Traffic was shutdown for hours on I-75 southbound (north of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd) at the I-275 and I-75 apex Thursday morning after an accident left a St. Petersburg man dead.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Paul Duarte Braga, 43, was driving his 2006 Isuzu truck southbound on I-75 in the center lane when, for unknown reasons, he veered off the road and into the center median before colliding with the guard rail around 3:30 a.m.
Braga, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries. After impact, the vehicle rotated clockwise and came to a final rest on the inside shoulder, partially blocking the left inside lane.
Passenger Sonia Michele Braga, 21, was wearing her seatbelt and suffered minor injuries. She was taken to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.
Both high school football teams in New Tampa suffered disappointing seasons last year, but to very different degrees.
Freedom High, coming off its first winning season since 2009, failed to build on a 6-4 record in 2014 and slumped to 3-7 last season.
Meanwhile, Paul R. Wharton High, which was coming off a disappointing 2014, failed to make the playoffs despite posting an 8-2 record in 2015, because both losses were in district play. Great season, disappointing to miss the postseason.
After a few months of offseason workouts in the weight room and some 7-on-7 ball, both squads kicked off spring football on April 25, and will wrap it up tonight at 7 p.m. with a jamboree at King High on N. 56th St. with Wharton playing Hillsborough for two quarters, and Freedom playing the second half against the host Lions.
For results, check back at NTNeighborhoodNews.com tonight.
Heading into the summer, both teams will continue to work on some pressing questions.
WHO’S TO BE THEÂ QB?
Wharton and Freedom both entered the spring with gaping holes under center for the first time in years.
This is the first year Wharton head coach David Mitchell entered the spring with no idea who his starting quarterback would be since Chase Litton was in the eighth grade in 2010. The record-setting Litton was a senior in 2013, and senior transfer Adam McAfee took over for a season before another senior, Bryce Martin, threw for 1,319 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall.
It was a crowded battle to see who would emerge as the No. 1 quarterback at Wharton.
But whose turn is it now?
“We don’t know,’’ said Mitchell.
Junior varsity starter Darin Green would have been the logical choice, but the sophomore-to-be also is a standout basketball player and Mitchell said he will bypass football to focus on his hoops game.
Considering Martin was the only player to throw a varsity pass last season, that leaves a big, big hole in the Wharton lineup. At Wharton’s practices last week, five possible QBs took turns throwing passes.
Freedom narrowed its choices down to two: rangy 6-foot-3 rising junior Amar McCrae, and rising junior Deshard Hughes, who is built like a linebacker, where he will also play.
So for those counting at home, the two New Tampa football teams combined return one player who threw a varsity pass — which was intercepted — last season, and that was Robert Mungin, a Freedom defensive back.
IS SHANNON THE NEW KING?
Wharton RB Shannon King could follow in the footsteps of past Wildcats who developed into college standouts. He’ll likely be called on to carry the load for Wharton this fall.
Wharton grad Vernon Hargreaves became the school’s highest-ever NFL draft pick when he went to the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 11th pick in the first round. Litton, who tore it up last year at Marshall, could be next. And, former Wildcats WR Auden Tate should start this season for Florida State and has future NFL wideout written all over him.
Who’s next from Wharton? This spring could give us a glimpse as rising junior RB Shannon King steps into a primetime role.
Considering Wharton’s passing game will be a bright shade of green, look for the Wildcats to lean on their rushing game, where King ran for 399 yards and five touchdowns last season, running behind senior and 1,000-yard rusher Miles Williams.
King is 5-10 and about 220 pounds, a bottom-heavy load who can both run around and through opponents. Mitchell thinks King can be special. The month of May could provide a big clue to whether or not he’s correct.
WHERE’S THE BEEF?
You won’t find many football coaches heading into spring who won’t tell you that finding capable offensive and defensive linemen is a primary concern, and the New Tampa schools are no exception.
“We need to find out who’s who up front,’’ Mitchell says.
Wharton is graduating big boy blockers like Zach Humphreys (6-4, 275), Daniel Martel (6-4, 270) and Andrew Williams (6-2, 270), but the Wildcats do appear to have some beefy replacements.
At Freedom, the Patriots also suffered significant losses on the offensive line. “We are very, very thin on the offensive and defensive lines,’’ said new coach Floyd Graham. “We need to get some kids well.”
READY FOR A BREAKTHROUGH?
Freedom’s Trent Burnett
Graham did not hesitate when pointing out his spring MVP: rising senior Trent Burnett, a 5-7, 185-pound jack-of-all-trades.
Burnett will start at running back for the Patriots. He has very good hands and should be a weapon in the passing game.
Last year, Burnett only had 18 carries for 64 yards, but added nine catches for 146 yards (second on the team) and two TDs.
Burnett also will play DB and return kicks. “He’s going to be everything,’’ said Graham, chuckling. “He’s going to be a game changer.’’
IS FLOYD GRAHAM THE ANSWER?
Surprise! Freedom has a new head coach. Graham is now the eighth coach in 14 seasons of Freedom football. He replaces Todd Donohoe, who lasted longer and won more games than any other coach in the school’s history (four seasons, 15 wins).
New Freedom coach Floyd Graham started the football programs at Newsome High in Lithia & at Steinbrenner High in Citrus Park, coaching the Warriors to a 7-3 record his last season there.
Graham, ironically, first applied for the Freedom job in 2002, the first year the school was open, but didn’t get it. He went on to start the program at Newsome High (in Lithia) in 2003, and at Steinbrenner High in 2009, having success at both schools and compiling a 21-29 record, including 7-3 his last year with the Warriors.
He is excited about taking over an established program.
“The last time I coached (in Hillsborough County), I didn’t have any seniors,’’ Graham said. “This is a different kind of animal. Something is already there. I just have to polish it.”
Graham has installed a spread offense at Freedom, hoping to take advantage of an athletic squad. He will also line his defense up in a 4-2-5.
The no-nonsense new coach had 40 kids out practicing when we checked out Freedom last week, after starting the spring with 58.“We knew we were going to have to clean house a little bit and we did,’’ Graham said. “But I’m happy with what we got.”
Mitze Richeson (photo, right) believes that weight loss is not synonymous with counting calories and living in the gym. She’s the health coach and director of the chiropractic physician-supervised weight loss program at NutriMost of Wesley Chapel. In fact, the NutriMost program doesn’t require exercise at all.
NutriMost is a unique weight loss program that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to create a customized plan for each patient without using prescription “diet” pills. The program shares its location with Cypress Creek Chiropractic in the Cypress Ridge Professional Park off of S.R. 56, which is the office of Mitze’s husband, Micah Richeson, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic).
NutriMost uses a computerized scanner (photo below) to obtain “biofeedback” from each client. The procedure evaluates the different frequencies in your body, creating a personalized “road map” of the organs, hormones, neurotransmitters and foods that most affect your weight — and the specific NutriMost supplements that can help optimize your weight loss, based on that biofeedback.
From there, clients come in once a week for weigh-ins, check ups and to learn about optional training and exercises that can keep the body in fat-burning mode.
According to Mitze, who received her certification as a Chiropractic Physicians Assistant in 2013 from the Cleveland Chiropractic College in Cleveland, OH, weight gain or fat storage is usually linked to other health issues. By cleansing the body of certain foods that are, in particular, harmful to you, and by using customized natural, homeopathic supplements, and teaching you how to eat and live healthier, Mitze says, “weight loss becomes an automatic result.”
For more info or to schedule an appointment, call 241-7098. Or, visit 813thin.com, Facebook.com/NutriMostofWesleyChapel or NutriMost.com, or stop in at Cypress Creek Chiro at 2304 Crestover Ln.Â
Even so, the Tampa Palms Tarek’s is spacious, with room for 140-150 seats (there’s a little more than 100 inside right now) and attractive wood booths.
But, the menu is significantly more geared towards the sit-down audience — local residents who want a truly delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner in a casual setting.
“We have all of the local proms and graduations happening now,” Tarek says. “Bring those parties over here. We want and can handle your group.”
I’ve only enjoyed breakfast at the Tampa Palms Tarek’s twice so far, but I didn’t post a pic of my favorite breakfast to date — the cinnamon French toast with crusty white bread — because I didn’t think my pics did it justice. Tarek says that virtually everyone who has tried his corned beef hash has raved about it.
“I hear it’s the best in this area…anywhere…all the time,” Tarek says proudly. “If it’s not, I’ll finish it for you.”
As for lunch and dinner, my favorite dishes so far are the braised (“for seven hours,” Tarek says) beef short ribs and smashed potatoes, the “Ooey-Gooey Ragout” (ask Tarek to describe it for you), the blackened (or grilled) grouper with buttery rice and perfect French-style green beans, the uniquely spicy Israeli-style couscous (available as a side), the turkey bacon cheeseburger, and the totally decadent, indescribable Oreo “balls” covered with rich white chocolate. They’re like the chewiest, most delicious brownie bites ever.
I also love the mini-baklavas Tarek is holding in the picture above and he usually has other great desserts,too.
There’s no alcohol served at Tarek’s Cafe (15345 Amberly Dr.), but it is open Tues.-Sat., 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Call 252-3238 or visit
.
If you’ve been told you need a dental implant, the area’s best technology meets caring, experienced dentists at Shuayb Dental, which has two offices in Spring Hill, one in Brooksville and one in the Oak Ramble Plaza (same plaza as Acropolis Greek Taverna) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms.
Dr. Mohammad Shuayb, D.M.D. (Doctor of Medical Dentistry) first opened his practice in 2000 in Hernando County, and it was only five years later that his brothers and fellow D.M.D.s — Omar and Mujib — each opened their own dental offices within a few miles of their brother. Three years ago, Omar opened the Shuayb Laser Dental location on BBD and two years ago, Mohammad opened an office near his new residence in the newest section of Tampa Palms. He closed the Tampa Palms location a few weeks ago — “There was just no walk-in traffic at that professional park,” Mohammad says. “But here, we’re between Acropolis and Mr. Dunderbak’s, so a lot more people can find us.”
All three brothers now split time between the three offices in Hernando and the New Tampa location.
All three Shuaybs also earned Bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Florida in Tampa and their D.M.D. degrees from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University.
With the three brothers at the forefront of the business, Shuayb Dental is obviously a family-oriented practice, but with technology to rival and even surpass what you get with the big corporate dental groups.
“We’re more than just a chain of offices,” says Dr. Mohammad Shuayb, the eldest of the three. “We provide top-quality, personalized dental care and all of the equipment we use is a top brand name.”
And, speaking of brand names, the Shuayb name is one that is well-established all across Hernando County and Mohammad says the brothers are working hard to build the same type of loyal following in New Tampa by combining personalized, quality care with the latest technology…and some great offers.
Dental Implants A Specialty
If you need dental implants, you won’t find a better place to make and fit your implants than Shuayb Dental.
Whether you visit the New Tampa office or any of the Hernando locations, the Drs. Shuayb utilize a high-end CEREC 3D Omni-Cam scanner and CEREC software, as well as the highest-quality Straumann implants, and Mohammad says he believes the BBD location is the only one in the New Tampa area to use both.
“We create quality dental implants with laser precision,” Mohammad says. “We even show the patients exactly how their implants will fit with the CEREC, which is a $200,000 machine that also can help us create properly fitting crowns to go over the implants.”
Lasers are a big part of many of the dental services at every Shuayb Dental office. The Drs. Shuayb utilize lasers for everything from treating periodontal (gum) disease to drilling and filling. For gum treatments, the laser replaces the usual scalpel and sutures, which reduces bleeding, minimizes swelling and recovery times and Mohammad says that in some cases, there’s even been regeneration of healthy bone around the teeth.
And, he says that for many fillings, the focused laser beam can replace the drill, often without the need for anesthetics. The laser technology can even assist with tooth whitening procedures.
The CEREC system helps the Shuaybs place crowns with laser precision in a little more than an hour. This dental restorative system also allows the dentist to remove defective amalgam fillings and place cosmetic veneers in just one appointment. It eliminates the need for patients to endure messy, uncomfortable impression materials or wear temporary veneers, sometimes for weeks at a time. The office also offers dentures, bridges, tooth extractions and non-surgical root canals, as well as Invisalign orthodontics.
“Both of those are significant savings over our regular rates and won’t last too long,” says Dr. Mohammad Shuayb. “And, we know you’ll be happy with the quality of our work.”
Shuayb Dental has three offices, one in Brooksville, two in Spring Hill and the New Tampa office (above), located at 14954 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms. For office hours and more information, please visit ShuaybDental.com or call 632-9200.
Mitze Richeson (photo, right) believes that weight loss is not synonymous with counting calories and living in the gym. She’s the health coach and director of the chiropractic physician-supervised weight loss program at NutriMost of Wesley Chapel. In fact, the NutriMost program doesn’t require exercise at all.
According to Mitze, who received her certification as a Chiropractic Physicians Assistant in 2013 from the Cleveland Chiropractic College in Cleveland, OH, weight gain or fat storage is usually linked to other health issues. By cleansing the body of certain foods that are, in particular, harmful to you, and by using customized natural, homeopathic supplements, and teaching you how to eat and live healthier, Mitze says, “weight loss becomes an automatic result.”
If you love great food at very fair prices and you haven’t yet visited the new Tarek’s CafĂ© & Grill, located actually at our former address in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, it’s definitely worth a visit no matter which meal of the day you’re eating.
“We have all of the local proms and graduations happening now,” Tarek says. “Bring those parties over here. We want and can handle your group.”
smashed potatoes, the “Ooey-Gooey Ragout” (ask Tarek to describe it for you), the blackened (or grilled) grouper with buttery rice and perfect French-style green beans, the uniquely spicy Israeli-style couscous (available as a side), the turkey bacon cheeseburger, and the totally decadent, indescribable Oreo “balls” covered with rich white chocolate. They’re like the chewiest, most delicious brownie bites ever.
If you’ve been told you need a dental implant, the area’s best technology meets caring, experienced dentists at Shuayb Dental, which has two offices in Spring Hill, one in Brooksville and one in the Oak Ramble Plaza (same plaza as Acropolis Greek Taverna) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms.
All three Shuaybs also earned Bachelor’s degrees from the University of South Florida in Tampa and their D.M.D. degrees from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University.