Wharton cornerback Fred Jolly has been one of the top players this season on the Wildcatsโ fearsome defense. (Photo: Alyssa Cason).
Prior to Wharton Highโs game against Plant on Oct. 23, first-year head coach Mike Williams was about the only person around the Wildcatsโ football program who could remember the last time Wharton beat the Panthers.
But thatโs only because he played in that game, for Plant, which suffered a 15-14 loss on that night โ way back in 2000.
Well, it doesnโt take such a long memory to remember such things anymore, because Wharton beat Williamsโ alma mater 10-0 โ even more impressive considering that Plant had scored 40 or more points in the last five games between the teams.
The win improved Whartonโs record to 6-0 on the season, its best start since going 7-0 in 2006. It can match that start tonight with a win over Durant at Wharton.
โWe expected to have a good season, but maybe not to this extent,โ says Williams, a former college All-American wide receiver at Southern Cal and first-round NFL draft pick of Detroit. โI knew we had some good players, and some good size, but we also had a bunch of young players competing for the first time.โ
Another thing Williams knew โ his defense was going to be nasty. And it has been.
The Wildcats have only allowed 23 points in six games. Only one team โ Alonso โ has scored a touchdown against Wharton, getting two while losing 44-17 to the Wildcats. Wharton has shut out Freedom 50-0, King 14-0, and Plant.
While the offense is still rounding into shape, the โCats have been truly dominant on the other side of the ball.
Junior linebacker Henry Griffith leads the team with 56 tackles, including nine for a loss of yards, and Booker Pickett Jr. has 50 tackles. Only a freshman, Pickett Jr. is already 6โ-4โ, 200 pounds โ โHeโs a monster,โ Williams says โ and shares the same on-field ferocity as his father, a former University of Miami linebacker.
Junior linebacker Daveon Crouch, arguably the teamโs best overall player and a Division I prospect, has a team-high nine sacks and regularly delivers a wallop, forcing six fumbles.
And, if you can bypass the linebackers, the Wildcatsโ defensive backfield will be waiting for you.
โWe have elite cover guys,โ Williams says. โIn my book, we have the best secondary in the county that nobody is talking about.โ
Junior cornerback Jairon Dorsey leads the team with four interceptions, and has returned two of them for touchdowns. Junior Fred Jolly has eight passes defended and returned a punt blocked by Pickett Jr. for a TD with five minutes left to beat Palm Harbor University 7-3.
Williams says Junior Jason Cornwell, who returned his only interception this season 70 yards for a score, and senior Markell Dominique are primetime players as well.
Wharton, which had its Oct. 30 game against Steinbrenner canceled due to Covid-19 issues related to the Warriors, will wrap up the regular season tonight, then will host Riverview in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs on Nov. 13.
Williams hopes his offense, directed by quarterback Emery Floyd, and the 1-2 punch of running backs Keith Morris and Johnny Cason, is clicking by then. Along with the defense, he thinks something special might be brewing off Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
โEven though the program may have been up and down, Coach Mitchell really had a group that wasnโt afraid to work hard, wasnโt afraid to be in the weight room,โ Williams says. โHe had good things going. Weโre going to keep it going.โ
If you havenโt yet stopped by the new Florida Avenue Brewing Co. (Florida Ave.), located at 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., in the former Sports + Field location on S.R. 56, youโve been missing a treat โ and, from the crowds seen there to date, you may be one of the few locals who hasnโt already given it a try.
This nearly 30,000-sq.-ft., two-story building โ which was purchased by the Derby family last year, after being vacated back in 2015 โ has been completely renovated and re-opened as an outstanding sports bar-style restaurant with somewhat more upscale food. And, although co-owner Anthony Derby says the S.R. 56 location will one day be home to the largest craft brewery in Florida, the beers, ales, hard ciders and seltzers being sold at Wesley Chapelโs Florida Ave. are currently being brewed at the Derbysโ smaller Seminole Heights location and shipped here.
And, even though yours truly isnโt much of a beer drinker and isnโt interested in playing corn hole, here are our five favorite things so far about Florida Ave.
5) Seminole Heightsโ Cool Makes Its Way To โThe Chapโ โ For everyone whoโs tired of eating at chain restaurants along S.R. 56, there truly is nothing quite like Florida Ave. There certainly is nothing else here that has this newcomerโs โvibe.โ
4) The Covered Outdoor Seating Area โ Although there are lots of local eateries that have outdoor seating, very few have any covered areas at all, but Florida Ave.โs is covered, has a few TVs outside and access to an open courtyard area with corn hole games.
3) Private, Indoor Areas For Parties & Events โ Florida Ave.โs 20,000-sq.-ft. first floor not only has a sizable indoor bar and dining area, it also has arcade games (above) and some separate indoor โtasting roomsโ where you can host your own private parties.ย
2) The Variety Of Brews, Plus Premium Liquor โ The top left photo left is a โflightโ of six of Florida Ave.โs variety of brews and although anyone who knows me knows that Iโm a whiskey drinker, I actually loved two of the brews shown here (yes, they were only the simple Florida Ave. Lager & Brown Ale, shown 2nd & 3rd from the right, but still) and I also enjoyed a hard cider and seltzer, but donโt tell anyone. Jannah even liked the Raspberry Berliner Weisse.
1) THE FOOD! โ I havenโt yet sampled the entire menu, but Iโve already loved the spicy, Korean-style bibimbap bowl topped with a fried egg (above), the cheeseburger, the Burrata flatbread, the crab cake appetizer, the crispy cheesesteak egg rolls (nice pieces of steak with onions, and cheese) and the classic Caesar with grilled chicken.
My favorite so far, however, was the Chinese sticky ribs appetizer.
The dish offers four fall-off-the-bone black bean and miso pork ribs with a hoisin BBQ glaze over kimchi slaw with sesame seeds and scallions. I also canโt wait to try the hanger steak and several other appetizers, flatbreads, handhelds and entrรฉes.
For more info, call (813) 452-6333 or visit FloridaAveBrewing.com & please tell the Derbys I sent you! โ GN
Wesley Chapel has been without a library for more than a year since the only previous location, the New River Branch Library on S.R. 54, began a major facelift.
That facelift, which will feature areas for teens and children, remodeled bathrooms, new furniture, an improved community garden and covered learning space, should be completed by January, but that hasnโt stopped District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore from looking ahead to another library for the area.
โI think the time is right,โ Moore says, pointing to the massive growth the area has witnessed in recent years, as well as the tens of thousands of homes still planned for the future.
Moore pitched the idea to his fellow county commissioners last week.
As usual, it will all come down to finding the money to build what Moore expects would be roughly a $10-million endeavor.
It may be a few years away, but plans to add a second library in Wesley Chapel are proceeding. The rendering above shows the outdoor lounge.
The land already is owned by Pasco County, Moore says. It is right in front of Seven Oaks Elementary, off of Mystic Oaks Blvd. In 2004, that parcel was set aside as part of the development agreement for the Seven Oaks DRI with the intention that the county would use it for a future library.
In September, Moore was able to secure funding for a concept design for the 20,000-sq.-ft. facility. Renderings of the possible library show plenty of meeting spaces inside and outside, as well as large glass windows that overlook the wetlands that would be behind the library (above).
Now, he is proposing a larger expenditure, probably close to $1-million, to fund the actual design of the library.
After that, โWeโll look at all possible resources to get it built,โ Moore says.
Bob Harrison, the Pasco County Libraries marketing and communications program manager, says it could take 3-4 years to bring the project to fruition. He agrees that Wesley Chapelโs rapid growth warrants a second library.
โWe definitely look at the growth areas and Wesley Chapel is probably the fastest growing area in Pasco County and has been for some time,โ he says. โIt definitely could use another library based on its population growth.โ
Many of the countyโs libraries have been refurbished and received updated maker spaces. For example, the Regency Park Library in New Port Richey has a test kitchen, the Hudson library has a recording studio, and both were decided on by local residents.
Harrison says the Wesley Chapel community will decide what special features to put in a new library via focus groups and meetings.
โAs far as I know, (Moore and his fellow commissioners) are certainly committed to making it happen,โ Harrison says. โOf course, funding is always a question, but I know at this point they are moving forward with it.โ
Although the New River Library is still closed, itโs still available as an early voting site for this yearโs General Election. For info, visit PascoVotes.com.
Shaun Dunn says sales of Trump merchandise are a good indicator of how well the President will do in Florida. The polls say otherwise. (Photo by John C. Cotey)
If local merchandise sales are any indication, Donald Trump is headed to a landslide re-election on Nov. 3.
Thatโs how Shaun Dunn sees it, anyway. The businessman runs a Trump tent right next to his Joe Biden tent at the entrance to The Grove in Wesley Chapel, and says the Republican president is outselling the Democratic former VP 10-to-1. He is admittedly not a political scientist or pollster, but he is a numbers guy, and he thinks they are saying something.
โIf there really is 50 percent support of Biden, that tent should really have way more people,โ he says. โAs far as Iโm concerned it just really shows you that the silent majority is more than you think.โ
Based on his sales and the interest people stopping by have shown, he thinks Wesley Chapel is Trump Country. Memorabilia like Trump-branded magnets, yard signs, hats, coins, mugs and yes, even masks to protect you from the spread of coronavirus, are flying off his tables.
Flags and the iconic red Make America Great Again hats are his best sellers, and Dunn says he has sold 250 life-size cutouts of Trump โ at $75 a pop โ since opening his stand on Sept. 1.
Before he could open his Trump tent at The Grove, however, he had to agree to open a Biden tent as well.
Mark Gold, who is developing The Grove, insisted Dunn do a tent for each candidate, as he didnโt want to get caught in any political quandary.
โI told him if he wants to do one, he does both,โ Gold says. โTo be fair.โ
Dunn says he was fine with the idea. In fact, he kind of liked it.
โI got to thinking about it, and you know, thatโs probably the right thing to do,โ he says. โThat way, everybody gets a chance.โ
In fact, Dunn has opened Biden tents next to his Trump tents at his Holiday Mall location, also owned by Gold, and in Lakeland.
The Biden tent at The Grove was his first, and he says he has never seen any others in his travels.
Suli Torres works the Biden tent. She jokes that she got the short end of the stick, but since she will be voting for Biden, she is fine with it.
โEveryone is pretty excited to see me, Iโve even had people offer me food and drinks,โ she says, then adding, with a chuckle, โmaybe they feel sorry for me.โ
Torres was engaged in a conversation with a customer about climate change when we visited on a Monday morning, although that conversation was interrupted by a young woman wanting to purchase a Biden hat. At the Trump tent, though, Dunn was busy ringing up a pink โWomen For Trumpโ t-shirt and a matching pink hat for one customer, and a mask and a coffee mug for another
Does the popularity of the Trump tent concern Torres when it comes to the Nov. 3 election?
Not really. โFlorida is a Republican (controlled) state, so Iโm okay with it,โ she says. โI will cast my vote and hope for the best.โ
Dunn eschews political talk at either tent. He says his employees are trained not to get political with customers. He is unwilling to debate Trump vs. Biden, and says he is only there to make money.
โThey all want to talk politics,โ he says. โI donโt say nothing. Basically, I tell them โI hear ya,โ because I donโt want to be getting involved. I like somebody, but I prefer not to say. Iโll vote for who I like. But, this is just a business for me.โ
The one thing the Trump and Biden tents, which are spaced about 10 feet apart, do have in common? The amount of vitriol those working them have had to endure.
Due to the toxicity of the countryโs political climate, Dunn and Torres each say they have been sworn at and threatened by people driving by or leaving after purchasing something from the other tent.
Financially, the Biden tent only makes enough money to cover what Dunn pays his employees and the rent. The Trump tent has been far more lucrative.
Dunn says four of his former employees left him to start their own Trump tents, and are all doing well. He wishes he had started selling it sooner. โIโd be able to retire by now,โ he says.
However, do sales equal votes? Even in 2016, the Trump merchandising operation was a juggernaut, and he lost the popular vote by roughly 3-million nationwide to former First Lady Hillary Clinton, while claiming a narrow 70,000-vote edge in crucial battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to give him a victory in the electoral college. (Trump won Florida by 112,000 votes; he won Pasco County by 52,000).
This election, the polls are favoring Biden โ by larger margins than they favored Clinton โ but Trump gear is just as prevalent, if not moreso, than four years ago. How those numbers will add up on election day remains to be seen.
The only math that really matters, however, is the nationwide final tally of votes. Record turnout is expected all across the country.
Dunn is likely correct about Wesley Chapel, and more broadly Pasco County, being Trump Country. Republicans have unanimously controlled the five-person County Commission for many years, and there are currently 159,127 registered Republicans, or 26,100 more than in 2016.
Meanwhile, there are only 118,127 registered Democrats in Pasco, an increase of only 10,800.
There also are 109,682 registered voters who did not list a party affiliation, an increase of 27,000 from the 2016 election.
One thing that is certain: Pasco County will vote. Presidential election voter turnout has averaged well over 70 percent since 1984, according to the PascoVotes.gov website. In 2016, the voter turnout was 73 percent.
In fact, residents were voting long before early voting even started on Oct. 19, as more than 70,000 mail-in votes already had been received, accounting for 18 percent of all registered voters in Pasco.
And, with this election expected to break turnout records across the country, Tami Bentley, the director of voter administration for Pasco County, says they are ready not just for more voters, but more socially-distant voters, due to Covid-19 concerns.
โWe have worked closely with Pasco County to secure some larger early voting facilities,โ Bentley says, like the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.
In addition, mail drop boxes will be posted at every early voting site for the first time, hopefully assuaging fears about mail-in ballot voter fraud being perpetuated on social media and by President Trump himself.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley also put out a joint statement promising a safe environment at all early voting locations, all of which will be manned by Poll Deputies.
Interesting Local Pasco Races
While Trump-Biden tops the ballot and is driving the expected record voter turnout, other races that have local implications include:
Superintendent of Schools: Kurt Browning, the Republican who easily won his primary, is running for his third term against Bayonet Point Middle School teacher Cynthia Thompson, who says the District needs an educator to fix it.
State Senator District 20: Republican Danny Burgess resigned as executive director of the Florida Department of Veteranโs Affairs in June to run against Democrat Kathy Lewis in this special election to replace Tom Lee, who retired.
State Representative District 38: Republican Randy Maggard won the 2018 election to replace Burgess, and is defending his seat against Democrat Brian Staver.
Pasco County Commission, District 3: Incumbent Republican Kathryn Starkey, first elected in 2012, has raised more than $200,000 in her bid to keep her seat against Democrat Jessica Stempien, who has raised $30,000.
Pasco County Commission, District 5: Incumbent Republican Jack Mariano is seeking his fifth term (he was first elected in 2004) against Democrat Brandi Geoit and independent Victor Rodriguez.
Florida 12th U.S. Congressional District: Republican incumbent Gus Bilirakis, who replaced his father Mike (who served for 25 years) when he was first elected to the District 9 seat in 2007, is trying for another term in District 12 (which he has represented since 2013)against Democrat Kimberly Walker.
Early voting continues through Oct. 31, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Vote By Mail drop boxes are available at each early voting site, including the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus (3021 Sports Coast Way), AdventHealth Center Ice (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd.) and the New River Library (34043 S.R. 54).
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, when polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.. Wesley Chapel has 13 polling places, which can be found by visiting PascoVotes.gov or by checking your voter registration information.
The rumors that have been circulating the past 18 month of popular electronics retailer Best Buy closing its New Tampa location have turned out to be true.
The store, located in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve off of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between the HomeGoods and Michaels store, has that announced it is shutting down on Oct. 31. The announcement points customers to the nearest locations in Brandon and Wesley Chapel (in The Grove).
The store has already begun the moving process. Many of the aisles in the New Tampa Best Buy have empty shelves and are blocked off, while some aisles are selling open box items at a 15-20 percent discount.
It is unclear if the effects of Covid-19 had a hand in the closing, although it had been rumored before the pandemic that the big box electronics giant’s New Tampa location had been struggling.
According to a recent report by CNN, Best Buy is at a disadvantage fighting companies like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco, because those others also sell food and other household essentials. Beat Buy is also facing higher costs when it comes with the rise in online orders. The CNN report says that “Best Buy’s gross profit rate fell 1.2 percentage points to 22.8% during the three months ending August 1, compared with the same period last year.”
The loss of Best Buy will leave a number of vacancies in the cross-section of BBD and around Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., such as the old Sweetbay grocery store (which has been vacant since 2013) and the former Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurant (which has been closed since 2017, after two failed attempts after being revived as a Mexican restaurant) on the west side of BBD and the Pier 1 Importa (currently closing) on the east side.
The AMC Theater, which had to postpone a major renovation project and has been hit hard by Covid-19, and former Ruby Tuesday restaurant, which will be replaced by Aldi, are also on the east side on BBD.
