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National Grand Slam
West Boca Fall League
Coaches Heading to West Boca
Familiar coaches going to West Boca
By Steve Dorsey, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
The last day of school is going to be somewhat bittersweet for Dave Currier, who has been the athletic director at Olympic Heights for the past 11 years. That's because it will be his last day at the school where he has helped build a firm athletic foundation.
Currier will be the athletic director at West Boca Raton High, which will open in August.
"I was definitely torn," Currier said of his decision to leave Olympic Heights for the new school, which is about 4 miles west of Olympic Heights at the end of Glades Road. "I put a lot of sweat and heart into this place."
Currier should feel at home in his new job, however. He and Principal Fran Giblin, who also is leaving that position to be principal at West Boca, already have assembled an impressive coaching staff for the new school, which will not have a senior class its first year.
So far, the majority of the head coaches at West Boca are from Olympic Heights, including football coach Willie Dodaro and boys basketball coach Joe Nappi, who led the Lions to the Class 6A state final four tournament this past season. Brian Joros, who has built Boynton Beach into a strong baseball program, will jump-start the program at West Boca, which will join Palm Vista and Jensen Beach as the new high schools opening this fall.
Other Olympic Heights coaches who are leaving to accept teaching and coaching positions at the new school include Darrin Karuzas (girls soccer), Pete Gambino (flag football), Steve Pemberton (tennis), Steven Adler and Trey Skelton (girls and boys track) and Katie Banks-D'Annunzio (boys volleyball). Former Pope John Paul coach and athletic director Pete Christie is returning to South Florida to be the West Boca softball coach and Courtney Fochtman is leaving Atlantic to be the girls volleyball coach.
Currier said most of the other coaching positions have been narrowed down, pending confirmation of teaching positions.
"We've been pretty lucky with who we've gotten so far," Currier said. "I'm very excited about this staff."
West Boca's nickname will be the Bulls and the school's colors will be navy, tan and white. The school will have an academy of culinary arts, so don't be surprised if a few budding chefs are among the athletes who transfer from Olympic Heights and Spanish River, the two schools that West Boca will draw the majority of its students. The Bulls might struggle some in their first year of competition, but at least the pre-game meals should be winners.
As for Olympic Heights, assistant athletic director Carla Blefary has been named to succeed Currier, and she is going to be very busy trying to fill the multiple openings.
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