5 Takeaways: Suncoast Charger Classic (Day 1)
Suncoast High in Riveria Beach was the home of the two-day 2019 Charger Classic. Final scores from Day 1 included: Lake Worth 63, Oakland Park Northeast 56 Davie Western 65, Lakeland High 61 Daytona Beach Mainland 72, Dwyer 47 Westminster…
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Continue ReadingSuncoast High in Riveria Beach was the home of the two-day 2019 Charger Classic. Final scores from Day 1 included:
Lake Worth 63, Oakland Park Northeast 56
Davie Western 65, Lakeland High 61
Daytona Beach Mainland 72, Dwyer 47
Westminster Academy 82, Jacksonville Potter’s House Christian 53
Tampa Hillsborough 69, Riviera Beach Suncoast 65
Here are 5 Takeaways from Day 1 of the 2019 Charger Classic:
7A Mainland impresses
Class 7A Daytona Beach Mainland is off to an impressive 16-1 start.
The Bucs — led by Long Beach State guard signee R.J. Rhoden (pictured above) — blew out 8A Dwyer by 25 points. Mainland’s only loss this season came in overtime at a neutral site vs. Orlando Edgewater at the Winter Park Rotary Tip-Off.
Rhoden is a handful for opposing rosters. He defends, has a good handle, is shifty and can jump.
“They say I’m an athletic guard, versatile,” said Rhoden, who wears No. 3. “I can shoot. I can get to the basket. I’m a play-maker. I can get other people open.”
Mainland 6-8 senior center Johnny Brown also has nice size. He just picked up an offer from Southeastern University in Lakeland.
“Everything is starting to come into place,” Mainland coach Joe Giddens said. “We still haven’t played our best yet, but we are getting there.
“We try to play different teams from everywhere. We played Miami Northwestern last week, Chaminade [Madonna] from down this way. The more teams we play give us different looks to get us prepared to make a run. Last year we were one game from the final four. This is my second year.”
An old friend
Mainland’s Joe Giddens (pictured below) met up with an old friend at the Charger Classic … veteran Dwyer coach Fred Ross.
“In 1995, we won a state championship at Mainland,” Giddens said. “I played at Mainland when they won a state championship. I played with Vince Carter. And then when Vince graduated, the next year in ’96, we won the championship again. We played Palm Beach Dwyer in the final four. Coach [Ross] was the coach then.
“He’s been there since my senior year in high school. What’s crazy is now I am coaching against somebody who was coaching when I played. That is awesome. I told my players about how history is just repeating itself. You never know when you are going to see other people.”
Latest on Monsanto
Western High 6-6 senior Damari Monsanto was terrific again in a showdown vs. Iowa State recruit Luke Anderson & Lakeland High.
Monsanto hit from inside and out on the way to 27 points.
“Xavier has called about Damari, Georgia’s called about Damari, Western Kentucky still loves him,” Western coach Kenneth Kelly said. “They are going to be in here. We’re just not rushing into something. It’s got to be the right fit and the right situation for him.”
New Mexico has been Monsanto’s only official visit to this point.
Western ran its record to 8-4. The Wildcats’ four losses are to Miami Norland in the Hoophall at AmericanAirlines Arena, at Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, to Lakeland Victory Christian at the Kreul Classic and vs. Tampa Hillsborough at the Kreul.
Sometimes a loss is a win
Sometimes a bad loss can be a good thing.
It gets your attention. That seems to be the case with Westminster Academy.
Senior guards Chase Johnston (Purdue Fort Wayne signee) and Sam Griffin (Texas Arlington signee) combined for eight first-half 3-pointers and 38 total points as the Lions raced to a 46-23 halftime lead on Potter’s House Christian and went on to win with a running clock.
“I think a couple of our losses over Christmas break [to Las Vegas Ed W. Clark 68-32 and Tarpon Springs East Lake 82-77] kind of humbled us and during Christmas break at the Kreul definitely humbled us,” Johnston said.
“And we got back to practice and we were like, ‘We can’t get beat like that anymore.’ We started to jell as a team and coach [Ehren Wallhoff] talked to us and ran us a lot during practice. We’ve learned from our mistakes and I think we’re going to be very dangerous to come.”
Freshman Ben Middlebrooks pulled down 20 rebounds for the two-time defending Class 4A state champions.
Two in mix for Brookes
Senior Avery Brookes led Lake Worth past Northeast with 22 points and Malachi McDowell added 12.
Clayton State and Palm Beach Atlantic are in the mix for Brookes. Northeast, which was one victory away from state last season, fell to 1-11.
… Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., has offered Suncoast seniors Jakobe Cox (5-11) and Maximus Fulton-Durrant (6-6). Covenant College has also offered Fulton-Durrant.
If you have high school basketball news, you can reach Pat Lammer via e-mail at PatALammer@Gmail.com or via text at 954-661-9671.