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FHSAA To End Fall Soccer Tournament

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 19, 2007

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors approved a recommendation to discontinue the state fall soccer series immediately if 48 schools do not commit to participate in the event. The organization will continue recognition status as long as at least 32 schools sponsor a fall soccer program.
The final number of schools participating in this year's state series was down to 40, eight below the minimum number required for board authorization of an invitational state series.
Locally, Bayshore Christian, Berean Academy, Citrus Park Christian and Seffner Christian participated in fall soccer.
"We knew this meeting was coming and we were expecting something," Seffner Christian coach Mark Canterbury said. "But the original timetable was supposed to be after the 2008 season. We are going to appeal this in hopes we can get at least one more year of soccer in. It's disappointing, especially for our boys."
Soccer in the fall has been an advantage for small schools. Many players also play winter sports and if these schools are forced to move the season to the winter, there may not be enough athletes to fill all the teams.
"We have so many boys who play on our basketball team as well and now with a move [to winter] our boys we'll need to choose between soccer and basketball," Canterbury said. "We had a good team this year and we are going to have a good team next year, but some of our players are going to have to make a tough choice."
Canterbury has been busy Monday since the announcement was made to get the appeal process going.
"I've been on the phone with coaches Sarasota Christian and Seven Rivers Christian and we are going to at least make them honor the timetable they had stated earlier," Canterbury said.
Seffner Christian was 20-4-3 this season, including 12-0 in district play and advanced to the state semifinals, losing 1-0 to eventual state champion Lake Worth Trinity Christian.
The FHSAA Board of Directors also announced the creation of an Infractions Appeals Committee to hear appeals of schools challenging findings of major violations and penalties imposed.
"This committee will provide a means for resolving infractions cases quickly and equitably," said Board of Directors President Richard Finlayson, principal of Aucilla Christian Academy. "It's important to both our public and non-public member schools that we continue to assess and improve the fairness of our enforcement procedures."
The committee will meet five times a year as needed to hear appeals. The first meeting, if needed, will be in February 2008.

ELY SIGNS: Sickles senior softball player Khrystyne Ely became the seventh player in program history to sign a Division I scholarship when the pitcher officially signed with Troy State on Monday.
Before receiving a scholarship offer from Troy, Khrystyne said only community colleges were interested in her. She said signing the letter of intent papers on Monday was a relief in more ways than one.
"It makes you feel so much better because so many people doubted me," Ely said. "No one thought I could play (Division I) because I didn't have good grades."
On her last report card, she got three A's and two B's.
"It was very rewarding," Sickles coach Dennis Reddick said. "She works hard all the time. She should really enjoy the game now because (the signing) is behind her."
Ely earned Tribune All-Hillsborough County first-team honors as a junior posting an 8-5 record with a 1.59 ERA and 92 strikeouts. She also is an accomplished hitter, and led the team with a .561 average, seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Ely's older sister, Katie, who was present at the ceremony, signed with Troy last year.
SO DOES GERBASI: Plant City senior Aaron Gerbasi signed a baseball scholarship Monday with two-time Division II national champion Tampa.
Gerbasi, a Tribune All-Hillsborough County honorable mention selection, posted a 2-4 record with a 0.28 ERA as a junior, striking out 76 in 49 innings pitched. He was recently selected as a 2008 Under Armour Preseason All-American and invited to showcase his skills during an invitation-only tournament Jan. 11-13 in Tucson, Ariz.
JACKSON A DEMON DEACON: Plant starting tailback Lovell Jackson verbally committed to Wake Forest over the weekend. Jackson was hampered by hamstring and ankle injuries earlier in the season, but has come on strong in recent weeks, averaging nine-yards per carry.
"It's a great program and it fit my body style and my running style," said the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Jackson. "They use a spread type of offense that we have now and I thought that would suit me."
Jackson, who is fifth on the team in scoring with nine touchdowns, said the Demon Deacons plan to use him primarily as a running back, but given the versatility he has showcased in recent weeks, he'd be up for other roles on the offense. In the absence of injured starting receiver Cornelius Gallon, Jackson's been lining up as a wideout. He caught two touchdown receptions in the Panther's playoff victory against Northeast.
"They were pretty excited when I told them I was committing," Jackson said. "They were talking mostly about running back, but if they wanted me to play a little receiver, I wouldn't have any problems."
PLANT PLAN OF ATTACK: Coach Mark Kantor, whose Gaither team played both Plant and Jefferson in the regular season, offered some insight on how difficult it is to contain the Panthers offense. He had this bit of advice for the Dragons defense as they prepare to face the defending state champions Friday night.
"Go down to One Buc Place and get their secondary and get their linebacking corps too," Kantor said. "I think they're so dynamic in what they do it's just hard. They do some really good things. They've got almost a college style passing attack. It's almost a pro-style passing attack."
Jefferson is preparing for the aerial assault by moving some players around. They experimented with a new starting lineup on defense against Boca Ciega and will continue to use that lineup against Plant. Wide receiver Darrell Young and Lester Lewis will play both ways, with Young also lining up at cornerback and Lewis playing free safety.
VOLLEYBALL: On Monday night during the Hillsborough County Volleyball Officials Association banquet, Sickles senior outside hitter Sara Vance was presented the Rose Diaz Award, which is given to the player exhibiting the highest degree of leadership and sportsmanship. Vance led the Gryphons to a district championship and a trip to the Class 6A region semifinals. She ended the season with 291 kills, 79 aces and 119 digs.
Also receiving an award during the banquet was Carrollwood Day High School Athletic Director Frank Mabry, who received the Deane Booth Award for the coach or athletic director who best promoted the sport of volleyball in the area. Booth, president of the HCVOA and Florida volleyball official for 22 years, will also celebrate the announcement of his retirement as well.
Earlier Monday, Gaither senior Elissa Hausmann, a libero for the Cowboys, signed a letter of intent to play for Florida Gulf Coast, which is in its first Division I season.
Hausmann ended the season with 313 digs, 18 aces and 14 kills. She was named an Honorable Mention on The Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County Volleyball team as a junior.
CAMARA TO SACRED HEART: Freedom senior Margaux Camara will sign a Division I golf scholarship today with Sacred Heart University, her father, Frank, said Monday.
Camara earned first-team All-Western Conference honors this season, and shot a team-best 95 to finish 11th at the Class 2A-District 11 tournament. Camara also had drawn interest from Boston University.
KNIGHTS WIN INVITE: Robinson's wrestling team won the 16-team Berkeley Prep Invitational on Saturday, getting three individual champions in the process.
Leading the way for the Knights was senior Ellis St. John, named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler after winning the 189-pound title. Also winning titles were Zack Boyer (135 pounds) and heavyweight Michael Benitez, a first-year wrestler who remained undefeated.
Robinson finished with 190.5 points, 12.5 better than runner-up Hernando.
"It's great to have that this early," Robinson coach Tommy Montero said. "We've got some weight classes where we put young guys in there, but every wrestler scored points for us."
Tampa Prep (fourth) and Tampa Bay Christian (fifth) also finished in the top five. Charles Tkatch (140) was the Terrapins' lone champ, while the Rams' Rossi Bruno (112) and Clark Glass (119) each won titles.

Adam Adkins, Jarrett Guthrie, Nick Williams, Katherine Smith

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