The Volleyball Wildcats Are Loaded & Eyeing A State Title

Chloe Danielson goes up for one of her school-record 375 kills during last season’s region championship game. (Photos: Mike Bitting)

When Wesley Chapel High (WCH) volleyball coach Brittany Collison looks at this season’s roster, it’s hard not to dream big. 

Not only did the Wildcats put together their best record, 19-5, in the school’s history last year, they won their first District title in 20 years, won two Regional playoff games for the first time ever and fell just one victory short of a trip to the State Final Four.

And this year’s roster? Well, it looks mighty familiar.

“I only lost three seniors from last year, so really the bulk of my team is still here,” says Collison. “It’s going to be a good year. There are high expectations, not only for me but the girls really want it. They’re all really excited.”

Eight of the 12 players return from last year’s squad, including arguably the best player in school history in senior outside hitter Chloe Danielson. The 6-foot Danielson had a school-record 375 kills in 2021, and was named Pasco County’s Player of the Year. 

She had plenty of help, however. 

(L.-r.) Brooke Ashkenase (2021 leader in digs), Chloe Danielson (kills) and Jenna Ly (assists) all return this season for Wesley Chapel High, a Region finalist last year. (Photo: Mike Bitting)

Juniors Lizzy Ekechi and Grace Korta each had more than 100 kills, and sophomore Emily Teets had 72. Senior Jenna Ly led the team in service aces and assists and junior Brooke Ashkenase led in digs and serves received.

The Wildcats have added some new firepower as well. Transfer Emma Letourneau, a 5-foot-11 junior, will make the WCH attack that much more explosive, after leading Pasco High with 198 kills last season.

“Last year, I think we did rely on Chloe a ton,” Collison says. “We are going to have a lot more options this year.”

In prepping for 2022, Collison says she has seen a lot of good signs that the Wildcats could make more history. The taste of coming so close last year has lingered throughout the offseason.

Collison said Korta and Ekechi have both grown as players, and Teets, Ly and Ashkenase have both markedly improved.

“When we came back for open gym this summer, and I saw how everyone had improved, I was like, ‘Wow, we’re going to be good,’” the coach said.

The Wildcats were traditionally one of the worst teams in Pasco County until Collison was hired in 2017. Before that, WCH had cycled through six different coaches the previous eight years.

However, Collison didn’t have immediate success. Her first two seasons at Wesley Chapel, her teams were 10-32.

Gradually, the ‘Cats started getting some standout players, starting with Jordan and Chloe Danielson. The sisters’ first season together was 2019-20, and they led WCH to a 14-11 season, the first time the program had ever registered double-digit wins. The following season, the Wildcats were 17-6 and went to the Regional playoffs for the first time since 2003, as the sisters combined for 400 kills.

Even though Jordan graduated in 2021, Collison was able to continue building her team around Chloe, thanks in part to the growth of club volleyball, which provides playing and training year-round. She says everyone on her team is a member of a club somewhere and competes year-round.

Collison has beefed up the schedule as well this year, with two high-level tournaments, in the hopes that if her team reaches the Region final again, it will be more battle-tested than it was in 2021.

“The majority of the team are kids that are go-getters, that want to get better,” she says. “They want to prove this year that this hasn’t just been a lucky two years in a row. Our goal is to win Districts first, but because we came so close last year, we are definitely looking at the State final four this season.”

Meanwhile, Cypress Creek High (CCH) also is looking for another good season. Last year, the Coyotes went 17-6, with half of those losses to Wesley Chapel. CCH made it to last year’s Class 5A, District 5 final before falling to the Wildcats, but as runner-up, still advanced to the Region quarterfinals. 

Unlike WCH, however, almost half of the Coyotes’ roster has graduated, including most of their statistical leaders. The top returners are expected to be kills and blocks leader Sadie Walker, a junior, and setter and libero Laney Brinson.

At Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), the Bulls are coming off a 9-10 season but have one of the best all-around players in Pasco County in junior outside hitter Haley Strawser.

Strawser had 191 kills and 54 aces to lead the team in 2021, and was second in blocks and digs and third in assists.

Gianna Ginesin, Victoria Vizciano and Delaney Moran all played key roles for the Bulls last season and are expected to return this season.

Volleyball season tips off tonight, when WCH plays at Zephyrhills (7:30 p.m. start) and Cypress Creek plays at Pasco High at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23.

Wiregrass Ranch hosts Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 24.

For schedules and stats, visit MaxPreps.com and search for each school.

Wesley Chapel Resident Anthony Becht Takes XFL Head Coaching Job

Long-time Wesley Chapel resident Anthony Becht (left) has been named the head coach of the new St. Louis team in the revamped XFL, which is being headed up by Duane “The Rock” Johnson (right). Becht, a TV analyst and former coach at Wiregrass Ranch High, played three seasons at tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Wesley Chapel resident Anthony Becht apparently smells what “The Rock” is cooking up.

Becht, who has been an assistant coach at Wiregrass Ranch High the past few years while his son Rocco, who is now at Iowa State, was starting at quarterback, has been named the new head coach of the St. Louis franchise in the revamped XFL. The league is co-owned by famous wrestler and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

“Football is back where it belongs, St. Louis! And I’m proud to be the head coach of your XFL Team,” Becht tweeted after the announcement. “This is a fresh start. And we’re not going anywhere. So let’s create a franchise and fan base that makes some noise!!”

Becht is familiar to St. Louis fans, having played a full season at tight end in 2008 with the St. Louis Rams. 

“I can’t wait to get back to St. Louis and to see some old friends,” Becht told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m excited to be a part of all this. Ticket sales have been great, and I can’t wait to get started.”

The three seasons before that, he played for the Tampa Bay Bucs. Becht, the 27th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, is known locally for his work as a television analyst, as well as for the youth football camp he has hosted in Wesley Chapel.

Becht’s staff will have a Tampa Bay feel to it. St. Louis’s offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski played quarterback for the Bucs in 2006 and 2007, and defensive coordinator Donnie Abraham was a Bucs’ defensive back from 1996-2001.

Becht (black shirt) presents a check to Wiregrass Ranch football coach Mark Kantor (center) after his annual football camp at the school in June.

“I love this staff, and I’m expecting to add some more top guys,” Becht told the Dispatch. “I know I’m not the smartest guy on the staff, which is great because by surrounding myself with outstanding people, I know I can learn and I can keep getting better.”

This will be the third try for the XFL, which played one season in 2001 and then had its comeback season in 2020 cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

St. Louis didn’t have a team in the 2001 league, but in 2020, the team was called the Battlehawks — teams haven’t been assigned nicknames or mascots yet — and were one of the top drawing teams in the XFL. 

The XFL, which starts up next February and will have its games shown on ABC-TV and ESPN, will have teams in Arlington, Houston and San Antonio, as well as Orlando, Florida, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

First-Ever RADDSports Charity 5K Runs To Fund-Raising Success! 

Fresh off last year’s successful golf fund raiser at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, the RADDSports Charity 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is now 2-for-2.

The charity, which is the nonprofit arm of RADDSports, the private partner of Pasco County responsible for the sports programs at the county-owned Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, hosted more than 100 runners and their families at its first-ever Charity 5K, 1K, Kids Run and Family Fun Festival.

The run and festival were held at the Sports Campus on June 18. RADDSports president and Charity Board chair Richard Blalock says that he is proud that the event raised enough proceeds to provide scholarships for more kids who can’t afford RADDSports’ programs.

“This is still all about changing the culture and helping young athletes, regardless of their ability to pay, participate in our programs,” Blalock said. “Plus, it was a fun day for everyone who came out to participate.”

In addition to the various runs, RADDSports’ sponsors, vendors and business partners had booths at the event. Final fund-raising totals for the RADDSports Charity 5K & Festival had not yet been tabulated at our press time.

‘DON’T LOSE HOPE’

Haley Scott still has Olympic aspirations, but the Wesley Chapel figure skater is taking it one leap…er, step…at a time as she recovers from a two-year-long battle with Covid-19. (Photos: Charmaine George)

Haley Scott breathes in the cool, crisp air of the rink as she glides on the ice at AdventHealth Center Ice in her white skates. Gearing up, she makes three rotations in the air — a perfect triple loop. Her excitement to be back at the rink outweighs the muscle and lung aches, reminders of her two years off the ice due to complications of long Covid-19. 

The 16-year-old Wesley Chapel resident has been skating since she was five years old; however in November 2020, she was forced to stop when Covid prevented her from walking, talking and skating. The virus, which usually leaves the body in two weeks, persisted for Haley for over two years.

Doctors told Haley she may never be able to skate again. However, six specialists later, she is back on the ice and ready to perfect her form.

“It was definitely a hard journey coming back,” Haley says. “Trying to get used to jumping again, spinning again… just even being on the ice.”

Scott is a 2015-19 Sunshine State Games gold medal-winning ice skater. She was awarded the 2016 Betty Stark Award for the highest combined score in the Juvenile Girls Free Skate and Short Program and the 2017 Dorothy Dodson Award winner as the top skater in the two programs for the Intermediate Ladies divisions.

Midway through the pandemic, Haley began suffering from the usual dizzy spells and headaches associated with Covid-19. 

She felt fine two weeks later. 

But, the third week, her speech slurred and she could barely stand.

“I was definitely a whole different person than I used to be,” she says. 

Her mother, Julie Scott, took her to the emergency room but got turned away due to her daughter’s Covid-19 test coming back negative. Julie took Haley to cardiology, neurology, immunology and hematology appointments before scouring the internet for some cures. After ten months in pain, Haley was recommended to IncellDx, a research group in California. 

“They were just a godsend to us,” Julie says. “They listened. Many doctors will turn you away with no answers and that’s it. They listened and at least tried things.”

In December 2021, Haley started to see results. She could walk again, talk again, and in January, she actually began to skate again. 

The 16-year-old also is completing her high school credits through Florida Virtual School, while also taking college-level classes at Pasco-Hernando State College.

“I feel thankful,” Julie says. “I’m very proud of her and I just want her to enjoy the journey, wherever it may take her.”

Before her battle with long Covid, Haley was practicing at the rink 4-5 hours a day. In January, her mission to get back on the ice started slowly, with just 30 minutes of free skating. But now, she has worked her way back to practicing with her coach, Silvia Fontana, five days a week.

Haley has trained under her coach for four years. When Silvia learned of the news of Haley having long Covid, she was devastated. Everything needed to become a professional ice skater was taken away by the illness, she says.

“At one point I just wanted her to have a regular life and just to be happy again,” Silvia says. “For us as coaches, the skating and athleticism are important. But, we care about them as people first. So, that was the main concern.”

Silvia says Haley is one in a million. Even through the hardships, her coach has seen Haley fight back and excel. And, she still believes that Haley can represent the U.S. in the Winter Olympics in four or eight years. 

“I want her to always remember where she came from,” Silvia says. “When you get to the higher level, it gets more stressful and she needs to know the strength and resilience she had during that really difficult time.”

Haley is training for the qualifying season in July. For athletes struggling with long Covid, Haley says, “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

“Don’t lose hope,” she says. “You just have to stay positive and remind yourself who you are.”

Wiregrass Ranch High Highlights Spring All-Conference Awards

No. 1 singles boys tennis standout Ninad Raut led the Bulls to the Class 4A State semifinals.

There was little doubt which of Wesley Chapel’s three high school athletic programs had the best spring this year — Wiregrass Ranch High.

The Bulls dominated the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) East selections, capturing three team titles, three Coaches of the Year and four Players of the Year, as well as putting 25 athletes on all-SAC first teams and another 28 on second teams. 

WRH was the only area school to have at least one All-SAC first-team performer in all 10 sports offered — baseball, softball, boys weightlifting and wrestling, and boys and girls tennis, track and field and lacrosse — during the Spring 2022 season.

Softball Player of the Year Kylee Johnson, a junior shortstop, had arguably the best season ever for an area player, batting .506 with 34 RBI, 8 home runs, 10 triples and 12 doubles for a whopping slugging percentage of 1.149.

Other Bulls Players of the Year included:

• Girls lacrosse standout Luna Khatib, who scored 83 goals and had 33 assists in 17 games this season in earning POY honors for a second straight year

• No. 1 singles boys tennis standout Ninad Raut, who led the Bulls to the Class 4A State semifinals

• Hurdler Catherine Fleming, who advanced to the State championships in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the 4×100 relay and, like Khatib, was a repeat POY winner. 

Coaches Craig Havermann (girls lacrosse), Dave Wilson (boys tennis) and Mark Kantor (weightlifting) were all named Coaches of the Year after leading their respective sports at WRH to SAC championships.

Other highlights for the Bulls included:

• Brothers Maddox (sophomore infielder) and Mason McDougal (senior outfielder), who made the All-SAC first team for baseball.

• Seniors Mackenzie Smith (offense) and Alessia Lloyd (defense) and junior defender Aly Allen joined Khalib on the All-SAC lacrosse team.

• Boys tennis players Raut, Vld Shumakov, Zak Herrmann, Belal Mansour and Leonardo Rodriguez all made the All-SAC first-team, and all are juniors, so they will return next season.

• Track & Field’s Ava Schmitt, a freshman, made the first team in two events – the 1600m and 3200m.

Meanwhile, Cypress Creek High produced two SAC Players of the Year — senior infielder Ethan Petry, who led the Coyotes with a .479 batting average, 33 runs and six homers at the plate and a 5-2 record and 60 strikeouts in 42 innings as a pitcher, and freshman weightlifter Jayden Cruzado, who finished third at the Class 2A State championships in the 129-pound weight class. Cruzado also made first team All-SAC in wrestling at 129 pounds

Other highlights for Cypress Creek included senior Kione Roberson making the track & field first team in the long jump and second in the high jump, and junior Tiffany Colin making first team in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter sprints.

Wesley Chapel High’s baseball team won the SAC title this season after going 6-2 in the conference, and the Wildcats also were represented on the All-SAC teams by girls track & field Athlete of the Year Latia Dove — a senior who advanced to the Class 2A State championships in the long jump and 4×100 relay — and 199-pound senior Jorden McCaslin, the SAC Wrestler of the Year and a competitor at the Class 2A State championships.

Other highlights for the Wildcats included McCaslin also making first team for weightlifting and second team for track (in the 4×100 relay); senior pitcher Zach Showalter (team-high .333 average, four homers, 21 RBI, 0.78 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 45 innings) making first team for baseball; and Kandace Means capping a great career (.390 batting average, 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 91 RBI in 73 games) with first-team softball honors.

Here’s all the Wesley Chapel-area choices by school:

WIREGRASS RANCH

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Weightlifting

Boys Tennis

Girls Lacrosse

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

LUNA KHALIB, GIRLS LACROSSE

NINAD RAUT, BOYS TENNIS

KYLEE JOHNSON, SOFTBALL

CATHERINE FLEMING, GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

COACHES OF THE YEAR

CRAIG HAVERMANN, GIRLS LACROSSE

DAVE WILSON, BOYS TENNIS

MARK KANTOR, BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Maddox McDougall, 10, INF; Mason McDougal, 12, OF.

SOFTBALL: Kylee Johnson, 11, INF; Brianna Baer, 12, OF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Jeremiah Loo, 12, Off.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Luna Khalib, 12, Off, Mackenzie Smith, 12, Off;  Alessia Lloyd, 12, Def; Aly Allen, 11, Def.

BOYS TENNIS: Ninad Raut, 11; Vlad Shumakov, 11; Zak Herrmann, 11; Belal Mansour, 11; Leonardo Rodriguez, 11.

GIRLS TENNIS: Sydney West, 11

BOYS TRACK: 4×400 relay (Riddyk Ayan, 11; Mason Spearin, 10; Joseph Medina, 11; Alexzay Rodriguez, 9)

GIRLS TRACK: Catherine Fleming, 12, 100m and 300m hurdles, 12; Ava Schmitt, 9, 1600m and 3200m.

WRESTLING: Dylan Dison, 11, 119 pounds.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Isaiah Fitzpatrick, 11, 154 pounds; Kenneth Walker, 11, 219; Devin Leathers, 11, 238.

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Christopher Labraon, 12, INF.

SOFTBALL: Abigail Vyas, 12, P; Elise Eason, 12, INF; Stephanie Daly, 10. BOYS LACROSSE: Garrett Schwartz, 11, Off; Jackson Payton, 11, Def.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Bridgette Currin, 10, Def,

BOYS TENNIS: Jeremy Caruso, 11

GIRLS TENNIS: Natalie Andelova, 9; Oceane Bucaille, 12

BOYS TRACK: Izaiah Williams, 10, 200m; Riddyk Ayan, 11, Long jump; 4×800 relay (Mason Spearin, 10; Jaime Candelaria, 11; Tyler Dana, 9; Joseph Medina, 11.)

GIRLS TRACK: Maryam Khalil, 12, shot put and discus; 4×100 relay (Kenzye Gainey, 11; Amaiya Potter 11; Daylyn Brown, 9; Ashtyn Warner 11); 4×400 relay (Catherine Fleming, 12; Faith Sidwell, 12; Kenzye Gainey, 11; Amiaya Potter, 11).

WRESTLING: Kenneth Walker, 11, 219 pounds

WEIGHTLIFTING: Dylan Dison, 11, 119 pounds; Alex Cruz, 10, 139; Elijah Brown, 10, 183.

CYPRESS CREEK

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

ETHAN PETRY, BASEBALL

JAYDEN CRUZADO, WEIGHTLIFTING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Ethan Petry, 12, INF.

SOFTBALL: Charlie Montgomery, 12, INF; Reagan Alapa, 11, OF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Nicholas Vreeland, 12, Off.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Avery Smith, 11, Off; Mirando Garcia, 12, Def

BOYS TRACK: Kione Roberson, 12, Long jump

GIRLS TRACK: Tiffany Colin, 11, 100m, 200m, 400m.

WRESTLING: Jayden Cruzado, 9, 129 pounds

WEIGHTLIFTING: Jayden Cruzado, 9, 129 pounds; Matt Hensley, 11, 169.

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Seamus Gallagher, 10, INF.

SOFTBALL: Miranda Schwartz, 12, INF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Ben Sheldon, 11, Off; Logan Falk, 11, Def.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Ashlynn Hunter, 10, Off; Jaidyn Davis, 11, Def

BOYS TENNIS: Kai Penalosa, 10

BOYS TRACK:  Kione Roberson, 12, High jump

WEIGHTLIFTING: Huey Wyche, 9, 129 pounds

HONORABLE MENTION

Girls tennis: Melanie Rodriguez, 10

WESLEY CHAPEL

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Baseball

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

LATIA DOVE, GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

JORDEN MCCASLIN, WRESTLING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Zach Showalter, 12, P.

SOFTBALL: Kadence Means, 12, INF; Ava Blakely, 10, OF.

GIRLS TRACK: 4×100 relay (Remiyah Harris,12; Valeria Farjardo, 10; Latia Dove, 12; Annalyse Rogers 12).

WRESTLING: Connor Maddox, 11, 154 pounds; Jorden McCaslin, 12, 199.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Jorden McCaslin, 12, 199 pounds

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Zach Bice, 12, INF; Jacob Carrillo, 11, OF.

SOFTBALL: Madison Golka, 12, INF; Courtney Marks, 10, OF.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Briana Belcher, 11, Def.

BOYS TRACK: 4×100 relay (Jorden McCaslin, 12, Nehemiah Morgan, 12, Sebastian Gutierrez, 11, Jaylan Blake 12).

GIRLS TRACK: Alexi Benitez, 12, 100m hurdles; Valeria Farjardo, 10, 100m; Annalyse Rogers, 12, 200m; Latia Dove, 12, Long jump.

HONORABLE MENTION

LACROSSE: Anthony Iserino, 12, Off

BOYS TENNIS: Alexander Raatma, 11

GIRLS TENNIS: Piper Dunne, 10