Storm in command of conference race

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Celebration won the boys and girls Orange Belt Conference championships last season and appears to be the class of Osceola County again.

Celebration

The defending conference champions are talented, Coach Bob Tripp said.

“Our boys and girls should have a good showing,” Tripp said.

The boys are led by senior Tyler Young, who will play  No. 1 singles and doubles. Sophomore Richard Cruz will play No. 2 singles and join Young in No. 1 doubles.

Sophomore Luis Penagos, freshman Jacob Glodde and senior Elijah Lewis all will play Nos. 3 and 4 singles and be candidates for No. 2 doubles.

Junior Benjamin Sunnarborg will play No. 5 singles, and sophomore Christian Gonzalez and junior Xavier Martin round off the roster.

The girls have multiple options with senior Anu Gupta and sophomore Lexi Stephan at Nos. 1 and 2 singles and No. 1 doubles.

Senior Yuka Moribe will play No. 3 singles and sophomore Kelsey Scurlock will play No. 4 singles as well as doubles.

Junior Maria Caicedo-Arias and freshman Victoria Simanca will play at No. 5 singles.

Newcomers include juniors Natalia Riveros-Martinez and Iryna Tsyhankova, sophomore Farina Rahman and freshman Samantha Watson.

The Storm boys are off to a 4-1 start and are unbeaten in the conference. The Lady Storm is 4-0.

Gateway

Coaches Aaron Foley and Heidi Foley said their teams are in rebuilding mode for 2011.

The boys lost four of their top five to graduation, but No. 1 Tony Origer, a junior, is back.

“Luckily, there are underclassmen waiting in the wings and ready to step up to the challenge,” Aaron Foley said.

The girls lost three of their top five, but returning are No. 1 Sara Wu and No. 2 Amy Lamb.

“Both have shown considerable potential and hope to rise to the occasion,” Aaron Foley said.

The Lady Panthers had the highest GPA of all tennis teams in the state last season, Foley said, an accomplishment it will strive to repeat.

St. Cloud

After a 2010 season that saw his team decimated by injuries, things are looking up for Bulldog boys coach Dallas Kelsey.

Freshman Trevor Foshee will debut at No. 1, Kelsey said.

“He’s very good. I’ve been waiting for him to get here since he was in the fourth grade,” the coach said.

Back from last year’s squad are senior Oliver Evans (No. 2), junior Patrick Gaines (No. 3) and junior Ryan Bender (No. 4).

Kelsey said several more players will see action during the season, including sophomore Stephano Brizio, junior Zack Hull, senior Tarek Elbary, freshman Robert Klockars and Steven Gonzalez.

Coach Tim McMullen’s squad is led by senior Amanda Pence, the 2009 Player of the Year, at No. 1 singles. Junior Haley Glasscock also returns.

New Dimensions

Coach Ralph Barrett takes over the Lady Tigers program and he welcomes back four players from last year’s team: seniors Sasha Thompson and Marja Gillette, and juniors Jessie Maldonado and Beatriz Marte.

Newcomers to the program are senior Crisally Espinal, sophomore Emily Espinal and freshmen Shantel Hernandez and Josephina Vega.

Thompson will play No. 1 singles, Barrett said.

“We plan to have fun, get some great exercise and exhibit outstanding sportsmanship as we learn the game,” he said.

Osceola

The Kowboys, under Coach Tom Glaser, have the returning county player of the year in junior Paul Gursky at No. 1 singles.

The other singles players include Johnathan Gonzalez, Hector Constanzo, Dillon Kelly and Joseph Patino.

Also on the roster are Hamza Asif, Deion Barrios, Isaiah Fernandez, Jose Figueroa, Zachery Keppler, Zeeshan Majeed, Cristiano Nogueras, Keven Remigio-gonzalez, Alexander Rosario and Steven Shapiro.

The Lady Kowboys, coached by Emily Glaser, have Kristen Ackley, Kimber Berry, Jessica Honsberg, Kristina Alvarez and Savanna Escobar as the top five singles players.

Brooke Dunwoody, Katie Pedone, Amanda Moraguez, Jessica Suarez and Keyshla Caraballo also compete.

Harmony

Maryann Moss coaches the Longhorns. The roster includes Harrison Porter, Broderick Hicks, Tanner Mabry, Zack Andrews, Ben Quasney, Paul Farnsworth, Klaus McKain and Jackson Tarpley.

Coach Jerry Piester is coaching the Lady Longhorns.

The roster includes Anna Blanchard, Addison Hickey, Lauren Grego, Erin Lewis, Brianna Stacy, Olivia Porter, Chelsey Ross, Sarah Schwing, Adrienne Roberts and Kristen Bowen.

Liberty

Coach Brittney Walker’s Lady Chargers top five singles players include Amanda Rosa, Catherine Carranza, Antonella Scarpetti, Rashel Oramas and Joline Desruisseaux.

Also on the roster are Rebecca Pillippe, Christina Valentin, Estrella Rivera-Ruiz and Ovely Brisseau.

Coach Bruce Mulford’s boys squad features senior Nicholas Leach at No. 1 singles, followed by sophomore No. 2 Adewale King, junior No. 3 Kevin Gomez, sophomore No. 4 O’Neil McLeod and sophomore Marcos Ventura and senior Alex Jabiel sharing No. 5.

Leach and King team at No. 1 doubles, and McLeod and sophomore Ju’von Nathan play No. 2.

“Liberty has some great young tennis players who will be competitive with all the schools in our district,” Mulford said.

Poinciana

Coach Troy Herrera takes over the Lady Eagles program.

His roster includes seniors Katlyn Rice, Paoa Paz and Carmen Almanderez.

Also competing are Jacqueline Renterias, Nathally De Vasconcelos, Imane Smichi, Melissa Burset, Aylssa Maldonado, Kyla Hernandez and Estefany Abastida.

Coach Ricardo Catala’s boys team has Clarke Feeney, Jeremy Gopaul, Daniel Salas, Brandon Stillword and Stephen Holt.