ANNA MARIA – Leading up to youth soccer semifinal playoff action, four teams in the U10 league took to the pitch at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Nov. 7. Cloud Pest Control lost 2-1 to Island Real Estate, advancing the team play against LaPensee Plumbing the following night.
The sure foot of Callin Westfall gave the Island Real Estate a goal and assist, while teammate Oliver Barr added a point to the scoreboard for his team.
On defense, goalkeeper Vincent Gollamudi made three critical saves in his team’s quarterfinal win.
The Island Real Estate offense kept Sawyer Leibfried busy with eight saves for Cloud Pest Control. Offensively for the Cloud squad, David Zupa had the team’s only goal in the game.
Solid Rock Construction easily defeated AMI Coconuts with the final score of 5-2. Solid Rock went on to play Sato Real Estate to determine which team made it to play in the championship game.
Despite a valiant effort by AMI Coconuts, Solid Rock Construction’s offense was too strong for their opponent.
With two goals, Renan Kesten led the scoring for Solid Rock with two goals. Kesten’s teammates Ruby Kesten, Turner Worth and Matthew Darak each had solo goals in the game.
Isaac Roadman protected his team’s goal in the quarterfinal game, saving two AMI Coconut shots. Roadman’s counterparts Jordan Steele and Sophia Kerr made a total of four saves against the strong Solid Rock offense.
The two AMI Coconut goals were made by Riley Karecki and Aidan Guess. Guess was credited with an assist to Karecki’s goal.
In a close one, LaPensee Plumbing went on to defeat Island Real Estate 2-1 in the second semifinal game on Nov. 8.
LaPensee’s big win comes after Solid Rock Construction’s narrow victory against Sato Real Estate. Taking the game into overtime, Solid Rock’s post-regulation play success gave the team the win, which clinched the first championship game slot for Solid Rock Construction in U10 play.
The U10 championship game was scheduled to take place on Nov. 14. After LaPensee Plumbing and Solid Rock Construction went head-to-head for the championship title, Progressive Cabinetry and HSH faced off for the U14 final win.
Progressive Cabinetry sealed the deal with a win against team Mac Parkman 3-2, paving the way to the team’s road to the U14 championship game Monday night.
ANNA MARIA – Ending the adult co-ed recreational soccer regular season at The Center of Anna Maria Island, last-place team Ross Built Construction and the top-ranked Wash Family Construction met on the pitch last Thursday night.
Week seven play ended in a 4-4 tie on Nov. 3 between the two teams, slated to meet again in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., according to The Center’s rankings.
The Center’s Marketing and Communications Director, Sam Parker, made a nice goal, tucking the soccer ball in the left corner of the net coming from the right side of the field. Teammate Raul Castano joins Parker in the statistics with a solo goal, along with two by Kali Richardson for Ross Built.
Getting past Steve Oelfke twice, Wash Family Construction’s Tyler Brewer’s two goals added to the single by team captain Kevin Roman and Austin Nutting.
Oelfke made eight saves in the final game. His counterpart, Mark Long, made seven all-important stops to help his team end the game a tie.
ServisFirst Bank’s defense kept the Gulfview Windows & Door scoring to only one goal by team captain Keith Mahoney. Teammate and keeper Tuna McCracken had eight saves in the game, only letting three get past him.
To score for ServisFirst, Selina Gonzalez-Salinas beat the Gulfview defense. Ugur “Lucky” Durmaz continued to strike successfully with two goals in the game.
In a blowout, team Sato Real Estate won against Slim’s Place with a final score of 8-0. Pedro Gonzalez had a hat trick with Danny Anderson and Lindsey Styka both scoring two goals against the third-seed team going into the quarterfinals.
Team captain Josh Sato made it on the board with a single. Finishing in second, Sato goes against ServisFirst next week.
Slim’s Place will match up against Moss Builders in quarterfinal play. With a surprising sixth-place finish, Moss Builders lost in a close one in the last game of the regular season against Pool America.
Hanging out in the middle of the pack with Gulfview, fourth-ranked Pool America scored seven goals against the Moss Builder goalies Ryan Moss, with seven saves, and James Roadman, with three.
Max Gazzo protected the Pool America goal, making three saves in the night.
Matthew Staggs earned his hat trick for Pool America along with Moss Builder’s Daniel Hampton.
Additional Moss Builder scoring came off the boots of Damir Glavan and Olaf Krause. The solid team came up short in the scoring department thanks to two goals by Nate Welch and solo goals by Gerardo Urbiola Bolanos and team captain Chris Klotz for Pool America.
The first game of the playoff season pits the mid-ranked teams against each other, as Gulfview Windows & Doors meets Pool America on Thursday, Nov. 10. Playoff action leads to the all-important Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup match on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
ANNA MARIA – With one game left in the regular season, three adult soccer games were played Oct. 27 at The Center of Anna Maria Island. After six games, Wash Family Construction and Slim’s Place are at the top of the rankings with 4-1-1 records.
In what would have been the fourth game of the night, team Wash Family took the win by forfeit against Slim’s Place.
In the first game, team Sato Real Estate, currently ranked third, played team Ross Built Construction. With the loss, Ross Built fell to last place with a 1-5-0 record.
Despite the loss, the Ross Built squad put up impressive statistics and stayed in the game until the final whistle blew.
Both teams produced double hat tricks. Lindsey Styka and Jacek Czajkowski scored six points for Sato Real Estate, with three goals each.
On the other side of the field, Dean Hinterstoisser and Greg Ross each scored three points for Ross Built Construction. Hinterstoisser and Ross made the only goals for their team in the 6-8 loss.
Adding to the Sato Real Estate scoring were team captain Josh Sato and Danny Anderson, each with singles. In the goal, Steve Oelfke was credited with three saves, while Adam Mott’s incredible saves helped Sato Real Estate capture the W.
Ross Built faces Wash Family Construction Thursday, Nov. 3 in the first game, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The Sato Real Estate team faces Slim’s Place in game three.
ServisFirst Bank met their match against Pool America in the second game of the night with a four-point loss.
Pool America’s Gerardo Urbiola Bolanos scored four goals of his own in the victory, with additional goals by Kris Yavalar and Jana Whitehead. Matt Staggs contributed to his team’s win with two goals of his own.
Selena Gonzalez-Salinas struck with two goals for ServisFirst Bank, along with solo goals by Ugur “Lucky” Durmaz and Joseph Keogh.
In the 8-4 game, Pool America’s goalkeepers helped with the big win. Chris Klotz led the charge with five saves, while Nate Welch stepped in to make two stops.
Welch’s time in goal allowed Klotz to play the field, earning an assist.
ServisFirst also put two players in the goal. Team captain Yuri Pereira was credited with one stop and Joseph Keogh made two big stops.
In week seven action, Pool America will face Moss Builders. Moss finished the week with a 2-2-2 record after losing to Gulfview Windows & Doors.
Gulfview, who handily beat Moss Builders, plays ServisFirst Bank in the last regular season week of adult soccer action in the 7 p.m. game.
Holding Moss Builders to four goals, Gulfview’s goalie Tuna McCracken made nine huge stops. On offense, McCracken’s teammates Raul Loera and team captain Keith Mahoney earned their own hat tricks. Asli Gunsel had two goals and Zach Long had a single in the 9-4 triumph.
Moss Builders’ scoring came off the boots of Damir Glavan and Jessica Williams, each with two goals. Olaf Krause, team captain for Moss Builders, supported his defense with four saves as keeper.
With the season’s schedule pushed a week due to Hurricane Ian, the much-anticipated Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup championship game is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.
ANNA MARIA – With only one game left in the regular season, the U10 competition is heating up with the LaPensee Plumbing team going into week six undefeated.
After solidly defeating Cloud Pest Control last Tuesday, LaPensee will face the number two ranked team, Sato Real Estate, in the last game before the start of playoffs.
In the 7-0 game, TJ Hagey and Preston LaPensee each had a hat trick in the game, scoring six points. Luca Rosen- krans made a solo goal for his team, helping to secure a solid win.
On the Cloud Pest Control side of the field, goalkeeper Salvatore Vera made six big saves. Vera’s counterpart for team LaPensee, keeper Asher Patel, contributed to the team win by making three critical stops, keeping the opponents scoreless through two halves of play.
Despite neither team getting on the scoreboard, the AMI Coconuts versus Island Real Estate proved to be an exciting defensive game with both goalies kept on their toes.
Island Real Estate’s Oliver Barr had five big saves in the game, while Sophia Kerr made seven huge stops for AMI Coconuts.
Hoping to make a move in the standings, team Solid Rock Construction lost to a determined Sato Real Estate squad. With his four saves and a strong defense, Sato Real Estate prevented Solid Rock from scoring. Gunnar Maize’s four saves helped to ensure the shutout.
The hot feet of Sato Real Estate kept the Solid Rock goalie, Luke Willing, on his toes throughout the game. Willing had seven saves in the game as his opponents sailed rocket shots his way.
On offense, the Sato brothers, Dylan and Brandon, worked the pitch. Younger brother Brandon scored three goals, with an assist by Dylan, to help take their team to victory.
In U14 play, team Progressive Cabinetry won against Mac Parkman with a final score of 2-1. Dominik Zupa scored the single goal for team Mac Parkman, while Mason Moss had two goals for the Progressive squad.
Charlie Serra was credited with four stops as the Progressive goalkeeper. Keeping the game close despite the loss, Xane Flores made three saves to close out the night of soccer at The Center.
SUN SCOREBOARD
OCT. 17
RED CUP KICKBALL – WEEK 1
Paddy Wagon (1-0-0) 16
Capt. Ron’s Crew (0-1-0) 14
Sato Real Estate (3-0-2)
Solid Rock Construction (1-3- 1) 0
U14
Progressive Cabinetry (1-2-0) 2
Mac Parkman (0-3-1) 1
HSH (3-0-1) Bye Week
OCT. 20
ADULT SOCCER – WEEK 5
Wash Family Construction (3- 1-1) 5 Gulfview Windows and Doors (2-3-0) 4
Servis First Bank (1-3-1) 4 Ross Built Construction (1-4-0) 1
ANNA MARIA – With fall youth soccer past mid-season, the coaches and players are looking toward playoffs and strengthening their records going into week 5 action.
LaPensee Plumbing and Island Real Estate are on top of the ranks for the U10 league with nearly identical records, with the win going to LaPensee last Tuesday night.
The 2-1 win against Island Real Estate put LaPensee Plumbing’s record to 3-0-1, while Island Real Estate’s record moved to 3-1-0. In the win, TJ Hagey and Preston LaPensee put the points up for their team.
Island Real Estate’s consistent striker and top scorer of the league, Callin Westfall, scored his team’s only goal, while Vincent Gollamudi continued to impress in goal with two critical saves.
Owen Mahoney worked his magic as the keeper for LaPensee Plumbing with three saves in the game.
In the second U10 game of the night, team Cloud Pest Control searched for their first win of the season, but the hot foot of Brandon Sato proved to be too much for the Cloud defense.
Scoring a hat trick with three goals in the game, Sato was the top scorer of the week. His brother, Dylan Sato, added a goal to the game statistics, giving him seven goals in the season.
Gunnar Maize prevented two Cloud Pest Control points with nice saves in the game to help his team to victory.
In a shutout, Solid Rock Construction won the last U10 game of the night against AMI Coconuts with a score of 2-0. Renan Kesten and Mathew Darak each had a goal for Solid Rock.
Goalkeeper Riley Karecki made four big saves against the Solid Rock Construction offense to help keep the AMI Coconuts squad in the game.
The U14 league is dominated by the undefeated HSH team. Winning against the Mac Parkman squad by two goals gave HSH a 3-0-1 record.
Scoring by Sterling Holiday, Krosby Lamison and Jayden Sparks for HSH and a solo goal by Ryk Kesten closed out the youth soccer action at The Center of Anna Maria Island for the week.
With three regular season games left to play, the title of champion is still up for grabs in the Island’s youth soccer leagues.
ANNA MARIA – On the beautiful fall night at The Center, players, friends, family and referees all came together for a night of soccer, grateful to have been spared by Hurricane Ian. Even though the action on the pitch was a bit overshadowed by non-stop conversations of gratefulness on the sidelines and in the stands, the eight adult soccer teams played hard-fought battles.
In the first game last Thursday night, Joey Hutchinson had the hot foot for Slim’s Place. Scoring six of the nine goals in the game for his team, Hutchinson also made an assist in the team’s 9-6 win against Pool America.
Kris Yavalar, for Pool America, lit up the scoreboard scoring the first goal of the game, finishing with four goals and an assist. Yavalar and Hutchinson worked for position on the field throughout the match-up, ending with Hutchinson doubling his scoring record for the season.
At the end of week three, Hutchinson leads the scoring in the league with a total of 12 points and three assists.
Slim’s Place scored three additional goals with a single by Eliza Faillace and two by Eric Pullen. Early in the game, Pullen sailed his strikes over the crossbar. Making the necessary adjustments, Pullen moved into third for scoring. With five goals, Pullen is tied with four other players in the scoring ranks. Amy Ivin, Kevin Roman, Keith Mahoney and Yavalar each closed out the third week of play with five goals.
For Pool America, Gerardo Urbiola Bolano put up two points in the loss. These are the first two points of the season for Bolano.
In the goal, Jack Goodier was credited with two saves in the game. Goodier was relieved by Pool America teammate and captain Chris Klotz, who had an injury in the game.
Slim’s Place’s P.J. Smargisso made critical saves for his team. Making six stops in the game helped his team to victory.
Ties and close scoring action was the name of the game for the rest of the night. Wash Family Construction tied Servis 1st Bank in game two. The third game of the night ended in a tie between Moss Builders and Sato Real Estate.
Wash Family Construction’s Kevin Roman had a hat trick in the game, while Yuri Pereira made three saves for Servis.
Pereira’s teammates put five goals on the scoreboard with solo goals by Luca Vecchio and Juan Carlo Perez.
Servis 1st Bank’s Ugur “Lucky” Durmaz matched Roman’s hat trick with three goals of his own.
In the keeper position, Mark Long made eight critical saves in the game for Wash Family, keeping them in the game.
Tyler Brewer’s two goals helped to get the Wash Family team to the tie.
Saving 11 shots, Ryan Moss kept the shooting power of Sato Real Estate to six goals. Moss’ team, Moss Builders, made their six shots count, with six points scored in the tie-ending game.
For Moss Builders scoring, Damir Glavan had four goals, with an additional two by Daniel Hampton and Jessica Williams.
Sato Real Estate’s points came at the foot of Danny Anderson with a hat trick and two by Lindsey Styka. Teammate Pedro Gonzalez added a goal in the 6-6 game.
Ending the night, Ross Built Construction matched up against Gulfview Windows & Doors. Gulfview eked out the win with two goals, scored by captain Keith Mahoney and Raul Loera.
In the 2-1 game, Gulfview’s goalie Tuna McCracken supported his team defensively with seven big stops in the game. Steve Oelfke made five critical saves.
Avoiding the goose egg, off an assist by Raul Castano, Eduardo Schlueter scored Ross Builts’ only goal in the game.
After three games, Slim’s Place is on top with a 3-0-0 record. With more than half the season left to play, can the Slim’s crew stay on top?
ANNA MARIA – With a week of practice under their belt, eight youth soccer teams took to The Center fields for this season’s kickoff games last Tuesday night.
In the U10 league, LaPensee Plumbing’s TJ Hagey and Preston LaPensee each had a hat trick in the game, scoring all six of LaPensee Plumbing’s points in the night.
Cloud Pest Control answered back with a single goal by Gabriel Spann.
Both goalies, Owen Mahoney for LaPensee and Thadeous Daniels for Cloud, had two recorded saves in week one action.
Island Real Estate’s scoring came from Callin Westfall with a solo goal and Oliver Barr with two points. Aidan Guess prevented the shutout with a goal for AMI Coconuts.
In a hard-played week one game, Sato Real Estate and Solid Rock Construction ended their battle royale in a 1-1 tie.
Sato Real Estate’s Gunnar Maize had three big saves in the matchup, while his counterpart on the opposite end of the pitch, Isaac Roadman, made two essential stops for Solid Rock Construction.
Roadman’s brother, Obe Roadman, was credited with an assist with the single Solid Rock goal by Matthew Darak.
Veteran player Dylan Sato stuck with confidence, scoring Sato Real Estate’s only point in the closest matchup of the season opener.
The U14 league saw one game played on the big field at the community center – Progressive Cabinetry struggled against the dominance of team HSH. With no mercy rule in place, HSH won the first game of the season 11-0.
Scoring by Braelyn Curtis, Ava Gitt, Sterling Holiday, Krosby Lamison, Jasmine Sparks, Jack Zaccagnino and Jesse Zaccagnino took the HSH squad to victory.
At the end of week one action, it is too early to tell which teams will top the charts. With an entire season ahead of them, any of the dynamic and hardworking teams could go all the way to the championship games.
ANNA MARIA – In the heat of the early evening sun, the Island’s U4 youth soccer league came to life Tuesday night at The Center.
Starting the season with a little bit of anxiety, the youngest ballers had a whole lot of fun as they learned from the volunteer coaches and parents who stepped up to help develop a whole new generation of Island soccer players.
Four age group leagues enjoyed the newly conditioned Center fields during the season kick off practices organized by The Center. With the fields split for simultaneous training and play, the energy at The Center felt like times of old.
This season the U4 league is four teams strong with local business sponsors All Clean Softwash & Pressure Cleaning, Bins Be Clean, Gulf Drive Cafe and Wash Family Construction.
The six teams that make up the U7 league are supported by the business sponsorship of Adrian Griffin Interiors, Beach Bums, Freckled Fin, Paradise Pools AMI, Shady Lady and The Ugly Grouper.
AMI Coconuts, Cloud Pest Control, Island Real Estate, LaPensee Plumbing, Pools & Air, Sato Real Estate and Solid Rock Construction sponsored the six U10 teams.
Representing the U14 leagues, HSH, Mac Parkman and Progressive Cabinetry provided business sponsorship for the three teen teams.
In the seven-game regular season, the U10 and U14 leagues look to Nov. 1 when the playoffs begin.
Marking their calendars, players, friends and family are looking forward to the championship games currently scheduled to be played on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
ANNA MARIA – Following in the footsteps of former Anna Maria Elementary School Dolphins, a new generation of talented high school volleyball players have their roots on the Island.
With hard hitters Mallory Cosfeld, Mackenzie Cosfeld Fortenberry, Sarah Howard and Kelly Stewart blazing the trail playing volleyball in high school, several AME alumni are set to play for Manatee High School (MHS) and Bradenton Christian School (BCS) this year.
As a freshman, making the varsity volleyball team at MHS was a hard-earned accomplishment for Natalie Talucci. An Island girl through and through, Talucci started at the School for Constructive Play, graduating to becoming an AME Dolphin. She went on to King Middle School and in the summer of 2020, with COVID protocols in place, discovered beach volleyball was a safer sport to play. A passion was born when Talucci took to the sand with Nancy Cothron, director of the Manatee Area Volleyball Club (MAV).
Playing on the Bradenton Riverfront beach volleyball courts in the beginning, Talucci expanded her game to Manatee Beach. She went from playing to competing with AME alumni Ava Baugh in a Coquina Beach tournament. The duo continued to play this summer and her love of the sport grew. Talucci joined the MAV indoor club in 2020.
Natalie Talucci and Ava Baugh partner for beach volleyball action this summer. – Submitted
As a seventh grader, she played for King, and by the eighth grade, Talucci decided she wanted to improve her game.
“Being shorter I have to work harder to get on the court usually. I play back row as Defensive Specialist or Libero,” Talucci noted in an email. “My dad warned me that I will probably need to play myself onto the court where taller girls usually have to play themselves off the court.”
Understanding her strengths and weaknesses and liking the hardcourt, she played with the Wave Volleyball Alliance in 2021 seeking opportunities to improve. The weaknesses only made Talucci want to work harder.
“I want to play,” she said.
After finishing the eighth-grade season, Talucci joined the Bevolley Beach Volleyball Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida, to stay on the court year-round.
“I knew that I could not take the off-season off. I had to keep working,” she said.
With her sights set on making the varsity squad, Talucci enlisted the assistance of her older brother, Evan. An inspiring personal trainer, Talucci’s brother jumped at the chance to help her improve her overall fitness and ability in time for MHS tryouts.
“I wanted him to push me,” she said. “I needed more conditioning.”
She has seen him running before school and going to the gym during the summer after football practice.
“He works hard and we are both super competitive,” Talucci said, adding that “Don’t you want to be great?” is one of Evan’s favorite things to say around the house.
The trainer-athlete relationship was not without its challenges as siblings, but the goal prevailed. Working together, Evan’s motivation toward his personal goal propelled his sister with a sense of accomplishment.
“When she first came home from school the day she made varsity as a freshman, I knew I helped her get there,” he said. “The summer conditioning we did helped her show up when she needed to.”
Training whenever they could this summer, Talucci and her brother saw results. The hard work paid off.
After making the team, her mother, Amelia “Amy” Talucci, noted on a Facebook post, “We are so proud of Natalie, she has spent the last year determined to learn more and become a better athlete and volleyball player and teammate.”
Her trainer/brother made clear, “She is a TALUCCI – she is loud and brings the energy to the court!”
Fiona McCarthy joins other AME Dolphins on MHS varsity volleyball this year. – Submitted
Fiona McCarthy joins Talucci on the varsity team at MHS. Starting at AME as a second grader, McCarthy started playing volleyball when she was 12 years old.
For her, playing varsity will allow her to train with more skilled and experienced players.
Along with McCarthy and Talucci, former AME student Ava Baugh was named to the MHS varsity team.
In addition to MHS varsity players, former AME student Marley Culhane earned her spot on the BCS varsity volleyball team as a sophomore. Culhane left AME, following her siblings to BCS after finishing the third grade.
A few years later in 2017, Culhane started playing volleyball after watching her sisters, Mikaela Culhane and Kiera Johnston, play for BCS.
“After all, I wanted to be like them,” she said.
Even though her sisters are no longer playing the game, they motivated her to work hard to make the team. Dedicated to her goal, Culhane could be found in the gym every day, as well as available scheduled workouts.
“If there were no workouts, I would go to the gym by myself or with a friend,” Culhane said.
She also trained with former Dolphin and recent BCS graduate, Emma Laade. Selecting Laade to work with this summer, Culhane wisely used her talents and experience. Laade, BCS’s athlete of the year for 2022, committed to St. Leo University in Dade City, Florida after receiving four offers to play at both Division 1 and 2 schools and earning two NCAA scholarships for indoor and beach volleyball.
Culhane’s goals for this season are to always play her hardest and improve her vertical jump height.
As a varsity underclassman, she is excited for the season.
The MHS junior varsity volleyball team is complemented with AME alumnae Ava Harlan and Gabriella Gilbert.
Harlan started at AME in kindergarten, moving on to MHS before finding volleyball in April 2022 with Wave Volleyball Alliance. Volleyball clinics took Harlan full circle to Manatee High.
“So far, I have loved being a part of the MHS volleyball team. I have already made a ton of new friends and reconnected with my old AME ones! So happy I decided to go for it!” Harlan said.
The future of local high school volleyball is looking bright with the help of the former AME students and Dolphin pride.
ANNA MARIA – For over 14 years, Evelyn Long has brought her knowledge and love of the game, experience as a player and talents as a coach to youth volleyball.
Coaching in Tampa, Florida to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Long and her amazing sisters improved the skills of nearly two dozen players during the last week of summer camp at The Center of Anna Maria Island.
Playing volleyball with her sisters since elementary school, Long played in high school for her older sister, Cindy Stenberg, at Cambridge Christian School. Coach Stenberg, an All-American setter, set the bar for her sisters in the world of volleyball.
Among her many accomplishments and accolades during her volleyball career, both as a player and a coach, Long was the 2005 Rose Diaz Award Recipient and was the 2004-05 Florida All State Setter. The Hillsborough County Volleyball Officials Association gives the Rose Diaz Award to a player who exemplifies sportsmanship and leadership each year.
As a setter, Long played with her younger sister, Peggy Smith, for a year in high school and at Clearwater Christian College for two years. Smith, a right-side hitter, was later coached by Long at Lancaster Bible College.
“It was so amazing to share a bond on and off the court,” Long said. The bond continues as Long plays alongside Smith, including at The Center.
“We have a natural rhythm and flow because of our years playing together,” Long said.
Long has never had to play against any of her sisters during her long and successful volleyball career.
Her coaching career began when she was 19 years old. Long coached for Club Ignite in Brevard County and has continued coaching at all levels.
Long was named Northeastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2013.
Coaching for club volleyball teams, Long later coached alongside her sister, Katy Roadman. Keeping the family ties strong, Roadman and Christy Raulerson, Long’s oldest sister, both support the Inspiration Academy volleyball program as assistant coaches with Head Coach Long.
Long started the Inspiration Academy girls volleyball program.
This summer, Long and her assistant coaches conducted the four-day volleyball camp for The Center. With her sisters, Roadman and Raulerson, Long was joined by niece and Blake High School volleyball player Chloe Stenberg, who shared her experience and knowledge as an active competitive player.
The camp gave girls who attend Anna Maria Elementary School and King Middle School a chance to meet new players. Long’s reputation as a strong coach drew players from Inspiration Academy to the Island, as well as several players who are home-schooled.
The highlight of the camp for Long was seeing players support the accomplishments of others.
“I know I find a lot of joy in seeing new players progress and learn the sport, but it brought even greater joy to see one of my players find that same excitement,” she said.
For Long, the most important accomplishment in volleyball is “… seeing former players take what they have learned from the sport of volleyball and apply these principles of hard work, humility and team effort into their personal lives.”
The Center and Long plan to continue to bring the volleyball specialty camp to the summer program, as well as conduct high school volleyball clinics for higher-level players.
The future for Long includes building the volleyball program at Inspiration Academy after taking a hiatus to grow her family and help with the family business, Solid Rock Construction.
The next generation of volleyball players in the family is being nurtured now that Long is coaching her daughter, Estella.
Returning to coaching also allowed Long to reunite with her sisters in volleyball.
“Katy… lends me so much help,” she said. “She has many years of coaching experience in various capacities from club to high school. I truly couldn’t do it alone and love coaching alongside her and Christy.”
Long and her sisters continue to play volleyball together.
“Our love for Jesus, family and volleyball truly binds us together as sisters,” Long said.
ANNA MARIA – After an action-packed summer in The Center of Anna Maria Island’s gymnasium, the youth indoor soccer season came to a close last Tuesday night with the parents teaming up against the littlest ballers in the league.
Teams Cloud Pest Control and Wash Family Construction combined talents to verse the parents in a fun game of indoor soccer on one hard pitch while the Sandbar Restaurant and Mac Parkman Foundation teams came together against their parents.
Coaches Karri Stephens, Jillian Ptak and Brooke Svoboda not only played against their talented and enthusiastic players, but also cheered them on in the all-for-fun season-ending games.
Using the skills learned during the season each week, nearly half of the players will be moving on to the bigger indoor pitch next indoor soccer season, aging out of the U6 league.
The summer season finishes with players in U13, U9 and U6 leagues having enjoyed the fast-paced fun of indoor soccer.
The Center looks forward to starting its first season on the reconditioned outdoor fields to start the fall sports season. The players of the summer sport will take some of what they learned during the past two months onto the grass pitches during the next soccer season.
ANNA MARIA – After wins last Monday night by U9’s Ugly Grouper and Solid Rock Construction and U13’s Progressive Cabinetry and Moss Builders, the stage was set for the youth indoor championship games at The Center.
Solid Rock Construction faced Ugly Grouper the next night in the U9 big game. Solid as a rock, the Solid Rock team came out on top 4-2 in the championship game.
Playing strong for the Ugly Grouper offense, Landon Leach and Beau Sanson scored solo goals in the league’s final game of the season.
On the indoor pitch without key player Tess Bolognone, Solid Rock Construction’s Aidan Guess brought his striking leg into the hard-fought match-up, scoring a hat trick with three points in the record books.
Teammate Matthew Darak contributed to the championship game scoring with a single goal for Solid Rock for the big game win.
Moss Builders faced off with Progressive Cabinetry, the only undefeated team going into the playoffs, in the final game of the night and the season. After four quarters of play, U13’s Progressive Cabinetry just won over Moss Builders with the final score 4-3.
On one side of the line, Moss Builders’ Callin Westfall scored two goals, with a single by Mason Moss. Moss and Elisabeth ten Haaf each had an assist in the hard-fought loss.
Progressive Cabinetry’s championship win was not a cakewalk. The well-earned victory came at the feet of Jason Wyatt, putting a point in the record books.
Earning a hat trick of their own, Barrett Raina solidified the W with three scoring strikes.
The win not only gave Progressive Cabinetry the top accolade of the season, but it also placed the team as one of the only teams in the history of The Center sports to go undefeated and named champs.
The U6 league closed out the summer season with the players taking to the pitch against the parents, in a fun game of indoor soccer at Island’s community center Tuesday night.
ANNA MARIA – With only one regular season game left to play in the youth indoor soccer season at The Center of Anna Maria Island, three teams are standing out in the rankings.
After a scrimmage game due to a forfeit by the U9 Bridgetender Inn squad, team Blalock Walters shares the top of the ranks with Ugly Grouper and Solid Rock Construction.
Scoring the only goal for Bridgetender Inn, Paul ten Haaf played hard despite not having the support of all of his teammates.
Gavin Angel and Parker Svoboda had two goals in the match-up with solo goals by Evita Moyer and Camden Rudacille.
In the second U9 game of the night, Silas Whitehead shot the only goal for Ugly Grouper in their 3-1 loss against Solid Rock Construction. Two goals by Aidan Guess and a single by Mckenna Darak gave the Solid Rock team the win they needed to be in the three-way tie for first place.
The U13 league played one game on July 12, with Moss Builders hoping to beat the undefeated Progressive Cabinetry team. With the no mercy rule in place in the league, the Progressive team easily won their fifth game 9-1, despite heart-filled play by the entire Moss Builders team.
Mason Moss put Moss Builders on the scoreboard with a solo goal. Scoring on the Progressive side of the indoor pitch was a team effort as the entire roster put points up.
Barrett Raina led the scoring for the entire night with four goals. Alonso Valle also got the soccer ball past the goalie-less defense of Progressive Cabinetry.
Ethan Angel, Mattox Caseman and Wyatt Jackson each put an additional point into the record books for team Progressive Cabinetry in the last game of the night.
With the playoffs starting the week of July 18, the championship games are around the corner.
ANNA MARIA – Youth indoor soccer action at The Center passed the regular season midpoint last week with overwhelmingly dominant leads in the U9 and U13 leagues.
U9’s Ugly Grouper had a big 16-2 win with the strikes of Beau Sanson and Landon Leach, with a hat trick. Sanson scored 13 points in the new form of play, which includes no goalie on the pitch.
Leach also was credited with two assists, along with three critical passes leading to the goal by Silas Whitehead.
On the other side of the ball, Bridgetender Inn’s Paul ten Haaf put two strikes in the net, with an assist by Parker Suoboda. The team’s loss puts their season record at 1-3.
In more U9 action, Blalock Walters and Solid Rock Construction finished last week tied in the middle of the pack with 2-2 records. In week four play, the Solid Rock team beat Blalock Walters by two goals, 3-1.
Matthew Darak and Isaac Roadman were the scoring pair for Solid Rock. Darak put two in and Roadman had a single goal in the all-important, season-tying game.
Olivia Wyatt prevented the shutout with a solo goal in game four.
The 12-2 blowout by Progressive Cabinetry in the U13 league was a true team effort, with four of the five players scoring and three players credited with assists.
With four goals, Barrett Raina topped the week’s scoring chart. Teammates Jackson Wyatt and Alonso Valle both had hat tricks in addition to the two goals by Mattox Caseman.
Caseman and Valle each had single assists in the lopsided match-up. Progressive Cabinetry’s Ethan Angel made two critical assists in the victory.
Freckled Fin’s loss was not without a valiant effort by the entire team. Chandler McRae and Briahna Robertson each put points on the scoreboard, with an assist by Tucker McRae.
Team Shady Lady and Freckled Fin share the bottom rung of the league’s ranking going into week five of the season.
Shady Lady kept it a close game against Moss Builders, now with a 2-2 record. Moss Builders’ win came at the skillful feet of Callin Westfall, Mason Moss and Riley Karecki.
With two goals each in the game, Moss and Westfall continue to consistently score for their team. Westfall also had a recorded assist for the Moss Builders team.
Spreading out the scoring for Shady Lady, Amelia Blunkall, Braelyn Curtis, Alex Monserrate and Jesse Zaccagnino each scored one of the four team goals. Assisting with the scoring for Shady Lady was Ava Mason.
Progressive Cabinetry goes into week five undefeated. Can the team finish the week with another win against Moss Builders with just one more week left before playoffs?
ANNA MARIA – After three weeks of youth indoor soccer play at The Center, U9’s team, Bridgetender Inn, and U13’s team, Moss Builders, finally earned their first win of the summer season.
Bridgetender’s 1-0 victory over Solid Rock Construction gives the team a 1-2 record going into the second half of the regular season. Campbell Collins’ single goal, along with the fighting offense and defense of the Bridgetender squad put the W in the record books.
Team Solid Rock never gave up and left it all on the indoor pitch.
Ugly Grouper’s win put them on top of the U9 standings along with Solid Rock Construction. Both teams play game four hoping for their third win.
Camden Rudacille and Parker Svoboda put the points on the scoreboard, with two goals for Rudacille, also credited with an assist.
Beau Sanson had four goals in Ugly Grouper’s victory, 5-3 over Blalock Walters, shares Bridgetender’s 1-2 record. Teammate Landon Leach had the additional goal and two saves, while Hadley Cook supported the scoring effort with an assist.
In the U13 league, Moss Builders made way with the Freckled Fin defense, putting a notch in the win column with a score of 8-2. A hat trick by Callin Westfall, along with four goals between Mason Moss and Riley Karecki gave team Moss Builders 7 points.
Austin Guess contributed to his team’s win with a solo goal in game three of the season. Moss is credited with two assists, with another critical assist by Westfall.
Freckled Fin’s second loss comes despite amazing efforts by the team, including goals by David Zupa and Chandler McRae. Teammate and brother Tucker McRae had an all-important assist.
Alone at the top of the charts, Progressive Cabinetry won their third game 15-4, keeping them undefeated with a 3-0 record. The other three teams share the spot for second with only one win. After June 28, only two regular season games have yet to be played until the start of playoffs.
Team Shady Lady struggled to keep the Progressive Cabinetry players out of scoring range despite all effort. Playing with heart and purpose, Shady Lady’s Jack and Jesse Zaccagnino each worked their magic, scoring a goal. Jack Zaccagnino also made an important and selfless assist.
Alex Monserrate and Sterling Holiday shared in the scoring with the Zaccagnino brothers with goals of their own. Shady Lady’s Ava Mason is credited with an assist in the valiant effort by her teammates.
Without a mercy rule, the Progressive Cabinetry crew ran away with the game, scoring 15 points in regulation play.
Four Progressive Cabinetry ballers scored four goals in the win: Ethan Angel, Barrett Raina, Mattox Caseman and Alonso Valle, who put three additional points on the scoreboard for the team’s win. Jackson Wyatt had three critical assists, along with assists by Caseman and Raina.
With playoff games in sight, any of the teams in the U9 and U13 leagues can end the season champions, despite big losses or slow starts to the season. Not a single team in either league should be counted out.
