Male Athlete of the Week
The Bishop Verot soccer team has become a fixture in the FHSAA Class 3A Soccer playoffs. The Vikings advanced to regionals in each of the past three seasons.
A key has been their well-rounded attack, with several different players excelling at their positions.
Junior Bryant Whittaker, a Cape Coral resident, may not be required to score as many goals as some other players from his outside wing positions, but it’s his leadership and ability to send crosses that has been vital to the team’s success.
“There’s a reason he was chosen as a captain,” Vikings coach Tom McGlinn said of the Daily Breeze Male Athlete of the Week. “He’s one of the hardest workers on the team. Players flock to be around him.”
The 5-foot-11 Whittaker brings extensive experience to the playing field. The Kentucky native moved to Southwest Florida around the start of his freshman year, but has played soccer since he was 3.
“I liked it the first time I started playing,” he said.
Whittaker has been a good fit for the balanced Vikings. After making regionals in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, the Vikings returned this season with a 2-1 win over Cardinal Mooney in the District 3A-12 championship. Whit-taker has tallied four goals and 11 assists, but perhaps one of his biggest strengths is versatility. As a midfielder, he must help out on offense and defense.
“He has to move forward and play offense and move back and play defense,” said McGlinn. “He has to constantly be running and in the flow of the game.”
Whittaker’s play helped the Vikings (17-5-2) shut down Tampa Catholic and secure a 1-0 victory in the regional quarterfinals. Neither team scored in regulation, but the Vikings prevailed 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout.
Their season ended Tuesday night with a 6-0 loss to Tampa Berkeley Prep in the regional semifinals.
Honorable mentions:
Josh Monteagudo, sophomore, Cape Coral basketball: Scored a career-high 24 points and hit the game-winning jumper in a 67-65 win over Gateway Charter last Monday. He added 12 points in a 65-53 win over South Fort Myers Thursday.
Kameron Beach, junior, Mariner basketball: Scored 15 points in the
Tritons’ 63-56 overtime win over Riverdale last Thursday. He added 25 points in a win over Riverdale Tuesday.