The Gulf Coast 8 conference will become defunct at the end of the school year, but coaches from Hernando and Citrus counties still joined forces recently to come up with winter sports all-conference teams. Hernando County squads had a particularly strong showing for the winter, collecting Player of the Year honors in five of the seven sports and Coach of the Year in four.
For girls basketball, Weeki Wachee’s Joelys Rodriguez and Billy Hughes were Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively. The Hornets went 22-6 overall and captured a district championship, while going 12-2 against GC8 opponents, both losses coming against Springstead. The sophomore Rodriguez led the team, averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 assists and 5.1 steals per game, as well as with 41 3-pointers
made.
Other selections included: Ariana Wiloughby and J’Zyah Munford (Springstead), Ayana Kincade (Hernando), Reese Halter (Weeki Wachee) and Jada Grier (Nature Coast). Honorable mentions featured Felicia Taylor and Elena Sanchez (Central), Aislin Ruppe and Aajyrah Adams (Hernando), Gabby Dross and Maddy DePetrillo (Nature Coast), Addison Osbourne and Briana Coleman (Springstead), and Karly Passmore and Genesis Beal (Weeki Wachee).
Springstead’s Dominic Coco was named Coach of the Year and Raul Maldonado was Player of the Year for boys soccer. The Eagles finished 15-4-1 with a district title and a Sweet 16 appearance, and were a spotless 7-0 in GC8 play. Maldonado paced the Eagles scoring 21 goals to go with nine assists, totaling 51 points.
Defender Pat Gayda, midfielder Christian Gies and utility pick Kaiden Levasseur were the Eagles’ other all-conference representatives. Midfielder Kaiden Palacios, forward Tanner Bennett and utility Lothar Guzman made the team for Nature Coast. Weeki Wachee keeper John Brooks and utility Luka Sirani also were selected.
Honorable mention picks included Central’s Romeo Fox and Antonio Parlapiano, Nature Coast’s Isaiah Martinez and Damian Johnson, Springstead’s Evan Serrano and Tyler Siebe, and Weeki Wachee’s Adrian Dooley and Scott Sayre.
Nature Coast keeper Kennedy Rasmussen was Player of the Year in girls soccer. She allowed just 32 goals in 21 games and made 180 saves. The junior also recorded 10 shutouts, helping the Sharks win a district championship and reach the Sweet 16.
Rasmussen was joined on the all-GC8 team by Nature Coast teammates Reese Monroe (midfielder), Giada Chechile (forward) and Ava Ferlita (utility). Springstead’s Olivia Fraser (defender) and Amanda Soults (forward), and Hernando’s Skyla McCorts (defender) were among the other selections. The honorable mentions were Annabelle Chamberlain and Shiloh Dilon (Hernando), Hayden Blesser and Paytoin Cliff (Nature Coast), Lily Isaksen and Chrissandra Rogers (Springstead), and Andriann Johnson and Lesly Palacios (Weeki Wachee).
Hernando freshman Jeremiah Chavis was named Wrestler of the Year, after he placed third in Class 1A at 190 pounds, going 54-2 overall. Springstead’s Mike LaRocca was named Coach of the Year.
Other all-conference wrestlers were Hernando’s David Moen (120 pounds), Noah Leota (150) and Shaw Garrett (175), Nature Coast’s Zackary Myers (106), Springstead’s Giovani DeLape (126), Aden Juan (165) and Kaleb Johns, and Weeki Wachee’s Nick Guy (113), Levi Chancey (138), Ricky Bowermaster (144), Diego Maysonet (157), James Nielson (190) and Daniel Young (285).
Central’s Shane Parrott and Wilberto Luna were honorable mentions, as well as Hernando’s Jacob Fetzner and Cael Helm, Nature Coast’s Kaden Etheridge and Kahleal Henry, Springstead’s Evan Bozek and Daniel Quiones, and Weeki Wachee’s Ricky Corbett and Joshuan Contegiacomo. Three-time state champion Grace Leota was the Wrestler of the Year for the girls. The Hernando senior finished the season 26-0 and won the 190 title in 1A. Hernando’s Kenny Day was the Coach of the Year, as the Leopards tied for state runner-up.
The all-conference team was full of Leopards, including Emerson Webber (100), Keana Bush (110), Emma Bauknight (115), Daniela Espinal (125), Alondra Santana-Perez (130), Rachel Smith (135), Olivia Brown (140), Makenzie Eltzroth (145), Mariah Earl (155), Chloe Stinnett (170) and Nathalia Espinal.
Nature Coast’s Addison Sawyer (105) and Springstead’s Jasmine Serrano (120) also made the team. Central’s Elandro Maximo and Jordan Miller were honorable mentions, along with Nature Coast’s Jerry Giddens, Springstead’s Srumah Vollp and Kayle Blohm, and Weeki Wachee’s Naomi Lopara and Chiarra Rhodes.
Boys basketball all-conference selections from the county included: A.J. Ramsaroop (Nature Coast), Zion McKenzie and Ryan Sayre (Springstead), Sam Jackson (Hernando) and Logan White (Weeki Wachee). Central’s honorable mention choices were Brayden Prospero and Xavier Haegele, Hernando’s were Daniel Merizalde and Blake Williams, Nature Coast’s were Jayden Simon and Jake McPhail, Springstead’s were Alejandro Arenas and Jamin Pond, and Weeki Wachee’s were Jayden Parent and Conner
Boyle.
In girls weightlifting, Nature Coast had three girls make all-conference in traditional (bench press and clean-and-jerk): Payton Fahey (101), Vanessa Elam (154) and Keanna Cepeda (169). Cepeda also made it in Olympic (snatch and clean-and-jerk) and Sophie Shellenberger was an additional
choice.
Hernando’s Kaylee Balogh was the selection at 139 traditional, and Central’s Gabrielle Rowson was the 183 pick in both traditional and Olympic. Central’s honorable mentions were Genevieve Barretto and Sophia Mowrey, Hernando’s were Len’tajae Smith and Haylee Hulsey, Nature Coast’s were Lilyanna North and Katie Calise, Springstead’s were Genesis Perez and Aliviya Shabilion, and Weeki Wachee’s were Mary Tuomey and Emily Gilbertson.
