Calvary Christian finally enjoys gym of its own

By CHRIS GIRANDOLA
Published January 7, 2006

7 Calvary Christian can finally rest easy.

The Warriors have a home.

After spending the past five years practicing and playing in gyms around the Clearwater area, Calvary Christian opened the new year with a home game in its new gymnasium at the school's new location on the corner of Drew and McMullen Booth.

The gym and the school took 18 months to complete after the Calvary Baptist Church board first approved the $24-million project in 1999.

"It's really gratifying as a program and a school to be able to have something like this," said fifth-year coach Dave Bintz, who has been with Calvary Christian since its inception in 2000. "It's a credit to the kids for enduring all we've been through."

The Warriors, who are off to a 12-4 start this season, have used several facilities over the years, including places like St. Paul United Methodist, Safety Harbor Recreation Center and Greenwood Rec.

The Warriors have steadily improved as a team since Bintz started the program and most of the players have been at the school since its beginning.

"We've finally grown up this year, both physically and emotionally," said Bintz, who coached at Northside Christian 11 years before moving over to Calvary.

Junior guard Brian Horrach, who is averaging 17 points, scored his 1,000th point Friday night in a loss to Indian Rocks Christian. Besides Horrach, the Warriors have benefited from the play of 6-foot-4 junior forward Andrew Giancola, who is averaging 12 points, and 6-9 junior center Kevin Cantinol, who is averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Giancola is quite the story himself, returning two weeks ago after missing six weeks because of a collapsed lung.

"He's a tough kid," Bintz said. "He got through preseason conditioning workouts in pain until he finally got it checked out. We're fortunate to have kids like him here at the school."

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Oldsmar Christian hosts Calvary Christian at 7:30 next Friday in the first of two meetings of the Class A, District 11's top teams. The matchup will be a battle of big men as Oldsmar Christian center Virgil Johnson (6-8) goes against Calvary center Kevin Cantinol (6-9). Cantinol is averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds.

CHECKING IN: Nick Miller, who was first-team all-county in 2001-02 while leading Clearwater to a 25-1 record, has started for Embry-Riddle since his freshman year. Miller, a 6-foot-7 center, is averaging eight points and seven rebounds and has helped the Eagles begin the season 16-1. Last year, Miller was named MVP of the Florida Sun Conference and led the Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA tournament before losing to eventual champion Walsh (Ohio).

QUOTABLE: "This is the first time, since my daughter ( Elizabeth) was born, I was able to spend more than one day with her over the Christmas break. In fact, the day she was born (Dec. 28, 1987), I made it back to Tampa from a tournament game a half an hour before her birth." - Admiral Farragut's Mike Wells, who did not schedule his Blue Jackets to play in any tournaments because of so many boarding students on the team. It is the first time in 28 years Wells has not coached in a holiday tournament.

BY THE NUMBERS: In two games last week in the Hooters Shootout, Boca Ciega proved numbers don't lie. In a 68-64 loss to Georgia South Cobb, the Pirates shot a dismal 31 percent from the line, going 5-for-16 while missing the front end of four one and ones. Two nights later, in its 62-52 win over St. Petersburg Catholic, the Pirates completely turned it around, converting 14-of-17 free throws. ... SPC's Aaron Holmes knocked down nine in a row from the line before missing his last two in the Barons' 68-64 win over Tampa Catholic. Holmes, who finished the night with 38 points, was honored in a pregame ceremony as the only player in SPC history to score more than 2,000 points.

[Last modified January 7, 2006, 01:22:58]