By: Evan Long

On Dec. 18, The Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) Sharks faced the Central Florida Christian Academy Eagles for their first game of the Windermere Prep Tournament in Orlando. After a close first quarter with a 15-18 Central Florida lead, the Sharks bounced back outscoring the Eagles 12-8. Going into half, PVHS led 27-26 and looked for an electric second half to secure the win. Coming out the half, the Sharks went on a tear, scoring 21 to result in a 48-41 lead, the biggest lead of the game for the Sharks. Despite a slow fourth quarter, being outscored 8-13, PVHS ended with the close, 56-54 win. Jacksonville University senior commit, Maddox Palmer, led the team with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Sophomore, Tyler Kroog picked up 4 assists and 3 steals and senior, Noah Simmons had 3 rebounds and 6 assists. After a strong start to the Windermere Prep Tournament, the Sharks move to 6-3 on the year with a big win, and they look to win their second game on Dec. 19 against North Broward Prep.

On Dec. 19, PVHS faced the North Broward Prep (NBP) Eagles in the second game of the Windermere Prep Tournament. NBP came into the game, ranked third in Florida at 8-0 in the season. The Sharks struggled against the toughest opponent they will likely play all season. All Sharks shot under their point averages and field goal percentage with 38% from the field and a degrading 10% from the three-point line. Despite a lot of bad things, there were some bright spots as Palmer had 15 points and 9 rebounds. The Sharks fall to 6-4 on the season and 1-1 on the tournament; they look for a much-needed bounce back win on Dec. 20 against Saraland High School in Alabama.

On Dec. 20, PVHS faced off against Saraland High School for their final game of the Windermere Prep tournament. The Sharks started off hot outscoring Saraland 31-19 in the first half, giving them a strong lead going into the second half. Despite the struggle on offense, the defense was relentless only allowing 18 in the second half, resulting in a 53-37 win for PVHS. Kroog was hot from three, making 5 of 9 shots from the perimeter going for 19 points. Palmer also had a great game with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Sharks end the tournament going 2-1, finishing third in the tournament. Both Kroog and Palmer ended with the Boys’ All-Tournament Team in an impressive 3 game run. After getting awarded All-Tournament Team, Kroog stated, “It’s an honor to be recognized for my performance and it a reflection to the hard work we have put into the season.” PVHS will travel to New Smyrna Beach High School for the New Smyrna Beach Holliday Showcase, going into the tournament with a 7-4 record on the season.

Pictured: Herman Syse Ulfsnes (11) after putting up some points for the Sharks (@fenneysflics)