By STEVE JACKSON
You still have plenty of chances to see an exciting high school basketball game in the southeastern corner of Hillsborough—or throughout Hillsborough County for that matter.
Although this week is declared the last week of the regular season, that’s not exactly accurate. True, all the South Shore five schools have three games on the hardwood this week. But the Hillsborough County School District renewed the Western Conference Tournament two years ago after it was defunct for about 15 years. High school basketball coaches sought the WC tourney’s renewal in Hillsborough County, especially for the teams that do not qualify for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) District playoffs, which begin for top ranked teams on Feb. 3.
All teams, regardless of record or district finish in the regular season, are eligible for the WC Tourney, which plays next week on Jan. 28 and Jan. 31. The WC Tourney provides two extra games on the regular season. The winner of the Jan. 31 finals is declared the 2025 Hillsborough County champion for the Federal Division of the Western Conference. Similar tourneys are held for the other boys basketball schools in the National Division and in the American Division.
At this point only Sumner High, which has struggled recently in 7A-District 11 and slipped to a 10-9 overall record and 2-1 in district with three straight losses, is in the running for a district playoff spot. The FHSAA will select and post seedings Feb. 1 for its playoff district tourneys, which start Feb. 3.
Prior to starting play in the WC Tourney Jan. 28, Sumner plays three games on the road this week. First up was 9-10 Venice High on Jan. 20 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Tournament at Sarasota. The Stingrays of Coach Augustine Gaddis then complete the regular season schedule Jan. 22 at 3-11 Hillsborough High at 7 p.m., followed by another road game on Jan. 24 at 3-15 Robinson High at 8 p.m.
East Bay High with its 11-9 record has an outside chance for a district playoff bid in 5A-District 9 playoffs, which start Feb. 3. The Indians also have three games this week and then a pair of to-be-determined games next week on Jan. 28 and Jan. 31 in the Western Conference Tournament.
Last week East Bay played three tough teams and won one. On Jan. 14 the Indians were no match for 19-1 Newsome, succumbing 55-40. Likewise, Jan. 17 EB fell to powerful 15-5 Chamberlain Storm 63-56. Coach Yusef Hemmings’ squad salvaged a 53-46 win over 11-8 Armwood on Jan. 15.
The Indians this week played 8-11 Freedom High Jan. 21. The next day, also in Tampa, EB duels with 18-1 Tampa Prep, tipping at 7:30 p.m. The week ends at home Friday for East Bay as 9-9 Strawberry Crest visits Big Bend Road.
East Bay continues to receive good play from junior Currry Staples, who set a career-record with six assists to go along with 10 points in the Chamberlain loss. Senior Kyree Williams put in 13 points while senior Nicholas Ghent had 10 points and seven rebounds, and junior Moshin Hemmings also added 10 points in the competitive loss to Chamberlain. The victory over Armwood saw a team effort. Hemmings had 13 points, team-leading scorer Williams tallied 12, Staples added 11, Ghent scored nine, Lamar Anderson had four points and senior Tiicon Walker Jr., four points. Junior Armani Smith grabbed seven rebounds while Ghent and Anderson collected four caroms.
Lennard High of Coach Christopher Putnam probably will not make the 7A-District 11 playoffs. But the Western Conference Tournament is an opportunity for the Longhorns to add distinction to its current 7-10 record, heading into this week’s three games prior to the WC Tourney tipoff next week; plus, the extra two games of the WC Tourney provide more opportunities for graduating senior Richard Sykes to exhibit the super fantastic week he had last week in three games. In the Horns 70-66 loss to Sumner to start the week, Sykes pumped in 30 points. The next night, Lennard dropped a nailbiter to Winthrop Prep, but Sykes continued to score and grab rebounds with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Last Friday, Sykes’ premier week ended with a 66-59 Horns win over 3-11 Hillsborough High. Sykes, also a talented wide receiver for the Lennard football team, showed his athletic prowess by hitting for 22 points and collecting nine rebounds. Fellow Horns’ senior Nate Montalvo also contributed 15 points and snared eight rebounds for Lennard. Other stats for Lennard in the win over the oldest high school in the county included junior Devin Freeman with nine points; Noah Jorden, two points, four rebounds; junior Nathan Jorden, six points; junior Makai Hills, seven points; sophomore Moises Abreu, three points; and junior Edgar Delvalle, two points, five rebounds. Sophomore Terry West and senior Eric West played but did not collect stats.
This week’s Lennard schedule calls for 3-16 King High at Ruskin, Jan. 21; 5-12 Tampa Bay Tech in Tampa on Jan. 22; and 8-11 Freedom High at Ruskin on Jan. 24.
Spoto High of Coach Waymon Reed is another South Shore team that has little chance of making the post-season district playoffs. The 8-7 Spartans play in 5A-District 9 and have the chance to get fat with three games this week. Then Spoto can improve its record if it can win both or one of its games in next week’s Western Conference Tourney, Jan. 28 & 31.
The Spartans will be counting on senior Donovan McSwain and juniors Jesse Harden and Jerren Rodriquez for offensive firepower as they host hapless 1-15 Middleton High on Jan. 21. Then, after a trip to tangle with 8-11 Freedom High on Jan. 22, the Spartans close at home, Jan. 24, with 6-15 Steinbrenner High, prior to next week’s tourney.
When you score only 664 points and give up 813, you are in for a rough season. That’s an average of 47.4 points per game for the Riverside Sharks and 58 points per game for their opposition. That mathematical deficit also makes for Riverview’s 3-11 overall season record and 0-2 in 7A-District 11, plus a three-game losing streak. Riverview has the opportunity to tack on at least one more victory before calling it a season. The Sharks hosted 3-15 Robinson High in Riverview Jan. 21. If the fish cannot win that game, they will have to look to next week’s Western Conference Tourney for a win in one of the two games because Riverview has no chance of a district invitation.
After the game with Robinson early this week, Riverview has the momentous task of traveling for two of its toughest opponents of the season. On Jan. 22, the Sharks take on 15-4 Plant at 7 p.m., and on Friday, Jan. 24, they close their regular season against another powerhouse, 15-5 Chamberlain High, prior to next week’s WC Tourney.