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Wolves Clinch, Bulls Claim Berth

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY

nmurray@tampatrib.com

Published: February 11, 2009

BRANDON - Newsome Blue clinched the regular-season title, and the No. 1 seed for the upcoming playoffs, while Bloomingdale claimed the final playoff berth in the Hillsborough High School Hockey League last week.

Newsome, coming off a 2-2 tie with Freedom, beat Plant 4-1 on Thursday after coming from a goal down to beat the Panthers. Tom Kowalski scored twice for the Wolves, his team-high 15th and 16th of the season, while Jesse Maginnis and Mike Semago also found the net.

Bloomingdale cruised to victory against Newsome White on Saturday, as Stephen Guerre scored a hat trick, and eight different Bulls scored in an 11-1 victory. The Bulls were then left to wait on Wharton, which could keep its playoff hopes alive with a win against the Tigers.
Wildcats goaltender J.P. d'Ambrosio and his Tigers counterpart Greg Lemrow dueled into the third period as the game remained scoreless. Then, with just more than five minutes to play, the Tigers' Jake Herscovici found Ian Stanley in the high slot. Stanley fired a hard shot that deflected off d'Ambrosio's blocker into the net.

The goal proved to be the only one of the game, giving the Bulls a three-point lead over the Wildcats, Tigers and Panthers with one game remaining in the season. Wharton coach Tom Leechin said it was disappointing to miss out on the playoffs, but was pleased with the way his young squad developed over the season.

"As the season progressed, we developed both in maturity and skill level," Leechin said. "At the beginning of the year, we were mostly individuals out there, and somewhere in the middle of the season, they started to play as a team. That's always been Wharton's concept, it's all about the team, and they played well."

After finishing last in the league last season, Bulls coach Mike Falbo said he was thrilled to make it back to the playoffs.

"I'm ecstatic over it," Falbo said. "We really had no idea how the season was going to play out, so to say I'm happy is an understatement."

The Wolves and Bulls will face off in one semifinal on Feb. 20, with Freedom and Lakeland Jenkins playing in the other semifinal. A preview of that game comes in the final week of the regular season, as the Patriots and Eagles will meet on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Harrison To Lead Local Lacrosse Camp

Former NCAA Lacrosse Player of the Year and Major League Lacrosse No. 1 pick Kyle Harrison will lead a 21/2-day training camp in Clearwater next month.

The Playmaker Lacrosse Spring Training Camp will be held at the Glen Oak Complex's David Martin Fields from March 6-8, with a Friday evening session before full days of position-specific and team-oriented instruction on Saturday and Sunday.

Harrison, who plays for the Los Angeles Riptide in MLL, says he is excited to be holding a camp in Florida for the first time.

"I think lacrosse is a sport that's blowing up all over the country, and we figured it would be a great time to give it a shot down there," Harrison said. "Basically what we want to do is get the kids in there, and teach them the skills that are going to make them great lacrosse players. I think the idea is that when they leave our camp, they'll go home and be able to practice different drills we gave them and will be able to become great lacrosse players."

Harrison grew up in the Baltimore area, and began playing lacrosse at age 3.

"Pretty much when you can walk in Baltimore, you're given a stick," he said.

He went to college at Johns Hopkins, one of the leading college programs, and was twice named as a first-team All-American, and the player of the year in 2005. He was then drafted No. 1 by the New Jersey Pride before being traded to the Riptide after the 2007 season.

"The opportunities that lacrosse has opened for me have been incredible, and I'm so thankful I want to give back to the sport," he said. "I think that's the reason we work with kids and the whole reason I started this company, so that someday, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 of these kids are in the same position that I am right now, just because they went to a camp, we helped mentor them, push them in the right direction, kind of show them anyone can do this."

For information or to register for the camp, go to www.PlaymakerLacrosse.com.

Pelicans, Barbarians Set For Showdown

TAMPA - Tampa Pelicans coach Dave McFadden understands the burden being defending state champion.

"I think we have a target hung on our back this year," McFadden said. " Everybody gets up for us this year. We're not sneaking up on anyone, so we're just going to play, and see how the cards fall."

Saturday at 2 p.m., the Pelicans travel to face local rival the Tampa Barbarians in the Florida Rugby Union's High School North Division. Both sides enter the contest undefeated, after the Barbarians beat Orlando Eastside 37-10 on Saturday, and the winner will have an excellent opportunity to win the division and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

"It's our derby between the two local sides, and it should be interesting," Barbarians coach Mark Van Trees said. "They're a well-coached team and the defending state champions, so it should be a good match, and a lot of fun."

The two teams played in the preseason, with the Pelicans pulling out a late 22-19 victory. That result confirmed to McFadden the improved competition the Barbarians were going to provide in their second competitive season.

"We're glad to see that the Barbarians are so strong this year," McFadden said. "It's good for Bay area rugby to have a lot of strong teams here."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243.

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