The area’s top teams continue to roll as the holiday break approaches.
Wellington’s Lester Gates (left) and Boca Raton’s Elijah O’Connor battle for a rebound last week. The Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in this week’s top 10, and the Bobcats are No. 5. (Photo by Brianna Soukup)
No. 1 Grandview Prep and No. 4 St. Andrew’s remain unbeaten, while No. 2 Wellington and No. 3 Dwyer combined to win seven games last week.
New to this week’s poll are Santaluces, which has won 7-of-8 games and holds the No. 7 spot, and Lake Worth, which has won three straight and is ranked No. 9. Suncoast, Palm Beach Lakes and Cardinal Newman also are ranked this week.
Boys basketball Top 10 after Week 4:
1. Grandview Prep (7-0): Pride continue to roll
2. Wellington (7-1): Big wins over Boca Raton, Bartow
3. Dwyer (9-1): Panthers have won eight straight
4. St. Andrew’s (10-0): Scots edge No. 7 Santaluces
5. Boca Raton (6-2): Bobcats are 6-1 in district
6. Suncoast (5-2): Chargers split pair of games
7. Santaluces (7-3): Chiefs make top 10 debut
8. Palm Beach Lakes (7-3): LaVorris Givins leading Rams
9. Lake Worth (7-4): Trojans have won three straight
10. Cardinal Newman (2-2): Kaleb Fitzgerald averaging 29 points
Also considered: John I. Leonard (5-3); Royal Palm Beach (5-3)
Games of the Week:
No. 5 Boca Raton (6-2) at John I. Leonard (5-3), 7:30 p.m. Monday: The Bobcats slowed a bit last week after opening 5-0, dropping consecutive games to No. 7 Santaluces and No. 2 Wellington. But Boca Raton and its talented stable of shooters rebounded Friday, earning a key district win over Park Vista. The Lancers will be another important district test for the Bobcats, who have a pair of players averaging 16 points per game in Morgan Zook and Austin Aubrey. John I. Leonard, which was ranked for the first two weeks of the season, counters with sophomore guard Jerquan Worthen (17.5 ppg) and senior forward Greg Metellus (16 ppg), who have helped carry the Lancers offensively this season.
No. 3 Dwyer (9-1) vs. Miami Christian (6-3) at Kreul Classic, Coral Springs, 9:15 p.m. Friday: The streaking Panthers draw the state-ranked Victors in holiday tournament action this weekend. Miami Christian, ranked No. 4 in Class 2A, has split its last four games, with the two losses coming by a combined six points in tournament play. Dwyer has won eight straight games, averaging 79.6 points during that span. Sophomore guard Miles Coleman leads a balanced Panthers’ offense at 15.4 points per game, while senior forward Jordan Gonzalez is averaging 8.3 rebounds per contest. With a win Friday, Dwyer would play Saturday against the winner of Coral Springs Charter vs. Strong Vincent (Erie, Pa.)
No. 2 Wellington (7-1) vs. Sarasota-Riverview (9-1) at Fort Myers, 4:15 p.m. Saturday: This City of Palms Tournament contest features the state’s top-ranked teams in Class 8A. The Wolverines, who have won seven straight, are ranked No. 1, while the Rams, who lost their first game last week after opening with nine straight wins, are No. 2. Riverview is the third state-ranked team the Wolverines have faced this season, following a Nov. 24 contest against Miami-Norland at American Airlines Arena (a 57-52 loss) and a Dec. 11 home game against Bartow (a 79-75 overtime win). The Wolverines came through in the clutch against Bartow, and hope to carry that momentum into their contest against Riverview. Three Wellington players are averaging double figures in scoring, with Trent Frazier at 20 points per game, Alex Dieudonne at 17.3 and Lester Gates at 11.
