Zion Lutheran School recently hosted a football combine for high school football players from both Broward and Palm Beach counties. Athletes line up for the 40-yard dash. Submitted photo.

By Gary Curreri

Zion Lutheran School recently hosted a football combine for high school football players from both Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A total of 75 athletes come out from area schools including Deerfield Beach High, Zion Lutheran, Highlands Christian Academy, Coral Springs Christian School, Pope John Paul II, Ely, Piper and Coral Springs Charter.

Event featured testing in the several categories, as well as 7-on-7 passing competition. The players were evaluated by height, weight, reach, vertical leap, shuttle, L-Cone, bench press reps (185-lbs.), 40-yd. dash (laser timing provided by Impact Sports in Boca Raton).

Some of the top performers included Vincent McIntyre (Zion, 2013), who ran a 7.04 second L-Cone, and a 4.36 time in the shuttle; Rylee Hage (Highlands, 2013), who completed 24 reps of 185-lbs. on Bench Press and exhibited a 32-in. vertical jump; Bobby Lentz (Pope John Paul II, 2013) had a 6.84 time in the L-Cone drill, a 4.30 shuttle and a 32-in. vertical jump, while Ryan Davis (Highlands, 2013) had a 4.65 effort in the 40-yd. dash.

“For our first attempt at hosting a combine, I’d say it was a huge success,” said new Zion Lutheran coach Jordan Adair, who previously coached at Highland’s Christian. “The kids and coaches in attendance seemed to be pleased with the opportunity to come out and compete against each other. We know that future combines will only get bigger and better. We plan to host the ZL Combine as an annual event, from here on out.”

There was a charge of $15 per athlete to cover the costs of having a camera person in attendance (to film 7-on-7, and take photos) in addition to purchasing necessary equipment for the combine.

For any interested players or parents on future events, visit www.SouthFlorida Football Academy.com.

A man went to his father to tell him that he had just become a millionaire. His father did not seem very impressed. The young man screamed, “Pop, I’m not even 30 yet and I’ve already made my first million …” To which the father responded, “My son, you’ve counted your money. What I want to know is, what you are going to do with it?”

I was never very good at math and, to this day, I still have trouble adding things up. I just can’t count. Don’t get me wrong, my friends know they can count on me, but they also know that I am not a whiz when it comes to numbers.

In the Torah, we find the commandment of giving a half shekel. Our Sages taught that G-d showed Moses a “coin of fire.” What do money and fire have in common?

We know that a fire can destroy a forest and, if you’ve ever seen someone who has been burned, you know what harm it can cause a human being. Yet, a fire can also cook our food so it is safe to eat. A fire can warm the cockles of our heart. A fire can bond metals together, molding two things into one. (Perhaps that is why the word “welding” sounds so much like “wedding.”)

Wealth … Wealth can keep a roof over our heads. It can provide food and sustenance. It can help build houses of worship and academies of higher learning. Wealth can be used to support charities and foundations.

Fire can burn one beyond recognition, making someone appear unpleasant and ugly on the outside. But money … Money can make someone unpleasant and ugly on the inside. So here we are following G-d’s commandment to take a census, each giving half a shekel, but why a half a shekel?

I have a friend who has worn a necklace for many years now. The necklace is a half a heart. Can you guess who has the other half? That’s right, her husband. That half a heart reminds her that she can use her heart to lift her husband up or to drag him down, to weld herself to him, making them one, or to burn a hole right through his heart. Such is the power of love. Fortunately, she has chosen, for the most part, to lift him up … to remember that he counts.

If you take the Hebrew word used for “counting,” you will find a better translation would be to “lift” or to “elevate.”

When we use the gifts G-d has blessed us with to elevate others, we have used our gifts wisely. We have merged our lives together. But, if we fail to use our gifts to help, we have not only failed others, we have failed ourselves and we have failed G-d.

Let the upcoming Passover holiday remind us. It is not our bread that needs to rise to the occasion. It is we who need to rise, whatever the occasion might be. Remember, each of us counts far more than we know. Now go and do the math … and make sure that others can count on you.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

Rylee Hage

By Gary Curreri

Craig Miller wonders if there is anything his semi-pro flag football team Apocalypse can’t accomplish.

The seven-man, Pompano Beach-based team recently won the United States Flag and Touch Football League national championship in Kissimmee by defeating a pair of former national titleholders from New Orleans.

Apocalypse defeated Quick-strike (2008 champs), 30-27, and the Untouchables (2005 and 2010 champs), 36-20, for the title. Both teams were from New Orleans.

“This USFTL national title was our biggest win because the league rules are different and difficult for us, and it was the last title we had not won,” said player/coach Miller, who lives in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

“To be honest, our feelings, after the victory, were more relief than elation. This opportunity only comes once a year, and the stress is off-the-chart.”

Apocalypse, a semi-pro flag football team based in Pompano Beach, has finally added a national crown to its collection of titles. (Back row, L-R): Brad Corliss, Terrance “TB” Bunting, Bernard Summerall, Seneca Evans, James Panuindo, David “DJ” Brooks, John Wassmer, Brian Baer, Howard “Bud” Lewis; (Front row, L-R): Darrin “Tony” Walton, Reggie Haugabook, Coach Craig Miller, Derrick “Hollywood” Brown, Quinton McLendon. Submitted photo

Apocalypse was led by a pair of quarterbacks – Brian Baer of Parkland and Brad Corliss of Davie; rusher/center Derrick Brown of Tamarac; and wide receiver Quinton McClendon of Deerfield Beach. All of these players were named USFTL All-Americans.

Apocalypse tied the all-time state record set by Palace Saloon of Tallahassee in the 1980s with four consecutive A Division FFFL State Championships with its win last year and has already begun its quest for an unprecedented fifth crown in June.

Miller said the team has been so potent that it has had to cut former NFL players from its squad. The national title completed an “Apocalyptic” six-month head-to-head sweep of all national championships for the past seven years.

“We’ve had former NFL players with Division I College National Championship rings who we had to cut from our roster – including a Raider, Titan and Dolphin,” Miller said. “We had NFL receiver Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson on our roster for some local tournaments … He became a “shut-down” corner who saved a game for us in the Willis McGahee (Miami) tournament, which we won.”

The Pompano Beach-based team is slated to play in three more tournaments before the state tournament in Brevard (June 23-24). It will play in Palm Beach (April 14-15), Cocoa Beach (May 19-20) and in Ft. Myers (June 2-3).

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

For all of the marketing hype surrounding The Hunger Games, it is hard to believe that this young adult novel by Suzanne Collins was published less than four years ago.

This book has definitely struck a nerve with popular culture that is multi-generational. At the screening I attended, the theater was filled with senior citizens seemingly enthralled with the film.

Set in the not-too-distant future, the film takes place in the United States of America, which has fallen and been rebuilt into the 12 Districts of Panem. To recall the rebel uprising that caused the fall of the U.S.A., the totalitarian government selects 24 teenagers (two from each district) to be sacrificed in the nationally television sports/reality television show The Hunger Games. These young people (called Tributes) are chosen by lottery to forge for food and outlast their 23 competitors.

Meet Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who has had experience hunting for food with a bow-and-arrow since her father died in a mining accident. She becomes a 12 District Tribute with her neighbor Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the son of a baker who had a long, unrequited crush on Katniss. The pair enter the Hunger Games as rivals and allies.

Part one of a trilogy, The Hunger Games is science fiction myth more in common with Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s 1984 than Star Wars and John Carter.  The message is important, but a satirical sense of humor keeps the story from being mundane. Other than two poorly-edited fight scenes, the film lives up to the hype of the novel.

Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones portray two foppish commentators who narrate The Hunger Games. Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson also  portray broad characters, though with far more depth than the characters played by Tucci and Jones.

As the leading lady, Lawrence deserves kudos. Given her persona in Winter Bone and X-Men First Class, Lawrence enhances her image as the central character. Hutcherson offers strong support without upstaging. Silent scenes between these two are just as interesting as brutal action sequences.

• For those seeking live entertainment and a show, Cinema Paradiso will be presenting Invisible Bands, a documentary about South Florida’s punk rock scene circa 1979 – 1985.  If you recognize bands like The Eat, The Reactions, The Front, The Cichlids and Charlie Pickett & The Eggs, you may want to check out Cinema Paradiso Saturday night! www.fliff.com.

We had this young man, Toto, who lived about a block from our house in Corrientes, Argentina, whose parents were very violent. They would take turns beating him and then throw him out of the house.

I first met Toto in our backyard. Samuel had invited a group of boys from the neighborhood into the house.

While the boys were playing in the back, a neighbor woman came and told me I needed to be careful with Toto. Apparently, he was a thief. We soon got to know him as he spent more time in our house. I remember one day, Toto found a Tonka Truck collection I had saved since I was a child. He took the trucks, the Hot Wheels and other cars and sat down on the dining room floor and played all morning, afternoon and into the night. I asked him why he enjoyed those toys (because they were not for boys of his age; he was 14 at the time). He replied, “I’ve never had toys like this before, never even one toy car.”

Soon Toto was spending significant time in our house and, on occasion, he would spend the night when things were difficult at home. He never stayed too long because even though his parents beat him, he still loved them; they were his parents. He told us once of a story where he ran away from home and spent three months riding by truck all over the country. When he arrived home, his parents didn’t know he was gone. He was known to spend weeks at a time sleeping on the street because he was afraid to go home. What he noticed was that no one cared enough to look for him.

One day, Toto was acting very strange. He quickly said he had something to do and walked out of the house and didn’t return. It was then we realized that he had stolen Samuel’s birthday money. Fearing what had become of him, Beth and the boys set out to look for him. For weeks, we went to all the places he was known to sleep or hang out and never saw any trace of him.

Rolo, who has had several experiences with children like Toto told us it was hopeless.  “Once they steal from you,” Rolo said, “It’s over. You can never have him back in your house.”

I looked at Rolo and said, “If we never find him, how can we show him forgiveness?”  Through his tears, Rolo said, “We’ll find him.”

That night we got a phone call from Toto. He told us he was okay and was traveling again by truck. He didn’t realize we had caller ID and identified the place he called us from. We went to find him. When we got there, he was gone. We headed home defeated. About an hour after we got home, the doorbell rang. It was Toto! With huge tears in his eyes he said, “No one ever looked for me before.”

Have you ever felt like no one was looking for you? Do you ever feel like if you disappeared, no one would even notice? That’s how Toto felt. God’s word says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

God is looking for you. He loves you, and he wants you to give Him your burdens.

Deron Peterson is is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

Golf trick shot artist Dennis Walters, 62, of Jupiter, hits a shot as students from Deerfield Park Elementary look on during a recent show. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Dennis Walters said he is living a dream, just not the one he originally had 50 years ago after his father took him to a professional golf tournament.

His message today is a simple one.

“If you have a dream and it doesn’t work out, never stop dreaming, get a new one,” said Walters, who was left paralyzed from the waist down when his golf cart flipped over in 1974.

“That’s what I did and I use my own personal experience as an example.”

Since then, the 62-year-old Jupiter man has put on more than 3,000 shows featuring golf trick shots in a 38-year career. He averages between 90 and 100 shows a year.

“Almost every person I met 38 years ago said it would be impossible to play golf because I couldn’t stand up and they were 100 percent correct,” Walters said after performing a recent show for the South Florida PGA Foundation at Deerfield Park Elementary School. “That’s when I started hitting them sitting down.”

Walters’ show featured amazing golf tricks, a message of inspiration, along with a special performance by Bucky, who is best known for his uncanny ability to correctly answer questions by barking out the answers.

“I didn’t think he could play when I first saw him,” said fourth grader Caroline Maya. “He’s very good. I was really amazed because I don’t think I would do that if I was in a wheelchair.”

Deerfield Park P.E. teacher Shelton Smith said this is the annual field trip that the school generally attends in Boca Raton.

“They weren’t able to hold it there this year,” Smith said. “They asked if they could bring it here to the school. My principal thought it would be nice to make it an incentive for third, fourth and fifth grade so they could improve on their academics. The students who scored three or higher on the mock, standardized FCAT tests were allowed to come out.”

“I am trying to grow the game of golf,” Walters said. “Golf is a game for everyone. I am living proof of it. I think if we can [get] more of these young people exposed to the game of golf, some of them will take it up.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

This week’s column will review three distinctly different motion pictures. Each one of these films will satisfy their respective ticket buyer.

The box office has not been too kind to John Carter and some mainstream critics have denounced the film as clichéd. What these critics overlook  is that author Edgar Rice Burroughs is the father of all science fiction cliché novels that spawned  films like Star  Wars, Star Trek and Indiana Jones.

From beginning to end, John Carter provides two hours of visual candy featuring water, air, fire and a showdown between  the armies of good and bad guys.

Once this film leaves the Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater to make room for Wrath of the Titans, expect John Carter to crash land at the Box Office.

What it lacks in special effects, Musical Chairs makes up for with pure drama. E.J. Bonila portrays Armando, the son of a Spanish restaurant owner in New York City. Armando is a good provincial son, but he longs to dance (ballroom) in a competitive field.

He meets the beautiful Mia (Leah Pipes) who is in training for a big competition. After Mia and Armando have a quick dance in the studio, she steps out into the street and becomes a paraplegic.

From this tragedy, Armando displays true courage and compassion as he helps Mia overcome her handicaps, some physical but mostly with self esteem. Directed by Susan Seidelman, Musical Chairs is full of warmth and humor.

Last, but not least, is The Matchmaker, an Israeli film with English subtitles about a teen and his unforgettable mentor. In 2006, Arik learns that he is the beneficiary of Yankele Bride, the local “matchmaker” from Arik’s teen years.

This film is a memory piece, especially for people older than 40. We remember a world in which new music could be found listening to a friend’s reel-to-reel tape recorder. The posters on the wall did not celebrate marijuana, but John Wayne. The Matchmaker is the best new movie opening this weekend.

Join director Susan Seidel-man (Desperately Seeking Susan) for Q&As after screenings of her new movie Musical Chairs this weekend on Sunday, March 25, 1:30 p.m., Regal Delray 18, and 5:10 p.m. at Boynton Cinema.

By Dave Montalbano

Between the loud openings of The Lorax, John Carter and The Hunger Games  will be a quiet little French film starring Audrey Tautou titled Delicacy. Compared to the cinematic high-volume energy drinks aforementioned, this classy film is a sip of fine wine.

Best known for her work on Amelie and The DaVinci Code, Tautou portrays Nathalie, a newlywed with a successful job. For three years, Nathalie and her husband keep their puppy love alive. One day, the husband goes for his morning jog and gets run over by a car.

Grieving, Nathalie buries her emotions in her work. On her first date in romantic  Paris, she rejects the sexual advances of her boss. During  a routine office visit by  the shrubby Markus Lundl (Francois Damiens), the absent-minded Nathalie rises from her desk and kisses him.

The kiss proves to be the tipping point for Markus and Nathalie, as office politics and individual desires are mashed together. The tone becomes broader with many American cultural influences inserted into the narrative. Delicacy is such a sweet movie that one can expect an American remake in the not too distant future.

Yet, an American producer will unlikely be able to cast another Audrey Tautou. The film is in French with English subtitles, but Tautou’s performance translates beyond language. Whether depressed from grief or born again in love, Tautou reveals so much with a subtle glance.

As the goofy Swede Lundl, Damiens is given an international spotlight. At first, Damiens’ character is used for broad comic situations. It is in the final moments of Delicacy that he reveals a hidden strength that lets the audience know that Nathalie will be all right.

Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to seeing John Carter, The Hunger Games and The Three Stooges, but Delicacy is something special for a mature audience who enjoys romance.

By Gary Curreri

Everybody loves a parade and what better way to celebrate Blanche Ely’s Class 7A boys’ basketball state championship than with a ride down victory lane on Saturday?

Blanche Ely’s boys recently punctuated a stellar season with a 78-46 victory over Orlando Oak Ridge in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship game as senior 6-ft., 6-in. star forward Clide Geffrard scored a game-high 33 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to power the Tigers to thier third state title in school history.

The victory gave Ely coach Melvin Randall his second state title at Ely (2006-07) and fourth overall, following two at Deerfield Beach (1997, 1999). The Tigers also won in 1993.

“The young men played very well,” Randall said. “Not taking anything away from Oak Ridge, but these young men did a very, very good job. For the seniors to go out in style like this is a plus … They deserve it because I know how hard we worked.”

It was a belated 49th birthday gift for Randall, who is 429-133 in his 20th year of coaching.

When asked to pick which team, the Class 7A No.1 Tigers or his 1999 Deerfield team (which went 34-1), was more dominant, Randall didn’t hesitate.

“You’re looking at it,” Randall said, “not just because this team won a state title. It’s the way they went about doing it, getting up Saturday mornings and hitting the beach … two-a-day practices and the intense workouts. Not saying the ’99 team didn’t do it, but the cohesiveness this team had consistently through-out made them better.”

The Tigers (30-2), winners of 18 consecutive games to close out the season, are ranked No.16 in the ESPN FAB 50 poll and have accepted an invitation to participate in the ESPNHS National High School Invitational at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, MD March 29-31.

The only blemishes on the Blanche Ely ledger are a one-point loss to ESPN FAB 50 No. 13 Bishop Gorman (NV) and 67-53 to ESPN No.14 Montverde Prep (21-3) on Dec. 30.

Geffrard, who scored 12 of his team’s 22 first-quarter points, felt he had to deliver on a promise.

“I wanted to keep my word I made in ninth grade when I told everyone we would win one before we left high school,” Geffrard said. “I guess I helped keep that word.”

The Tigers are also the third school in Broward – joining Deerfield Beach in 1999 and Dillard in 2003 – to win a state championship and win at least 30 games.

The 32-point margin of victory marked the 14th time this season the Tigers won a game by at least 30 points. It was also the 14th time the Ely defense held opponents under 50 points, including the state semifinal which produced a 62-29 victory over Saint Petersburg.

If there was one thing I could never have to do again, it would be to move! I cannot stand even the thought of moving. It just gives you one of those really bad feelings you get when you think back to all the stuff your mom made you eat when you were a child that you just hated. If it was me and I had a choice between moving and a visit to the dentist with no drugs – I would choose the dentist!

Now that you know how I feel about moving, the irony is that I find myself in the middle of moving our church facility from one location to another. This brings a whole new meaning to spring cleaning. I thought moving a house was difficult. Just imagine moving your house, but about 15 times more difficult.

Now as we prepare to move from a rather large facility to a much smaller and more cost-effective space, we have begun the cleaning out and paring down process. I think cleaning out our stuff is the hardest part for a lot of us because we have to get rid of some of our stuff that we desperately want to hold onto and never let go of. When you move from one place to another, you must clean out some old stuff, decide which are your essentials and make room for some new things to come your way.

I think it would be great if we could all look into our own lives and give ourselves an honest evaluation of all the baggage we carry. Then, after we decide what our essentials are, we can remove some old stuff, and begin to make room for some new things to come our way.

Some essentials that we should want to keep include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Add to that prayer (talking with God), going to church, family, friends and love. Yes, I said love twice because it is so important that it needs to be said twice. Everything should begin and end with love. Remember that God’s kind of love has no conditions on it, but rather is giving unconditionally with no strings attached. God’s love does not say ‘I love you because you did something for me,’ it simply says, ‘I love you, no matter what.’  Some of our baggage might include painful memories, hurt feelings, wounded pride and unforgiveness. We need to take those bags out to the garbage where they belong and get rid of them for good. Then and only then will we be ready for the new things God wants to bless our lives with. I don’t know about you, but I like God’s blessings in my life.

I want you to know there is someone in this world who loves you and cares about you, so keep your head up and stay strong. I always pray that everyone who reads the articles will be encouraged and blessed. This time is no different, but if you could please pray for us as we prepare to move and  get ready to have our first service in our new facility by April 1. Thank you and God bless you.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church