Ponte Vedra- It’s a remarkable feat for the Ponte Vedra boys basketball team. After defeating Leon (Tallahassee) Thursday night 65-51, they punched their ticket to the FHSAA State Semifinals for the fourth time in a row.
After playing Leon to a 16-16 tie in the first quarter, Ponte Vedra would pull ahead before halftime 30-29. But it was a monster 4th quarter where the Sharks devoured the Lions, outscoring them by 10 points, and lifting them to a 14-point victory.
Senior point guard David Sanchez Barrera led Ponte Vedra in scoring with 16 points,9 assists and 7 boards. Junior Maddox Palmer scored 14 points, Alex Katsikas scored 12 points, and Trace Westercamp scored 13 points in their playoff game versus Leon.
Katsikas knocked down four 3-pointers in the game, as head coach Ben Wilson spread the floor and let his players pick their spots and spread the ball around. It’s hard to key on just one player with Ponte Vedra.
#2 Ponte Vedra is riding a 8-game win streak. They downed Booker T Washington (Pensacola) 67-57 in the regional quarterfinals. Against Booker T, David Sanchez Barrera led all scorers with 19 points. Alex Katsikas scored 15 points, Maddox Palmer scored 15 points, and Trace Westercamp scored 12 points in their playoff game.
They defeated Gainesville 60-57 in the regional semifinals, guided by 23 points from the 6 foot 3 Barrera, advancing to the Elite 8 versus Leon.
On the season, the 6 foot 5 Palmer averages 13.3 ppg, while Barrera (12.3) and Westercamp (11.1) have also been key contributors all season. Helping guide the Sharks to a district championship over St. Augustine 49-30.
Ponte Vedra (21-8) is set to face #3 Leesburg (17-7) in the FHSAA State Semifinal March 5th. Leesburg defeated Lecanto 61-46 in the Elite 8. Their 6 foot 6 Junior Angelo Moton leads the team in scoring averaging 17.2 ppg. Jalen Brown (6’1) averages 12.9ppg and sophomore Xavier Campbell averages 12.7ppg. The Jackets lost to Blake in the Elite 8 last year.
Angelo Moton
— Coach Joe Philon (@coachjoephilon) February 25, 2024
Leesburg High School
10th Grade
Class of 2026#Jamanjifilms #fyp #HoopPhiPsi #ActiveShooter #MidrangeAssassin #Leader #Athlete #HighFlyer #DefensiveStopper #AngeloMoton pic.twitter.com/08AROYZ3JD
The Sharks are looking to make the fourth time a charm, losing to Dwyer in the 2022-2023 state championship. This is a different team however, and the Sharks hope to hoist the championship trophy this time in Lakeland.
