Wiregrass Ice Hawks Fall Just Short Of A State Title At FHCI

 The Wiregrass Ice Hawks receive their medals for finishing second at the SAHOF High School Tier 2 finals, the first major championship event held at Florida Hospital Center Ice off S.R. 56.

The Wiregrass Ice Hawks, a high school team comprised of players from Wiregrass Ranch (WRH), Wesley Chapel (WCH), Zephyrhills and Pasco high schools, won their division in the Tampa Bay Lightning High School League.

The Hawks beat two teams to make the league’s championship, the Lightning Cup.

They beat two more teams a week later to make the high school state championship.

The only thing the Ice Hawks couldn’t beat? Mitchell High from New Port Richey.

Playing in the Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida (SAHOF) final for the first time, Wiregrass ran out of gas and fell to the Mustangs 5-0 on Feb. 26, in front of a packed, boisterous crowd at Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) off S.R. 56.

It was the Hawks’ third loss to Mitchell in eight days.

“We had a tougher semifinal game (than Mitchell did) this morning (Note-both finalists played other teams in the State semifinals earlier the same day; see below) and that took it out of us,” said Gordie Zimmermann, the team’s head coach and the managing partner at FHCI. “Still, to meet and compete in the state title game, you can’t ask for a better season than that.”

The loss capped a great postseason for the Ice Hawks, who won the Andreychuk Division of the Tampa Bay Lightning High School Hockey League with a 16-6 record. They beat Bradenton Manatee and Tampa Jesuit high schools in the playoffs of that league, before coming up short in the Lightning Cup finale, held  at Amalie Arena on Feb. 18, losing 7-4, also to Mitchell.

Wiregrass forward Adam Zimmermann moves the puck against Freedom.

In the State playoffs at FHCI a week later, the Hawks lost a pool match against Mitchell, 5-4 in overtime, but fought back from that loss to earn a third chance at the Mustangs. in the State title game.

Unfortunately for Wiregrass, after the overtime loss to Mitchell Saturday night, the team had to survive a physically tough 7-4 Sunday morning victory over New Tampa’s Freedom High.

Complicating the matter, one of the Ice Hawks’ top players, forward Gehrig Oppenheimer, was ejected from the win against the Patriots and suspended for the championship game. “Missing one of our front line guys really changed our dynamics,” Zimmermann said.

Fatigue and the loss of Oppenheimer showed, as Mitchell scored in the first four minutes and led 4-0 before the end of the first period.

The Mustangs kept up the pace in the second period, outshooting the Ice Hawks 23-11, but were unable to find the back of the net with any of them.

Still, Zimmermann said his players were able to relish the moment in the third period, playing in what will be their new home in front of an appreciative home crowd. He recalled during a timeout in the final, some of his players told him they were having the best time of their lives.

“Guys like Alex Carr and Alejandro Rivera got a couple of shifts in there (in the final),” Zimmermann said. “There were guys that just wanted to be a part of it.”

In its win over Freedom Sunday morning, Wiregrass fell behind 1-0 before cleaning up a puck that ricocheted off Freedom goalie Dominik Rini to tie things headed to the second period.

Physical play was the theme at the State tournament, especially whenever Wiregrass played Mitchell.

Wiregrass took the lead just over a minute into the second period on a shot by Joseph Davis who would earn a hat trick with his three goals against Freedom. Davis also scored two slapshot goals from the point in the Saturday night game against Mitchell to give the Hawks a late 4-3 lead.

Teams from all over the state converged for the two tiers of the State tournament, which was held for the first time ever in our area. As the champion, Mitchell is now headed to the national tournament.

Wiregrass, Freedom, Mitchell and West Boca (Spanish River) competed in the Tier 2 high school division. Tier 2 teams can draw from up to four schools, typically in the same general area (e.g., Freedom‘s team was made up of players from both Freedom and Wharton high schools).

The Tier 1 championships were also held at the same time. Those teams have rosters comprised entirely of athletes that attend a particular school.

North Broward Preparatory won the Tier 1 championship. It was the fourth consecutive year the Coconut Creek-based school captured the Tier 1 title. 

You Don’t Have To Be An Educator To Be Insured By Florida Educators Insurance

Gary Cucchi (fifth from the left in front row) and his professional crew at Florida Educators Insurance in the Cypress Glen Professional Park off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel can handle your insurance and financial services needs, even if you’re not an educator yourself.

The word “educators” in Florida Educators Insurance indicates that, primarily, this local insurance agency serves teachers and others who work in schools. Owner Gary Cucchi says it’s also a hallmark of how his agency does business.

“The biggest thing we do is educate our clients,” Gary says, “Not only do we serve educators and their neighbors, family members and friends, but we also educate our clients about their insurance and retirement plans to be sure they have the right strategy and coverages so their family is protected, now and in the future.”

Gary adds that it’s a common misconception that, because the company is called “Florida Educators Insurance,” people think the agency only serves educators.

“But, that’s not the case,” Gary explains. “We help non-educators all the time. They’re often family members, friends, and neighbors of our current clients — but they don’t have to be — and we help them with auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, life insurance, IRAs, and 401k accounts.”

Gary is a Seven Oaks resident who used to be a teacher himself, before opening Florida Educators Insurance in 2002. His company is an independent agency of Horace Mann, which specializes in insurance products and financial services for educators. Founded in Springfield, IL, in 1945, Horace Mann is named for the founder of American public education and is now a multi-billion-dollar company traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HMN).

Florida Educators Insurance moved to its current location in the Cypress Glen Professional Park off S.R. 56 (just east of I-75) in 2008. The agency offers auto, home, umbrella, flood and life insurance, along with retirement and investment plans, such as IRAs and 401(k) plans, “529” college savings plans, plus plans just for educators known as 403(b) and 457 plans.

As an independent agency, Florida Educators Insurance writes policies with a wide variety of insurance companies. Gary explains that he works with many of the largest companies across the industries his agency represents. Some examples include insurance and financial services through – of course – Horace Mann, and financial services from American Funds, Fidelity and Raymond James Financial, life insurance through Lincoln Financial and Ameritas, home insurance through Tower Hill and American Integrity, and auto insurance through Safeco, Progressive and Mercury.

Of about 1,000 Horace Mann agencies nationwide, Gary says Florida Educators Insurance is now the largest.

“We don’t try to be the largest,” he explains, “It just happens and we get some plaque (from Horace Mann for it). I don’t care about how big we are; I care about my employees and our clients. If all that’s going well, it doesn’t matter if we’re number one or 100.”

Gary says all 19 agents in his office are fully licensed through the Florida Department of Insurance, and all financial services staff members hold numerous state and federal investment licenses through FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

“We’re a good size, especially staff-wise, but we’re like a mom-’n-pop in that we try to really get to know people and get to know their families so we can advise them properly,” Gary says. “We genuinely care about our clients and are not just trying to sell policies. The teacher in me has this philosophy to help people.”

Serving Schools

Gary says that in 2016, Florida Educators Insurance spent at least $100,000 to provide reading and attendance incentives, school supplies, teacher appreciation gifts, and more to local schools in Pasco, Hillsborough, and Pinellas County.

“Instead of buying billboards, we try to give back to the community,” Gary explains. “We advertise in the Neighborhood News because it’s local, but we don’t do any other ads. We want our dollars to go back to the people we serve.”

Florida Educators Insurance often gives away bicycles, based on incentives chosen by participating schools, including all of the schools in Wesley Chapel.

“For the last five years or more, we have donated several hundred bikes a year to schools in the area to promote attendance and reading,” he says. “It takes us a couple of weeks to deliver all the bikes. We got tired of renting U-hauls to do it, so we decided to get our own bus.”

Now, Florida Educators Insurance delivers those bikes in a customized school bus that has been wrapped with the company’s information and had seats removed on the inside to accommodate bikes, school supplies, or whatever is being delivered.

“Our relationships with the schools are based on what (each) school needs,” Gary explains. “Not every school needs bikes. We help every school in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in some way.”

He says this includes providing at least $25,000 worth of teacher appreciation gifts, typically $25 gift certificates to local restaurants, which many schools give away at appreciation breakfasts and lunches.

“This is our way of letting [teachers] know that we care about them, with no strings attached,” Gary says. “They don’t have to be clients, although we do insure 10,000 people in that three-county area.”

Happy Customers

Jerry Jackson is a recently retired educator who has been a Florida Educators Insurance client for 15 years, in part because he thinks so highly of Gary.

“He’s awesome,” Jerry says. “With him, there’s no high pressure. (Gary) just really wants to help people.”

Jerry also explains that he was in the State of Florida deferred retirement program, and Gary made retirement easy for him.

“He guided me through all of the requirements and all of the paperwork,” he says. “He’s an expert. If I need any kind of advice, I’ll call Gary. If he doesn’t know the answer, he knows where to find it. I refer him to everybody I know.”

Gary adds, “We’re not here just to save you a couple of dollars on your auto and home insurance, although we generally do that, and that’s the fun stuff. But, saving money on your home and auto insurance isn’t going to change your life. We also change lives with what we do. When we help someone properly plan for their future — their retirement needs —that can be life-changing.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to insurance and investment planning, so Gary asks his clients to be willing to discuss their unique situation with a Florida Educators Insurance agent.

“Most people spend more time planning for their summer vacations every year than they do for their own futures,” says Gary. “We ask you to give us one hour each year to go over your budget and goals so that you can be better prepared for the future.”

He explains that budgeting and goal-setting are part of the agency’s full-service retirement planning, but adds that the agency provides these services for all of their clients, even those who might only have auto insurance through the company.

“We’re here for all phases of your life,” Gary says.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News readers who call for a free quote on home or auto insurance, or who meet with a Florida Educators Insurance agent to discuss planning for retirement or insurance, and mention this story or the ad on page 18 will receive a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate, and, Gary says, there’s absolutely no obligation to purchase anything to receive it.

Florida Educators Insurance is located at 26809 Tanic Dr., Suite 101.  For more information, call 600-3268 or visit FloridaEducatorsInsurance.com. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays by appointment.

Helping My Friends Promote Their Charitable Events Is Always My Pleasure

We keep telling you everything that’s happening in Wesley Chapel in every issue of this publication, but quite honestly, it’s hard even for us to keep up with everything going on in this community.

‘March For Babies’ Kickoff

I attended the Feb. 22 kickoff event (at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch) for the 2017 Suncoast March of Dimes “March for Babies,” which will be held Saturday, April 29, 8 a.m., at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. The annual walk is the largest fund raiser for the March of Dimes, which invites you to walk for more babies to be born healthy. Premature birth is the number one killer of babies and the March of Dimes, which was founded in 1938 by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (afflicted with polio himself) to combat polio, which at that time, was a tremendous worldwide killer and crippler of babies. Since then, the organization has focused its efforts on helping mothers and babies live healthier lives.

The 2017 Event Chair, Jennifer Cofini (photo above), who works for the Parks Auto Group, has two children, Dylan and Madison, both of whom were born prematurely (although they are both healthy today), so the March of Dimes is near and dear to her heart. Jen and her committee hosted more than 100 people at the kickoff event, many of whom work for Publix, a major sponsor of this year’s March.

According to MarchforBabies.org/ EventInfo?EventID=18398, the March already has raised more than $25,000, with Cofini’s goal being $250,000. WTVT-TV Fox 13 news anchor Linda Hurtado hosted the kickoff event, and quite a few parents of premature babies who amazingly survived being born as early as 29 weeks into a 40-week pregnancy brought those children along with them to the event; some even told their amazing, heart-wrenching  stories of courage.

I hope you’ll visit the previously mentioned website to make a donation and show up at the mall for a nice, three-mile walk to benefit this wonderful cause.

WRH Team Wins ‘People’s Choice’ At Dessert Contest

I also was on hand on Feb. 23, for the Pasco Education Foundation (PEF)’s second annual dessert contest (held at Land O’Lakes High), whereby teams from all five high school Culinary Academies in Pasco County competed to be able to provide dessert for more than 200 guests at PEF’s upcoming “Cinderella Ball” (to be held tomorrow night at Heritage Springs Country Club in Trinity), the foundation’s largest annual fund raiser. Although a team from Land O’Lakes High won first place from the four judges, one of the two teams (photo, left) from Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) took home the “People’s Choice” award for its strawberry dessert.

My surprising (to me) favorite of the seven confections everyone in attendance got to sample that night was the “24 Karat” dessert provided by the other WRH team. It had just enough of a hint of cayenne pepper in it to give this chocolate delight a unique kick.

And, don’t forget to check out the latest episode of WCNT-tv on YouTube. We’ve now had nearly 250,000 views and a reach of more than 500,000 through 17 episodes!