Committee Keeps Meadow Pointe Intact, Rezones Seven Oaks

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Option 20 is the choice of the School Boundary Committee.

With a smattering of black shirts with the number 12 — representing Option 12 — crossed out serving as a backdrop, the Pasco School Boundary Committee (SBC) changed course Friday afternoon and unanimously rejected its initial recommendation for new school zones in Wesley Chapel, choosing Option 20 to pass on to the Pasco County School Board (PCSB) for final approval.

The vote wasn’t close, with 16 of the 21 voting members raising their hand for Option 20. Option 13 received five votes from the committee comprised of school principals, parents and county administrators.

Option 12, the initial option recommended by the SBC at its last meeting, didn’t receive any.

Option 20 will now be passed on to Superintendent Kurt Browning and his staff, and then to the School Board for public hearings at 6 p.m. on Dec. 20 and Jan. 17.

Parents can attend and mount a challenge to Option 20, but Linda Cobbe, the district spokesman, said Browning told her “he doesn’t have any intention on changing any decisions made by the committees on the new boundaries.”

The 16-5 vote caused muffled rejoicing and a few silent high-fives from many of the 80 or so parents in attendance at the Wesley Chapel High gymnasium.

sbc2Option 20 will keep Meadow Pointe III and IV, Country Walk and Union Park in their current zones, and while no one of the SBC said it had anything to do with their vote, the selection alleviates many parents fear of their kids being transported to school via Meadow Point Blvd. and S.R. 54, which was a prevalent theme of the Nov. 29 parent town hall that was attended by more than 1,000

The Seven Oaks community, some of whom were in attendance, will not be as happy. Their students will now be zoned to attend Wesley Chapel (WCH) and Weightman (TWM) middle schools, except for current juniors at Wiregrass Ranch High who will be grandfathered in.

Option 20 was originally among the final three for the SBC, but ultimately dismissed for two reasons: because it didn’t provide as much relief to the overcrowded schools as 12, and it rezoned Seven Oaks.

But some eagle-eyed Meadow Pointe residents disputed the numbers. Kevin Croswell, representing Meadow Pointe III, spoke at a School Board meeting on Nov. 15, saying the original enrollment numbers presented by the county to the SBC in Option 20 were incorrect. Their numbers, which turned out to be the correct numbers and were adjusted by the district staff, showed Option 20 offered almost the same relief as Option 12.

“I think certainly the numbers helped,” said Chris Williams, director of planning. “We corrected those numbers…and basically 20 became comparable to 12.”

Also, the possibility of rezoning Seven Oaks again in 4-5 years when a new middle school is built on Old Pasco Rd. next to the new school, Cypress Creek Middle and High School, seemed to be lessbcs of a sticking point.

The new middle school could also be 6-7 years or longer down the road, said Williams, depending on how quickly the money, raised from impact fees, becomes available. That longer timeline seemed to cause a few SBC members to have less of a concern about “double-dipping” Seven Oaks in the rezoning pool, and to  take a stronger look at Option 20.

“It’s not the community (of Seven Oaks), it’s about keeping the schools together and keeping the integrity of the feeder pattern schools together, that’s the most important thing,” said SBC member and Seven Oaks resident Denise Nicholas, who also is the Pasco County Council PTA (PCCPTA) President. “I did not vote for 20, because I truly don’t believe in rezoning twice. I don’t think it’s fair for any community, whether it be Seven Oaks, Meadow Pointe, Union Park, Stagecoach, whoever, to be double-dipped and have to be moved twice.

Many SBC members attended the Nov. 29 parent town hall at Wesley Chapel High, which drew more than 1,000 residents that made clear their scorn for Option 12.

Most in attendance at the town hall seemed to favor Option 20, with traffic as the primary concern. Parents of students in the Meadow Pointe III and IV, Country Walk and Union Park areas were dismayed they would have to send their kids to school north on two-lane Meadow Pointe Blvd. and west on S.R. 54, which will begin a widening project in 2017.

Neighborhood News Assistant Editor John C. Cotey can be reached at john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

 

GIRLS HOOPS: Freedom Looks To Rebound, Wharton Fighting Injuries & Youth

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Freedom High senior standout Megan Clark (center) signed her letter of intent with Tennessee Tech last month.

When you build a winning basketball program, new players can tend to think that the successes of the past will automatically continue. Freedom High girls basketball coach Laurie Pacholke says she sees it all the time.

But, very often, she says, it doesn’t.

And, that kind of lesson is never very easy for a coach to drill into his or her players’ heads.

After a six-year run that included 127 victories, four trips to the playoffs and a state semifinal appearance in 2013, the Patriots suffered through the first losing season since Pacholke became head coach in 2009.

Freedom’s 13-15 record included the Pats’ first loss to New Tampa rival Wharton High since 2010.

Pacholke’s team did still make the playoffs and nearly upset traditional state powerhouse Winter Haven High in the playoffs — losing by one point — but Pacholke says, “Looking at the record…yeah, that’s brutal.”

Freedom, which opened the 2016-17 season with a 33-30 loss to Alonso but has bounced back with consecutive wins over Gaither and Wiregrass Ranch, returns six seniors in its effort to bounce back this season, including Megan Clark, who averaged 14.7 points a game last year after missing the first month and a half with an injury.

Pacholke says that Clark — a 5-foot-9 senior forward who has signed to play college ball for Division I-A Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, TN — has a high basketball IQ, a sterling work ethic and a nose for the ball.

“She’ll lead us in offensive rebounds, that is for sure,’’ Pacholke says, adding that Clark’s pull-up, mid-range jumper and three-point shot are as good as anyone she has ever coached.

Olivia Williams will, “shock a lot of people,” Pacholke says. The 6-1 senior center is a top rebounder with a nice shot from 14 feet in, and has great hands. Taraja Leon, a 5-7 senior, will take over the starting point guard duties after scoring 7.2 points a game in a reserve role last year, and 5-10 senior forward Ashley Bell brings lockdown defense and a strong physical style to the Pats.

Another senior, 5-7 forward Gazal Refaee, will add some strength in the post, and 6-foot sophomore center Ragen Roger has made significant progress after playing in 14 games as a freshman.

“I like the pieces that we have,’’ Pacholke says. “It’s a new year, and I told them you can’t worry about anything that happened in the past.”

(Right) Wharton High’s Ashley “A.J.” Jones (left) & Parker Onderko will be counted on to help carry the team until they can find their footing.
(Right) Wharton High’s Ashley “A.J.” Jones (left) & Parker Onderko will be counted on to help carry the team until they can find their footing.

Wildcats Looking For A Spark

Wharton, which was 12-14 last year, will have to overcome offseason injuries to key players to reach double-digit wins again.

Seniors Dawn Norwood and Sabrina Eye, two post players at 5-10 and 6-1, respectively, both suffered torn ACLs. Coach Chad Reed says he hopes to get Eye back before the end of the season.

“Those are significant,” he says. “They will hurt.’’

They have hurt. The Wildcats got off to a slow start, losing their first five games to open the season. They are, however, coming off a 51-49 victory over Gaither on Nov. 30.

Two starters from last year — 5-8 senior point guard Ashley Jones and 5-4 senior guard Parker Onderko — will be asked to carry the load early. Reed says he the Wildcats will have to find success with a rotation of transfers and new and old players, such as 5-10 junior forward Regina Henry, 5-11 sophomore center Semera Wilson and 5-3 sophomore guard Mecca Bythewood, as well as from promising freshmen like 5-10 forward Julian Trice and 5-4 guard Angelica Ayala.

Reed said he has some good shooters, so the Wildcats will rely on quick ball movement to create open shots. He thinks because of all the new pieces, Wharton will take its lumps this year, but he believes the future is bright.

“We have to take it game to game,’’ Reed said. “It can’t be about wins and losses (right now). If we get better each game, the wins will come.”

Boys Hoops: Wharton Expected To Challenge Again; Freedom? Maybe

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(l-r) Tray Gildon, Dae’son Barnes and Isaiah Thomas are returning starters for Wharton, which is looking for another 20-win season.

Since taking over the Paul R. Wharton High boys basketball program in 1997, coach Tommy Tonelli has had nothing but success.

Only one time have his Wildcats not won at least 18 games. And, Tonelli has guided the Wildcats to eleven straight 20-win seasons, seven district titles and nine playoff appearances.

But last year, despite going 21-5, the Wildcats did not make the playoffs, losing in the District semifinals to arch-rival Freedom High in Tampa Palms.

The two teams renew their rivalry tonight in a Class 8A, District 8 clash at 6:30 p.m. at Wharton, with the Wildcats looking to get back to the postseason and Freedom looking at a rebuilding year.

“I feel this team definitely has a real good outlook and can achieve whatever they want,’’ says Tonelli, who is just another 20-win season shy of 400 career wins with the school. “They just have to earn it and pay the price and go out and compete for it. It is a talented group. We have the necessary pieces.”

Three of those pieces are returning senior starters: Tray Gildon, Dae’son Barnes and Isaiah Thomas. Another big piece should be transfer Reggie Jennings, a 6-3 senior guard who averaged 20.1 points and 10 rebounds a game last year for Wesley Chapel High.

Gildon started every game as a junior, and the 6-foot-1 point guard is poised to have a big season. Tonelli said Gildon shined during the offseason, showing leaps forward in maturity and leadership. Combine that with a smooth handle, great vision and a solid jumper, and Gildon could emerge as one of the Tampa Bay area’s top point guards.

“He has good natural point guard ability,’’ Tonelli says. “He has all the intangibles.”

Barnes, a 6-2 shooting guard, also played a lot as a junior. He has improved his jump shot and his defense and Tonelli thinks Barnes can raise his scoring average into double digits.

“He can put the ball in the basket a lot of different ways,’’ the coach says.

Thomas is a 6-3 forward who started last year as a reserve and played his way into the starting lineup midway through the season. He provided a lift for the ‘Cats on offense, and is a tremendous leaper who plays above the rim.

Wharton, which is 2-0, isn’t a very big or physical team this year, but they are athletic and fairly long, with players like 6-2 sophomore guard Darin Green,  6-5 junior point guard D.J. Henderson and junior varsity call-up Renaldo Williams all expected to play big roles this season.

“I’m real excited about our guys,’’ Tonelli says, “and what I think we can accomplish.”

Freedom Hoping To Reload

Freedom coach Cedric Smith is taking a more muted tone with the Patriots as he waits to see how his team gels.

The Pats lost seven seniors from last year’s team, including about 41 of the 57 points per game the team averaged in winning a school-record 23 games.

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Freedom head coach Cedric Smith

Freedom, which is 1-1 after beating Gaither to open the season and then dropping a close 60-56 decision to Wiregrass Ranch in a pair of Class 8A, District 8 games, will rely on Chase Creasy, a 6-4 senior wing player that Smith thinks can be better than he has been. Last year, Creasy averaged just 6 points per game in limited minutes but was third on the team in three-pointers made.

The Patriots also return 6-8 junior Alek Rojas and 6-7 senior Nicola Maganuco, two centers. Neither player made a big impact last year, averaging a combined 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds, but Smith is counting on them to put up bigger numbers in 2016-17.

Gerald Fleming, an athletic 6-4 senior forward, and 5-8 sophomore point guard Nicholas Butler round out the starters for Freedom.

“We have some work to do,’’ said Smith, the former USF star who took over the program in 2011 and finished 8-14 his first season, but has improved the team’s win total every year since then.