Men’s Basketball Team Kicks Off 2026-27 Season with Dominant Victory Over Southeast Christian, Head Coach Phil Gaffney Secures 600th Career Coaching Win
The men’s basketball team starts the season strong by defeating Southeast Christian College in the home opener.
On Friday, October 30, PHSC took on Southeast Christian College (0-3) in the Bobcats’ home opener on the West Campus. PHSC got the job done, securing a commanding 132-70 win over the Eagles. With the victory, Phil Gaffney, head coach, achieved a historic milestone by earning his 600th career coaching win. Notably, he is the winningest active JUCO basketball coach within the state of Florida.
In the post-game ceremony, Phil Gaffney was presented with a signed basketball and a personalized jersey by Eric Hall, Ed.D., PHSC President, Dennis Feltwell, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Services, and Lyndon Coleman, Athletic Director.
Gaffney expressed his gratitude on his three-decade career, stating, “I’ve had really good players and really good assistant coaches, and if you have great assistant coaches and great players, then you’re going to win a lot of games. I’ve been blessed to have good players, like the ones you saw tonight. It’s been that way for thirty years.”
The Bobcats start the season with a 1-0 overall record and first place in the Sun-Lakes Conference. PHSC will head to Gainesville, Fla., to take on Santa Fe College on November 3 at 7 p.m. EST.
Women’s And Men’s Cross Country Teams Compete in FCSAA Regionals
The men’s and women’s cross country teams dominated the FCSAA Regionals in Tallahassee, Fla., on Monday, October 26.
The men’s cross country team secured second place among the seven teams competing in the 8K. Notably, Zachary Townsend led the Bobcats with a time of 26:12. Malik Millet (26:32), Jacob Steven (26:48), and Miles Tobin (26:55) also finished in the top ten for PHSC.
Meanwhile, the women’s squad secured first place among the 11 teams competing in the 5K. Individually, Ainsley Aeschleman (20:03), Isabella Quinlan (20:05), and Kammy Enerson (20:19) placed in the top ten.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete at the NJCAA Nationals on November 14 and November 17 in Huntsville, Ala.
Jacki Waller Named FCSAA DII Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year
PHSC Athletics would like to congratulate Jacki Waller for becoming the 2026 FCSAA DII Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year!
Waller, who has been the women’s cross country program coach since its inception in 2005, had led the women’s cross country team to a Region 8 Championship on Monday, October 26.
This award is another milestone of her successful tenure with Pasco-Hernando State College, including being a 2024 FCSAA Hall of Fame Inductee and four-time Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (2016, 2021, 2022 and 2024).
Annual 5K Cross Country Event Attracts 200 Participants, Supports Cross-Country Teams
The Bobcats 5K Run on Sunday, November 1, was a successful event! With over 200 registered runners, it proved to be an amazing community effort.
Our male winner was Zachary Townsend who finished with a time of 15:20.4. Our female winner is Sara Ashley who had a time of 20:06.
We thank all who participated and for their support for the cross country teams through this venture!