Sharks Basketball Season Comes to a Close

It was not the ending Ponte Vedra’s boys basketball team had hoped for following their crushing season ending defeat at the hands of powerful Bishop Kenny last Thursday.

After the Sharks defeated arch rival Nease 61-45 on January 21, improving their record to an impressive 12-7 mark, the young Shark squad went into a season ending tailspin that saw them drop 7 of their last 8 games to finish with a losing record of 13 victories against 14 defeats.

Two of those losses went into overtime, with the most crushing of losses being the extra frame heartbreaking loss to Nease in the district championship on February 8^th.

 The dispirited Sharks then limped into the lair of the Bishop Kenney Crusaders last Tuesday where they suffered their most lopsided defeat over the past couple of seasons, losing 70-30 to a hot shooting BK five.

 It appeared that the Sharks were headed for their second consecutive district title against Nease when the locals carried a 37-30 lead into the final quarter against the Panthers.  However, it was not to be, as the Sharks went into a deepfreeze from the field where they were held scoreless over the final eight minutes.

 The Sharks were only able to net a pair of free throws from Jackson Johnson in the pivotal final quarter as Nease rallied to send the game into overtime.

 Ponte Vedra had many golden opportunities to put away the game late in the contest, but they missed numerous shots, including a missed lay-up with two seconds remaining that would have insured the victory.

 Johnson tallied 16 points and added five assists to lead the Sharks, and it was his nifty pass to a wide-open Shark that created the missed lay-up shortly before the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime.

 With momentum on their side, the Panthers out scored the Sharks 11-3 as the PV shooting doldrums continued. 

 The disconsolate Ponte Vedra five were then forced to travel to Bishop Kenney to play a team that was determined to make amends for their stunning 2012 regional overtime defeat at the hands of the Sharks.

 The much taller Crusaders jumped out to an early 13-3 first quarter lead and never looked back; a very impressive overall performance for a team that could very well make it to the final four in Lakeland.

 The Sharks were hard pressed to muster any wide-open shots against the Crusaders, featuring a front line that measured 6’7, 6’5 and 6’5. 

The Crusaders shot a red hot 55 percent from the field and, when a shot did miss the mark, there was the presence of 6’7 Brian Dawkins to put back any missed shots.  Dawkins collected 22 points; many of those coming off his teammates missed shots.

 Bishop Kenney’s towering front line limited the Shark regulars to an astounding low total of but nine rebounds, with no PV player pulling down more than two rebounds.

 The Crusaders defense was stifling as only the quickness and ball handling wizardry of Jackson Johnson was able to create any shots at the basket.  Johnson saw many of his early shots just barely miss the mark, which forecast a dark night for the Sharks.  Johnson was the only Shark to get into double figures with 10 points to go along with four assists.

 The Sharks can certainly take solace in the fact that they return 11 of their 13 roster players for next years basketball season, including the return of one of the area’s leading players in Johnson.

 Underclassmen accounted for all the points scored in their season ending defeat and coach Bud Beech is confident that his Sharks will enjoy a successful campaign beginning next November.

 Much of the optimism will center on the return of a pair of 6’4 growing sophomores who could be the x-factor for the 2013-14 season.   Lanky Quinn Carey has a ton of potential and could be the desired scoring threat the Sharks will need to take some of the pressure off of Johnson. 

 Donovan Garrard did an outstanding job on the backboards; as his season total of 160 rebounds is second only to UNF standout Beau Beech in Ponte Vedra annals.

 Also returning for the Sharks will be four other players who should be a part of next year’s rotation.  6’2 Junior James Crowther was hampered midway through this season with a dislocated thumb and hopes to bounce back to his former form.

 6’1 sophomore Matt McGueier was a three-point threat for the Sharks who hopes to develop the other aspects of his game before the start of next season.  Sophomore guards Pat Boylan and Corey Russi flashed some promise during the course of the season, with both players being especially active on the defensive end of the floor.

 Much of the expectation for an improved campaign next season will ride on the shoulders of the Shark’s playmaking junior guard Jackson Johnson.  Johnson set a junior class mark by recording 506 points in the season, with his 19 ppg. average ranking in the top five in the Jacksonville area.

 Johnson was tops in the entire Jacksonville area with free throws made (124-146) for an excellent 85 percent and also was the top three point marksman in the area as well with 81 made three pointers.  The 5’9 junior netted at least one three pointer in each of this season’s 27 games.

SHARKS FACE MATANZAS IN PLAYOFF’S FIRST ROUND

            The Ponte Vedra Sharks will limp into this year's district tournament with a five game losing streak following a pair of road losses this past week.

             The Sharks were never in contention at Palatka in their 59-37 loss at the hands of the 20 plus win Panthers on Wednesday night, the only game over the entire season in which the Sharks suffered a blow out loss at the hands of an opponent.

             Friday night, the Sharks suffered their second loss on the season to a 19-6 Bartram Trail team in another very physical game that might prove even more costly than just the 55-44 loss. 6’4 sophomore Quinn Carey and 6’2 senior Kellon Wilson both incurred ankle injuries that could keep them out of the upcoming playoffs.

            For whatever reason the recent five game skid, that has found the Sharks drop from a very impressive 12-7 record to  an even 12-12 mark, seems to bring out the best from their opponents.

             A very physical Palatka team caught fire from the field by nailing nine three pointers in the win over Ponte Vedra on Wednesday, while the Sharks again struggled to regain their shooting touch from earlier in the season.

            Only Jackson Johnson was able to hit for double figures, and that just at the double-digit barrier of 10 points.  Johnson was the object from some very physical play from the hosts Panthers throughout the contest.  Following a near altercation early into the final period, when Johnson was again pushed by a Panther defender, coach Bud Beech, with the game no longer in doubt, pulled the junior point guard to avoid any physical damage.

            Friday night on senior night at Bartram Trail the Sharks came out stone cold once again by tallying but 13 first half points, eight of those from 6’4 sophomore center Donovan Garrard.  While the Sharks struggled  from out court, such was not the case for the Bear’s senior guard Tyler Irish.  Held to but 2 field goals in their initial meeting, Irish netted 6 of his 8 attempts from behind the three-point arc en route to a game high 28 points.

             Trailing 27-13 at the half, the never say quit Sharks rallied in the third period to close the gap a couple of time to close within 6 points of the Bears.  The Sharks received a huge lift in the second half from Pat Boylan.  The 5’10 sophomore came off the bench to score 7 points and gave a ray of hope for a Ponte Vedra comeback.

             Also making a nice comeback was their bruised and battered point guard Jackson Johnson.  Held scoreless in the first half and annoyed to see many of his shots just barely miss their mark, Johnson scored all 14 of his team leading points in the second half before the Bears pulled away in the final quarter.

            The frustrated Sharks did not aid their own cause in the second half when they picked up a pair of technical fouls, resulting in 4 made free throws from the sharp shooting Irish plus two additional offensive possessions.

             Coach Beech has confidence in his Sharks that their very difficult schedule throughout the season will pay dividends when the playoffs begin Tuesday night in Menendez.  The Sharks will begin play at 6:00 PM against Matanzas, a very winnable game for the locals.

             After breezing to a 66-50 win at Matanzas in December, the Sharks were stunned by the Pirates a couple of weeks ago when Ivan Tzabek torched the Sharks for a career high 28 points.

            If the Sharks can survive their first playoff encounter with Matanzas they will then return to Menendez High School on Friday night to play the winner of the Menendez-Nease game from Tuesday night.

Sharks Honor Bartley and Wilson this Friday Night

Sharks Face Two Tough Opponents to End Regular Season

            After dropping three close games in a row the Ponte Vedra Sharks hope to bounce back on the winning track this week, but the task will not be easy.

            On Wednesday the Sharks go back on the road to take on perennial power Palatka before concluding their regular season Friday against Bartram Trail, twelve point victors over the Sharks on January 10^th.

            The Sharks concluded their long home stand with a disappointing performance against Mandarin, a team the Sharks defeated in overtime earlier in the season. Saturday night Fletcher became the third team in a row to reverse the table on the Sharks with a narrow 50-48 win.

            Ponte Vedra was within just 3 points of pulling off victories in both of those contests as the Sharks regular season schedule against very tough opponents winds down.

             The Sharks, averaging well over 60 points per game on their recent home stand, failed to score as many as 50 points in each of their narrow defeats at the hands of Mandarin and Fletcher.

            In the Friday night loss to Mandarin, in front of another large crowd at the Shark Tank, the Sharks and the visiting Mustangs again went into overtime before Mandarin out tallied the Sharks 10-6 in the overtime session.

            Jackson Johnson took only two shots in the final two quarters; both made 3 pointers, with the latter sending the game into overtime.

             With Johnson being ‘held’ to 10 points, equaling his second lowest total of the season, Donovan Garrard helped keep the Sharks on equal terms with Mandarin by powering his way to 14 points.

            In yet another narrow defeat Saturday night at the hands of neighboring Fletcher, the Sharks battled the very athletic Senators right down to the wire before falling just two points short 50-48.  The Sharks had a golden opportunity to send the game into overtime for the second game in a row, but a Shark player missed on a wide open lay-up attempt with two seconds remaining from a great pass from Jackson Johnson.

            Following a rare off night for the junior point guard, Johnson was back on his game against the Senators.  Johnson scored 26 of the Sharks 48 points, including 14 of the 19-second half Ponte Vedra points.

             Johnson hit on 6 of his 8 attempts from beyond the three-point arc and is shooting 42 per cent from out court over his last eight games. 6’4 sophomore Quinn Carey gave Johnson some help in the scoring department by chipping in with 11 points.

            The Sharks have one week left in the regular season to rev up their offense before entering tournament play on Tuesday, February 5^th at Menendez High School.

Friday nights game with Mandarin will mark the last regular season home game for a pair of seniors who have contributed to the two most successful seasons in Ponte Vedra's young school history, when Brooks Bartley and Kellon Wilson trot out on to the court.

Bartley spent the first half of his junior season on the bench, but with hard work in practice, coupled with persistent strong play and a steadfast attitude, became part of the regular rotation during the second half of the season.  It is highly unlikely that the Sharks would have made their surprisingly long run deep into last year's playoffs without the fine play of the 6'1" energetic Bartley.  Although he scored but two points in the Sharks first ever win in regional play against heavily favored Bishop Kenny, Brooks came through with a stat line that filled up the page, creating 4 steals, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a blocked shot and but one turnover.

Bartley saved his best point and rebound production for last by scoring 8 points and pulling down 6 rebounds in the overtime loss to the eventual state Division 5 runner-ups from Terry Parker High School.

Brooks has been the prototypical role player that each successful team must have in order to experience success.  Coach Bud Beech is counting on Bartley to continue his fine play if the Shark's are going to again make another run in the tournament that begins Feb 5th at Menedez High School.

Bartley, despite being undersized for most front court performers at 6'1", pulled down 10 rebounds agains Oakleaf, and as recent as this week, had 6  boards in the Shark's emotional victory over rival Nease High School.

Showing their unselfish play Bartley is second on the team in assists with Kellon Wilson 3rd, trailing Bartley by only four assists.

Wilson has been a two-year starter during this fun-filled run over the past two years and has shown a deft tough around the basket.  Rarely has Wilson ever taken a bad shot as exhibited by his team leading 50 pct shooting from the field over the past two seasons.

Perhaps Kellon's most valuable asset to this team is his willingness to guard the opponent's tallest player, despite Wilson's being relatively short for a front court player, at 6'2".

In Monday's win over Nease, Wilson got the Shark's off to a much needed good start by connecting on all four of his first quarter shots.  Wilson's improved, and very consistent play, has been a huge factor in Ponte Vedra's first 20 games this year, with the Sharks coming out on top in 12 of those contests.

Coach Beech has appointed Bartley and Wilson as alternating co-captains this year, serving each game with captain Jackson Johnson.

Although the Sharks return 11 of their 13 players for next year's team, Ponte Vedra will sorely miss, but still share great memories, from the play and team fellowship they have experienced with Brooks Bartley and Kellon Wilson.

Friday night's game to honor Bartley and Wilson is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 PM at the Shark Tank.  Those unable to attend, such as those poor soles, relatives and friends that are located far away in the frozen tundra, can enjoy the game and the replay at www.plantehs.com.

SHARKS END HOME STAND FRIDAY VS. MANDARIN

            The Ponte Vedra Boys basketball team will bring to a close their eight game home stand Friday night when they host Mandarin High School.  It will be senior night at the Shark Tank where two lone seniors, Kellon Wilson and Brooks Bartley will suit up for their final regular season game in a Shark uniform.

            The game will mark the third game on the busiest week of the season for the 12-8 Sharks, with yet another contest at nearby Fletcher High School against the Senators set for a 7:30 PM Saturday start time.

             The Shark’s exciting roll came to a surprising sudden stop when they were ambushed by Matanzas Tuesday night.  The 66-61 loss to the Pirates came on the heels of an emotionally draining 61-45 victory over archrival Nease the preceding night.

             Monday’s victory over the Panthers was highlighted by some outstanding late game free throw accuracy by the Sharks, connecting on 19 of 20 free throws in the final quarter to secure the victory, and atoning for an earlier setback to Nease back in December.

            A bruised and battered Jackson Johnson again paced the Shark attack with 25 points, including a perfect 14-14 from the free throw line with the game on the line in the final quarter.  Johnson’s 25 points were matched by the Panther’s 6’3 guard Andrew Holness who pumped in a career high 25 points in a losing cause. 

            The Monday night contest with Nease was played before a highly energized and raucous crowd that packed the Shark Tank, setting the Sharks up for a possible letdown the following night. 

            Matanzas traveled to Ponte Vedra sporting a lackluster 3-15 record.  However, coach Tony Zakowitz’s squad has been playing their very best basketball of late, including a 70-66 upset victory of Nease on January 11.

            Just as Holness had a career night on Monday vs. the Sharks, Matanzas forward Ivan Tsabek had the game of his life in Tuesday’s upset victory by scoring a career high 28 points. 

            The Sharks came out understandably flat, falling into a hole from which they could never recover.  Trailing by has many has 12 points, the Sharks battled back to draw within one, but were never ever to take the lead even once against the determined Pirate team.

             Aiding the Matanzas cause was 6’ guard Lozaro Justize, who provided some much needed scoring help for Tzabek by netting 15 points, as well as drawing the unenviable assignment of guarding Ponte Vedra’s high scoring guard Jackson Johnson.

                        Johnson poured in 28 points to equal Tzabek's career high but only sophomore forward Quinn Carey was able to get into double figures for the Sharks with a 10 point outing.

            If the previous meeting between Mandarin and Ponte Vedra is an indicator of things to come, than the folks in attendance Friday night can expect another down to the wire finish.  In their initial meeting of the season on the last day of November.

             Coach Bud Beech is confident that his very young squad will bounce back on senior night that could very well see another packed house on hand for the final home game of the 2012-13 season.

            Statistics released Wednesday from the Times Union show the Shark’s point guard Johnson at or near the top of the board in a number of categories.  Johnson packs a healthy 20 ppg. average heading into Friday’s tilt with Mandarin and leads all north-east Florida players in free throws .

            Tip off time Friday night is schedule to start around 7:30 PM and will follow the JV contest where coach Dustin Latta’s Little Sharks have won their last six straight games.

Beau Beech Succeeds at UNF.

PVHS Sharks Boosters