Sharks go for three straight titles with all-new team

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

It’s a new era at Spanish River High, where a new coach and an entirely new team will represent the Sharks in their bid to become the first boys volleyball team to win three straight state championships.

The new coach isn’t so new. Lori Eaton has been a fixture in the local volleyball scene for the past two decades.

She helped start the boys volleyball program at Spanish River, where she coached from 1986-2000. Eaton is also the Florida Gulf Coast Director and a coach for one of the girls club teams.

She has various interests, but her reason for coming back to Spanish River was simple: “I didn’t want to see the boys program fall with not knowing who was willing to coach it and not knowing how much time anyone was willing to put into it.”

Eaton replaces Austin Lindley, who guided the Sharks to the state championship the last two years and who is now teaching and coaching in Lockport, Ill.

Also gone is the entire starting lineup, including Boca Raton News Player of the Year Kyle Friend and lethal outside hitter Gustavo Cintron.

But some of the players who were substitutes last year return, like right-side hitter Denis Rogenmoser and Ian Lingsey.

Rogenmoser, who has the unenviable task of replacing Cintron, said he is ready for his moment this season.

“They were the best of the best,” Rogenmoser said.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to have that good of a team. But we’re really fortunate to have Coach Eaton as a coach now, probably one of the best coaches in the state.”

Rogenmoser and the other players know there is a target on their backs because they are Spanish River, regardless of who is on the team.

“We have a red spot on our shirts and they all want to beat us,” freshman outside hitter Cody Cox said.

Eaton said she is confident in players like setter James Stampnick, Rogenmoser and Lingsey. She also believes Cox has a lot of potential.

“I think they’re going to be pretty stabilizing forces on this year’s team,” she said.

Hoping to win the district Spanish River has dominated the last few years are area rivals West Boca Raton and Boca Raton High.

The Bobcats are inexperienced, but they do return starters Kyle Taliafaro and David Corwin the at outside hitter positions and Dean Tedeski at setter.

The inexperience is in the front row, where half of the starters are new.

Coach Rob Sweeten does have athleticism though, as Colby Wohlleb, Mike Technow and Jon Peterson make their way from the basketball court to volleyball.

Technow will be the right-side blocker, while Wohlleb and Peterson will man the middle.

Peterson has some experience, having come on for the last few matches last season, and at 6-foot-10, 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-5 respectively, the hoops trio gives the Bobcats the tallest front wall of blockers in the area.

“They’re doing alright,” Sweeten said.

“They’re learning and getting much better every day.”

The Bulls, who lost to Boca Raton in the district semifinals last year, will also be a threat to win competitive District 10-6A.

In fact, the first two matches of the season will determine which of the three area schools will get off to a fast start in the chase for the district’s No. 1 seed.