Do You Remember When Wharton & Benito First Opened? I Do!

Gary Nager Editorial

For those of you who weren’t living in the New Tampa area when Paul R. Wharton High and Louis Benito Middle School opened in August of 1997, you may be unaware that high school-aged kids living in New Tampa in the mid-1990s were originally bused to King High on N. 50th St., a 10-mile trip for kids living in Tampa Palms and a 12-mile trek for those, like my family, who were living in Hunter’s Green — the two largest communities in the New Tampa area at the time.

I remember attending Hillsborough School Board meetings in 1996, trying to find out when High School BBB and Middle School AA (as they were first known) would open in the New Tampa area. 

Once it was determined that both schools would open for the start of the 1997-98 school year, the School Board accepted input from the community to help name the two schools. But, despite the best efforts of yours truly and other local activists at the time, neither school would be named for the area in which they were located. 

Paul R. Wharton

In fact, “New Tampa High” never made it to what the School Board said were its top-four choices for the school ultimately named for former School District administrator Paul R. Wharton  (photo), although “Northeast High” was the fourth highest vote-getter. 

As for Benito, “New Tampa Middle School” did make the School Board members’ final four, but ultimately finished fourth in their strange point-tallying system. Instead, the school was named for Louis Benito, the former owner of one of the Tampa Bay area’s largest advertising agencies and popular civic activist who had passed away a few years earlier.

I also attended the School Board meeting in December 1996, when long-time Ben Hill Middle School principal Mitch Muley was named as the first-ever principal at Wharton and former Eisenhower Middle School teacher and assistant principal Lewis Brinson was named the opening day principal at Benito.

These were exciting times for me, as having a local high school and middle school meant that my sons, who were both at Hunter’s Green Elementary at the time, would be able to walk to Benito from our Hunter’s Green home and would be living less than two miles up Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from their high school.

I remember touring both schools shortly before they opened and visiting them on the first day of school and feeling nothing but happiness and pride. I believed that having the schools in our area would help New Tampa continue to grow, would help increase our property values and would provide me, as the owner and editor of the Neighborhood News, with new sources of news for my still-young (I had only owned it for 3-1/2 years at the time), but growing publication — and all of those things did (thankfully) come true.

Considering that high school football wasn’t a big deal where I grew up in Long Island, NY (especially because my high school team was so bad), I could picture being part of the big crowds for Florida’s famous “Friday Night Lights,” at the packed gym for not only boys but girls basketball (which I never had growing up), pep rallies and so much more — all of which also came to fruition.

And, even though there also definitely were some growing pains, especially at Wharton, which opened with a super-high percentage of kids on free and reduced lunch because of desegregation-forced busing, for me, the school has been a consistent source of pride for the last quarter of a century.

And, although this issue primarily focuses on Wharton, it’s not because Benito wasn’t also very good to my sons and our community — because it was and still is — it’s because we got invited to (and were happy to attend) the 25th anniversary celebration held at Wharton on Nov. 4 (see pgs. 4-5), but heard nothing about a similar event at Benito. If we somehow missed such a celebration, or if one is still coming up, please email me at ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com and we will try to show New Tampa’s original middle school some love, too.    

Saving Her Best For Last

Wharton’s Brooke Reif captured an elusive state title in her second-to-last race as a high senior. (Photo: Charmaine George)

When Palm Harbor University (PHU) distance ace Haley Thornton takes off in the 1600-meter run, few runners in Florida can go with her.

Wharton’s Brooke Reif knows that fact all too well. At last year’s Class 4A State Championships, the PHU junior ran away from the field, which included Reif.

At the District and Regional meets this season, Thornton did the same.

However, at the Florida State High School Class 4A Track & Field Championships on May 6, Thornton wasn’t able to run away. 

Reif simply wouldn’t let her.

Executing the perfect game plan, fueled by the dream of winning a State Championship in her final meet in high school and equipped with one of the best finishing kicks around, Reif ran the race of her life in the 1600, or one-mile race, on the way to that elusive State title.

“I just kept thinking that, as hard as the race was, how great it was going to feel afterwards,” said Reif. “And, it was amazing.”

Brooke Reif pulls away in the 1-mile run at state. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Reif)

Although Reif already has a handful of medals from past state meets, including a bronze from last year’s 1600, her last one, finally, is gold. She has had a stellar career at Wharton as a cross country and track runner, winning dozens of races and improving every year. Her winning mile time at the State meet was 4:53, a school record, to go along with her previously set record in the two-mile.

Thornton crossed in 5:00.

Reif is the seventh girl in Wharton history to win an individual State championship, and the first since London Enos (pole vault) in both 2009 & 2010. 

The daughter of former college runners Jim (her dad) and mom Rena (who was also the USF men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track and field coach for years), Reif has seemingly always been destined for running greatness.

And, she saved her best for last.

Thornton was a formidable foe and, in typical style, wasted little time running to the front in the State championship race. Reif, who will usually hang back in the middle of the pack before making her move later, decided this time she was going to stick with Thornton. “I knew if I let her get too far ahead, I wouldn’t be able to catch her,” Reif said. 

The fast pace — the opening lap was 67 seconds and, halfway through, the split was 2:20 — quickly winnowed the field to the two favorites, Reif and Thornton.

Reif stayed 2-3 steps behind Thornton. When the PHU runner tried to push out to a bigger lead, Reif pushed with her.

Because Reif was so close, she thinks that Thornton had to run at a faster pace than normal. Being unable to shake Reif, then, likely proved to be frustrating for the 2021 State champ.

“I knew if I stayed close enough, it would scare her,“ Reif said. “I felt good. I knew if I could stay that close, I was going to be able to pass her.”

With roughly 300 meters remaining, it was time. Using her vaunted kick, Reif surged past Thornton and into the lead.

For good.

“What she talked me through before the race is exactly what happened,” said Wharton girls track and field coach Andy Martin. “To see it happen just like that was amazing.”

Reif remembers when she first started running at Wharton, her goal was to be like the older girls on the team. 

She also wanted to set a school record. She wanted to earn a college scholarship. And, as she got better, she wanted to win a State championship.

When she packs up to move to run collegiately at the Division I University of Richmond (in Virginia) on June 15, she will have achieved all of her goals.

In her wake, she will leave a legacy for younger runners to strive for, and, of course, a banner with her picture on it to hang in the school gym, alongside all of the other State champions the school has produced. 

“My mom told me we have to pick out a picture for it,” Reif said. “I didn’t even know I got one of those. That’s going to be pretty cool.”

Together At The Top

Alex (left) and Dane Deevers were co-salutatorians for the 2022 Class at Wharton High.

Faced with choosing a last meal, Wharton High graduate Alex Deevers says he would pick gnocchi; his brother Dane says he’s going with mashed potatoes and a steak…or maybe a burger.

For a pump-you-up jam, Dane likes Kid Cudi and Travis Scott; Alex leans more towards Mac Miller and Kendrick Lamar.

And when asked what their favorite sports are, Alex is going swimming, and Dane is running track, although both admit to sharing a special affinity for lacrosse. 

So, as you can see, these identical twins are pretty similar, but not exact replicas of each other.

In the classroom, however, there was little difference between the two.

In fact, the twins pulled off a pretty rare feat in 2022 — finishing with the exact same grade point average of 9.12 and sharing salutatorian honors at Wharton.

Believe it or not, the Deevers Duo didn’t take all the same classes or set out to finish with the exact same GPA. It just kind of happened out of necessity. 

“I think, at one point, we were competing,” Dane says.

However, before either brother could pull ahead in the race to be class valedictorian, they made a tough decision. The twins had so much going on outside the classroom, something had to give. Thoughts of realistically being valedictorian faded with each mile Dane ran in track and cross country, and with each lap Alex swam for the Wharton swimming team he captained and every shot they each took in lacrosse. 

Mix in their social calendar, and there was barely time to sleep. 

“Freshman year was kind of a competitive thing,” Alex says. “If he took more classes, I would take more classes. I didn’t want to be left out. If he did it, I’d do it, and we kept going and going to the point where we got to the point our junior year we might have to take our foot off the gas or we weren’t going to have any free time. We needed to find a balance.”

The Deevers found that balance, putting the scholar into scholar-athlete, while maintaining their busy social lives. And, they were still able to compete in school…well, kind of.

“You didn’t want to be the one that dropped off,” Alex says. “That wouldn’t have felt good.”

“But it probably would have felt great for the one who ended up in front,” jokes Dane.

Although they are twins, the brothers have each carved their own identities.

They are both headed to the University of Florida, where older brother Blake is currently in the dentistry program, and will live in the same dorm — but not as roommates.

Dane, who earned his single engine land private pilot’s license in his spare time — his childhood dream of being a military jet pilot did not die easily — wants to study engineering, while Alex wants to be a doctor.

Both credit their older brother and their mother, Stephanie Deevers, for helping guide them through their younger years, before they grew into the self-sufficient pair they are today.

“I’m really proud of both of them, they are going to do great,” says Stephanie Deevers, their mom. “They didn’t need any help. They did an amazing job.”

But, how did they do it, actually?

By making sacrifices and managing their time.

“It’s all about time efficiency,” Alex says matter-of-factly.

Sometimes, it meant skipping a track meet or a party to study for a big exam (and when you’re taking a heavy load of Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes, they are all big exams). 

Mostly, it meant fitting in studying when you could, like taking advantage of an extra period at school to get some homework done because you knew when you got home late after lacrosse practice you’d be too tired.

“It could be extremely difficult,” Alex says. “Sometimes, you had to pick between certain assignments, or whether to go to a sporting event or study for an exam. You were forced to choose. You just had to spend a little extra time doing things that maybe you didn’t want to instead of something you wanted to do more.”

The twins agree that having your brother along for the ride definitely made those decisions easier.

“Having someone who is that close to you, who can understand you, is definitely a big help,” Alex says. “As long as you’re together, you don’t feel alone in doing anything. But at the same time, we do butt heads a lot.”

It was putting their heads together, however, that led to the Deevers brothers having etched their names in the annals of Wharton history.

Wharton Hoops Headed To State!

Tommy Tonelli celebrates his second region championship Friday night. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

When you play a great basketball game for Wharton’s Tommy Tonelli, you will receive praise, a high five and maybe even a hug from the coach.

When you play arguably the greatest basketball game for Tonelli, you get something even better.

The Griddy dance.

Yes, Wharton was that good Friday night, beating Sumner in the Class 6 region championship by a resounding score of 50-11 and turning in a defensive effort so impressive that even old school coaches like Tonelli are compelled afterwards to perform the latest dance craze at center court in front of his joyous players.

The win propels the Wildcats (28-2) to the state final four for the first time since 2013, and only second time overall. Wharton will play Martin County Thursday at 6 p.m. at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland in one 6A semifinal, with Winter Haven and Ponte Verde squaring off in the other semifinal.

The Griddy dance. (Photo: Charmaine George)

While the Wildcats were expected by most to win Friday’s game, no one envisioned holding Sumner to 11 points. Three Wildcat players — Trevor Dyson, Chandler Davis and Lucean Milligan — each scored that many or more by themselves.

“That’s amazing,” said senior Carlos Nesbitt, who scored 10 points for the Wildcats. “We pride ourselves on our defense, and tonight we just executed the game plan. That’s what we do, we’re known for our defense.”

But, 11 points?

Trevor Dyson takes on four Stingrays for two of his team-high 13 points. (Photo: Charmaine George)

“I don’t know if we expected that,” said Dyson, a senior forward who led the Wildcats with 13 points and had a huge game on the boards.

This is the kind of night it was for Sumner: After guard Tyrell Smith took a pass along the baseline and swished a tough fall away jumper over the outstretched hands of a Wharton defender to give the Stingrays a 2-0 lead, Tonelli turned to one of the referees and said “If they keep making those kind of shots, we’re in for a long night.”

Sumner made only four more baskets all game.

The 11 points were the fewest ever allowed by Wharton in a playoff game, and was 27 points less than Sumner’s worst game of a season, a 45-38 loss to Bloomingdale, whose coach, Wharton hoops legend Shawn Vanzant, might have learned a few things about defense in his time as a Wildcat.

Wharton came into the game allowing only 44 ppg. In three state playoff wins, they are allowing only 28.6.

After Sumner’s game-opening basket, Wharton scored the next 12 points as Dyson hit a three-pointer, Davis blocked a shot and got the ball back on the break for a lay-in, and point guard Trent Lincoln found Nesbitt for an alley-oop jam.

Tonelli said it was the best game of Nesbitt’s career.

“He did everything on both ends of the court, things you don’t even see,” Tonelli said. “He was the unsung hero.”

Following a Sumner basket to make it 12-4, Wharton went on another run, this time scoring the next 14 points, including three consecutive three-pointers in a span of 2 minutes, 30 seconds in the second quarter by Milligan, twice, and Davis.

And the rout was on. By halftime, the Wharton lead had ballooned to 30-6.

“The three-pointers got us hyped,” said Davis. “And on defense, we just locked them up. They had six points at halftime, and we were hitting our shots. They’re a good team, but we played great defense.”

Even with a 30-6 lead, Tonelli says the Wildcats were taking nothing for granted. However, Sumner only scored twice in the second half, and didn’t even score in the fourth quarter, missing all 13 of their three-point attempts for the game.

Tonelli hugs his wife Kristin after the Wildcat win. (Photo: Charmaine George)

It was easier than Tonelli thought it would be. The night before the game, he woke up in a full sweat, and had to get up and change his clothes. The game, and the quickness of the Sumner guards and its height in the post, was weighing so heavily on him, his wife Kristin said she thought he might be having a heart attack.

But she also said it was nothing new. Tonelli is the ultimate tactician, and had prepared non-stop for the Stingrays.

“We watch film every day ,” said Lincoln, the point guard. “We probably watch more film than anyone. We knew their plays. We knew what was coming. We were prepared. We have to thank coach for that.”

Dyson and Nesbitt, a pair of 6-4 forwards, controlled the boards, despite going up against Christian Henley, listed as a 7-footer, and 6-5 D.J. Jones.

Henley was shut out, and Jones had a single basket.

“The coaches told us we were going up against some tall players,” said Dyson, smiling. “But I wanted to show them who the big dog was.”

The last time Wharton won a regional championship, the Wildcats needed a miracle. After making Wharton’s C.J McGill made a free throw with six seconds left, Orlando University rushed down the court and hit a three-pointer from the corner as the buzzer sounded. After a huddle by the officials, a few moments that Tonelli says were the most agonizing of his coaching career, they determined the shot was taken a micro second after the clock expired.

Friday’s win was almost anti-climatic.

“I’d rather win a game this way,” Tonelli said, a wide grin flashing across his face.

Notes: Ehrhard Named Tops In County

Zach Ehrhard (center), holding the District 7A-7 championship trophy, led the Wildcats to a 21-5 record and the playoffs en route to winning the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award.

Wharton High shortstop Zach Ehrhard received the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award May 19 in a ceremony at the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

It is the second time in four years the award has been given to a Wharton player, with Zach’s brother Drew winning it in 2017. Drew went on to win a Division II national championship with the University of Tampa in 2019, and currently stars for the No. 14-ranked Spartans.

Zach, who will attend 21st-ranked (in Div. I) Oklahoma State University in Stillwater in the fall, led the Wildcats to a 21-5 record and a District 7A-7 title this season, batting .438 with 29 runs scored, 12 doubles, 3 home runs and 21 RBI. He finished his Wharton career with a .417 average. 

The Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award, which was started in 2006, is named for Boggs, a Hall of Famer who also assists coach Scott Hoffman with the Wharton baseball team. The most notable winner of it is New York Met and last year’s National League Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso, who received the award in 2013 after playing at Plant High.

Brooke Reif

DOUBLE BRONZE: The spring sports season is officially over, and Wharton cross country and track standout Brooke Reif made sure it ended with a couple of school records. 

Running at the Florida High School Athletics Association Class 4A State championships on May 8, the junior set the Wharton High mark in the mile and 2-mile races. finishing third in both.

Reif ran the mile (1600 meters) race in a sterling time of 4 minutes, 57.58 seconds, becoming the first Wildcat girl to run a sub-5:00 mile. While she was seven seconds off the winning time, she was less than one second from finishing second.

In the 2-mile (3200-meter) race, Reif finished in 10:49.47. While eight seconds off the winning pace, she again bettered her school record, which she broke for the third time this season. 

Reif also ran on Wharton’s 4×800 relay at state. The team finished 10th in the state by running 9:37.38.

Other top finishers:

• Sophomore Serenity Brazell took 11th in the girls 400m in 58.32 seconds.

• Senior Jared Hammill, who has signed with the University of Tampa, took 5th in the boys mile in 4:16.97, missing breaking Wharton’s school record by less than half a second.

•Senior Tavis Wilson took 9th in the boys 100m in 11.07 seconds

• Senior Illya Jackson took 11th in the boys pole vault, clearing 12’- 9.5”.

Tripp Merrell

SLOW AND STEADY: When coach Tripp Merrell took over the Freedom High baseball team in 2019, he knew a hard job awaited. But after a 6-15 record his first season, the Patriots wrapped up 2021 with a respectable 12-13 record, the most wins since the team went 15-10 in 2012.

Junior infielder Raul Olivera batted .430 and led the team in almost every category, including hits with 34, the most since Dane Moore had 35 in 2010.

 The entire pitching staff was underclassmen, as well as the team’s top five hitters. So Merrell’s rebuilding job appears to be headed in the right direction.