Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The seniors on the Steinbrenner boys soccer team will never experience a district title after coming up short the last four years, but that thought doesn’t concern them.

The Warriors (20-2-3) have a much more important championship on their minds, namely the Class 4A state crown.

“Nothing would make me happier than to win a state championship before a district championship,” said Chad Ebright, the only coach in the program’s four-year history.

Steinbrenner advanced to the state championship game by winning the 4A-2 regional title Feb. 5 with a 3-1 victory at Deltona Pine Ridge and followed with a 4-3 double overtime win at home Feb. 8 against Ocala Forest.

The Warriors entered the state semifinals outscoring their opponents 16-3 in their first three playoff games, but they were in for a much tougher test against a Wildcats squad that had allowed just four goals all season.

“They’d won every one of their games in this regional tournament 1-0, and that’s the way they play,” Ebright said. “They’re very disciplined, very skilled, they’re great with the ball and if they get a lead they usually can hold onto it.”

Senior forward Jason Collister said they wanted to play a very quick game to get past Forest’s central defenders.

“We wanted to play one-two, get off the ball, move, get open, and it worked just well enough tonight,” Collister said.

The game plan worked to perfection late in the first half as Steinbrenner scored three times in a three-minute span to go into halftime ahead 3-1.

Collister had two of the first-half goals, giving him eight in postseason play, and junior forward Austin Labban added the other.

The Warriors had eight shots on goal to the Wildcats’ two in the first half, but Forest turned up the intensity after the break with goals in the 51st and 69th minutes to tie the contest.

“I don’t even think it was that much of a lapse,” Ebright said. “They just outplayed us. Forest just played better than we did in the second half. We’re out here, and there’s only great teams left playing tonight. Right now it’s down to two, but any one of those four teams could have had the win tonight.”

Neither squad could convert in the first 10-minute sudden death overtime period, a trend that continued late into the second until Derek Gebhard ended the contest.

The senior midfielder fired home the game-winner in the 97th minute off a free kick taken by Enrique Barboto from 30 yards out.

“I saw it in the air, but then it disappeared until I felt it hit my leg,” Gebhard said. “I looked down, controlled it and kicked it as hard as I could.”

Barboto said he knew he had to put the ball in a good spot to avoid penalty kicks.

“I was just hoping I’d place it somewhere where one of my guys could get a good shot at it,” Barboto said. “I went over in my head where everyone was supposed to be. Gebhard was there to kick it in, and I guess it was meant to be.”

Gebhard moved to midfield from forward late in the season and has responded with six goals in four postseason games.

“He’s played well lately,” Ebright said. “I think the move from forward to midfield has opened him up well. He’s not getting the ball with his back to the goal now. He’s usually getting it on the outside on the run forward. That helps him out, as well as us.”

Ebright said the way his squad fought back from down 1-0 and giving up a 3-1 lead shows what they are made of.

“We fight; we have heart,” Ebright said. “The last couple games were easier than this one, but that doesn’t mean that they were easy by any means. I think we were consistent. We were able to put consistent pressure on the goal, and eventually find the back of the net.”

A sizable group of Steinbrenner fans packed into the stadium, including the student cheering group known as The Gold Crew.

Barboto said the crowd was the largest he’s seen at a home game during his time in high school, and added that the Warriors didn’t want to send them home without a victory to celebrate.

“We wanted to do it for all these people who came out here supporting us,” Barboto said. “Really, the emotions were running high all day. I’m so happy we were able to get out of here with a win and to know that our season isn’t over. This was for everyone in the Warrior Nation.”

 

//Spark that drives the Warriors

Gebhard said the worst loss of the season was dropping a 2-1 contest to rival Sickles in the Class 4A-District 8 championship game Jan. 26.

He also said it’s where Steinbrenner has drawn much of its motivation, drive and inspiration during its run to the 4A state championship game.

“Ever since that district loss we’ve made it our goal to come out and win states and be state champs this year,” Gebhard said. “This is unbelievable, everything that’s been happening for us.”

Collister added, “We were pretty devastated that we didn’t win that game against Sickles, but we bounced back, started a winning streak and hopefully we can get one more win.”

The Warriors have used the disappointment to go two rounds farther in the playoffs than any other team in the program’s four-year history.

“I think the loss to Sickles was kind of an eye-opener to these guys,” Ebright said. “We know we’re good, but other teams don’t allow you to win just because you’re good. We have to go out there and prove it every single game. In the Sickles game, we didn’t play poorly. Sickles just played great, but it showed these boys they have to step it up every round. It doesn’t get easier.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

Class 4A state final

Who: Steinbrenner vs. Naples Gulf Coast

When: Saturday, Feb. 16 at 1:05 p.m.

Where: Melbourne High

Address: 74 Bulldog Blvd., Melbourne 32901

Admission: $9

 

 

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

Michael Lee scored the winning goal at the 62-minute mark to give Ponte Vedra a 2-1 win over host Sunlake in the Class 3A boys soccer state semifinals Feb. 8.

The Seahawks (30-1) finished the most successful season in their six-year history by winning their second district title and first regional championship.

“At the start of the season I didn’t think we would get this far,” said Sunlake freshman goalkeeper Danny Hrenko.

The Seahawks took a 1-0 lead when sophomore forward Connor Spencer put a shot past Sharks (23-2-4) goalkeeper Kevin Shields in the 43rd minute off midfielder Allen Harasimink’s 30-yard pass.

“I saw the keeper come out, and I thought I just had to take it,” Spencer said. “I just volleyed it, and it went in. We had a heck of a season. You couldn’t ask for more from anybody.”

Ponte Vedra evened the score 1-1 on Michael Parado’s goal less than seven minutes after Spence’s tally.

“I thought we had chances early in the game,” said Sunlake coach Sam Koleduk. “We had about a 20-minute lapse on offense. Early, I thought we had three breakaway goals. Their goalie is the strongest one we’ve seen all year.

“We had a great group of kids that really worked their butts off,” he added. “They were very close-knit and coachable.”

The loss ends the high school career for Sunlake senior forward Connor Gilboy, who set a single-season Pasco County record with a nation-leading 60 goals.

“It’s been a really steep ride to come here my freshman year and win a regional title,” Gilboy said. “I had no idea it would be like this when I started here. I believe I was put in place and evolved through the soccer program’s biggest growth.”

Gilboy, who has a 4.4 grade point average, was also the kicker/punter on the Seahawks football team and is keeping his college options open.

Stanford and Wake Forest are among the schools showing interest in Gilboy’s soccer ability, while the University of Florida looked at him as a placekicker.

“It’s a tossup between football and soccer,” Gilboy said. “It might just be academics.”

Sunlake returns nine starters next season, and Koleduk said the Seahawks will continue the high level of play set this season.

“We have a very strong nucleus,” Koleduk said. “We will be deeper and stronger next year.”

Spencer, sophomore midfielder Chris Wilkerson and Hrenko should lead the talented crop of returning players.

“Chris is amazing; he’s our heart and soul down the side,” Koleduk said. “He had 27 assists and 12 goals.”

Spencer finished the season with 40 goals and has a two-year total of 64.

“Connor Spencer has a great touch,” said Koleduk. “He is the best pure goal scorer I’ve coached.”

Hrenko has been on the Florida State Olympic Development team the past two years, and was a member of an all-star team that played in England in 2011.

“It was difficult to put a freshman in goal, but from Day 1 I was confident in him,” Koleduk said. “He’s a state-level goalkeeper.”

Hrenko’s 21 shutouts are best in the nation.

“I’ve always been nervous,” Hrenko replied when asked about starting in goal as a freshman. “My teammates tell me to keep my head up. You always have to keep your mind in the game. It’s difficult at times, but you have to keep focused.

“I’m proud I lead the country in shutouts,” he added. “I owe a lot to my defense. I’m satisfied with the way I played this year, but we are going to step it up next year.”

 

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Freedom girls basketball team showed it is more than a two-player team in a 63-40 blowout of Clearwater at home Feb. 7 in the Class 7A regional quarterfinals.

The Patriots (23-3) had four players score in double digits, led by senior forward Faith Woodard’s 21 and sophomore guard Taylor Emery’s 15. Senior guards Whitney Ivey and Monet Williams added 13 and 10, respectively.

“We can all score the ball,” Williams said. “We don’t rely on just two people because we can all score, and we need to in case anyone falls down. We got to rely on everyone to pick us up, and that’s what we did.”

The balanced attack comes six days after Freedom won the Class 7A-District 9 championship with Woodard and Emery scoring their squad’s first 48.

“We work on that every day in practice, spreading the ball around, and we’re getting back into it in the game,” Ivey said. “We’re showing people it’s not just two people. Everybody can play.”

The Patriots put that practice into play against the Tornadoes (23-5), who opted to double Woodard in the post while leaving the perimeter mainly unguarded.

“That’s what people fail to realize about that,” said Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke. “Yes, Taylor and Faith are going to put up their points, but you can’t just focus on them. Everyone else I put out there can go off, and that’s exactly what happened. Really, we’re a dangerous team. We’re not a two-headed monster that everyone says that we are.”

Ivey quickly shattered Clearwater’s strategy by hitting 3-pointers on the Patriots’ first two possessions.

“By her hitting the early 3-point shots opened up the middle on me,” Woodard said. “They tried to collapse on me, and you just can’t do that. We’re a well-rounded team.”

Pacholke said it was good to see Williams “come out of her shell” and score her season high, especially considering she was forced to the bench for much of the first half with three fouls.

“She really stepped up,” Woodard said. “She didn’t even let the three fouls affect her. She came in the second half and really got the job done and did what we needed.”

Woodard picked up an offensive milestone with 2:03 left in the game by hitting a free throw to reach 2,000 career points. She picked up her 1,000th rebound earlier this season.

“I’m happy to have 2,000 (points) and 1,000 rebounds, but I’m even more happy that I was able to do it with such a great team,” Woodard said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Freedom’s press defense frustrated the Tornadoes into many poor decisions, wild passes and shots from way behind the 3-point arc.

“Our key coming in was to disrupt them,” Pacholke said. “The key is to get kids to understand that when you’re putting a lot of defensive pressure on them, you might not get the steal right there, but you’re going to get a rushed shot, a travel, a bad pass, because they’re not accustomed to facing that. It’s great that it happened tonight because we can go back and watch it, and I can show them what consistent defense will do.”

The Patriots also won the rebound battle by pulling down 31, 11 from Woodard and five from Williams. Emery added four boards and four steals.

The victory comes a year after the Tornadoes eliminated Freedom from the playoffs in the regional quarterfinals 42-39. Emery said that shows the progression they’ve made the last 12 months.

“We got new people, the people we had coming back developed and we got a lot better working as a team,” Emery said. “We showed them what we’ve been doing the last year.”

Pacholke said it wasn’t a perfect game, but she was happy with the outcome.

“We had some ups and downs, but to come into a regional quarterfinal and win by 23, that’s a pretty big deal,” Pacholke said. “You don’t normally see games like that.”

The Patriots host district rival Steinbrenner Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. It is the fourth time the squads will meet this year, with Freedom winning the first three.

“Both teams will be ready, and this gym will be packed,” Pacholke said. “It’s great for Hillsborough County to have this matchup.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By Don Trello

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

Academy at the Lakes girls basketball coach Karim Nohra knows his team will face a challenge when hosting undefeated Winter Haven All Saints’ Academy in a Class 2A regional semifinals Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

The Wildcats (23-2) defeated Avon Park Walker Memorial (23-2) 66-29 on Feb. 7 to set up the matchup.

“I’ve scouted them, and they have two 6-footers in the lineup,” Nohra said. “You have to give (All Saints) respect.”

Academy advanced to the 2A final four last year, losing in the state semifinals to eventual champion Florida A & M University. The Wildcats lost four starters from that squad, and third-year academy coach Nohra said his players are still rounding into form.

“Last year’s team was a better shooting team; defensively we are about the same,” Nohra said. “We are better off depthwise this year.”

Seniors Tatiana Manuel, Andrea Mauger and Timecia Cohen, who each scored in double figures against Walker Memorial, are the team leaders.

It is the first time the 6-foot-2 Manuel has played in the postseason after transferring from Brooks-DeBartolo this season.

“I actually thought I’d never make it this far,” Manual said. “I wasn’t always the best player. I played varsity at Blake in the ninth grade, and I realized I needed to work harder.”

Manual is averaging a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 6.0 blocks while scoring 14.5.

“I love playing defense, and I’m a pretty good shot blocker and rebounder,” she said. “I look at myself as kind of an all-around player. I’m kind of a perfectionist.”

Mauger said getting Manuel this year was like a “sigh of relief” in the post.

“She blocks a lot of shots and is a tremendous all-around player,” Mauger said.

Manual’s inside game is complemented by Mauger, who leads the team with 38 3-pointers and 18.6 points per game.

“My strongest point is that I’m versatile,” Mauger said. “I can shoot, grab rebounds and take it to the hole.”

Cohen, who missed last season with a torn ACL in her right knee, leads the team with more than 300 steals and 170-plus assists while averaging 13.0 points.

“This is my first season at point guard,” Cohen said. “Seeing the floor is the hardest part. You have to read the defense and make sure the offense goes like it’s supposed to go.”

The Wildcats play swarming, full-court, pressure defense and have held opponents to around 23 points per game.

“You have to be mentally tough to handle it,” Mauger said about the demanding Academy defense. “We start running in September every day, miles and miles, and every week it goes up.”

Nohra was effusive in his praise of Mauger, who transferred from Wesley Chapel her sophomore year.

“Andrea has been with me all four years,” said Nohra, who previously coached at Wesley Chapel. “I actually followed her from Wesley Chapel. She’s absolutely grown as a player. … Andrea is a workaholic and wants to get better. She’s the captain and responsible for the offense and defense on the floor. She brings intrinsics to the table, and is totally the brightest girl.”

Freshmen Janice Cassanello and Luz Santiago round out the Academy starting lineup, and seventh-grader Taylor Polasky has played in all but one game, including 10 starts.

“Santiago just came back from breaking her hand Dec. 27,” Nohra said. “Taylor started for her and averaged 6.0 points a game.”

Nohra left little doubt he is a demanding coach that seeks Bobby Knight-like perfection from his team when he vacated the bench along with Manual, Mauger and Cohen and went to the locker room with one minute left in the Walker Memorial game.

“We didn’t play very well,” he explained about leaving an assistant in charge. “Our press wasn’t up to my standards. I wanted to talk with the Big Three. It was important for me to give them a message.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

The Steinbrenner girls basketball team earned its first postseason win in the program’s four-year history with a 51-40 victory at St. Petersburg Feb. 7 in the Class 7A regional quarterfinals.

It was payback for the Warriors (21-6), who were dealt a loss in the quarters by the Green Devils (18-11) in their first trip to the playoffs last season.

“I told them they had an opportunity to stake the claim that they were the first playoff winning team in the history of the program,” said Steinbrenner coach JR Allen. “They had something special in their heart, and they bought into it and I’m happy for the girls.”

The Warriors were led offensively by forward Rachel Briere (15 points, nine rebounds) and forward/guard Bailey Hooker (15 points, seven rebounds).

Despite foul trouble, Steinbrenner jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, thanks to a trio of 3-pointers from guard Olivia Unger (nine points, eight rebounds), and led at halftime.

“We got out to a great start with Olivia hitting a couple quick ones from outside, and when she did that it really made a spark for our team,” Allen said. “That got everybody’s mojo going and got our juice flowing a little bit, and we were able to jump out to a big lead.”

St. Petersburg crawled back in the third quarter with a 10-2 run out of halftime and overwhelmed the Warriors’ offense with their press defense to grab a 27-23 lead, their first of the night.

Hooker said the team knew it had to stay focused on finishing.

“We had to realize that we still had the game, and were still controlling the game,” said Hooker, a senior. “We kept pushing even though we lost the lead, and we never put our heads down, and that was really important.”

Steinbrenner cut St. Petersburg’s lead to one heading into the fourth quarter after guard Taylor Thigpen hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Allen said he talked to his team about standing tall in midst of all the pressure between the third and fourth quarters.

It worked.

The Warriors’ success on the free throw line (14-of-19), along with Hooker’s 3-pointer with four minutes left, recaptured the lead, which they would not relinquish.

“Instead of talking about weathering the storm, I said let’s go dance in the rain and make it the best, and they did,” Allen said. “Our offense really came up clutch, and we did just that — we danced.”

The Warriors did suffer a loss as leading rebounder Lauren Shedd, a senior center, left the game in the first quarter with a right ankle injury and did not return. Tests revealed she has torn ligaments that will most likely end her high school career.

Allen said the loss of Shedd is “heartbreaking.”

The victory sets up a fourth meeting with district rival Freedom Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., which beat Steinbrenner in the first three meetings including an 18-point win in the 7A-9 final.

“They have great athletes, but can they step up as a team when they have to for the fourth time?” Allen said. “We’re going to put them to that test.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Wharton boys basketball coach Tommy Tonelli told his seniors in the days leading up to the Class 8A-District 7 final against Alonso that a fourth straight title would not be handed to them.

Sir Patrick Reynolds took those words to heart.

The top-seeded Wildcats (22-4) played from behind against the No. 2 Ravens (15-12) for nearly three quarters, but rocketed back behind the forward/guard’s 10 fourth-quarter points to knock off Alonso 71-61 at Bloomingdale Feb. 8.

“They gave us everything we could handle, and I can’t credit enough how Alonso competed and how well they pushed us,” Tonelli said. “I’m just proud of our guys, and most of all I’m happy for our players to enjoy district championships. They’re not easy to come by, and we don’t take them for granted.”

The 6-foot-4 Reynolds, who finished with a team-high 23 points, said he knew he had to be the one to give his team a boost.

“Coach told me to just take over and do what you do best; he told me to take over, and that’s what I did,” Reynolds said.

Alonso opened the game with a press defense that forced Wharton to settle for outside shots while using the 3-pointer effectively to the tune of a 14-6 lead.

The Wildcats got into a groove offensively in the second quarter, opening on a 10-4 run to go ahead for the first time with 3:18 left, but Alonso regained the lead going into halftime.

“We knew they were going to come in hard at us, and they had us shocked,” said senior point guard CJ McGill, who tallied 22 points. “We had to keep our heads up and get back into it in the second half.”

That’s when Reynolds and McGill caught fire.

The duo paced Wharton on an 8-2 run to open the third and accounted for 24 of 41 second-half points to pull out in front of the Ravens.

The gap widened in the fourth as Alonso began to wear down and pile up fouls.

The Wildcats forced Ravens guard Malachi Christopher (25 points) to the bench with his fifth foul and reaped the benefits with a dominating 13-2 streak in four minutes that included a 3-pointer from Virgil Crump (five points) with 4:35 left to escape with the victory.

“I told them they get what they earn, especially in the second half,” Tonelli said. “(Reynolds) played like a senior and three-year varsity guy. They had some foul trouble, and we kind of attacked that a little bit, and he was smart about how he handled it. He’s a tremendous player, and it doesn’t surprise me he stepped up the way he did.”

Tonelli added that it was extra special for the seniors to go out on top, but there’s still work to do.

“They don’t come easy,” Tonelli said. “I’ve had some good teams that didn’t get to taste it, and nothing makes me happier than to see these guys enjoy the moment. We’ve got to enjoy it, but we’ve got to get ready for the next test and the next challenge.”

Wharton hosts North Port in the regional quarterfinals Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

The seven-year district title drought is over for the Wesley Chapel boys basketball team.

The top-seeded Wildcats (24-4) never trailed after the opening basket and dominated No. 3 Anclote 65-46 Feb. 9 for the Class 5A-District 8 championship.

It is Wesley Chapel’s third trip to the finals in as many seasons, but this one didn’t end with the heartbreak of years past.

“This is the year we finally pulled it off, man,” said senior forward Erik Thomas, who finished with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and six steals. “It feels great, and we all wanted it. We all played hard, and it turned out that we came up on top.”

Wildcats coach Doug Greseth said the biggest difference this time around was his team’s maturity level.

“We’ve just got a ton of experience, and it really shows in games like this,” Greseth said. “Our kids were really hungry, and at the beginning of the year we wanted to do three things — win a conference championship, which we did, win the district tournament and our last one is advance to the final four. We’ve got a good chance to do it.”

The Wildcats were relentless offensively in the first quarter, opening with a 17-4 run behind junior guard Carson Emery (15 points) and Thomas.

Emery said the team knew it would be a tough test going up against the Sharks (17-9), which dealt Wesley Chapel its only district loss.

“I feel like we have five players that can do it, and we wanted this so bad,” Emery said. “Our mindset was different, and we just came into it ready to play. Our head was in the right place, and we just got the job done.”

After taking a 14-point lead at halftime, Wesley Chapel continued to roll in the second half as Emery nailed a pair of 3-pointers to stop a 6-2 run by Anclote and ended the third ahead 50-30.

Wildcats junior center Marcus Hayne, who picked up eight rebounds, credited his team’s poise at the free throw line (26 for 34) and said they weren’t going out without a title.

“With the talent we have on our team, we could have done it a long, long time ago, but I guess today was the day that we just broke out,” Hayne said. “This is our year. We were hungry, and we needed it. We really did great.”

Greseth pulled his starters with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter, and Thomas was welcomed with a loud, standing ovation from the fans.

The senior clapped his hands, waved to the crowd and wrapped his arms around the 10th-year coach for a long hug before taking a seat on the bench.

“It’s about time,” Thomas said with a deep breath.

When the final buzzer sounded, the 6-foot-5 senior grabbed the championship trophy, kissed it and held it high in the air.

“We’re part of history now,” Thomas said. “There’s not anybody else that’s going to come back and do what we did in these past four years, and I’m just glad we could do this for my coach, and it’s a great accomplishment.”

Wesley Chapel hosts Eustis in the regional quarterfinals Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

It took all 32 minutes, but the Wiregrass Ranch boys basketball team earned its third straight playoff berth with a 63-59 win over Freedom in the Class 7A-District 9 semifinals Feb. 6.

“It’s only our seventh year, so three out of seven years is pretty impressive for a new school,” said Bulls coach Jeremy Calzone, the only coach in program history. “It’s all about the kids. I just stand on the sidelines and yell like a crazy person. They did a great job making plays down the stretch.”

The squads split their regular-season meetings, with the No. 2 seed Patriots (14-6) taking the first 66-57 and third-seeded Wiregrass Ranch (20-7) responding with a 68-46 victory. Calzone knew they’d be in for a tighter matchup in districts.

“Coach (Cedric) Smith is a great coach; he does a great job with those guys, and this is kind of a neighborhood game,” Calzone said. “They all know each other, so we knew they were going to play with pride.”

The Bulls fell behind 18-11 late in the first quarter, but chipped away throughout the half and closed with an 8-2 run to enter the break ahead 28-25.

“We just weren’t playing Wiregrass basketball,” Calzone said. “We don’t play slow down, play with the basketball-type tempo. We go, go, go. For some reason in the first quarter we were trying to play their game, not our game.”

The Patriots got a small victory near the end of the half by forcing Wiregrass Ranch leading scorer and rebounder Rico Kerney to the bench with three fouls. The senior forward said he had one thought as he sat for much of the third quarter.

“I was just thinking I don’t want my senior season to end,” Kerney said.

Kerney responded with 11 of his 17 points in the fourth while adding eight rebounds.

“He didn’t get his head down,” Calzone said. “Earlier in the season if he got in foul trouble he’d put his head down a little bit. Tonight he kept his head in the game and kept his team in the game, and I was proud of that.”

The Bulls got a boost from the return of senior point guard Dimarco Burgess, who missed the previous seven games with a sprained ankle.

“Today was my first game back,” said Burgess, who put up five of his six points in the fourth. “I was in practice yesterday and I was iffy, but I knew I had to forget about the ankle and just play. … It was just play through it because, if we lose, it’s my last game.”

Wiregrass Ranch senior guards Chris Parra and Larrentz Manora had 13 and 11 points, respectively, while senior forward Ricky Ramirez scored 12 while adding five rebounds.

Freedom was led by senior guard Antwan Bradley’s 27 points. Senior forwards Brandon Patchan (11 rebounds) and Stephen Odunna (nine rebounds) added 12 and 10 to the Patriots’ offense.

The Bulls came up short of the district title, falling to the top-seeded Chamberlain 66-56 Feb. 8.

Wiregrass Ranch plays its regional quarterfinals Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at St. Petersburg.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

There are times this season where youth and inexperience has hurt the Land O’ Lakes boys basketball team.

That wasn’t the case in the Class 6A-District 10 tournament.

The No. 2 seed Gators (11-12) defeated No. 4 Tarpon Springs 48-46 in the semifinals Feb. 6 and hung with top-seeded Mitchell in the finals before ultimately losing 64-40 Feb. 8.

Land O’ Lakes coach David Puhalski said it will be a benefit for his younger players to have a taste of what the postseason is like.

“Just for these kids to have an opportunity, whether it’s on the road or at home, and to get in this atmosphere will be good,” Puhalski said. “Only two or three guys have seen it, so it’ll be a good eye-opener for them and we just hope to play well.”

Sophomore guard Mike Obi led his team with 11 points against the Mustangs (20-7) in the finals.

In the semifinals, both teams failed to muster much on the scoreboard to open the game, shooting a combined 2 for 19 from the field with the Gators up 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.

“We’re not a very good team offensively anyways, so the sloppier the better,” Puhalski said. “We just don’t have scorers yet, and we’ve got to manufacture points defensively with some steals and try to get out on a run a little bit.”

Land O’ Lakes hit its stride in the second quarter by turning multiple Spongers (12-12) errors into points and having success at the free throw line, where the Gators finished 22-of-35.

Obi (13 points) said he knew Tarpon Springs would defend him hard, but he kept his composure.

“We had to spread the ball and be patient,” Obi said. “They have young guys out there that also worked hard, and I think we’ll be fine.”

The Spongers couldn’t stay out of foul trouble in the second half as Land O’ Lakes opened the third with two quick trips to the line. Still, Tarpon Springs held tight as the two teams traded leads five times in the period.

“We’re so young,” Puhalski said. “We started a freshman and two sophomores, and they were our main players. … Offensively we don’t have anything to speak of, but we’ll win ugly.”

The Gators entered the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, but once again the Spongers stayed on their heels and took the lead back with 1:21 to go.

That’s when Land O’ Lakes sophomore guard Tommy Guglielmello stepped up.

Down by one with one minute to play, Guglielmello took one step outside the arc and nailed a 3-pointer to take back the lead.

“I just caught it, saw the rim and shot,” said Guglielmello, who finished with seven points. “I was a little off balance, but it went in. Knowing it was close, yeah, I was nervous. I just overcame it.”

The Gators travel to Winter Haven Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. for the regional quarterfinals.

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JOdomLaker

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

The Academy at the Lakes boys basketball team is basking in the playoff spotlight for the second straight season.

The Wildcats (14-12) upset second-seed Cambridge Christian 73-68 in the Class 2A-District 8 semifinals to earn a spot in the postseason, but fell to No. 1 Tampa Bay Christian 80-40 in the final Feb. 8.

Offensively, the academy has performed well with sophomore guard Ethan Haslam averaging 17.4 points and 5.0 rebounds, along with junior point guard Malik Hall (11.0 points) running the offense.

However, the inability to put together four consistent quarters has plagued the team at times throughout the season, and coach Tom Haslam wants to change that.

“It’s getting better,” Tom said. “Not where we want it to be, but it’s better. We had spells (against Cambridge) where we got down by 10 twice in the first half. … You can’t do that against good teams, and we can’t keep fighting from behind every game.”

Ethan has been one of the biggest keys to the academy’s success, especially when the team has needed a scoring boost.

The 1,000-point career scorer said his teammates are getting hot at the right time and hopes the momentum boost from the win over Cambridge, a team that has won multiple district titles, turns into another trip to the region finals and beyond.

“This is what we’ve been looking forward to the whole time,” Ethan said. “It felt great to beat them this time, and it’s really motivated us to go further, and it just pumps us up and gives us lots of energy. … This is been a good experience for everybody, and it’s going to carry over into regionals.”

While the record may not stand out, Tom said he wanted to make the regular season schedule as hard as possible to give his squad a taste of playoff-type talent around the area.

“Kids from other schools see a little 2A school, barely a winning record, and think we can’t be that good, but if you look at our schedule we’ve had close games all year,” Tom said. He added, “There was a point at the beginning of the season where our opponents were 27-1. … Every game we’ve had, with the exception of maybe three games, have been close one way or the other. I think that helps us and it helped us beat Cambridge.”

Senior guard Tony Arrington (5.1 points) added that he feels like the team is better than last year because of the tough schedule.

“Everybody’s contributed to the effort, whether it’s defense, offense, rebounding or just cheering from the bench,” Arrington said. “We’re trying to start a winning tradition at this school. We just have to get back to where we were last year and hopefully go far.”

The Wildcats travel to Lake Wales Vanguard for their regional quarterfinal Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.