FREE • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012 SPORTS AULD LANG SYNE Best wishes from the Observer in the new year! PLANT CITY O bserver YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Memorable moments from 2012. PAGE 11 Crossword .................... 14 Year in Pictures ...............3 Sports.......................... 11 Vol. 1, No. 26 | One section PlantCityObserver.com + Redskins float wins parade contest The Antioch Redskins youth football and cheerleading program took top float hon- ors at this year’s Christmas Parade, the parade committee announced Dec. 18, at McCall Park. It was the first year the com- mittee gave an award for the top float. The winners were given a trophy and a check presentation of $100. “We wanted to try to increase the quality of the entries this year, and by having a winner, we thought that our participants would kick it up a notch, and they did,” said Davy Miles, the president of the parade committee. According to committee member Dodie White, the floats were judged by out-of- town judges to ensure impar- tiality. The Antioch Redskins’ float carried a “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” theme, com- plete with cheerleaders dressed as the Whos and Redskins Vice President Lisa DeLong as the Grinch. OUR TOWN INDEX Marshall Middle School’s ro- botics team, Future Innovative Robotics Engineers, or F.I.R.E., brought the heat during the re- gional qualifier of the Florida First LEGO League Dec. 8, at Sleepy Hill Middle School, in Lakeland. F.I.R.E. placed as the overall winner out of 15 teams. “We were ecstatic,” teacher and coach Penny Reeves said. “I’m very proud of the kids. We worked very well together.” The competition required team members to complete a variety of maneuvers with their robots, Wobbles and Wad- dles. In addition, they had to complete a ques- tion-and- answer portion and devise a project that would help solve a problem senior citi- zens face. After talking with a senior citi- zen, who mentioned problems with picking things up off the ground, the team built the “The Cripper,” a cane/gripper hybrid. Each student made a prototype of “The Cripper” and then col- laborated on which design they liked best. F.I.R.E. also competed in a core values challenge, during which teams were given bal- loons, straws, paper and a bag and had to make the tallest item they could in three minutes. They couldn’t touch the items them- selves and instead had to tell their coaches, Reeves and Jessica Wal- len, how to stack the items. The coaches could not talk. DOMO ARIGATO by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor Marshall team does the robot to regionals Last year, the school’s Future Innovative Robotics Engineers made it to the state finals. They have the same goal this year. SEE ROBOTICS / PAGE 2 + Hope church hosts ‘Not So Silent Night’ Members of Hope Lutheran Church and its Spanish Mission gathered Dec. 16, for a joint Christmas worship cel- ebration that combined mem- bers of both communities for a special presentation of the “Not So Silent Night.” The worship was performed in both English and Spanish and was led by the Rev. Dean Pfeffer , with assistance from the Rev. Miguel Sanabria and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Florida Georgia District President the Rev. Gregory Walton. For more information about Hope Lutheran Church, call (813) 752-4622 or visit hope. ctsmemberconnect.net. The last time U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel S. Tay- lor saw some of his friends from Plant City High School, they were just 15 or 16 years old. It was early 2007, and they were just boys. Taylor’s love for his country had inspired him to graduate from high school one semester early — in December 2006 — and promptly enlist for a six- year commitment. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfa- thers, who both served in the Navy. He left home in February 2007 for boot camp in Great Lakes, Mich., graduated just days before his 18th birthday and transferred to San Diego to train to be a sonar technician. In December 2008, he left for Yokosuka, Japan, where he has spent the last four years aboard the USS John S. Mc- Cain. He never celebrated his high school graduation with his classmates, and when he fi- nally came home last month, it was to a different Plant City. He left as a 17-year-old high school kid. He returned as a man of 23. “It’s really weird to be back,” SEE TAYLOR / PAGE 2 At just 17 years old, Plant City’s Daniel Taylor left home to begin his service in the U.S. Navy. Now 23, he returned home last month after four years in Japan. HOMETOWN HEROES Hometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Observer in which we profile veterans from Plant City. If you have a loved one currently serving or who has served in the past, please contact Managing Editor Michael Eng by email at [email protected] or by phone at (813) 704-6850. Amber Jurgensen Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel S. Taylor completed six years in the U.S. Navy. Top: Taylor was sta- tioned on the USS John S. McCain destroyer. hometown hero by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor RISING SON TEAM MEMBERS Robbie Burdette Destiny Cox Russell Espinal Anthony Johnson Frank Mohedano Hannah Prophet Hannah Spivey Emilee Vue The Year Pictures in 1 / 2
Transcript
FREE • thuRsday, dECEMBER 27, 2012
SPORTSauLdLaNG syNEBest wishes from the Observerin the new year!
PLANT CITYObserveryou. youR NEiGhBoRs. youR NEiGhBoRhood.
Memorable moments from 2012.PAGE 11
Crossword .................... 14 Year in Pictures ...............3 Sports .......................... 11Vol. 1, No. 26 | One section
PlantCityObserver.com
+ Redskins floatwins parade contest
The Antioch Redskins youth football and cheerleading program took top float hon-ors at this year’s Christmas Parade, the parade committee announced Dec. 18, at McCall Park.
It was the first year the com-mittee gave an award for the top float. The winners were given a trophy and a check presentation of $100.
“We wanted to try to increase the quality of the entries this year, and by having a winner, we thought that our participants would kick it up a notch, and they did,” said davy Miles, the president of the parade committee.
According to committee member dodie White, the floats were judged by out-of-town judges to ensure impar-tiality.
The Antioch Redskins’ float carried a “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” theme, com-plete with cheerleaders dressed as the Whos and Redskins Vice President Lisa deLong as the Grinch.
OUR TOWN
INDEX
Marshall Middle School’s ro-botics team, Future Innovative Robotics Engineers, or F.I.R.E., brought the heat during the re-gional qualifier of the Florida First LEGO League Dec. 8, at Sleepy Hill Middle School, in Lakeland.
F.I.R.E. placed as the overall winner out of 15 teams.
“We were ecstatic,” teacher and coach Penny Reeves said. “I’m very proud of the kids. We worked very well together.”
The competition required team members to complete a variety of maneuvers with their robots, Wo b b l e s and Wad-dles. In addit ion, they had to complete a ques-tion-and-a n s w e r p o r t i o n and devise a project that would help solve a problem senior citi-zens face.
After talking with a senior citi-zen, who mentioned problems with picking things up off the ground, the team built the “The Cripper,” a cane/gripper hybrid. Each student made a prototype of “The Cripper” and then col-laborated on which design they liked best.
F.I.R.E. also competed in a core values challenge, during which teams were given bal-loons, straws, paper and a bag and had to make the tallest item they could in three minutes. They couldn’t touch the items them-selves and instead had to tell their coaches, Reeves and Jessica Wal-len, how to stack the items. The coaches could not talk.
DOMO ARIGATO by amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Marshallteam doesthe robotto regionals Last year, the school’s Future Innovative Robotics Engineers made it to the state finals. They have the same goal this year.
SEE ROBOTICS / PAGE 2
+ Hope church hosts‘Not So Silent Night’
Members of Hope Lutheran Church and its Spanish Mission gathered Dec. 16, for a joint Christmas worship cel-ebration that combined mem-bers of both communities for a special presentation of the “Not So Silent Night.”
The worship was performed in both English and Spanish and was led by the Rev. dean Pfeffer, with assistance from the Rev. Miguel sanabria and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Florida Georgia District President the Rev. Gregory Walton.
For more information about Hope Lutheran Church, call (813) 752-4622 or visit hope.ctsmemberconnect.net.
The last time U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel S. Tay-lor saw some of his friends from Plant City High School, they were just 15 or 16 years old.
It was early 2007, and they were just boys.
Taylor’s love for his country had inspired him to graduate from high school one semester early — in December 2006 — and promptly enlist for a six-
year commitment. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfa-thers, who both served in the Navy. He left home in February 2007 for boot camp in Great Lakes, Mich., graduated just days before his 18th birthday and transferred to San Diego to train to be a sonar technician.
In December 2008, he left for Yokosuka, Japan, where he has spent the last four years
aboard the USS John S. Mc-Cain.
He never celebrated his high school graduation with his classmates, and when he fi-nally came home last month, it was to a different Plant City. He left as a 17-year-old high school kid. He returned as a man of 23.
“It’s really weird to be back,”
SEE TAYLOR / PAGE 2
At just 17 years old, Plant City’s Daniel Taylor left home to begin his service in the U.S. Navy. Now 23,
he returned home last month after four years in Japan.
HOMETOWN HEROESHometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Observer in which we profile veterans from
Plant City. If you have a loved one currently serving or who has served in the past, please contact Managing Editor Michael Eng by email at [email protected] or by phone at (813) 704-6850.
Amber Jurgensen
Petty Officer 2nd Class daniel s. taylor completed six years in the U.S. Navy. Top: Taylor was sta-tioned on the USS John S. McCain destroyer.
hometown hero by amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
RISING soN
TEAM MEMBERSRobbie BurdetteDestiny CoxRussell EspinalAnthony JohnsonFrank MohedanoHannah ProphetHannah SpiveyEmilee Vue
The YearPicturesin
1/2
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Taylor says. “The last time I saw my friends, they were like 15 or 16, and now we’re going to bars together.”
When his six-year enlistment officially ends in February 2013, Taylor will begin the next chapter of his life. He hopes to use the GI Bill to attend college — possibly Hillsborough Community College or the University of South Florida. He harbors dreams of studying quantum physics and learning to calibrate medical equipment in hospitals. Eventually, he wants to pursue his doctoral degree and become a college professor.
OUT TO SEATaylor spent as many as 300
days a year out at sea aboard the USS McCain. Throughout his en-tire enlistment, he returned home only a few times.
Likening the conflict between South Korea and North Korea to a second cold war, Taylor says the two countries fought constantly. When Taylor’s ship came into a port between the two coun-tries, firing would cease to let it through. As soon as it passed, Tay-lor could hear the gunfire resume.
In 2010, Taylor watched on so-nar equipment a South Korean ship exploding from an attack, al-legedly by North Korean missiles. His ship was just 20 miles away.
“‘Oh, wow,’” Taylor remembers thinking. “‘This is serious. This is really happening.’”
Taylor also saw a lot of Chinese activity. A Chinese submarine was shadowing his ship in the South China Sea in 2009. Before both vessels knew it, they were on top of each other. The Chinese sub-marine allegedly damaged the
sonar equipment. Taylor went down to check the steel cable that towed the sonar equipment behind the destroyer. Usually, it was taut. Taylor grabbed it, and it went slack.
“I thought, ‘This is bad,’” Taylor says. “I don’t even know what to do about this. There are no rules for this.”
“It was a little cat-and-mouse playtime between China and the U.S.,” Taylor’s father, Scott, says.
Perhaps the most dangerous situation Taylor faced was the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. His ship was pulling into a har-bor on a sunny day, when a rogue wave barreled through the waters. Several oil refineries dotted the coast just north of the harbor, and within minutes, dark mushroom clouds appeared in the sky.
“We thought, ‘Is this the end of the world?’” Taylor remembers. “This is definitely what it seems like.”
Taylor has a picture of the refin-eries silhouetted against a yellow-orange sky of fire.
The USS McCain stayed an-chored overnight. The next day, the ship went in to gather sup-plies and then headed back out to sea to help with the relief effort. Aircraft dropping off supplies used his ship as a landing pad to refuel.
During those weeks, Taylor saw everything from hardwood floor-ing to dresser drawers float by 50 miles off the coast. He had to use a radiation counter to detect his levels and carry a radiation suit with him for emergencies.
“It was pretty unnerving, be-cause it just looked like a sunken city,” Taylor says.
DOWN TIMEAlthough Taylor was at sea for
the majority of his service in Ja-pan, he still had time to explore the Far East. From giant Buddha statues, next to which Taylor was only as big as a toe, to a statue of Bruce Lee, Taylor took in as many sights as he could.
“The culture is completely dif-ferent,” Taylor says. “In America, people are more independent. There, people are more commu-nity-oriented.”
He even visited Japan’s legend-ary Suicide Forest, where people have killed themselves on site out of honor since the year 800. Folklore states it is guarded by demons. Taylor and his military buddies spent the night there on Halloween.
His favorite city was Hong Kong.
“It’s just like a sailor town,” Tay-lor says. “One bar we went to had been there for 85 years.”
At a restaurant in Japan, a mon-key waited on him. Taylor tipped his monkey server with soybeans. To get the monkey’s attention,
customers ring a bell. Then, they give the monkey a colored card that indicates a menu item. The monkey brings it to the cook and returns with the food.
Taylor also climbed Mt. Fuji, taking five hours to reach the top. Being from Florida, he wasn’t ac-customed to the altitude changes.
“There were little old Japanese ladies with their walking sticks passing me,” Taylor says.
HOME FOR GOODAs Taylor’s six-year enlistment
neared its end earlier this year, he stood at a crossroads. The Navy had offered him a promotion — a position on the Maritime Expedi-tionary Security Squadron Two. But, after careful consideration, Taylor decided to come home — much to the delight of his fam-ily.
“Graduating from Plant City High at 17, then spending six years away from home, serv-ing his country ... he’s ready to come home,” his mother, Diane, had said before his return. “We’re ready to have him back. We’ve missed him so much.”
The family was able to keep in touch with Taylor through email and Skype. But at times, the time difference and the ocean made connecting difficult.
“It was tough,” Scott says. “That was the hard part — never know-ing when you’re going to hear from him.”
Taylor agrees.“A lot of times, they’d see some-
thing on the news and email me and say, ‘Did you hear about this?’” Taylor remembers. “I’d say, ‘Yeah, I’m here dealing with it.’”
Seventh-grader Destiny Cox’s favorite part of the competition is core values.
“That’s where we show peo-ple that we can work together as a team,” Cox said.
“Yes they have a lot of chal-lenges, but it’s mainly about how they work together,” Reeves said. “Everybody’s ideas are included.”
Teams also are judged on pro-fessionalism, which includes sportsmanship, handling pres-sure gracefully and working as a team.
“All the kids have strength in different areas,” Reeves said. “Some are strong at robot pro-gramming. Some are good at research. We had to present in-formation in a skit, so some are good actors. Each is part of a whole.”
The team grew out of a ro-botics elective class Reeves has taught for three years. Cox first took an interest in the team af-ter her brother participated in the club.
“It looked interesting,” Cox said. “Seeing all those robots, how they’re built, they’re very technical and complex.”
The team is competing at an-other qualifying tournament Jan. 5, even though they already have made it to regionals.
“It’s more of an opportunity for the kids to practice, com-pete again and meet some of the teams,” Reeves said.
F.I.R.E. went to the state championships last year and won the Inspiration Award.
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JUNE
1. Students from Walden Lake Early Learning Center learned all about fire safety during their visit to Plant City Fire Rescue June 28. 2. Michael S. Sparkman took the oath of office to succeed Dan Raulerson as Plant City mayor on June 11. 3. Cousins Sierra Tillis and Alexis Summey celebrated graduating from Strawberry Crest High School June 7, at the Florida State Fairgrounds. 4. Former Mayor Dan Raulerson spoke at the annual State of the City Address June 11. 5. The Plant City Photo Archives & History Center welcomed the Smithsonian Journey Stories exhibit to Plant City in June. 6. Michael Bennett, Tshambria Robinson, Vashawn Gainer, Amanda Rodenmeyer, Wayne Tellis, Kali Jimenez, Jeremy Minaya and Falyn Chapman were ready to turn their tassels at Plant City High School’s Commencement June 7, at the Florida State Fairgrounds. 7. Durant High School’s Alexis Comas celebrated graduation with her friends and classmates June 1, at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
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As we count our blessings from the past year
and look ahead to 2013, we are thankful for our
loyal readers and advertisers and wish a happy new year
to you and your family from our family at the
Plant City Observer.
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Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 20126 PlantCityObserver.com
ou can’t getany closer tohome thanSunshine State.
We are Plant City’s oldest and largest hometown financial
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We make all decisions locally and offer all the modern banking
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If you like the idea of doing business close to home, visit us
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Also offices in: BRANDON, RIVERVIEW and ZEPHYRHILLS
1. Joe and velma newsome at the Plant City centennial celebration, circa 1985. Velma Newsome, beloved Strawberry Festival volunteer and Sunday School teacher, died at her home July 16. Published July 19. 2. eris Doner practiced her sparkler technique in preparation for this year’s Fourth of July festivities. The 3-year-old loves living close to Historic Downtown Plant City, which she visits often with her parents, Dawn and thomas, and sister, athena, 2. Published July 4. 3. Clemons Road performed at Plant City’s July 4 celebration at Plant City Stadium. Published July 12. 4. vanessa Martinez, 6, showed off her rec-center spirit by cheering on the MLK team during the kickball match between the MLK and Planteen rec centers July 13. Published July 19. 5. anna Watkins, 5, had fun pushing ava Hastings, 6, on the tire swing dur-ing First Presbyterian Church of Plant City’s Vacation Bible School. Published July 26. 6. Plant City’s Dr. Dennis Digamon completed eight dental missions as part of international service for the Plant City Rotary Club. Published July 12.
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Courtesy of Plant City Photo Archives & History Center
Courtesy photo
PlantCityObserver.com 7 Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012
Bay Swamp
Former Fort Green Mine, Polk County
That’s our promise.At Mosaic, our 3,000-plus Florida employees are devoted to preserving
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AUGUST
1. A crew working with Academy Award-winning director cynthia Wade shot a scene at Neumeister’s Candy Shoppe for a short film. Published Aug. 2. 2. Never Fade Bluegrass Band played before and during Plant City’s First Baptist Church’s Cowboy Church. Published Aug. 2. 3. While having tea with her family, Mia cook, 7, was thrilled to meet 2012 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen chelsea bowden Aug. 25, at Camellia Rose Tea Room and Boutique. Published Aug. 30. 4. James timberlake, 9, was among the karate kids who enjoyed a little fun in the sun during Chris Welbon Karate Club’s Karate Camp. Published Aug. 9. 5. Marshall Middle School’s Penny reeves won the 2012 Exemplary Science Teacher Award of Excellence. Published Aug. 30. 6. Plant City sousaphone player Kevin li worked dili-gently on the most difficult parts of his music for the marching band’s 2012 show. Published Aug. 16.
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Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 20128 PlantCityObserver.com
SEPTEMBER1. Mary Fales, right, is one of the founders of the Sligh Junior High School Lunch Bunch. She is working to track down every student who attended the school in the early 1950s. Published Sept. 27. 2. Dalton carrington loved zooming down this slide at Play for a Cure Sept. 22, at Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex. Published Sept. 27. 3. bruce shwedick has been fascinated with reptiles for most of his life. Published Sept. 13. 4. Seventeen Plant City High School students attended The Washington Center’s Campaign 2012 Academic Seminar Series, dur-ing the Republican National Convention. Published Sept. 6. 5. After a decade of work, the renovations of the Bing Rooming House were completed. Published Sept. 27. 6. The Florida Strawberry Festival released its theme — “Our Masterpiece of Fun” — for the 2013 festival. Published Sept. 13. 7. ethan Pues dressed in magical garb for Bruton Memorial Library’s Harry Potter-themed bash Sept. 1. Published Sept. 6.
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1. l.t. cochran, second from left, along with carey blanton, Jason creech and brenda cochran, have encountered many unexplainable events during their work as the Plant City Paranormal Research team. Published Oct. 25. 2. Knotts Hardware, originally called Knotts Trading and Supply, closed Oct. 12. It had been in operation since the 1930s. Published Oct. 4. 3. Highland Packaging Solutions CEO steve Maxwell began moving his company to its new Plant City headquarters. Published Oct. 4. 4. The Futch family had been growing a giant corn maze on its Plant City farm for more than a year. The Fox Squirrel Corn Maze opened Oct. 13. Published Oct. 11. 5. Lakeland-based adam Holbrook navigated cable spools, suspended platforms, narrow ramps and a massive 10-foot wall during his FERE Thrill Show at the 10th anniversary of Bike Fest Oct. 6. Published Oct. 11. 6. Plant City High School celebrated its newest Calendar Girls. This year’s Cover Girl is ericka lott, cen-ter. Published Oct. 4.
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“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding
principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly
to aDvertiseCall veronica Prostko or ronda Kyler at 704-6850.
senD Us yoUr neWsWe want to hear from
you. Let us know about your community events, celebrations and family member achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Michael Eng, [email protected]
Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563
contact UsThe Plant City Observer is published once weekly,
on Thursdays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A.
If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call linda lancaster at 704-6850.
Courtesy of Stephanie Humphrey/Stephanie Humphrey Photography
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PlantCityObserver.com 9 Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012
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NOVEMBER1. U.S. Army Pfc. Jordan Williams and his nephew, caden roberts, embraced upon Jordan’s return to Plant City after a tour in Afghanistan. Published Nov. 1. 2. As always, the children dressed in period costumes were the highlight of the annual Pioneer Heritage Day Nov. 10. Published Nov. 15. 3. billy Keel, former chairman of the Plant City Planning Board, became the newest member of the Plant City Commission at its Nov. 13 meeting. Published Nov. 15. 4. andy Gallacher, a correspondent for the English version of Al Jazeera, the Arabic-language news network, broadcast from Parkesdale Farm Market during the final week before the presidential election. Published Nov. 8. 5. emily thorston-riley and the Durant marching band competed twice Nov. 3 — first at the FBA District 7 Marching Music Performance Assessment event, at Strawberry Crest High School, and later at the Music in Motion competition in Lakewood Ranch. Published Nov. 8. 6. Gordon rego, of World’s Smokin’ Que, demonstrated his special sauce application technique at this year’s Pig Jam. Published Nov. 22. 7. Dancing with the Locals contestants Karen Fuentes and eric randall wowed the judges with their routine — earning a perfect score. Published Nov. 15.
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DECEMBER3
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1. norma Hernandez was among dozens of performers at St. Clement Catholic Church’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration. Published Dec. 13. 2. Plant City Police Department motorcyclists cleared the streets for the 2012 Christmas Parade. Published Dec. 13. 3. annika ellenbogen starred as Emma in “The Role of Della,” during Strawberry Crest High School’s Night of One Acts. Published Dec. 6.
Working for a community newspaper is unique, because I really get to know the commu-nity much more closely than I would as a beat reporter for a large metro daily.
This means I often have op-portunities to connect with the people I write about. And, there is also a better chance the sto-
ries I write will have a personal effect on me.
Although I’ve only been working in Plant City since June, there are several mo-ments that stand out for me personally, as well as sto-
ries that have touched me. One is the Brandon TOP-
Soccer program, which offers soccer for boys and girls with varying special needs. The story focused on Darius Way, a Plant City teenager diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome who has been involved with the TOPSoccer program for 11 years.
When I met Karen, Darius’ mother, she told me Darius did not know of his diagnosis. He only knew he enjoyed the soc-cer program and the friends he had made there. We published a story about him and the tro-phies he has won.
Karen told me she planned to use the article as a way to let 17-year-old Darius know about his condition.
It was something I wasn’t expecting, and I worked tire-lessly on writing an article that met those high standards. I was happy when I received an email from Karen.
“The article you wrote about TOPSoccer and Darius was fantastic,” she said. “I was very pleased with it, and all of my family and friends just loved it. Thank you so much for featur-ing my No. 1 son. I hope, in some way, it will inspire other parents not to give up on their children, no matter what is said about them. Thank you so much for letting us have a voice.”
Whether it is successfully writing tough stories like that one or giving the proper cover-age to all-star baseball teams or a historic run of a high school football team, they all are just a few examples of why this job is so rewarding.
As we enter a new year, it is my honor and privilege to keep providing you with this cover-age.
Y O U T H | H I G H S C H O O L | G O L F | S E N I O R S | C O M M U N I T Y | T E N N I S
Sports YEaR IN SpORTSSee inside for our
top five moments and teams of 2012. 12-14
THURSDaY, DECEMBER 27, 2012PLANTCITYObserver.COm
SHOw ME THE MaUNEY
MaTTMaUNEY
Communitycoveragegoes deeperthan stories
The YearSportsin
Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 201212 PlantCityObserver.com
2. SMALL TOWN, BIG EVENTSPlant City is establishing itself as a major host of large
sporting events. Recently, Otis M. Andrews Park hosted the United Youth
Football League’s national championship, during which top youth teams from across the country converged on Plant City. Several local teams also participated in the tour-nament, with the Plant City 10-unlimited Raiders winning a national title.
In March, the National Club Baseball and Softball Asso-ciation brought college baseball and softball teams from throughout the country to Plant City to hold their spring training here. That tradition will continue in 2013.
The International Softball Federation, which calls Plant City home, regularly holds national and international competitions here, and the USSSA and the Global Sports Alliance also have attracted notable youth baseball tourna-ments to town, utilizing Plant City’s great parks.
3. CREST RE-CHARGEDThe Strawberry Crest football team came into the year
with a new coaching staff and a team that won just one game a season ago. After a convincing win in their pre-season classic against Freedom, the Chargers put a stamp on a new era in the regular season opener, upsetting rival Plant City High 21-7 Aug. 1.
The win was the first against the Raiders and helped to gain the Strawberry Crest program, in just its fourth year of existence, some deserving attention.
Strawberry went on to have one of the most successful seasons to date, going 4-6 with hard-fought losses to dis-trict powers Hillsborough, Armwood and Sickles.
CROSS_ANS_122712
This week’s Cryptogram answers
This week’s Crossword answers
2012
1. A friend saw his neighbor had dollar bills on his bushes. The neighbor said it was his hedge fund.
2. Financial regulation of Wall Street will be described in an upcoming comedy play, “The Taming of the Shrewd.”
987
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Memorable MomentsThere was no shortage of great moments this past year in Plant City sports. Durant High School especially had a memorable year, with its softball team winning the program’s first state
championship followed by a historic 11-1 campaign by the Cougars football team. The Plant City Observer was born this July, but we take a look back even further to recap the year that was in
local sports, highlighting the notable moments and the great teams that took the fields in the past 12 months. And as we look forward to 2013, the Plant City Observer can’t wait to provide our readers with a full year of
the most in-depth local sports coverage around.
toP Five sPorts MoMents oF 20121. PERFECT COUGARS
The playoffs and a second straight district title already had been clinched by the Durant High football team, as the Cougars entered the game against King Nov. 9. It was that game that stood in the way of history. Durant rose up to the chal-lenge, beating King 31-0 and capping off its first 10-0 regular season in school history.
“It’s something that we’ve never done, and I got chills today talking about it,” said head coach Mike Gottman about that win. “It’s just an awe-some experience. It doesn’t happen very often, so it’s just an outstanding feeling right now.”
The Cougars finished off their historic season with a region quarterfinal win against Tampa Bay Tech and a loss in the region semifinal to rival Newsome.
the year in sports by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
4. A LEAGUE OF HER OWNThe best baseball pitching pros-
pect in the Plant City area may be a girl. Chelsea Baker, a sophomore at Durant High School, has gained national attention over the years for her dominance on the baseball mound, mowing down boys.
Baker’s signature pitch, the knuckleball, was taught to her by former major leaguer Joe Niekro.
Baker was featured on ESPN when she was 13. That segment was re-aired in June with an up-date. Baker has had her jersey enshrined at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and she made a trip to Japan this year, where girls/women’s baseball continues to grow.
This fall, Baker tried out and made the baseball team at Du-rant.
It’s safe to say that there will be plenty more highlights to come in the future for this talented pitcher.
5. FOREVER A TROJANA historic coach was honored Aug. 4. Not for a high
school, college or professional team, and many people may have never heard of him. But, the players he coached and the people with whom he worked sure do.
Clarence “Junior” Clifton, the first coach of the Turkey Creek Trojans, was honored that day at Turkey Creek Sta-dium off Connell Road, in Plant City. Clifton coached the inaugural 1968 Trojans team and stayed involved with the program for 12 years. The Trojans still are thriving today.
Clifton received a framed Trojans jersey, along with hav-ing the press box at the stadium named in his honor.
His grandson, Ben, plays for the Plant City Dolphins, the team the Trojans faced the day Clifton was honored.
PlantCityObserver.com 13 Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012
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It truly was a remark-able year for the Durant High softball team.
The Lady Cougars brought home the school’s first state championship in the sport, beating Miami Palmetto 8-2 in the Class 8A title game. Du-rant entered the state playoffs as a dark horse, but the team pulled out several come-from-be-hind victories to finish a remarkable playoff run.
It was the opening game of the district tournament that set the pace for the re-mainder of the postseason, when the Lady Cougars battled back from an 11-0 deficit to Alonso to come back and win 15-14.
Durant was given extra motivation in an emotional way when, on May 4, just a week before the Lady Cougars began the state playoffs, Antoinette Cuellar, “Momma C,”
lost her battle with breast cancer. Cuellar’s daughter, Olivia, was a senior shortstop for Durant.
Durant lost four seniors but returns a solid nucleus that has played together for a while and now has the experience of play-ing for and winning a state championship. Paige Davis, a pitcher and catcher, will be one of the key returning players as Durant seeks to defend its state title.
The Durant football team came into the season with key spots to fill on defense and on the offensive line, as well as finding a re-placement for quarterback Nick Fabrizio, who signed with the U.S. Naval Academy.
The Cougars answered those questions by putting together the best season in pro-gram history, finishing 10-0 in the regular season for the first time since the school opened in 1995. Durant won its first playoff game over Tampa Bay Tech 34-7 in the re-gion quarterfinals before its season came to an end with its first loss to district rival New-some 21-14, in the region semifinals.
The Cougars averaged 209 rushing yards
per game and 34 points per game this sea-son, while their defense allowed fewer than 10 points per contest.
Despite the early exit from the playoffs, the Cougars established themselves as a dominant program this year and certainly one to watch in the coming years. Durant will lose standout fullback Jamarlon Hamil-ton, who rushed for 1,340 yards as a senior, but will return quarterback Trey VanDe-Grift, rising junior running back Crispian Atkins and a future star in defensive end Dontriel Perry.
1. DURANT SOFTBALL
2. DURANT FOOTBALL
SEE YEAR IN REVIEW / PAGE 14
Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 201214 PlantCityObserver.com
CROSSWORD_122712
O B S E RV E R C RO S S WO R DEdited by Timothy E. Parker
CRYPTOGRAMS
1. D W S P I J L Q D F B P Q J I P Y B Z H S B D L L H X X D S Z P X X Q H J B P Q
Z O Q B I Q . A B I J I P Y B Z H S Q D P L P A F D Q B P Q B I L Y I W O J L .
2. G P T F T V P F E B Z H C E F S P J T J G K F E E I S B Z Z S K P E E R Z Y Z I V B P R Z Y
P T F T C Q V J U P T H V J U Z Y O Q E F O , “ S D Z S F U P T H J G S D Z I D B Z K Y. ”
ACROSS 1 “Over here!” noise 5 An 8x10, e.g. 10 The “turf” in surf
and turf 15 Not at all certain 19 Rebounded sound 20 Gentleman burglar
Arsene 21 Muslim pilgrim
(var.) 22 Bathroom floor
item, often 23 Spooky logic (Part 1
of 5) 25 Tribulation’s partner 26 “Thanks ___!” 27 Super-impress 28 Luxurious country
estate 29 Hot beverage carts 31 Petty or grand crime 33 Wrestling pads 34 Odd fellow 35 Miner concern 36 Distinctive feature of
a new car’s interior 38 “I, Robot” author
Asimov 40 Cold onion and
potato soup 44 Granny and clove
hitch 45 Former low-value
French coin 48 Compressed data 49 Cultivated land 50 Spooky logic (Part 2
of 5) 52 Christian symbol 54 Caviar, literally 55 Antique shop item 56 Roy’s partner 57 Chapel famous for
___ against that!” 106 More than patch up 107 Open-and-___ case 108 Point of ___ (British
lighthouse site) 112 “A Nightmare on Elm
Street” creator Craven
113 “You never ___ it so good!”
A SPOOKY THOUGHT by Mary Jersey
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4. LOCAL YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAMSIt wouldn’t be fair to highlight just one team in what was
a great season for youth football in the area. A handful of local teams went undefeated in the regular
season of the Florida Youth Football and Cheerleading As-sociation this year. Two local teams met in the Super Bowl in the junior varsity and varsity divisions. The JV Turkey Creek Trojans defeated the Plant City Dolphins and ad-vanced Dec. 15, to Raymond James Stadium, where they played the Nuccio Jaguars. In the varsity division, the Do-ver Patriots took home the Super Bowl championship with a win over Turkey Creek.
In Plant City’s second year hosting the United Youth Football League’s National Championships, several local teams had the chance to compete against some of the na-tion’s best.
The 10-unlimited Plant City Raiders team earned the title of national champions after going 3-0 in the tourna-ment against teams from Newark, N.J., Jacksonville and Chicago.
5. PLANT CITY GIRLS SOCCERThe Plant City girls soccer team is a program on the rise. Just two years ago, the Lady Raiders managed just their
second winning season in school history and advanced to the regionals with a 2-0 win over East Bay in districts. This past season, Plant City once again advanced to regionals and, this time, won a game, defeating Tarpon Springs 3-1 in the quarterfinals before losing a close match to Seminole.
This season, the Lady Raiders welcomed a new head coach in Caleb Roberts, who played for the boys team at Plant City before playing collegiately at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Plant City is off to another good start this season and returns most of the key players from last year’s team.
3. 10-11 LITTLE LEAGUE ALL-STARSPerhaps the team that will enter the new year with the
most pressure for a repeat performance will be a group of 10- and 11-year-olds.
The Plant City 10-11 All-Stars repeated as state and re-gion champs this year, going through the entire season with just one loss.
That loss came to Tennessee in pool play of the South-east Regional, otherwise known as the Tournament of Champions, held in Greenville, N.C. Representing Flor-ida as state champs, the Plant City All-Stars avenged
their lone loss, beating Tennessee 4-1 in the champion-ship game. The Southeast Regional is as far as the 10-11 age group could go, as with the 9-10 region champion-ship team last year, but the team will have an opportu-nity to advance further next year, as the 11-12 All-Stars, with a chance to move past regionals to the coveted Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
This year’s 11-12 team fell short of that goal but had a great season nonetheless, winning a state championship before being eliminated in their regional in Warner Rob-ins, Ga.
year in sPorts/PaGe 15
PlantCityObserver.com 15 Plant city observerTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012
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