Island Coast Gators grow up on court
In their inaugural season of high school basketball, the Island Coast Gators opted to schedule the kind of teams they would play in the future.
Instead of scheduling down, which may have led to more wins and instant gratification, both the girls’ and boys’ teams were more interested in gaining experience by playing against quality opposition.
In doing so, they’ve laid the foundation for next season and beyond.
“I think we’ve set the tone,” said Gators girls’ coach Jerry Ellis. “We could’ve scheduled all start-up programs, but we wanted to gauge where we are now and where we need to go, and the kids really understood that.”
Similar to the football team, Island Coast’s basketball teams have displayed a sold nucleus of young players, upon which they can build as they move forward.
The boys’ team, coached by former Ida Baker assistant Matt Booth, went 12-7 in the junior varsity portion of their schedule. They were 1-3 in varsity games, but competed well, including a nine-point loss to Riverdale, an established program.
The Gators defeated Cypress Lake 70-69 Monday night in a game that featured both JV and varsity players.
“(Our schedule) has prepared us as a team against the physical style of play,” Booth said.
Among the Gators’ most recent victories was a 69-28 win over Cape Coral Christian last Thursday.
Sophomore forward Mike Clark led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Bryan Lopez, one of the more experienced players, had 17 points and five assists.
Kyle Harding and Jordan Hrkac also have been key contributors throughout the season.
The Gators plan on competing in Class 3A next season, though the reclassification has yet to be determined.
“With the young core of players I see good things in the future,” Booth said.
The girls’ team planned on only a JV squad this season, but a large turnout forced a change in plans. They decided to play a varsity-heavy schedule with some JV games.
The schedule included six teams that were state-ranked at some point and the majority of contests on the road. The Gators finished 3-12 in the varsity portion of the schedule, but the games mostly were competitive.
They posted a 5-3 mark in JV games.
“Our girls realize that we have come a long way,” said Ellis, who has experience at both the high school and college level. “We learned how to compete and next year we’ll figure out how to beat some of these teams.”
“It’s exciting for kids who live in the northern Cape to know they can join athletic programs that are ready to play,” he added.
Two juniors Lindsay Ellis, a 5-foot-8 two-guard, and Immon Pommerleau, a 5-6 point guard, brought experience to the team, which consists of mostly freshmen and sophomores.
Both averaged around 11 points per game this season.