By Kennedy Rosendahl

   The Ponte Vedra high school boys’ basketball team is working through their season and brought their overall record to 10-4. With their impressive season so far, the Sharks still couldn’t manage to beat the Providence high school Stallions on Friday, Jan. 6. The Stallions have a record of 14-1 and are currently ranked sixth overall in the state of Florida. But the Sharks put up a fight and did not back down to this team. Their next game was against the Creekside high school Knights on Jan. 10. While the score remained close for most of the game, the Sharks kept a lead and eventually pulled away with the win.

   In the game against the Stallions, the Sharks lost 45-60. 45 points is low scoring for this team, considering their high scoring games at the start of the season. The Sharks also only made six three-pointers, lower than their average amount. This shows the defensive intensity from the Stallions. Of those 45 points, senior, Israel Nuhu put up 12, all in the paint. Nuhu also made a good defensive effort getting steals, rebounds, and a block. Junior, Sam Ritchie put up eight points for the Sharks, and senior, Nathan Bunkosky put up seven. While the Sharks didn’t score as much, they were still in the game, and the lead went back and forth for a while. At the end of the first quarter, the Sharks were ahead 14-8. Holding the Stallions to eight points in the first quarter showed how well the Sharks’ defense started out. At the half, it was 30-26, still in favor of the Sharks. The third quarter, the momentum began to shift. The athletic Stallions team went on a third quarter run, but the Sharks did not leave it unanswered. At the end of the third quarter, the Stallions had taken the lead, but not by much. Unfortunately, the Stallions pulled away in the fourth quarter, and the Sharks couldn’t keep up. But, in the end, the Sharks played a promising game, and made a statement against a top-ten team. Their resilience and hustle kept them in the game. This game will surely serve as motivation for the next one.

   Next, the Sharks beat the Knights 75-62. The Sharks got back in their offensive rhythm and put up their usual number of points. They took the lead early and were up 12-4 at the end of the first quarter. They continued with their high-energy defense and held a talented Knights team to four points. While both teams scored more in the second quarter, the Sharks held their lead and were up 31-22 at halftime. The third and fourth quarters were, again, high scoring on both ends of the floor, but the Sharks never let up their lead, and were up by around ten the entire second half. Leading all scorers for the Sharks was Sam Ritchie with 17. He hit four free throws, a three-pointer, and got to the rim well. Following him was his brother, a senior, Ben Ritchie. Ben knocked down two three-pointers and had multiple rebounds to contribute on both offense and defense. Other scorers were Bunkosky with eleven, Nuhu with ten, and junior, Aiden VanCannon with nine. The Sharks had a 54 percent overall field goal percentage to help them take down the Knights. Their early lead contributed to their momentum and allowed the team to keep the game at their pace. This and the Sharks’ aggressive defense got them another win.

  After another successful game, the Sharks are tied for fourth in their district. Their next game is on Friday, Jan 13. against the Palatka Panthers. The team is 9-7 overall, but the Sharks know not to take any game lightly. Hopefully, they continue their success in the upcoming games on their road to districts.