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Gunter, Packers prepare for painful separation

LARGO -- On Jan. 18, Alvin Gunter will put on his Largo uniform, run the court in his typical gazelle-like manner and soar through the air. Chances are, he will grab a few rebounds, score a few points and block a few shots.

And then, with weeks to go in the season, his high school basketball career will be over.

The next night, the Packers will go on without him.

Some teams lose players to injuries, others to grades, and others to defections. But Largo will lose one of the county's best to a quirky set of circumstances. Gunter's eligibility will end Jan. 18, the day a semester he was awarded in November expires.

"I'm really trying not to think about it," said the soft-spoken Gunter, a 6-foot-5 forward who's the county's leading rebounder.

Gunter's fate is compounded by the effect his absence will have on his team's postseason hopes. Ranked No. 1 in the Class 5A state poll, the Packers have a bright future: they expect to play in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship, contend for a district title and make a playoff run.

And that is what saddens Gunter the most. One one hand, his absence could help cost the Packers all those things. And if they manage to carry on without him, he will not be there to take part in the team's glory.

"I really don't think about (the end nearing), I just play," Gunter said. "I think about it sometimes, when I'm at home or alone. It's depressing. I know when the day comes, it will really depress me. Until then, I'm just trying to help the team win."

So far, he has. The Packers are 7-0, and along with point guard Mike O'Donnell and forward Billy McDade, Gunter helps make up the county's best threesome north of Lakewood.

Gunter's presence will help the Packers' district seeding, since he'll still be playing for key district games against Clearwater (Jan. 8) and Countryside (Jan. 17). He will also get a showcase at the Hooters holiday tournament, which is expected to attract college recruiters.

However, Gunter is limited by his grades, but Largo coach Phil Price said a number of junior colleges have expressed interest. In fact, his grades are the impetus to his half-senior season.

When Gunter entered high school, all athletes had three years beginning with their sophomore year to complete their athletic eligibility. Gunter became a sophomore, however, after the first semester ended because he needed the first semester to gain the necessary credits to complete his freshman year.

So at the end of last year, 2 1/2 years of his three-year clock had technically ticked away.

But told he was done, Gunter abandoned his hopes of playing this season.

"I was planning on keeping stats for the team," Gunter said. "I love basketball and I wanted to stay around some way. Man, when I found out I could play, I was pretty excited."

On Nov. 8, after an appeal by Largo, he was awarded an extra semester to complete his eligibility. So in a rare high school occurrence, Gunter's eligibility will expire right after a tournament in Ocala.

As for the Packers sans Gunter, he says his team can still achieve great things.

"If they play the way they can, they can go without me (deep into the playoffs)," Gunter said.

To do that, though, means finding Gunter's replacement, which means cutting back on his playing time. It's a Catch-22 for Price, an admirer of Gunter's perseverance. As a sophomore, Gunter had to endure two deaths in his immediate family, and for a time moved to Sebring to live with his brother.

"I didn't even think I'd ever go back to school," he said.

Because he did, and has worked hard to remain eligible, Price wants to make the most of Gunter's final days as a player.

At the same time, he owes it to the rest of the team to make sure there is an adequate replacement for the district playoffs.

"I will have to (sub) more and more as the year goes on," Price said. "... I've already talked to Alvin about it. He'll still start but I have to look at the minutes."

Gunter expects them to decline a little. But he plans on savoring every last one of them.

"I'll still be around the team," Gunter said. "I'll be working out and staying in shape. But it will be weird coming to school and not being able to play basketball."

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