- November 24, 2024
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Sarasota crowned a new wave of district champions this past Friday night, and for the first time in a decade, the Sarasota High girls basketball team wasn’t in the mix.
The Sailors had reached the regional tournament, finishing as either the district champion or district runner-up, every year since 2006, but this simply wasn’t their year.
Two years removed from a Final Four run, a combination of inexperience in big games and mistakes uncharacteristic of a Rob Jutras-coached team ended Sarasota’s season prematurely.
It's the first time since I began covering sports in Sarasota nearly four years ago that the Sailors won’t be on my postseason schedule. But that doesn’t mean the Sarasota area won’t be well-represented over the next couple weeks.
The Riverview, Booker and Sarasota Christian girls basketball teams all won their respective district championship games and will open regional tournament play Feb. 4.
Sarasota Christian is no stranger to the regional tournament. The Blazers have won five consecutive district titles and reached the Class 2A Final Four each of the past two seasons.
The team, led by senior McKenzie Lantz, is in the midst of its most unproductive season in recent memory in terms of wins and losses, having posted a 7-18 record thus far.
But the Blazers have won three games straight, including a pair of district tournament wins by a combined eight points, and are in a familiar position once again. Sarasota Christian sits on the top half of the bracket and, as a result, has home court advantage throughout the regional tournament as long as they keep winning.
On the other side of the equation, Booker claimed its first district title since 2008 when the Tornadoes reached the regional finals.
Led by Cellexia Foster, who is averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 4.1 steals, Booker edged out a 39-38 overtime victory versus Lake Wales in the Class 5A-District 10 championship Jan. 29. Diamond Merced (13 points), Foster (11 points) and Arie Bass (10 points and 12 rebounds), have been the driving force behind Booker’s success this season, but it’s Foster who has really come into her own.
With the loss of senior Yamaris Guevarez to a knee injury before the season, Foster has taken on a leadership role this season while continually adding different dimensions to her offensive game.
“Cellexia has really taken her game to the next level,” Booker coach Hollie Nelson said. “It’s the aggressiveness in her play that has sparked the rest of our team to up their game.”
I guess it’s time for me to head back out to the Tornadoes gymnasium and see just how far this co-captain can carry her team.
Not to be outdone, the Riverview girls basketball team also will host its first regional quarterfinal since 2006 after edging past Newsome 43-37 in the Class 8A-District 6 championship.
The Rams won four straight district titles from 2003 to 2006, reaching the Final Four in 2005, and look to return to prominence once more.
Led by Lindsay Edwards, who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the title game, Riverview looks to improve to 0.500 with a win versus Dr. Phillips in the opening round of the playoffs.
I may have to rethink my schedule a bit, since Booker, Riverview and Sarasota Christian all will be home for the foreseeable future, but I guess that's a good problem to have this time of year.
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I rarely get a chance to get out to cover middle school championship games, but it’s always nice to give credit where credit is due.
And if the result of last Friday’s Sarasota County Middle School Boys Basketball Championship is any indication, Brookside Middle School has plenty to cheer about.
The boys jumped out to an early 15-5 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 51-26 victory versus Booker Middle School and wrapping up a perfect 10-0 season — a feat no local high school basketball team can claim this season.
Alain Kalisa led Brookside with 14 points, while King Winkfield, Jayven Millen and Chris Sherman added 10 points apiece. Other championship players include: Ash’shfi Sabur, Terrell Pack, Tyrelle Deener, Marquel Bryant, Kenyatta Clayton, Dante Maggio, Thomas Pack and Tavon Beard.
