Palmetto Ridge, Charlotte, Barron Collier, Mariner, Gateway Charter win district championships
NAPLES, FLORIDA – Sixteen boys basketball teams battled for district championships in Southwest Florida on Saturday, Feb. 10. Here's a roundup of all the action:
CLASS 6A-DISTRICT 12
Palmetto Ridge 58, Gulf Coast 55: The Bears looked like they would win easily after a huge third quarter, but Gulf Coast put together a furious comeback to nearly steal the title.
Up just 21-18 at the half, Palmetto Ridge dominated the third period and took a 15-point lead into the fourth. The Bears were up 13 with three minutes left, but Gulf Coast went on a 10-1 run to get within 57-55.
The Sharks had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but missed two free throws. Palmetto Ridge held on to win its second straight district title.
Calven Charles scored 21 points for the Bears, leading all scorers, while Sean Gomez added 13. Collin Chrzanowski led Gulf Coast with 15 points. Wesley Roark scored 13 and Jace Seyler 12 for the Sharks.
CLASS 6A-DISTRICT 11
Charlotte 55, Fort Myers 38: The Tarpons locked in defensively in the fourth quarter to grab their third consecutive district title. Charlotte led 41-37 entering the final period then limited Fort Myers to just one point the rest of the way.
Tarpons' 6-foot-8 forward Jordan Taylor had 13 points and 13 rebounds. After starting the season 4-9, Charlotte (15-10) has won 11 of its past 12 games and will host a regional quarterfinal.
Fort Myers was led by Marquielle Tory with 13 points. Vinny Carbonara added 11 for the Green Wave.
CLASS 5A-DISTRICT 12
Barron Collier 66, Golden Gate 58 (2OT): The Cougars made enough free throws down the stretch to win a wild game and capture their third straight district title.
Barron Collier (19-8) led by nine with three minutes left, but Golden Gate (12-15) forced overtime on a 3-pointer by Zarell Green. The Titans had the lead with 10 seconds left in overtime, but Barron Collier's Gabe Markhart hit a layup to force double overtime.
The Cougars scored first in the second OT, then made 7 of 10 free throws to seal the win. Spencer Clayton led Barron Collier with 20 points. Markhart added 19 points.
Sam Powell scored a game-high 25 for Golden Gate, which started the season 0-6 but ripped off six wins in eight games late in the season to reach the district finals.
CLASS 5A-DISTRICT 11
Mariner 63, Cypress Lake 50: This game was closer than expected between the top-seeded Tritons (17-9) and a Cypress Lake team on a late-season lull. But Mariner needed a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to claim its second straight district title.
The Panthers (12-13) led 20-16 after the first quarter and were up nine in the second. However, Mariner went up 32-29 at halftime thanks to a late run.
Tritons senior Marcus Kelley, Jr., scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 28. Justin Lewis added 13 and Kelvin Jiminez had 11 for Mariner.Cypress Lake was led by Giordan Easely with 18 points and Jayden Jones with 16.
CLASS 4A-DISTRICT 12
Gateway 61, Estero 49: Estero came into the game as a .500 team but looked poised to knock off the program with the area's best record. The Wildcats led 18-10 after the first quarter and were up five at halftime.
But the veteran Eagles squad responded. They took the lead in the third quarter on a bucket from Christopher Davis and led the rest of the way. An 8-0 run in the final minutes, punctuated by a Davis dunk, sealed the win.Tavian Cook had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Gateway, which improved to 20-3.
CLASS 3A-DISTRICT 12
Gateway Charter 62, Bishop Verot 49: The Griffins (20-7) led the entire way to win their second straight district title on their home floor. Trey Fogle led the way scoring 23 points, including 16 in the second half. Pat Johnson, Gateway Charter's 6-foot-8 big man, added 15.
Despite the loss, Bishop Verot should make the regional playoffs with its 22-6 record. The Vikings have had a stunning turnaround after going 2-23 last year.
CLASS 2A-DISTRICT 12
St. John Neumann 52, Donahue Catholic 46: The Celtics went on the road, got revenge for a late season loss, and won their first district championship in 18 years.
In a showdown of Collier County Catholic schools, Donahue (18-4) led by five at halftime. But Neumann (14-11) battled back and took the lead with less than four minutes to go on a shot from Decker Crosby.
The Celtics Kris Trpevski had a game-high 15 points. Erling Berg scored 12 to lead Donahue.
CLASS 2A-DISTRICT 11
Southwest Florida Christian 79, St. Stephen's 46: The King's put up a dominant performance in the district final thanks to an outstanding effort from Asa Rogosich.
The junior dropped 35 points, nearly outscoring St. Stephen's on his own. Rogosich, who is the coach's son, also threw in 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists and a block. He actually did outscore the Falcons in the first half, scoring 21 himself as SFCA led 44-18 at the break.
K.J. Patton-Roark added 16 points for SFCA while Jake Trottier chipped in 14.
