Mr. Clutch: Best performances from the regional second round matchups
There were some impressive team and individual performances on Tuesday night with the second round of regionals taking place
Here are the most clutch performances from Tuesday night.
O’Shea Baker/Ladarron Cleveland (Seminole)
Seminole clipped DeLand 63-62 in a Class 9A semifinal. Sophomore guard O’Shea Baker had four points with under one minute left including two free throws with eight seconds left as he compiled 15 points. Junior guard Ladarron Cleveland had 16 points. Seminole hosts West Orange in a 9A region final on Friday.
Bryan Williams/Linton Brown (Wellington)
Wellington remains perfect. Senior guard Bryan Williams did his usual damage with 21 points while junior forward had 20 points in a 68-65 victory over Atlantic. Wellington heads into Friday’s home region final tilt against Deerfield Beach a perfect 29-0.
Brian Dugazon (Stranahan)
Sophomore Brian Dugazon put his team ahead with just under 17 seconds left. Then added another layup moments later as Stranahan outlasted Suncoast 67-63 in overtime. Stranahan will host reigning Class 6A state champion Leesburg on Friday night.
Michael Forrest (Blanche Ely)
Fresh off a 44-point outing in the region quarterfinal win, Michael Forrest didn’t disappoint with 38 points in the 65-50 victory over Dwyer on Tuesday night. He had 28 of those points in the first half. Blanche Ely will host McArthur for a chance to head into the Class 8A state tournament.
Leondre Johnson (Ribault)
He scored all four points in the third overtime from the free throw line as Ribault held Bishop Kenny scoreless in that period to win 62-58. This comes a few weeks after Bishop Kenny beat Ribault in three overtimes in the district final. Those were Johnson’s only four points of the game, but boy were they clutch. Ribault travels to Rickards on Friday in a Class 6A final.
Israel Wilcox (P.K. Yonge)
With under two seconds left, Israel Wilcox hit a running floater to give P.K. Yonge the 4A region final win over Providence, 43-42. Wilcox finished with 17 points. Next up, P.K. Yonge will play Master’s Academy in a state semifinal.
Serrel Smith (St. Pete)
Senior Ole Miss commit Serrel Smith was his typical self in terms of playoff mode. Smith posted 34 points in a 79-72 win over Tampa Bay Tech. The Green Devils will now travel to Riverdale on Friday in a 8A final.
KK Godwin (Blountstown)
Senior guard KK Godwin had 31 points in a 61-57 win over Bethlehem. 21 of his 31 points came in the first half alone. Godwin and Blountstown will take on Chipley in the 1A state semifinals on Monday.
Bryce Street (Central Florida Christian)
A team-high 16 points were compiled by Bryce Street, who hit four 3’s and helped Central Florida Christian take down Florida Prep 65-53. A matchup with defending 2A state champions will take place on Monday.
Michael Eads (Edgewater)
It is hard been hard to ignore what Michael Eads has been able to do this season for Edgewater this season. The 2020 guard had a standout summer for Team CP25 and has turned that into a breakout year. He finished with a career-high 30 points along with 12 rebounds in a 91-75 Class 8A region semifinal win over Viera. The Eagles will host Winter Haven on Friday for a chance to head to Lakeland.
Miguel Ayesa (Doral)
Senior forward Miguel Ayesa helped Doral continue its dream season with a 27 point performance in a 51-40 win over Norland. His 27 points included seven 3-pointers. Doral will head to Northeast on Saturday for the 7A region final.
Jose Placer (Master’s)
Senior UMBC commit Jose Placer had 14 second half points as Master’s rallied back to beat Carrollwood Day 71-68. Placer took it upon himself to make plays against scrappy Carrollwood group led by junior Malcolm Whitlow and his 30 points. Master’s will play P.K. Yonge on Monday in a 4A state semifinal.
Ty Quiroz (Ridgewood)
Senior guard Ty Quiroz played like a leader for Ridgewood down the stretch, recording 11 of his 14 points in the second half. Ridgewood trailed Nature Coast 22-4 after one quarter of play and 43-23 early in the third quarter but pulled out the 66-60 win. The Rams host Palatka in a Class 6A final on Friday. The game will be the last one played at Ridgewood as the school is shutting when the school year ends.
Photo credit: Gainesville Sun