A few recruiting updates from across Tampa Bay:

Bishop McLaughlin volleyball standout Aileen Hnatiuk signed with East Carolina on Wednesday morning. The 6-foot senior helped the Hurricanes advance to the Class 3A playoffs and finished the year with 352 kills (4.7 per game) and 120 blocks.

Two Hudson football players will continue to play after high school, Cobras coach Mark Kantor announced. Lineman Alex Munson will play at Gattaca College, a prep school/junior college that’s associated with Hillsborough Community College. Fellow lineman Robbie McCarthy has accepted an offer to play at Grinnell College, an NCAA Division III program in Iowa. The pair helped Hudson rush for more than 2,300 yards last fall and advance to the Class 5A region quarterfinals.

Durant DE John Hendricks and DB Gabe Brown both committed to Mount Union, a Division III powerhouse, the Cougars announced via Twitter. Hendricks had 29 tackles (two for a loss) and 5.5 sacks last fall, and Brown had 26 tackles and six interceptions.

Jefferson lineman Zack Buchanan has signed with the Division III program Wittenberg University, the Dragons have announced.  Buchanan is a 6-foot, 300-pound senior and was a contributor on Jefferson’s 6A region semifinalist squad.

Strawberry Crest DL Zach Weber has orally committed to Washington University in St. Louis, Chargers coach John Kelly said. Weber had 43 tackles and three sacks last fall for the Chargers. 

Seffner Christian QB Caleb Newman signed with Maryville College. Last fall, he passed for 18 touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards. He also rushed for 777 yards and 10 TDs.

St. Petersburg midfielder Semmes Bruce will sign with Eckerd College on Thursday in a ceremony at the high school.

Bruce was a four-year player for the Green Devils and a two-time Times All County selection. He had six goals and eight assists as a senior.

Eckerd College was 4-11-2 last season, 2-6 in the Sunshine State Conference.

Call spring football at the high school level the early evaluation period. There are big names to replace, with players of the year graduating and moving on to college. Who will fill in? There are new coaches to break in, promising assistant coaches hoping to make the most of their big chances. Who will succeed? There are teams looking to recover from unfulfilled goals and disappointing finishes. Who will bounce back? Lots of questions. Time to find some answers.

Who’s No. 1?
1. Armwood: When you played for a state championship in 2013 and return your leading passer and rusher and touchdown scorer (quarterback Noah Johnson), your leading receiver (Trevor Laurent), your leading tackler (linebacker Jordan Griffin), your most fearsome lineman and sack leader (Byron Cowart) and your best cover guy and interceptions leader (Aaron Covington), and all the other spots around them are filled in by talent like Caylon Holloway, Justin Manning and the guy many think will be the next big Hawk star, Darrian McNeil, well, you’re No. 1. Easy, right?
2. Sickles: Running back Ray Ray McCloud III may be the best player in Tampa Bay, and quarterback Isaac Holder is back as well behind an experienced offensive line. And while the Gryphons have some holes to fill (Defensive Player of the Year Josh Black graduates), there’s talent like tackles leader Jake Hampton, Cameron Miller and Logan Braswell ready to fill in.
3. Plant: With leading rusher Patrick Brooks running behind Clemson commitment Jake Fruhmorgen and leading receiver Jordan Reed back, as well as Kyle Henderson and Derrick Baity heading up the defense, the Panthers could prove by the end of spring they are ready for another state title run.
4. East Lake: The loss of quarterback Pete DiNovo last year was tough. The loss of wide receiver Artavis Scott and offensive tackle Mason Cole will be tougher. But East Lake is no flash in the pan, with a strong junior varsity program feeding into a winning group that still includes the likes of George Campbell, Carson Lydon and Julian Santos.
5. Pinellas Park: Can we just say now we’re bullish on the Patriots this year? Bigger than ever, more than 3,000 yards of a bruising rushing attack returns, and a defense that could be their best ever. What’s not to like?
6. Lakewood: The Spartans, state semifinalists last year, won’t have to break in as many new faces as last year, and they return some key players at key position even though a big hole is left at left tackle by Isaiah Wynn.
7. Largo: Lots of questions surrounding the Packers this year, punctuated by a new coach who has to replace just about the entire staff. Largo will be on the hunt this spring for linemen, as usual, but quarterback Donavan Hale and targets like Reggie Campbell, Jonathan Crawford and Brandon Drayton make the Packers a district contender.
8. Clearwater Central Catholic: We won’t get to see the Marauders with starting quarterback Jeff Smith this spring since he’s playing baseball, but a bigger role for rising sophomore C.J. Cotman and a retooled but talented defense keeps the Marauders formidable. Expect some new names to emerge this spring.
9. Hillsborough: Tampa Bay’s top quarterback prospect, Dwayne Lawson, is part of a large group of returnees. Last year, Hillsborough started with only eight seniors and 31 juniors and sophomores, and still went 7-3. We expect bigger things in 2014.
10. Newsome: Why not? Transition year last season, to what could be a playoff season. Chris Bryant is an underrated back, the Wolves are always solid up front and the defense will be good.

The next 10, if you insist:
11. Jesuit
12. East Bay
13. Countryside
14. Tampa Bay Tech
15. Tampa Catholic
16. Robinson
17. Indian Rocks Christian
18. Pasco
19. Alonso
20. Bloomingdale

Most difficult holes to fill this spring
1. Jefferson offense: There isn’t anyone on the roster who is going to throw for 3,200 yards and run for 1,500 like Deiondre Porter did.  But the Dragons hope to find someone who can do at least half that. Not to mention, finding linemen to block for that replacement, and guys to catch his passes.
2. Pasco ATH: The Pirates have had at least one game-breaking, game-saving player, and sometimes two, gain more than 1,000 all-purpose yards and score at least 16 touchdowns since 2007. Will someone emerge this spring to keep that streak going?
3. East Lake RB/WR: Artavis Scott leaves a gaping hole in East Lake’s lineup. The Eagles have the talent to absorb the loss — paging George Campbell — but Scott was just so darned good and so darned clutch.
4. Wharton QB: Junior Bryce Martin is the apparent heir to Chase Litton, who manned the quarterback spot for 43 games over four seasons that included more than 7,500 yards passing and four playoff games.
5. Springstead QB: The Mahla family’s time is over, so the Eagles are looking for a new face to replace the North Suncoast player of the year (Tyler Mahla) and the focal point of a run-heavy option offense.

Most interesting new coaches
1. Jeremy Frioud, Northeast: A great motivator who is loved by his players, Frioud is ready for his first head coaching job and has brought over almost all the Largo assistants he has been working with over the years. Let’s see if he left his head-butting-kids-wearing-helmets days behind him.
2. Marcus Paschal, Largo: The former Packer star has his work cut out for him, starting with the exodus of the entire coaching staff. He inherits some talented seniors, but the pool of juniors and sophomores may not be as deep as in the past.
3. Bill Vonada, Hernando: Vonada always managed to do a lot with a little at Springstead, and with the talent Hernando’s been known to produce he could find success.
4. Matt LePain, Dunedin: LePain inherits a 1-9 team, but hey, the guy won at Palm Harbor Univesrsity. Anyone still willing to write off the Falcons?
5. Max Smith, Boca Ciega: Smith did some nice things at Dunedin before a short college stint. The Pirate players would do well to give the guy a chance.

A dozen random thoughts
1. Ridgewood’s Glass Wilson averaged 31 carries and 217 yards a game in his final five last fall. He deserves a rest this spring.
2. How is Tampa Catholic going to use Pasco transfer Nate Craig? I’m curious.
3. Can Austin Carswell, who did a nice job stepping in at quarterback at Strawberry Crest last year, be the man at Plant City?
4. If I were ranking them, I’d have to consider Dixie Hollins’ Tyrie Adams for best quarterback in Pinellas County, right?
5. Bandwagons I am really tempted to jump on, but will wait and see how spring goes: Blake, Zephyrhills and Countryside.
6. So, we all agree that Rex Culpepper is the next star quarterback at Plant?
7. Tampa Bay Tech’s Deon Cain may be a better wide receiver, but if you’re coach Jayson Roberts, you’re good with him touching the ball 40 times a game instead as the quarterback.
8. Lakewood quarterback Ryan Davis started slow last year but finished strong, and took that into the offseason where he’s been turning heads. I see a big spring for him.
9. As we’re snooping around to finalize our third annual HomeTeam 100, Gibbs defensive back Craig Watts is a guy on the must-see list. A few others under the radar but on ours: Tampa Catholic’s Malik Barrow, Blake’s Juwan Burgess, Carrollwood Day’s Willie Parker, Osceola’s Wilan Harvey, Hillsborough’s Azeez Al-Shaair and Hudson’s Grayson Stover.
10. With all eyes on East Lake, CCC and Largo lately, I’m still thinking Indian Rocks Christian has best chance to sneak in there and be the first Pinellas County state championship.
11. Rick Rodriguez has a fast-blooming coaching tree. Three current coaches — former defensive coordinators Frioud (Northeast) and LePain (Dunedin) and defensive assistant Paschal (Largo) — were all on his staff at the same time just a few years ago.
12. Is it just me, or are the slate of spring games a little …blah? The best one might be one of the first ones: Land O’Lakes at Pasco.
 

PLANT CITY — Even after breezing through six shutout innings, Durant had to make Wednesday’s Class 7A region semifinal interesting.

The Cardiac Cougars gave their coaches heartburn, loading the bases with one out and allowing the go-ahead run to the plate before buckling down and escaping with a 5-2 home win over Plant City.

“We have a tendency to do that,” Cougars coach Matt Carter said, “one way or another.”

Last week, Durant needed a walkoff homer to complete a three-run comeback. This time, the Cougars (20-8) gave the Raiders (19-7) a chance to accomplish a similar feat.

Durant’s offense came through early with 11 hits, including Taylor Farrell’s RBI double off the centerfield wall in the first inning. The Cougars scattered four more runs thanks to a Raiders error, sac flies by Brooke Freeman and Caylin Delones and Shannon Bell’s sixth home run of the season — and second in as many games.

That 5-0 lead seemed like a large enough cushion for freshman pitcher Sloan Hammons. The Florida Atlantic commit allowed only three hits and no walks through the first six innings. She got help from her defense. Catcher Josey Hampton and leftfielder Morgan Slater made diving catches.

But the Raiders didn’t let Durant coast into Friday’s region final without one last fight.

Noelle Dietrich opened the top of the seventh with a single. Durant made a throwing error on the next at-bat before Makenzie Allen and Jessie Moore knocked RBI singles to cut the Cougars’ lead to three.

When Savana Garrison blooped a single to leftfield to load the bases with one out and the top of the order coming up, Durant needed a timeout to regroup.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to dig down and just pitch,” Carter said.

And with Durant’s season on the line, Hammons did.

She needed only four pitches to get the final two outs and send the Cougars to their fifth region final since 2002.

ST. PETERSBURG — For a team that has won 17 straight games, Northeast sure does put its coaches and fans through a lot of stress.

In an all-too-familiar scenario, the Vikings scored early and used pitching and defense to defeat Bradenton Braden River 2-0 in a Class 7A region quarterfinal Wednesday.

Colton Tison pitched a complete game two-hitter, which he also did in the district semifinal against Countryside. Wednesday, he struck out nine.

“(Tison) threw one heck of a game,” Northeast coach Rob Stanifer said. “If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have won. We didn’t execute very well. We did in the first inning. But after that, we just did our own thing.”

The Vikings jumped on Pirates starter Eric Kimsey in the first inning. Angelo Terrasi led off by reaching on an error. Chris Clark then executed a perfect hit-and-run to rightfield that put runners on first and third.

A throw to second to catch Clark stealing was high and went into centerfield. That allowed Terrasi to score and moved Clark to third. Bret Maxwell then flew out to centerfield to allow Clark to tag and score.

That was it for the scoring.

The Vikings loaded the bases with two outs in the third but couldn’t push a run across. Braden River didn’t get its first hit until the third inning.

The Pirates had their only threat in the fourth inning. A one-out double by Daren Ortiz and a throwing error put runners on second and third. But Tison struck out Jordan Guerrero and Tristan Burdette to end the inning. Braden River managed only one runner over the final three innings.

“It seems like every game has been like this,” Tison said. “It settles me down a little bit when we get those early runs. It boosts up my confidence. It’s huge.”

Northeast (23-4) hosts East Lake on Tuesday in the region semifinals. It is a rematch of Friday’s district championship, which Northeast won 3-2 behind starter Josh Hale. Stanifer said Tison will start against the Eagles.

SPRING HILL — Drew Stofanik figured it was another in a frustrating line of well-struck balls making its way to an opponent’s glove.

Instead the Bishop McLaughlin designated hitter had the momentum-shifting hit as Bishop beat Lakeland Santa  Fe Catholic 5-3 in Wednesday’s Class 3A region quarterfinal.

Bishop (18-7) will host Tampa Prep in a rematch of the district final won 2-0 by the ’Canes.
With his team trailing 2-0 Wednesday, Stofanik hit a homer, his first of the year, and by the end of the third inning the score was tied.

Two runs in the fourth gave Bishop the lead for good.

“Honestly I thought it was just a pop-up,” said Stofanik, who entered hitting .214.

Coach Jeff Swymer said some people were “clamoring” for a change at DH but Stofanik had been making good contact.

After the home run, No. 9 hitter Paul Coumoulos singled, went to third on a wild pitch and an error, and scored the tying run on Zack Berglund’s bunt.

Four straight hits — by Ethan Nuebling, Dillon Morton, RJ Perciavalle and Stofanik — made for the go-ahead fourth inning. Nuebling was 2-for-3 with two runs scored out of the No. 5 spot; of the ’Canes’ seven hits, none came from the top four in the order.

“We’re solid up and down the lineup,” said Nuebling, who also made a key diving catch at third base to end the top of the fourth. The visitors from Lakeland had loaded the bases.

Will Potosky, the closer all season before a complete-game shutout of Tampa Prep last week, went the first five. Carson Ragsdale pitched the final two frames, getting a diving stop from Potosky at first base to end it.

“Five innings was enough for me tonight. I didn’t have the same control. I was happy that Rags could pick me up,” Potosky said.

Zach Scott’s homer pulled Santa Fe within 4-3 in the top of the fifth, then slugger Mark Devlin ripped one to the wall but Coumoulos caught up to it in leftfield. Coumoulos also had a big insurance sac fly in the sixth to score Nuebling.

Though Tampa Prep will be out for revenge — the Terrapins were 9-0 in district play until Potosky shut them down — Swymer thinks his young guys can pull it off.

“We’re just a bunch of baby giraffes out there, but you know what? We’re competing our tails off,” he said.
 

TAMPA — Another postseason game, another Jesuit win.

Kasey Radke picked up the victory and Michael Sandborn shut the door as Jesuit defeated visiting Boca Ciega 3-2 Wednesday night in a Class 5A region quarterfinal.

It was the sixth consecutive season Jesuit has at least reached the region quarterfinals. The Tigers (21-7) will host Robinson, a team they’ve beaten three times this season, on Tuesday.

“Robinson always plays us tough and it’s tough to beat a team once,” Jesuit coach Richie Warren said. “We’re expecting another dogfight.”

Radke (7-1) cruised through much of the night. The senior southpaw scattered three hits through 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking a pair before giving way to Sandborn, who picked up his first save of the season.

“Kasey was coming up on the third time through the lineup and he was getting up near the pitch count we felt comfortable with him,” Warren said. “We felt it was the right move and Michael came in and executed.”

Tully Allen’s RBI single in the second made it 3-1 heading into the top of the sixth. After a leadoff flyout, a walk and double chased Radke from the game. Nick Adams’ infield chop went for an RBI single, putting runners at first and third. But Sandborn fanned the next batter and induced a groundout to end the threat.

“I was just going in there looking to hit the zone and execute pitches,” said Sandborn, who had been starting games recently after pitching out of the bullpen earlier in the season. “I like to set the pace starting and I think I’m a little more comfortable doing that. It was a little nerve-racking but I made it through.”

Jesuit scored a run in each of the first three innings. Danny Lastra and Nick Ortega each delivered RBI singles, then Ryan McCullers came around to score in the third on a wild pitch.

More 5A: At Bradenton, Robinson (10-16) nabbed a 6-0 win over Bayshore.  Nathan Doherty and Jack White got on with a walk and a single, respectively, in the first inning, and Tommy Craparo drove Doherty in with a two-out single. Shawn Herron followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

In the second, TJ Cole walked to get on and Darius Autry drove him in with an RBI single to rightfield. Doherty singled to bring Autry in for the 4-0 advantage.

The rest of Robinson’s runs came in the fourth inning, both on errors by Bayshore.

Information from the Herald-Tribune was used in this report.

SARASOTA — East Lake knew winning at Sarasota, No. 9 in USA Today’s national rankings, would take a total team effort and extraordinary performances. 

Wednesday, the Eagles used 18 players and got 10 dominant innings from pitchers Brad Deppermann and Steven Plaskett to upset the Sailors 2-1 in a Class 7A, Region 3 quarterfinal. 

The win sets up a fourth game with Northeast.

“We got electric pitching,” Eagles coach Dan Genna said. “To play 10 innings and only give up three hits to the high-powered Sailor offense was phenomenal.”

Deppermann pitched the first seven innings and gave up one run on three hits while striking out six.  Plaskett pitched the last three and gave up zero hits and runs while striking out five.

East Lake scored its first run in the fourth with help from the Sailors. Nick DeSantis, who had three singles, singled up the middle. Riley Choate pinch ran and stole second. Cameron Churchill hit a high chopper to third, and on the high throw to first, Choate came around to score.

Sarasota tied it in the bottom of the inning. Brandon Chapman walked. Matt Schlabach executed a hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. And Mason Dancer hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive in pinch-runner Shelby Banks.

Both teams had chances to win late. Sarasota left a man at third in the seventh, and East Lake failed on a suicide squeeze in the ninth.

In the 10th, Deppermann singled up the middle with one out and moved to second on a groundout. Keegan Maronpot followed with a double to right-center to score Deppermann. Plaskett pitched a perfect 10th to close out the Sailors.

“You can’t just come here and play with them,” Genna said.  “You have to take this game away from them. In any other game where we had 11 hits, we would put up six or seven runs. Sarasota made that difficult.”

Now comes Northeast.

“We have played three nail-biters before,” Genna said. “We know it will be close, but we can throw anybody.”
 

DURANT — Sickles did all of its damage in one inning of a 5-3 comeback win over Durant in Wednesday’s Class 7A region quarterfinal.

The Gryphons (18-7) erased a 3-0 deficit with a five-run fifth highlighted by Levi Gilcrease’s three-run home run over the left-centerfield fence. Maddux Faber added an RBI triple in that inning.

“(Gilcrease) was in a slump and we were just waiting for him to explode,” Sickles coach Bob Pagano said. “It had to happen sometime.”

Sickles, victimized by Wiregrass Ranch Zach Drury’s no-hitter in the district final, loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning, but that threat ended when Durant pitcher Bryce Gainer fanned Maddux Faber.

That marked the first of 10 straight outs before Patrick O’Donnell led off Sickles’ fifth with a single. Matt Gele was hit by a pitch before Xavier Rodriguez hit a run-scoring single, setting the stage for Gilcrease’s dramatic homer.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” said Gilcrease, a leftfielder who also made a diving catch to his left in the first. “Sometimes when you put the ball in play it goes far.”

Durant took a 3-0 lead in the third. Justin Nardello reached on the first of two infield errors and scored on a double play before Luke Heyer hit a two-run double. It was Heyer’s second double of the game.

Sickles pitcher Troy Bacon went the distance, scattering seven hits, striking out six and walking one.

“I didn’t think he was throwing sharp at first, but after that big inning the adrenaline came back,” Pagano said of the junior right-hander.
 

BROOKSVILLE — It took seven seasons for Sunlake to break through and qualify for the state playoffs. Once there, the Seahawks showed they belonged.

Thanks to a dominant performance on the mound and a few fielding miscues by Hernando, Sunlake left Emerson Field with a 2-1 victory in a Class 5A region quarterfinal Wednesday.

“I thought we had a chance if we played hard,” Sunlake coach Dick Rohrberg said. “We have some decent pitching and good defense behind it. These kids deserve it.”

The Seahawks (18-9) struggled against Hernando ace Kyle Kilbourne. But they scratched out two unearned runs in the second thanks to three errors. Hernando (23-5) finished with four errors.

Kilbourne (complete game, three hits, 10 strikeouts, one walk) was outdueled by David Castillo. The southpaw struck out 11 and had a no-hitter entering the seventh. A couple of hits chased him, but Ryan Talburt shut down Hernando for his first save of the season.

“(Kilbourne) motivated and made me work harder because you have to keep fighting,” Castillo said. “I came in ready with a good mind-set. I wanted to attack their lineup, and it seemed to work.”

Sunlake had only three hits, all by second baseman Omar Cala. Entering with a team-leading .378 batting average, Cala went 3-for-3 and scored the Seahawks’ first run.

After beating out an infield hit, Cala went to second when Zac Scranton reached on an error. Alex Anderson reached on another error with one out to load the bases. Talburt grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Cala, and Scranton scored on an errant throw to first.

The 2-0 lead proved insurmountable with Castillo on the mound. The senior threw 120 pitches, walking only three.

“You just have to tip your cap to (Sunlake),” Hernando coach Tim Sims said. “Castillo and Kilbourne both pitched great games.”

LAND O’LAKES — For most of this season, Pasco has been up and down, here and there and pretty much all over the place.

The Pirates won a few games by the mercy rule, and lost a few that way, too, including the district championship.

But Wednesday night, they found some balance. The bats delivered. The pitching was strong. The defense was solid.

The result: an 8-3 win over Land O’Lakes in a Class 5A region quarterfinal.

Malik Johns pitched a complete-game six-hitter and everyone reached base at least once as the Pirates (17-10) jumped out to an 8-0 lead after four innings.

“If we get up 1-0 I get energized, and the more runs we get up the more energized I get,” said Johns, who threw 127 pitches, the last of which was his game-ending eighth strikeout.

Pasco energized Johns early and often.

A.J. Rainaldi hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning to score a run, and in the third clobbered a home run to also score Lane Stancil to make to 4-0. It was Rainaldi’s fourth homer of the season, all in the last six games.

“I had a rough beginning of the season, but I’m finally getting out of it, said Rainaldi, who hit .459 last year, but was hitting just .292 on April 1.

Since, he is 14-for-28 and has raised his average to .376.

“It feels good,” Rainaldi said. “I’m starting to get back, get a few home runs under my belt. And this is the time of the year that it matters.”

Stancil continued his torrid hitting since returning April 10 from a knee injury with a two-run double, and Robbie Hanlon, Phillip Wilson and Turner Imhoff each had two hits.

It was more than enough for Johns, who stranded seven runners but was rarely in trouble.

“The main thing we went over before the game was to throw a lot of strikes and let the infielders make the plays,” said Johns, who got eight groundball outs.

Alex Reynolds singled, drove in a run and scored for the Gators (18-9), who entered on a six-game winning streak.

Pasco will travel to Sunlake for the region semifinal Tuesday. The teams split a pair of regular-season games.
 

WESLEY CHAPEL — Alex Goebel had two of Wiregrass Ranch’s five hits and the only RBI of the game last week as the Bulls topped Sickles for their first baseball district championship.

Before Wednesday’s Class 7A region quarterfinal against Brandon, first-year coach Marshall McDougall rewarded his senior catcher by bumping him up in the lineup.

“Alex has been swinging the bat well, and that’s why he jumped up from three to two,” McDougall said, “just to get him some extra at-bats.”

And with the season on the line, Goebel was in the right place at the right time.

The Bulls trailed Brandon by a run heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a leadoff walk got Richie Piazza on base, Austin Drury singled him home, and Goebel followed with a hit to leftfield to score Drury as Wiregrass Ranch beat the Eagles 3-2.

Wiregrass Ranch (19-6) hosts Sickles on Tuesday.

The Class 7A, District 8 champions had ridden strong pitching — Zach Drury threw a no-hitter in the district championship — and defense to get to Wednesday’s quarterfinal. But down the stretch, it appeared everything was going the Eagles’ way.

Brandon (16-10), which scored its runs in the third inning on a Ryan Anderson RBI double and a Bulls throwing error, replaced starting pitcher Antonio Velez with Anderson in the fifth inning. Immediately, the senior right-hander started shutting down the Bulls, striking out four of the six batters he faced in the fifth and sixth innings.

“Going into the bottom of the seventh with a one-run lead with our guy Ryan on the mound,” Brandon coach Matthew Stallbaumer said, “I would have taken that on the ride over here.”

Wiregrass Ranch’s only run going into the final frame was scored on a Zach Drury RBI single in the third inning. But just three outs away from pitching his team to a victory, Anderson walked Piazza, the Bulls’ eight-hole hitter, giving Goebel the chance to work his late-game magic.

They were just five days removed from their first district title, but a black banner heralding the Bulls’ feat already hung on the fence by the entrance to Wiregrass Ranch’s stadium. Thanks to Goebel’s clutch hit, the Bulls still have the chance to add another banner before the season comes to a close.

And as far as he’s concerned, Wednesday’s win was evidence enough that it might not be a pipe dream after all.

“This team, I think we can do anything,” Goebel said. “We get ourselves down, I think we can always pull ourselves out.”
 

CLEARWATER — Calvary Christian must have known something the rest of us didn’t.

Just before Clearwater Central Catholic righty David Paul threw his first pitch to Sarasota Out-of-Door, Calvary tweeted it beat Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 5-1 and would face the Marauders on Tuesday in the Class 3A region semifinals.

A little more than two hours later, the tweet came true as three big innings powered CCC to a 12-3 victory over the Thunder.

“I kind of anticipated this is how it was going to go out,” Marauders coach Todd Vaughan said. “I didn’t plan on seeing Cardinal Mooney. I planned on seeing Calvary Christian.”

CCC’s offense (11 hits, six walks and a hit batter) made the road to the semis smooth. All but one player reached base. Zuriel Collins had four singles and three RBIs. Andrew Mink had two doubles to plate three, and Paul used two singles to drive in two.

“We came out swinging in the first inning, (scoring four runs),” said Mink as CCC (26-0) added five runs in the fourth and three in the sixth. “We have a lot more success when we score early, and it was good for (Paul) to get him an early lead.”

Paul allowed three runs — only one earned — on five hits over five innings to the Thunder (17-6). Joey Messina allowed one hit over two innings.

“I think (Calvary and CCC) are the two teams that are deserving (to advance) from what I know about the other districts,” Vaughan said. “To me, if you’re going to win, you beat the best. Then you can walk off the field and say, ‘Yeah, I earned everything I got.’  ”

More 3A: Daniel Broeseker scattered three hits, struck out 10 and threw 130 pitches as visiting Calvary Christian (21-7) defeated Cardinal Mooney 5-1.

Cardinal Mooney sophomore right-hander Spencer Stevens suffered from heat cramps in the second inning, then rolled an ankle fielding a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Calvary Christian’s Jake Richardson in the top of the third. Cardinal Mooney coach Greg Mulhollen turned to his bullpen and junior right-hander Parker MacPhail.

After a shaky first inning and down 1-0, Broeseker settled in and retired the next 11 batters, including striking out the side in the fourth inning.

Information from the Herald-Tribune was used in this report.

Gulf guard Ali Cochrane signed a letter of intent to play basketball at D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y.

Cochrane averaged 9.5 points per game as a senior and helped lead the Buccaneers to a 23-4 record and a regional quarterfinal appearance.

D’Youville College is a Division III school that plays in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. It was 11-15 last season.

Fivay outfielder/pitcher Sean Fluke signed a letter of intent to play at Pasco-Hernando State College in the fall.

Fluke hit .357 with a team leading 18 RBIs this season for the Falcons. He also had 14 stolen bases. On the mound, Fluke (7-4) finished with a 1.62 ERA and 103 strikeouts through 77 innings.

PHSC is a member of the Florida College System Activities Association. It was 21-16 overall.

LARGO — Marcus Paschal was an assistant beside Rick Rodriguez on the Largo sideline the past three seasons and blended into his shadow off the field.

But the days of anonymity are gone for Paschal, who conducted his first practice as Largo’s new coach Thursday.

With Rodriguez deciding to retire after 15 seasons, Paschal has assumed the leadership mantle of the school where he was once a standout defensive back.

If Paschal had a Packer pompom, he certainly would wave it. He is home grown, straight from the Ridgecrest community that has produced so many Largo legends.

That institutional knowledge helped him stand out among candidates. In choosing Paschal, Largo ensured continuity with the program in style and substance, much to the approval of the returning players and those within the community.

Still, Paschal knows all eyes will be on him in one of the most scrutinized transitions among the new head coaches in the bay area.

“I’ll be under the microscope,” Paschal said. “That’s to be expected. Rick had done such a great job with the program and taken to heights no one had ever seen before.”

Football at Largo, like other schools where the sport has a feel of an assembly line, is about winning district titles. Under Rodriguez, the Packers won nine straight titles, including state semifinal berths in 2007 and ’08.

In the five months since Rodriguez’s resignation, followers and observers throughout Pinellas County and beyond have been consumed by the adjustments of a team that will try to keep its district streak alive.

The institution of Largo football, under Rodriguez’s guidance, has been successful because of its consistent attention to detail. Now, those details have been analyzed by those wondering how this new regime will fare.

Paschal is doing it with a new staff. Former defensive coordinator Jeremy Frioud took over as Northeast’s coach and took several Packer assistants with him, including offensive coordinator Ryan Taylor and Dave Angelo. Paschal promoted Largo assistant Calen Yeldon to offensive coordinator and hired Jim Daugherty and Bo Marthaller to be co-defensive coordinators.

“I reached out to the former assistants, but I understood their decision,” Paschal said. “That staff had been together for a long time and built great relationships.”

Paschal said the transition was made easier because he soaked in every lesson he could learn from Rodriguez in how to run a top-notch program.

“I tried to study everything Rick did,” Paschal said. “I knew I wanted to someday take over the program, and I wanted to learn as much as I could from him.”

The only place where the effects have been minimized is within the hallways of what is a veteran team. The Packers return quarterback Donavan Hale, running back John Clark and receivers Jonathan Crawford and Reggie Campbell.

“We feel confident with our new coach, Crawford said. “(Paschal) was who we wanted to see take over because he wants to play up-tempo and he’ll help motivate us.”

The only hiccups Thursday — the first official day of spring practice for most schools — came with the absence of Hale (basketball tournament) and Campbell (family matter). Both should be back next week. The practice structure was still the same. Players broke up in groups and scurried from station to station. The only difference was who was in charge.

“I think we still can do some great things,” Crawford said. “We have a lot to prove. We still have a winning team.”  

Son makes his mark
TRINITY — The only feeling of awkwardness Andy Schmitz felt from replacing his dad at the program he built came three months ago, came when he moved into the office vacated by his father, Scott Schmitz.

“I can keep a lot of the same pictures up,” the younger Schmitz said.

So instead of renovating Mitchell’s office, the Mustangs’ rookie coach can focus on a bigger task — rebuilding his offense.

The old-school wing-T system that was a staple of the elder Schmitz’s 12 seasons and amassed more than 6,200 rushing yards over the last three years is gone. In its place, Schmitz is installing a diverse system full of trendy buzz words like “multiple” and “zone-read option.”

“The offense has really been completely thrown out and started from scratch,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz began the overhaul last year, when his dad handed over the keys to the offense to him. Schmitz aired the ball out more, designed the game plan and made many of the personnel decisions.

Now the offense — and the team — is all his.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” Schmitz said. “I feel like I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. I’ve seen how a head coach is supposed to act and the right things to do since I was a kid. This honestly is just what I’ve wanted for a long time. It kind of took me a while to get there.”

And on Thursday, he had finally arrived.

Slow, steady start
ST. PETERSBURG — Jeremy Frioud’s first day as a head coach offered a dose of reality. For 12 years he was an assistant coach at Largo, which cranked out talented players every season. His Northeast team doesn’t have that luxury, at least not yet.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I have to keep telling myself that,” Frioud said.

About 50 varsity and junior varsity players wore jerseys and shorts for Thursday’s first official spring practice. The Vikings won one game last season, and there are plenty of openings on both sides of the ball, including quarterback.

Frioud said the goal this spring is to instill a new attitude. He has set up a weight training program. Players wear their helmets throughout practice, and pity the player who takes a knee on the sideline.

“I want the kids to be tough,” said Frioud, who coached wrestling at Largo but will not do that at Northeast. “My goal isn’t winning games; my goal is to make the other team not want to play anymore.”

Frioud certainly has his work cut out in his first year as a head coach. And as a bit of irony, his first regular-season game as a head coach will be against Largo.

Familiar digs
After five years as a King assistant, Trey Thomas had no problems Thursday in his first practice as the Lions’ head coach.

“I feel right at home,” he said.

Since taking over the program in late February, Thomas said his Lions have had the best offseason in his tenure at the school. A core of 45-50 kids showed up in the weight room to help improve a program that finished 6-4 last year.

Late in his first practice, Thomas said he has already seen strong play from captain Demetrius Mann, a defensive back who’s earned MVP honors at some spring camps and combines.

“He’s going to go far,” Thomas said.

New coaches
The offseason was busy, with personnel shuffles all over the bay area and North Suncoast:
Bishop McLaughlin: Promoted assistant Craig Moore
Boca Ciega: Former Dunedin coach Max Smith returns after a one-year stint as a Toledo assistant
Central: Former Seminole assistant Christopher Sands
Countryside: Promoted offensive coordinator Eric Schmitz
Dunedin: Former Palm Harbor University coach Matt LePain
Hernando: Former Springstead coach Bill Vonada
Largo: Promoted assistant Marcus Paschal, also a former NFL player
King: Promoted offensive coordinator Trey Thomas
Middleton: Former Polish professional team (Gdynia Seahawks) assistant Jeff George Jr.
Mitchell: Promoted assistant Andy Schmitz
Nature Coast: Former Orlando Oak Ridge assistant Justin Worden  
Northeast: Former Largo assistant Jeremy Frioud
Palm Harbor University: Missouri high school coach Reggie Crume
Shorecrest: Former St. Petersburg Catholic coach Steve Dudley
St. Petersburg Catholic: Promoted assistant Dave Cleppe

Staff writers Matt Baker and Rodney Page contributed to this report.

Armwood and Plant, which once made up the top football rivalry in Tampa Bay, are back on each other’s schedule.

Kind of.

Hawks coach Sean Callahan said the two teams have agreed to play each other in the preseason classic on Aug. 22. The game will be played at Plant’s Dads Stadium.

Last year, Plant played Tallahassee Godby in the preseason classic. The Panthers needed a game, and Armwood was able to get out of its two-year contract with Cross City.

“I said, ‘Robert, we need to play.’ You’re not going to find a better game,” Callahan said.

Armwood was 14-1  last season, its only loss coming in the Class  5A state championship game. Plant (11-2-1) lost in the region final to Apopka.

Armwood’s move to a nine-team district last year ended up bumping Plant off its schedule for the first time since 2000.

Their matchups, especially in the latter half of the decade, were often standing-room affairs, and a few were televised by ESPN.

The teams have combined for seven state championships.

“It just makes sense to play,” Callahan said.

While the game won’t count on either team’s official record because it’s a preseason game, Callahan said his Hawks will play it like a regular-season game, at least for one half and two series in the third quarter.

Then, both teams have agreed to bring in 22 new players, a combination of backups and junior varsity players, to finish it off.

Armwood Terriers? Hillsborough Hawks?
Callahan had to outfit some of his bigger-headed Armwood linemen with extra-large Hillsborough High helmets — on loan from Terriers coach Earl Garcia — for spring practices.

Callahan said when he sent his helmets in to be refurbished after last season, a handful of XLs did not come back. He said he told the county, but apparently none were ordered and won’t be until after spring.

As a result, a few of the lineman will be wearing the Hillsborough’s red helmets — minus any decals or letter Hs, mind you — the rest of this month and in the spring jamboree.

“I called Earl and asked if he had a few extras and he did, so that was good,” Callahan said Thursday, the first official day of practice for most schools around the state.

Grateful for the save from a fellow coach, Callahan couldn’t help but chuckle as tackle Evan Montreuil, working out at center this spring and wearing one of the Hillsborough helmets, snapped the ball to his blue-helmeted quarterback Noah Johnson.

Former Armwood quarterback Josh Grady, now at Vanderbilt but home and checking in at his alma mater, smiled and shook his head.

“It just don’t look right, man,” he said.

Photo: Armwood's Evan Montreuil may have the helmet of a Terrier, but he's all Hawk at heart.
 

TAMPA — When Berkeley Prep senior Dante Bosnic reflects on his prep career, he is certain to replay the fifth inning from Thursday night’s 7-0 victory against Lakeland McKeel in the Class 4A region quarterfinals.

Nine pitches, three strikeouts.

It was the apex of a standout performance from the Buccaneers’ right-hander.

Bosnic combined with Casey Keller on a two-hit shutout, and Berkeley Prep (16-12) parlayed five infield errors by McKeel (11-17) into five unearned runs to advance to Tuesday’s matchup against Tampa Catholic.

“This late in the year — the whole year for that matter — you have to take advantage of other teams’ mistakes,” Berkeley Prep coach Justin Houston said. “We were able to do that (Thursday).

Berkeley Prep got the only run it needed in the first on an error by the McKeel shortstop. The Bucs broke the game open with a four-run third, ignited by a Bosnic triple. Anthony Pellegrino followed with an RBI single, and the other runs scored on the McKeel second baseman’s error.

But the night belonged to Bosnic (6-3), a Brown commit who pitched the first five innings. After allowing back-to-back singles with one out in the first, Bosnic retired his final 14 batters. He threw only 47 pitches, 37 for strikes. Of the 17 batters he faced, Bosnic threw 14 first-pitch strikes, including ones to the final 11 Wildcats he faced.

“I was hitting my spots, and I really pounded the inside with the fastball,” Bosnic said. “Once I pounded the inside and brushed them off the plate a little, I could work in with off-speed.”

His final inning was the talk of the dugout.

“We were laughing about that,” Bosnic said. “That is the first time I’ve ever done that.”

Said Houston: “Dante has had not just a great year for us, but a great career. He’s such a great leader.”

More 4A: Joseph Burruezo had an RBI double in the third inning to break the region quarterfinal between Tampa Catholic and Avon Park wide open, and the Crusaders cruised to a 5-1 win.

Tampa Catholic scored a run in the first inning before plating two in each of the third and fourth frames. Meanwhile, Crusaders’ left-hander AJ Chacon struck out eight in six innings, giving up just one earned run on a solo homer in the fifth inning.

The Crusaders (17-9) face Berkeley Prep in the region semifinal, the fourth time this season the two will square off.

“We’ve met the last couple years at this point, so we’re very used to each other’s style of play. I think it will be a very emotional game,” Tampa Catholic coach Ty Griffin said. “We’ll see if they can pull off the big one.”
 

TAMPA — In the season opener, Bayshore Christian dropped a 4-2 decision to Lakeside Christian. The Faith Warriors have come a long way since that first game loss.

Bayshore Christian held a 6-3 lead late in a rematch with the Lions, then broke open the game with six runs in the sixth inning for a 12-4 victory in a Class 2A region quarterfinal at Interbay Little League.

“We’re definitely a different team than we were the first game of the season,” first-year coach Corey Thomas said. “No doubt about that, we’ve gotten better.”

The win is the first playoff victory for the Bayshore Christian baseball program.

“It means a lot,” Thomas said. “It means that we’re working. It’s a bigger atmosphere over here now, and I’m not disrespecting the guys that (were) over here before me. It’s just all about pushing the players to play hard.”

Bayshore Christian right-hander Evan Holland threw a complete game and struck out seven batters. After giving up a two-run home run to Christian Michener in the third inning that gave the Lions (14-10) a 2-1 lead, Holland settled into a groove, giving up only two more runs the rest of the way while keeping the Lions off the base paths.

“(The home run) didn’t faze me,” Holland said. “I left it up, and he’s their best hitter. …After that I was fine.”

Trailing 3-1 in the fourth, Bayshore Christian (11-4) grabbed the lead for good with five runs, all coming with two outs. Michener, Lakeside’s starter, walked the bases loaded, and Jordan Martin came through with a two RBI single. Another run came home when the Lakeside catcher couldn’t find the ball on a play at the plate.

Evan Courtney doubled off reliever Noah Brunk to plate a fifth run, and Conner Brown, who made several spectacular plays in the field at shortstop, laced a run-scoring single for a 6-3 Bayshore lead.

Holland struck out the side in the fifth and worked a 1-2-3 sixth.

“(Holland’s) been the horse for us all year,” Thomas said.

Lakeside got a run back in the seventh on Michener’s RBI single, but couldn’t cut further into the deficit.

More 2A: Also in 2A, Cambridge Christian and host Canterbury each scored a run in the first inning. But for the next four, neither team could make a move, and the stalemate continued into the sixth.

Eager to finally put the game away, the Lancers scored two runs in the six and four more in the seventh to beat the Crusaders 7-1.

Tyler House, who owns a .462 batting average, came up big for the Lancers (14-7), going 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Devin Lopez and Elias Rivera each went 2-for-4, while Ryan Block picked up the win on the mound, striking out five and giving up just three hits in six innings pitched.

Cambridge Christian’s win brings up one of many district championship rematches in the region semifinal round. For Lancers coach Stephen Piercefield, that means a little extra motivation for his players.

“We’re going to come out and we’re going to continue to work,” he said. “Ultimately we knew this matchup could present itself again. Having it be a district rival always adds a little bit of excitement and it entices the guys to come out and practice a little harder.”


 

TRINITY — When Mitchell’s Alex Mendez hit a bases-loaded grounder to third in the bottom of the sixth inning, King catcher Jose Lopez did everything right to prepare for the game-saving double play.

That didn’t stop his coach from worrying.

“Usually, when you try to do it … you see the ball go down the line,” King coach Jim Macaluso said.

But not Thursday.

The Lions escaped the jam with a rare 5-2-3 double play and held on for a 4-2 win over Mitchell in the Class 6A region quarterfinals.

By qualifying for its third consecutive region semifinal, King (21-6) eliminated the Mustangs (17-11) for the second year in a row and ended the prep career of ace Cobi Johnson.

The Florida State recruit and possible first-round draft pick struck out nine batters through 51/3 innings with a fastball that touched 91 mph. In front of almost a dozen pro scouts, Johnson threw 56 of his 88 pitches for strikes and stole two bases.

“He’s a good one,” Macaluso said.

King finally broke Johnson in the sixth. After Zion Lawrence earned a leadoff walk, Lopez launched an outside fastball for a triple off the rightfield wall. Michael Taylor added an RBI double to end Johnson’s night, and Kobe Barnum walked with the bases loaded to push the lead to 4-1.

Mitchell kept it close thanks, in part, to some lucky sixth-inning bounces. Ryan Fontaine reached on a roller. Kamren Powers singled with a well-placed bunt. Ryan DelNegro’s grounder caromed off the mound for an RBI base hit that loaded the bases.

But King ended the rally with a break of its own, a double play Macaluso said his team practices once a decade.

“I just always hope it doesn’t come up in the game,” Macaluso said. “But it was the right two guys.”
Mendez chopped the ball to senior third baseman Bubby Terp. Lopez ripped off his mask, and Terp charged to fire the ball home.

“I was ready for it,” Lopez said.

Lopez — a possible draft pick with one of the bay area’s strongest arms — fired the ball to Barnum at first to end the inning and preserve Tyeler Checkley’s ninth win of the spring.