By Scott Morganroth

When I went to training camp to see the FAU Owls practice eight days ago, there was definitely a different feeling this time.

By now, everyone knows this will be the final season for Coach Howard Schnellenberger, who has built the Owls program from scratch. When I asked him about what it was like to enter his final season, he refused to address the subject. He rarely dodges a question, but I do know that he’s probably been asked it several times lately. More importantly, he’ll have an entire season to talk about it, thus, his focus remained on the Florida Gators on Sept. 3.

By now, though, Schnellenberger is probably trying to put the No. 22 Florida Gators behind him as his team suffered a 41-3 loss on Saturday in Gainesville. FAU’s only points came on a 27-yard field goal by Vinnie Zaccario.

Getting dominated in the following statistical areas were things the 77-year-old coach knows he has to improve on this week.

Against the Gators, Florida dominated in total offense by outgaining FAU, 468-137, and in first downs, 30-11. Anything close to these numbers Saturday against the Michigan State Spartans at noon on ESPN 2 will lead to yet another forgettable afternoon.

The last thing Schnellenberger needs is another embarrassment. Michigan State leads the all-time series 2-0.

Schnellenberger prepared for the Florida game the same way he has for so many.

“We prepare correctly for every game we play,” Schnellenberger said. “We prepare harder and more than put forth the effort. We think we have a full cup.”

He added that this training camp was no different than any other and never worried about retirement.

“I know this is the last time we’ll play Florida, Michigan State on down the line,” Schnellenberger said. “But it’s not as big a thing, you know. You coach for 52 years, and there were times that I thought it would be over already. You know it’s coming to an end, so it’s no big thing.”

I was recently asked by some friends and family about whether I was surprised by Schnellenberger’s retirement? I told them “NO.”

First of all, he was able to become the George Washington of FAU Football and since he won’t win a national championship in Boca Raton, what better way to go out on top than to coach the final year in a brand-new on-campus stadium.

Schnellenberger turned that dream into a reality. Icing on the cake would be taking the Owls to another bowl game and winning it. But even if he doesn’t reach the post-season, on Jan. 21, 2012, he’ll coach one more time against former FSU legendary coach Bobby Bowden at FAU Stadium.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33.com. 

Emily Chen won three events and helped the Deerfield Beach Dolphins win the South Florida Recreational Swim League large division title for the eighth consecutive season in the summer championships at Coral Springs Aquatic Complex. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Emily Chen enjoys swimming as much as she does competing with her teammates.

The 10-year-old member of the Deerfield Beach Dolphins recently flexed her muscles during the South Florida Recreational Swim League summer championships at Coral Springs Aquatic Complex.

Chen won three events while teammate Greg Kohner also helped lead the team to win the large division title for the eighth consecutive season, including the last four summer titles. It amassed 1,818 points to easily best runner-up Boca Raton Mantas, who has 673 points.

“I like just having fun and being able to be with my friends,” Chen said. “I felt very good about my races. Improving your time is important, and that makes you feel good, even if you don’t win the race. The best thing about swimming is being with your friends and having a good time.”

Kohner also swam well as he also captured three events and set three meet records along the way.

“I like swimming because it is the best sport for you,” Kohner said. “You get the workout and you are weightless. It is not that much strain on the joints. It is the only sport that I play where I actually feel good after a workout.”

Dolphins swim team head coach Rafael DeSilva and his fellow coaches dressed in costumes each day. He said it is all part of keeping it fun for the swimmers. This year, they have 193 swimmers on the competitive team and 225 in their program.

“We do more than just swimming in the program,” DeSilva said. “We want them to become better swimmers. We worked them tremendously on their techniques the last five years. If you put the fun, technique and the work ethic together, the results will come.”

DeSilva said they don’t leave anybody out when it comes to swimming in meets.

“Everybody swims three events,” DeSilva said. “We motivate them to swim and have that personal improvement. We celebrate a whole lot more when the kid improves their time than if a kid breaks a record. That, of course, is also nice.”

The league also established the Julie Cusmano Outstanding Parent Award that went to Margate Motion parent Miguel Arteaga.

South Florida Recreational Swim League president Chris Hoch said the parent award was named in honor of Deerfield Beach Dolphins parent Julie Cusmano who has had children in the program and did a lot for the league. This was her final meet since her son aged out.

“We are going to miss her,” Hoch said. “She has done a lot for the league.”

Jordyn Griffith helps the Deerfield Beach Sharks win the state championship. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Jordyn Griffith has been playing softball for the past four years and knew this year would be special.

“I thought we would be good this year because we have a lot of good players and we work together as a team,” said Griffith, 10, who helped the Deerfield Beach Sharks 10-Under softball team win the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) ‘A’ state title with 9-2 victory over its arch rivals, the West Pines Diamond Dusters. “We are really good together. We don’t fight.”

Brooke Antonio’s two triples led the way for the Sharks in the title game as the local squad finished the year 73-4 and won 13 of the 15 tournaments they entered.

Griffith and the Sharks spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the country by USSSA. They also finished as the fourth-ranked team in the country.

“It is more pressure, but we play the same way we do and [don’t] let the pressure bother us,” Griffith added. “We rarely even brought it up. We just tried and had fun. I like it because it is fun and you get exercise when you run. It is a fun sport.”

The Sharks opened action in the state tournament, winning the first three contests by a combined 29-0 score. Amy Robbins, Sami Restrepo and Tiffany Saba starred at the plate in victories over St. Pete Fury, West Coast Vipers
and the Sunrise Thunder.

Deerfield Beach followed that up with a 3-2 victory over the Port Orange Blazers before downing Wellington Wild, 8-1, to advance to the championship round against the Diamond Dusters, which needed to defeat the Sharks twice for the title.

West Pines won the first game, 5-0. However, Deer-field Beach prevailed in the second contest, 9-2, to win the state title. Karissa Bauzon also had two hits in the final, while Brandi Antonio allowed just one hit in notching the win on the mound.

Coach Karla Antonio said they are a great bunch of girls.

“They are fun and always entertaining,” Antonio said. “They work very hard, and I can’t say enough about them. The parents are good too, which is very important. The kids are only 10. They have a lot of years ahead of them.”

Pompano Beach’s Gwen Bencie wins the state championship in the Girls C Division Paddleboard event in the inaugural Florida State Junior Lifeguard Championships in Ft. Lauderdale recently. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach’s Gwen Bencie enjoys learning about the ocean.

The 10-year-old also enjoys competing and putting the two together while participating in the inaugural Florida State Junior Lifeguard Championships in Lauderdale recently.

“It’s mostly hard,” said Bencie, who competed for the Ft. Lauderdale Junior Lifeguard program the past two years. She won the Girls C Division Paddleboard event at the state competition.

“It teaches you how to save lives and rescue people. What you would really do if you were a lifeguard. I want to be a lifeguard when I am older. I think the competition is really important because I want to win and we can get points for the team.”

Bencie said her favorite event was the paddleboard, although she competed in all of the events.

“It’s fun,” Bencie added. “Sometimes, I go surfing and I like working out.”

Ft. Lauderdale scored 1,052 points to take the state title, while Pompano Beach was second with 668. Deerfield Beach was fourth with 289 points.

Mike Brown, 37, who has headed up the Deerfield Beach Junior Lifeguard program for the past 14 years, had 14 of his 70 junior guards competing in the event. Brown said two of his current city lifeguards came from the junior program.

“The benefits are you are teaching them water safety and teaching them how to save someone’s life,” Brown said. “You teach them how to identify dangerous water conditions and also how to use surf crafts like a paddleboard and how to catch waves.”

Deerfield Junior Lifeguard James Rivera, 14, a Boca High 9th grader, has been competing for five years and said it is fun.

“Sometimes winning is important,” said Rivera, who also swims for the Deerfield Beach Dolphins Swim Team. “It is pretty serious, but it is also fun, too, at the same time. It is a good experience.”

A few weeks ago, I had some ideas as to what events should be held at the new FAU Football Stadium.

I spoke to Associate Athletic Director for Corporate Sponsorships Michael Smith. He took this position after serving as Director of Collegiate Sports Properties for the University of Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference.

Smith gave me his reasons why he moved to Boca Raton and in this Observer interview, he talked about what the South Florida Community has to look forward to.

Q: What made you decide to take this position at FAU?

A: To be Associate Athletic Director was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I am looking forward to the inner workings of working behind the scenes, of what it takes [to build]  a new stadium for a Division I School. I see the athletic program growing into a Conference USA, Big East or ACC member one day. I am thrilled to see the excitement of the Boca Raton Community.

Q: How many events do you foresee and what type of financial benefit will Boca Raton receive?

A: I anticipate that the stadium has a $1.7 million impact to the community of Boca Raton. It’s the largest facility between Miami and Orlando. It will hold 15 events the first year … five football games, along with 10 other events. I anticipate concerts, college events, international soccer, high school all-star games and, eventually, landing a college bowl game. We hope to expand to at least 20 events.

Q: Were you familiar with FAU before you took this position?

A: Yes. Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger’s reputation speaks for itself. Mike Jarvis won 21 games this year for the basketball team and has an excellent track record for taking his teams to the NCAA Tournament. John McCormack’s baseball team [players] are perennial winners.

Q: How will your previous position benefit you here?

A: I worked in the multimedia areas. I worked in marketing, advertising and promotions so we have lots of inventory here. I will be working on selling signs for the Football Stadium, radio spots, coach’s call-in radio shows for all sports, Internet and promotions on the field.

According to Smith, there has been an increase in landing new students. Last year, FAU had 9,000 applications from incoming freshman. This year, the total is 22,000.

Oct. 15 is right around the corner and, by the end of the week, the FAU Football Team will be in training camp, preparing for that inaugural season. It will be interesting to see which players go down in history as the ones who score the first touchdown, have the first yard, etc.

If the growth of the football program goes according to planned, the football stadium has the ability to be expanded in two phases, from 30-45,000 and 45-65,000. The addition of more students, as aforementioned, could be the beginning of what lies ahead.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Highlands Christian Academy hosted its annual summer basketball camp recently. Trophy winners for opening week pictured (L to R) (Back row): Cameron Caputo, Marvin Jean-Pierre, Herman Robinson, D.J. Kottke, Vance Houston, Tyler Bronson, George Giourgas; (Front row): Jordan Willis, Emily Teason, Allyson Steincamp, Lettie Cronin, Riley Berry, Danielle Domino, Karl Schuberth, Dylan Farrell. Submitted photo

By Gary Curreri

Highland’s Christian Academy held its annual summer basketball camp at the campus recently.

There were two sessions this summer – boys and girls’ grades 7-12 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and grades 2-6 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Reg Cook, the summer sports camp director and former long-time basketball coach and athletic director at the school, began the basketball camp in the early 1980s. Jim Good (head boy’s varsity coach), along with Luke Still (head boy’s JV coach), Josh Good (head boy’s JH coach), and Lindsey Shein (HCA alumnus) were the camp coaches.  Several high school athletes worked the second week of camp to earn community hours.

There were 55 campers in the first session and an additional 60 campers in the second session.

“Once again, our summer basketball camp was a success,” said Jim Good. “It’s a great environment with quality coaches who are not only teaching the game of basketball, but also the game of life. What a great opportunity we have to share our love for the Lord and also our love for the game of basketball.”

Good said the morning session included a devotional given by a coach followed by some warm-up activities, ball handling and dribbling. He said they then began their Gatorade and trophy contests.

The trophy contests included 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 competitions, free throw competition and hot shots. The campers would travel by bus for lunch at a Chick-fil-A or CiCi’s Pizza.  Then, they would return for afternoon 5-on-5 full court games.

Simply Soccer Camp returns

The Simply Soccer summer camp plans to hold its 5th camp in the city of Pompano on Aug. 15-19. Registration will be held at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. The soccer camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, who will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

There are three sessions each day (for the Pompano camp) ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (cost is $115 weekly); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $130 each week, and a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m.to noon for $60 weekly.

Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch.

You can register at the Pompano Civic Center at 1801 NE 6 St. in Pompano Beach from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119.

Braylan Fleming, 11, of Deerfield Beach, throws a pass under the watchful eye of Coach Fred Davis during the 11th annual Crockett Foundation Life Skills free football camp in Pompano Beach. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

Zack Crockett and his brother, Henri, were back at it again – doing what they do best. The two Blanche Ely grads, and former NFL football players, were at the 4-fields complex in Pompano Beach recently hosting their annual free football camp.

The 11th annual Crockett Foundation Life Skills free football camp in Pompano Beach attracted 500 youths ranging in age from 6 to 16 from throughout South Florida.

“We are just going to keep pressing forward and passing the torch to the young guys coming out so they see how we do it and then they keep it going,” said Zack Crockett, 38, who spent 13 years in the NFL and is now a scout for the Oakland Raiders.

“We are just trying to help the kids and let them know they have a chance to do great things, as long as they take care of the grades and let their athletic ability take care of itself.”

Youngsters took part in everything from running 40-yard dashes to obstacle courses. They were schooled in running, catching, throwing, and then Zack Crockett pulled them aside and spoke to them about the importance of school and being a role model. The day ended with a 7-on-7 tournament.

Crockett said the kids got free food, T-shirts and customized football mouth pieces provided by TAPOUT. They also had an opportunity to play video games in a truck.

Among the other athletes volunteering was Isaac Bruce, 38, who spent 16 years in the NFL for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

“We were goal-minded and one of those goals was to play in the NFL,” Bruce said. “The mentality has changed, and that is why people like Zack and Henri and Al (Harris) all come back to remind them. I think us being here gives them hope and that is an important factor. We teach them faith.”

Bruce said their main focus is to make sure they become productive citizens.

“I think it is a no-brainer for us to be here because we know we are doing this for the kids,” Bruce added. “We want to try and build character. We didn’t have anything like this when I was growing up, not to this extent. We did have guys from the Dolphins, who would come and talk to us at the high schools sometimes, but, here, we get their full attention. They get our full attention.”

Henri Crockett, 36, a 1992 Ely grad, said they have contributed more than $500,000 to the community through their foundation, although they have only been able to generate about $40,000 in contributions. They have two reading centers for local youths. Crockett said their mother, Sylvia Ann Hall, instilled good family values.

They will also host the 3rd Annual Family and Health Community Festival this Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pompano Citi Center, 1955 N. Federal Hwy. in Pompano Beach.

“We have fun each and every year,” Zack Crockett said. “The kids learn and they see different guys each year. The message we keep giving these kids is obviously working because they listen and they keep coming back.”

For more information visit their website at www.crockettfoundation.org.

By Gary Curreri 

Rebekah Escuage asks where the finish is for the standup paddleboard event at recent Chick-fil-A Ocean Series on Pompano Beach. Photo by Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Piranhas head swim coach Jesse Vassallo is hoping to build a strong swim program in the city.

If a recent fundraising event at the beach is any indication, he could be well on his way. A total of 135 competitors recently participated in a Chick-fil-A Ocean Series on Pompano Beach.

The Chick-fil-A Ocean Series was presented by the Pompano Piranhas and featured a one-mile ocean swim, a 500-meter kids swim and a half-mile stand-up paddleboard race. The top three finishers in each event won Cow trophies and medals. There were also goodie bags and door prizes provided, as well as a Chick-fil-A breakfast.

“I am really excited about being here,” said Vassallo, who took over head coaching duties a month ago after spending the previous two years at Ft. Lauderdale Aquatics. He called the Chick-fil-A event “a tremendous success.”

Vassallo, who turns 50 next month, hopes to continue to grow the swim team in Pompano Beach, which is in just its second year as a United States Swim program. It had previously enjoyed success in the South Florida Recreational Swim League.

“We started a month ago with 45 swimmers and we now have 66,” Vassallo said. “We are trying to run the most professional swim team in the area …We have recreational levels for kids who just want to lose weight or have fun. We also want to be very competitive. You can’t have one without the other.”

“I have my goals,” Vassallo added. “The Pompano Piranhas is a small team that came from the rec league maybe three years ago so it is actually a new team in the U.S. Swimming environment. First, I want this to be a solid team so we have to grow in numbers.”

Julia Schulte, 14, the first female finisher in the standup paddleboard event at the competition who finished fourth overall, likes the direction the Piranhas are taking. She has been a member of the swim program for the past six years.

“It is such a black-and-white difference (with the competition),” said Schulte, who is also a junior lifeguard with Pompano. “With (the recreation swim league), I would win the heats like they were nothing and, here, I get my butt kicked and come in dead last. It is just a whole other world. It is like you go into the Twilight Zone and you feel like you are in a whole different world.”

Piranhas’ teammate Rebekah Escuage, 17, also from Pompano Beach, agreed that the competition is now stiffer.

“Rec (swimming) was a lot of fun, but this is a higher level of competition,” Escuage said. “It is nice to see how it is going to be by competing at such a high level, even with people who are going to the Olympics. It is really different.”

“That was a beginner type thing, but when we switched here it was like a whole different world of competition and people who can beat you,” Escuage added. “Training got a lot harder, but it was more worth it and it was something to strive for.”

By Scott Morganroth

It’s hard to believe that, in 91 days, the FAU Owls football team will begin a new era with their new on-campus stadium.

By the time FAU plays in the new stadium, the Owls will have played five road games. Their first three games will be against the Florida Gators, Michigan State Spartans and defending National Champion the Auburn Tigers. It seems destined that FAU could start 0-3. They’ll definitely get three big pay days to put in the athletic department’s checkbook.

FAU’s first two Sun Belt Conference games are at the University of Louisiana Lafayette and North Texas.

By the time Oct. 15 rolls around, will the Owls be out of the post-season picture and be looking for a miracle to become bowl eligible? Time will tell.

In the 30,000-seat expandable stadium, this season will occupy five dates. In the future, it could be as many as seven home games.

The question remains, what events could we see down the road? I anticipate there could be a bowl game.

Here are some ideas for Athletic Director Craig Angelos.

Angelos should have no problem attracting events because, being in South Palm Beach County, this stadium is centrally located to Palm Beach, Broward, Dade and Martin County.

There is no doubt that Angelos will get his fair share of concerts. Years ago, the Orange Bowl (OB) was a venue that  attracted concerts. The Marlins new baseball stadium, on the OB site, will be ready by next season. Although there will be competition for the outdoor market, I do believe there is enough room for two outdoor concert facilities.

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers played their home games at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. Even though Lockhart was horrible for the Owls because of the poor locker rooms, it was good for a North American Soccer League team.

Major League Soccer has a solid fan base in the U.S.A., so it’s time to see if Angelos can get a team on campus and call it the South Florida Strikers.

In 1983, FAU Coach Howard Schnellenberger left his National Champion Miami Hurricanes for the USFL to coach a team in Miami at the Orange Bowl. This move backfired because the league never played a game in this market and subsequently folded.

The spring of 2012 marks the return of the New USFL. While I doubt we’ll see the 77-year-old Schnellenberger coach this team, it would be neat to see a team in the area in a league where he wanted to coach in the pros again.

Back in the old USFL, there used to be a territorial draft where teams could draft players that played at local schools. I could see a territorial draft with Miami, FIU and FAU, and there will be old faces chasing their dreams in Boca Raton.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scotts ports33.com.