Hernando County will feature three boys basketball teams this Thursday night (Feb. 22) in the region quarterfinal round. Nature Coast and Springstead will be hosting teams, while Central will be on the road, so we take a closer look at the matchups. All games will start at 7 p.m.
Zephyrhills (20-8) at Nature Coast (24-2): It’s been another stellar season for Nature Coast basketball and rightfully so, with the Sharks winning a county-high 24 games this 2017-2018 campaign and getting to host another postseason game. To move onto the next round, the Sharks will have to get through a very athletic Zephyrhills’ team, that features some good size in the front court. 6-foot-7 Center Kurt Robbins was a menace in the Class 6A, District 8 tournament and could be a difference maker when it comes to driving to the rim. The Sharks have a myriad of players it will look to carry the scoring load, as the 6-foot-4 Robert Gomez and Robert Mcafee are expected to shoulder a lot of the offensive responsibilities. Others to watch out for from the Bulldogs’ end of the spectrum is senior Myles Carter and sophomore guard Dontae Marchman.
Tampa King (13-11) at Springstead (18-8): For the first time since 2008-2009, the Eagles will be making an appearance in the postseason as the host team in the opening round and if historical terms mean anything, that could pose well for Springstead. The Eagles nearly ran the table to a 31-1 record, with the lone loss coming in the Class 4A state final in 2009. Though this Springstead version may not be quite as talented as that particular group of players, the Eagles are back to being a solid program out of Hernando County and come up against a fast Tampa King squad this week. The Lions feature several players who are averaging over eight points per game, including junior wing player Chris Romkey. On the Eagles’ end, coach Matt McGarry has a strong core within his starting lineup, which includes Sincere Torain, Jeffrey Cotnoir and Zack Meyer, who is averaging 14.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Torain leads the group in scoring at nearly 15 a contest.
Central (13-12) at New Port Richey Ridgewood (25-3): The Bears likely face the toughest challenge among all of the qualifying teams from Hernando County, as they’ll take on a red hot New Port Richey Ridgewood. (Ridgewood is in its last year of existence.) The Rams are not playing like a team that won’t have a program moving forward, with seniors Ty Quiroz and Alex Sherman both being the main guys for Ridgewood. Quiroz is averaging 15.4 points per game. Ridgewood soundly defeated Zephyrhills 68-49 in the Class 6A, District 8 championship and have aspirations to reach the state tournament in Lakeland. Central will have to slow down the pace with senior Caleb Johnson leading the way offensively. Johnson heads into the contest averaging 21.5 points per game and must be the focal point for the Bears.
Results of these contests will be published next week.