Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By STEVE LEE
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 26, 2001
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Ridgewood forward Gus Kalathakis is staying close to home to continue his soccer career while Rams teammate Sean Bean will also remain in Florida.
Kalathakis, a two-time All-Sunshine Athletic Conference performer who led Ridgewood in scoring as a sophomore, signed a partial athletic scholarship Monday with Saint Leo.
Meanwhile, Bean, a converted defender who was a midfielder as a senior and made the All-Conference team, plans to walk-on at the University of Western Florida in Pensacola and hopes to secure a scholarship in 2002.
"Both kids are leaders," Ridgewood coach Ed McComiskey said. "They've always stepped up when they needed to. They were good examples for the others."
Kalathakis will be the fourth former Ridgewood player on the Saint Leo squad, joining Jeremy Bagwell, Scott Bounds and Alan Henry.
Kalathakis also is the Lions' fourth signee for next season. The others are Lake Gibson's Neil Laxdal and Bobby McLennan, and John Semeraro of Kentucky.
Saint Leo finished 8-9-1 last season.
A swift forward who overcame a broken ankle that cost him most of his junior season, Kalathakis had seven goals and 12 assists last season. He scored a team-high 12 goals as a sophomore.
"(Kalathakis) is quick and can put people under pressure in the final third," Saint Leo coach Fran Reidy said.
Bean, who had seven goals and five assists as a senior, has played every position for the Rams, including goalkeeper and forward.
"He's definitely a utility man," McComiskey said.