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Looking Back: June-July

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By BART O'CONNELL, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 26, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - With high school students on summer vacation, it was time for the stars of youth softball and baseball to shine in postseason tournaments. And Pasco County teams enjoyed some of their best success in area history this year.

The Land O' Lakes senior softball and baseball, junior baseball and 10-11 softball teams advanced to the state tournament, as did the West Pasco 9-10 baseball squad.

Though none left with a state title, it was still a memorable and rewarding season for the players, coaches and parents involved.

"The kids' names will be remembered for a few years," Land O' Lakes Senior League baseball manager Scott Hilgenberg said. "Now they will be able to see their names up there in the LOL dugout. They were excited about that. That's a nice little thing."

The LOL seniors dedicated their season to the memory of Thomas Kranendonk, a close friend of many of the players who died July 6, the day of the district championship game.

They won the game against North Seminole 6-2 in extra innings, made it through sectionals and ultimately were eliminated by a Boynton Beach squad that had several members with Little League World Series experience. Joe Connelly was a top hitter with a .700 average and three homers in the state tournament.

The Juniors, at Port St. Lucie, won their first game in state pool play, but lost the next two. The power-hitting bunch, led by Manager Harry Olsen, mercy-ruled their way through district play and never lost their free-swinging and fun-loving approach to the game.

The LOL 10-11 softball squad, managed by Kenny Cochran, overcame an 8-0 deficit to beat Bloomingdale 14-13 in the second game of the state tournament. But they fell to Cape Coral in the next game to be eliminated.

The West Pasco 9-10 baseball team lost all three of its games in the state tournament, but got strong pitching and hitting from Blaize Grabowski.

Messing With Texas

The Pasco County prep tennis scene changed dramatically when two-time Tribune player of the year Tyler Brown and his family left Wesley Chapel and moved to New Braunfels, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio.

Brown's father, a former professional player, accepted a position with the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Tyler enrolled in its summer program in hopes of elevating his game by playing against tougher players.

It didn't take long for Brown to defeat the No. 1 player at his new high school, continuing the prep success he started with the Wildcats.

She Shoots And Scores

Wesley Chapel graduate Sthefany Thomas scored 20 or more points in her first three games for the Argentina Under-20 National team in the FIBA U-19 World Championship for Women, which started July 26 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Unfortunately, the high scoring came in losses to Spain, South Korea and the Slovak Republic.

Thomas, who attends Clemson University, averaged 19.4 points, the second-highest for any player.

A Run Up The Coast

Ridgewood's boys basketball team advanced to the finals of the East Coast Invitational in Jacksonville, N.C. The Rams went 8-3, losing to Kinston 64-59 in the final but returning home with their best finish in the three years they attended the event.

It was the squad's final summer tournament during a busy offseason designed to build camaraderie in advance of the winter prep season, which is underway.

"I couldn't have scripted this any better," Coach Gary Anders said after returning home.

"To be playing on Sunday in itself was great, then to get to the championship was even better."

Correspondent Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@

ABOUT THIS SERIES

As 2007 comes to an end, The Pasco Tribune sports staff takes a look back at people and events that made the news. The series will run daily through Monday.

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