Winter Haven passed another big test vs. OCP; Can Victory Christian do the same?
It was No. 2 vs. No. 6 in Florida boys basketball on Monday night, and for Winter Haven, the No. 2 team, it was another exam the Blue Devils passed in a season full of tests. Winter Haven beat Orlando Christian Prep, the No. 6 team, 61-54, proving that, in this instance at least, the FHSAA rankings are correct.
Many tests have faced Winter Haven this season, and one look at the rankings show why head coach Tyrone Woodside is doing everything possible to make sure his Blue Devils are ready for the postseason. Despite the victory and two wins last week over Bartow and Tallahassee's Florida State High, Winter Haven dropped to No. 3 in the FHSAA power rankings among all classifications and No. 3 in Class 7A.
The top three teams overall are all in 7A, with No.1 Miami Columbus (16-4) has a power rating of 28.823 with a strength of schedule of 21.26. Orlando Oak Ridge (17-2) slipped past Winter Haven by the thinnest of margins with a 25.669 power rating helped by a strength of schedule of 15.18. Winter Haven’s strength of schedule is currently at 13.94 and the Blue Devils’ power rating of 25.666 is .003 behind Oak Ridge. In the MaxPreps national rankings, Columbus is No. 5, Oak Ridge is No. 20 and Winter Haven is No. 42.
Winter Haven is No. 1: What teams will fill out the top 10 in boys basketball at midseason
Former Winter Haven great: From Winter Haven to the WNBA and around the world, Tiffany Hayes made her mark in basketball
Winter Haven, Oak Ridge and Columbus are all in different regions so if they all advance, Winter Haven-Oak Ridge would be the state semifinal match-up while Columbus would get an “easier” game. The highest-ranked team in Region 1 is Sanford Seminole, which is ranked. No. 9 in 7A and No. 33 in the state.
Woodside knew that Oak Ridge and Columbus had great teams, which is why he wanted to put together a strong schedule. After losing to The Burlington School, the No. 6 team in North Carolina, Winter Haven has won 16 consecutive games. Among the Blue Devils’ wins are games 7A-No. 5 Orlando Olympia (No. 13 overall), 2A-No. 2 Victory Christian (No. 8 overall), Hoover, which is the No. 2 team in Alabama and No. 55 nationally, 2A-No. 1 Williston (No. 5 overall), 6A-No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 10 overall), Gainesville the Rock National, the No. 7 prep school team nationally and now Orlando Christian Prep. The Blue Devils’ victory moved OCP down to No. 11 overall behind Victory Christian, which is now No. 8.
And there are more tests for Winter Haven, including a home-and-home vs. 6A-No. 2 Orlando Edgewater (No. 12 overall), beginning Wednesday night in Orlando. On Saturday, Winter Haven will face 3A-No. 1 Miami Riviera Prep (No. 4 overall). The Blue Devils, in addition to their second game against Edgewater, close out the season with games against 5A-No. 5 Daytona Beach Mainland and 5A-No. 1 Miami Norland (No. 28 overall).
Against Orlando Christian Prep, Winter Haven showed why it has been passing all the tests so far. The Blue Devils withstood a slow start. OCP, after spotting the Blue Devils a 4-0 lead, outscored Winter Haven, 16-7 the rest of the first quarter to lead by five points. Winter Haven, however, kept grinding away.
Despite leading scorer Isaac Celiscar (21.9 ppg), who recently had a five-game stretch where he average 25.0 points, being held to just eight points, the Blue Devils continued to show their team depth. Mr. Do-Everthing point guard Jamie Phillips Jr. hit a late 3-pointer that made it a two-possession game. He also was a force posting up. Zay Mosley was hard to stop posting up as Winter Haven made it a point to get him the ball in the paint. Getting Mosley to be a force in the paint has been a focus as the season has developed. After Tyrone Mayo’s clutch 3-pointer game Winter Haven the lead for good, Mosley scored two big baskets in the paint.
When a team’s best player (Celiscar) has a rare off night — it was his first off night scoring since the season opener — and it still beats a team like OCP by seven, that’s a hard team to beat. And for the stretch run, the Blue Devils will get their best defensive guard back in Isaac Redding, who has been out.
So Winter Haven beat OCP but the biggest question, can Victory Christian?
Orlando Christian Prep eliminated Victory from the playoffs the past two seasons and beat the Storm for the district title in 2020. The margin of victory for the three games have been 43 points, 32 points and 21 points last year. Victory has its best team this year and better experience. But the Storm can’t let OCP dominate the defensive board and they can’t have a lot of turnovers. OCP got its early lead against Winter Haven by turning turnovers and quick rebounds into fastbreaks. OCP is fast and passes well and can run teams off the court.
For Victory Christian, that test is just over one month away. Perhaps the Storm can ask the Blue Devils for their notes.
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: In a season of tests, Winter Haven passed another big test vs. OCP
