The home run that keeps on giving

Well, hasn't former East Lake standout Chris Coghlan been in the news lately?

First he gets called up and blasts his first homer.

Then there's a story about his homer ball being held for ransom.

Then he takes out the Ray's Aki Iwamura on a slide at second, ending the second baseman's season.

Now, the guy (a little obnoxious, kinda geeky) who held the home run ball for ransom is firing back. This is long, but funny and well worth the work to get through it. The picture of Coghlan at the end is priceless.

CLICK ME

Midday sports report

Tom Jones discusses the news of the day and tells you what we're working on this afternoon at tampabay.com in our latest "Midday sports report.''

It's official: SAC splits into divisions

A move that had long been speculated and advocated came to fruition last week, when the executive committee of the 12-team Sunshine Athletic Conference voted to split the Pasco County league into east-west divisions.

The committee, comprised of the county's high school principals, voted by a 7-3 count (with one abstaining) at its May 20 meeting to divide the conference for five sports (basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball).

Teams must play each divisional opponent at least once, with a team's five-game record in divisional play determining its place in the standings. The move comes in the wake of the FHSAA's district realignment and its vote to reduce the number of regular season contests in all team sports except football to 20.

"It's impossible to play everyone in the conference two times; it's too big," said outgoing SAC president Paul Girardi, Gulf's longtime athletic director who is retiring at the end of the school year.

"If you have 20 contests and you have 11 opponents in the conference, that's 22 games. You can't do it. Something had to be done."

Playing each conference foe even once wasn't really feasible either.

Consider Class 4A, District 7, which consists of seven Pasco schools. In basketball, coaches have agreed to play each district foe twice, locking each team into 12 games. Scheduling the other five SAC schools would leave only three vacancies on each team's schedule.

"Something had to be done," Girardi said. "The conference got too large."

Like the FHSAA's 20-contest limit, the divisional split is in effect only two years. SAC executive secretary/treasurer Keith Newton said the conference title in football will remain determined by conference winning percentage.

Other sports (i.e. track, swimming, golf) determine their champions by conference tournaments, which will remain intact.

The new Sunshine Athletic Conference
West: Anclote Gulf, Hudson, Mitchell, Ridgewood, River Ridge
East: Land O'Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills

JOEY KNIGHT

Bulldogs' Fern signs with St. Johns River CC

Rangy Zephyrhills senior left-hander Chris Fern signed this afternoon with St. Johns River Community College, becoming the second east Pasco player to join the Palatka-based program.

Fern (left, seated) finished 4-4 with a 2.13 ERA last season, striking out 45 and walking 28 in 42.2 innings. As a junior, he went 6-2 with a 1.91 ERA.

He'll join Pasco shortstop Jake Schrader at SJRCC.

JOEY KNIGHT

For legendary Largo coach, the ring is the thing

Six years ago, popular Largo High cross country coach Brent Haley lost his national coach of the year ring at school when he set it down to play tennis.

Everyone pitched in to find it.

A metal detector was used, a $200 reward was offered and trips to the pawn shop were made.

All to no avail.

"I was pretty upset," said, Haley, now 68.

Last week, Haley (shown here in 2003), now retired, got some good -- and unexpected -- news. The ring was found by Largo junior Kristi Sofroni, who was retrieving tennis balls when he spotted something in the dirt.

"This is just unbelievable how it happened," Haley said.

During his storied coaching career, Haley’s teams won 10 state championships, a Florida record for the sport. In 1976, he was honored by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association as its coach of the year during a ceremony in Oregon.

Midday sports report

Two Cents' Tom Jones discusses the news of the day and tells you about the stories we're currently working on.

Hillsborough-Pinellas All-Star Baseball Game

TAMPA -- The Hillsborough vs. Pinellas High School All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, June 7 at Tropicana Field at 6 p.m. There will also be a home run derby before the game at 3 p.m.

Here’s the  Hillsborough roster:
Chad Taylor, Jefferson, SS/OF
Mychal Givens, Plant, P/SS
Robert Benincasa, Armwood, P
Michael Smith, Brandon, C/1B
Arley Benton, Spoto, DH/C
Kory Wan, Gaither, SS/2B
Jay Laurienzo, Hillsborough, OF
Nick Lockwood, Jesuit, 2B
Rolando Peraza, Leto, 2B/1B
Casey Smit, Alonso, 3B
Josh Dunn, Sickles, 3B
Greg Dupell, Jesuit, 1B
Steve Christiansen, Wharton, 1B
Chris Norton, East Bay, C
Adam Pendleton, Alonso, C
Taylor Leggatt, King, OF
Ryan Henry, Tampa Catholic, RF/P
Derek Hudgins, Middleton, OF
Blake Kennedy, Lennard, OF
Austin Buck, Durant, P
Gregg Cooke, Sickles, P
Cory Schools, Brandon, P
R.J. Brown, Bloomingdale, P
Jake Lowe, Plant, P
Joe Hudson, Jesuit, C/3B

Coaches:
Head coach – J.J. Pizzio, Leto
Assistants – Matt Stallbaumer, Brandon; Rich Arena, Tampa Catholic; Kenny White, Hillsborough

Here's the Pinellas roster:

Cody Alessi, East Lake, P
Nick Papa, East Lake, P
Winston Rivas, Osceola, P
Scott Robinson, Seminole, P
Kyle Westwood, Palm Harbor U., P
Todd Haskell, Dunedin, C
Craig Schafer, Osceola, C
Zander Devlin, St. Petersburg Catholic, IF
Kyle Leja, Countryside, IF
Cody Mattull, Pinellas Park, IF
Zach Sobel, PHU, IF
Sawyer Wilson, Countryside, IF
Richard Wisniewski, Pinellas Park, IF
Mike Martello, Seminole, IF
Anthony Varner, PHU, IF
Colby Bowen, Largo, OF
Mike Carlin, Seminole, OF
Mark Danna, Dixie Hollins, OF
Anthony Diaz, PHU, OF
Lincoln Dunham, East Lake, OF
David Edwards, Northside Chr., OF
Nick Franz, East Lake, OF
Thomas Henry, Canterbury, OF
Joe Lamoureux, Seminole, OF
Ryan McDonald, Northside Chr., OF
Dustin Sanford, Clearwater, OF

Coaches

Head coach: David Vince, Clearwater

All-Suncoast baseball and softball meeting

It's time once again to let you in on the selection process for our all-Suncoast baseball and softball teams (comprised from Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties). Feel free to heckle us, or try to sway us. And if you have strong opinions about who should be on the teams, don't wait. Go ahead and comment below or shoot an e-mail to johncotey@gmail.com

Still no favs for Deering, but FSU offer still feels great

Leto running back Jeremy Deering said Wednesday he still doesn't have any leaders, but the Falcons rising senior still believes receiving a scholarship offer from Florida State on Tuesday was special.

"I followed them growing up," Deering said. "Me and my dad would watch the Florida-Florida State games on TV."

Deering already own scholarship offers from South Carolina, Ole Miss, Purdue, West Virginia, Syracuse, UCF and USF, but FSU's offer was the first from the state's traditional "big three."

Still, don't expect Deering to jump at the offer.

"I definitely want to take my time," he said.

He ran for 1,077 yards (7.38 yards per carry) last season while splitting time between running back to quarterback.  

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Castelamare shines in Scottish volleyball event

USF senior setter Brittany Castelamare was selected MVP of a national team that recently placed second in the Scottish Open Volleyball Tournament in Perth, Scotland.

A former River Ridge High standout, Castelamare played for one of two teams representing USA Athletes International, a non-profit organization that gives amateur athletes and coaches the chance to compete in Olympic-style sporting events internationally. Fellow Bulls setter Mariana Thon also was on the team.

In an e-mail to Bulls coach Claire Lessinger from USA Athletes International program coordinator Rick Stebbins, the latter said: "I traveled with the teams and I must tell you, (Castelamare) represented herself, her school and the United States well! 

"I would also like to mention that Brittany was chosen and awarded Most Valuable Player. Quite a feat since the winning team was from Scotland and Brittany was a member of the second-place team!"

Castelamare and Thon teamed for more than 12 assists a game in the Bulls' 6-2 offense (two setters) last season.

JOEY KNIGHT