Playoff Bound or Home Bound: District 8A-9
District tournaments is where teams either step up and do what they’ve been taught all year or go home thinking about what could’ve have been. This district has been dominated by Tampa Bay Tech the last two years but this year Plant City has staked that claim by going undefeated in district play. Will they’re dominance continue throughout these playoffs? Will Tampa Bay Tech who’s only 2 losses came at the hands of Plant City avenge those losses? or will another school step up and take the crown. All games for this tournament are being held at Tampa Bay Tech.
Final Standings for this district:
- Plant City
- Tampa Bay Tech
- Durant
- Strawberry Crest
- East Bay
- Lennard
- Bloomingdale
Final Stat Leaders:
Scoring: Isaiah Hodge 21.3 points, Matt Simpson 20.4
Rebounds: Isaiah Hodge 9.1, Brandon Hill 8.6
Assist: Tyrick Brascom 7.7, Jalen Brown 4.4
Steals: Tyrick Brascom 4.4, Jamarcus Robertson 2.8
Blocks: Isaiah Hodge 2.2, Justyn King 1.4
Here’s a look at scores and top performers in yesterdays games:
Strawberry Crest defeated East Bay 61 to 57
Strawberry Crest played a zone and East Bay couldn’t connect from any distance which lead to frustration and lack of defense. Brandon Hill had 18 Points and Jalen Brown finished with 17 points for Strawberry Crest, Jose Romero led East Bay with 12 points.
Durant 46 defeated Bloomindale 45
This game went back and forth. A combination of turnovers, missed shots, and poor defense kept this game close. For Bloomingdale, Brendan Macachlan 15 had points and Conor Moran had 14 points. For Durant, Neil Giovenco finished with 16 pts and Akeem Burton had 10 points.
Tampa Bay Tech 91 defeated Lennard 75
Tyrick Brascom has been a game changer since he arrived on campus four years ago. Yesterday was no different, he pressured on offense and defense t o lead his team to the win. He had 20 points, Ashton Dore had 18 points and David Cexil finished with 16 points for Tampa Bay Tech. Isaiah Hodges had a game high 24 points for Lennard.
Round 2 Matchups and Predictions:
Plant City vs Strawberry Crest at 6:00pm
Plant City has dominated the Chargers this year and I don’t see that changing today. Statistically things appear even but Plant City’s size, experience, and depth have been a problem for teams all year.
Tampa Bay Tech vs Durant at 8:00pm
Tampa Bay Tech thrives off pressure, from what I’ve watched throughout the season Durant can’t handle it too well. Could be blowout win for the Titans if the Cougars don’t handle the ball well.
This district all year has been hyped up as a two headed monster race between the Titans and the Raiders. I’m still predicting it today and the Titans want revenge from the two regular season losses. We’re in for a treat of a final if these two take care of business tonight. Who will win? Will either team make noise in the playoffs if they make it? only time will tell.