Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008

Zachary's 'Ray-Hawk' gains nationwide notoriety

Zachary Sharples has certainly gotten his 15 minutes of fame. And then some.

So has his Ray-hawk.

Zach is the Lincoln Middle School seventh-grader and devoted Rays fan who cut his hair into a quasi-mohawk like the ones worn by some of his favorite ballplayers - and got suspended for his trouble last Monday.

Principal Curtis Davis said the 12-year-old's haircut violated the school district's dress code.

The issue has gained Zachary nationwide attention.

"It's been crazy " said his father, Kevin Pennington, on Friday amidst moving his family from Ellenton to Pinellas County. "Chicago ... ESPN ... we've got all kinds of radio stations calling to talk to him."

"It's awesome," said the boy, who will begin class Monday at Tyrone Middle School in Pinellas. "I'm going to miss everybody, but things happen for a reason."

After the story appeared in the Bradenton Herald on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about Zach, headlined, "Zachary Sharples is a cut above the normal Rays' fan." The story noted how this one-ups L.A. fans wearing fake dreadlocks in homage to Dodger outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Zachary and his Ray-hawk also appeared in more than two dozen other media outlets, from the Arksansas Democrat-Gazette to USA Today, as well as other newspapers and TV stations in the Tampa Bay area.

There could be more where that came from when Zachary and his dad attend Game 2 against the Red Sox at the Trop tonight.

"They're going to win it all," the boy said.

Vin Mannix local columnist, can be reached at 745-7055 or write him at the Bradenton Herald, Box 921, Bradenton, Fla. 34206.