Montverde motors to 4-0 record with 97-point performance
National No. 1 Montverde Academy scored the game’s first 20 points Tuesday in a 97-43 homecourt rout of Tampa Catholic in boys basketball.
Scottie Barnes and Caleb Houston each scored 18 points to lead five double-figure scorers for the Eagles (5-0). Barnes, a Florida State signee, also grabbed seven rebounds.
Montverde, ranked No. 1 by USA Today and MaxPreps, will play host to No. 11 Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic on Thursday at 8 p.m. in a national TV (ESPNU) game.
The Eagles received a bit of a scare in the first quarter when
Oklahoma State signee Cade Cunningham was called for charging against Tampa Catholic forward Alijah Harrison. Cunningham landed hard on Harrison, and both left the game for a few minutes. Harrison returned in the first quarter, while Cunningham returned with his chin bandaged halfway through the second quarter.
The Eagles also got 16 points from Arkansas commitment Moses Moody and 10 points each from Dariq Whitehead and Langston Love.
Montverde upped its scoring average for the season to 95.5 while overwhelming the Crusaders (3-1), who returned five starters from last year’s Class 5A finalfour team.
All-Star showcases: A spree of football all-star games will be played in the Orlando area during the next four weeks.
The 21st annual Central Florida All-Star Game returns to Lake Brantley this Thursday night at 7:30.
The West roster includes high school seniors from Orange, Osceola, Lake and Sumter counties. The East has players from Seminole, Volusia, Flagler and Brevard counties.
The Cure Bowl All-Stars Game, which pits seniors from Orange County versus Seminole County, is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Showalter Field in Winter Park.
The Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s North-South AllStar Classic is Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. at The Villages Charter School.
The Legends Junior Showcase will be played Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. at Armwood High School in Seffner. It features Class of 2021 junior players. That roster has players from Apopka, Boone, Dr. Phillips, Edgewater, Ocoee, Wekiva and Winter Park.
The head coaches are Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks and 2 Live Crew frontman Luther Campbell.
The 13th Under Armour AllAmerica Game returns to Camping
World Stadium on Thursday, Jan. 2, for a 6 p.m. kickoff. That national TV (ESPN2) game features more than 100 high school seniors, including Apopka’s Jalen Carter, Winter Park’s Ethan Pouncey, Freedom’s Demorie Tate and DeLand’s Avantae Williams.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Ed Reed will serve as head coaches. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The All America Classic will be played at Feltrim Sports Village in Haines City, Saturday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. DeLand’s Steve Allen and Orlando Christian Prep assistant Kalvin Rhymer have been tapped as head coaches.