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Tag: Athlete of the Week

  • Land O’ Lakes soccer star scores on Senior Night

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — Senior Nights in high school sports are special. The Land O’ Lakes boys soccer team honored 16 of them earlier this month at John Benedetto Stadium, nicknamed “The Swamp.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Eamon Carman is a star forward/midfielder for the Land O’Lakes High School boys soccer team

    • Eamon leads the team and is ranked in the top 10 statewide in goals scored

    • The Gators honored 16 seniors during their Senior Night game earlier this month

    • Shortly into the game, Eamon scored, giving him a memory he will never forget on his special night


    With some eyes far from dry, forward/midfielder Eamon Carman was adamant that there would be no tears from him out there.

    “I wouldn’t say it’s emotional, I mean I’m excited about it, last home game, I’m excited to just play. I’m ready to play and hopefully score goals and have some fun,” Carman said.

    But once he lined up with his family on the track, the tough skin on the Gators star softened a bit.

    “Now I feel a little emotional, but I’m still excited to play the game,” Carman said.

    His mom, Anne Gallacher, was honest when asked if she would tear up.

    “Oh yeah, I will,” Gallacher said.

    This moment means a lot to him because of how much the game of soccer means to him.

    “I started when I was 7 years old. It was the first sports I played when my cousin played it and got me into it, and I just wanted to play it and loved it ever since,” Carman said.

    The Land O’ Lakes boys soccer team loves him as well, leading the team in goals scored with 26 entering that game.

    “I want to score, I want to win games, so I come out strong and put everything I have into the game and try to put the ball in the back of the net,” Carman said.

    “You know how kids are just born with a skill? He was born to put the ball in the back of the net. He just has a nose for the goal, his touch, his speed, his awareness and how he sees the game,” Land O’ Lakes boys soccer head coach Billy Jeremias said.

    The Fighting Gators lost a heartbreaker in the district finals last year, which put a chip on their shoulders.

    “After that loss it just hurt, so I was out training every day going to the fields over the summer just like wanting to improve myself and score goals,” Carman said.

    He’s done plenty of that this season, ranking top 10 in the state of Florida and third in Class 6A with 27 goals at the point of this story being published. Carman said he was happy to be up there on that list, but it wasn’t good enough for him.

    “Yeah sometimes I look at that but then I’m like ‘I want No. 1, I want to be the best player in the state best player in the nation’ so I want to get more goals,” Carman said.

    So what did he do 20 minutes into the game? He did what he does best, scoring a goal to lead his team to a 4-0 win.

    Hard to dream of a better senior night, playing the game that he loves.

    “I couldn’t play anything else, this is the sport that I love and I’ll play it until I can’t anymore,” Carman said.

    He will keep on playing into the playoffs as the Fighting Gators look to capture a state title.

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    Michael Epps

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  • Tohopekaliga’s Andrew Hines found football after the loss of his mother

    Tohopekaliga’s Andrew Hines found football after the loss of his mother

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    KISSIMMEE, Fla. — People who play football use it as a way to have fun. Some use it to help better themselves and some use it to get away from the reality of life.

    What You Need To Know

    • Tohopekaliga High School’s Andrew Hines lost his mother to cervical cancer in 2020

    • To help him grieve with the loss of his mother, family members suggested playing football to cope with the pain

    • Hines has committed to attend and play for the University of South Florida

    Tohopekaliga High’s Andrew Hines uses the sport for all three. When he puts on his jersey, it just means more to him.

    “It reminds me there is more to football than going out there than just hitting people,” said Hines. “Made a ton of relationships that will last a lifetime. Ultimately playing under Coach Diso (head coach Anthony Paradiso) has been amazing.”

    These are some wise words coming from someone who has only been playing the game of football for the last five seasons. The defensive lineman started playing in the eighth grade, and it’s a sport Hines has learned to love.

    “Man, the grit, being able to whoop someone that is your own size,” he said. “The thrill of being able to have a clean shot at a quarterback or clean shot at a running back and take everything out right there.”

    Since he has stepped onto the field, he has created a family bond with his teammates at Tohopekaliga.

    “I think the guys I have met are going to be family and not replace what my mother had with me, but definitely fill in that spot,” said Hines.

    In 2020, after a long battle, Kristi McCune lost her battle against cervical cancer at the age of 46.

    “She was my world. She sacrificed everything she could have ever wanted for us, my siblings and I,” he said. “I miss her voice. I still have some videos of us talking on my phone so I can go back and listen, but definitely miss hearing her voice.”

    Hines says it’s really special listening and watching to voice memos and the videos on his phone. It helps him remain connected to his mother.

    “It means the world. Being able to see her smile again, all the good moments, a good collage of everything we have done together, it means a lot,” Hines said.

    To help him grieve with the loss of his mother, family members suggested playing football to cope with the pain.

    “So we had to find something out, something to channel my energy, get my mind off of things, so we decided that Pop Warner football might be the best,” he said. “I think it has helped in a healthy way for sure.”

    The work he has put in and off the gridiron has now led to a college scholarship. Earlier this year, Andrew decided where he wanted to go.

    “January 28th, I committed to the University of South Florida,” Hines said.

    And once he stepped on campus for a visit, it didn’t take long to determine he wanted to be a Bull.

    “About three hours. I was on campus, I was there for the junior day, maybe an hour,” he said. “Coach Patrick (defensive line coach Kevin Patrick) offered me, showed me around the school a little bit by myself and I was like, ‘Man, like, this guy, he matches my energy, I love this.’”

    Another reason why Hines chose USF is the opportunity to get playing time early in his college career. He will have a chance to do that because of the combination of his size and athletic ability.

    “I’m about 6’5” and 270 pounds, but my explosiveness, my twitch, my mindset to keep getting better was a huge part of it,” Hines said.

    Playing in college and earning a scholarship would’ve made his mother full of joy, but Hines says her reaction would’ve been contrite.

    “I don’t think she would say anything. I think she would just hug me,” he said. “I think that she would be so proud of me right now and if she were to say anything, ‘I’m proud of you.’”

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    Nick Allen

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  • Bartow softball going for two-peat with help from their senior catcher

    Bartow softball going for two-peat with help from their senior catcher

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    BARTOW, Fla. — When you think about the views on a softball diamond, McKenzie Gibson has one of the best.

    This Bartow High School senior catcher gets to see it all, albeit from behind her mask.

    What You Need To Know

    •  The Bartow Yellow Jackets won the Class 6A state championship last season

    •  It was the softball program’s ninth state title — only one other high school in the state has more
    •  Senior catcher McKenzie Gibson is working to help her team win it’s 10th

    She says there’s no other place she’d rather be, because she likes the responsibilities that come with being a catcher.

    “Everything is just a big challenge, and every game is different,” McKenzie said.

    If you ever need to locate McKenzie, chances are, you’ll find her on the softball field. She takes great pride in her work ethic and knows what it takes to help produce the results Bartow has enjoyed these past few seasons.

    Only one other team in the state has won more titles than the Yellow Jackets. So be the best, McKenzie said you have to prepare like the best.

    “You have to be a team player and you have to work really hard,” she said. “And you can’t always show your emotions and everything because you can show, but there’s a point where you just need to know it’s a team and not a you sport.”

    That teamwork was never more evident than when McKenzie and her teammates won the Class 6A State Championship last season. For a program known for its numerous titles, last year’s ninth championship ended a seven-year drought, marking Bartow’s return to powerhouse status.

    “We know that everyone has the target on our back and that we have to do what we did last year and become better people and know we have to work hard at everything we do,” McKenzie said.

    Given the history of the program and all that’s at stake every time they take the field, McKenzie said she wears her Bartow uniform with great pride. And accepts the responsibility that comes with being a Yellow Jacket.

    “It’s just knowing that someone is there for you and that they are there to help you and pick you up,” she said. “It’s just one of the best things about us.”

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    Katherine Smith

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