Titles made Land O'Lakes' year

This week, the Pasco Times sportswriters look back at the 1999-2000 season and offer up their fondest memories.

By STEVE LEE

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 21, 2000

The Land O'Lakes football team did not make it as far as some Pasco County athletic teams in 1999-2000, but that cannot diminish its first perfect season.

Despite another early exit from the playoffs, the Gators went 10-0 in the regular season for the first time in the school's 25-year history.

With district-winning teams in football, soccer and baseball, Land O'Lakes had its best season ever. But each of those sports already had at least one district title.

And now, the boys basketball team can join that list with Times and Sunshine Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Dave Puhalski guiding the Gators (27-4) to their first district championsip.

"It was nice, but, professionally, I didn't need to win it for myself," said Puhalski, who has coached boys basketball at Land O'Lakes for 11 seasons. "I'm just happy for the kids."

Puhalski coached the 1993 and 1998 Gators to the district finals, but said the difference between those squads and the 1999-2000 team was depth. "We were deeper. We had more shooters, more ballhandlers, more rebounders."

The Gators also had the SAC Player of the Year in Jeff Baisley, whose per-game averages were 14.8 points, seven rebounds and 3.1 assists.

While those Land O'Lakes teams ranked among the more memorable this season, there were numerous individuals who shined. Like the five county wrestlers -- Hudson's Robb Philippus and Pat Reili, Land O'Lakes' Jimmy Gaulden and Adam Nuru, and Ridgewood's Joe Mendoza -- who brought home state titles.

Weightlifters Dan Hogan and Emily Meyer also claimed state crowns.

Then there were the what-ifs, with the Times and SAC tennis players of the year opting out of the state tournament. Wesley Chapel's Cristina Lucin skipped the event to participate in a junior tourney in New York and Zephyrhills' Chris Black went on a family vacation to Lake Tahoe.

In an almost-but-not-quite scenario, the Land O'Lakes boys soccer team took a crack at a state crown but came up short for the second year in a row.

Taking a look back, here are some of the better, as well as a few of the worst, memories from this season.

MOST DISAPPOINTING MOMENT: The anguished look on football coach John Benedetto's face said it all. Not again, he seemed to be thinking, as Land O'Lakes blew another chance to win a playoff game and fell to 1-8 in the post-season. What made the 48-16 loss to Belleview especially painful to stomach was that it came after the Gators' first 10-0 season.

BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: There may have been more on the line in big games, but for one outing, no one was better than Zephyrhills soccer player Ashley McGavern on Nov. 23. The junior midfielder set a county record with 14 points on six goals and two assists in a 10-0 win over Central.

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE: Can't disagree with Kevin Kelly's pick of Brett Cimorelli on Tuesday. Playing in a regional final days after having his cheekbones surgically repaired would be testament enough to Cimorelli's toughness. But coming through with two home runs in the regional final cannot be topped.

Fittingly, both clouts helped Zephyrhills break the state record of 60 homers in a season previously held by Merritt Island.

BEST PLAY(S): Land O'Lakes' Justin Geisler set a county record with 55 goals in soccer and was a standout centerfielder for the baseball team. But his best game came on a football field.

Early in the season and before he booted a county-record 59-yard field goal, Geisler almost singlehandedly helped the Gators clinch their first unbeaten season. He caught his first-ever pass, a 30-yarder from Kurt Shafer, with two minutes left in a Sept. 18 game against Central. Then, with six seconds remaining, Geisler booted a 45-yard field goal for a 10-7 win.

FAVORITE MALE ATHLETE: Geisler set high goals, achieved them all including graduating in the top five of his class, yet always had time to talk to reporters. Most of the time, those conversations steered toward the six district-winning teams he played on.

Geisler always had time to offer teammates pointers and relished in celebrating with his teammates.

FAVORITE FEMALE ATHLETE: Lucin enjoys nothing more in life than playing tennis. It showed when her eyes lit up and in her wide smile during discussions about her favorite sport.

An elite player, she did not mind shouldering the load for the first-year Wildcats and provided close friend Paula Clausnitzer with personal instructions. The duo teamed up to win a district doubles title.

FAVORITE TEAM: The group of Land O'Lakes soccer players, most of whom came up through the ranks of northern Hillsborough and central Pasco youth leagues. Strong friendships were clearly visible as was the fiery competitiveness of a proven winning team that reached the state playoffs twice.

BEST TEAM: The Land O'Lakes football and River Ridge girls tennis teams went undefeated in the regular season, but neither club fared well in the playoffs. No team combined near-perfection in the regular season as well as in the post-season as the Zephyrhills baseball squad. The Bulldogs bashed a state-record 63 homers and reached the state playoffs.

FAVORITE COACH: At least a dozen rank among the most courteous in the county. Perhaps a few others could be added, but none should be singled out as head and shoulders above all.

BEST COACHING JOB: Hudson's Ron Ladimir took a bunch of soccer players and turned them into district champions in tennis. What? Ladimir once played both sports at Hudson. Geez, what a coincidence.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Hudson boys weightlifting team that knocked off perennial powers Pasco and Zephyrhills. The Cobras won the conference title with depth and clutch lifts from SAC champs Josh Bradford and Dan Cook.

BEST QUOTE(S): Wesley Chapel football coach John Castelamare and Zephyrhills weightlifting coach and football assistant Chris Bounnell rarely refrain from speaking their minds. Of course, they usually follow up with, "Hey! You can't put that in the paper."

WORST QUOTE: Like father, like son. Zephyrhills baseball coach Bruce Cimorelli and his son, Brett, prefer to get their messages across with actions rather than words.

UNSUNG HERO, MALE: Ridgewood defender and captain Gavin Aquhart was the best player on his team for four years. Coach Ed McComiskey shudders to think what the Rams would be like without the four-time All-SAC player. He'll find out next season since Aquhart signed with Charleston Southern in South Carolina.

UNSUNG HERO, FEMALE: In some years, Mary Katherine Mason's accomplishments in swimming, basketball and track would make her the county's female athlete of the year. Alas, the Zephyrhills junior gets one more shot.

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Could Land O'Lakes' swarming defense and county rushing leader Godfrey Pestana lead to another unbeaten regular season? ... Amanda Paulo joining Kevin Rumble as the area's greatest swimmer ... being able to say I saw future USTA star Cristina Lucin play high school tennis ... dogfights in boys and girls soccer.

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