for us, so it’s been like super special,” Falby said.

Falby has already made quite a name for herself in the sport on a widespread scale — a Division I University of Florida signee and member of the 2019 Canadian U-19 women’s national team. The 5-foot-7 lefty hitter also boasted the state’s seventh-highest batting average (.678) along with eight doubles, six triples and 29 steals, across 18 contests this past year.

Despite garnering more notable accolades elsewhere, being involved with the local showcase still holds meaning for Falby.

“It’s cool,” she said, “because working hard all season and then it paying off and being a part of a very select few, it’s an honor.”

Pasco County All-Star rosters

Baseball-East team
Head coach: Marshall McDougall, Wiregrass Ranch

Academy at the Lakes
Josiah Bayona
Palmer Bringgold
Alex Carmichael
Jacob Syversen

Bishop McLaughlin
Austin Affrunti
Tanner Boccabello
Jacob Duncan

Cypress Creek
Zach Browne
Zach Buelk
Christian Mendez-Rosado
Anthony Menendez
Peyton Petry

Pasco
Bryce Braxton
Robert Hoffman
Lane Mercer
Brian Schildt

Wesley Chapel
Austin Coultas
Tyler Sullivan
Josh Wollerman

Wiregrass Ranch
Jackson Stebleton

West team
Head coach: Howard Chittum, Mitchell

Anclote
Lucas Galati

Gulf
Ian Burchfield

Hudson
Peter Larkey
Tanner Wohlfiel

Fivay
Will Morrison
Erik Scott
Billy Young

Land O’ Lakes
Brian Holliday
Justin Pimentel
Jacob Ward
Hayden Woods

Mitchell
Anderson Adler
Ezra Brennan
James Hill
Keaton Howard

River Ridge
Nick Cotugno
Austin Erickson
Dillon Linares
Tony Luciano

Sunlake
Dylan Broderick
Kory Doerr
Kyle Doran
Giovanni Felix
Collin Robinson
Myles Vacharasin

Softball-East team
Head coach: Lauren Pasquale, Wesley Chapel

Academy at the Lakes
Vanessa Alexander

Bishop McLaughlin
Samantha Bremer

Cypress Creek
Emma Coon
Hailey Vazquez

Land O’ Lakes
Gracie Stanley

Pasco
Hailee Lethco
Ally Jender
Mackenzie Petty

Wesley Chapel
Jillian Torres

Zephyrhills
Laila Huffman
Aleah Killebrew
Gisele Navarra

West team
Head coach: Mark Williams, Gulf

Anclote
Ashley Morrell

Fivay
Samantha Proctor

Gulf
Reanna Wilson

Mitchell
Alandre Coure

River Ridge
Liberty Argudin
Brooke Blankenship
Giulia Desiderio
Katey Hauschen
Laila Mannion
Keira Wierzbowski

Sunlake
Michelle Busot
Kendra Falby
Mikayla Hoschak
Peyton Welch

Published June 23, 2021

Pasco All-Conference girls spring awards announced

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High school coaches from Pasco County Schools recently announced Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2020-2021 spring sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West divisions.

The following high schools from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were represented in the East: Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

Here is a listing of girls teams and individual recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area for lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track and field.

(NOTE: The Laker/Lutz News published the Boys All-Conference listings in its May 26 edition.)

Spring Sports (Girls)

The Cypress Creek High varsity girls lacrosse team earned a conference title en route to a 15-5 record this spring. (Courtesy of Jason Alvis)

SAC All-Conference Girls Lacrosse
Team Champion: Cypress Creek
Coach of the Year: Jason Alvis, Cypress Creek
Offensive Player of the Year: Luna Khatib, Wiregrass Ranch
Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Young, Mitchell

First Team
Luna Khatib, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
Chloe Norman, Land O’ Lakes, junior
Izzy Eby, Sunlake, sophomore
Maggie Mashke, Pasco, sophomore
Eva Risinger, Mitchell, sophomore
Avery Smith, Cypress Creek, sophomore
Grace Young, Mitchell, senior
Miranda Garcia, Cypress Creek, junior
Olivia Chappie, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Brianna Segars, Cypress Creek, senior
May Crisostomo, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Alexa Dusch, Mitchell, senior

Second Team
Megan Holleran, Wesley Chapel, freshman
Paige Peters, Mitchell, sophomore
Liberty Mermarian, Cypress Creek, junior
Sophia D’Amore, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
Izzy Colon, River Ridge, sophomore
Kenzie Wilson, River Ridge, sophomore
Asja Miles, Pasco, senior
Olivia Dusch, Mitchell, sophomore
Caroline Johnson, Mitchell, sophomore
Kendall Smith, Cypress Creek, sophomore

The Cypress Creek varsity softball team earned a conference title, district title and was a regional semifinalist this season. The team finished its showy campaign with a 16-6 record. (Courtesy of Cypress Creek High School Athletics)

SAC East All-Conference Girls Softball
Team Champion: Cypress Creek High School
Coach of the Year: Jennelle Day, Cypress Creek
Player of the Year: Kendra Falby, Sunlake

First Team
Pitcher: Hailey Vazquez, Cypress Creek, senior
Catcher: Emma Nixon, Land O’ Lakes, junior
Infielder: Mandy Schwartz, Cypress Creek, junior
Infielder: Nehanda Lewis, Land O’ Lakes, junior
Infielder: Ashley Garrison, Wesley Chapel, senior
Infielder: Kylee Johnson, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
Outfielder: Kendra Falby, Sunlake, senior
Outfielder: Briana Baer, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
Outfielder: Kiersten Stevens, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
Utility: Alexia Littleton, Wesley Chapel, junior

Sunlake High senior outfielder Kendra Falby was named 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Softball Player of the Year. The University of Florida signee finished the spring campaign batting .678 with 14 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases in 18 games. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School)

Second Team
Pitcher: Mia Fields, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
Catcher: Larken Maseda, Sunlake, junior
Infielder: Aliana Mercado, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
Infielder: Kelsey Kadlub, Pasco, senior
Infielder: Bella Sanchez, Sunlake, senior
Infielder: Jillian Hudson, Cypress Creek, junior
Outfielder: Bella Mathis, Zephyrhills, junior
Outfielder: Ahmari Arca, Wesley Chapel, freshman
Outfielder: Emma Coon, Cypress Creek, senior
Utility: Mikayla Hoschack, Sunlake, senior

SAC East All-Conference Girls Tennis
Team Champion: Pasco High School
Coach of the Year: Michael Wilks, Pasco
Player of the Year: Alex Barath, Pasco

First Team
Natalia Rivera, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Alex Barath, Pasco, senior
Kasey Lang, Pasco, freshman
Sydney West, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
Kobi Page, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Second Team
Madison Meeker, Pasco, sophomore
Chloe Marton, Sunlake, senior
Emma Franken, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Navaeh McCullough, Zephyrhills, sophomore
Susie Rom, Pasco, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Adelaide Ward, Cypress Creek, junior
Piper Dunn, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Wiregrass Ranch High School junior Catherine Fleming was named 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Track Athlete of the Year. In addition to winning individual conference titles in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and high jump, she also was a qualifer at the 4A state championship meet. (Courtesy of Speed Star Track/Running Club)

SAC East All-Conference Girls Track & Field
Team Champion: Sunlake High School
Coach of the Year: Brett Hodros, Sunlake
Track Athlete of the Year: Catherine Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch
Field Athlete of the Year: Dani Vance, Sunlake

First Team
4×800 relay: Sunlake — Caitlyn Culpepper, junior; Cathryne Newport, senior; Ashley Spires, senior; Shelby Viseur, junior
110 hurdles: Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
100 dash: Tiffany Colin, Cypress Creek, sophomore
1,600 run: Breanna Preiser, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
4×100 relay: Land O’ Lakes — Nadine Howard, senior; Layla Martinez, freshman; Kylie Denney, senior; Nehanda Lewis, junior
400 dash: Khalil Maryam, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
300 hurdles: Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
800 run: Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes, junior
200 dash: Tiffany Colin, Cypress Creek, sophomore
3,200 run: Breanna Preiser, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
4×400 relay: Sunlake — Jacinda Smith, sophomore; Ashley Spires, senior; Lizzie Epps, junior; Cathryne Newport, senior
Shot put: Giany Ruiz, Sunlake, freshman
Pole vault: Lizzie Epps, Sunlake, junior
High jump: Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior
Long jump: LaTia Dove, Wesley Chapel, junior
Triple Jump: Taylor Graces, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
Discus: McKenna Gilpin, Sunlake, junior
Javelin: Dani Vance, Sunlake, senior

Sunlake High senior Dani Vance, left, was named 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Field Athlete of the Year. She won a 3A state title in javelin, tossing 119-6. Also pictured is Sunlake varsity girls track coach Brett Hodros, who was named 2021 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Track Coach of the Year. The Sunlake girls track program won conference and district titles this season. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

Second Team
4×800 relay: Land O’ Lakes — Sara Ashley, junior; Aileen Castillo, freshman; Ava Adriana, freshman; Maranda Hildebrand, junior
110 meter: Jada Cole, Land O’ Lakes, senior
100 dash: Layla Martinez, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
1,600 run: Carlie Ortiz, Cypress Creek, freshman
4×100 relay: Wesley Chapel — Annalise Rogers, junior; Remiyah Harris, junior; Ameria Christopher, senior; La Tia Dove, junior
400 dash: Llanes Maya, Zephyrhills, junior
300 hurdles: Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, senior
800 run: Caitlyn Culpepper, Sunlake, junior
200 dash: LaTia Dove, Wesley Chapel, junior
3,200 run: Abigail Williams, Sunlake, freshman
4×400 relay: Wesley Chapel — Annalise Rogers, junior; Remiyah Harris, junior; Katherine Kirkwood, junior; LaTia Dove, junior
Shot put: Laylah Kibler, Sunlake, senior
Pole vault: Jenifer Estrada, Sunlake, freshman
High jump: Laylah Kibler, Sunlake, senior
Long jump: Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, senior
Triple jump: Emily Wynacht, Sunlake, junior
Discus: Erin Welch, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Javelin: Tania Estrada, Sunlake, senior

Honorable mention
Agnes Hernandez, Pasco, senior

Published June 02, 2021