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EMILY NIPPSIn three years, the Ravens have reached the state semis.
TAMPA - It seemed a difficult time for many, as is often the case when a new school opens in the neighborhood.
In the fall of 2001, Alonso had its first day of school on Montague Street, relieving overcrowding in the northwest area of Tampa. Students were yanked away from friends at Sickles, Leto and Jefferson. Some left behind cliques, clubs and teams they considered their families away from home.
There was no tradition, no senior class and no school spirit yet. The rooms and halls had that new-building smell, and the desks and restroom walls were void of graffiti, scars and other ghosts of previous generations.
No championship banners hung in the gym. There was no football stadium. The baseball field was little more than grass and some clay.
Some, though, relished the opportunity to start fresh. In particular, the baseball players had a gleam in their eyes. Some knew this was their only chance to do something big in high school.
"I didn't play that much at Sickles," senior pitcher Mike Harley said. "I mean, I played on the freshman team. We knew we had a good coach coming over here and that we'd be strong. We knew that everyone would come together, just like family."
Harley, like the other five seniors, has been waiting for this moment. Alonso (24-4), barely 3 years old, plays Friday in a Class 5A state semifinal at Legends Field.
Surprised? The Ravens aren't. Even during that bleak first season, when they won seven games, the Ravens believed success was just a matter of time. And not much time.
"Really, it was just our first summer season that we had a problem," senior catcher Matt Freshcorn said. "Our first spring season, we did very well for a first-year team. We just kept losing our games by one run. We were just one run away from that next level."
Don't let their confidence fool you. Losing 17 games, as the Ravens did that first season, can be a humbling experience.
That was just the way coach Landy Faedo wanted it.
"It's an advantage, really," he said. "They're classy because of it. Even now that they're winning, they've been at the other end of the stick."
Faedo knows the uncertainty that comes with leaving the old for the new. In his fourth season at Leto, he felt like he hit on a winning combination of players. Leto won its district with mostly sophomores.
"They were very good, a very good team," Faedo said.
Then he left. The team he built, the kids he had so much faith in, the friendships he made along the way. ... He said goodbye to all of it to start over at Alonso.
Like his players, he knew it would be worth it.
"I like the fact that I laid down the foundation," he said. "Our hard work paid off this year. These are some very dedicated individuals."
For Faedo and others who were with Alonso that first season, watching some players come into their own has been a joy.
Harley, the team's top pitcher, finished his first season 1-7 despite a 1.10 ERA. He now is considered one of the best in the county at 9-1 with a 1.21 ERA and will pitch at Tampa next year. Senior Matt Stephenson (8-0, 0.81 ERA), Alonso's No. 2 pitcher, has shown tremendous improvement.
Thanks to strong pitching and defense, the Ravens haven't given up more than five runs in a game.
"We don't have a huge star," Freshcorn said. "We have a group of stars."
In the region final against Plant, senior rightfielder Ryan Breheney had the best performance of his career, when he went 3-for-3, including the winning home run. None of the Ravens, including seniors Daryl Anderson and Daniel Marte, will be shocked if someone new or unexpected steps up big during the state tournament.
Alonso plays Davie Nova in Friday's state semifinal, and most of the Ravens will claim they're not nervous. Sure, they've been dreaming about playing in something this big since their Little League days (most come from Town N' Country, Keystone and Citrus Park leagues). But since they've been at Alonso, they've prepared for it.
Yes, they've had a great season. And yes, they are thrilled with what they've accomplished in three years.
For the Ravens, and especially the seniors, that's not enough.
"It would be a great disappointment to lose after we've come this far," Freshcorn said. "I'd have to say that no one in this county has worked harder than we have."