By STEVE JACKSON
The so-called second season of boys and girls high school basketball grinds on with several teams of the South Shore remaining in contention for a shot at the state finals if they can survive in action this week.
Three South Shore boys teams opened first round play in brackets for 6A District 11 this past Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. Sumner High, sporting a 14-7 record under Coach Jamie Turner, opened at home. Sumner is the lone South Shore boys team maintaining a winning record. Both Lennard and East Bay started district play on the road after registering losing seasons.
The Sumner Stingrays enjoyed a second-seed status as they met Braden River. The sixth and final seed in the bracket belongs to Lennard. The Longhorns carried a 7-16 record into their contest with the Bloomingdale Bulls. Lennard has already lost two close games to the Bulls during regular season play. Coach Chris Putnam’s Ruskin team topped Robinson last week behind senior Tremayne Williams’ 17 points and freshman Jason Johnson’s 16 points. The win was a team effort as Jonathan Olodude added 12 points and Terell Mitchell contributed 10. Lennard then fell to Jefferson, 72-63. This week on Feb. 8 the Horns traveled to Bloomingdale, but Jayson Johnson was unavailable. A loss ends the Horns season. A win means a Feb. 9 tipoff. That game would be with Sumner, the number 2 seed in the district bracket, if the Stingrays got past Braden River.
Palmetto sits as the top seed of the bracket and enjoys a first-round bye. The team faces the winner of another Feb. 8 game between seed #4 Manatee and seed #5 East Bay. The 9-12 Indians boys squad won twice last week. EB beat the Zephyrhills Bulldogs and then handed Middleton a 46-39 defeat. The only blemish last week for Coach Chambers’ Indians was a loss to Steinbrenner.
Riverview Sharks boys have had a rough season, going 2-16. Coach Milton Clifton’s 7A District 7 squad faced an 11-13 Durant Cougar team Feb. 8 for the opportunity to continue its season against Newsome the next night.
Spoto’s boys of Coach Waymond Reed attempted to improve on its 4-16 season record against District 5A-D10 opponent Boco Ciega, which was favored with an 11-12 record.
Girls move to regionals
South Shore girls basketball continued this week for winners from district tourney. Actually, through a quirk in the playoff schedule, even Lennard made it to the regionals. Coach Cornelius Richardson’s first year at Lennard at 18-9 was unexpectedly rewarded with a berth against top seed Bloomingdale. The Lady Longhorns just lost in district semifinals, 50-40, to Bloomingdale last week after topping Manatee, 46-37, in the opening round.
Coach Richardson said the Lady Longhorns thought that loss ended the season. But a call came over the weekend that told him to get his girls ready for a regional opening round match at 22-7 Bloomingdale on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
“For the first time in Lennard history, the Longhorns are going to the regional,” said the smiling coach. “We live to fight another day!”
The coach, instead of packing away the gear, is now prepping all this week. The outstanding Lennard trio of senior Halei Murrell with 16.3 points per game, senior Savannah Cox with 8.9 rebounds per game and three assists per game, and junior Jayla Washington with 1.3 blocks per game is ready for at least one more game.
Bloomingdale has beaten Lennard three times this season. Whoever wins this game Thursday continues to play Feb. 15 in the regional bracket against the winner of Ft. Myers vs. Braden River.
East Bay at 18-9 is also playing Feb. 10 in the regionals at 18-4 Land o’ Lakes at 7 p.m. Coach Hepburn’s Lady Indians beat Sumner and lost to Braden River last week. East Bay depends on junior Briyana Sapp and senior Janaya Douglas for the brunt of its scoring and rebounding.
The Riverview High Sharks girls, after three straight wins, lost 47-39 to Newsome last week to end their 16-5 season. To lead the Sharks, junior Masiel Reyes scored 15.8 points per game while senior Olivia Zorrilla gathered 7.6 rebounds a game and junior Leilana Brown scored 8.6 points game, collected 6.9 rebounds a game and 4.2 steals per game.
The Spoto girls, under Coach M. Armbrister, lost in district last week, 52-14, to Northeast High to close a 2-17 season. Genesis Marrow, a junior, as usual, led the Spartans with 10 points.
The Riverview High Sharks girls, after three straight wins, lost 47-39 to Newsome last week to end their 16-5 season. To lead the Sharks, junior Masiel Reyes scored 15.8 points per game while senior Olivia Zorrilla gathered 7.6 rebounds a game and junior Leilana Brown scored 8.6 points game, collected 6.9 rebounds a game and 4.2 steals per game.