Land O’ Lakes to host send off for boys soccer team Thursday

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 11:25 AM

Before Land O’ Lakes boys soccer team makes its seven-plus hour road trip, the school said it will send off its players and coaches at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the the school, located at 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes.

The Gators (22-3-2) will then travel to Tallahassee, where they will stay and have arranged the use a field for practice, then head over to Fortt Walton Beach on Friday for the state semifinal at Choctawhatchee High School at 8 p.m. EST.

As 15th-year coach Mark Pearson said Tuesday night in a text message, “We’ve a some road trip now. Cheers.”

Land O’ Lakes won the Class 3A, Region 2 final Tuesday night 5-0 over Gainesville Eastside, which propelled the team to its first semifinal appearance since 2000. This is Pearson’s third state semifinal appearance in his Land O’ Lakes career, including coaching the Gators to a 1999 state runner-up title.

The Gators, who had been perennially exiting the state tournament early as of recent memory, won the region quarterfinals 4-1 over Fivay and the region semifinals 5-1 over Sunlake, making their first region final appearance since 2005.

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

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Fivay’s Johnson headed to Seminole State

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Rick Harmon

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 04:58 PM

HUDSON—Fivay softball player Ashlynn Johnson will sign a letter-of-intent with Seminole State College in Sanford.

Johnson, who played first base, outfield and pitcher for the coach Greg Bollinger’s Falcons in their inaugural season, led the team in batting average (.348), RBI (13), hits (23) and tied for the lead in doubles (6).

On the mound, Johnson was 4-6 with a 3.56 ERA and recorded 61 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.

She will officially sign Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the school’s front office.

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McCaffrey, Pasco coach Moore earn girls basketball awards

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 05:07 PM

The Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) girls basketball District 10 held its annual meeting Monday.

The following were recognized for their accomplishments this season.
District 10 3A Player of the Year:  Andrea Niggebrugge, Senior, Bishop McLaughlin
District 10 5A Player of the Year: Kayla Kivinski, Sophomore, Gulf
District 10 6A Player of the Year: Vasiliki Kostogiannes, Senior, River Ridge
District 10 7A Player of the Year: Kelly McCaffrey, Senior, Wiregrass Ranch
Overall District 10 Player of the Year:  Kelly McCaffrey, Senior Wiregrass Ranch

District 10 3A Coach of the Year:  Joe Jasinski, Bishop Mclaughlin
District 10 5A Coach of the Year: Troy Moore, Pasco
District 10 6A Coach of the Year:  Jacob Tavo, Mitchell
District 10 7A Coach of the Year:  John Gant, Wiregrass Ranch
Overall District 10 Coach of the Year: Troy Moore, Pasco

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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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Update: FHSAA hits Strawberry Crest, Freedom boys hoops teams with suspensions and fines

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:19 PM

Just days before the start of their district tournaments, boys basketball teams from Freedom and Strawberry Crest have been hit with player suspensions and fines as a result of an altercation that occurred in a recent game between the two squads, Florida High School Athletics Association spokesperson Corey Sobers told the Tampa Tribune on Friday.

According to reports filed to the FHSAA by the two schools’ administrators, game referees and Hillsborough County athletics director Lanness Robinson, the game was played Jan. 27 at Strawberry Crest and the incident occurred late in the third quarter. As a Freedom and Strawberry Crest player were contesting a rebound, the ball went out of bounds, the report says, and one player tackled the other. That resulted in punches being thrown, players from both teams leaving the bench and even some fans coming out of the stands and on to the floor.

Player names were not released in the report given by the FHSAA, but a video tape review of the incident revealed a player from each squad threw a punch and three players from each school left the bench.

As a result of the review, the FHSAA handed Freedom suspensions for three athletes on its basketball team. One player received a “Level 2” suspension (six weeks) for throwing a punch, which is effectively for the remainder of the season. Three other players were given Level 1 suspensions, or two games.

Freedom itself was fined $250 for having two Level 2 or higher suspensions during the current school year (the other came in football) and $100 for its fourth suspension in boys basketball. Additionally, Freedom’s boys basketball program is placed on administrative probation for the remainder of the current school year, as well as the 2012-13 school year, Sobers said.

Two basketball players from Strawberry Crest received six-week suspensions, one of whom earned the ban because it was his second Level 1 this school year. Two Level 1 suspensions in the same year result is an automatic Level 2. Two other Chargers players received two-game bans.

Sobers said Strawberry Crest was fined $250 for having two Level 2 or higher suspensions during the current school year and $100 for its fourth suspension in boys basketball. The Chargers’ boys basketball program was also placed on administrative probation for remainder of 2011-12 school year and 2012-13 school year.

District tournaments start next week. Since the suspensions date back to the games following the incident, the three players given two-contest suspensions will have served their second game after the regular season schedule concludes with tonight’s games. The players with six-contests bans are not only done for the basketball season, but could also miss the start of the season for any spring sport they compete in.

Strawberry Crest is the No. 2 seed n the Class 6A-11 tourney at Sickles, where first-round action begins Monday. Freedom is in the 7A-9 tourney at Chamberlain, where play starts Tuesday.

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Jon Gruden: always good for a sound bite

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 03:48 PM

Even at the crack of dawn, Jon Gruden is good for a quote or sound bite.

It was no different Wednesday at 6:30 in the morning, when his son, Deuce Gruden of Carrollwood Day School, signed his National Letter of Intent to play football for Lafayette College. As Deuce posed for the cameras and the small group of family and school administrators gathered for the event, his famous dad, ex-Bucs coach coach and Monday Night Football color analyst couldn’t help but toss in a funny line.

To hear what Jon Gruden said, please follow this video link: http://www2.tbo.com/sports/prep-sports/2012/feb/02/signing-day-gruden-style-05737-vi-25891/

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FHSAA to live stream state cheer

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by TBO.com

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 12:22 PM

The FHSAA Network will live video stream the FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading Finals beginning at 1 p.m. today (Thursday) on www.fhsaasports.com.

A general overview of the schedule of events along with information on the FHSAA Network is available at the following link: http://www.fhsaa.org/news/2012/0202 and the school-by-school times for tumbling, warm-up and performing can be found under “Schedule of Events” on the FHSAA’s Competitive Cheerleading page which can be found at: http://www.fhsaa.org/sports/competitive-cheerleading.

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Pasco’s Dudley-Giles signs with UMass over eight other offers

Posted Feb 1, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 1, 2012 at 04:47 PM

Pasco senior receiver Trey Dudley-Giles ended up making a decision Wednesday.

Despite coach Tom McHugh saying Dudley-Giles wouldn’t sign on National Signing Day, the 5-foot-11, 170 pound athlete signed with the University of Massachusetts, according to the team’s athletic Web site. Pasco has a signing ceremony at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, but Dudley-Giles isn’t expected to attend.

Dudley-Giles, a Pasco Tribune All Pasco County first team selection, also had offers from Middle Tennessee State, Rutgers, Ball State, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Ohio and South Alabama. Dudely-Giles helped the Pirates (13-1) reached their second state semifinal appearance in the past four seasons with 1,066 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.

Dudley-Giles also had five interceptions and four return touchdowns, as the Minutemen recruited him as a cornerback.

Dudley-Giles will be part of new head coach Charley Molnar’s first recruiting class that includes 24 players. Last season, UMass went 5-6.

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Wesley Chapel football brings nine players to signing Wednesday

Posted Jan 31, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Jan 31, 2012 at 05:34 PM

Wesley Chapel football coach Ben Alford said in an e-mail Tuesday that up to eight players, possibly a ninth, will sign letters of intent at 1 p.m. on Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

ATH Keegan Tanner, an offensive cog for the Wildcats, is signing with Stetson University. Signing with Missouri Valley College is LB Luke Fisher, FB/LB Angel Ramos and ATH Xavier Leatherbury, signing with Rockridge Community College is OL/DL Robert Gonzales and OL/DL Damian Garvey, while DE Angel Locicero will sign with Eri Community College and RB Devin Piper with Citrus College. Alford added that WR Robert Jota has yet decided where he will sign.

These nine players were part of the of the 5-5 Wildcats team that had its best season since 2007, but finished fifth in the Class 5A, District 6 standings. Tanner had eight total touchdowns, Piper four touchdowns before an ankle injury cut his season short, while Fisher led the team with 77 tackles and Ramos with eight sacks.

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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Anclote RB Alonzo Pettiford commits to Fort Hays State

Posted Jan 31, 2012 by Andy Villamarzo

Updated Jan 31, 2012 at 10:11 AM

Anclote running back Alonzo Pettiford has committed to Fort Hays State, a Division II, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association university in Kansas, according to Sharks coach Matt Wicks via text message early Tuesday morning.

This past season, Pettiford played all over the field offensively, evident by his stats: 602 rushing yards on 68 carries for seven touchdowns, 14 catches for 268 yards and two scores. As a returner, Pettiford returned 12 punts for 221 yards and 14 kickoffs for 464 yards, including one for 94 yards.

Pettiford will sign with Fort Hays State on Wednesday’s National Signing Day, according to Wicks.

In 2011, the Fort Hays State Tigers were just 4-7.

Correspondent Andy Villamarzo can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter at @andyvillamarzo.

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