Fivay’s Johnson headed to Seminole State

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Rick Harmon

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 04:13 PM

HUDSON—Fivay softball player Ashlynn Johnson signed her 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.

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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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Florida Gators golfer named player of the week

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Aaron Oberlin

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 03:55 PM

“Golfweek” named University of Florida junior T.J. Vogel its Player of the Week on Monday.

Vogel won his first career title last week at the Sea Best Invitational. He shot a three-round total of 216 (E), helping lead the Gators to their second team title of the season.

Vogel is now ranked No. 7 in the GolfWeek/Sagarin college rankings.

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Florida Gators golfer named Player of the Week

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Aaron Oberlin

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 03:58 PM

“Golfweek” named University of Florida junior T.J. Vogel its Player of the Week on Monday.

Vogel won his first career title last week at the Sea Best Invitational. He shot a three-round total of 216 (E), helping lead the Gators to their second team title of the season.

Vogel is now ranked No. 7 in the GolfWeek/Sagarin college rankings.

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Bloomingdale’s Jasczak commits to Nova Southeastern

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Jarrett Guthrie

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 04:36 PM

Bloomingdale senior Melissa Jasczak started setting goals early, or perhaps better stated started stopping goals early. At 10 years old, the Bulls keeper started working with trainer, USF assistant and former Cambridge Christian coach John Mendoza.

Mendoza said he was proud last Friday to watch Jasczak take the next step in her career signing her national letter of intent to Nova Southeastern in front of friends and family at O’Brien’s in Brandon. 

“For me it’s very satisfying to see Melissa grow into such a great keeper and a great person in the past eight years,” Mendoza said. “Watching her set goals as a 10-year-old and begin able to achieve them with an academic-athletic scholarship to Nova just shows how hard she has worked in the classroom and on the field.”

Jasczak was the starting keeper for Bloomingdale earning First Team All Western Conference honors this season as the Bulls were region qualifiers and the district runner-up.

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April weather for February fishing

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Tribune Sports

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 02:17 PM

BY RAY MARKHAM

I know the calendar says we’re pushing mid-February, but I’m wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Water temperatures have been into the 70s, and that’s usually not something I see until late March or early April. Bait schools are scattered on the flats on high water, but hang in deep water much of the rest of the time. Schools of bait are also on beaches. This abnormal weather pattern is making fish set up housekeeping in places that they aren’t normally residing this time of year.

We’re catching fair numbers of speckled trout ranging from 15-18 inches. Lower Tampa Bay spring trout range from 18-30 inches and usually show up from March through May in the lower Tampa Bay area. Top-water lures are productive for these big fish, but a top-water bite is still pretty tough to get going on a regular basis. Subsurface lures that work the bottom of the water column, like CAL Jigs with Shad tails, MirrOlure soft plastic Lil’ John jerk baits and DOA Shrimp are still top producers in soft baits.

The approaching full moon is pushing water up higher on high tides and draining the flats on the low tides. Low negative tides have pushed fish off flats and into channels and in holes on the flats. Outside sand bars are occasionally holding pompano that will readily take a Doc’s Goofy Jig, DOA TerrorEyz, or a CAL Shad. Dragging a jig on the bottom will put a few flounder in the boat.
Redfish continue to find shallow mud flats or sand bottoms to hang on during the mid-day sun. An Eppinger Rex spoon cast well beyond the resting fish and allowed to settle before a retrieve will catch these fish when the lure is worked slowly.

Ray Markham runs the Flat Back II out of Terra Ceia and can be reached for charter at (941) 228-3474.

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Governor to honor Plant football, cross country teams

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 02:18 PM

The accolades keep rolling in for the state champions at Plant High.

After recently being honored by the City of Tampa for their accomplishments, it’s now Florida Governor Rick Scott’s turn to recognize the state champion Plant football team and girls cross country team. Scott is scheduled to do that during a cabinet meeting Thursday morning at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Plant’s football team captured the Class 8A state title last December when it defeated Miramar at the Citrus Bowl. It was the Panthers’ fourth state crown in six seasons under coach Robert Weiner and his staff. Weiner said the team’s nine captains will be formally introduced by Scott to the cabinet.

In November, the Panthers’ girls cross country team hauled in a state record 10th championship for veteran coach Roy Harrison. No other coach in Florida has won more state crowns for girls cross country than Harrison. Harrison plans to bring his seven varsity runners to the event Thursday.

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Former Wolfson head coach, Plant assistant Meyer joins Leto staff

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 11:59 AM

Leto football coach Matt Kitchie added another impressive name to his staff this week with the addition of former Jackonville Wolfson head coach and former Plant assistant Greg Meyer.

The 34-year-old Meyer will serve as Kitchie’s defensive coordinator. He joins another former Plant assistant, Mo Harris, who was hired as running backs coach two weeks ago. Harris was offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay Tech last season.

“I’m not going to hide the fact I want what Plant has. We want to win a state championship at Leto,” Kitchie said. “With guys like Greg and Mo here, I’m hoping a little of that magic coach Weiner has developed at Plant will rub off over here.”

Meyer was Wolfson’s head coach the last two seasons, where he compiled a record of 5-15. Kitchie said Meyer wanted to return to his native Tampa area for family reasons and has already landed a teaching position at Leto. Meyer, a former tight end and center for Plant, was a junior varsity defensive line coach and varsity assistant under Panthers head coach Robert Weiner during the Panthers’ 2006 and 2008 championship season.

“The best part of this is that our kids are going to benefit tremendously from Greg and Mo. They’re great teachers and great people and I’m very fortunate to have them coming on board here.”

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Berkeley Prep boys soccer game rescheduled

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 11:23 AM

Due to threatening weather on Florida’s East Coast today, Berkeley Prep’s Class 2A regional final boys soccer game against host West Palm Beach King’s Academy has been rescheduled to Wednesday night at 6 p.m., Buccaneers coach Tim Cooper said.

Cooper said he has mixed feelings about the postponement.

“Obviously, it’s tough because the guys were geared up to play tonight and we’ve focused our training on playing tonight,” Cooper said. “But we also wouldn’t want to drive all the way over there and have to sit around, not play, then possibly have to scramble to find hotel rooms and wait a day.

“Now that it’s been rescheduled, my biggest concern was that if we do get by and win on Wednesday, the (semifinals) were set for Friday and by the time we got back from West Palm, it would be late that night and it wouldn’t give us much time to rest and prepare.”

As a result, Cooper said Berkeley Prep athletic director Bobby Reinhart requested and received approval from the Florida High School Athletics Association for a Saturday night semifinal hosted by the Bucs should they win against King’s Academy.

“All the rescheduling isn’t an ideal situation for anyone but it’s the best we can do under the circumstances,” Cooper said.

Berkeley enters Wednesday’s game with a record of 18-7-2. King’s Academy is 13-8-5.

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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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