Boys hoops: Pinellas region quarterfinals

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Published February 14, 2008

All games at 7 tonight. Admission is $6.

Class 6A

Lakeland (23-5) at St. Petersburg (17-9): The Green Devils are in the playoffs for the sixth straight season, but have not won a first-round game since 2003. Antwan Carter is the only St. Petersburg starter averaging double digits (13.5 points).

Class 5A

Middleton (18-9) at Pinellas Park (23-4): The Tigers have played their past five games without coach Derek Smith, who is suspended without pay while authorities investigate his arrest Jan. 18 on child abuse charges. Middleton has a tough task against the Patriots, the No. 3 team in the Class 5A state poll. Pinellas Park, which is in the playoffs for the first time since 1997, relies on its Division I recruits, Cam Carden (Stetson) and Jake Troyli (Presbyterian).
Clearwater (22-4) at Plant (24-4): The Tornadoes stumbled down the stretch, losing two of their final four games. Clearwater needs seniors Luke Loucks (FSU) and Adam Pegg (Delaware) to come through to beat the Panthers. Plant is playing without guard Becker Archerd, arrested Feb. 10 on charges of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana, according to a report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Venice (21-7) vs. Lakewood (25-2) at Gibbs: The Spartans, the defending Class 5A state finalist, survived a tough game against Gibbs to win the district. Mike Morrison, a George Mason recruit, played well for Lakewood in the district tournament, averaging 18 points. The Indians lost to the Spartans by 32 in last season's region quarterfinals.

Gibbs (18-8) at Punta Gorda Charlotte (23-5): The Gladiators are in the playoffs for just the second time in the past 13 seasons. They got here behind Xavier Frazier, who averaged 17 points in two district games. The Tarpons are 2-5 against county opponents in the postseason.

Class 3A

St. Petersburg Catholic (16-8) at Fort Myers Bishop Verot (16-10): The Barons are hoping for a rematch against rival Berkeley Prep in the next round. For that to happen, SPC has to get past Bishop Verot, which has advanced to the region finals the past two seasons. Tracy Parks, who signed with South Alabama, is the go-to player for the Barons, averaging 25 points.

Class 2A

Calvary Christian (18-9) at Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic (15-9): The Warriors, who moved up from Class A to 2A, are trying to get back to the final four. They should get past this round. Calvary's Christian Bibi Ndongo is close to averaging double digits in blocks and rebounds.

Fort Myers Evangelical Christian (20-7) at Admiral Farragut (16-9): The Blue Jackets cruised through their district behind the play of Josh Burch, a long-range specialist who was the district champion in the FHSAA's 3-point shooting contest.

Northside Christian (8-10) at Community School of Naples (20-6): The Mustangs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Community School advanced to the region final last season.

Class A

Sarasota Christian (19-7) at Canterbury (14-7): The Crusaders had an eventful district tournament, helping coach Dave Smith get his 100th career win and advancing to regionals for the first time since 2001. Brandon Hamilton has been a scoring machine with nearly 25 points per game.

[Last modified February 13, 2008, 23:19:15]