A preview of the Class 5A region final round
The regional round wraps up on Friday with 22 games. Four games will be played in Class 5A for the region final. Here is a look at the region final slate for Friday night in 5A. All games are at…
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Continue ReadingThe regional round wraps up on Friday with 22 games. Four games will be played in Class 5A for the region final.
Here is a look at the region final slate for Friday night in 5A. All games are at 7 p.m. unless listed otherwise.
Region 1
Marianna at Raines
How they got here: Marianna beat Pensacola Catholic 64-51; Raines beat Bradford 55-49.
Marianna (23-3) has seniors Anton Williams and Jaeden Harley leading the way. The duo had 24 and 15 points respectively in the victory on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs are back in the region finals for the first time since 2009. For Raines (20-9), this is the school’s first region final trip since 2012-13. The Vikings have senior Darius McCorker and juniors Trevon Laidler and Josh Battle at their disposal. Battle finished with a team-high 11 points against Bradford.
Region 4
How they got here: Calvary Christian beat University 51-46; Gulliver Prep beat Mater Lakes 81-62.
Ft. Lauderdale Calvary Christian at Gulliver Prep
Seniors Jerald Butler, Victor Uyaelunmo and Rasheem Etienne and junior Solomon Uyaelunmo all did their part as Calvary Christian (20-6) upended University on Tuesday to advance to its first-ever region final. The Uyaelunmo brothers transferred from Gulliver Prep (19-10) last year so it should be a fun environment. Jamal Mashburn Jr. is only a freshman but he’s made a huge impact for the Raiders, averaging 22.7 PPG. Gulliver Prep also has talented 2020 prospects Tony Sanders and Gabe Taylor.
Region 2
Melbourne Central Catholic at Villages
How they got here: Villages beat Windermere Prep 72-70; Melbourne Central Catholic beat Holy Trinity 73-62.
Villages (27-2) went on the road and upset defending 3A champion Windermere Prep on Tuesday. Sophomore Tre Mann had a huge night with 29 points while sophomore Terry Ivery pitched in with 15 of his own. This is the first region final trip for the Buffalo in program history. Melbourne Central Catholic (28-2) is led by seniors Levi Wilson and Branden Hall and junior Nick Alves. The Hustlers are back in the region final for the first time since 2009.
Region 3
Oxbridge at Tampa Catholic
How they got here: Tampa Catholic beat Community School 64-60; Oxbridge beat Cardinal Newman 72-66.
Tampa Catholic (23-5) survived on the road on Tuesday despite a nine-point outing from top-ranked senior Kevin Knox. Junior guards Tai Strickland (25 points) and Tim Carter (13 points) picked up the slack against Community School. The Crusaders are aiming for its third state semifinal appearance since 2010-11 and second straight. Oxbridge (18-7) will square off with Tampa Catholic after losing to the Crusaders 59-58 in this exact round a year ago. The Thunderwolves are led by junior Keidron Smith and sophomore A.J. Cajuste.
Photo credit: Naples News