By Gary Curreri

While the score may have resembled something found on a baseball diamond, the Deerfield Beach High School football team will take it nonetheless.

The Bucks kicked off the season with a stunning, 6-2 victory over defending Class 6A state champion Miami Carol City at Traz Powell Stadium last Friday night.

Deerfield Beach senior kicker Liden Rivera connected on second quarter field goals of 33 and 25 yards for a 6-0 lead; however, the Bucks needed two crucial goal line stands in the closing minutes to preserve the win, including a key interception in the end zone by senior safety Jayson Dennis, following a blocked punt deep in their own territory.

Deerfield Beach also forced three incomplete passes after Bucks coach Jevon Glenn took an intentional safety and the Chiefs returned the free kick to the Deerfield 11-yard line. The Bucks limited Carol City to just 55 yards total offense in the game.

Deerfield Beach, the state’s top-ranked Class 8A team in the state, now travels to New Jersey to face St. Joseph Regional, which MaxPreps ranks 18th in the nation, on Sept. 2. The Bucks are currently ranked 105 in the same poll.

Junior lifeguards final haul: 43 medals at nationals

Team Pompano came away with eight National Championships among a total of 43 medals at the recent USLA National Championship in Daytona Beach. 

The talented junior lifeguard program captured 11 gold medals, 13 silver, 6 bronze and 13 medals for 4th and 5th, respectively). The top five in each event won medals.

The national champions included Grace Parnas (Girls “B” Division, Beach Flags and Paddleboard); Isabella Taylor (Girls “A” Division, Paddleboard and IronGuard); Summer Schulte (Girls “A” Division, Run-Swim-Run and Distance Swim); Alex Marquez (Boys “A” Division, IronGuard) and Mattheus Santos, Kelly Schulte, Alejandro Quinones and Ronald Hache in the Boys U19 Rescue Race.

The silver medalists were: Isabella Taylor (Girls “A” Division, Distance Swim, Run-Swim-Run); Summer Schulte (Girls “A” Division, Ironguard, Paddleboard); Raphael Santos (Boys “A” Division, Distance Swim, Run-Swim-Run); “A” Division Swim Relay, composed of Isabella Taylor, Summer Schulte, Alex Marquez, Raphael Santos, Emilio Barrantes and the “A” Division Rescue Relay, composed of Raphael Santos and Alex Marquez.

The bronze medalists were Lilia Blanco (Girls “C” Division, Distance Swim and Ironguard); Reese Andres (Girls “C” Division, Paddleboard); Owen Williams (Boys “C” Division, Ironguard); Christian Quinones (Boys “B” Division, Beach Flags); Mattheus Santos (U19 Division, Run-Swim-Run).

 “Out of the six individual events, Team Pompano had the top two finishers in the country in four of those events in our “A” Girls, Isabella Taylor and Summer Schulte,” said Nemia L. Schulte, president of the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard Association. “These two young ladies primarily competed against each other while blowing away the rest of the pack.”

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach High School football coach Melvin Jones is hoping to cash in on his first coaching job.

The Tornados, coming off a 2-8 season last year, move back into District 15-5A play this season after being an independent for the past couple of years. Pompano Beach showed it could score in a 36-32 loss last week to host St. John Paul II, but Jones is excited about the season.

“I am very excited about the opportunity,” Jones said. “It took eight years for this to happen. I have applied at many schools in the county and have had countless interviews, but nobody was willing to pull the trigger until now.

“There is a lot of pent up frustration,” he added. “I am just ready to get things going to show what I can do.”

More than half the 30-player Pompano Beach roster is made up of seniors. The team is led offensively by Jalal Jean-Charles (RB/DB, Sr.), Brian Campbell (FB/LB, Sr.), Andre Clarke (WR/FS, Sr.), Jordan Jaramillo (WR/FS, Jr.), Andrew Putney (QB/DB, Sr.).

The team also has some strong defensive players led by Shemon Jenkins (CB/WR, Jr.), Daniel Eggan (SS/WR, Sr.), Kelly Moore (DE, Jr.) and a promising newcomer in two-way player Jacoby Clarke (TE/DE, Sr.).

“Our goal this season is to build upon our team philosophy which is ‘Stay in the moment, Live as a FAMILY, Dare to be Uncommon and Hold the Rope,” Jones said. “I think our team will surprise people this year. We are a unit that is determined to be great. We are a scrappy team that will fight to the end. We are looking forward to competing for a district title.”

Jones said the team would play the season with a strong motivation.

“As an athlete, you always have a chip on your shoulder,” Jones said. “We are striving to be great. In today’s society you have to prove yourself everyday you wake up. No matter what you did yesterday, you have to do it again today so the chip is always there.”

Senior offensive lineman Steven Nirenberg believes his team can be special. The 17-year-old Coconut Creek resident has been on the team all four years and believes an undefeated season is in the cards when the games start to count.

“I believe we can go 10-0 this year,” Nirenberg said. “It is a new system and we all believe what coach Jones is bringing to the table. The schedule is very winnable and I think we just have the fire in us to go 10-0.”

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

As a clergyman, I discovered the “ambidextrous” nature of my profession. On one hand, I am a theologian, which is to say, I am an academician. When I fulfill this role, it is safe. I am in the cerebral realm and can distance myself, emotionally, from the subject at hand.

On the other hand, I am a pastor. As a pastor I make the abstract personal and find myself in the realm of the heart. This is the more vulnerable of the two realms because emotions are involved and I find I simply cannot distance myself from the subject at hand.

Usually, when I write these articles, I write from the safer of the two realms. I try to keep my writing professional as opposed to personal. And this is the safer of the two options, particularly when our readership is ecumenical.

Well, today, I simply cannot distance myself from my writing. As I write my article, I anticipate the end of this week when I bring my youngest child to college. I anticipate empty nest syndrome and I find myself, this week, caught up in the emotion. I realize I am not alone. And it is this realization that inspired me to write my article to all the moms and dads out there who are facing major life transitions this week. Whether you are sending your child to kindergarten, middle school, high school or college, the transition can be a challenge. And if you find yourself in this category, this one is for you.

There are things we say when we face life transitions. One of the most honest statements I have heard people mention is “I am happy for you but sad for me.” When your best friend moves to a new place because he or she got a promotion you might say this. When you speak at a loved one’s funeral, as a person of faith, acknowledging a better hereafter for our loved one but a difficult here and now for you, you might say this. And, when the father links arms with his daughter and walks down the aisle, he has a smile from ear to ear but tears are streaming from both eyes. As he faces the realization that his little girl is getting married, his expression says it all: “I am happy for you but sad for me.”

As a parent, we prepare our children for the day when they will leave home. We want our kids to succeed, to become independent, become everything God created them to be. As we nudge them out of the nest, we want them to spread their wings and fly. Until that day comes, we hang on to each moment and hold them as tight as we can never wanting to let go. And, yet, we must. When that day comes, we remind ourselves that it was for this moment that we worked so hard. Yet, selfishly perhaps, we hope that moment never comes. Rest assured, that moment will come. And when it does, we say: “I am happy for you but sad for me.”

It was difficult when my daughter Rachel went off to college. Fortunately, her little brother was home. It broke my heart the first time, but the realization that Nate was still home made it somewhat bearable. Now, that is no longer true. You think you can prepare yourself for these things emotionally, but I should know by now that emotions don’t work that way. I can say, with all sincerity, that I am happy for him but sad for me. My wife and I need to remind ourselves that this was the moment we worked for. He is ready and I know that his future is bright. But it doesn’t change the fact that I will miss him terribly.

Moms and dads, people of faith, whatever your faith may be, you are not alone. Being a dad has taught me many valuable lessons that have shaped my ministry. I have walked with many people through life transitions. I have experienced the emotions of hundreds of people, albeit from somewhat of a professional distance. Now, I find myself walking down the path many have walked before me. I cannot say: “I know how you are feeling.” But I can say: “I have a pretty good idea …” Feel free to call your clergy person and share what is on your heart and pray with him or her. You may be surprised to discover that your spiritual leader, too, may have taken your path and have a pretty good idea of how you are feeling.

But know this, you are in my prayers. And may God bless you and your children during this time of transition. You may be sad for yourself, but be happy for your child.

Pastor Gross is a pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, located at 959 SE 6 Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-421-3146 or visit www.zion-lutheran.org.

By Rachel Galvin

Only lightning could stop little feet from rushing down the field on Saturday following a series of “fastest man” races. This was just one of the many activities kids participated in, which included agility drills, tube tug o’ war and more, for the Shoelace Foundation’s 3rd Annual Football & Fun Day at Deerfield Beach High School (DBHS). The kids only stopped activities when the storm began brewing overhead.

Run by former DBHS student and current wide receiver/ running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denard “Shoelace” Robinson, this event brings kids together to not only have fun, but to learn the sport of football, as well receive inspirational messages from someone who understands where they have been and can motivate them to go as far as he has gone, and beyond.

“No matter where you come from you can always come home. It’s a blessing where I’m at now so I want to show them,” said Robinson.

“We did different drills than last year. We have to switch it up,” said Tevin Allen, who runs local camps of his own, which Robinson has attended, so he wanted to help him out with his as well. “The kids are training, but they are having fun at the same time. It is more exciting than regular camps.”

“We have had way more kids this year than last year, about 100 more. This year, we have had 340,” said Kurt Haralson, who also helped out at the event. “We had eight stations for the kids, 15 to 20 minutes each. Last night, we had basketball in the gym.”

(The 2nd annual Ball for a Cause charity basketball game brought in NBA players and other well known athletes to participate).

DBHS Head Coach Jevon Glenn was impressed with the people Robinson was able to get involved. He said he comes out yearly to be a part of Robinson’s event.

“You can see how highly regarded he is,” said Glenn. “I am honored and proud …to see Denard go from being a student to seeing the things he does for the community… Not many guys give back as much as he gives.”

Many DBHS players helped out at the event, including Rosendo Louis, a linebacker, who says he is No. 6 in the country right now.

“I helped kids with the drills. I love being here and working with the kids. I grew up in the same neighborhood as them. I think it is great giving back to the community,” he said.

Jakari Norwood, who is a DBHS running back, added, “It is a good experience. It’s my second year here. I like to be around Shoelace. Maybe, someday, I will come back and do the same thing.”

Whidlyne St. Simon brought out her two boys, age 7 and 11, to the event.

“I have come the past three years. It is awesome and amazing. I think it gives kids something to look forward to. For the older ones, it is inspirational … someone who comes from here coming back…”

After a day of sports in the hot sun on Saturday, kids came inside to eat lunch provided by the Shoelace Foundation. They also had breakfast provided by Kellogg’s. In addition, kids got to take home a T-shirt.

For more on the Shoelace Foundation, visit www.theshoelacefoundation.org.

By Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach Middle School girls basketball coach Brittany Harvard knows firsthand what it means to put together a perfect season and in the process be MVP for county champion.

Harvard recently guided her team to a 14-0 season and the Broward County Middle School championship with a convincing 65-29 victory over Pembroke Pines Charter at Stranahan High School.

It was a sense of déjà vu for Harvard who was MVP in 2003 for the Bengals when they finished 13-0 and won the county championship.

“The focus level was unbelievable,” said Harvard, who went on to star at Blanche Ely High School and then play at Benedict College in Colombia, SC. “To see a middle school team focus like that was unbelievable. The year we won, the whole team wasn’t focused – maybe a couple, maybe the starting five. To have a strong 10 girls just lock in and focus on one goal, it was amazing.”

Bengals eighth-grader Ja’Leah Williams scored a game-high 34 points as Pompano Beach handed Pembroke Pines Charter its only loss of the season in 14 games.

Along the way, Pompano Beach abruptly halted two-time defending county champion Dillard Middle School’s 41-game win streak in the semifinals, 60-17. Dillard had lost just once to Westglades in the county semifinals the year the school opened three years ago. They are 53-2 during that span. The victory over Dillard this year avenged a 33-32 setback in last year’s semifinals that ended Pompano’s season.

Pompano Beach lost to William Dandy three years ago in the second round of the playoffs and is 37-2 during that span.

“We beat Dillard this year so they knew how we felt last year, but worse,” said Williams, 14, of Pompano Beach, who has been on the team all three years. She averaged 36 points a game this year.

“We were thinking about that one point loss all season, since the first practice,” said Williams, who averaged 36 points a game this year. “At the beginning of the championship game I knew we had it. We had more skill than they did.”

Williams scored five of her game-high 34 points in the first quarter and dropped in another 13 in the second quarter as the Bengals led 33-12 in the title game. Williams added nine in the third and seven in the final quarter to earn MVP honors for the game. She also dished out five assists, had six steals and five rebounds in the contest.

Bengals’ eighth-grader Mikihia Lumsdon and seventh grader Mya Kone each added 10 points, while seventh graders Michiyah Simmons and Zaria Blake had 6 and 4 points, respectively.

Pompano Beach also went 12-0 in 1993, this season marking the third time in school history that they were perfect.

“The one thing that stood out was their dedication and their working hard,” Harvard said as she reflected on the season. “They were always determined to learn, even what they already knew. They stayed determined to work on their craft – both strengths and weaknesses – from the time we lost last year all the way up to now.”

The end of summer brings an opportunity for new beginnings in a variety of ways. School children heading back to classes prepare for new lessons, projects, exams, and the like. Moving up a grade usually means meeting new teachers and possibly new classmates. Transitioning from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school means learning your way around a new environment, along with taking new classes and making new friends. For teachers and support staff, the experience is similar. There are new kids to work with, new schedules to keep, and sometimes new educational standards to be implemented.

Parents go through a reset as well. Vacation days with great summer experiences have ended. Kids are out of the house and back in school. There are forms to be filled out and bus routes to confirm. Traffic for the morning commute to work increases, along with anxiety levels during the ride. These end-of -summer rituals predictably occur as most of us make the adjustments both physically and emotionally. Even nature prepares to bid farewell to summer in order to make room for autumn. Change, transition, adjustment and renewal are all around us at this time of year.

Most of the year has passed at this point and we are looking at just a few months left. At the beginning of the year, many people made plans and set goals to be accomplished. Now is a great time to review and assess and to make adjustments, if necessary. The opportunity to reset or begin anew at the end of summer gives us a chance to confirm which goals are most important, and to focus on the things that matter most. Even challenging circumstances may provide us with new lessons, different options, and a change in direction.

There is a movement among churches to capture this sense of renewal at the end of summer by inviting congregants back to church. Attendance usually diminishes during the summer months, causing some churches to adopt a summer schedule of fewer services. As vacation days come to an end and the kids head back to school, people are encouraged to reconnect with the fellowship and worship that church offers. There is even a national “Back to Church Campaign” that provides resources and ideas to congregations that desire to reach out to regular attendees as well as attract new people.

In all of life’s pursuits none should be considered more important than the development of our faith. Connecting with God and finding your purpose through Him is a very rewarding experience. I was impressed with several of the athletes who publicly gave thanks to God for their victories in the recent Olympics. They acknowledged that their abilities were granted by Him and rightly gave God the glory. Even some who came up short offered thanks for the opportunity to compete at such a high profile level.

As we say goodbye to the summer months and adjust to the coming season, why not reset our spiritual lives as well. If you’ve been out of church, or out of contact with your community of faith, why not reconnect and reaffirm your relationship with God. Bring the entire family and make a purposeful decision to move forward with faith, focus and gratitude. Seize these new days, and this new season, with a fresh attitude.

May you discover the joy of the Psalm (96:1) who declared “O sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord all the earth.” There is much more to experience and enjoy in life. Sometimes all you need is to reset.

Bishop Patrick L. Kelly is the pastor of Cathedral Church of God, 365 S. Dixie Hwy., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-427-0302.

By Gary Curreri

When it comes to the expansion of the South Florida Baseball School, Bruce Charlebois said his prayers have been answered – literally.

“We have wanted to run a home school division, which is something that we have been praying for a long time and God has answered that prayer with Marc (Carpiniello) and his family,” said Charlebois, owner of the school and head baseball coach at Highlands Christian Academy, where the school is located. “We have also started a softball division this year and that has been another desire of ours for years.

“That is ridiculously great!” Charlebois added. “People believe in our system and we have been able to help in the area of character and baseball training throughout the years and people are investing in us. Again, it is a miracle that we get to do this and people love us enough to invest in what we are doing.”

Charlebois, 49, of Deerfield Beach, said the school is celebrating its 20th anniversary and adding a home school division was just a natural progression.

Carpiniello, 45, also of Deerfield Beach, said the home school division for children ages 6 to 13 began a few months ago with a Tuesday camp and just three players. It has since grown to 14.

“I think it is more of a want, than a need,” said Carpiniello, who home schools his children, Vince, 7, and Jami and Justin, twin 6-year-olds. He coaches his children in several leagues and about 30 games each, however, there are not many practices.

“Even though my kids adapt quickly and make friends fast they are still not in the same circles as most of the other boys since they are home schooled,” Carpiniello said. “With our program, we do a little skill training with them and then break into a wiffle ball or tennis ball game. We will then do some speed and agility, and then some baseball. We will also focus on the pitchers and catchers a little bit. I think it is huge for the kids to be able to play with their friends. They like that they have a league of their own.”

The South Florida Baseball School recently broke ground on a brand new state-of-the-art, 6,000-sq. ft. indoor hitting and pitching facility, currently being built with completion expected by June. They have also added “Rookie Ball” for kids ages 2-5, a softball division, clinics for little league players and coaches.

“The hitting and pitching facility is a game-changer for us as far as the academy goes,” Charlebois said. “It will be built where the exiting hitting area and bullpen area is. It is down the left field line.”

Charlebois said the schedule varies depending on the time of the season.

“We have home school stuff available at any time during the day – from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and our prime time schedule is available from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. during the week,” said Charlebois, who also offers private lessons, small groups and team workouts. “We have Saturdays all day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We also have winter and summer camps. We had a three-day power camp during winter break.”

Looking back over the 20 years, is there one thing that stands out?

“For the baseball academy, the best memory would, honestly. be God bringing Marc and his family into our lives,” Charlebois said. “His excellent wife Janis has built our website and is doing administrative work for us.

“We have done a lot over the years,” he added. “We have guys in the big leagues with Mike Fiers (Houston Astros) and Michael Taylor (Washington Nationals), both guys who trained in our academy. We also have a number of guys who are in pro ball or Division 1 in college.”

For more information, visit southfloridabaseballschool.com, or call 954-326-2373.

By David Volz

Children who are getting ready to start school received some help from the Crockett Foundation on Saturday.

Both Henri and Zack were football stars at Blanche Ely High School and Florida State University. They later played in the National Football League (NFL).

Many families came to the Community Health Festival that took place at the Pompano Citi Centre on August 8. The Crockett Foundation partnered with Broward Health to hold the event. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals performed health checks, vision care, dental care and immunizations. Families received other social services as well.

Members of Zeta Rho Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority also participated in the program.

Children who participated in the health physicals received a backpack filled with school supplies.

Henri Crockett, CEO of the Crockett Foundation, enjoyed the program and seeing young people receiving healthcare and getting ready for school.

“I like this event because it has a positive impact on families. I want to lighten the load on parents. It is important to make sure that these kids are ready for the first day of school.”

Henri Crockett and his brother Zack Crockett, who is vice president of the Crockett Foundation, know the struggles many families face. They believe it is important to give back to the community and do what they can to help families in the area.

JoeAnn Fletcher, president of the Zeta Rho Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, loved the opportunity to help out at the event. Many of the chapter members distributed backpacks to the families. “Our purpose is to serve others,” said Fletcher.

Nabil El Sanadi, M.D., President and CEO of Broward Health, offered his medical services at the Community Health Festival. He said he loved the opportunity to help children in the community.

Stephanie Buquo brought her children, Matthew and Michael, to the event. She said she was glad that her sons could each receive a backpack and school supplies for the upcoming year.