Pirates get first practice with coach at the helm

By IZZY GOULD and JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writers
Published August 10, 2007

DADE CITY - Tom McHugh made it to his first preseason practice Thursday.

Pasco's first-year coach was excused from the first three days of practice to be by his youngest daughter's side at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Brenna McHugh, 21, was in intensive care following a car accident early Sunday morning after she missed a turn and crashed into a tree on Old Pasco Road.

McHugh addressed the team and said he was pleased with the reports he had received from the assistants who were conducting practice in his absence.

McHugh then returned to the hospital to be with his daughter.

In a brief phone call Thursday, McHugh said he was happy to be back at practice.

Pasco athletic director Jim Ward said McHugh took part in every part of practice.

"It's good to have him back," Ward said. "Everyone was happy to see him at practice."

BULLS HAVE A FULL SLATE: Wiregrass Ranch athletic director David Wilson announced Thursday the Bulls have found a 10th game to fill out their first varsity football schedule.

Wiregrass will host Lake Weir on Sept. 28 and agreed to travel to Lake Weir next season. Wilson scoured the classifieds and made tons of phone calls hoping to find an opponent. He found an advertisement Wednesday that Lake Weir was in need of a game. He sent an e-mail at about 1 a.m. and got a call from Hurricanes coach Mark Hinterthan at about 8 a.m.

"Officially, I don't start until Monday," Wilson said of his new post as Wiregrass athletic director. "To have that finding a 10th football game fall in your lap before you even start is tough."

SUNLAKE FIELDS STILL NOT READY: New Sunlake coach Bill Browning wonders when his practice field will be ready to go, and when his uniforms will arrive, and what the heck is so hard about finding the right shade of teal (hence, the not-yet-here uniforms).

But he did begin to find out at least one thing Thursday at practice - who can hit ...and who can't.

For Browning and the young Seahawks, their practice at Pine- view Middle School was the first for the group in pads and helmets.

"This will tell you (who can hit)," Browning said. "Sometimes, you have a player who looks like Tarzan and ends up hitting like Jane, and sometimes a player looks like Jane but hits like Tarzan."

Though the Seahawks practiced in the spring, they did so in just shorts and T-shirts. Since then the pads and helmets have arrived, and Thursday, so did the first day players were allowed to hit.

"We have a varsity game in two weeks and we have yet to see them hit," Browning said. "We're getting right into the fire."

Browning said even without pads, he has identified about 14-15 of his starters, including junior quarterback Joey Collazo, who played for Land O'Lakes' junior varsity team last year but didn't throw any passes.

Izzy Gould can be reached at izzygould@gmail.com or (727) 580-5315. John C. Cotey can be reached at johncotey@gmail.com or (813) 909-4612.

[Last modified August 9, 2007, 20:59:04]