Fall Sports Recap

November 22, 2020

The student athletes at Wiregrass Ranch have wrapped up their respective fall seasons with astounding feats and accomplishments. Despite the impacts of Covid-19, the athletes have endured and prevailed through the 2020 fall season.

Football 2020 Recap

Michael Donley

Junior Rocco Becht, 2 year varsity starter, completes a pitch to gain yards.

Football at Wiregrass managed a 4-4 record for the 2020 season, earning a spot in the playoffs. Wiregrass achieved a state rank of 161 through the leadership of Coach Kantor in his 6 years of guidance.

The victory over River Ridge posed as the highlight for the Wiregrass football team. The Bulls had an outstanding performance against the Knights as they recovered from a 0-14 deficit with 35 unanswered points to finish the game with a 41-21 victory.

D1 prospect athlete Robert “Teko” Williamson found the season most entertaining when he was in the “teams presence and positive atmosphere. It was great way to spend my junior year and make enjoyable memories every step of the way.”

The bulls aerial attack managed to accumulate a total of 1550 passing yards  and 1043 rushing yards with the utilization of junior prospect Rocco Becht. With the unpredictable defeat from the Tampa Bay Tech Titans, the team was able to face adversity and endure tough times as a unit.

The season was brought to an abrupt halt due to Covid-19; just a day before playing Largo. The Bulls were scheduled to face Largo to revenge last years loss of 16-17 and to maintain their 5th winning season as well as their 5th straight playoff appearance.

Volleyball 2020 Recap

Swain

Wiregrass going up for the kill against Sunlake.

The Bulls volleyball team finished the season with a 9-10 record and were knocked out in district semi-finals in the fourth set to Sunlake. Arguably one of the most tense games of the season for the Bulls was against their rival on 54: the Wildcats. The girls finished the match victorious with a score of 3-2. The team underwent a deficit in the first two sets and came back to win the match.

The team included some new starters this year including a transfer from Zephyrhills high school and incoming freshmen replacing key players from last year’s roster. Due to Covid-19 regulations, the team dived into this season with no summer workouts or pre-season games.

The girls were led by senior Zoi Evans, Arkansas commit. The positive mental attitude brought to the team by Evans served as a benchmark for the teams performance and accomplishments. Incoming freshman, Bella Horruitiner, was a substantial contribution to both the front offensive and defensive line bringing 73 kills to the season compared to the national average of 50 kills. Junior Kayla Baer had the highest Ace record for the team, serving up 27 total for the season. Libero Alexis Taylor led the team in digs with 273 for the season, compared to her last season total of 181.

Golf 2020 Recap

Coach Calzone.

Coach Horrigan poses with boys varsity golf team at meet.

The boys golf team had a flawless season with an immaculate record of 7-0; never before seen in Bulls golf history. Finishing 4th in conference and 3rd at districts, the team qualified for regionals as well. Although the team did not win regionals they placed in the highly competed event, an incredible achievement for any FSHAA golf team.

The team was led by seniors: Fab Laude, Harrison Hager, and Ryan Wills. Coach Horrigan made exceptional efforts to achieve a perfect season with the mentorship and guidance he offered to the team. The sophomores on the team, Peter Dachisen and Aiden Brooks, contributed to the perfect season as they provided unforeseen “talent” according to Horrigan. In addition, Dachisen impressed Horrigan as he “started with a shot of 11 on hole 1 and recovered [the round] with a shot of 84.”

Girls golf experienced a similar season in that they also qualified for the regional golf championship. The girls team worked together to encourage one another on and off the green. The dedication presented by the team prompted a successful season contributing to the dominating presence of Wiregrass in golf.

Coach Calzone poses with girls varsity golf team at meet. (Coach Horrigan. )

Senior captain, Norah Catlin, won the district individual championship. Girl golfers, Norah Catlin (Sr), Sydney West (So), Gianna Panico (Sr), Brooklyn Beckstead (Fr), and Arianna McKendree (Jr), all made it to regionals through the leadership of Coach Jeremey Calzone.

Catlin has made it to states individually for the 4th year in a row; a first for the Bulls, securing herself as a golfing legend at Wiregrass. Calzone assess her golf status has made “her one of the most decorated high school golfers in county history and by far the schools best ever.”

Swim & Dive 2020 Recap

K. Fry

Wiregrass diving into the 2020 season.

The co-ed swim and dive team at Wiregrass led by Coaches Cimino and Gramm underwent a challenging season as the Covid protocol on the deck influenced practice times, learning abilities, and restricted camaraderie among the team. Nevertheless, the Bulls swim team overcame the challenges presented to achieve an incredible season.

Student athletes, Mathew Gomez (Sr), Manny Silva (Sr), Noah Porter (Jr), Kevin Chen (Jr), Maryam Khalil (Jr), and Abby Galo (Jr),  all qualified and competed in the FHSAA state championship swim and dive meet; some of which moved on to the evening finals and placed in the top of the 3A finalists.

The work put in leading up to meets has paid off in dividends as the swim team was able to set new school records this past season and achieve a state rank; a phenomenal triumph for any team in the state.

The team celebrated 8 top 16 finishes including: Keven Chen placing 14th in the 100 Freestyle; Noah Porter taking 13th in the 200 Individual Medley; Manny Silva securing 12th in the 50 Freestyle; Abby Galo establishing 12th in the 1 Meter Diving; 10th in the Boy’s 200 Freestyle Relay; 9th in the Boy’s 400 Freestyle relay, and Maryam Khalil made it to the podium with an 8th place finish in the 50 Freestyle and a 5th place finish in the 100 Breaststroke.

Cross Country 2020 Recap

Jada Wilson.

Boys cross country team running as they prepare for districts.

The boys and girls on the cross country team exhibited extortionary effort throughout their respective 2020 season. The team had qualifications to regionals from both the boys and girls. Unfortunately, Covid-19 shut down the remaining season for the team, including regionals.

The diligent effort put in every step of the way prompted those on the team with a winning mentality to always place better at the next meet and to push those around them. This conclusively attributed to the Bulls record as one of the most prominent cross country teams in the district.

Girl seniors and cross country captains, Breanna Preiser and Mya Hill, played a critical role in leading the team. Preiser was out for a couple of weeks due to injuries but kept the team spirit alive. Hill was astonished at the teams performance and believes that they “finished the season stronger than last year despite these [covid] setbacks.” Hill continued with, “The season went a lot smoother than I had anticipated; it was a great way to finish my cross country career.”

The girls had a season record with a time of 21:24 set by Samantha Scott. The team had a series of new runners introduced to the program which left captains satisfied as they “really got into the sport and took running seriously.”

The boys team placed 2nd in conference and 3rd in districts with the qualification of regionals. Senior Sabastian Hernandez made first team All-Conference while Romal Estemcdonald and Jamie Candeleria made second team. Hernandez plans to continue his cross country career in college likewise as Estemcdonald.

Estemcdonald was shocked to see such a turnout in some of the teams first year runners, majority of which were freshman. These individuals included: Daniel Lyon, Hunter Boggs, Mason Spearin, and Ryder Dutil who all made varsity and made significant improvements throughout the season.

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