By STEVE JACKSON
The South Shore Five high school basketball teams jump back into action this week, with each team slated for three games. East Bay High and Sumner High are the only two teams with a won-loss record above .500.
Sumner touts the best record at 8-4 but on paper has the toughest first week of 2025. The Stingrays, of Coach Augustine Gaddis, contended with neighbor 13-1 Newsome High to start the week at Sumner. Plant High at 11-3 was next on the Sumner agenda, followed by a Friday night game at 10-4 Bloomingdale. All games tip off at 8 p.m. Sumner plays in 7A-District 11.
The East Bay Indians, 8-6, coached by Yusef Hemmings, possess the next best accounting for the 2024 part of the 24-25 campaign. EB travelled to 2-7 South Shore rival Riverview Sharks to tip off the 2025 year earlier this week. That was followed by an Indian home game with a weak 1-13 Jefferson High. The 10-5 Plant City squad offers a substantial challenge for the Indians at home this Friday evening, and next week it gets even tougher for EB as the Indians trek to Lithia for a duel with 13-1 Newsome on Tuesday, Jan. 14, for the first of five straight away games. The home court advantage will not be an asset for EB until its final game of the regular season, Jan. 24, when Strawberry Crest comes calling to Big Bend Road. East Bay plays in 5A-District 9. The Indians were 1-2 in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Tourney in Wesley Chapel just prior to Christmas. After splitting its first two games of the national tourney, the Indians dropped a nail biter, 56-53, to McLean High of Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. The Indians are paced in scoring by a pair of seniors, Kyree Williamsand and Nicholas Ghent. Williams is scoring at 13.4 points per game, rebounding 2.6 a game and has 2.6 assists per game. Ghent is hitting 8.4 PPG and tops the Indians in rebounds with 5.4 per game. Other stat contributors for EB include Antonio Quarterman, whose PPG stand at 4.1 and 1.9 RPG; junior Curry Staples with 6.8 PPG; the 6-4 senior Lamardea Andersson, averaging 5.3 PPG and snaring 4.4 RPG; senior Antonio Quarterman, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.9 RPG; junior Moshin Hemmings, scoring 6 PPG and doling out 2.9 APG; and junior Lennox Duggan with a 3.9 PPG average and a 3.6 RPG average.
After going 1-2 in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Tourney, Lennard High, coached by Christopher Putnam, should easily add at least one victory this week but may find it difficult to reach and get over the .500 mark. The Longhorns had the unusual distinction of scoring 60 points in each of their last three games, all in the national tourney at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. On Dec. 27, Lennard lost a 68-60 battle with Martin County High of Kentucky. In its next game on Dec. 28, Lennard scored 60, enough to defeat Strawberry Crest 60-54. The final score in its third game at the tourney was, once again, 60 for Lennard, but that was not enough to prevent the disappointing 63-60 loss to Grant County High of Kentucky, which dropped the Longhorns to a 5-7 mark for 2024. Now, in 2025, the Horns face a tough week with a pair of power opponents and a hapless one. First up earlier this week was a trip to Plant City High to rumble with the 10-5 Raiders. Then at mid-week, a winless opponent, 0-11 Middleton High of Tampa, comes visiting Ruskin for what should be a cake walk for Lennard. However, this Friday’s foe in Ruskin is the rugged 13-1 Newsome Wolves. Next week, Lennard travels to Sumner for a Jan. 14 confrontation with 8-4 Sumner. The Horns stay on the road the next night for a mid-week match with 7-9 Winthrop College Prep Academy in Riverview. The Horns next home game will be 3-6 Hillsborough High on Jan. 17.
All games tip at 8 p.m. Lennard plays in 7A-District 11. The Horns are sparked in stats by senior Richard Sykes and junior Devin Freeman, both averaging slightly over 10 PPG. Sykes is the top rebounder with 6.6 per game and also has 3.3 steals per game. Freeman has also accumulated 3.4 APG to lead in that category. Other players stats included junior Nathan Jorden with 7.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.2 SPG; senior Nate Montalvo with 6.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG; junior Noah Jorden, 5.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG; senior Makai Hills, 6.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.2 SPG; and junior Edgar Delvalle, 5.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG.
Spoto High, coached by Wyman Reed, is another South Shore Five team that has the opportunity to vastly improve its 5-6 record this week. The Spartans have not played since mid-December and look forward to a 2025 week, which includes three teams that are all struggling. First up was Durant on Monday with a 3-9 mark. Then two road games follow. On Jan. 8 Spoto visited 3-9 Robinson High in Tampa. Next up for Friday, Jan. 10, is the weak 1-8 Brandon team. Next week, the Spartans take on the 8-3 Bloomingdale Bulls, Jan. 14, at Spoto, followed by a road trip to Tampa to play 3-11 King High on Jan. 17. The Spoto team depends on junior Jesse Harden for scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.4 PPG and 9.9 RPG. Harden has plenty of help from junior Jarren Rodriquez, throwing down 13.5 PPG, and from senior Donovan McSwain, popping about 10 PPG, rebounding 3.7 per game and handing out 3.4 APG. Jalen Antonio is another Spartan senior providing support with 7.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG. Spoto competes in 5A-District 9.
The Riverview Sharks of Head Coach Anthone Corpening are struggling after going 2-7 for 2024. In 2025 they hope to register a few more victories, and, perhaps, the schedule is in their favor. Currently on a four-game losing skid, the Sharks open 2025 with tough neighbor and South Shore rival East Bay in Riverview. Then the agenda presents three straight opponents with losing records. On Jan. 8 the 3-11 King High visits Riverview. A road trip for the Sharks follows Jan. 10 to duel with 3-8 Durant High. Then a 1-8 Brandon High visits the Sharks for a match on Jan. 14. Riverview plays in 7A-District 11.