10 Best: Countryside vs. Fletcher
The fourth annual Nature Coast Christmas Tournament wrapped up with a back and forth battle between Countryside and Fletcher. The Senators held on for a 68-61 victory over Countryside to take home the Bracket B trophy. Senior forward Tyron Bond…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe fourth annual Nature Coast Christmas Tournament wrapped up with a back and forth battle between Countryside and Fletcher. The Senators held on for a 68-61 victory over Countryside to take home the Bracket B trophy.
Senior forward Tyron Bond finished with a game-high 21 points for Fletcher (5-7) while sophomore forward Jeremiah Payton added 17. Countryside (10-5) was led by junior forward Toni Petrovic and his 18 points.
MVP: Tyron Bond (Fletcher)
Prior to this tournament, Fletcher had only two wins in nine games, but Tyron Bond put his team on his back often and helped the Senators finish 3-0 in the three days in town. Bond had a game-best 21 points and was attacking and hitting from outside at a high clip. The quarterback for Fletcher’s football team, Bond is an all-around athlete.
Best offensive performance: Jeremiah Payton (Fletcher)
Only a sophomore, Jeremiah Payton plays with a lot of confidence. His instincts are impressive and there’s no surprise that he recorded 17 points in this game. He came up with big shots down the stretch and was a big factor in all three games of the tournament.
Best defensive performance: Tino Petrovic (Countryside)
Tino Petrovic led the way with 18 points for Countryside including five of the team’s final points of the game. The junior forward showed up on offense all night and hustled on defense. He had some key blocks and really buckled down as a defender.
Best attacker: Christian Shaneyfelt (Countryside)
A night after posting 21 points, freshman forward Christian Shaneyfelt did his part once again with 11 points for Countryside. He made a couple of 3-pointers, but most impressively went to the basket more often than not for tough points.
Best intangibles: Anthony Evelyn (Fletcher)
Fighting through a hamstring injury, senior guard Anthony Evelyn came back in the game midway through the fourth quarter to end up with 10 points. This kid plays an athlete role for the football team and his leadership has shown up on the basketball court. Evelyn is fun to watch.
Best under-the-radar performance: James Laws (Fletcher)
James Laws really came on in this tournament in Thursday’s win over Shaker Heights (Ohio). In Friday’s final, Laws had 11 points and for the junior he can take his confidence back home to Neptune Beache where the Senators seem to be on the rise in Class 8A-District 3.
Best catch and shoot guy: C.J. Williams (Countryside)
A junior, C.J. Williams does all the little things. Some nights, he’ll take a backseat on offense, but in this game, he fired away from outside. Williams added 16 points which included 4 3-pointers, three in the first quarter alone. Williams can get hot from beyond the arc in the blink of an eye.
Best underclassmen: Christian Shaneyfelt (Countryside)
Shaneyfelt has been a top performer for Countryside since the first game of the season. At 6’5″, he has a lot of length and for a freshman, he isn’t afraid to mix it up. Shaneyfelt has an all-around game that extends to a large portion of the court.
Best energy: Mike Young (Fletcher)
Senior forward Mike Young added seven points as a starter for Fletcher. He plays an unselfish style of basketball and is good at finding an opening in defenses more often than not. Young is someone the Senators can lean on.
Best athlete: Tyron Bond (Fletcher)
Bond had a handful of dunks throughout the tournament. He has fun out on the court and for Fletcher, he is the guy who runs the show. Look for Bond to attract more interest as the season goes simply because his game is going to get better with time.