Football: Land O’ Lakes LB Williams signs JuCo Letter of Intent

Posted Feb 21, 2012 by Bart O'Connell

Updated Feb 21, 2012 at 12:23 PM

Coach Brian Wachtel announced this morning that Senior Shadow Williams has signed to play football for Phoenix College, a Community College in Arizona that has a long list of transfers to Division I schools.

Williams played through injury this season to still establish himself as one of the best linebackers in Pasco County. He had 62 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2011.

Phoenix College sent 21 football players to four-year institutions in 2010, including First-team All-American Alonzo Highsmith (Arkansas)

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Jesuit’s Ruff picks up offer from FIU

Posted Feb 21, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 21, 2012 at 11:18 AM

Tampa Jesuit junior Cameron Ruff picked up his third scholarship offer this week when Florida International University made a pitch for the 6-foot-4, 277 offensive guard, Tigers coach James Harrel said Tuesday.

Ruff, who recorded 14 pancake blocks last season as a starter, also has offers from Iowa State and Purdue. He was part of a Tigers line that averaged more than 338 yards of offense and 33 points a game in 2011, including 153 yards rushing per contest.

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Donohoe returns to football coaching ranks at Freedom

Posted Feb 20, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 05:53 PM

After resigning as Strawberry Crest’s head football coach against his will last spring, Todd Donohoe was certain of two things: he didn’t want to leave the Chargers’ program and would one day coach again somewhere else.

That day came Monday, when Donohoe was named the new head coach at Freedom High, where the 42-year-old Donohoe is teaching.

Donohoe says he enjoyed the nine months away from coaching because it gave him a chance to spend more time with his daughter, 8-year-old Alexa, and his wife, Kendal. But a passion for coaching drove him to apply for several of the football positions that came open in Hillsborough County since late November, including his former job at The Crest.

“Coaching is in my blood,” said Donohoe, who spent four seasons at Armwood as an assistant under Sean Callahan. “I wanted to get back, some how, some way. I applied at Strawberry Crest because so many folks wanted me to and since I still live in Plant City and I still go to the grocery store there and see people, I felt like I owed it to them to try.

“But honestly, I really wanted to be here at Freedom. This is where I teach now and this is where I’ve gotten to know so many of the kids. We’ve got a lot of good things going on at Freedom and I’m excited and honored to be the guy they chose to lead the football program.”

Freedom athletic director Eli Thomas said he received more than 20 applications for the job, including for from out of state and three from outside the county. After an eight-member panel conducted several rounds of interviews, Thomas said Donohoe won out not just because he was already on staff at the school, but for other important factors.

‘‘Our top candidates were very close. We just thought Todd brought more to the program,’’ Thomas said. ‘‘He has a lot of organizational skills and has a passion for what he’s doing.’‘

Donohoe says he will continue to be the Patriots’ boys coach for at least this season and maybe longer. He said the track team has allowed many of his top returning athletes to maintain conditioning.

Donohoe replaces former Patriots coach Tchecoy Blount, who was not re-hired following two seasons and a combined 6-14 record. Donohoe was Strawberry Crest’s head coach for the school’s first two seasons of football. The Chargers played a full varsity schedule in his second year and posted a 5-5 mark, with one win coming by forfeit.

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Updated: Donohoe named football coach at Freedom

Posted Feb 20, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 02:34 PM

Former Strawberry Crest head football coach and Armwood assistant Todd Donohoe has been named the new head coach at Freedom High, athletic director Eli Thomas told the Tampa Tribune on Monday afternoon.

“Our top candidates were very close. We just thought Todd brought more to the program,” Thomas said. “He has a lot of organizational skills and has a passion for what he’s doing.”

Donohoe replaces Tchecoy Blount, who was not re-hired following two seasons and a combined 5-15 record.

Donohoe was Strawberry Crest’s head coach for the school’s first two seasons of football. The Chargers played a full varsity schedule in Donohoe’s second year and posted a 5-5 mark, with one win coming by forfeit.

Stay tuned to TBO.com for more details on the county’s newest coach.

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Arwmood has cash gap for ring order

Posted Feb 17, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 17, 2012 at 02:10 PM

The rings have been designed and are ready to be ordered. But as of Friday, Armwood football coach Sean Callahan said he has only raised $10,000 of the $25,000 needed to purchase state championship rings for his 2011 team that won the Class 6A title.

Callahan said the first $10,000 has come from the players’ parents. But in this economy, he understands it could take a while to raise the additional funds needed to buy rings, just as he has done for Armwood’s two previous state title teams (2003 and 2004).

“Some how, some way, we’re going to get this done for these kids,” Callahan said. “They deserve just like our other (state champion) teams. I just hope we can get this done before spring football starts.”

Any business or individual that would like to make a donation toward the squad’s rings can contact Callahan at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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Alonso’s Holloway likely out for season with hamstring injury

Posted Feb 16, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 16, 2012 at 03:54 PM

Brandon Holloway said he was about halfway into a 100-meter time trial Tuesday when he felt his right hamstring lock up on him. And from the level of pain he was feeling, he was fairly certain it was no simple strain.

Following an MRI of Holloway’s hamstring today, Ravens coach Roger Mills said his star sprinter and Mississippi State football signee is likely out for the remainder of the season with a Level 2 strain of the muscle. It’s not a tear, but the severity of the strain will require an expected six-to-eight week recovery period before Holloway can return to training.

And that, Mills said, probably means Holloway will not be competing in this spring’s state finals.

“The priority now is to have Brandon ready for Mississippi State,” said Mills. “What we’re talking about here is a four-year education. It would be absolutely irresponsible of me to rush him back and put his college education in jeopardy.”

For Holloway, who recorded 907 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing last season at running back and averaged nearly 38 yards a kick return, it’s yet another disappointment to his prep track career. As a sophomore, he false started in his best event, the 200-meter dash at the district championships. Last season, he false started in the 200 at the state finals.

Each time, however, the Ravens standout has bounced back to medal in the 100 at state with a seventh-place finish. His personal records for the 100 and 200 are 10.54 seconds and 21.28. Holloway, the defending county champion in both races, has also run 48.74 for the 400. He’s hoping for a full recovery and another chance at track in college.

“It’s tough right now but I think things happen for a reason,” Holloway said. “I know I’m not done with track.”

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Longtime Hillsborough assistant Eychner applies for Brandon job

Posted Feb 16, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 16, 2012 at 02:15 PM

A late applicant for the opening of Brandon head football coach is a stunning one: veteran Hillsborough defensive coordinator Dean Eychner.

Eychner, who has been the Terriers’ defensive coordinator for the past 17 seasons and has always said he is content working as an assistant for head coach Earl Garcia, submitted an application for the Brandon job after being contacted recently by the school.

Garcia said Eychner has been capable of being a head coach long before now but believes the timing could be right for his longtime assistant because of Eychner’s experience and close proximity to Brandon High.

“I would hate to lose him because after 17 years, Dean is more than an assistant coach, he’s a family member,” Garcia said. “I whole-heartedly support him making the move. It would be just what the doctor ordered for Brandon.”

Eychner is one of 37 applicants for the Brandon position vacated by John Lima, who despite leading the Eagles to the playoffs four of his six seasons there, was not re-hired as coach.

Another interesting applicant for the Eagles job is former Fort Meade head coach Mike Hayde, who was 117-35 in 11 seasons as the Miners’ head coach and in 2008 led them to the state runners-up title in Class 1A.

Brandon athletic director Tibor Kovacs said Thursday the school has already begun panel interviews with several of the candidates.

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Orlando Olympia QB Brown enrolled at Plant

Posted Feb 15, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 15, 2012 at 05:20 PM

Colby Brown, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback who last season as a sophomore passed for 1,637 yards and 11 touchdowns for Orlando Olympia, has enrolled at Plant High and has begun workouts with the Panthers, Plant coach Robert Weiner said Wednesday.

Brown not only started last year for Olympia, he cracked the starting lineup in the closing games of the 2010 season as a freshman. Brown arrived in Plant’s district as a result of a job change that sent Brown’s father to Tampa. Brown led Olympia to the Class 8A-District 4 title last fall and into the regional semifinals, where it fell to Orlando Timber Creek.

With the graduation of Plant’s starting quarterback, James Few, Brown’s arrival on the Panthers’ roster should see some serious competition for the coveted starting quarterback spot for the four-time state champion Panthers. Brown will likely be facing rising senior returners Kyle Groh and Aaron Banks, along with two standouts from last year’s junior varsity squad, rising juniors Kyle Ploucher and JT Faircloth.

Seven-on-7 competition has already begun for several area prep football teams, including Plant. It’s still early (Few didn’t nail down the starting job until a few games into the 2011 campaign) but Plant, called one of the nation’s “QB Highs” in a recent ESPN feature, looks to have more options than ever.

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State wrestling finals to be streamed live

Posted Feb 15, 2012 by Rick Harmon

Updated Feb 15, 2012 at 04:08 PM

GAINESVILLE – The FHSAA Network will stream the FHSAA wrestling championship finals matches from Saturday’s evening session at the Lakeland Center live at www.FHSAAsports.com and archive the matches for on demand viewing.

The FHSAA Network is a partnership between the FHSAA and PlayOn! Sports that features live streaming and on-demand coverage of high school sports in Florida online.  The FHSAAsports.com video portal provides fans access, at no charge, to a wide variety of events, all of which will be archived and available for on demand viewing.

The FHSAA Network will stream the wrestling finals beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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Land O’ Lakes forced to forfeit 44 athletic contests

Posted Feb 15, 2012 by Rick Harmon

Updated Feb 15, 2012 at 06:42 PM

The Florida High School Athletic Association announced penalties and sanctions Wednesday to a story first reported by The Pasco Tribune involving illegal recruiting of two Land O’ Lakes student-athletes, who are siblings.

The FHSAA, in a letter to Principal Ric Mellin from executive director Roger Dearing, determined the student-athletes involved violated Bylaw 9.1.2.2 for “Falsification of Information” to enroll at Land O’ Lakes High.

In all, six bylaws and policies were involved.

Because Land O’ Lakes self-reported on Feb. 10, the fines levied were reduced from $80,000 to $3,200.

“At this point I will only confirm that we have self-reported an incident within our athletics program, but we are not willing to discuss the situation and will wait until the FHSAA provides us with a response,” Mellin said in an email Wednesday.

Later, by telephone, Mellin said he had seen a copy of the report and would not comment, pending a possible appeal.

One of student-athlete participated in 23 football games and five boys weightlifting meets last year. The other played junior varsity volleyball.

It is believed the student-athletes never moved and, with the help of a coach and Land O’ Lakes booster, obtained a false address within the Land O’ Lakes school boundaries.

The coach has been dismissed, although Mellin said is was not anyone from current football coach Brian Wachtel’s current staff. Wachtel took over for Matt Kitchie in 2010.

Read the complete story here

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