2 baseball players make commitments

Posted Feb 9, 2012 by Adam Adkins

Updated Feb 9, 2012 at 05:03 PM

Two Hillsborough County junior baseball players have made verbal commitments to in-state Division I programs.

Gaither shortstop Oscar Mercado has pledged to Florida State according to coach Frank Permuy, while Durant coach Butch Valdes said shortstop/pitcher Tyler Danish has pledged to Florida.

Mercado, entering his third year as a starter for the Cowboys, hit .338 with four doubles, three triples, 23 RBIs and 21 runs scored last season.

Danish was a second team all-county pick by the Tribune in 2011 after batting .484 with 15 doubles, 16 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

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Pasco QB Jacob Guy visits Colgate University on Thursday

Posted Feb 9, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 9, 2012 at 10:19 AM

Pasco senior quarterback Jacob Guy flew up to New York to visit Colgate University on Thursday, coach Tom McHugh confirmed to the Tampa Tribune.

Guy, who broke Pasco County single-season records for touchdown passes (42) and yards (2,672) for the 13-1 Pirates, has a few other offers on the table, but has yet to make a decision on his collegiate football career. Before throwing for 379 yards and five touchdowns in the 5A state semifinal, Guy picked up offers from UMass, Ohio and Western Michigan, but also has a preferred walk-on option to Florida, while Miami (Ohio) and Memphis have expressed interest.

Guy, the Pasco Tribune’s All-County First Team quarterback, passed for more than 70 touchdowns in the past two seasons at Pasco, all the while leading the Pirates to their second state semifinal in the past four seasons. Pasco lost to Crawfordville Wakulla in triple overtime 41-38.

Colgate, a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, NY, is a Divison I athletic program in the Patriot League, while the football team was 5-6 in 2011.

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Robinson’s Rivera signs with Ridgewater

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 04:03 PM

Robinson senior Vic Rivera, a two-year starter at defensive back, has signed a letter on intent with Ridgewater College, a community and technical college in Willmar, Minn., Knights assistant coach Shawn Taylor announced Wednesday.

Ridgewater competes in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) and Region 13 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Rivera will join three players from Plant already there, Davis Marvel, Steven Galloway and Estimphile Wadensky.

Wesley Chapel receiver Robert Jota also signed recently with Ridgewater.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Rivera had six interceptions as a junior and three last fall. He also recorded a total of 76 tackles over the course of two seasons and knocked down five pass attempts.

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Hargreaves, McQuay, Sherit make Rivals 100 list

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 03:44 PM

And just like that, the college football recruiting engine has cranked up again.

Rivals.com helped kick-start that ever-growing, seemingly unstoppable snow ball today with the release of its top 100 prospects for the class of 2013. As subjective as it may be, making this list is a sure-fire way to attract attention. And after jumping to the No. 10 spot on the list, Wharton defensive back Vernon Hargreaves was taken aside by head coach David Mitchell today and given a little talk.

“I told him there’s no pressure on you because you’re the car everyone wants to buy,” Mitchell said. “I told him he just needs to take care of himself in school, do the right things out of school, work hard and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

“He needs to take all of his (official college recruiting) visits and don’t rush it. And I think with his dad being a (University of South Florida) coach (Bulls special tams coordinator and defensive ends coach Vernon Hargreaves), I think he will do just fine with the recruiting.”

The younger Hargreaves is only 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds, but Mitchell says he is “the real deal.” It’s not just Hargreaves’ ability to play the defensive secondary, it’s his total athletic ability. Hargreaves can play nearly any position on the field and last season saw duty at quarterback when starter Chase Litton went down with an injury.

Hargreaves already has offers from all the major schools in Florida, along with Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Purdue and Virginia. Mitchell says his mailbox at school is overflowing with colleges sending letters of interest in Hargreaves. Mitchell says Hargreaves also already has invitations from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Under Armour All-America Game.

Speaking of athletic, Armwood’s Leon McQuay III and Hillsborough’s Jordan Sherit also made the Rivals 100. McQuay, a defensive back/safety who returned an interception for a touchdown in the Hawks’ state championship win over Miami Central, is No. 32 on the list while Sherit, who recorded more than 100 tackles last fall at defensive end for the Terriers, is No. 76.

Both McQuay and Sherit also have more than a dozen offers from major Division-I football programs. And like Hargreaves, the schools lining up for their services on the football field.

The bonus for the schools recruiting these players is they are all solid students. Sherit is in Hillsborough’s International Baccalaureate program while both McQuay and Hargreaves are honor roll students. 

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Wesley Chapel WR Robert Jota to sign with Ridgewater College

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 01:47 PM

Wesley Chapel football coach Ben Alford said Wednesday afternoon that receiver Robert Jota will sign with Ridgewater College, which competes in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) and Region 13 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Jota will join teammates OL/DL Damien Garvey and OL/DL Robert Gonzales, who signed with Ridgewater a week ago on National Signing Day. In addition, fellow teammates ATH Keegan Tanner (Stetson), LB Luke Fisher, FB/LB Angel Ramos, ATH Xavier Leatherbury (Missouri Valley College), DE Angel Locicero (Eri Community College) and RB Devin Piper (Citrus College) also signed letters of intent.

Jota, a 5-foot-8, 150 pound receiver, lead the Wildcats (5-5) with 26 catches for 438 and three touchdowns. The Warriors were 6-4 in 2011.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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Pasco WR Mike Larry to sign with junior college

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 12:20 PM

Pasco receiver Mike Larry will sign with North Dakota State College of Science during a ceremony at Irvin Education Center on Thursday morning at 8:45, coach Tom McHugh said Wednesday.

Larry, a 6-foot-1 athlete who was part of the Class 5A state semifinalist Pirates, had 11 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, while on defense, he returned a fumble against Zephyrhills, plus had 14 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Larry will be the third Pirate football player to sign in the past week, as athlete Trey Dudley-Giles signed with UMass and Jon Baxter with Wayne State.

North Dakota State College of Science is a junior college located in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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Hudson’s Cheye-Anne Savage to sign with Indian River State

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 04:44 PM

Hudson volleyball player Cheye-Anne Savage has signed a full-ride scholarship to play for Indian River State College, Cobras coach Kortney Newton said Tuesday morning.

Savage, an honorable mention selection for The Pasco Tribune’s All-County volleyball team, had a team-high 210 kills for the 18-9 Cobras that were upset as the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A-District 8 district tournament by Anclote. As a middle hitter, Savage also added 40 aces, 64 blocks and 42 digs.

Newton added that Savage will sign her letter of intent Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room at Hudson.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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Jesuit’s Chacon commits to North Carolina

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Adam Adkins

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:34 PM

Jesuit junior baseball player Adrian Chacon has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina, Tigers coach Richie Warren said Friday.

Chacon, who plays third base, catcher and pitcher for the Tigers, also was being recruited by Florida, Central Florida and Vanderbilt, among others. He is the second Jesuit junior to give a verbal pledge to the Tar Heels, joining pitcher Spencer Trayner.

Chacon hit .292 with 19 runs scored last season for Jesuit’s Class 4A state runner-up squad. He also posted a 0.78 ERA over 18 innings on the mound, with 19 strikeouts and just two walks.

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Freedom’s Schaller signs with Stetson

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:00 PM

Freedom offensive lineman Kurt Schaller, a three year starter for the Patriots and a team captain last fall, has signed a letter of intent with Stetson University in DeLand, Fla.

The 5-foot-10, 285-pound Schaller is one of several area players who will be part of a Stetson football program that is returning to action in 2013 after a 57-year hiatus.

The Hatters’ football program will be competing in the Pioneer Football League, where most of the schools are private. The league, however, will be played at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) as a non-scholarship program.

The Pioneer Football League consists of teams in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. Member schools range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The league includes Butler, Campbell, Davidson, Dayton, Jacksonville, Drake, Marist, Morehead State, the University of San Diego and Valparaiso University. Stetson and Mercer join in 2013. All incoming players at Stetson and Mercer will earn redshirt status this fall.

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Hillsborough’s Sherit picks up offers from Arizona, Illinois

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 10:15 PM

Hillsborough defensive end Jordan Sherit, a first team, all-Hillsborough County selection last fall by the Tampa Tribune, has landed two more scholarship offers, including his first from west of the Mississippi.

Thursday, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Sherit picked up Arizona and Illinois. He now has a 13 offers. Along with his latest two, Sherit also has Georgia Tech, Purdue, Connecticut, the University of Central Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Purdue, Duke, Miami, Vanderbilt and the University of South Florida who have made Sherit offers.

Last season, Sherit, an honors student enrolled in Hillsborough’s International Baccalaureate program, recorded team-highs in tackles (110) and sacks (9), both of which were among the top numbers in the county.

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