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Florida Gators

Record 3-point shooter adds new challenges

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Justin Dargahi, a record-holding three-point shooter, has added a few new challenges for 2016 and beyond.

First: Turn around the struggling Gaither High girls varsity basketball program.

Next: Set the world record for most three pointers made by a pair, in one minute.

Dargahi — the Guinness World Record for the most 3s made from NBA range (23 feet, 9 inches) in one minute (26) — first hopes to bring some cache to the Gaither High’s girls basketball program.

It won’t be easy for the former Land O’ Lakes High girls head JV (junior varsity) coach.

The Cowboys—which went a combined 5-38 the last two seasons—have had six straight losing seasons.

Yet, that doesn’t deter Dargahi, who will be the program’s fourth head coach in six years, once tryouts begin Oct. 24.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “I love proving people wrong.”

He relishes it.

“You have room to improve. If you take over a great team, what are you trying to accomplish?” he said.

“Hopefully, we can increase our win total a lot just this coming year alone.”

It will be tough, he acknowledged, considering Gaither High plays in a highly competitive eight-team district (Class 8A, District 8).

It’s one stacked with perennial prep powerhouses in Wiregrass Ranch, Plant, Freedom and Steinbrenner high schools.

“It’s hard to win and advance anywhere when you have four or five great teams out of eight,” said Dargahi. “Luckily, we have a good three weeks of practice before the first game (Nov. 15).

His blueprint starts with building around junior Janae Lyle, the team’s top returning player (7.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 1.9 steals per game).

“It is a lot of specifying toward your players’ talents,” said Dargahi, a former basketball player at Cambridge Christian School. “I refuse to go into the first game not having specified positions.”

It also includes implementing a pressure man-to-man defense to help close out one-possession games.

“I love pressing,” he said. “I love getting steals, turnovers. That’s how you score points,” he said.

“I think the best (coaching) aspect is game management,” he added.

When not on the sidelines, meanwhile, Dargahi will be spending ample time at the three-point line. The new Gaither coach is teaming up with Teddy Dupay — a former Florida Gators basketball standout (1998-2001) and current boys basketball coach at Cambridge Christian School — to break the Guinness World Record for most three-pointers made by a pair in one minute.

The current record is 19, set by Harlem Globetrotters’ Cheese Chisholm and Ant Atkinson. The previous record (15) was set by NBA all-stars Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks).

Though Dargahi hasn’t set an official attempt date, he figures it will “definitely be before Thanksgiving (Nov. 24).”

Dargahi, who claims he makes anywhere from 75 percent to 80 percent of attempted 3-pointers, said the feat largely boils down to each participant making 10 shots. It’s possible, he said, considering both his and Dupay’s shooting prowess. (Dupay ranks 10th all-time in Florida Gators history for career 3-point field goals made with 188.)

“We’re both very confident with our shooting,” Dargahi said. “The good thing about this record — both shooters have to be awesome. You can’t have one guy carry it.”

But the difficulty, he said, lies in get enough shots up in 60 seconds.

“I don’t even know how many shots we can get up, to be honest. I’m guessing 25 to 30, at the most,” said Dargahi.

The strategy, he added, will include court positioning — the wings or the top-of-the-key — and conserving energy across multiple attempts.

“I think we’ll at least try it for an hour, or an hour-and-a half,” Dargahi said.

Perhaps one aspect working in the duo’s favor: home court advantage.

“I’ve shot more balls at Cambridge than any other gym,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a comfort zone.”

Additionally, Dargahi has been approved by Guinness to attempt world records for most individual free throws in one minute (51) and most individual three-pointers in two minutes (44).

“The free throw one is tough,” Dargahi said. “I just tried it once just to see, and I didn’t even get up 51 shots. I definitely have to speed it up to shoot. If I could get up just 55 (shots), I like my chances.”

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Former Wharton standout back in Tampa Bay

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It’s not often a local high school football star is drafted in the NFL.

It’s even less likely for a prep star to be drafted his hometown NFL franchise in the first round of the draft.

But that’s what happened when former Wharton High cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III was picked 11th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft on April 28.

Hargreaves, who graduated from Wharton High in 2013, still reminisces the three years he spent on the Wildcats’ varsity football team, playing for longtime Wharton head coach, David Mitchell.

Wharton High alum Vernon Hargreaves III was drafted in No. 11 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft on April 29. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Wharton High alum Vernon Hargreaves III was drafted in No. 11 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft on April 29.
(Courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

“Those were great,” Hargreaves said about his Wharton playing days, during a recorded media conference. “You know, Coach Mitchell’s a great coach. …He taught me how to work hard, he taught me how to be a great player, how to be the best and I’m excited to be back home.”

The opportunity to “be back home” was a dream come true for Hargreaves, who played three collegiate seasons with the Florida Gators before declaring for the NFL Draft.

“It’s surreal. It was the best thing I ever could have asked for,” the two-time All-American said. “It doesn’t get better than to get drafted by your home team. …I’m 40 minutes away from the facilities and it’s great. I can see my mom (Jackie) when I want to now, it’s awesome.”

Hargreaves, the son of Vernon Hargreaves Jr. — a linebackers coach at the University of Arkansas — believes he has the skillset and football acumen to make an immediate impact for the Bucs as a rookie.

“Playing in the SEC (Southeastern Conference) gave me the experience and the opportunity to cover guys of that (NFL) caliber. Seeing them already…gives me a place to start on how I can slow these guys down,” he said.

“I’m very confident in myself, very confident in my abilities.”

Listed at 5-foot-10, some pundits feel Hargreaves lacks the desired height to succeed against taller receivers at the next level.

Jason Licht, Bucs general manager, disagrees with those sentiments.

“There have been a lot of Pro Bowl corners – a lot – that have been his size: 5-10 and a half,” Licht said during the media conference. “Great players come in a lot of different sizes and different packages. We feel that his thickness and his build, he’s a sturdy player, he can press, he can tackle and he’s very quick and athletic and has good ball skills. Vernon is a guy that we feel brings a lot of versatility.”

“I’m just an overall good football player,” Hargreaves said. “Love to play ball, can adapt to any type of defense, any type of receiver. I’ve covered them all. I can play bump-coverage, can play man-coverage. All of that is in my game.”

At Wharton, Hargreaves was widely considered one of, if not, the best high school cornerback in the nation for the 2013 recruiting class. During his time in a Wildcats varsity uniform, Hargreaves racked up 203 tackles and nine interceptions. He was also a standout track athlete, where his long jump (22’ 3.50) ranks second in school history, and his 100-meter dash (11.17 seconds) ranks fifth in school history. His natural athleticism, combined with his on-field football prowess made him a consensus five-star recruit boasting more than 50 college scholarship offers, before he chose the University of Florida.

Though he’s just months removed from his college career and a few years removed from his high school career, Hargreaves isn’t shy about stepping into the NFL spotlight.

“It’s going to be exciting,” he said. “I’m ready to showcase my skills.”

What experts are saying about former Wharton High standout Vernon Hargreaves III:

“He has as many tools and attributes for long-term NFL success as any defensive back in the (2016) draft class: speed, range, aggression, good hands and short-area quickness. If he is able to dial back his more passionate tendencies, avoid thinking too much about contact and focus on his assignment more often, Hargreaves could easily show up as an perennial Pro Bowler and a legit No. 1 shutdown guy.” –Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated.com

“He’s the best corner maybe I’ve seen in two or three years. Now he’s only 5-foot-10, but he’s thick. Great feet and change of direction. He finds the football in the air.” –Mike Mayock, NFL.com

“Hargreaves is an undersized cornerback who is one of the most instinctive and natural man coverage cornerbacks in the 2016 draft class. …Overall, he has the football intelligence, the movement skills and the willingness in run support to develop into a quality starting cornerback outside the hashes or become one of the better nickelbacks in the NFL.” –Kevin Weidl, ESPN.com

“Hargreaves plays with a decisive reactor to maintain proper positioning and make plays on the ball (38 career passes defended), but his timing and spacing have room for improvement. Although he has only ordinary size, Hargreaves is above average in three main areas for the position: play speed, instincts and competitive toughness.” –Rob Rang, CBSSports.com

“He does it all—tackles, passes defensed. He has the hands to flip the field and create turnovers. But, what I like most about him is his explosion and agility on short routes. He takes away targets…and I think he’s going to be a playmaker because of that in the NFL.” -Matt Miller, BleacherReport.com

Published May 11, 2016

Senior nears Sunlake home run record    

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From Courtney Durbin to Stephanie Frances, Sunlake softball coach Nelson Garcia has seen his fair share of power hitters in his five seasons at the school.

Perhaps none is more powerful than senior catcher/third baseman Gianna Basilone, who leads all Tampa Bay area hitters with seven home runs, through 19 games. One more dinger and she’ll tie Sunlake’s single-season home run record set by Samantha Dittman in 2009. In addition to her home run total, Basilone has 28 RBIs to go along with an eye-popping .448 batting average.

Sunlake senior Gianna Basilone is one of the top power hitters in the Tampa Bay area. She has a scholarship offer on the table from Oklahoma State University. (Courtesy of Nelson Garcia)
Sunlake senior Gianna Basilone is one of the top power hitters in the Tampa Bay area. She has a scholarship offer on the table from Oklahoma State University.
(Courtesy of Nelson Garcia)

The senior’s performance, both at the plate and behind the plate, has led to a scholarship offer from Oklahoma State University, which is coached by Kenny Gajewski, a former assistant with the Florida Gators.

The Sunlake slugger is still waiting on a financial package from the university before she commits.

Coach Garcia called Basilone a “coach’s dream” because of work ethic, leadership and, of course, on-field results.

“You get these certain players, I won’t say every year, but you get these players, you can’t replace them. They’re irreplaceable,” Garcia said. “Somebody can come in and say they can hit eight home runs or nine home runs, but it doesn’t replace these players. As people, they’re awesome, and as teammates and leaders. It’s the same thing with (former players) Stephanie Francis or Courtney Durbin.”

While Basilone has always been known for the pop her in her bat—she mashed six home runs last season—she’s become an even more imposing slugger after Garcia implemented a team weight-training program in the offseason.

The program has helped Basilone get stronger and quicker — aspects that are imperative for making an impact at the Division I level.

“There’s always things I can like improve on,” said Basilone, who started attending Sunlake as a sophomore after moving from Pittsburgh. “It’s such a higher pace up in college.”

As Basilone has filled up the stat sheet, some opposing teams have started to approach her at-bats differently. Instead of giving her pitches to hit, teams have resorted to giving her a free pass to avoid facing her.

“After my first few at-bats, they try to find a weakness that I have. Or, some people just walk me or hit me,” Basilone said.

“There was one game (against Hudson on Feb. 26) she had two home runs. …I was surprised they pitched to her the second time,” Garcia said, adding, “I wouldn’t have pitched to her.”

The strategy of avoiding Basilone’s bat only works so well, as Sunlake (13-7) features a lineup with seven everyday players batting over .350.

In his lineups, Garcia opts to place senior Cassidy Roberts (.435 batting average, 16 RBIs) ahead of Basilone, and freshman sensation Shelby Lansing (.438. 20 RBIs) behind her in the lineup.

“I like to try to do to people what the (New York) Yankees used to do from a few years ago,” Garcia said. “I want (teams) to be tired by the time they get through our order. Then we can go small ball.”

With a 7-3-district mark, the Seahawks have aspirations of winning their district, and making a deep run into the postseason.

“I’ve told these girls from Day 1 when we started practicing that I’m very confident that if we play our game, and stay within ourselves, we can go out and compete against anybody out there,” Garcia said.

Basilone added this year’s team is “definitely” the best one she’s been on in her three seasons at Sunlake.

“All the girls that I’m playing with want to go to college, and they all are here for a reason,” she said. “They give their full effort…and they’re just all really competitive.

“That’s how we all click, too.”

Published April 6, 2016