The 2012 cheerleading and football season is a big one for the East Bay Buccaneers Youth Football and Cheerleading, as the organization is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

The organization was the dream of local businessmen Howard Corr, Harley [...]]]> This year the East Bay Buccaneers Youth Football and Cheerleading organization celebrates their 25th anniversary

The 2012 cheerleading and football season is a big one for the East Bay Buccaneers Youth Football and Cheerleading, as the organization is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

The organization was the dream of local businessmen Howard Corr, Harley Burnett, Dave Sutherland, Gary Moore and other local sponsors in 1987. Practices were originally held behind East Bay High School and then moved to Vance Vogel Park in 1990. What the founders really wanted, though, was to make Vance Vogel Park the East Bay Buc’s home field. 

“On January 26 of this year we were given written approval to make Vance Vogel Park the organization’s home field. This was originally the vision of past president Harley Burnett’s and other board member’s to see this accomplished and I am very happy we can get started on this happen during our 25th anniversary,” said Jason Hillman, current president of the East Bay Buc’s organization.

Other than building their own practice field, the organization has several other plans in the works to help make their 25th anniversary something special, including changing the uniform colors back to the original ‘creamcicle’ orange for the entire year. There will also be a 25th year homecoming event at some point during the 2012 season.
“During the past 25 years there have been thousands of children to pass through this organization, and some of those kids have grown up and are now coaching their own kids here,” said Hillman. “The homecoming event will allow anyone who either currently plays, has played or had a hand in the organization.”

The East Bay Buccaneers allow children from ages five-15 to sign up for tackle football and cheerleading. Open registration dates are Saturdays February 18, March 24, April 21, May 19 and June 16. Those interested can register on these dates from 9 a.m.-12 Noon at Vance Vogel Park, located at 10210 Bull Frog Creek Rd. in Gibsonton.

For more information on the East Bay Buccaneers Youth Football and Cheerleading, please visit their Website at www.eastbaybucs.org or call Hillman at 276-3223.

Fishing lovers who are looking [...]]]> The North Tampa Bass Club participates in competitions throughout the year, such as the B.A.S.S. Southern Open. NTBC has members from all over the greater Bay Area. Pictured from left to right is Don Lilly (Oldsmar), Frank Kruk (Valrico), Eamon Bolten (Temple Terrace), Rod Longnecker (Tampa) and Steve Jarrett (Valrico).

Fishing lovers who are looking to get more involved in the sport should be sure to look into joining the North Tampa Bass Club (NTBC), which welcomes boaters and non-boaters who want to learn more about bass fishing, compete in friendly competition and have a camaraderie with other fishermen.

Founded in 1988, NTBC is a Florida B.A.S.S. Federation Nation affiliated club, which allows its members to compete at a high level if they desire. The club meets monthly to discuss techniques, select future lakes and pairings for upcoming tournaments and award performance.

“The name ‘North Tampa Bass Club’ is a little misnomer because we do have many members from the Riverview, Valrico and Brandon areas,” said Steve Jarrett, president of North Tampa Bass Club. “Along with our meetings, we also meet on the last Saturday of the month to fish on local lakes.”

NTBC participates in fishing competitions throughout the year, such as the B.A.S.S. Southern Open and Lake Tarpon Tournament. This year NTBC has partnered with Gulf Coast Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) to host the PVA Citrus Slam Bass Tournament. This year the tournament will be held on Lake Toho in Kissimmee from April 14-15. Currently NTBC and PVA are looking for boaters and non-boaters to be a guide, coach, or assist the disabled vet on the first day of competition then fish as a team for the second day.

“We hope to have a very successful event to support our veterans with disabilities,” said Jarrett. “I personally have participated in three of these events and they are very rewarding.”

For more information on the Paralyzed Veterans of America event, visit their Website at www.pva.org/sports. For more information on the North Tampa Bass Club, visit their Website at www.northtampabassclub.com or e-mail Jarrett at jarrettsm@hotmail.com.

For over 17 years the Seffner Christian Academy basketball team, under head coach Greg Fawbush, has built up an outstanding program, despite being one of the smaller Christian private schools [...]]]> So far this season the Crusaders have an 8-0 record, including a win over Tampa Catholic, who won the Class 3A state championship last year.

For over 17 years the Seffner Christian Academy basketball team, under head coach Greg Fawbush, has built up an outstanding program, despite being one of the smaller Christian private schools in the area. So far during coach Fawbush’s tenure as head coach, the team has been to seven Sweet 16’s, three Elite 8’s and most recently was a Final Four team in last year’s state championships. 

“There are three things that I believe is important in building a program,” said Fawbush. “The first is passion; the players have to believe that you are passionate about what you are doing.  The second is commitment; a lot of coaches come and go but to build a program you have to prove that you are going to be here.  Third is concern about the player’s lives as much as the game.”

There can be no doubt that hard work and dedication on both the coach and players parts is what makes this program so noteworthy. This year the team, made up of four freshmen, five sophomores and two juniors, was also one of two teams in the county that had four players in the Tampa Tribune’s “Players to Watch” list. Currently the Crusaders have an 8-0 record, including a win over the reigning Class 3A state champions, Tampa Catholic.

Team parent Robert Walker believes that the coaching and team mentalities are what attribute to the team’s overall success. “I believe Seffner Christian Academy, by default coach Fawbush, have been able to achieve success year in and year out because he invests so much time into mentoring his players. This particular group they are very young and happen to be a talented group of players and they are usually the hardest working players on the court,” he said.

Seffner Christian Academy is located at 11605 E US Highway 92 in Seffner. For more information on Seffner Christian, visit http://scacrusaders.com/. For more information on Seffner Christian athletics, game schedules and rosters, visit www.gosaders.com.

Cormac and Lora McCarthy, owners of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s FishHawk [...]]]> Jeff Shotwell, JJ Massaro, Lora McCarthy, Cormac McCarthy, Barry Jacobs and Paul Lindstrom attended a ceremony in December where Lora and Cormac McCarthy were honored with an award from the Hillsborough County High School Football Foundation for their generous support of high school football.

Cormac and Lora McCarthy, owners of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s FishHawk and the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bloomingdale, are stalwart believers in giving back to the community. The McCarthys are active supporters of Newsome High School, Bloomingdale High School, local nonprofits and the community in general.
For their support to the football program at Newsome High School, they were recently honored with the Hillsborough County High School Foundation Award for Community Service. Lora said, “We are very proud to receive this award. It was quite an honor.” Cormac added, “It is wonderful to know that our little store(s) can have that much of an impact on the students and future leaders.”
The McCarthys support not only football, but the dizzying list includes cross country, DECA, the National Honor Society, the Marching Bands and cheer programs. Think of them as “Boosters and More.” Cormac has participated in the Great American Teach In and said, “I enjoy those days the best. I get to share my knowledge and experience of being a business owner with the students.”
In addition to sports and schools, the McCarthys also reach out the community as a whole. They are active participants in Relay for Life. They also support the various local Rotary clubs and Kiwanis. Recently, they helped provide food to a family who had lost their home to a fire. One national organization that they are actively involved with is Lyrics For Life, an organization whose mission is to make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer.
According to Cormac, “Giving back to the community is the Beef’s way. It is not always about the bottom line.” Lora added, “We like to help the kids in the community. They are not always going to be in school. The way we treat them today is the way they will treat us in the future.”
The McCarthys have been residents of Bloomingdale for 15 years. They employ 40 area residents between the two locations. Both locations are full service restaurants. The Bell Shoals location includes a banquet room that can hold up to 70 people.
The Beef ‘O’ Brady’s FishHawk is located at 16773 FishHawk Blvd. in Lithia and can be followed on facebook at Beef’s FishHawk. The Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bloomingdale is located at 4330 Bell Shoals Rd. in Valrico and can be followed on Facebook at Beef’s Bloomingdale.

The Newsome High School varsity basketball team did not just spend their Christmas break practicing for their Christmas tournament and gearing up for the second half of their season in January; the team [...]]]> During their winter break the Newsome High School varsity basketball team collected toys to donate to ECHO in time for the holidays.

The Newsome High School varsity basketball team did not just spend their Christmas break practicing for their Christmas tournament and gearing up for the second half of their season in January; the team also took time during this holiday season to give back to the community.
Inspired by the idea that the basketball team could collect toys and nonperishable food items, Alex Curry, mom to Newsome player Fisher Curry, began asking friends and neighbors about which local charity would be the best to donate to. It was through this search that Curry decided upon Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO).
“I am neighbors with Stacy Efaw, the director of ECHO. I thought it would be good for the boys to give back to the community as a team,” she said. “I love ECHO because its stays all local and they continue to help people up until Christmas Eve, so the team could continue to collect toys and food right up until then.”
After working out the details, Curry went to head coach Barry Jacobs to ask his opinion on a team toy collection. “When I was first approached with the idea to collect toys and food for ECHO, I thought it was a great plan,” said Jacobs. “The idea embodies the spirit of the holidays and it’s great to give back to the community that also supports us. I definitely think this is something the team should continue to do in the future.”
Donations collected by the team included jars of peanut butter and jelly, board games, Barbie’s, race cars, lunch pails, skate boards, dolls, footballs and of course, a basketball. “It feels great to give back as a team,” said Michael Tourgee, a senior on the basketball team. “I hope that it becomes a tradition.”
For more information about the Newsome High School basketball team or to find their game schedule, visit www.newsome.mysdhc.org. Echo is located at 507 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon. For more information about ECHO, visit www.echofl.org.

Andrew Thompson, a physical education teacher at FishHawk Creek Elementary, teaches students everyday about the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. Last year, Thompson was convinced to sign up for the FishHawk Road Race by some fellow teachers and he has [...]]]> Thompson teaches physical education at FishHawk Creek Elementary and runs competitively as a hobby.

Andrew Thompson, a physical education teacher at FishHawk Creek Elementary, teaches students everyday about the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. Last year, Thompson was convinced to sign up for the FishHawk Road Race by some fellow teachers and he has been running ever since.  Throughout the past year, Thompson has run in several races in the area, and his race times have been improving with experience.
“After I was talked into doing the race I was hooked,” said Thompson.  He has been teaching at FishHawk Creek Elementary for seven years. Originally a social studies teacher, Thompson became a physical education teacher because he was and still is passionate about teaching young people the importance of a healthy life.
“I try to teach the students lifelong lessons of keeping a healthy lifestyle,” said Thompson.
The father of two doesn’t have some outstanding workout plan to train for his races. Most of his training consists of just going out and running the distance he is planning to run in a race.
“I just go out and run the distance, “said Thompson, “I have gradually done more races; it has been a process.”
His first competitive race was last February’s FishHawk Road Race. He has run a number of races in the past year. Thompson has progressively become a better runner in each race, and posted a good time at this year’s FishHawk Turkey Trot 5k.  Thompson finished this race with a time of 19.51. This time was worthy of being placing second in his age division of 30 through 34. Because the racer who was ahead of him in the division placed first overall; Thompson was honored as winner of this age group.
Thompson has no plans, but to just keep running and enjoying himself.
“I just do this for fun,” said Thompson.
It is refreshing to see a physical education teacher living an active lifestyle, and being a great example for students to follow. Thompson gives back by helping young students realize the fun and importance of exercise and not being lazy. These principles are important now as they ever have been because of the temptation for children to replace physical exercise with other technologies.
Thompson is looking forward to this year’s FishHawk Road Race, as his racing career comes full circle. He is training harder than ever for this year’s race. Along with training, he is of course still teaching young people the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle.

The Armwood Hawks are known for their successful football program. Last year, they fell short in the state finals. Earlier this month, Armwood faced off against St. John’s Bartram Trail to see who would move on to the 2011 Class 6A state final [...]]]> Armwood breaks through their run though right before the state semifinal game.

The Armwood Hawks are known for their successful football program. Last year, they fell short in the state finals. Earlier this month, Armwood faced off against St. John’s Bartram Trail to see who would move on to the 2011 Class 6A state final game.
This semifinal game was a back and forth struggle that was exciting and entertaining to watch. Armwood showed signs of good defense at times, but the game really became an offensive shootout. The Hawks defense, with four interceptions, did what they needed to win the game.
“It was good football,” said Armwood head coach Sean Callahan, who is in his 22nd year coaching the Hawks. “We try to coach them up hard, and even though the team made some mistakes, they persevered.”
Armwood was led on offense by QB/WR Alvin Bailey and RB Wade Edwards. Edwards stepped up his role on offense due to an ankle injury to star RB Matt Jones. Edwards, a senior, had an amazing game, rushing for 248 yards and three touchdowns. 
“The blocking was great,” said Edwards. “My teammates are the ones who push me to do what I do. We are going back to state to redeem ourselves.”
They faced a tough opponent in St. John’s Bartram Trail. The Bears’ quarterback Nathan Peterman, who is going to the University of Tennessee next year, made some great plays during the game, but it seemed like the Hawks defense stopped him when they needed it most. It was an interception by Jarvis McCall that sealed the game for Armwood.
Armwood, who is undefeated, looks to win another state championship at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. 
“We have to clean our game up a little bit, but when we get things together we can play pretty good,” said Callahan.
The Hawks have most definitely done something right this year, and have their sights set on a state championship. This year’s team is full of talent and will be remembered as a solid performing team. The team is comprised of stifling defense, solid offense and quality leadership. With this formula, Armwood will be tough to beat.
For more information about Armwood football, visit www.maxpreps.com. To see the results of the state finals games, go to www.fhssa.org.

Tampa Krewe Rugby provides an opportunity for people who you enjoy playing rugby to get their [...]]]> There are many mainstream sports in our country that people enjoy to play and watch. One sport that usually isn’t considered to be well known here is rugby. However, outside of the U.S., rugby is a very popular sport.

Tampa Krewe Rugby provides an opportunity for people who you enjoy playing rugby to get their fix.  The Tampa Bay Krewe crew pulls players from west-central Florida, and has about 100 players, filling two full teams. The team also has many international players from countries like Kenya, South Africa, France and the Philippines.

“We started in 1991 and we are amateurs,” said team captain Tyler Cathy. “Everyone does something else for a living and plays rugby with us for fun.”

Many men from the local community play rugby for the Tampa Krewe.

“I have been playing rugby for five years and two years with the Krewe,” said Riverview resident Chris Williams. Williams is a Marine and enjoys the teamwork that is involves with Rugby. “As a Marine, I can’t win a battle without the help of my fellow Marines and, on the pitch, it takes 15 men/women to play rugby. As long as I know I put 100 percent on the field I know I’ve had fun.”

Valrico resident Brandon Moore has only been playing rugby for about two-and-a-half months with Tampa Krewe. Moore, who works at MetroPCS in the Operations Department, enjoys being part of the team because of the competitive spirit involved.  “I enjoy getting the chance to play for a team that is championship caliber, feels good have the opportunity to play for a team that has a nose for winning.”

The Tampa Krewe is under the governing body of USA Rugby and is gaining competitiveness. Last year, the Krewe’s two teams were in the DIII and DII divisions. This year, because of continued success, the two teams were moved up to DI and DII. This means more competitive games for both teams.

Last year the team played for a national championship, and is hoping to make it back this year. The Krewe kicked off the season in mid-November against New Orleans, which is the team they lost to in the championship last year. The Krewe lost in a hard fought battle, but it doesn’t damper the plans to have another successful year.

Rugby is an exciting, fast-paced game in hard hits and long kicks. Both football and soccer fans would see similarities to their favorite game when watching a competitive rugby game. But don’t be fooled, rugby is a game of its own and is unique and fun in its own way.

For more information about the Tampa Bay Krewe Rugby Team, visit www.krewerugby.com and for more information about rugby itself, visit www.usarugby.org.