Hoops teams must beat COVID-19 to win big
COVID-19 has changed just about everything in Florida, including the level of apprehension for high school boys basketball coaches, players and fans.
You still hear the typical talk about which teams are in the running for district and state championships. But those conversations are muted at least slightly by the reality that a positive coronarivus test or two could shatter the postseason dreams of any team, no matter how good.
That fact has been confirmed as the Florida High School Athletic Association football playoffs have unfolded. A total of 26 teams across the state canceled playoff games and dropped out of contention during the past two weeks and at least three more had bowed out this week as of Wednesday, according to FloridaHSfootball.com. Most, but not all of those teams vacated their bracket berths due to COVID-19 issues.
“I’ve told our guys it’s a blessing to even be playing basketball,” said Windermere High coach Mark Griseck, who has been in the business 19 years as a head coach. “There’s a lot of teams in a lot of states that aren’t able to. We’re taking it one day at a time and I’m just hopeful we can make it through a season.”
Almost all spring and summer travel team tournaments were shut down and fall-ball for high school players was very limited. And an Orange County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed this week that the district will roll its COVID19 testing program for football teams into winter sports and test all basketball, soccer, wrestling and competitive cheer teams twice during their seasons.
Windermere, which was a region runner-up to Oak Ridge last season, joins the Pioneers and Dr Phillips as preseason favorites in Class 7A. All three of those teams will tip their seasons off with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday games in the inaugural Metro Hoop Fest event, which was organized by Lake Nona coach Antonio Cunningham as a means to provide a competitive start for Metro Conference teams that were directed by the Orange County school district to scale back travel and play games locally due to the virus.
The event at the multi-court Well Activity Center (110 Athletes Row, Apopka) features 16 of the 20 teams in the Metro divided into two eightteam tournament brackets.
Cunningham said Thursday that 40% capacity will be allowed for games and the gym will be completely cleared between games. Admission will be $10 per game with a limited number of full-day passes ($15) and three-day passes ($25). Family members will have priority for admission. There is a plan to livestream all games online for an $8 fee.
Oak Ridge, which went 21-9 and lost in overtime to state champ Miramar in a Class 7A semifinal, returned nearly its entire roster. That includes Michael James, a 6-foot-5 senior who signed with Louisville last week, and Jalen Smith (6-4, Sr.), who signed with SMU. The Pioneers also have Fabio Basili, a 6-4 junior who holds major college offers, on a tall, talented team.
Oak Ridge coach Steve Reece said his squad “is up there” with the 201718 team that won the large-class state championship in his first year as a head coach.
“We look good. We’re happy to be a part of the Metro Hoop Fest,” Reece said. “We’ll know how good we are right out of the gate.”
The Pioneers are in the White bracket, which includes 201920 region playoff programs West Orange, Apopka, Ocoee and Evans along with Olympia.
Dr. Phillips (20-8) and Windermere (21-9) sit on opposite sides of the Blue bracket, which includes defending district champs Lake Nona and Jones.
Griseck’s Wolverines reached the final four in the school’s second year in 2018-19 and were region runner-up to Oak Ridge last season. They return a major college backcourt with USF signee Trey Moss (6-3, Sr.) and Kanye Jones (6-4, Sr.), who signed with College of Charleston; and picked up one of the state’s highest-rated sophomore prospects in 6-8 Sean Stewart as a transfer from Lake Highland Prep.
Dr. Phillips is loaded with former Central Florida Christian Academy standout Riley Krugel (6-5, Jr.) joining a lineup that returned promising junior prospects Ernest Udeh (6-10) and Denzel Aberdeen (6-4) along with Joe Poventud (6-3, Soph.). The Panthers added athletic Eathen Williams (6-0, Sr.) and fearless freshman Jordan Tillery (6-3).
Other players to watch in the Hoop Fest include stellar guard John Latimer II (6-1, Sr.) of Apopka and Michael McCallister (6-5, Sr.) and E.J. Yorke (6-0, Sr.) of West Orange.
Last season’s No. 1 in the final Sentinel Super 16 area team rankings was Orlando Christian Prep (29-2), which won the Class 2A state title with current juniors Ven-Allen Lubin (6-7) and A.J. Brown (6-4) leading the way. The Warriors also return 6-10 power forward, Jayden Hastings, who joins Stewart and big West Oaks twins Matt and Ran Bewley on the list of Florida’s top tenth graders.
OCP carries over a 20-game winning streak into its opener Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at home vs. Oviedo.
Three other private school powers lost key players but still have high hopes.
Windermere Prep (27-4), a 3A region finalist, may have to go all season without 6-9 junior phenom Fanbo Zeng, who is stuck at home in China during the pandemic. Even without him the Lakers are imposing with Elijah Hulsewe (6-11, Sr.) and Lake Highland Prep transfer Gabe Ferguson (6-7, Sr.) surrounded by shooters.
Lake Highland Prep (24-7) reached the 4A final four and still has an experienced quartet with Stewart’s big brother, Miles Stewart (6-7, Sr.), Jared Berry (5-9, Jr.), Brice Sensabaugh (6-6, Jr.) and Jah Quinones (6-3, Jr.).
CFCA (22-8), a region runner-up to OCP last season after winning the 2A state title two years ago, has a new-look lineup for the second consecutive season. The Eagles do have some impressive pieces, including senior 7-footer Imanuel Zorgvol, who hails from the South American nation of Suriname.
Teams within The Citrus League, which includes Windermere Prep, Lake Highland, Trinity Prep, Bishop Moore and The First Academy, delayed the start of their seasons. They are playing each other only for the first two weeks of December as a precaution.
Seminole (27-2), last season’s 7A state runner-up, is also not playing in November because it is waiting for five players from its undefeated football team to complete their bid for a state championship in that sport. The missing pieces include super-athletic junior twins Demari and JaCari Henderson, who join Bryce Harrison (6-4, Soph.) as the only varsity returners for the ’Noles.
It remains to be seen if Seminole or anybody else outside Orange county can challenge for 7A honors against the likes of Oak Ridge, DP and Windermere.
“I think the best team at the end of the year is probably going to be the one that survives,” Griseck said. “Not just all the competition you’re going to have, and that’s hard enough. But I’m taking about the teams that can stay away from COVID-19. If you get shut down for two weeks, you’re going to lose a minimum of three to four games. And when playoff times comes, teams that get shut down are probably going to be out of it.”