Now in its 18th edition, The Wally Keller Classic held at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda is a mandatory stop on the Florida High School Basketball Circuit. Quality competition going on simultaneously in two gyms separated by a thirty-foot hallway makes this a haven for hoops.
Fort Myers Gateway Charter vs. St. Petersburg Gibbs
One of the better teams in Southwest Florida, Gateway Charter opened the game with a three. Gibbs shrugged their collective shoulders and reeled off a 15-0 run before Gateway called a timeout at the four minute mark. Gibbs hit another three before Gateway could regain its footing. And they did in fine fashion, ending the first quarter with a 10-2 run to make the score 20-13 heading into the second period. That margin of seven points was still intact midway thru the quarter with the score 27-20 in favor of Gibbs. A couple of minutes later, disaster struck for Gateway Charter which changed the entire complexion of the contest. Patrick Johnson, a 6’8 junior and Gateway’s best player was whistled for two unsportsmanlike conduct technical fouls and tossed from the game. This opened the flood gates for Gibbs and at the break, their lead was now into double digits, 43-28.
Gateway Charter made the necessary adjustments at the break to stay competitive in the contest without their anchor in the middle at both ends of the floor. Charter made a couple of runs over the course of the third and fourth quarters, but each time it looked like they might get the margin to single digits and get back into the contest, Gibbs had an answer. Ultimately, Gibbs would walk away with a 72-62 victory.
Jacob Daniels, a 6’1 junior guard, paced Gibbs with 22 points and was named his team’s Player of the Game for his efforts. Oneal Delancey, a 6’3 freshman, chipped in with 15 points and 6’2 junior Mathis Roberts added 12 points. Ronald Williams, a 6’4 freshman, came up big with 10 points.
For Gateway Charter, Myles Jones, a 6’3 junior, earned Player of the Game honors with 16 points. Noah Cutler, a 5’10 senior, added 14 points and Trey Fogle, a 6’1 junior, dropped in 12 points.
Windermere Prep vs. Miami Norland
A young but extremely talented Windermere Prep squad took on an experienced Norland team. It was a classic back-and-forth affair in the first quarter. No team ever led by more than a single possession. The Lakers of Windermere Prep led 10-8 midway thru the period but when the horn sounded to end the first quarter, the Vikings of Norland were on top by a single digit, 16-15. That didn’t change in the second quarter as midway thru the period Norland was up just two, 27-25. At that point the “Miami Muscle” came into play as the Vikings ending the half with 8-2 run to go up by eight, 35-27.
The Vikings scored four quick points in the third quarter to push their advantage into double-digits. That Norland lead grew to 47-33 midway thru the period as Windermere Prep struggled on the offensive end. The Lakers eventually got things going but were still down ten, 48-38, entering the final period. Another Vikings run to start the fourth, this one 5-0, pretty much put the game on ice for Norland. With four minutes remaining, the score was 55-39 and with no shot clock, the Lakers simply didn’t have enough time to make a serious run. Norland won convincingly by the score of 63-49.
Marcus Allen, a 6’7 senior and Missouri signee, was named the Vikings’ Player of the Game with 18 points. Isaiah St. Preux, a 6’0 senior, connected on four three-point shots on his way to 14 points. Tristan Wilson, a 6’6 senior and Presbyterian signee, tallied 10 points.
Brandon Bass, a 6’5 sophomore, went off for 28 points and was named the Lakers’ Player of the Game. Sam Shoptaw, a 6’2 junior, scored 13 points.
Hialeah Mater Lakes vs. Williston HS
Class 4A state champ Mater Lakes took on Class 1A titlist Williston in a Rural vs. Metro showdown. The Red Devils of Williston jumped out quickly and led 10-5 after four minutes of action. After another four minutes, Williston was up 17-9 going into the second quarter and the crowd was somewhat stunned by this turn of events. The Red Devils grew their lead to 23-13 with 4:30 left in the half and it was looking like a big upset was brewing. That is when the Bears of Mater Lakes found their rhythm at both ends of the floor. They went on a 12-0 run, part of a 16-2 run overall to end the half up four, 29-25.
Williston tied the game at 29-29 in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Mater Lakes got its lead back to five at 35-30 with four minutes left in the period but Williston tied the score at 38-38 with sixteen seconds left. Mater Lakes scored before the horn sounded and carried a 40-38 lead into the final period. With four minutes left in the contest, the Bears were up 44-42 and it was still anybody’s ball game. Mater Lakes then went on a quick 5-0 spurt, and that gave them enough breathing room to control tempo and run some clock. Mater Lakes was able to grow their lead from the foul line in Williston’s attempt to regain possession. Mater Lakes would go onto win by the score of 61-52.
Chirstian Reid, a 6’5 senior, tallied 18 points to lead Mater Lakes and was named the Bears’ Player of the Game. He got help from 5’10 freshman Khanye Moss with 14 points and 6’5 junior Bertran Walthour with 11 points.
For Williston, 6’6 senior Kyler Lamb was named Player of the Game after scoring 20 points. Aramys Rodriguez, a 6’3 senior, added 13 points.
Orlando Christian Prep vs. Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy
A pair of private school powers with legit title expectations in Class 2A and Class 3A respectively, it was a bit of a shock to see OCP jump out to an early 8-0 lead after the first four minutes, powered by an unlikely pair of three pointers from 6’6 senior Marc Ekiri. The score was 11-0 with 3:29 to play in the period when Westminster finally called timeout. Magic words must have been spoken because Westminster came out on fire, ending the quarter with a 13-4 run to trail by just two, 15-13. OCP not only maintained but grew its lead in the second period. They went from leading 28-24 with four minutes to play to a 34-24 lead in less than a minute. Westminster once again climbed the hill and was within 36-34 before OCP scored the final three points of the quarter to lead by five, 39-34, at the half.
Westminster grabbed its first lead of the game at 42-41 with 4:30 left in the third quarter and led 51-49 going into the final period of play. Westminster began the quarter with a 6-0 run and led 57-49 with 6:26 to play, forcing an OCP timeout. OCP closed the gap to 58-54 with four minutes to play. With thirty seconds to play, OCP scored on a drive and was fouled, bringing the score to 65-63 with a chance to get closer. The foul shot was off and OCP fouled Westminster quickly to get the ball back. Westminster hit its two free throws but OCP answered with a bucket to get back to within two points with three seconds left. OCP fouled again and Westminster went to the line with a half-second remaining. Westminster hit one of the two free throws and OCP called timeout in hopes of a miracle shot. It wasn’t forthcoming and Westminster held on for a 68-65 win.
Alex Constanza, a 6’9 sophomore, scored 26 points and was named the Lions’ Player of the Game. Alex Lloyd, a 6’4 junior, also scored 26 points.
For OCP, 6’0 senior Ameer Ramadan led the team with 17 points. Jemeh Jones, a 6’5 senior had 15 points and was named the Warriors’ Player of the Game. Ekiri finished with 14 points.
Winter Haven vs. Miami Riviera Prep
The Blue Devils of Winter Haven, last season’s Class 7A runners-up and Class 3A champ Bulldogs of Riviera Prep rounded out the marquee games of the day. Riviera Prep has no seniors on the roster while Winter Haven’s core group has been playing together since before high school. So it was no surprise that Winter Haven got an early lead. However, it was also no surprise that Riviera Prep was able to keep pace in spite of two first quarter fouls on highly regarded junior Dante Allen. After one quarter, Riviera Prep had a 15-12 lead. Winter Haven took the lead back at 21-20 with 4:21 left in the second period. It didn’t help Riviera Prep that Allen was hit with his third foul and spent time on the bench. The Bulldogs didn’t wilt and the score was tied 32-32 at the break.
The high level of play continued for both teams in the third quarter. With 3:30 left to play, the score was tied 43-43. The Blue Devils erupted for a 13-6 run to finish out the third and led by the score of 56-49 going into the final period. The Blue Devils owned the fourth quarter, using a 12-4 run over the first four minutes to essentially put the game out of Riviera Prep’s reach. With 2:25 left to play, the Bulldogs finally got the deficit under ten at 72-63, but would need more time to complete a comeback. Winter Haven would go on to extend its lead at the foul line and win by the score of 80-69.
Isaac Celiscar, a 6’6 senior and Yale signee, led Winter Haven with 24 points and was named the team’s Player of the Game. Jamie Phillips, a 6’5 senior and Stetson recruit, went for 23 points and 6’7 junior Zane Mosley added 15 points.
Despite his foul troubles limiting his minutes, Allen led Riviera Prep with 18 points and earned Player of the Game. Gustavo Guimaraes, a 7’0 junior, produced 14 points while 6’0 freshman Myles Fuentes added 13 points and 6’8 freshman Jeremy Jenkins tallied 11 points.
Punta Gorda Charlotte vs. Port Charlotte
The best basketball rivalry in Southwest Florida and one of the better ones in the state overall, the nightcap had a full house. Both teams had played the night before and seemed a bit sluggish in the early going. Port Charlotte led just 6-3 after the first four minutes and 12-8 heading into the second quarter. Charlotte tied the game at 12-12 in less than a minute but with four minutes left in the second Port Charlotte led by two, 16-14. At that point, Charlotte took advantage of the crowd’s energy. They finished the half on an 8-1 run to lead 22-17.
Charlotte grew its lead early in the third period and was up nine, 30-21, after four minutes. Port Charlotte was able to whittle away at that margin and was down just five, 34-29 entering the fourth quarter. Charlotte was only up three points, 35-32, with four minutes remaining. At that point, the homestanding Tarpons took control. Once the score and clock were in their favor, they forced Port Charlotte to chase and foul to regain possession. Charlotte would go on to extract revenge for an earlier loss to the Pirates this season and win by the score of 48-43.
Charlotte’s Dior Evans, a 5’10 junior, led the team with 19 points, going 11-20 from the foul line in the process, and named Player of the Game for the Tarpons. Jahyere Chin, a 5’9 junior, added 10 points.
For Port Charlotte, Dallas Lambert, a 6’5 sophomore, scored 13 points and was named Player of the Game for the Pirates.
OTHER WALLY KELLER NOTES
Darius Livingston, a 6’0 junior, pumped in 29 points for Lake Alfred Discovery in an early morning game. 22 of those points came in the first half.
Ja’Kylen Crossley, a 6’3 sophomore for Bartow, tied a Wally Keller Classic record with nine made three-pointers in the team’s win over Fort Pierce Central
Jerry Ashley, a 6’8 junior at Fort Myers Bishop Verot, had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a last second loss to North Tampa Christian. Kudos to North Tampa Christian for overcoming a 21-6 first quarter deficit to win in exciting fashion.