Two East County Athletes Make College Choices

Posted Apr 21, 2008 by Adam Adkins

Updated Apr 21, 2008 at 11:40 AM

Plant City senior swimmer Stephanie Barker and Durant senior football player David Zanato have made their college choices.

Barker signed today with Florida Atlantic University during a morning ceremony at Plant City, while Zanato has committed to the University of Saint Francis, an NAIA program in Joliet, Ill., according to Cougars coach Mike Gottman.

Barker, a Tribune All-Hillsborough County first team selection as a senior, was a four-time state qualifier for the Raiders. In her final season, she set school records in the 50 free and 100 butterfly.

Zanato was a starter on the Cougars’ offensive line and played in the Hillsborough County senior all-star game at Raymond James Stadium.

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Blake DB Headed West

Posted Apr 21, 2008 by Nick Williams

Updated Apr 21, 2008 at 10:47 AM

Blake senior Kevin Lynch, a 6-foot, 170 pound cornerback,  will play for Butte-Glenn Community College in Oroville, California, coach Sean Washington said on Monday.

Washington also said two-way lineman Marvin Murphy will attend North Carolina Tech, a prep school.

Lynch missed his entire junior season because he had to work two jobs to help support his family. During the season, he said playing college football was his life-long dream. 

Read the entire story about Lynch Here

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Trade For DE Allen May Not Be The Only One Bucs Are Contemplating

Posted Apr 21, 2008 by Roy Cummings

Updated Apr 21, 2008 at 10:08 AM

TAMPA - We’re getting a better idea of what it will take to pry DE Jared Allen away from the Chiefs, and it’s not very appetizing.

Word now is that the Chiefs will settle for no less than a first- and second-round draft pick for their disgruntled “franchise’’ pass rusher.

It’s hard to imagine the Bucs giving that up, especially when they have just five draft picks and so many needs. It’s questionable whether the Vikings will give it up, too.

Minnesota has clearly emerged as the favorite to land Allen, who still may visit the Bucs later this week, but they’ll probably stand firm on their offer of a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) and a third (No. 73 overall).

It’s good strategy really, because it’s doubtful anyone will give the Chiefs the two first-rounders they’d get if a team simply signed Allen as a free agent. And with the Bucs virtually unable and unlikely to better the Vikings’ offer, Minnesota’s offer will no doubt come in as the best one for Allen.

That will leave this whole thing up to the Chiefs, who will probably drag this thing out until draft day before deciding what to do.

Meanwhile, another trade target has emerged that may make more sense for the Bucs anyway.

The Eagles are reportedly looking to deal unhappy cornerback Lito Sheppard, and their reported asking price of a second- and possibly fifth-round pick for Sheppard is just a little more palatable than what the Chiefs are asking for Allen.

Again, with so many needs and so few picks (those deals for Jake Plummer and Brian Griese are really starting to look rather shaky) it’s questionable whether the Bucs have the ammunition needed to make such a trade. But a deal for Sheppard would fill an area of need.

The Bucs are sure to draft a corner at some point this year, but a deal for Sheppard would alleviate that need and give them a player who can step in immediately and contribute.

That’s more than the Bucs are likely to get from the draft, because their tendency, especially as it pertains to corners, is to draft them low and develop them.

This potential Sheppard deal seems to be a back-burner issue for both teams right now but as draft day nears it may gain some prominence and move closer to the front. We’ll keep an eye on it for you and let you know what, if anything, comes of it.

We’ll also continue to monitor the Allen situation. At this point, though, Allen is back home in California contemplating the Vikings’ offer, which is believed to be a six-year deal that includes $25 million in guarantees and carries a total value between $50 million and $60 million.

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The Very Good Got A Whole Lot Better

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Tom McEwen

Updated Apr 20, 2008 at 07:11 PM

Tom Watson (above) said he may have to buy a home around here, now that he’s won a second straight golf tournament out at the Cheval course where he won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am Sunday when younger pursuer Scott Hoch blew a gimme putt on the final hole.

It was the kind you and I would miss with lot less hanging on it than the 52-year-old Hoch had, which was a bundle. It was not of the length he should have missed — a tad over four feet. Few there, or watching on television, sulked. Watson, now 58 and grizzled from all those afternoons in the sunshine, is a fine, fine man who has won tournaments all over the place, and will keep on, for a while.

Said he doesn’t play in tournaments just to play, but plays to win. When that chance ends, so will he, he said. Anyway, this was only his second win in Florida, both at Cheval, in the Outback, which will be around a long time. The Outback chief, Chris Sullivan, was in the Watson pairing.

Hoch, playing in the group behind Sullivan and Watson, had a shot at forcing a sudden-death playoff with the short bogey putt on the last hole. He seemed not to take much time. He hit it too hard. It lipped out and Watson, waiting at the scoring table, but not watching, had won his 39th professional tournament, on the PGA and Seniors, now called Champions Tours.

Watson, gracious as ever, conceded, he won “through the back door.”

He did. But Hoch had an easy chance to win through the front door because Watson’s second shot on the final hole drifted into the waterside hazard. Hoch did not take advantage of the opening, he could not squeeze through.

The win was wildly cheered because Tom Watson is Tom Watson and Scott Hoch is Scott Hoch.

Forgotten in all this flurry between the two was the great early showing of Mark Wiebe, just 50, but hot on the Seniors. He had a lead on No. 14 but fell apart in the drive to the finish.

However, this grand golf affair so fully spnonsored by The Outback people was presented virtually without flaw. Oh, an amateur was eliminated over a handicap louse-up but that was about it. The Outback bosses, Jeff Smith, Sullivan and Basham (who injured no one in the gallery with an errant shot — slice, hook, top, skull, or inside upshot), Paul Avery, Jeff Smith, all did well, as did the volunteer bigshots, like Jack Suarez, Tampa host pro Gary Koch, and all the others who saw to it that the tournament was what they wanted it to be, top of the line. 

A blessing was moving the tournament to April, from February, freezing rain time to sunburn time, if you were careless. The crowds were record-setting, perhaps 20,000 the first two days first days to 25,000 Sunday. The amateur field drew celebrities such as Joe Theismann, George Lopez, Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, and
Vinny Testaverde, who is moving back to Tampa.

“Come a long way, haven’t we, bubba,” said early and continuing booster, Bob Murphy, of, well, Mulberry, originally, or a town now gone, near there.

“So have you, sir,” I replied. I reminded him he was from Mulberry, got a partial scholarship to the University of Florida, got hurt early, then learned to play golf, and became the fine golf success — even now, like Koch, a commentator— he has become. Good man, Murph. Good roots. Once when he was playing in the Masters, his putting was off. We went to downtown Augusta and he practiced pool to sharpen his eyes, he said. Played better at the Masters the next day.

“I remember that,” he said.

Thanks, Outbackers, for making this tournament what it has become, and all you Tampa area professionals as well. Come a long way from a $20,000 purse, eh?

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Niemann sent out, DiFelice likely next

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Apr 20, 2008 at 04:29 PM

Following today’s game, the Rays optioned Jeff Niemann back to Durham, clearing a roster spot for Dan Johnson and allowing them to play with an extra position player for the three games at Disney.

Niemann was slated to start Thursday’s game there, but with an off day tomorrow, Andy Sonnanstine will start Thursday instead on his regular rest. With Matt Garza scheduled to come off the disabled list Friday and start against the Red Sox, Niemann was expendable. The Rays will send out a position player—Justin Ruggiano would seem the logical choice—by Friday to clear a spot for Garza.

In addition, Mike DiFelice was saying his goodbyes to teammates and coaches following the game. He declined to comment, saying nothing was going on—and of course there wasn’t anything official—but he’ll be designated for assignment if Dioner Navarro comes through his final rehab game with Vero Beach tomorrow night unscathed. That means Shawn Riggans will stay as the backup catcher, despite the solid work DiFelice has done since being called up. The Rays will have to hope he makes it through waivers and reports to Durham so they might be able to bring him back later in the season.

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Some playoff hockey rumblings from my couch

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Apr 21, 2008 at 11:21 AM

This is how I’m somewhat feeling these days. Although minus the wheel chair, without the odd-ball theories (unless your talking about Avery-gate) or delusions and minus Grace Kelly by my side (too bad ) But I have been laid up the past week with a severely sprained ankle suffered while participating in an adult recreational soccer league.

To make a long story short, I rolled the ankle and spent over six hours in the ER in Brandon thinking I had broken the ankle after hearing a pop or a crack. X-rays were negative, although in terms of recovery, a break might have been better. Since the sprain is on my right ankle, I am not able to drive so I’ve spent the past week sitting on my couch, crutches by my side, foot propped up on a stool and an ice bad near by.

The swelling didn’t come down until Saturday, a day after I saw an orthopedic specialist who delivered some good news (under the circumstances anyway) that although there is a good chance I probably tore a tendon or ligament, it’s nothing that can’t be taken care of with an at-home physical therapy program. While it certainly has created more of a burden on my already over-burdened wife - and right at the end of hockey season, too - she hasn’t been overly sarcastic about the whole thing and been a great help, not to mention my parents, my in-laws and my sister-in-law, who came over to give the younger kids a bath and help put the boys to bed.

Needless to say, I will be fine even if it’s supposed to be another week until I drive. I’m all but off my crutches, instead walking around with a nice big walking boot complete with an air cushioned insert that I can pump up on my own (or with the aid of my three-year old who likes to push the button).

So with all this free time on my hands, I’ve been propped up on the couch watching a lot of playoff hockey. And it was a treat to be able to watch the third period of the Montreal-Boston game on Saturday. Talk about emotions rising and dropping. I’ve been impressed with the Bruins, I didn’t think they would last this long in this series. But even going back to the first two games of the series in which Montreal won, I thought the Bruins were playing well and you could see that they could hang with the Habs.

Now it’s on to a Game 7 and anything can happen in that type of game. But I can’t see the Canadiens losing a Game 7 on home ice, not in that atmosphere, not with that crowd going crazy. I’m sure it will be a close game, but I think the Habs move on. Having to go seven games, however, I think will have an adverse effect on Montreal. Teams that often make long playoff runs tend to have easy early-round series (remember when Tampa Bay won its first two series in a total of nine games in 2004?). This could catch up to them in the next round, especially since they will end up facing either Philadelphia or the New York Rangers.

I worry about Dallas a little bit going into tonight’s Game 6. The Ducks are the Ducks and they’ve shut down the Stars’ power play the past couple of games. Champions don’t go down easy (unless they are the Hurricanes, however) and if Dallas doesn’t close this series tonight, I find it hard to believe they can put an end to Anaheim’s momentum in a Game 7. Marty Turco has been good and he’s going to have to be even better tonight. J-S Giguere was terrific in Game 5 and the Stars certainly had some Grade A chances. We’ll see if they have it in them tonight.

The San Jose-Calgary series has been classic. Great games, great hits, great goals and a whole lot of drama. The whole west, in fact, has been just as good as advertised with none of the series ending in anything under six games. Have to give it up to Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis who has been spectacular for the Predators who continue to put up a strong fight, but I don’t think they have it in them to knock off the Wings now, not after getting a 52-save effort out of Ellis and losing in overtime on Friday.

One more note on the first-round, as dominating as Pittsburgh was in a sweep of Ottawa, I’m not sure that had more to do with the complete disarray Ottawa was in or how good Pittsburgh is. I’m leaning toward the former on that one, but it doesn’t mean the Penguins can’t come out of the East since they had an easy time with the Sens and are at home resting up and giving Sidney Crosby plenty of time to make sure his ankle is up to the task (and believe me, after this week, I can sympathize and completely understand how bad a high-ankle sprain can be!!!!)

Anything catch you guys by surprise yet in the opening round? Anybody have thoughts on Sean Avery’s antics? His comments calling the well-respected Martin Brodeur “fatso”? (I thought it was very kindergaten-esque myself on both fronts.)

UPDATE MONDAY

The league will be announcing the finalists for the NHL awards this week and today they released the candidates for the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the league. The Vezina trophy is voted on by the league’s general managers. The three finalists are: Martin Brodeur (New Jersey), Henrik Lundqvist (NY Rangers) and Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose).

The finalists for Norris Trophy (top defenseman) will be released on Tuesday. I’ll give you the finalists when they are released. I’ll also give you the five players who I voted for in order.

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Allen headed to Tampa Bay?

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Roy Cummings

Updated Apr 20, 2008 at 11:45 AM

TAMPA It looks like Jared Allen, the NFL sack leader last year, will leave Minnesota and possibly head to Tampa Bay for a visit early this week. Don’t get too excited, though, Bucs fans. Allen’s reasons for leaving Minnesota are almost entirely legal.

The NFL has a rule for players like Allen, who has been designated the Kansas City Chiefs franchise player. It says they can visit other teams and look for a better deal but their visits cannot last more than 48 hours.

Since Allen arrived in Minneapolis sometime Friday afternoon, he has to leave sometime today. That doesn’t mean, though, that contract talks between Allen and the Vikings are breaking off. Nor are trade talks between the Vikings and Chiefs seemingly in danger of breaking off.

We’re not quite sure where the contract talks stand but the Minneapolis Star Tribune says the trade talks are ongoing and that the Vikings have offered the Chiefs their first-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 17 overall) and one of their third-round selections (either pick No. 73 or pick No. 82).

That’s not necessarily good news for the Bucs. The Bucs first-round selection is No. 20 overall and they don’t have a spare third-round pick to offer like the Vikings.

If the reports of what the Vikings are offering are accurate the Bucs will probably have to sweeten the pot significantly with a young player or two to beat the Vikings in the trade portion of the deal. Then there’s the problem of signing Allen.

We’re not hearing much on what it is the Vikings are offering Allen but he’s believed to be seeking a deal similar to the six-year $70 million deal that Dwight Freeney of the Colts signed. The fact that he spent two full days in Minneapolis tells you the Vikings must be offering something in that range.

At the very least, though, it looks like the Bucs will get their shot at Allen. That’s better than having no shot at all.

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Waiting on Johnson

Posted Apr 20, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Apr 20, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Well, Elliot Johnson is in the lineup today as promised, but Dan Johnson is still nowhere to be found. Word from the Rays is he’s flying in today and doesn’t have to officially report until tomorrow, but the Rays apparently will make a roster move following today’s game to clear a spot for him. So, stay tuned on that front.

Other than that, not much happening. It’s always tough to follow the intensity of Wrestling Night.

Here’s the Rays’ lineup:

Iwamura 2B
Crawford LF
Upton CF
Pena DH
Longoria 3B
Gomes RF
Hinske 1B
Riggans C
Johnson SS
Jackson P

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Pelicans Win State Rugby Title

Posted Apr 19, 2008 by Nick Murray

Updated Apr 19, 2008 at 11:39 PM

TAMPA - Tampa Pelicans captain and fly half Robbie Cribbs would be the first to tell you he didn’t have the best game of his career on Saturday. Cribbs kicking was far from its normal, accurate self.

But in the end, it didn’t matter. Cribbs made the one that mattered, a 18-meter penalty goal from in front of the posts in stoppage time that gave the Tampa Pelicans an 11-10 win against Jupiter and the Florida Rugby Union state under-19 title.

“This means a lot,” Cribbs said. “It means a lot to the coach, a lot of our players are new to the game, and it’s amazing to look at us. On day one, we weren’t close to a rugby team, and to look at us now, how far we’ve come, it’s amazing.”

Jupiter thought it had won its first state title a matter of minutes earlier after the Warriors finally took advantage of their man-advantage as Tom Black broke three through three tired Pelican tackler’s to score just to the right of the posts. Fernando Lopez converted the try to put the Warriors up 10-8 as the game entered stoppage time.

“The guys are going to keep their heads up,” Jupiter coach Sean Simon said. “They know they played a great season.”

The Pelicans grabbed back momentum on the restart. After a Jupiter penalty at the halfway line, scrum half Jake McFadden took off down the left touchline, gaining 35 yards inside the Warriors 22-meter line. After the ball was killed at the bottom of a ruck, the Pelicans won the ensuing scrum and moved the ball into the backs. Jupiter then held the ball at the bottom of the ensuing ruck, giving Cribbs the chance to kick for goal, which he took.

McFadden said he didn’t expect to gain as much territory as he did when he took the penalty.

“When I took the quick tap, I thought I was going to run into him and get an extra 10 yards for Robbie to kick downfield,” McFadden said. “The kid kind of moved out of my way and I just took off.”

The Pelicans had to play short-handed for the bulk of the second half as a procession of players went to the sin bin to serve 10 minute penalties, four for the Pelicans, two for the Warriors. The Pelicans also had winger Tony Chalk ejected for fighting, but the defense held firm as the Warriors tried to use their man-advantages. Simon said he had tried to make a tactical adjustment late in the game.

“I tried to make a switch to play against their forwards more because they were down in the pack, but my team just didn’t make the adjustment,” Simon said. “It was hard for them because of the home-field advantage they couldn’t hear me tell them, and they continued to play in the backs.”

Pelicans coach Dave McFadden said he was proud of the way his team defended.

“It was such a challenge, and they rose to the occasion,” Dave McFadden said. “We stress defense, because it takes time to develop rugby skills, these boys play football, so we focus on their natural gifts and that’s a big thing for us. I was very concerned, but the boys surpassed my expectations with the way they played defense.”

After matching penalty goals by Cribbs and Lopez in the first half left the game tied 3-3, Cribbs scored the first try of the game 15 minutes into the second half. After a knock on by Lopez 10 meters from his own try line, the Pelicans worked a play from the back of the scrum, with No.8 Charles Messal taking the ball from the back of the scrum. Jake McFadden looped around him to receive Messal’s pass, as did Cribbs, and McFadden absorbed a tackle before releasing Cribbs towards the right corner.

“We knew that we had an overload if I went with them,” Cribbs said. “The ref kind of hesitated to call it, but I was like ‘yeah, that’s a try’”

Jake McFadden said he thought the physical advantage he held over his counterpart a scrum half led him to call the play on the fly.

“I noticed their scrum half was a lot smaller than me a Charles,” Jake McFadden said. “So we just took advantage of it.”

The Pelicans now move on to the South Region Championship, which will be held at Middle Tennessee State in two weeks.

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Plant Cruises To Third Straight Title

Posted Apr 19, 2008 by Nick Murray

Updated Apr 19, 2008 at 07:09 PM

TAMPA - After winning its first two games against Jesuit by a combined five goals, Plant’s lacrosse team was prepared for another tough game from their closest rival in the West Florida Lacrosse League championship game on Saturday.

In the end, Plant’s defense, led by Mike Tate, Nick Albani and MVP Peter Banta, smothered the Tigers attack. Garret German and Cameron Von Thron each had hat tricks for the Panthers as they cruised to their third straight WFLL title with an 11-2 victory.

“We watched a lot of tape on those guys this week and figured out what they were doing and what we needed to do to stop them,” Plant coach John Shaw said. “We executed pretty good today.”

After Von Thron and Jesuit’s Nicco Spayde exchanged goals in the opening quarter, German scored a natural hat trick, including a pair of goals assisted by C.J. Casselli 37 seconds apart as the Panthers took a 4-1 lead. Jesuit, on the other hand, struggled to find an offensive rhythm thanks to the pressure of Plant’s defense. Coach Tim Haradan said he thought his players got away from their game.

“I thought we didn’t come out and get enough ground balls, I thought we weren’t passing the ball effectively, I didn’t think we were taking ours shots that we usually like to take,” Haraden said. “They definitely had some good defense out there today, and I tip my hat to them, they’re an excellent team and they played great team lacrosse, which is what you gotta be doing at this time of year.”

While Jesuit wasn’t getting ground balls, Banta was, securing 13 of the 30 ground balls Plant collected for the game. The long-stick middie was effective both at face-offs and in the defensive zone where he harried his man into losing possession, often picking the ball up himself to start a Panther attack. With Tate holding Evan Olsen off the scoreboard, Plant held Jesuit scoreless in both the second and third quarters. Banta said he thought the team felt good at halftime, but didn’t want to let up as it had a season ago.

“It felt we had momentum, but we didn’t want to pull off what we did last year, have a good lead in states and just lose it” Banta said. “So we just tried to come in calm again and use our momentum to propel us forward.”

The Panthers did just that, as Von Thron’s second goal, and others by Dylan Jones, Joey Jacob and Ben Ebaugh gave the Panthers a 8-1 lead at the end of the third quarter and a complete hold on the game. Jacob’s second of the game 40 seconds into the fourth was answered by Jesuit’s Mitchell Lewis, but Von Thron then completed his hat trick and Casselli added a goal to his earlier four assists.

“We’re playing much better lacrosse,” Shaw said. “Possession, good clears, good rides, the whole game is coming together at the end of the year.”

Plant will make its third trip to the state tournament next weekend in Naples, where they will try to regain the state title they won first in 2006.

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