A pair of local hoops players are headed to the next round of a free-throw competition after winning the match held by the Zephyrhills Elks Lodge in November. Channing Garcia, of Zephyrhills, and Jaymen Keeling, of Dade City, both won their age groups in the Elks Hoop Shoot on Nov. 12 at the Zephyrhills YMCA. Garcia won the division for those ages 8 and 9, scoring nine baskets, while Keeling won the division for those ages 12 and 13, topping Joshua Oates, of Ridge Manor, in a tiebreaker. Keeling plays on the Centennial Middle Basketball Team as a power forward, while Garcia plays on the Zephyrhills RIP City travel team. The contestants with the most baskets head onto the District Champion Competition for a chance at State and Nationals. Each year, the six Hoop Shoot National Champions will have their names listed alongside their picture in a brand-new digital exhibit in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Garcia and Keeling will be heading to Kissimmee on Jan. 7 for the district champion competition.
