ANNA MARIA – After two weeks of fun, the curtains have closed on The Center of Anna Maria Island’s drama camp.
Every year the camp ends with two performances on the stage at the Island Players theater. This year, 15 young thespians came together to perform “Character Matters,” a play featuring more than half a dozen musical numbers.
“With only seven rehearsals, we had to do it kind of like how Henry Ford did when he created the assembly line,” said Pamela Sikkema, who has served as director of the camp for the past 11 years. “We would have some of the kids in one room working on their lines, then they would move and work on their song and then rotate to the stage to work on the lines and the song.”
Sikkema noted that this year’s group of young actors ranged in ages from 6 to 13 with many of the younger ones just learning to read. Both the campers and staff were up to the challenge and the children put on the entire 30-minute performance without a break or intermission.
The story of “Character Matters” follows the monthly meeting of the Fairytale Council, which meets to give advice to fairytale characters. Lessons learned include Goldilocks understanding that she is breaking and entering, the Big Bad Wolf finding out it’s wrong to eat sweet grandmothers and everyone trying to be respectful of each other and live a life where character is important.
Although the camp is run by The Center, all rehearsals and both July 21 performances were held at the Island Players theater in Anna Maria. At the close of the performance, The Center’s Executive Director Chris Culhane was presented with a $2,000 donation by Island Players President Sylvia Marnie.
“We’ve partnered with Island Players for years and they give us a check every year,” Culhane said. “It’s a great partnership. The camp is through The Center, but it takes place here at the Island Players. Every year it’s a new batch of kids and a new learning experience; it’s amazing.”
The money donated to The Center is from a grant the Island Players applied for to give back to a children’s program in the community. Both The Center staff and the Island Players volunteers say they look forward to continuing the partnership for years to come.
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.
ANNA MARIA – Youth indoor soccer on the first night of summer brought the heat on The Center’s indoor pitch.
Thanks to the hot leg of Progressive Cabinetry’s Ethan Angel and teammates Barret Raina and Alonso Valle, the team handily defeated Moss Builder. Raina and Valle each had a single goal in the game, contributing to the 5-0 final score.
Progressive’s win puts them at the top of the rankings as the only undefeated team in the U13 league.
The U9 league leader, Solid Rock Construction, also goes into week three of indoor action with a 2-0 record.
Solid Rock shut out their opponent Ugly Grouper last Tuesday night in U9 play, putting in seven goals in the game.
Matthew Darak scored a solo goal and had two assists. Darak’s sister, Mckenna, had a hat trick, adding three goals to the score. Roadman brothers Isaac and Eli contributed to Solid Rock’s 7-0 win with three total goals. E. Roadman made two shots and Isaac added to his stats with an assist.
The two undefeated teams match up against worthy opponents in week three.
Solid Rock plays Bridgetender Inn and Progressive Cabinetry goes up against Shady Lady.
Bridgetender Inn narrowly lost to team Blalock Walters last week with the final score 5-4. Shady Lady lost their game against Freckled Fin with the score 7-5.
In the final game of the night last Tuesday, Shady Lady’s scoring came from Ava Mason with two goals and Alex Monserrate with a hat trick. Making the teamwork happen, Jesse Zaccagnino is recorded to have an assist for Shady Lady in the close game.
For the win, Freckled Fin’s Chandler McRae heated up the field with four of his shots making it past the Shady Lady defense. Tucker McRae had a goal of his own for Freckled Fin. Teammate David Zupa scored two goals in the last game of week two play.
The U9 match-up of Blalock Walters against Bridgetender Inn had powerful shooting and dominating defending on both sides of the soccer ball.
Olivia Wyatt scored three goals for Blalock Walters, while Campbell Collins and Paul ten Haaf each had single scoring strikes for the Bridgetender Inn team.
Wyatt’s scoring was nearly matched by teammate Gavin Angel with two goals. Matching in goals, Bridgetender Inn’s Colton Cook also put two into the indoor soccer net.
The four games of week three start Tuesday, June 28 at 6 p.m., marking the start of the second half of play in week four.
ANNA MARIA – With the weather heating up going into the summer, the youth indoor soccer action is heating up the hardcourt at the Island’s community center.
Island area kids will not be playing traditional center indoor soccer this season. Instead, the young ballers will play a modified version of micro soccer intended to give the players more opportunities for touches on the ball in the fast-paced sport.
Unlike the original micro soccer, The Center’s league will continue to bang the boards with the soccer ball, a key skill in indoor soccer, elevating the fan excitement.
Testing out a new league configuration, two youth indoor soccer leagues will play this summer in recreational competition: U9 and U13. In general, the U9 league will include players 9 and younger, while the U13 league will roster youth between 10 and 13 years of age.
Despite the league name changes, The Center’s goal with the recreational youth sports leagues remains to help ensure all children are playing in the league that best fits their age and level of play.
In the first official game of the season, Solid Rock Construction beat Blalock Walters 5-1 in the new U9 league. Playing seven-minute quarters in three-on-three action, Solid Rock put three points on the scoreboard thanks to the offensive skills of Tess Bolognone, Mckenna Darak and Aidan Guess.
Each of their single goals contributed to the team’s first win of the season. The team effort was fortified by two goals by Solid Rock Construction’s Matthew Darak, who also had two assists in the game.
On the other side of the ball, Parker Svoboda, for Blalock Walters, scored the team’s only goal in the season opener. Teammate Gavin Angel precisely fed the soccer ball to Svoboda, making the goal possible.
With a strong lineup, Angel and Svoboda are joined by Olive Bannick, Evita Moyer, Olivia Wyatt, Brendan Gerrish, Camden Rudacille and Owen Purcell. The season is early and Blalock Walters knows the win is in reach.
The Solid Rock Construction team goes into week two with a 1-0-0 record. Turner Worth, Isaac Roadman, Eli Roadman and Obie Roadman round out the squad with five more regular season games to play.
Adding a twist to the game, both leagues will be playing without goalies this season, making overall defensive play critical.
In the second U9 game, Bridgetender Inn lost to Ugly Grouper 6-3. Landon Leach and Beau Sanson each had a hat trick for Ugly Grouper.
Bridgetender Inn’s Paul ten Haaf was high scorer, making two goals to keep his team in the game. Madeline Kimmons added a goal to the scoreboard as her team played hard until the final game whistle.
The final two games played last Tuesday night brought U13 teams to the indoor pitch. Moss Builders lost their first game of the season against Shady Lady by one goal.
The single goals by Mason Moss and Elisabeth ten Haaf just were not enough against the three goals by Shady Lady’s Jack Zaccagnino, Jesse Zaccagnino and Alex Monserrate.
High-scoring action proved to be just the way to end a night of indoor soccer at The Center. Scoring 8 points, team Progressive Cabinetry outscored team Freckled Fin for the victory.
With five goals, Barrett Raina started week one on the top of the leaderboard for points scored. Raina’s teammates Walker and Jason Wyatt each had solo goals, as well as Alonso Valle, to keep the point spread comfortable for the Progressive Cabinetry squad.
Showing they will be contenders this season, Freckled Fin scored four goals in the game. David Zupa got past the Progressive defense for two goals. The McRaes, Chandler and Tucker, each tucked a shot in for two additional Progressive Cabinetry points.
The road to the playoffs is promising for all of the teams playing indoor soccer at The Center this summer. The U9 finals are scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 at 6 p.m., while the U13 championship game schedule has yet to be determined.
ANNA MARIA – It was rock and roll for a great cause at The Center of Anna Maria Island, as hundreds of people gathered to listen to live music and raise money for the people of Ukraine.
The event was the brainchild of Bob Slicker, owner of Slicker’s Eatery in Cortez and emcee of the evening’s festivities. Along with the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island and dozens of local business owners and sponsors, the June 12 event drew a crowd.
“The war started and I was talking to my daughter and my girlfriend and I said we have to do something, this is horrible,” Slicker said. “I kept thinking about it and I thought, gee, they’re going to take this off the news pretty soon because people don’t want to watch war when they can’t help. I knew we had to do something.”
It was around that same time that the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island began meeting at Slicker’s Eatery. Slicker did some research on the Rotary and saw that there are Rotary Clubs in countries around the world, including Ukraine and nearby countries such as Poland. He approached the Rotary members right away, proposing they join together to hold a fundraising event. With Slicker’s ties to the community and friendships with many Island business owners and the Rotary’s ability to process payments and distribute funds through its partners in eastern Europe, a lot could be done, but more importantly, the funds could be distributed to a war zone, which would otherwise be very difficult.
A large crowd gathered at The Center of Anna Maria Island for the Campaign for Ukraine Concert for Peace charity fundraiser event. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
Slicker proposed the plan to the Rotary and committed to assisting them for at least one year. During their first meeting, a Rotary Club in New England offered to match the first $5,000 raised, which was done before the Campaign for Ukraine event even took place. This allowed the partnership to send $10,000 before any funds were raised at the concert.
“The Rotary has a Zoom meeting every two weeks which they allow me to sit in on even though I’m not a Rotarian. They break down how they’re allocating the money and where all the money is going to,” Slicker said. “This is boots on the ground – medical hospitals, medical vans, medical supplies, refugee centers and other places where the need is greatest.”
Slicker says the needs are constantly changing since it’s a war and therefore unpredictable. With 50 to 200 soldiers being killed in battle every day, the danger and hardship won’t dissipate anytime soon. He also said the Rotary Clubs have partnered with Ukrainian businesses to help stimulate their business and try to negate at least a little bit of the economic impact of the war.
Revenue from the Campaign for Ukraine concert was generated through sponsors, many of whom donated valuable prizes to be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to the people of Ukraine. While the concert was free, there was plenty of food and drinks to be purchased, helping to raise even more money. The musicians, Scotty McCoghney, Poppa Grump and Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio as well as the small army of people tending the booths and tables all volunteered their time and services, leaving virtually no overhead costs.
Poppa Grump entertains the crowd at the Campaign for Ukraine Concert for Peace fundraiser at The Center of Anna Maria Island. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“Rotary is a five-star charity, we give out everything we take in,” said Jim McDaniel, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island and director of development for The Center of Anna Maria Island. “At The Center, we’re going to be doing some things with the environment and the Ukrainian effort that will tie The Center in, so it’s great for everybody.”
McDaniel spoke of a particular Rotary member in Poland who personally drives supplies into the Ukrainian war zone. This man spoke with Rotary Club of AMI members including McDaniel on multiple Zoom calls, giving them first-hand insight into how funds raised are hitting the ground and moving to where they are needed most.
Anyone interested in helping with the fundraising effort can donate online or email Molly@SlickersEatery.com.
ANNA MARIA – The final whistle blew Thursday night, marking the end of another action-packed soccer season at The Center. Youth champions, The Gitt Team and Moss Builders, were named earlier in the week. Team Moss Builders also eked out a 7-6 win to earn the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup over the Salty Printing squad in a high-stakes shootout.
The Gitt Team’s teamwork, with standout play by striker Callin Westfall, with a hat trick, and critical stops by the league’s Goalie of the Year, Kason Davis, pushed them toward a 3-2 victory in the big game.
Their opponent, Flip Flop Candy Shop, worked the field without Preston LaPensee, one of the league’s MVPs for the season. Luca Rosenkrans scored the only goal for his team. An own goal by The Gitt Team put a point on the scoreboard for the Flip Flop team.
Keilee Mulcahy, goalie for team Flip Flop Candy Shop, helped to hold the score to a one-point game with six important saves.
Despite the work of the entire Flip Flop team all season, the win was just not in the cards.
The Gitt team won the final game of the season against Flip Flop Candy Shop, making them champions of the 8- to 10-year-old recreational soccer league at The Center. – Monica Simpson | Sun
The Gitt Team finished the season not only with the championship and goalie accolades, but the team’s Tess Bolognone was awarded the league’s other MVP honors.
Solid Rock Construction’s Luke Willing was named the league’s Most Improved Player for the season. Defensive honors went to Aidan Guess for Tidy MD. Camden Rudacille took home the Sportsmanship award for the 8- to 10-year-old league.
In the 11- to 14-year-old league, Moss Builders’ Addie Guess was Rudacille’s counterpart, winning the Sportsmanship award. Guess and her teammates fought hard against team Shady Lady in the final game of the season.
With everything on the line, Jack Mattick worked the field and Shady Lady defense, scoring all four goals for the Moss Builders team.
In goal for Moss, Charlie Serra made five important stops, as Maddox Culhane and Jayden Sparks made him work the duration of the game. Culhane and Sparks each had solo goals in the game.
Protecting his team’s goal, Jack Zaccagnino also had five saves, helping to keep the championship within reach. Jack’s brother, Jesse, was voted Goalie of the Year for the league.
Despite the team effort by Shady Lady, without key player Victor Albrecht, the Moss Builders squad’s earned the championship to close out the youth soccer season.
The league finished with top honors to two HSH and two Miz & Hiz Biz players. HSH’s Ava Gitt was named the Most Improved Player and Konnor Oelfke, playing for Miz & Hiz Biz, won the Defensive MVP award.
League Offensive MVP distinctions were earned by Miz & Hiz Biz’s Cecelia Kroth and HSH’s Frankie Coleman.
Thursday’s night action for the adult co-ed soccer league included both semifinal action and the big game. After eliminating Sato Real Estate and Gulfview Windows & Doors, respectively, teams Moss Builders and Salty Printing went to work on the pitch.
Starting the season winless until the last weeks, Salty Printing came into the playoffs with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Team Moss Builders, having won the championship before, played to win.
Both sides of midfield fought hard for two full halves of regulation play, finishing with no points on the scoreboard.
With five additional minutes on the clock, overtime play commenced and ended once again with a scoreless game. The stalemate took the game to a shootout, with the spectators cheering and excitement in the air.
Finishing field play with 11 saves in the game, Salty Printing’s Tuna McCracken took the line for the first penalty kick by Olaf Krause. Krause’s strike drifted to the left of the post.
Ryan Moss was on the line for Moss Builders, saving 12 shots during timed play. Salty Printing’s Kevin Roman made the first shot, followed by another by Luca Vecchio after Hakan Toka missed for his team.
The Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup winners, Moss Builders, “smiledeep” in “Ace’s Corner” at the Island’s community center. – Monica Simpson | Sun
Greg Moss finally eluded McCracken, scoring Moss Builders’ first goal in the game.
Alternating back and forth, Tyler Brewer and Chris Culhane made the next goals for Salty Printing, while Eduardo Filipe and R. Moss scored for Moss Builders.
With everything tied up again and two consecutive missed shots for both teams, the line ups came back around with Roman and G. Moss each making a shot.
Vecchio and Filipe hit their next shots, making the last shot by each team critical.
After a full round of penalty shots and the score six all, Moss Builders’ Gerardo Urbiola’s shot went past McCracken after going off his fingertips.
Brewer placed the soccer ball on the line for Salty Printing, with the pressure of knowing that his shot would either tie or lose the game for his team. The adrenaline of the moment sent the ball sailing over the fence, ending the championship game with a score of 7-6.
ANNA MARIA – Team Tidy MD and team Solid Rock Construction took to the 8- to 10-year-old league field last Tuesday night to determine which squad moved on to the semifinal game against The Gitt Team.
After regulation play, six shooters from each team took to the line, one by one, hoping to get one by the opponent’s goalkeeper with each team’s future in jeopardy.
Ending in a 0-0 tie, the game provided nail-biting excitement for players, friends and family.
Solid Rock Construction keeper Isaac Roadman did his best against the firepower of the Tidy MD strikers. Save for save, Braelyn Curtis protected the Tidy MD goal, missing only two of the six shots taken against her.
Curtis’ saves and the perfect placement of penalty kicks by Owen Purcell, Jasmine Sparks, Kirra Quinby and Aiden Guess gave Tidy MD the green light to move forward into the next round of playoff games.
Solid Rock’s players took to the line with determination. Curtis could not stop the shots of David Zupa, Mckenna Darak and Turner Worth. The team’s efforts fell short by one goal, ending Solid Rock’s season.
In addition to the Tidy MD-The Gitt Team match-up, team Flip Flop Shop & Candy Stop faces team Beach Bums. Only two teams will play in the 8- to 10-year-old league championship game.
Four teams remain in the 11- to 14-year-old league. Moss Builders faced HSH this week, while Shady Lady played Miz & Hiz Biz in semifinal action.
The comeback adult soccer team, Salty Printing, lit up the field against Servis First Bank last Thursday night, winning by three goals.
Sato Real Estate secured its place in the semifinals by defeating Shady Lady, 7-4. Team Moss Builders continues go undefeated with a 9-3 win against The Gitt Team.
Gulfview Windows & Doors knocks on the door of the championship game with a big five-point win against Progressive Cabinetry.
Can Salty Printing’s winning streak take them to the finals? Facing Moss Builders will be the ultimate test for the Salty team.
Despite the rocky start to the season, team Sato Real Estate cannot be underestimated.
Gulfview needs the win against Sato Real Estate to find their place on the pitch Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Paul “Ace” Hayward Championship Cup game.
ANNA MARIA – After their first win of the season last week, Salty Printing walked onto The Center field Thursday night with an air of confidence ready to take on their opponent, team Shady Lady. Despite the fact that their last win was by forfeit, the W was just enough to give the team what they needed to play and earn the 5-2 victory.
Shady Lady came into the game without the striking leg of Eric Pullen and others, leaving Ryan Hogan, Amy Ivin, Adam Mott, Jake Parsons, JD Webb and Nate Welch on the field to play with an empty bench.
The Salty Printing win came with hard work, hustle on the field, strong play, dynamic goalkeeping and a sprinkle of luck. Shady Lady’s offense struck hard and struck often, keeping Tuna McCracken busy in goal for Salty.
McCracken ended the game with 16 recorded saves, with cat-like reflexes making stops left and right. Fortunate for team Salty Printing, several of the Shady Lady shots hit the post or were just slightly off the mark.
The Shady Lady squad did not stop playing hard, fighting for every position and every 50-50 ball. Starting the game in goal, Adam Mott made six important stops for Shady Lady.
Taking his place in goal, teammate Jake Parsons had four saves before the final whistle. With Parsons in goal, Mott came onto the field ready to score. Using his stature and skill, Mott made quick work of his time on the field, scoring one of the two goals for his team.
Nate Welch scored the first point for Shady Lady in the first half of play. Welch’s early goal gave the talented team a spark they needed to stay in the game for a while.
Playing down, as Jaclyn Schlossberg joined the Salty Printing team, Shady Lady just could not stop the scoring efforts of Tyler Brewer and Kevin Roman.
With three goals and an assist, Roman led Salty Printing in scoring. Brewer had two solid goals of his own in the team’s victory. Teammate Nick Cavalluzzi made his mark in the record books with an assist.
As a team, Salty Printing pulled themselves out of the bottom of the league rankings with the win, putting them in seventh place going into the quarter-final round of the playoffs. The team plays second seed Servis First Bank in the 8 p.m. game on Thursday night.
The first game of the playoffs starts with #4 ranked Sato Real Estate facing Shady Lady. Gulfview Windows & Doors meets Progressive Cabinetry in the last game of the night, as the third and sixth seeded teams, respectively.
Undefeated team Moss Builders earned the prime playing time, challenging last place The Gitt Team in the 7 p.m. game at The Center.
Can Moss Builders make their way to the championship game as one of only a few undefeated teams to go all the way? Their worthy opponents will do their best to make their mark in the playoffs, seeking the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup.
Working hard all season paid off for the 8- to 10-year-old league team Beach Bums last Tuesday night. With the talents of Camden Rudacille in goal, the team finished the game with their first win of the season against Solid Rock Construction, 3-0.
Following the footsteps of his dad, Scott Rudacille, and uncle, Mark Rudacille, the Beach Bum’s goalkeeper made five critical stops in the victory. The tough defense shut out the Solid Rock offense in week three action.
Beach Bum’s Dylan Sato used his power leg to score two points in the game, along with a single goal by Miles Moss.
Isaac Roadman made big stops for Solid Rock Construction as the team’s goalie for the game. Despite best efforts by Roadman and his teammates, they could not capture their second win.
A forfeit gave Salty Printing their first W for the season in the adult co-ed soccer league. Will the win be the burst of momentum the young team needs to make it past the first round of playoffs on Thursday, May 19?
Salty Printing plays the Shady Lady team who won their second game of the season against Servis First Bank 4-2. Servis First rotated goalkeepers through the 40 minutes of official play.
Max Gazzo, Daniel Hampton and Tim Holly finished the game with four, three and two stops, respectively. On the other side of the field, returning to the league this season, Adam Mott made six saves, only allowing two by him.
The two goals scored by Tim Holly and Keith Mahoney for Servis First Bank just was not enough last Thursday night.
Nate Welch had two points for Shady Lady, while Juan Pablo and Jake Parsons each scored solo goals in the game.
Goalies were busy in the final game of the night with the Sato Real Estate versus Progressive Cabinetry match-up. With six official saves for each side, the fire power of Sato Real Estate was too much for the Progressive Cabinetry defense.
Sean Flynn and Ben Sato each shared keeper duty for Sato Real Estate. Flynn made four key stops and Sato saved two Progressive shots.
Two assists and three goals were recorded for Sato Real Estate’s Danny Anderson. Damir Glavan added two more points to his overall season tally. Selena Gonzalez and Will Kretzmann each put a single point on the scoreboard for the victors.
Finishing last week with a 2-4-0 season, Progressive Cabinetry’s Steve Oelfke and Robb Marshall worked hard to keep the point deficit at a minimum. Oelfke finished the game with six stops and Marshall made two saves.
The point scoring for Progressive was spread among four players: Michael Bolognone, Edwin Picardo, Kali Richardson and Timo Vecchio.
This week, Progressive Cabinetry faces the undefeated Moss Builders team, coming into the game with a 6-0 record. This final regular season game will determine the quarterfinal playoff bracket.
The adult soccer league’s playoffs will start on Thursday, May 19 at 6 p.m. One week later, the semifinal games will be played among the final four teams.
All eight teams still have a chance to play for the Paul “Ace” Hayward cup on Thursday, June 2. Can team Moss Builders stay on top?
ANNA MARIA – On the small soccer pitches, the 5- to 7-year-old players matched up in their third week of play. Progressive Cabinetry played team Mac Parkman Foundation, while Surfing Coconuts AMI matched up on the field with team Adrian Griffin Interiors.
For many of the players in this league, the end of this season leads to a future in the youngest competitive recreational league at the community center, the 8- to 10-year-old league.
After two weeks of youth recreational soccer at The Center of Anna Maria Island, two teams are on top with 2-0-0 records. The Gitt Team tops the charts in the younger age group of mostly elementary school-aged athletes.
For the 11- to 14-year-old league, the Moss Builders team goes into week three undefeated, also with a record of 2-0-0. The season is still young with four more games in the regular season for both leagues.
Last week’s game for The Gitt team was a close one, with the final score 1-0 against team Tidy MD. Thanks to Izabella McGraw, who scored the only goal in the game, The Gitt Team solidified its place at the top of the ranking for the week.
McGraw’s teammate, Karson Davis, had four goals in the victory against Tidy MD. Tess Bolognone is credited with the assist, making the McGraw goal possible.
On the other side of the field, Aidan Guess and Owen Purcell each had a single save for Tidy MD, keeping their team in the battle for the entire game.
In the older league, the Shady Lady squad kept it close against team Moss Builders. Goals by Savanna Coba, Jesse Zaccagnino and Victor Albrecht made the Moss Builders defense work. Coba scored two points against Moss Builders’ goalie, Charlie Serra.
Serra finished the game with two saves, while his counterpart on the Shady Lady team, Albrecht, had three stops. The power leg of Jack Mattick put four points on the scoreboard, with additional goals by Mason Moss and Gabriella Gilbert.
With plenty of games left to play, the top seed in both youth soccer leagues is still up for grabs.
Three teams in the youth soccer program at The Center seek their first win of the season: Beach Bums, Tidy MD and Miz & Hiz Biz. It is anyone’s season to win.
ANNA MARIA – With three Mosses on the roster, team Moss Builders finished week four undefeated and alone at the top of the league rankings by beating Sato Real Estate 8-2 last week in adult league soccer. Servis First Bank logs in at a close second, with a record of 3-1-0.
The Sato Real Estate team finishes mid-season with two wins and two losses.
Missing key players, Sato Real Estate struggled against the nearly full squad put on the field by Moss Builders.
Without the goalkeeping talents of Ben Sato, his team had to sacrifice their field game to protect their goal. Josh Sato, Kris Yavalar and Will Kretzmann faced the Moss Builders’ offense in the keep position.
Yavalar had four saves in the game for Sato Real Estate, while Kretzmann and J. Sato had at least three saves between them. Their efforts just were not enough against the leg power behind the Moss Builders’ offense, with Filipe Schlueter and Gerardo Urgiola each scoring two goals. Four single goals were scored by Olaf Krause, Greg Moss, Ed Moss and Hakan Toka for Moss Builders.
Despite the score, the loss cannot take away from the firepower of Damir Glavan and Will Kretzmann. Each Sato Real Estate veteran had single goals in the game, keeping Thursday night’s goalie for Moss Builders – Ryan Moss – extremely busy on his way to seven saves in the game.
Much like J. Sato, R. Moss’ versatility allows him to be a triple threat on the pitch. Effectively playing goalie, along with offensive prowess and defensive strength, makes both players top-ranked players in the league season after season.
Going into week five, Moss Builders and Servis First Bank are tied in the points race for the season. Fighting neck and neck to finish top seed at the end of the regular season, each team has 16 points.
Gulfview Windows & Doors and Sato Real Estate each have 13 cumulative goals. Just behind in the points race is Shady Lady with 12 points and The Gitt Team, which has a total of eight goals.
Currently ranked seventh in the league, Progressive Cabinetry has scored six points in the season, matching the Salty Printing team. Salty, in last place, looks to week five for its first win of the season.
ANNA MARIA – Little boots hit the field last Tuesday night as another season of youth soccer kicked off at the Island’s community center, with volunteer coaches, parents, friends and family providing the guidance, cheers, lessons and support.
Taking to the two small fields, Adrian Griffin Interiors and Grooms Auto ran the field, while Surfing Coconut AMI and Mac Parkman Foundation played on the adjacent field in the 5- to 7-year-old league.
Their younger counterparts started play this week, with the 3- and 4-year-olds taking to the field for another season of soccer clinics and scrimmages. Both the 8- to 10-year-old and 11- to 13-year-old recreational soccer leagues started last week with preseason games.
In the adult soccer league, Moss Builders finished the third week of action on top with a 3-0 record, defeating Salty Printing 5-2. The Salty squad is seeking its first win of the season Thursday night against Gulfview Windows & Doors.
Gulfview tied Shady Lady 4-4 in a close one, bringing its record to 1-1-1. Shady Lady faces Progressive Cabinetry. Currently tied for second place, with a 2-1-0 record, Servis First Bank’s defense kept Progressive scoreless in last Thursday night’s game.
The Gitt Team gave Sato Real Estate its first loss of the season, with the final score 4-3. Coming off the win, The Gitt Team matches up against a strong Servis First team.
Looking to get back on the winning track, Sato Real Estate plays Moss Builders in the first game of week four Thursday.
Hitting the halfway mark, each of the eight teams has an eye on the ultimate prize, a place on the Paul “Ace” Hayward Championship Cup.
ANNA MARIA – After 26 years as an Anna Maria Island tradition, the Tour of Homes is no more, but left behind is a legacy of groups joining together with the common cause of raising money for The Center.
The Center of Anna Maria Island’s signature event brought the public into private homes offered up for the day to showcase some of the area’s most charming, luxurious and beautiful residential properties. In addition to the home tours, attendees also were invited to purchase art, crafts and other goods at the Tour boutique, participate in a silent auction and buy raffle tickets to try and win a quilt, designed and created every year by the Eyeland Needlers.
The event was ended with the 2020 Tour of Homes canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic still ongoing two years later, the committee responsible for the Tour decided to replace it with a wine-tasting event, also planned to take place annually. That decision brought what was once a thriving event to a quiet close.
Reflecting on their years as a part of the Tour committee and Eyeland Needlers, Sandee Pruett and Joan Pettigrew both said the end of the event was bittersweet.
Pettigrew helped found the Eyeland Needlers with Penny Reinholz back in 2000. Pettigrew said it was Reinholz who came up with the idea to make a community quilt to raise funds for The Center. The Tour of Homes quilt was born as they were joined by many other quilters over the years to create a total of 20 fabric works of art, especially for the event. A fun fact, Pettigrew said, is that neither woman had ever quilted before they made the first Tour quilt, though both of them had artistic backgrounds. Of the original 12 Eyeland Needlers, she said only about four of them knew how to quilt that first year.
Pettigrew said she and Reinholz designed the first three quilts together before alternating designing duties for many years after that, until Reinholz left the group due to health concerns. Each of the 12 group members would select a section of the quilt to create and they would gather at The Center to work together.
Ken Jackson’s Green Real Estate sponsored the quilt from 2003-2019, while local real estate broker and owner Darcie Duncan was a frequent sponsor of the boutique.
The 2003 quilt was dedicated to the memory of group member Irene Murphy, who passed away that year. In 2007, the group introduced the “name the quilt” contest. For a month, the quilt was either on display at The Center or the Island Branch Library, where the public could put in their name suggestions. One name was chosen each year by the Eyeland Needlers and the winner was awarded raffle tickets to try and win the quilt. Raffle tickets to try and win the quilt raised thousands of dollars for The Center over the years.
Before the cancellation of the 2020 event, Pettigrew announced that the 20th quilt would be the group’s last. It was raffled off during a March 2022 wine-tasting event at The Center.
Pruett, who first joined the Tour of Homes committee as a liaison to The Center while working for the nonprofit in 2012, eventually became chair of the group.
“It did take a village to get this thing going,” Pruett said of the Tour of Homes, acknowledging the many volunteers, quilters, crafters and committee members who participated in the event over its 26 years. “Everyone worked so hard to try and make it easy for those who came.”
She added that committee members began meeting as early as October to plan for the next year’s event and to have crafting sessions, often at Pettigrew’s house.
“It was a lot of work and a busy day, but we always had fun,” Pettigrew said.
Winner of the 2018 quilt raffle, Chris Smargisso, celebrates with quilt designer Joan Pettigrew. - Submitted
Tour attendees stroll through the bottom level of the Gauld house on Key Royale during the 2018 Tour of Homes. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Penny Reinholz and Joan Pettigrew pose with the first finished Tour of Homes quilt, “Life on Anna Maria Island.” - Submitted
The first group of Eyeland Needlers work on the first ever Tour of Homes quilt in 2020. Founded by Penny Reinholz and Joan Pettigrew, the first group made 20 quilts to raise money for The Center. - Submitted
The 20th and final Tour of Homes quilt was named “The Fabric of AMI” by Joan Schuckenbrock of Anna Maria, pictured receiving 50 raffle tickets for the quilt from Eyeland Needler Joan Pettigrew at the Island Branch Library in Holmes Beach in February 2020. The quilt was raffled off at a March 2022 wine tasting event at The Center. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The “Coastal Charm” home at 311 62nd St. in Holmes Beach was set to be the first stop on the 2020 Tour of Homes before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. - Submitted
Tour of Homes volunteer Sandee Pruett gives a tour of the Dutton house during the 2018 event. - Kristin Swain | Sun
