Land O’ Lakes High athletics was well represented on national signing day Feb. 2 when seven Gator athletes signed their letters of intent to play in college.
Of the seven, two are girls soccer players. Morgan Crescent will stay in the Sunshine state and play at Eckerd College, while Tara Marshall will head to Georgia to play at Thomas University.
Crescent played multiple positions for the Gators last year, including some time as goalkeeper. Crescent’s versatility does not stop on the soccer pitch. She was also named the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) Co-Player of the Year in volleyball this season and also to the All-Laker/All-Lutz News volleyball first team.
Marshall, a goalkeeper, received the bulk of the time in net for Land O’ Lakes, posting 177 saves and 10 shutouts this season.
The Gators girls soccer team went 12-6-3 this year, reaching the district semifinals.
Christopher Dotson was the lone cross country runner to sign Feb. 2, choosing to pound the pavement at Lee University in Tennessee. Dotson helped the Gators boys come in second place in the Class 3A regional meet this season and advance to the state competition where they finished 15th in Florida.
The Gators football squad had two athletes sign as well, wide receiver Will Irwin and offensive lineman T.J. Chamberlain. Both will play at Wofford College in South Carolina. The two helped Land O’ Lakes go 9-2 and extend its Pasco County record playoff appearance streak to 14 years.
Irwin led the Gators with 46 catches, 1,018 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder earned first-team SAC honors and also made the All-Laker/All-Lutz News football offensive first team for his performance in 2010.
Chamberlain’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame allowed the Gators offense to flourish again in 2010, averaging 385.1 yards and 38.3 points per game.
Boys soccer players Justin Lyles, a midfielder and forward, and Kody Parker, a goalkeeper, made their intentions known several weeks ago, committing to Thomas University and the University of Tampa respectively. Parker will study international business in school, while Lyles plans on majoring in business and marketing.
Lyles and Parker helped the Land O’ Lakes program win their seventh straight district championship this season, the Sunshine Athletic Conference title and reach the regional quarterfinals.
