Oldsmar Christian's title hopes take a blow when forward Trevor Ferguson breaks both wrists.
By JOHN C. COTEY
Published January 27, 2004
Oldsmar Christian forward Trevor Ferguson, the county's leading scorer, will miss the rest of the season after breaking both wrists in a game last week.
Ferguson, averaging 28 points, went up for a dunk against Calvary Christian and slipped off the rim, landing on both hands as he tried to break his fall.
The injury occurred in the first minute of the fourth quarter as his substitute waited at the scorer's table to check in, according to Eagles assistant coach Ryan Pannone.
It is the second stroke of bad luck for the Eagles in two weeks. Earlier this month, the Florida High School Athletic Association confirmed it is investigating Oldsmar Christian for recruiting violations, a charge coach Larry Bache vehemently denies.
The loss of Ferguson is a blow to the state title hopes of the Eagles, who lost their only game this season when he was out with an illness. At 6-foot-5, Ferguson often overmatched Class A competition inside, and his ability to bring the ball up the court and shoot the 3-pointer made him a rare triple threat.
Ferguson was unavailable for comment. A senior, he was second in the county with 10.6 rebounds a game and fourth in assists (6.3). He was also second in 3-pointers with 37 made.
"Mentally, he's handling it very well," said Pannone, who played with Ferguson last year. "He knows that there's a reason for everything."
The Eagles, the defending District 10 champs and a regional semifinalist last season, are 15-1 and ranked No. 8 in Class A. They are 3-0 (heading into Monday night's game against Seffner Christian) since Ferguson was injured, including a 66-62 win over district rival and previously-ranked No. 7 Tampa Bayshore.
