By Kennedy Rosendahl
The Ponte Vedra high school Boys’ basketball team had an exciting past two weeks. They ended their regular season with a win at home over the Nease high school Panthers. The rivalry win sent them into playoffs with good energy, and they won their first game with ease. After beating the Orange Park high school Raiders, they faced the Oakleaf high school Knights for the district title. Unfortunately, the Sharks came up just short after a hard-fought game against the Knights. However, this does not end their season, and hopefully the Sharks will get another chance at the Knights in regional playoffs.
The Nease and Ponte Vedra rivalry remains competitive in any sport, including basketball. Earlier in the season, the Sharks went to Nease and beat the Panthers in a close game. On Friday, Feb. 3, the Sharks had to protect their home gym, and keep their winning streak alive. While it was not easy, the Sharks pulled away from the Panthers to win 42-32. The low score shows the impressive defensive effort from both teams. At the end of the first quarter, the score was just 5-7, with the Panthers on top. The second quarter was similar, and the score was just 16-17 at half, with the Sharks still trailing. The Panthers played a great man-to-man defense, and the Sharks continued with their defensive pressure, with a zone press as well as a fundamental half-court man defense. The third quarter was when the Sharks made their run, outscoring the Panthers 11-4. Allowing just four points in the third quarter was the momentum that the Sharks needed to win the game. The Sharks outscored the Panthers again in the fourth quarter, eventually winning by ten. The leading scorer for the night was senior, Israel Nuhu. He not only had 15 points, but also led the team in rebounds and steals for the game, showing his versatility and ability to play at both end of the floor. Following Nuhu was senior, Ben Ritchie with eleven points. He hit one three-pointer and the rest of his points came from attacking the rim. This win was a good morale win for the Sharks, and it helped them to end their regular season with a win.
The Sharks carried their energy into the district playoffs. Their high seed gave them a home-court advantage, and a first-round bye. The Sharks ended up playing the Raiders on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and didn’t give the Raiders any chance, winning 59-25. The Sharks outscored the Raiders every quarter and only allowed ten points in the first half. The Sharks dominated in transition and their defensive pressure led to immediate offensive buckets. While nine Sharks players contributed to the high-scoring win, the leading scorer was junior, Sam Ritchie. Sam had an impressive night from the field, with four three-pointers. Following behind him was his brother, Ben Ritchie. He had 13 on the night, including two three-pointers. Junior, Brendan Hynes also contributed eight points to the rim, proving his ability to create space and get to the rim. Because of this win, the Sharks got a chance to defend their district title at home, against Oakleaf.
The district championship took place in the Shark Tank on Friday, Feb. 9th. The Knights came into this game with a record of 22-1. The Sharks knew they would be a tough opponent, and the Knights did not back down. The game remained tight the entire time, each team battling hard. At halftime, the Knights were up on the Sharks, 20-29, and they continued their run into the third. While the Sharks worked their way back into the game at the end of the third and throughout the fourth quarter, they could not come out with the win. The Sharks had possession for the last play, but the ball became loose, and the Knights got the ball, securing their win. The loss was hard-fought and the Sharks will still make the regional playoffs. The leading scorer for the Sharks was senior, Nathan Bunkosky, with 18 points. Bunkosky showed his leadership on the floor during this game and made huge plays for the Sharks, hustling for every loose ball and playing amazing defense. Another player with great defense was Sam Ritchie. He also made hustle plays for the Sharks and handled the Knights’ pressure well. Even with the efforts of these players, the Sharks came up short and could not regain their district title.
Even with the loss, the Sharks still were the first seed in their district, and play Tocoi Creek high school on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Tocoi Creek. If the Sharks win that game, they get to play the rest of regionals at home, so hopefully they can secure this first win. If the Knights win their regional games too, the Sharks may get a chance to rematch them.
