Mar 3,
2001 - 01:33 PM
Seniors get another chance to shine
TAMPA - High school soccer
players compete one last time in today's Senior Soccer Challenge.
Peter Young is thrilled to
be on the soccer field again.
After suffering through a
dismal school season, his senior one at that, the month-and-a-half layoff has
been brutal for the Chamberlain goalkeeper. The Chiefs' 2-11 finish was hard to
swallow, especially after Young experienced his share of winning seasons and
championship teams with the Black Watch club program.
So when he got the phone
call inviting him to compete one more time, in today's Senior Soccer Classic at
Pepin/Rood Stadium, he was very thankful. He has a chance to go out with a win.
``It means a whole lot to
me,'' Young said. ``I've been wanting to play so bad. I know a lot of the guys
from Gaither and they just got done. I've been sitting around for a while. I am
totally looking forward to it.''
Young will be among some of
the top Hillsborough County players competing in the senior challenge at UT's
Pepin-Rood Stadium. An all-star team from Hillsborough County will square off
against Pinellas in the girls' game at 6 p.m., followed by the boys at 8.
This is the eighth year the
challenge has been played and it is sure to be another exciting one. The last
couple of years, the boys' game alone has been decided on penalty kicks in a
high-scoring affair.
That's what happens when
you pull together the best soccer talent in each county and put them on the
high school field for the final time in their careers. It's not often the likes
of guys such as Gaither's Bryce Wegerle, Plant's Bobby Boswell and King's
Lonnie Houston are firing shots off on the same goalkeeper.
Then again, its not often
girls like Plant's Janessa Taddei, Bloomingdale's Tara Escribano and
Hillsborough's Reagan Jones are working one-touch passes together, either.
``That's the beauty of this
thing,'' Durant girls' coach Dick Sheffield said. ``As a coach, I get to coach
some of the players that I've been coaching against for years. And some of
these girls will get to play with players they've played against for years.
And for everybody competing
in the event, it's a chance to put on a show to end their high school careers.
And, possibly earn the MVP award to go with it.
That's what happened a few
years ago. Sheffield, who will coach the Hillsborough girls' squad along with
Jim Cote, approached a player named Jana Escribano before the game. Escribano
had been selected for the squad but was not necessarily one of the headlining
players.
``I knew what she was
capable of,'' Sheffield said. ``The girls were stretching before the game and I
told her, 'This is your chance to prove you're the best player on this field.'
''
Of course, she was named
the MVP.
Escribano's younger sister
Tara, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give Bloomingdale the
state title last Saturday, will be on the field this year. So will five of her
Bloomingdale teammates.
For them, it will be their
final game together and for most, it is the final stop before college. With the
caliber of players running around on the field, the soccer classic, in a sense,
serves as a collegiate preview for the athletes involved.
``I think its one last
chance to show what they can do at the high school level,'' Escribano said.
``It's just a chance to show something that they haven't done before, go out there
and have fun. Some girls might not be continuing, for those that are it keeps
them in shape.''
Each team will hold two
practice session's together prior to the event. It's a way for the new faces to
try to learn each other's play before putting it together on the field.
All of the players on the
field have one thing in common though. They don't like to lose.
Wharton boys' coach Mike
Rowan, who, along with Allen Ware of Brandon will coach the Hillsborough County
squad, said it's one final chance to go out with a victory.
He's expecting to see a
pretty fierce battle for bragging rights out of his players.
``Most of these guys,
unless they've won a state title, have lost their final game of the season,''
Rowan said. ``It's tough because, although they've never played in the game
before, a lot were at them there to watch. They don't want to be the guys that
said 'We lost.''
And with that, both
Hillsborough teams seem to have some confidence riding into their matchup with
Pinellas. Taddei says she'll dish out an assist in the girls' 2-1 victory she
predicts. Escribano said she thinks Hillsborough has an advantage. Rowan said
his boys' squad will come out on top, probably in a high-scoring game.
As for Young, well, his
prediction is much more objective
``I just know its going to
be an awesome game,'' he said. ``And I'm going to be thrilled to be playing in
it.''
(CHART) At a glance
-- Who: Team Hillsborough
Girls/Boys vs. Team Pinellas Girls/Boys
-- What: The Eighth Annual
Senior Soccer Challenge
-- When: Tonight, Girls
game 6 p.m., Boys 8 p.m.
-- Where: Pepin/Rood
Stadium on the University of Tampa campus
-- Notes: Ticket are $5 for
adults, $3 for children. ... Senior Soccer Challenge, a not for profit
organization, will offer $4,000 in scholarship money for the players selected
as winners of an essay contest. ... Last season's MVPs were Erin Mitchell of
Largo and Tommy Faw of CCC for Pinellas, and Kellie Evans of Durant and Rusty
Roush of Brandon for Hillsborough. ... Team Hillsborough girls hold a 4-2-1
record against Pinellas in the seven previous games, Team Hillsborough boys are
5-2. ... Both games were decided by a shootout last year, the last two boys
games have been decided by penalty kicks
(CHART) Rosters
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GIRLS
-- Stephanie Fowler,
Brandon; Melissa Diamond, Durant; Julisse Maya, Tampa Catholic; Michaeline
Cadiz, Gaither; Melanie Mitchell, Sickles; Lauren Goetzman, Tampa Catholic; Pam
Sullivan, Tampa Prep; Kim Martins, Bloomingdale; Tara Escribano, Bloomingdale;
Janessa Taddei, Plant; Craig Ferguson, Durant; Kristen Salvog, Riverview;
Jennifer Kelly, Durant; Amber Littleton, Bloomingdale; Reagan Jones,
Hillsborough; *Shawna Kramer, East Bay; Lyndi Bernhisel, Bloomingdale; Heather
Swanson, Riverview; Lyndrea Sutherland, Bloomingdale; Jackie Raffa,
Chamberlain; Coaches: Dick Sheffield and Jim Cote
* - unable to play due to
injury
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOYS
-- Bobby Boswell, Plant;
Chris Cheek, Plant; Josh Garbee, Bloomingdale; Tyler Gordon, Hillsborough; Eric
Grzybowski, Jesuit; Norris Hartzog, Gaither; Lonnie Houston, King; Josh Kline,
Durant; John Kluft, Jesuit; Mike Manieri, Wharton; Carlos Pinnace, Sickles;
John Sobczak, Brandon; Tim Sobczak, Brandon; Cory Stump, Bloomingdale; Justin
Trowbridge, Jesuit; Josh Wand, Brandon; Bryce Wegerle, Gaither; Shawn Wehrle,
Durant; Peter Young, Chamberlain; Joey Zarella, Wharton; Coaches: Allen Ware
and Mike Rowan
PINELLAS COUNTY GIRLS
-- Kristen Hlad, Palm
Harbor; Melissa Behrel, Countryside; Erin Jansen, Northeast; Stephanie Prince,
East Lake; Brandi Herrmann, Seminole; Devon Sibole, Palm Harbor; Michelle
Mione, Osceola; Sarah McGonegal, Palm Harbor; Stephanie Freeman, Countryside;
Leah Taber, Pinellas Park; Pam Szott, Palm Harbor; Autumn Baur, Seminole; Lauri
Tondreault, Lakewood; Danielle Shaw, Countryside; Valrerie Gaughen, East Lake;
Jennifer Walters, Palm Harbor; Jill Blatti, CCC; Rene'e Massie, Seminole;
Coaches: Randy Buckstein, Bob Patterson, Rich Janz
PINELLAS COUNTY BOYS
-- V.J. Catalano, Seminole;
Travis Kramer, Seminole; R.J. Schamp, Northeast; Justin Mannino, Clearwater;
Tom Gluski, Clearwater; K.B. Osborne, Seminole; Steve Kimball, Palm Harbor;
Brad Welch, Tarpon Springs; Brett Norris, Lakewood; Tim Corbett, Largo; Mike
Marino, Clearwater; Travis Youn, Largo; Jason Zoffinger, Osceola; Paul Kolovos,
Palm Harbor; Troy Friedlander, Tarpon Springs; Kyle Theil, Countryside; Robby
Bauman, St. Petersburg; Ricky Hanson, Boca Ciega; Dave Miller, CCC; Kyle Craig,
Osceola; Coaches: Rick Masi, Kevin Shockley, David Sica
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