Category: News

Jonny’s Dream Of Playing Pro Soccer Will Take Him To Spain

Wesley Chapel resident Jonny Robinson talks almost as fast as he runs.

As the 10-year-old finishes up putting another ball in the back of the net during a camp at the Wesley Chapel District Park, he races over to his mother Alena to breathlessly tell her he scored a free kick, and a penalty kick, and five other goals.

A few minutes later, he is talking about how dribbling is his favorite part of soccer. When it’s pointed out that he couldn’t wait to tell Alena about his goals, he points out that, “Yes, but of four of those goals, three were from dribbling.”

Jonny is a whirling dervish of activity — chatty, happy and eager to keep moving around, a soccer ball always at his feet.

“He is always happy when he’s on the pitch,” says Alena. “I’ve never seen him not happy when he’s playing.”

Which is, well, pretty much always.

His dedication to the game has helped lead Jonny to what will probably make him happiest of all — a spot in the 2020 Real Madrid Foundation Clinics World Challenge in early April of 2020.

Jonny was one of two boys selected to represent the United States from April 2-10, 2020, on the grounds of the Real Madrid soccer team training facility in Madrid, Spain.

Alena says Jonny was named MVP of the camp in Orlando, where he was picked from a group of roughly 50 other 10-year-old kids to go to Madrid.

The Madrid tournament will cover four days, with 64 teams and 700 players from around the world competing.

“I feel very motivated and very excited,” Jonny says.

Ironically, Jonny’s favorite soccer team is Real Madrid’s most bitter rival – Barcelona FC.

When Jonny was 6, he happened across the 2015 UEF Champions League Final between Barcelona and Juventus (Italy), and he was hooked.

Neymar became his favorite player after scoring the last goal in a 3-1 win, and Barcelona became Jonny’s favorite soccer team. He wanted to learn how to play himself.

“I was playing tee ball, and didn’t really like it,” Jonny says. “My grandma said, “you guys got Jonny wrong, he’s supposed to be playing soccer.’”

At first, it was a difficult transition. Alena says that Jonny’s first season was nearly a disaster.

“He was just running after kids, having fun,” she says. “We told him to go take the ball away (from the other players), and one time he literally took the ball with his hands and said ‘Look, Mom, I got the ball!’”

Jonny stuck with it, however. A summer league at the Wesley Chapel District Park unlocked his fervor for the game, and ever since, he has been working hard at perfecting his skills.

Alena says Jonny will sometimes wake up and immediately run some shuttle cone drills (to improve his bursts of speed), go to his private coach, head off to camp, work on his shots at home in his front yard and then go to a team practice.

“He lives and breathes soccer,” she says. “He never once says he’s tired, or that he doesn’t want to do it.”

A fifth-grader at Watergrass Elementary, Jonny’s bedroom walls are decorated with pictures and posters of his favorite team and player.

“There is no room anywhere for anything else,” he says proudly.

Alena and Jonny’s father Sean have fed their son’s love of the game. They never miss an international friendly when one is played nearby, and two years ago, they took Jonny to Russia to watch Neymar play for Brazil, his native country, against Costa Rica.

“That was a joy,” Jonny says. “He scored a last-minute goal to win the game. I like that Brazilian style, where he dribbles the whole field and then there’s this crazy goal. Inside, I’m like, ‘Wow.’”

Jonny would like to follow in Neymar’s footsteps, which is why his trip in April is so exciting for him. He plays club soccer for Florida Premier, but thinks it would be awesome to play at one of the youth academies in Europe.

He will get more than a little taste of that next year in Madrid.

“We think this is a huge honor,” Alena says. “It’s a huge responsibility to represent your country, and such a unique opportunity. We are all super excited.”

Jonny nods his head in agreement.

Then he drops his soccer ball to his feet, and they are off, dribbling towards the next challenge.

jonny soccer

The Kilted Axe Prepping For January Opening

When it came to opening a new business in Wesley Chapel, Michael and Alicia Esenwein (photo) could have taken a nice, safe route.

Maybe a nice little coffee shop, a cozy family restaurant, or even a charming retail hot spot.

But no.

They chose…axe throwing?

“It’s kind of a weird story,” Mike says. “It wasn’t ever really a long-range plan…I’m not sure anyone ever plans (something like this).”

Once you talk to Seven Oaks residents Mike and Alecia, though, the story of The Kilted Axe — which will be a combination of a hip bar and hangout for axe-throwing enthusiasts when it opens on Saturday, January 18, 5 p.m., in The Grove — actually makes perfect sense.

After all, this is a couple that three years ago sold everything they owned — except for a Christmas tree Alicia says she couldn’t get rid of — and, with three young kids in tow, traveled the world for 18 months, with stops in Indonesia, Thailand, Italy and Costa Rica.

So naturally, the Esenweins’ adventurous spirit would lead to owning an axe-throwing business.

“We were living in North Carolina temporarily, and were looking for something to do and there were like 10 locations on the east coast there that had axe throwing,” Mike says. “Most of it was in barns, or a rugged setting, but there was one place in Wilmington that was upscale and had a bar and a restaurant. We just loved it. It was a cool place to hang out.”

It wasn’t until a few years after returning from North Carolina, after running some successful Under Armour flag football leagues as well as doing a little teaching — Mike was an online computer science professor for the University of Virginia and American Public University — that Alicia became restless.

“I want to do something,” she told Mike, and soon the idea for The Kilted Axe had flowered. It had been, after all, the one thing she had been asked about most by friends when they returned from North Carolina, thanks to some of her Facebook pictures.

They passively started looking at barns and warehouses for a site, but were also looking to buy a house, so they decided to put the business idea on hold until 2020.

A trip to The Grove, however, changed everything. Remembering it as a moribund center lacking zip, they drove by when they heard developer Mark Gold had bought it.

Gold, the high-charged developer with a big vision for his property, happened to be standing outside. They chatted. And Gold, who has axe-throwing places at some of his other properties, insisted they start their business as soon as possible.

“Most people wouldn’t rent a space like this for axe throwing,” Mike says. “They want restaurants. Mark knows, though. He loved the idea.”

After meeting some of the other business owners who had already signed leases with Gold, they were sold.

Axe throwing is a trendy, growing sport. The International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) says there are more than 6,000 league members in more than 100 cities and six countries. It is a staple in lumberjack competitions and has been televised on ESPN.

Mike and Alicia compare it to throwing darts; it’s just a matter of getting the technique down.

The Kilted Axe will have three throwing lanes, all safely fenced in and manned by “Axeperts” there to help.

There also will be a lounge and balcony to hang out and have a few drinks or host an event. “Kind of like an old school pool hall feel,” Mike says.

And, because you have to be wondering — yes, mixing beer, wine and axe throwing can be safe.

“If you show up intoxicated and ready to throw axes, well, guess what? It’s not going to happen,” Mike says.

There will be men’s and women’s leagues, co-ed leagues, and even events for kids. Mike and Alicia have three kids — Jason, 14; Hailey, 12, and Hannah, who is 4. They all think axe throwing is pretty cool.

Alicia says she can’t wait for The Kilted Axe to open. Any fear that they were rushing into a crazy idea dissolved when they posted the news on Facebook, which lit up with enthusiasm.

More than 3,700 people say they are interested in attending opening night. Almost 300 say they are going for sure. A dozen or so people have signed up for leagues, a few nights are already booked for corporate events, and it’s one of the more buzzworthy new places set to open in Wesley Chapel.

“It was a crazy response,” Alicia says. “We’re anxious. Believe me, we’re anxious!”

For more information, visit TheKiltedAxe.com, or search for “Kilted Axe” on Facebook.

Bye Primebar, Hello…

Celebrity chef Fabiano Viviani is bringing Chuck Lager America’s Tavern to the Shops at Wiregrass next spring. (CBS Philadelphia)

Chuck Lager America’s Tavern is coming to the Shops at Wiregrass, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

By mid-April, the new restaurant inspired by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani could be open in the 7,500-sq.-ft. space previously occupied by Primebar.

According to TBBJ, the operating partners are Anthony Sandstorm and Brian Henry, formerly regional managers with Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza.

The Wesley Chapel location will be only the second for Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, which also has a Pike Creek, DE location.

The made-from-scratch menu, designed and perfected by Viviani, is loaded with American classics with a twist from the Florence, Italy-born chef.

A restaurateur, cookbook author and former Top Chef star three different seasons — including one where he was voted the “Fan Favorite,” Viviani helped craft a menu that includes items like crunchy smoked mozzarella with tomato jam, asiago gnocchi, chicken marsala, roasted salmon risotto and a variety of pizzas, burgers and salads.

The brunch menu includes tasty-sounding treats like bananas foster french toast, carnitas omelets and lemon ricotta pancakes.

Viviani is involved in several restaurant projects in the Tampa Bay area, including Mision Lago Ranch in nearby Thonotosassa.

Fabio viviani restaurant shops at wiregrass

FDOT To Study S.R. 54 Intersection at BBD

For anyone who has ever tried to cross through the median on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from either of the side exits that lead out between the Sonny’s BBQ and SunTrust Bank adjacent to the Publix-anchored Hollybrook Plaza or just north of the Twistee Treat near the Wesley Chapel Village Market onto BBD, it is often a harrowing experience and not an uncommon site to see an accident in that area.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently working on what will be a safer solution.

Currently in the design phase (cost: $500,000), plans include eliminating the median opening, installing a traffic signal at Eagleston Blvd. (just south of the Village Market) as well as a southbound U-turn lane at Eagleston, improving pedestrian options and adding an additional left turn lane to the northbound side of the BBD and S.R. 54 intersection.

The improvements are expected to ease the traffic dangers in that area and improve the flow during busy hours. The intersection has long been a hot topic for local residents. In a Neighborhood News Reader Survey in 2017, the intersection was chosen as the second-worst in Wesley Chapel, behind the I-75 and S.R. 56 intersection, which currently is under construction for a new Diverging Diamond Interchange .

The recent efforts by FDOT means that both intersections named as the worst in our survey will be improved within two years, although construction work at BBD and S.R. 54 isn’t expected to begin until the fall of 2021.

“This project was initiated after a safety study was performed recommending the closure of the first median opening south of S.R. 54/C.R. 54, and adding more capacity for the northbound left turn movement,” FDOT’s David Botello wrote in an email. “The new signal at Eagleston Blvd. was included to accommodate traffic being redirected by the median closure, and for future development along Eagleston Blvd.”

Because the split median will now be one long median from Eagleston all the way to S.R. 54, the northbound far left turn lane — which, when filled, would block those trying to cross over BBD — can be extended to accommodate more vehicles, helping reduce congestion.

For those needing to head south on BBD from the Hollybrook Plaza, there will no longer be a shortcut through the current median between Sonny’s and SunTrust.

As for those driving north on BBD who typically enter the Village Market through the break in the current median, they will now be better served turning left at the new light on Eagleston Blvd. and entering the Village Market from its southernmost portion.

“They will be provided a safer route by turning left at the signalized Eagleston intersection, and then turning right into the plaza,” Botello says.

If leaving the Village Market but needing to head north on BBD, drivers will be accommodated by the U-turn lane at Eagleston Blvd. (if they choose not to use either of the two exits that lead out to S.R. 54).

Construction of the planned BBD/54 improvements is expected to be completed in 2022.

fdot traffic

Wiregrass Ranch High Band Earns Best In State!

At an event where there is no scoreboard and your fate lies in the hands of judges, you really never know. But Josh Hobbs, the Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) band director, was pretty convinced that of the five finalists for Florida’s Class 4A State Championship, his Bulls were among the best.

“We thought we had a good chance to be in the top three and we would have been excited about that,” Hobbs said.

The Bulls had turned in one of their best runs of the season at the State semi-finals to make the finals, and the band was even better at the finals.

He still wasn’t expecting what happened next.

First place.

State Champs.

Boom!

“It was surreal,” Hobbs says. “It was shocking. We were flabbergasted.”

The Bulls’ performances were history-making. While acclaimed as one of the area’s best bands for years, on Nov. 23 the Wiregrass Ranch Marching Bulls became the first Pasco County group ever to capture a Florida Marching Band Championship.

“It is a first for the school, and a first for Pasco County,” says Hobbs.

The Bulls capped a great season with a magnificent and grueling final day. They had to compete against 15 other high school bands in Orlando for the semifinals, and then after being one of five teams selected to move on, had to load all of their instruments and uniforms to drive to Daytona Beach for the final that night.

They were up against perennial powerhouses in the high school marching band world, including Seminole, the defending champions, as well as Bradenton’s Lakewood Ranch and Orlando’s University High.

No problem.

The Red X

Gone are the days when a marching band was primarily entertainment under the Friday Night Lights. The band performs at every football game, but beyond bringing excitement to the bleachers, the crowd provides an opportunity for the band to do a live run-through of its show in front of an audience, honing the music and marching skills needed to be competitive against the best high school marching bands in the state.

Hobbs, who is in his second year at WRH after coming over from Wesley Chapel, credits both the students’ hard work and the design of the show for their State Championship win.

The show, called The Red X, depicts a plague. That may not be your typical marching band fare, but Hobbs says the band members, section leaders and drum majors all bought into it and made it great.

“They were super excited about it and worked really hard,” he says. “We had a great leadership team to get everyone on the same page and stayed really focused throughout the year to set small goals, to achieve our big goal, which is to get where we did.”

Music in The Red X included Linkin Park’s “In The End,” Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited,” plus classical pieces, an orchestral piece and a band piece.

“They had a great theme and they really sold it,” says Tom Viking, the fine arts program coordinator who oversees all fine arts programming in kindergarten through grade 12 for all Pasco County Schools. “They played well and performed well.”

Months Of Rehearsals

Rehearsals for the show started last May. Color guard and percussion met over the summer to rehearse, and the entire band had two weeks of band camp before the 2019-20 school year started. Every day at camp, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the band practiced.

Students started with the fundamentals of marching, learning how to stand, how to step, how to play warmups or toss a flag. Then, they started learning the placements and continued practicing two or three hours a day, at least three days a week, throughout August, September, October and November.

With 140 band members, plus support staff and volunteers, this adds up to tens of thousands of hours of work.

Hannah Kim is the band’s senior drum major and flute soloist. She’s been in the band her entire high school career and hopes to continue playing in college this fall.

Kim says what it takes to reach that pinnacle is “a lot of endurance and consistency.”

First In Class & Even Beating The Bigger Bands

“I happened to be there that night and saw all of the bands, which was really cool,” says Viking. “It was a tight margin.”

He explains that bands are divided into five categories, based on how many students are on the field, not the size of the school, which is how schools are typically classified for sports classifications.

WRH is a 4A school, the second-largest category behind 5A in Florida.

“Not only did they win their category statewide, they placed third overall,” explains Viking. “That means of the 5A bands, only two scored higher than Wiregrass Ranch.”

There are several adjudicators and each judge studies one component very carefully, he says, such as footwork or music, design or color guard. Adjudication is meticulous, and bands are judged precisely in many categories.

“Wiregrass Ranch has been in the finals before,” says Viking. “They’ve been in the hunt, and this time, the stars aligned for them.”

After making it to the finals her freshman and junior year, Hannah says it was exciting to not only reach the finals her senior year, but to finally pull off the big win.

“It feels amazing,” she says. “Honestly, I just feel so proud. We work hard every year, and I felt like all our hard work was recognized.”

Her unique perspective included watching the band perform from the drum major platform, seeing the show take shape from its very beginning, but she also got to perform in the show as the flute soloist.

“It was a cool experience. When I got drum major, I was a little sad because I was going to miss marching on the field and playing the flute,” Hannah explains, “but it was awesome to get the best of both worlds.”

Kudos To The Director & His Support Staff

“Josh Hobbs is home grown in Pasco County,” says Viking, taking pride that Hobbs not only has chosen to spend his career in Pasco, but also graduated from Wesley Chapel High (WCH), where he participated in the marching band.

In fact, Hobbs’ former school also competed this year. WCH was in Class 2A when Hobbs led it, but moved up to Class 3A this year. The Wildcats also made the finals, finishing fifth in the state for its class.

At WRH, Hobbs has the benefit of significant support, including a strong band at John Long Middle School that feeds into the high school.

“He’s got a great staff that works with him, a great middle school program, and a great group of parents,” says Viking. “It’s a special thing.”

Viking says the typical Wiregrass Ranch High band kid probably started in the band at Long as a sixth grader, and many of the students have performed together ever since.

“It’s a lot of hard work through a lot of years,” says Viking. “They’re passionate about what they do and the team members they do it with.”

This year, Hobbs says all that hard work paid off.

“The skills these kids build through the fall — time management, discipline, and working harder than they ever knew they could work — and then to be rewarded the way they were, makes it all worth it.”

state championship wiregrass ranch high