OCP wins title, but holiday tournaments marred by cancellations
As always, the December holiday brings big tournament news for high school basketball, wrestling and soccer.
The area’s two top-ranked boys basketball teams, Lake Highland Prep and Olympia, suffered their first defeats as did Wekiva’s girls basketball team and Bishop Moore’s boys soccer squad. The Knockout Christmas Classic, hosted by Kissimmee Osceola at the Silver Spurs Arena and renowned for its boys talent level, set participation records for its newer girls division as Florida wades into its first season of FHSAA-sanctioned female wrestling.
The bad news is the renewed surge of coronavirus cases, which derailed a number of tournament games involving Orlando area teams. Hotel stays with players sharing rooms may have been a factor.
Lake Highland’s boys basketball team dropped out of this Sun Bash Tampa event after head coach Ben Fratrik tested positive for COVID. He was diagnosed the day after his team completed play at last week’s King of the Bluegrass tournament in Kentucky.
The Highlanders (9-1), No. 1 in the Orlando Sentinel Super 16 and the MaxPreps Class 4A computerized rankings, lost 76-60 against the Bluegrass champ, George Rogers Clark (11-1) of Kentucky, in the first round before bouncing back to win three games and the consolation bracket title.
Fratrik told the Sentinel he and the team should be cleared to play their first scheduled 2022 game at home against Trinity Prep (8-3) on Tuesday night.
The championship game of the inaugural Jim Haley Christmas Classic, matching Windermere High (10-1) against Mater Lakes Academy (9-4) of Miami, was canceled after players and coaches in the Windermere program contracted COVID. Wolverines coach Mark Griseck said he expects his team to play scheduled January games, including a home game next Friday vs. Olympia.
Windermere Prep (8-3), the No. 3 team in 3A, was one of two teams that withdrew from its own Rock Holiday Classic due to COVID issues.
It was the same at the Battle at the Villages tournament after two defending state title teams, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian and Bartow, bowed out. Orlando Christian Prep (9-3) defended its title by defeating two strong out-of-state teams.
The Warriors won 70-62 against Concord Academy of North Carolina and edged Kentucky power Covington Catholic 61-58 before the final day of play at Villages Charter School was canceled.
Sophomore guard Ameer Ramadan averaged 14 points and 6 assists in OCP’s past five games as the Warriors moved back to No. 1 in this week’s MaxPreps 2A rankings.
Orlando Christian Prep is set to meet Dr. Phillips in a matchup of state champs next Saturday in at OCP’s Showdown in O-Town.
Dr. Phillips (10-3) traveled to Tennessee for the 16-team Arby’s Classic and finished fifth with a 3-1 record. The Panthers were down by 1 at halftime Friday against Jonesboro (9-3) of Arkansas but took over in the second half and won 55-44.
DP let a 13-point lead slip away in a 76-72 Wednesday quarterfinal loss to Greeneville of Tennessee. On
Thursday, senior guard Jackson Slater came through with clutch free throws in DP’s overtime win vs. Dorman of South Carolina. He was fouled on a 3-point shot attempt and made all 3 free throws to force overtime.
Olympia (10-1) went 2-1 at the Sun Bash, including a 77-73 win against St. Petersburg High (8-2). But the Titans were upset by Bishop Snyder of Jacksonville 55-52 on Thursday. Down 53-50 with a minute to go, Olympia had two chances to tie but two shots from 3-point range were off target.
Central Florida Christian Academy, No. 3 in 2A, lost 65-63 on Thursday against Pennsylvania’s third-ranked 6A team, North Allegheny (8-0), in the Holiday Bash at Butler High School in Pennsylvania. That’s the third close loss for the Eagles against a state-ranked foe. CFCA lost 74-66 to Olympia and 66-64 vs. Windsor Forest of Georgia.
Evans (7-6) went 3-1 in the Holiday Hoop Fest in Naples, falling 64-57 against Ponte Vedra (11-2) in the final.
Olympia’s loss left Mount Dora Christian (11-0) as the only unbeaten team in the Orlando area. The Bulldogs are ranked fifth in 2A going into a Tuesday night home game against 7A Lake Brantley (8-2). The Patriots have won seven straight.
Wekiva’s 14-1 girls basketball team lost 55-52 at home against Pickerington Central (7-2) of Ohio in a Florida Prospects championship game on Wednesday night.
Lake Highland Prep, the area’s top-ranked girls team, is playing in the Tampa Bay Invitational through Saturday.
Mike Stone soccer
Port Orange Spruce Creek, the overall No. 1 in this season’s initial FHSAA boys soccer power ratings, suffered its first loss, 1-0, against Stanton Prep of Jacksonville in the opening round of the 25th annual Mike Stone Invitational in Tavares. But the Hawks (14-1-1) bounced back to win three matches in two days to claim the tournament title.
Spruce Creek won Thursday’s final 2-0 over Volusia County rival New Smyrna Beach (10-2-2).
Bishop Moore (8-1-5) was missing some of its varsity regulars and called up some JV players for the tournament. The Hornets were beaten 5-1 by Spruce Creek and played scoreless ties against Fort Myers Canterbury and Jacksonville Stanton.