Everglades Looks To Extend Its Winning Trend

Hustle means to move.

This is one of the messages the coaches at Everglades are drilling home with their players. The group is showing the drive and enthusiasm that comes with a strong season like the one the Gators had last year. It is a program that continues to earn new accomplishments each season, and this year’s squad looks to go farther than ever before.

The 2014 roster looks to carry the torch for this program that has begun to change the entire athletic culture at Everglades High. No longer just a football school, the community is excited and supportive of their baseball team. Over the past few years the club has gradually improved, first knocking on the door of the district playoffs, then kicking on the door last season to nearly advance to the regional playoffs, and now they look to run right through the door in the year ahead.

For some of the veteran players who have been along for the ride, it has been a great reward to bring pride to their school, family and community.

“I’ve been here all four years and it’s been a long journey,” said senior Jancey Ayala. “My freshman year we had talent, but we never put it together as a team and consistently played as a team. But through those years we have prospered, made the playoffs for the first time and just got a taste of it. We knew we were hungry for the next year, and then last year was a lot of fun for us. Everybody in our program cared about what we were doing. We have to do it for ourselves and our program.”

The final hurrah for last year’s seniors meant a changing of the guard in the team’s core personnel. The club graduated 12 seniors, which included their top pitcher and clubhouse leader Adam Murray. In his final high school contest, Murray battled Flanagan’s Gentry Fortuno to a 1-0 loss in the district semifinals.

Now the team’s six seniors must step up and assume the leadership mantle to help guide the team back for another chance.

The biggest upside that the team took away from that tough playoff loss comes in knowing that they finally realized what they are capable of. They did not commit an error, pitched lights out on the mound, and came ninety feet away from tying the game against a two-year starter who has still never lost a varsity game. The coaches have been telling them that their opponents still have to suit up and prepare the same way they do, and the guys believe that they can win against any team. Every season under Coach McDowell the team has exceeded the previous club, and in 2014 the road ahead is now very close to the ultimate goal of a state championship.

“It takes an awful lot of things to go right,” said McDowell. “You can be very good as a team and have one off day and that ends your season. The kids that have come to the program have learned the basic routine plays are the things that win ball games. My coaches have implanted this into the kids with repetition, and I think it is catching on. There is no real recipe to winning other than execution. We have consistently taught the kids if we don’t give the opponents extra opportunities then we have put ourselves in a position to win every time we take the field.”

Teams are no longer taking the Gators for granted, as they know they are going to be a tough opponent. The players attribute that to the system Coach McDowell runs, and the coaches also give credit to a booster club that has done a great job of keeping things together. The combination of these factors has directly led to the team’s continued success.

Assistant Coach George Hernandez has also been along for the entire ride during McDowell’s tenure, and he acknowledges just how perfectly the fit has been for them here at Everglades. As a former MLB player, McDowell brings an insight that few others can relate to.

“There are not many kids who can say they’ve been coached by a former Major Leaguer,” said Coach Hernandez. “He brings so much of that to them and when he talks to them it’s a perspective that even a great coach like Ray Evans at Flanagan cannot give, because he didn’t play pro ball. Even though Ray’s a great coach, this is still a different perspective, so the kids listen to him. We expect to be in the games we play in and we aren’t holding anything back anymore.”

In his four years as a Gator, Ayala has developed so much pride for his team. As he approached his final season of high school baseball, he has come to realize that he cannot take things for granted and guys must go all out all the time. He knows they have a special and talented group of players, and they must trust their coaches and play together to realize the chances they are creating for them.

“Coach McDowell puts it all out there for us, and we just have to take it as a team,” said Ayala. “It’s special what he brings to the table because no other coach has had that experience. He lets us know we all have talent, and now we have the confidence that we can go out and compete with anybody no matter who we play. We have the heart and the dedication to do it.”

Pitching will be the key ingredient to lead this Gators squad. The team has a large void to fill in replacing Murray, who always gave the team confidence they could win every time he took the hill. Heading into the spring nobody is sure of what their role will be in the pitching staff, and the coaches are waiting to see who can handle when things do not go great and still be able to grind out innings.

The club needs guys who want the ball in big moments, and this group has shown plenty of players built just like that. Junior Raul Quesada and senior Edwin Bonilla have shown the strongest potential to fill the lead spot and anchor the staff. Bonilla converted to a pitcher two years ago and has made tremendous strides in that time as he looks to build off a 2013 campaign in which he struck out 15 in 19 innings.

The bullpen also looks deep and talented, starting with returning left-hander Dylan O’Connell. The sophomore went 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA last season, and he is quickly growing into a prominent role. Also working into the mix is Keanu Guzman, a lefty transfer from the Dominican Republic, as well as Nico Doster, Kolby Brown, Dominic Desisto and Yabel Arzeno.

With such a treasure trove of pitching ability, the team also benefits from having depth behind the plate with senior catcher Brandon Del Pozo and the junior Arzano splitting time. The infield defense has some new pieces in place, such as Somerset senior transfer Kristian Hernandez and Goleman sophomore transfer Justin Bailey manning the left side.

Although he is still relatively new to the roster, Hernandez has fit in well. He appreciates how close the players all are, and the approach the guys bring to the field everyday. The senior says he feels right at home with this club, and that he can feel the intensity in the surroundings while playing with these guys. As a natural leader Hernandez is ready to step into a lead role and help guide this team through the season ahead.

“The way you act, the way you talk, you have to set an example for your teammates,” said Hernandez. “My senior year I want to take this group as a whole as far as we can take it. You have to set that perfect example, just like an older sibling. When you are on the field you have to be 100% about playing ball and nothing else. No one likes to lose; everyone here wants to be a winner and make a name for themselves. They want to go to the next level, so they just put everything out there on the field.”

Kristian Hernandez brings an experienced bat to a lineup that is forced to replace the sheer bulk of its production from a season ago. The batters will also count on other veterans like Ayala and Anthony Galvez, who are now earning their chance to shine in lead roles.

The team has always played a small-ball approach under McDowell, who made his living in the big leagues with just such a style of play. It is a work in progress, since so many players do not like to bunt. The coaches know the ones who can do those little things will be the ones who help the team.

Coach McDowell is pleased with the consistency he has seen. Players have stressed the fact to make the routine plays, and it is a process that has stimulated them.

“It is satisfying to see that these kids are willing to out in the extra work to be better players,” said McDowell. “Now they are starting to understand the difference between winning and losing because of mental mistakes and not physical mistakes. I would hope that during the course of a season each individual would learn and know the value of every uniformed player. If they learn and understand this, they will have accomplished a great deal.”

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