Varsity Weekly: Windermere basketball rivalry born; FHSAA state wrestling tourney

What could and should become a revered rivalry in boys basketball was launched Tuesday night when 2023 state runner-up Windermere Prep won a memorable overtime game 85-82 at Windermere High.

The Lakers (13-4), No. 4 in the FHSAA Class 3A power rankings, could have walked from their campus to play the 7A No. 6 Wolverines (10-7).

“We’re half a mile away. Why wouldn’t we play each other?” Windermere coach Mark Griseck said. “This was a lot of fun. It was a great experience.”

The game drew a good crowd that saw 11 lead changes, a steady stream of big-time plays and a school-record 38-point performance by the smallest guy on the floor — Windermere guard Ta’Veon Jones. He made eight 3-point shots and was backed by 6-foot-7 junior TJ Drain, who scored 17 and held his own in a matchup with Windermere Prep’s 7-foot sophomore, Sinan Huan (17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks).

Sophomore guard Brandon Bass Jr. scored 24 points and hit the go-ahead 3 in overtime for the Lakers. Malachi Martis, a 6-6 junior, added 16 points and heady junior point guard Samuel Shoptaw had 15 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds before fouling out late in regulation.

“This is a rivalry for our city,” said Bass, whose father (Brandon Bass) was one of three former NBA players in the stands. “I for sure would like to see them come to our crib to play next season.”

The other two NBA dads were Steve Blake, whose son Nicholas is a Wolverines junior reserve, and Jason Williams, who had ,family ties to Windermere Prep.

Lakers coach Brian Hoff said he wants to play the Wolverines ever year.

They met three times before, but always on neutral-floor showcase events. The Wolverines won last season but Windermere Prep leads the series 3-1.

Spotlight on Florida

Florida has the nation’s top two boys basketball teams with Montverde Academy (19-0) firmly atop the BallisLife.com Fab 50 and USA Today rankings followed by Miami Columbus (16-4), which beat last week’s No. 2 and 3 teams — Long Island Lutheran 81-62 and St. Paul VI of Virginia 70-61 — at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

Montverde, which plays home games Saturday and then Thursday through Saturday of next week in its own tournament, had its closest call of the season in a 70-61 win against Prolific Prep (19-3) of California in Springfield.

Oak Ridge, No. 16 in the MaxPreps national Top 25 (only teams that compete for state titles), is in next week’s Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament. First though, the 7A No. 2 Pioneers play at fourth-ranked Olympia (15-4) in a Friday 7 p.m. game.

Oak Ridge was 17-2 with 16 consecutive wins going into a Wednesday game vs. Osceola. That included two weekend wins in Ohio: a 74-68 win vs. Ohio No. 1 St. Ignatius and 75-73 vs. Reynoldsburg.

Citrus soccer

Bishop Moore (17-2), No. 2 in 4A, hosts Thursday’s Citrus League boys soccer finals. The Hornets will play Lake Highland Prep (6-5-1) in the 7 p.m. championship game following a 5 p.m. third-place game pitting Windermere Prep (10-2-1) against Trinity Prep (2-4-3).

Bishop Moore scored a 3-0 shutout of 2A No. 1 Lakeland Christian (12-3-1) on Tuesday.

300 wins

Faith Christian (11-9) scored the 300th career basketball win for coach Andy Sarasty with its 75-46 boys victory at Orangewood Christian last week.

The Lake Howell alum is in his sixth year as head coach for the Lions. He spent seven seasons as Orangewood’s boys coach (2009-16) and five at Master’s Academy (2002-08).

Sarasty coached two seasons and won two state championships as a pinch-hitter in girls basketball. He led Lake Howell’s girls to a 29-2 Class 5A state title season in 2008-09 and coached Faith’s girls team to a 2A crown while coaching two teams at once last season.

On the clock

The Master’s Academy has for a number of years used a 35-second shot clock for home basketball games and its annual Kalyn High Master’s Classic.

Saturday’s five-game event will have another twist. An “Elam Ending” wrinkle will be used as games wind down. On the first stoppage of play with three minutes or less remaining, a target score to win is established. It will be eight points more than the team in front has.

So if a team is leading 76-70, the first to 84 wins. The concept is designed to encourage teams that are trailing to outscore the team that leads — rather than foul to stop the clock.

“It’s something different,” said Master’s coach Reggie Kohn. “I don’t know if I would prefer it for every game. I think it will be exciting for the kids and the fans.”

Here are Saturday’s Master’s matchups:

Dr. Phillips vs. Holy Trinity, 1:30 p.m.

Osceola vs. Lake Highland Prep, 3

Edgewater vs. Victory Christian, 4:30

Oviedo vs. The Master’s Academy, 6

Hagerty vs. CFCA, 7:30

Edgewater, ranked No. 2 in 6A, was 15-3 going into a Wednesday game vs. 7A No. 3 Winter Haven (16-1).

Victory Christian (14-4) is No. 2 in 2A.

Lake Highland (15-2) is No. 5 in 4A going into a Thursday game at Windermere Prep.

Oviedo (15-3) is No. 6 in 6A.

Holy Trinity (13-3) is No. 8 in 3A.

State wrestling

Class 3A Region 2 tournament winner Kissimmee Osceola hosts the FHSAA duals team wrestling state meet this weekend and will be joined by two more Orlando area region survivors — Harmony and Timber Creek — in the Friday-Saturday competition.

Osceola grapples with 2022 state champ Palmetto Ridge of Naples in its quarterfinal match.

South Dade, winner of five of the six championships held in the dual-meet format since 2018, defeated Osceola in last year’s state final matchup and is again the heavy favorite.

Timber Creek defeated Hagerty 45-23 in its 3A-1 semifinal.

Harmony won the 3A-3 region meet in its gym but is at less than full strength after losing Carlos Rodriguez and Mike Shabrook to injury last week. Both won their matches in the Longhorns’ 39-30 regional win vs. Viera.

“We just haven’t been healthy at this point,” said veteran Longhorns coach Vic Lorenzano.

Harmony still has three highly ranked wrestlers. Nikolas Blake (138 pounds) and Shawn McAllister (150) are ranked No. 2 by KabraWrestling.com in their respective weight classes and Nathan Lyttle is No. 3 at 106.

Lorenzano hopes to have all of his top guys back for the Individual Bracketed Tournament (IBT) series, which begins with district tournaments in February.

FHSAA DUAL WRESTLING

At Osceola High School, Kissimmee

Class 3A

Friday quarterfinals, 6 p.m.

Osceola vs. Palmetto Ridge

Timber Creek vs. Buchholz

Harmony vs. Wellington

South Plantation vs. South Dade

Saturday

Semifinals, 11:30 a.m.

Championship match, 2 p.m.

(Class 1A and 2A finals are also set for 2 p.m.)

Steve Gorches contributed to this report. Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.