Carpenter buzzer beater saves Tritons 58-57
Dominique Carpenter hit a driving layup that rolled around the rim before dropping through at the buzzer Thursday night to lift Mariner to a 58-57 victory over Helen Cox (La.) in the consolation bracket of the Sugar Bowl Classic tournament in New Orleans.
Carpenter finished with just six points to go with a team-high eight rebounds to back the 16-point performance of Amari Haynes and 12 points by Brandon Kostyk.
The game-winning play was set up when Cox missed the front end of a bonus free throw attempt with six seconds and got a putback shot at the basket that also missed. Mariner’s Jahmel Myers got the rebound and passed the ball to Carpenter up the floor for the game-winner.
The Tritons (9-3) grabbed an early 17-7 lead which melted to 37-35 by halftime.
“We hit a bunch of threes early and Kostyk had four in the first half,” said Tritons coach James Harris.
Cox made a run and the Tritons trailed most of the fourth quarter until Carpenter’s winning play sealed the win. The Tritons play in the consolation bracket final on Friday.
Boys Soccer
Lely 6, Mariner 0: Goalkeeper Andrew Kibler gave up three goals in seven minutes Thursday as Mariner absorbed a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Lely in the first match of the new year.
Backup goalkeeper George Sirakis also surrendered three goals in 20 minutes of action. Kibler was credited with seven saves and Sirakis three saves.
The Tritons are back in action on Tuesday when they host North Fort Myers.
Football
Bishop Verot has promoted offensive coordinator Josh Vogelbach to be its next head football coach. He replaces Bill Shields, who retired after three seasons at the helm.
Vogelbach, who will lead the Vikings beginning with the spring season, brings eight years of coaching experience to the job, having focused on quarterbacks with QB guru Darin Slack.
Locally, Vogelback served as offensive coordinator at Island Coast and QB coach at both Canterbury and Verot. The 2004 graduate of Verot, returned to his alma mater in 2014 as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator under Shields.
Shields will be inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday in Daytona Beach.
Vogelbach received his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, with a concentration in sports administration from Guilford College (North Carolina) in 2008. He owns Top Performance Training in Fort Myers where he and his team train athletes from youth to professional.
“I want to thank Bishop Verot for giving me this opportunity,” Vogelbach said in a prepared statement. “Verot is a special place and has been a big part of my family for a long time. I have had the privilege of learning from Coach Shields over the last three years and look forward to this new challenge in my life.”
Athletic director Jason Baumgardner added, “The Verot Family is very proud and excited to welcome Coach Vogelbach to be the Vikings next head football coach. We are truly blessed to have a graduate of Bishop Verot and a coach who has been in and around our community for most of his life. Josh has been immersed in the Verot culture and has been part of the Viking tradition for years. I look forward to working with Coach Vogelbach on and off the field.”