Sunlake High School

Commission candidates (mostly) avoid elevated toll road debate

March 7, 2014 By Michael Hinman

It’s become so controversial, even those seeking the Republican nomination for a seat on the Pasco County Commission are steering clear of it.

That is except Bob Robertson, who has a very strong position on the proposed elevated toll road for the State Road 54/56 corridor: “This is one of those ideas that hopefully will go back to wherever it came from very, very soon.”

Robertson joined Mike Moore and former State Rep. Ken Littlefield at the Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club monthly lunch Friday for the first debate among Republican candidates to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Neither Littlefield nor Moore would take a stand one way or the other on the proposed 33-mile road that would connect U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills and U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. Both, however, said they were looking forward to a town hall meeting planned for Monday night by County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey where the elevated road would be at the top of the agenda.

“If we as a county are approving developments in an area that is already over-congested, I might suggest that we reconsider the process by which we are building houses and where we are building them,” Robertson said. “It’s also been suggested to us that if we don’t build this elevated toll road, there will be 10 lanes (of traffic) each way. I have a hard time seeing that.”

Robertson is likely the underdog in the District 2 race, having yet to match the money of Moore or the name recognition of Littlefield. Yet, the Zephyrhills investment assets manager wasn’t shy about where he stood when it came to the estimated $2.2 billion project that’s ultimately in the hands of the Florida Department of Transportation.

“What if the company goes bankrupt in the middle of building this project?” Robertson asked. “What if they built this toll road and nobody comes, nobody wanting to spend $7 or $8 or $9 to drive on this elevated superhighway? Then what do we do?”

The state nor the county asked for the private company bid for the toll road, and such an unsolicited bid should be treated like an unsolicited sales call, Littlefield said. Although he didn’t take a position, he also warned that even though reports are that this road would be funded privately, that may not end up being the case.

“Ain’t nothing free, folks. Ain’t nothing free,” Littlefield said. “There are a lot of red flags. There’s $2 billion that somebody wants to give to us. Why? Who are they? Do they live in Pasco? Do they live in Florida? Do they live in the United States? I want to know these things.”

Moore says the entrance to the Seven Oaks community where he lives fronts State Road 56, so he’ll be right in the line of fire. Yet, he’s not ready to go yea or nay quite yet.

“Right now, what I am doing is listening to all of you, just as I would be doing if I was sitting on the commission,” Moore said. “What other options are there, because we can’t just say no to something or just say yes to something. What are some other options?”

Starkey’s town hall meeting is March 10 beginning at 7 p.m., in the auditorium of Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

For more on the debate, check out the March 12 print edition of The Laker.

Starkey to discuss elevated road at town hall

March 4, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The official public meetings surrounding the elevated toll road concept proposed for the State Road 54/56 corridor might be a month or two off, but Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey is wasting no time giving residents a voice.

Starkey is planning a town hall meeting March 10 at 7 p.m., in the Sunlake High School cafeteria. The school is located at 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The official announcement of the meeting doesn’t suggest topics, but published reports say the controversy over the unsolicited bid from a private company to turn existing right of way into a toll express lane will be right at the top of the agenda.

International Infrastructure Partners are pushing for the road, which would eventually stretch 33 miles between U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The final decision on whether to allow IIP to move forward on the potential $2.2 billion project lies with the Florida Department of Transportation. However, officials at the state agency said it would not green light the project if it doesn’t have support from the community and county commissioners.

Commissioners Henry Wilson and Jack Mariano have appeared to take stands against the road, however, Starkey has been more noncommittal either way, saying she is looking to get more information before making a decision.

Opponents to the road call it unnecessary, and has the potential to stymie growth and destroy home values and businesses. Those who support it, however, say it’s needed to help handle future traffic congestion in the corridor created not just by neighboring counties, but the anticipated growth in the southern portion of Pasco County as well.

For the county’s explanation of the elevated road concept, click here.

School district uses surveys to gauge progress

February 27, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Superintendent Kurt Browning plans to use annual surveys by the Gallup organization to help gauge the progress of Pasco County Schools.

The district’s school board in February heard a review of the Gallup Student Poll and the employee engagement survey findings in February, and according to the Gallup report, the district’s results were in the same ballpark as national findings.

Since the surveys had not been taken before, they will serve as a baseline.

Browning said he expects next year’s results to be interesting, because the district will be using the same survey tools. But even this year’s results are helpful, Browning said. They help the district to see, “Where are we doing well? Where are we not doing so well?”

It’s important to have an outside party take an objective look at the district, using statistically valid survey tools, Browning said.

School board member Joanne Hurley agrees. She said the surveys can help the district address areas needing improvement with the goal of helping students perform better academically and be better prepared for life beyond school.

Gallup is an internationally respected company, Browning said. The district’s contract with the company runs through September. The cost of the student and school-based surveys and analyses was $125,000. The district spent $19,000 more on a district office staff survey.

Browning anticipates an extension of the district’s contract with Gallup, but those details have not yet been worked out.

Gallup’s student poll measures indicators of future success, the superintendent said.

“I keep saying that we’re concerned about the success of our kids not only through high school, but after high school,” Browning said.

The Gallup Student Poll is a 20-question survey that measures the hope, engagement, and well-being of students in grades five through 12. Gallup defines hope as ideas and energy for the future; engagement as involvement with and enthusiasm for school; and well-being as how people think about and experience their lives.

The survey company said hope, engagement and well-being can be measured and are linked to student achievement, retention and future employment.

The Gallup Student Poll was conducted online in Pasco County Schools during the school day from Oct. 15 through Oct 31, with 31,740 students completing the survey.

District students’ results showed scores of 52 percent in the hope category; 53 percent in engagement; and 63 percent in well-being.

That compares to average results nationwide of 54 percent for hope; 55 for engagement; and, 66 percent for well-being.

“When you look at district overall results (for students), they look very similar to U.S. overall data,” Tim Hodges, director of research for Gallup, told school board members, according to a district release.

The staff survey measures factors that are critical to creating an environment that serves students, said assistant superintendent Amelia Larson.

The employee engagement survey measured attitudes that correspond with the most successful work places, based on more than four decades of research by Gallup.

The survey measured employee engagement, which Gallup defines as involvement with and enthusiasm for work.

Gallup used a 12-question employee survey to measure employee engagement.

The research company says an employee’s level of engagement links to employee retention, parent engagement, student retention, student achievement and other outcomes.

The employee engagement survey was conducted online in Pasco County Schools, from Nov. 15 through Nov. 22 and also Jan. 13 through Jan. 17 of this year, with 3,896 employees taking part. That represents a 79 percent response rate.

The results show that 26 percent of the school district’s employees are engaged in their jobs, compared to 30 percent of U.S. workers. Fifty-three district employees are not engaged, compared to 52 percent of workers nationally; and 21 percent of district employees are actively disengaged, compared to 18 percent of U.S. workers.

Looking only at district-level staff, 33 percent are engaged; 56 percent are not engaged and 11 percent are disengaged.

During the school board workshop, Hodges told the board, “to look at the rest of the U.S. working population, this is what we tend to see as a starting point.”

“This is a valuable tool for our administration,” Hurley said. “I think there is just a treasure trove of information contained within the Gallup results.”

School board member Steve Luikart agreed that the survey will be useful.

“Any feedback is always good. I do congratulate them on doing that,” he said. “I know it’s going to be used to get the temperature in different areas – how people feel and what people think.”

Teachers are facing huge challenges, Larson said.

“We want to keep track of student engagement,” Larson said. “We really are facing a crisis in education. Now, kids have every type of information available to them 24/7. The kids are not willing to wait (for instruction), so the teachers cannot wait” to deliver it, she said.

The district already has made some leadership changes at places such as Connerton Elementary and Sunlake High schools, which apparently are making a difference, Larson said.

New River Elementary School also is on an upswing, she said.

“That is like a well-oiled machine,” Larson said. “It scored a 65 percent engagement rating. You can really tell when you walk in there.”

Strategies that are being used at schools with high engagement ratings may be shared with schools that do not fare as well, Larson said. There also may be some coaching to help schools perform better, she said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

National soccer scoring title belongs to Sunlake’s Pimm

February 27, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Any soccer team that played the Sunlake Seahawks this season knew that Remi Pimm was a scoring threat. The sophomore forward was by far the best scorer on his team this season.

Sunlake’s Remi Pimm led the nation in scoring this past soccer season with 64 goals. That mark also makes him the new Pasco County single-season record holder. (Photo by Michael Murillo)

Of course, he also was the best scorer in the district.

And the region.

And the state.

In fact, Pimm finished the year as the top scorer … in the nation. He had 64 goals and 39 assists. Pimm’s total not only was good enough for this year’s national honors, he broke the all-time record for most goals in a season by a Pasco County player of either gender.

Pimm said he takes the substance of the game seriously, but likes adding a little style as well.

“I like to create and have fun with the game, take defenders on, create scoring opportunities,” he said. “When I play I just like to have a good time. I like to do it the right way but also play with flair and good style.”

But flair and style wasn’t on everyone’s mind when he first joined the team this season. Pimm said that people would ask him if he was going to break the county record that had been recently set by another Sunlake player. Connor Gilboy — who joined the University of Florida’s football program and was red-shirted as a freshman this year after graduating from Sunlake — held the mark with 60 goals after last season.

Known for his soccer skills, Pimm said the pressure was on for him to claim the mark for himself. So he was glad to have accomplished that task in his sophomore season.

“Beating his record was my goal at the beginning of the year, and I beat that,” he said. “And I eventually got the Pasco record. I felt really good.”

One goal that the team didn’t accomplish was a state title. The Seahawks fell to Merritt Island 1-0 in the Class 3A state semifinals on Feb. 13. But the team finished with a perfect 16-0 district record and a 29-2-1 overall record.

While the Seahawks wanted to win the title, Pimm said he was proud of the team for playing hard, not giving up, and staying positive.

In fact, a positive mindset is a big part of Pimm’s game. He studies the best professional soccer players — he wants to be one someday — and noticed they bring an intensity and focus even if thing aren’t going exactly the way they want on the pitch.

Pimm believes good players need to have a positive attitude that things will go well, but a short memory if they don’t.

“The secret to scoring this many goals is to quickly forget when you miss one,” he said. “Also studying the game — which is a huge part — watching the professionals do it, and visualizing myself in their position.”

While the Seahawks’ season is over, soccer is still on Pimm’s mind. He plays for the FC Tampa Rangers, a local club based in Lutz, and will participate in the State Cup for the team’s Under-16 boys group, which begins next month.

But wherever he plays, Pimm has learned to keep his attention on the contest at hand, taking deep breaths to regain his focus when necessary.

And he’s also learned patience. While he might score multiple goals in some games, in others those opportunities might not be there in the beginning. He believes the key is to not dwell on a lack of success, but focus on taking advantage at the next available opportunity.

“At no point in the game should you ever hang your head and give up,” he said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Pasco’s new cheerleading state champion is Sunlake

February 6, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Just weeks after they took the Best of Pasco crown, the Sunlake High School cheerleading squad earned a new honor last weekend: Class 1A Medium division champions for the state.

They had to wait a day because of snow in the Panhandle, but the Sunlake High School cheerleading squad took the state crown for the first time last weekend in Kissimmee. (Courtesy of Pennye Garcia — They had to wait a day because of snow in the Panhandle, but the Sunlake High School cheerleading squad took the state crown for the first time last weekend in Kissimmee.
(Courtesy of Pennye Garcia

The cheerleaders took the FHSAA crown during the competition in Kissimmee, where they were the only school representing Pasco County.

“The girls are very excited, as well as myself,” Sunlake head coach Pennye Garcia said in a release. “They have been trained to know that we need to focus on the task at hand. Between the semifinal and final competition, I made a couple of changes to better our score, and it proved to be in our favor.”

The first FHSAA state championship for the team had to come with some waiting. The cheerleaders earned first place during competition Jan. 30, but one team competing got held up by weather, and didn’t make it there until Friday, Garcia said. Everyone had to wait until the next day, to give that team a chance to compete.

However, late Friday, Garcia got the email that Sunlake had won it all.

The cheerleaders will receive their trophy and medals during a planned pep rally at Sunlake Feb. 14.

To see highlights of the winning routine from Sunlake, visit Bright House Sports Networks at tinyurl.com/SunlakeCheer.

Published Feb. 5, 2014

Sunlake perfect in district, poised for playoffs

January 22, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When the Sunlake High School boys soccer team defeated the Pasco Pirates 3-2 on Jan. 9, they probably weren’t surprised they won the game. The victory meant the team completed district play for the season with a perfect 16-0 record.

A perfect 16-0 record, and 23-1-1 overall, has the Sunlake Seahawks in position to go all the way to the top in boys soccer. And after a disappointing loss in the state semis last year, they’re ready to do just that. (Photo courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

If anything, they might have wondered how they gave up two goals. Adding those two, the team gave up just four goals in 16 district games for Class 3A-District 8.

On the other side of the ledger, the Seahawks scored 101 goals in those same contests. They registered 13 shutouts, including six by the score of 8-0.

While they’ve dominated their district, they’re almost as good in overall play. They’ve collected a 23-1-1 record with 138 goals scored. But amazingly, that record is actually a slight drop-off from last year, when they won 30 straight games before losing in the Class 3A state semifinals to Ponte Vedra 2-1.

By the numbers, it might look like the Seahawks are an offense-first team. But according to Coach Sam Koleduk, that’s not really the case.

“We’re more of a complete team, I think,” he said. “Right now we’re the leading scoring team in the country, and we’ve also given up the least amount of goals, also.”

There are a few factors that go into building the kind of success they’re having at Sunlake, Koleduk said. The team has a lot of players who also participate in local clubs, so they’re not just thinking about soccer for their school schedule. That extra work allows them to stay on top of their game so they’re ready to play at practice and during games.

Their junior varsity program also is strong — the team was undefeated this past season. Koleduk said it allows him to replace skilled players who graduate with talented, experienced athletes who are ready to play at the varsity level.

Finally, having a good team allows them to adjust their style of play to put more pressure on their opponent. Instead of a more traditional 4-4-2 formation — with four players in the back, four in the middle and two attacking up front — Sunlake often plays a 3-4-3 formation, putting an extra attacker up front and forcing an opponent into a more defensive posture from the start.

But that type of attack also means fewer players on defense if the opponent breaks through, so the goalkeeper has to be ready to make the necessary saves. Fortunately for the Seahawks, sophomore Danny Hrenko has been up to the task. Picking up where he left off as a freshman, Hrenko is frustrating opponents on the rare occasions they create a scoring opportunity.

He said that while he’s the man in front of the net, his teammates are the ones who deserve credit for shutting down opponents.

“The key is really my defense, to be honest,” Hrenko said. “It’s all about organizing them.”

Even when there are fewer players in the back, the team’s style doesn’t put him in difficult situations, and the defenders are able to neutralize the opponent most of the time.

But when the team has had relatively close games, Hrenko has usually helped them come out of them with a win. He said he enjoys making tough saves and proving the team is as tough defensively as it is prolific on offense.

“I like when I have a good shot against me and I make a good save. It makes me feel like I’ve done my part on this team,” he said.

With many players doing their part — sophomore Remi Pimm leads the nation in scoring — getting a step farther than last year seems like a reasonable goal. And while Koleduk — who has been with the team since the school opened back in 2007 — acknowledges his Seahawks are a talented team with a lot of promise, he said there are more variables that go into a trip to the state finals and a potential championship.

And not all of them are in the team’s control.

“We’ve got to stay focused, and it sounds funny, but a little bit of luck,” he said. “To make it all the way through without losing, you have to have a little luck on your side also, I think.

“Basically, you have to stay focused and healthy.”

Sunlake’s cheerleaders named ‘Best of Pasco’

December 25, 2013 By Michael Murillo

The high school football season is over, and the Sunlake Seahawks had a good year.

They made the playoffs and defeated most of their competition. Now, the team’s cheerleaders have begun their own competitive season, and they’re on track for similar success.

The cheerleading squad from Sunlake High School helped earn coach Pennye Garcia yet another Best of Pasco cheerleading title, defeating 11 other squads during a recent competition. Garcia has won the title in the past with Land O’ Lakes and Hudson high schools. (Photo courtesy of Tammy Price)

After placing first at the Universal Cheerleading Association’s Central Regionals on Dec. 7, the squad moved on to the Best of Pasco Sunshine Athletic Conference Cheerleading Competition. There they defeated 11 other squads to take first place in the county, claim the competition’s highest score, and earn another title for the school.

According to Head Coach Pennye Garcia, there were tense moments before the winner was named.

“We dropped two stunts in our routine, so we were really down. We didn’t think that we were going to win,” she said. But because the rest of their two-and-a-half-minute performance was so strong and had earned such a high degree of difficulty, the team was able to overcome a couple of mistakes and still claim the county title.

Garcia is proud of her team’s ability to work hard throughout the competition and earn the top spot despite the challenges.

And praise from Garcia carries significant weight. When the team walked into Land O’ Lakes High School for the competition, they saw plenty of cheerleading titles indicating that school’s own success.

“I coached at Land O’ Lakes for a long time,” Garcia explained. “It was kind of funny being over there and seeing the banner in the gym. I said, ‘Those are my winnings.’ I won Best of Pasco for a lot of years when I was at Land O Lakes.”

Garcia left Land O’ Lakes to start Sunlake’s cheerleading program when the school opened back in 2007. But soon after, she left Sunlake for a short stint at Hudson, where she claimed a Best of Pasco title for that school. Now she’s returned to Sunlake and another first-place finish has followed.

Since the team has shown an ability to overcome adversity, Garcia said they’re proving they deserve a designation not always associated with cheerleaders. “They’re the athletes that they say they are,” Garcia said. “With cheerleading, a lot of people still don’t see it as a sport. So I put it in front of them that if they’re true athletes, then they need to act like athletes and be able to overcome whatever they do and move on and make it better the next time.”

Senior Joy Wennlund, a team captain who has spent her entire high school career on the cheerleading team, understands that many people don’t consider it a sport. But she says that’s because they usually see the team when they’re supporting the football program. While that’s important for school spirit, there’s more to cheerleading than what fans see on the sidelines.

“There’s another side to that; the competitive side,” Wennlund said. “When we’re at practice is the only time we’re showing all of those skills. So no one really gets to see that competitive edge that we have until we go to competition.”

Although football games are played every week, there are only a handful of cheerleading competitions each season.

“There’s a lot less opportunities to show all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in as a team,” she said.

Still, Wennlund finds the experience rewarding and likes seeing the team come together, experience success and execute their routines after working so hard on them.

Those routines are Garcia’s own creations, and the longtime coach understands that a good team can’t focus on previous victories. Just like any group of successful athletes, she wants her cheerleading team to remain on an even keel and prepare for the competitions ahead of them.

“They need to be level-headed, but they also need to be focused on what they need to do to keep their stamina up,” Garcia said. “Because when they come back in January they need to be ready to go, and they know that I’m going to be pushing them.”

Sunlake, Wharton football squads fall in playoffs

November 20, 2013 By Michael Murillo

High school football teams fight all year for a shot at the district title. If they fall short, the backup plan is to be district runner-up, because that spot (like the title winner) earns a trip to the playoffs.

Neither the Wharton Wildcats nor the Sunlake Seahawks were able to achieve their top goal of a district title, but both earned a hard-fought runner-up spot to earn a playoff berth. And both battled right to the end in the first round of the playoffs, before falling to their opponents.

Neither team had an easy road to earning second place in the district. For Wharton, two straight district losses put them in a must-win situation at the end of the year against Bloomingdale. The team had faced a big deficit heading into the final period, but scored 22 unanswered points and came away with a 30-23 win, a tie-breaker over the Bulls and that coveted runner-up spot in Class 8A-District 6.

Sunlake dropped its first district game, then rallied to win their next three to earn their second place finish. A tough 28-21 win over Land O’ Lakes in October proved to be the difference between the two teams, and the difference between second and third place. In the end, the Seahawks’ 3-1 record was good enough for runner-up status in Class 6A-District 6.

While those were satisfying finishes for each school, it was really just the end of the regular season: Both teams then entered a separate 32-team regional tournament to determine the state champion. But for both clubs, the beginning of their playoffs would also be the end. Wharton fell in their playoff opener to Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Panthers, 37-10, while Sunlake was a field goal short to the Gainesville Hurricanes, 17-14.

Sunlake Head Coach Bill Browning explained that, despite the loss, he was impressed with the way his team played.

“Gainesville’s a very talented team. They have a ton of speed,” he said. “We played exceptionally well. Physically, we beat them up. The effort was fantastic. Close ballgame.”

The Seahawks out-gained the Hurricanes and had a lead late in the game, but some untimely penalties and a late surge by Gainesville ended their season.

For Wharton, although the final score indicated the game wasn’t close, it really didn’t break open until the final period. The Wildcats were behind 14-3 at halftime and still within two scores in the fourth quarter. Head Coach David Mitchell said it was a few game-changing snaps and some self-inflicted wounds that turned the tide against them.

“They scored based on big plays,” he said. “We had problems with penalties. That’s what hurt us a lot.”

While he didn’t want Wharton to end their year with a loss, Mitchell believes they had a good season and already is looking toward next year. He has a number of returning players, and several of them will participate in other high school sports, which he said will help them on the gridiron.

In 2014, the key will be keeping them on top of their grades (and eligible to play sports), focused and ready for the new season.

Browning has his team looking forward to 2014 as well. He said the Seahawks have plenty of good talent returning — especially on offense — and they’ll be able to use some of the school’s junior varsity players, who enjoyed an 8-0 season this year.

Looking back, the coaches know that making the playoffs is an achievement in itself, both for themselves and the players who work so hard to get there. And for those graduating, many can look back on not just a good year, but a good career at their respective schools.

“For some of those players, it’s the third opportunity (to participate in the playoffs) in three years for them. That’s pretty good,” Mitchell said.

And Browning agrees. “For the kids coming back we’ll have to learn from it (the playoff loss), and for the seniors, we had a great senior bunch. They’re the winning-est senior class in the short history of the school.”

A perfect 2013 for Sunlake … junior varsity

November 13, 2013 By Michael Murillo

A local high school football team just completed an undefeated season in which most of the games were shutout victories.

The last game was the closest, a one-point win where the margin of victory was a blocked extra point. That capped a three-game winning streak, all on the road.

Freshman wide receiver Rakeem ‘Kimme’ Jones grabs a pass against the River Ridge Royal Knights in a 36-0 win last September. The Sunlake Seahawks junior varsity team would go on to an undefeated 8-0 season. (Photo courtesy of Belinda Kasper)

They finished a perfect season, and most people had no idea they were even playing. And it’s all because of one word: “junior.”

As in, junior varsity football. They don’t get the crowds, the accolades or the press, but the Sunlake Seahawks went 8-0 this season, just one year after completing a 7-1 campaign.

There won’t be any playoffs and there are no district or regional titles to earn. But for the players, coaches and those who followed the team, there’s a lot of pride in what they accomplished.

“It feels great. It’s what we worked hard for, it’s what I drilled into their heads: 8-0 was the goal, and we finally reached that goal,” explained Head Coach Ryan Horan.

But it wasn’t an easy goal to attain. Even though the games weren’t at the top tier of high school sports, the Seahawks certainly felt varsity-level drama this season.

They avenged their only loss last year with a close 7-0 victory against the Pasco Pirates to open their schedule, and they closed it out with a win on the road against the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls, another undefeated team looking to avoid its first loss. A blocked extra point and a go-ahead touchdown later, and Sunlake had finished its season undefeated.

Junior varsity football isn’t usually a big draw. There might be a few fans, but often there’s family, friends and a lot of empty seats. But the last game was different, because both teams wanted a perfect season. For that game there were a lot of fans in the stands and a lot of energy to motivate both teams.

“Believe it or not, you would’ve thought it was a varsity game,” Horan said.

One of those fans was a former player: Justin Hall, a freshman quarterback who played five games with Sunlake’s junior varsity team before leaving the squad. His absence was justified, however — he caught the eye of the varsity team and was called up for the remainder of their season.

Since there are no playoffs, the real payoff for the players is the opportunity to eventually work their way up to the varsity level. Hall accomplished that after a handful of games in his first year, and he credits his experience with junior varsity football with giving him a solid foundation to compete at the next level.

In fact, he was already familiar with a lot of the offensive strategy when he got there.

“You get a couple of new plays, more advanced plays,” Hall said of the transition to varsity. “But it’s basically the same plays in both JV and varsity.”

While he said the varsity game is faster and has players who have found the best position for them on the field (making the competition stronger), Hall felt better prepared to face those challenges as a result of his success with the junior varsity team.

Even though he wasn’t with the team anymore, he still had friends there and attended their remaining games to show support. And when his former team completed their undefeated season, Hall felt a real sense of pride to have contributed to their success.

“I felt really good. I felt happy for them that they could pull off those last two wins, and it was good knowing that I could be part of that 8-0 season,” Hall said.

A Pasco County classic: Sunlake stops Land O’ Lakes in OT

October 23, 2013 By Michael Murillo

When a football game looks like a good match-up on paper, too often the end result is a lopsided affair that fails to live up to expectations.

And last Friday’s contest between Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake looked like a potential classic on paper.

This time, the game didn’t meet expectations. It beat them.

At the end of the game — which required overtime — the Sunlake Seahawks defended their home turf, put themselves in good position in the district standings and turned away the previously unbeaten Gators with a 28-21 victory.

That overtime was necessary underscores how close the game was: Neither team led by more than seven points, and they were tied at halftime, the end of the third quarter and at the end of regulation. And when Sunlake stopped Land O’ Lakes in overtime to clinch the win, Seahawks head coach Bill Browning’s first thoughts came from the perspective of both a football coach and a football fan.

“It was just relief, and what a great game to be a part of,” Browning said. “It was a great high school football game. Both teams played their hearts out.”

Each team had an offensive star suiting up for the contest, and both showed up to play: Sunlake’s junior running back Nathan Johnson and Land O’ Lakes’ junior quarterback James Pensyl had a hand in six of the seven touchdowns scored in the game. In the end, it was Johnson’s third touchdown run in overtime that became the margin of victory, eclipsing Pensyl’s three scoring passes.

But Browning pointed out that another player was instrumental in Sunlake’s victory. Senior quarterback Esteban LeWallen didn’t dominate the stat sheet, but his second start in place of injured junior Dayton Feiden was a solid one. He ran in a short touchdown and made important plays with his arm when it mattered.

“He came in and hit some very big passes in the course of that game that helped tremendously,” Browning said.

While beating an undefeated team is cause for celebration in itself, there was more at stake than one football game. With the win, Sunlake improved to 2-1 in the district while Land O’ Lakes fell to 1-1, keeping Sunlake alive for one of the two playoff spots. An earlier one-point loss to Springstead (currently 2-0 in district play) meant that losing to Land O’ Lakes would have handed both teams a better current record and tiebreakers over the Seahawks, eliminating them from playoff contention.

Instead they emerged with new life, a big victory and a potential tiebreaker against their district rival.

But if the team is vulnerable to a letdown after such a big win, Browning plans to use the schedule to ensure that doesn’t happen. The Seahawks have a bye this coming week, and he plans to use it to get them settled after an emotional victory and focused on their final district contest against Fivay (0-2 in district play, 3-4 overall) on Nov. 1.

Headed into their week off, Sunlake now has a 1,000-yard rusher in Johnson, renewed confidence and an eye on the playoffs. But to Browning, none of that matters unless they take care of business in their final district game.

“It kept us in the hunt. It guaranteed nothing, but it kept us in the hunt,” he said about the team’s recent win. “Land O’ Lakes still has to play Springstead, and of course, we still have to beat Fivay. All we can do is keep winning and things will take care of themselves, hopefully.”