Sports Notebook

Gaither Soccer Heats Up as Winter Break Nears

Soccer players are looking forward to the Wharton Invitational as other sports wind down for the winter break.

GAITHER: Soccer: Boys - The Cowboys improved to 6-2-1 after knocking off Alonso 3-2 on Dec. 9. Senior forward Jonas Bukh has pushed his goal total up to nine. Bukh leads District 8 in goals and the Cowboys are one game behind Steinbrenner for the lead in the district. They took out Wiregrass Ranch 1-0 on Tuesday night. Senior captain Jacob Snidle took a step up from his center back position and played midfield, scoring Gaither's lone goal. The Cowboys head into the Wharton Invitational over the weekend and into next week. "The Wharton Invitational is a good chance for them to play a lot of good teams in a short period of time," said head coach Eric Sims. "It's a good setup for districts." Girls - The Lady Cowboys dropped their last road …

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Sports Notebook: Carrollwood High School Football

Both Tampa Gaither and Carrollwood Day School have very winnable games this week.

Gaither High: The Cowboys (3-2, 2-0 in district) are coming off a much needed, 37-7 home victory over Steinbrenner last Friday. Senior Eddie Pastrana had five interceptions in the game. "It was a great win over a local rival," said head coach Jason Stokes. "I think it showed we are a different team this year." The win marked the first home victory of the year for the Cowboys. "We needed it; I think the fans might have started to get a little down on us," said Stokes. The Cowboys are now positioned handsomely atop District 7, just a half game ahead of Tampa Bay Tech, whom they face Nov. 4. That matchup will determine a great deal about who will win the district and may even decide it outright. It is starting to look like a two-horse race …

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Sports Notebook: Both Carrollwood High Schools Have Emerging QB Tandems

CDS Patriots and the Gaither Cowboys are on track for football season

For the last couple of years, it's been all Deuce Gruden and all Shug Oyegunle at the quarterback position for CDS and Gaither. It looked like more of the same this year until simultaneous serendipitous events hit both squads this summer. Now, neither quarterback is in danger of losing his starting job, but the new finds will open up the playbook for both teams. Check out an analysis here: Carrollwood Day School Patriots Rising senior Deuce Gruden threw for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He's the undisputed leader of the offense and the team. "Deuce is our guy, he knows the team, he knows the plays," said head coach lane McLaughlin. However, like a superhero, Gruden has his special abilities and he has his foibles. …

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