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PASCO COUNTY PREP SOCCER PREVIEW

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 8, 2009

Academy at the Lakes

COACH: Boys: Flaubert Augustine

CLASS/DISTRICT: 2A-9

BOYS TO WATCH: Trece Waters, Jr.; Jason Pitcarain, Sr.

OUTLOOK: Academy went 5-3-2 (3-2-1) last season, but it has some new faces, and Augustine is still figuring it out. This team should be a "very different one" from last season, according to Augustine, especially since it can stay home in its small district.

Anclote

COACHES: Boys: Craig Wallace; Girls: Stefanie Simon

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Adnan Baset, Jr.; Daniel Thorpe, Fr.

OUTLOOK: With this being the school's first year, the Sharks are looking to build a core of players to sustain them through the program's first couple of years, which can always be rocky. Baset will lead the boys team at midfield and should score goals. The girls team will be trying to find itself in its first year. Says Simon: "We are still figuring out personalities and trying to bring ourselves together as a team." Simon adds that she has players who are still learning the game and hoards of freshmen who could develop into good players.

Bishop McLaughlin

COACHES: Boys: John Mayer; Girls: Tim Gronau
CLASS/DISTRICT: 2A-9

BOYS TO WATCH: Matt Gulau, Jr.; Caelin Campbell, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Spencer Valdespino, So.; Corri Bexley, So.

OUTLOOK: With the Hurricanes moving into a new district, the competition has gotten tough quickly. The new district includes Tampa Prep, which is favored to take the top spot, and Mayer figures at least four other teams, including the Hurricanes, will be in "a dogfight" for the second spot. The Bishop boys were 6-0 in the district last year and only lost two seniors. They will need another solid year from team leader Gulau. The girls return standout midfielder Valdespino, who will create plays on offense. The Hurricanes girls program, only in its fourth season, lost four starters, including nearly the entire defense and the goalkeeper. Junior Emily Hernandez takes over in the net, but Gronau has his hands full replacing a defense and dealing with a new district that includes Tampa Prep and Indian Rocks, the team the Hurricanes lost to in the region quarterfinals. "We'll be going for the No. 2 spot, and we plan on battling out Indian Rocks for it," he said.

Gulf

COACHES: Boys: Steve Emerson; Girls: Shari Schau

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Travis Jehs, So.; Lane Miller, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Danni Schulman, Jr.; Chelsea Foster, Jr.

OUTLOOK: Schau says her team has high expectations, especially after only losing a few seniors. The Buccaneers look to be one of the top two teams in the district after losing in the first round last season, but they know they will have to hang tough with rivals Mitchell and Hudson to do so. The boys will have Jehs, the leading scorer with 13 goals, and Miller, who will anchor a defense and provide leadership. The Buccaneers lost a chunk of players to graduation and transfers. Seven players, including Baset (Anclote), are with other teams, and in this deep district Emerson will need a youthful team that has just one starting senior to step up.

Hudson

COACHES: Boys: Jeff Willis; Girls: Stephen Jones

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Josh Frame, Sr.; Wayne Ewing, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Alicia Schuering, Sr.; Stacey Swezey, Sr.

OUTLOOK: The boys look to revamp the team after losing several seniors after last season. Willis says the district will be tough, especially with the addition of Mitchell, and that the team still needs to jell while finding out just what type of team the Cobras have. "We have to find out what 11 (players) we need to win (in the district)," Willis added. The Cobras girls bring back Swezey at sweeper to anchor the defense for first-year coach Jones. However, with three other seniors who know nothing but winning (including being defending district champs), the girls will look at another deep run into the postseason and expect to make it past regional.

Land O' Lakes

COACHES: Boys: Mark Pearson; Girls: Vicky King

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-8

BOYS TO WATCH: Frankie Villar, Sr.; John Siragusa, Sr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Tara Marshall, Jr.; Alexis Dillar, Jr.

OUTLOOK: The Lady Gators are well stocked with juniors, and the group has played together for more than two seasons. King says the players are young, but have the experience on the field and plenty of depth to go deep into the postseason, as Land O' Lakes usually does. The Gators boys will look to continue where they left off last year, when they lost in the region semifinals. They Gators have also moved down from 6A to 4A, so they will now face many teams outside of the county. They lost five starters and 10 seniors, but bring back Siragusa, the backbone of the team. Pearson says the team is young and a bit inexperienced, but will have to come together to match success of past Gators teams.

Mitchell

COACHES: Boys: Oscar Ubillus; Girls: Karl Kukec

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Max Rockwell, Sr.; Jason Leslie, Sr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Marisa Russo, Sr.; Shelby Wright, Sr.

OUTLOOK: The Mitchell girls will be one of the top teams, not only in this district, but also in the county. Kukec and Co. know the Mustangs have a good chance to make the final four, especially after from moving from Class 6A to 4A. "We expect to win district and regional and go all the way," Kukec said, and that's reasonable since they return all but one player from last season. With the move from 6A to 4A, the boys look to be one of the top teams in the county, even though the Mustangs went 11-12 last season. They'll look to compete all season against Land O' Lakes and play more teams in the county. The Mustangs have the depth and experience to make a run at the top seed in the district after losing in the region semifinals last season.

Pasco

COACHES: Boys: Barry Grayling; Girls: Warren Lowery

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Daniel Cano, Jr.; Gilbert Tanguma, Sr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Caitlin Dozack, Sr.; Erin Clanahan, Sr.

OUTLOOK: The girls have a new defense, anchored by Dozack, the only returning defender. Lowery says that unit will need to jell from the start to support an offense that can score often. Lowery says Clanahan will head up the offense for the Pirates. The boys return Eric Garcia (14 goals) and Juan Davila (12), but lost eight players from last season. Tanguma also returns in the net as the Pirates look to defend their district title. "We're still pretty well-balanced, and our biggest goal is to worry about district and then move on to regional," Grayling said. "It's always everyone's goal to be the top team in the district, but Mitchell, we all know they're a good team."

Ridgewood

COACHES: Boys: Ed McComiskey; Girls: Tom Wellington

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Adam Koon, Sr.; Josh Gray, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Kayla Labbey, Jr.; Samantha Foster, Sr.

OUTLOOK: The Rams boys have been rebuilding for the past two years, so they have several juniors and seniors who played varsity as sophomores and freshmen. McComiskey says the team has a stout defense led by Koon and Gray, who are "really physical and tough to get around." The team is still looking for some organization, but it has the experience to compete in a deep district. Wellington takes over the girls team for his first year as coach, and he inherits plenty of talent, including four-year starter in goal, Brittany Martin. "I think we can play and hold our own," Wellington said. The team has to hold its own on defense, but it has an offense that can rack up goals and keep it in the hunt for one of the top two spots in a deep district. "We're going to rely on the seniors a lot, that's for sure," Wellington said.

River Ridge

COACHES: Boys: Mike McHugh; Girls: Skip Glover

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-8

BOYS TO WATCH: John Thompson, Jr.; Sean Jones, Sr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Mikaela Morolla, Sr.; Jenny Karl, Jr.

OUTLOOK: Glover says the Royal Knights' new district, which includes teams from Hernando that he is not too familiar with, will be difficult. The girls team lost six starters from last season, so Glover has his work cut out for him rebuilding a team in a tough district. The boys bring back the 6-foot-4 Jones in net, a four-year starter who had a 1.09 goals-against average last season, and Thompson, who will be the playmaker who scores and sets up goals. The Royal Knights lost 11 seniors, so McHugh is looking forward to starting with a young team that is balanced, but has always been known for its defense in the past. "We want to win in the district tournament, and think we have a chance to do so," McHugh said. "We always aim to be one of the top three teams, and we can do that, even with the youth."

Sunlake

COACHES: Boys: Sam Koleduk; Girls: Maura Craig

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-8

BOYS TO WATCH: Jordan Landry, Jr.; Miguel Laliberte, So.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Laura Galindo, Fr.; Erin Mauthner, So.

OUTLOOK: The Seahawks bring back two dynamic scorers in Landry, who has 40 goals in his first two seasons, and Laliberte, who had 11 as a freshman and is considered one of the top players in the county by coaches. "I think that after Land O' Lakes that most of the teams are even," Koleduk said. Sunlake hopes to return to the district semifinals in a tough district, while it brings a young team to the field, including seven sophomore starters and just one senior starter, sweeper Carlos Herrera. The girls, in just their third year, are still trying to build a solid foundation but already have a sound midfield that includes Galindo and Mauthner. Those two, along with the rest of the Seahawks' young players, should be able to hold their own against the more experienced teams this season. "We're going to surprise a few," Craig said. "We may still be in a bit of a building stage, but teams will think we're a cakewalk and we're not."

Wesley Chapel

COACHES: Boys: Brian Dorkowski; Girls: Jami Finan

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-7

BOYS TO WATCH: Rafael Morales, Sr.; Jhon Forero, Sr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Tess Gemberling, So.; Kelsey Beare, Fr.

OUTLOOK: Wesley Chapel's boys will battle with Mitchell to stay ahead in the district all season. However, the Wildcats lost just one senior from last season and added a great player from Pasco: sweeper Jose Paniagua, who will anchor the defense for a team looking to stay over .500 and go deeper into the postseason. The Wildcats girls have a lot of youth and will have a bit of growing to do this season. Gemberling was the team's top scorer last season, and with a new district, Wesley Chapel looks to stay in the running for the title with Mitchell, which Finan notes "is always a powerhouse."

Wiregrass Ranch

COACHES: Boys: Dave Wilson; Girls: Amanda Devona

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-8

BOYS TO WATCH: Steven Esoff, Sr.; Andres Caesar, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Caitlyn Morehouse, Sr.; A.J. Bluont, Fr.

OUTLOOK: The girls are in the fourth year as a program, but they have gotten progressively better each season, Devona said. The Bulls added seven freshmen this season, and the core of the team is made up of sophomores. There are only four seniors on the roster. Devona says the team will have to gain experience quickly to fare well in the district. The boys have 12 seniors on the roster, including Esoff, a four-year varsity player who had 17 goals last season. Wilson says the team hopes to stay healthy after having several players plagued by injuries last season. "We're deep this year, and I think we can go for that top spot (in the district)," Wilson said. "I think anyone will take Wiregrass seriously this year, in any sport, too."

Zephyrhills

COACHES: Boys: DeeDee Castro; Girls: Mike Mira

CLASS/DISTRICT: 4A-8

BOYS TO WATCH: Gunnar Chauncey, So.; Marc Avadician, Jr.

GIRLS TO WATCH: Carly Patton, So.; Chelsea Smith, Sr.

OUTLOOK: The girls bring back a stout defense that will be anchored by Patton, but the team lost eight seniors and most of its offense, including leading scorer Brandi Mira. The Bulldogs put up about 80 goals last season, according to Mike Mira, but they will need to rebuild the offense to stay in the district hunt. Castro takes over in her first year as the boys coach and wants to instill a winning attitude into the players. "I want to get this team back to where it was," Castro said, referring to Bulldogs teams that had good seasons in the past. Castro will need discipline from a young team that she expects to surprise a few during her rebuilding process. "We'll get what we put into it," she said.

Compiled by correspondent Mike Camunas

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