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Panthers try to pull it all together

By DAWN REISS
Published April 23, 2006

LECANTO - Walt Wunderly has a hard time talking about it. So do his Lecanto teammates, the ones who are left.

After Thursday's 14-4 loss, called after the fifth inning, Lecanto is 4-21 entering Monday's Class 4A, District 6 game with a 1-11 district record.

There are many unanswered questions still, surrounding the reasons for the mass exodus of players.

First-year Lecanto coach Jim Manos said 15 have left the team, 16 if you count junior Jacob White, who came out for the first few days of practice before "deciding work and school were more of a priority."

There are no returning starters and only six of the original varsity players - sophomore Brian Herrin, seniors Josh Hoggard and Mylin and juniors Justin Marckese, Josh Struke and Joel Seijas - remain. The rest were brought up from JV throughout the season. Three would-be senior starters (pitcher Denver Keene, middle infielder/pitcher Mike Scalzi and pitcher Mike Bevis) are not at Lecanto High anymore. Three starters from last year's Lecanto squad (senior pitcher Kevin Fry and sophomores Herbie Sickler and Kyle Metz) play for Crystal River. All said they transferred for reasons other than athletics. Ironically, Wunderly was the reason the Florida High School Athletic Association fined Crystal River three years ago for violating rules on recruiting. The FHSAA ruled in 2003 that former Crystal River coach Brent Hall told Wunderly, then a 13-year-old Lecanto resident, to have his parents apply for a zoning exception when he was old enough, leaving Crystal River on one-year probation.

While some athletes transfer each season, this year it has been an enormous factor for Lecanto. Manos describes trying to fill the vacancies like casting actors in a play.

"You look at the cast and think of what the short and long term is," he said. "Then all of a sudden you don't have those cast members."

His other analogy to describe the season comes from the kitchen.

"It's like you're going to cook with salt and pepper," Manos said. "You start off with salt and pepper. Then you don't have any salt, so instead you throw in some pepper or maybe some oregano, which in our case is a freshman shortstop or a new centerfielder."

Missing from Lecanto's lineup most recently are second baseman Brian Aleman, centerfielder Stephen Lofaro, pitcher Nate Richards and designated hitter Mike Tirpak, who were recently suspended. Sophomore pitcher/shortstop Carl Scarano quit, according to Manos. Second baseman Chris Holland is out with a back injury. Aleman filled his position for a few weeks, and most recently it has been Wunderly. Sophomore third baseman Jon Barr is gone because of grades, Manos said, and now John Crabtree and Hoggard help fill that with one or two others.

Left-handed pitcher Charley Barclay, Manos said, also left the team for personal reasons, and junior Patrick Meseroll also decided not to play.

That puts sophomore Thomas Duca and Struke in the outfield and Herrin at catcher. Freshman Mike Anderson was moved up to varsity to help Duca split time at the outfield, along with freshmen Sean Meseroll, who was plugged into shortstop. Mylin, Crabtree, Seijas and hopefully Anderson, Manos said, are now the pitching rotation.

"Every game," Mylin said. "I look behind (the mound) and there is a different guy."

In Wunderly's own words, the Panthers have faced "a lot of adversity."

The general consensus is to just get through Monday's district game against Crystal River and get ready for next year.

Manos said it's not the fault of "these kids or me" that there is a revolving door that is stuck in the exit direction.

Transfers, academically ineligible players, injuries, and suspensions have plagued this season. Even the usually quiet Mylin said, "we've lost a bunch of people for a lot of reasons."

Wunderly said it's pride that has kept him playing, while Marckese falls back on the old adage, "for the love of the game."

Manos, who is never at a loss for words or directness, leaned on his Catholic beliefs to sum up his expectations - as much a part of fantasyland as they may be - on Lecanto' immediate future in the district tournament.

"We have absolution," Manos said. "All the losses are gone. All the sins are forgiven. The slate is clean."

But in reality, everyone realizes Lecanto winning against Crystal River would be as much of a long shot as the Devil Rays winning the World Series. Possible, but hardly plausible.

[Last modified April 23, 2006, 00:49:08]