19 minute read
ARE COMING TO VIERA
Light Up Viera Parade celebrates with new date, route
BRESLAY DR
PARADE ROUTE
LIGHT UP VIERA Holiday Parade
• ROADS CLOSE at 5 PM • • FIREWORKS at 6 PM • • PARADE begins after Fireworks • Red arrows indicate the route and direction of parade. Learn more and download this map at LightUpViera.com
JUDGE FRAN JAMIESON WAY USSSA Space Coast Stadium Complex
VETERANS WAY
Calvary Chapel
6
FELLOWSHIP PLACE
Viera Charter School VIERA HIGH SCHOOL
Parking for Parade Participants and Marching Bands Only
BY JEFF NAVIN
Meet the coaches The 10th annual Light Up Viera Holiday Parade, which ushers in the
Christmas and holiday season, hopes a move to a week later on Saturday,
Dec. 3 will improve attendance as the event avoids a conflict with
Thanksgiving weekend travel.
“We had people push us to make the date change,’’ said Stephanie
Byrd, the marketing manager of the
Viera Company. “This year, Brevard
Schools said they will be off the whole week of Thanksgiving. We don’t want people to miss the parade because they are out of town.’’
TUNNEL
STADIUM PKWY DEC 3 SATURDA Y
5
School Overflow Lot Board Overflow Lot
—Stephanie Byrd
Duran n G l ol Golf f Cl b ub
Harry & Harriette Moore Justice Center 1 2 Overflow Lot Parade Route Parade Viewing Areas Sidewalk Viewing Only No Stopping, Standing or Viewing Food Truck Areas 3
Government Center 4
Brevard Co. Health Dept.
Parking
Please park in designated areas only. Portable Restrooms Portable Restrooms Trash Receptacles MC Areas Fireworks
With the exception of a few sponsored floats, the parade will add something new this year.
“We’re making an amazing pivot to something unique and original for the community,’’ Byrd said. “For the first time ever, we will have holidayoriented favorite characters as part of professional balloons or float-toons. It will be our version of the Macy’s parade from the Viera side.’’ Ten professional cold-air inflated
VIERA VOICE Courtesy of the Viera Community Institute
Hermey the Elf will be one of the float-toons in the Light Up Viera Holiday Parade.
balloons ranging in size from 14 to 25 feet in height will have 10 to 12 handlers dressed in matching bibs.
“They’re huge — they’re crazy big,’’ said Laurie Widzgowski, the marketing and events coordinator for the Viera Company.
The biggest balloon will be a helium-filled nutcracker that will tower above the crowd. It will require 18 handlers and a professional guide.
The parade, which has been shortened to 1.5 miles from its old route of 2.7 miles, will begin and end at Viera High School.
Six high school marching bands from Viera High School, Rockledge,
PARADE continued to page 17
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Wrap upSPORTS
Viera’s Williams, Carter have been a big hit for Hawks
BY CARL KOTALA
Viera High volleyball coach Sarah Wayne had a feeling Sydney Williams and Mak Carter were going to be outstanding players before the duo ever set foot on campus.
Boy, was she right.
Not only are the two seniors the leaders of this year’s Viera team that is looking to get back to the state final four — and beyond — but they’re arguably two of the best to ever wear a Hawks uniform.
“I’ve seen them grow … starting off not knowing what they wanted to do, not even knowing if they wanted to play volleyball to now — they’re both going to go play in college,’ Wayne said.
“I remember when they were both in eighth grade. (Assistant coach) Lana (Andrews) and I were like, ‘These two kids are going to be something really special.’”
Carter, a 6-foot middle blocker, finished the regular season with a team-high 214 kills for Viera, which was 16-5 heading into last month’s district tournament. With 668 career kills, the University of Tampa signee was just 67 away from becoming the school’s all-time leader and would have already surpassed that number by far were it not for COVID-19 limiting her sophomore season to just 16 matches.
The same goes for Williams, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter with 605 career kills entering the postseason. Not only was the versatile senior tied for the team lead in blocks with Carter (both had 38) this season, she was also second on the team in digs with 117.
But there’s a lot more to Carter and Williams than stats. In fact, neither one of them knew what their career totals were until they were brought to their attention.
For both of them, their time at Viera can be marked more by the people they have met and what they’ve accomplished as a group than any individual numbers they’ve put up.
“It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like so long ago that I started playing for Coach Sarah and being here at Viera,” said Williams, reflecting on her four years at the school.
“All the memories I’ve built, all the girls I’ve come across and played with … the environment and the energy walking in, it’s so different
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VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala
Viera High seniors Mak Carter, left, and Sydney Williams are both heading to college to play volleyball. Carter, who will be attending the University of Tampa, plans to major in sports management and finance. Williams, who is heading to the Maine Maritime Academy, plans to major in International Business Logistics.
from being an eighth grader and being a senior now.”
Carter couldn’t agree more.
“Every girl I’ve played with at Viera has impacted me in a different way,” she said. “I learned so much from the upperclassmen when I was a freshman and a sophomore.
“Now, I kind of do what I know, just from learning from them and the culture they set for the program. We’ve achieved so much these past four years. I’m very proud of it.”
Last year’s Viera team won the second district title in program history — the first in 10 years — and advanced to its first Class 6A state semifinal. This year, the goal was to not only win the program’s second regional final on Nov. 2, but to add a state semifinal win on Nov. 5 and ultimately advance to the state championship match on Nov. 11 at Polk State College and bring home the title.
Getting that far is not only going to take solid play, it’s also going to take hard work, trust in each other and holding each other accountable … which are the hallmarks of Viera volleyball’s culture.
“I think we do that really well on the team,” Carter said. “That’s something our team has learned, to really hold each other accountable. That’s why we’ve gotten so far this season and achieved so many goals.”
Through the years, Williams and Carter have not only developed a friendship, but a unique perspective on what they each bring to the court.
“I would just say you’re so determined to get better, and you’re already so good,” Williams said to Carter. “You want to be pushed and you want us to have your back and push you and make you better and correct yourself. You don’t really hold yourself on that high pedestal, like you deserve to.”
Said Carter to Williams, “I’ve always looked up to Syd and her leadership. We’ve played together for so long and I’ve always been, ‘Wow, she’s really the captain type.’ In timeouts she’ll (say something) and I’ll be like, ‘I would have never even thought of that.’
“Her volleyball IQ is so high. I’ve just tried to learn from her so much. She’s also an amazing player. She can do so many things.”
However the season ends up for Viera, Carter and Williams’ time at the school has been just what Wayne thought it would be — something special.
“They feel like an extension of my own kids,” Wayne said. “They’re like my daughters. They’re respected by their teammates. They’re respected by opponents around the county. They show up.” VV
Rule No. 1 for the Viera Bowling team? Have fun
BY CARL KOTALA
Meet the Whether he’s coaching in a Saturday league, or coaching the Viera High bowling team, Kevin Sullivan has one rule all of his players must follow.
“My No. 1 rule for all my kids is just to have fun,” said Sullivan, a former pro bowler.
“I can teach you how to bowl. I can teach you how to roll the ball down the lane. Just have fun. That’s my main message.”
That message has certainly been received by the Hawks, who are enjoying Sullivan’s first season at Viera immensely.
“Kevin has brought us all up from almost rock bottom,” junior Allanah Stepp said. “He’s given us a lot of hope.”
It was Stepp, who has been working with Sullivan for a year, who suggested he take over the Viera program when the job opened up.
He inherited a boys program with a good, solid core led by Gabriel Richmond — who is averaging 202 — and includes Theodore Anderson; Sean Dempster, Cael Hagy, Joshua Bonadio, Gavin Ham, Owen Hunter, Casey Taylor, Jake Taylor and Jacob Williams.
“It’s been going pretty good,” Bonadio said of Viera’s season. “I feel like we have a lot of potential, and some of us are still kind of reaching our fullest. I think Coach Kevin has done a really good job improving our scores.”
A senior who is in his second year with the Hawks after moving here from Arizona, Bonadio said he has enjoyed “the people I’ve met and being able to have fun and learning a lot.”
Viera was scheduled to play in the Cape Coast Conference tournament Oct. 20, followed by the district tournament on Oct. 25. The state tournament was set for Nov. 1 to 3 at the Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando.
Though it will be the last year for Bonadio, Sullivan believes he has a group that can be competitive for years to come.
“We actually have a lot of potential,” Sullivan said.
Stepp, meanwhile, is a junior who is also thoroughly enjoying her time as a Hawk. She’s grown close to her teammates and upped her average to 120 on a Viera team that goes into every match short-handed with only four players.
But together with Annabelle Duggen-Herheim, Dajah Lugas and Kaylee Cox, Stepp and her teammates have proven to be solid competitors.
“My girls team, even though they only have four girls, they actually beat full teams,” Sullivan said. “They’re so impressive. I’m so proud of them.”
As for hearing about the kind of impact he’s having on the Hawks, well, that’s what it’s all about.
“That makes me happy,” Sullivan said. “As long as I’m making a difference in their world, and they’re improving in bowling, that’s all that matters to me.” VV
VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala
The Viera bowling team is having success and having fun under new coach and former professional bowler Kevin Sullivan.
The Viera High swimming team has 10 freshmen this season. But even though the Hawks are rebuilding, they're still having success — and fun — in the pool.
VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala
Viera swimmers may be young, but having success
BY CARL KOTALA
Coach Chris Beadle may describe this as a bit of a rebuilding year for the Viera High swimming team, but that doesn’t mean the Hawks aren’t having some success … and a lot of fun.
“I have a lot of freshmen who are new to the sport, or who just started recently,” Beadle said. “They’re doing really well for us.
“… I’ve got a great group of kids this year. They all get along well. It’s very familyesque. It’s a good group.”
Senior Marin Chapon, who made it to last year’s state meet in three different events, said things have been going well for Viera as a team and for her personally as well.
“We’ve won a couple of meets and personally, this is my first year swimming the 50 free,” Chapon said. “That’s really fun. I’ve been doing my best times in those. I’m also swimming the 100 fly. My goal is to break the (school) record.
“I’ve been trying since my freshman year and I’m really close. I’m hoping I can do that before the end of the season.”
The school record of 58.76 could fall in either the districts — which are set for Oct. 20 — or the regionals that will be held the following week. This year’s Class 3A state meet is set for Nov. 4, at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart.
Among the top girls for Viera are Chapon, Emma Collins and Janey Vargas. The top boys include Brady Zink, Ethan Wotton and Andrew Donaldson.
Even though the boys team may be small in number, senior Karl Cruz also said the season has been going well for the Hawks.
“This year has been very big for us compared to last year,” he said. “I feel like it’s been one of our best years so far. Personally, it has been my best year. I’ve been getting better times. I’ve been improving.”
Chapon and Cruz are two of six seniors on this year’s Viera team. The others are Mauricio Ceren, Brianna Ladd, Kiona Rollins and Neta Elran.
Chapon does not plan to swim in college and would instead like to study abroad, perhaps in Spain or Italy. She wants to finish strong.
“For me, I think there’s definitely an internal push for it being my senior year,” Chapon said. “I feel like this is my last everything — my last dual meet, my last districts, my last regionals. I’m trying very hard to be where I want to be.”
Cruz is hoping to drop his best times in the 100 (59.67) and 200 free (2:13), but also wants to leave a lasting impression on his younger teammates.
“I want to try and make the freshmen and the underclassmen feel like I did when I was introduced to the team my first year — try to make an impact, try to make the team as fun as I can (as well all can) for everyone to stay and bring those experiences to their senior years,” he said. VV
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Viera girls win Class 3A, District 10 swim meet
BY CARL KOTALA
The Viera High girls swimming team captured the Class 3A, District 10 championship last month.
Sadie Dempz won the one-meter diving championship for the girls with a score of 438.40. Brady Zink won the boys 50-meter freestyle event in 23.34 seconds.
Dempz and Zink were among a number of Hawks who qualified for the regionals, which were scheduled for Oct. 27 at Sailfish Splash Park in Stuart.
The state championships also are scheduled for Nov. 4 in Stuart.
For more on how the Hawks performed at the district swimming and diving meet, look for a story on the VieraVoice.com.
BY CARL KOTALA
With a nice mix of younger swimmers and core veterans, the Holy Trinity Tigers have enjoyed a successful season that they expect to carry over into the district, regional and state meets.
“I think we’ll have a good showing, at least for regionals,” coach Tiffany DeAngelis said. “We should be able to take at least half (our team).”
Led by perennial state qualifiers Natalie Doig and diver Elle Jacobsen, the Tigers swam in the Class 1A, District 5 meet on Oct. 20. The regionals are set for Nov. 2 and the state meet is scheduled for Nov. 11 at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart.
“I think we all have a really good chance of getting at least through regionals,” said Holy Trinity senior Sarah Gerrity, who was standing alongside cocaptains Christien Flores, Kayden Shah and Luke LaGrone.
“At state, it’s different every year and our division is pretty difficult. Lots of competition.”
Gerrity will swim with Doig, Violet Flores and Paige Wolff on a 200 and 400-relay team that also has a chance to get to state.
Teaming with a strong swimmer will certainly push everyone on the relay to succeed as evidenced by the boys 400 free relay performance at the FSPA meet earlier this year.
“For relays, it’s nice knowing people are as fast, if not faster than me,” Shah said. “They help push me to go as fast as them and help them get to the next level.
“… (At the FSPA meet), I remember (thinking), ‘OK, I’ve got to drop time here,’ because we wanted to make it to the finals that day. We dropped eight seconds in one day. That was a very good day for us.”
With a number of seventh and eighth-grade swimmers on the roster, Shah, a junior, said he has tried to reflect back on his younger days to help serve as a good leader.
“I remember I had quite a few mentors on the team when I was younger. They kind of guided me to be the leader that I am. When I do the cheer, I kind of think about how they used to be and how they were really nice and got along with everyone.”
LaGrone said the younger swimmers have brought enthusiasm to the team.
With Jacobsen (also a team captain), Doig, Shah, LaGrone, Gerrity and Flores — who is out to break the boys school record in the 50 free — all expected to advance to regionals, the list of other contenders is large.
They include Matt Newmarch and Cole Marot, who have dropped 15 to 20 seconds each in the boys 500 free this season.
Gerrity, who swims the 50 free and the 100 back, hopes to end her career on a high note. “I’m definitely hoping for that,” she said. “I’ve been swimming since I was six and it’s all coming to an end. It will be interesting to see how the season ends. I’m just happy I’ve had the time that I’ve had.” VV
VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala
The Holy Trinity swimming team is having a successful season. The Tigers expect that success to follow them into the postseason.
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