Sports/Community News 47
Ponte Vedra Recorder · November 12, 2015
Basketball
Returning as starters from last year’s
squad are Senior guard Matthew Johnson and junior swingman JD Pirris.
Continued from 46
Both players have shown tremendous
improvement during the off season
10 points as head coach Bud Beech and will certainly be called upon
was able to spread the minutes equal- by Beech to play major roles for the
ly for his exciting cagers throughout Sharks.
the contest.
One possible roadblock if the Sharks
The Sharks shot a blistering 28 of are to improve upon their 2014-15
51 on the evening, that included an won/loss record is their strength of
impressive 11 of 23 from 3 point land. schedule, easily the toughest schedule
As impressive as the Sharks where in school history
in their Monday thrashing of MatanReplacing a Ridgeview team that
zas, Beech is concerned however, was woefully short on talent from a
with only 2 players returning from last year ago, Beech showed little fear by
year’s rotation, it will be a learning scheduling a pair of perennial powerexperience for the 10 underclassmen. house fives, defending state D3 cham“Despite the fact we had a very good pion Providence and a Bolles team
JV team last year it’s going to be a big that may be their best squad in school
transition for these guys,” said Beech history.
who returns as an active coach after
Other non-district opponents ina career that has spanned some 30 clude their time-honored St. Johns
years, posting more than 450 victories County clashes with Bartram Trail,
at Nease High and Ponte Vedra.
Creekside, St. Augustine and Nease as
Two starters return from last year’s well as contests with a pair of other
varsity, winners of 17 games, that was traditional cage powers in Bishop
surprisingly ousted in it’s opening Kenny, Mandarin and Baker County.
playoff game by Menendez.
“I think we become better basketball
When asked if this year’s style of players by playing good basketball
play will be different from last year’s teams,” added Beech with an eye tosquad Coach Beech replied: “We will wards making a productive post-seaplay hard and we will play fast and son run.
I think we will have a well-balanced
Although the current Sharks will
team this season.”
field a smaller lineup than the past
Beech added that unlike past Shark two seasons, Beech has high hopes
teams that featured go to players that for this year’s young team. “I think we
could be counted on to score 20 points will play hard and we will play fast. I
a game (Beau Beech in 2011-12, Jack- believe we will have a well-balanced
son Johnson in 2013-14, and Quinn team featuring some good out court
Carey from last year’s unit), this year’s shooters and a number of skilled ball
team will be much more balanced ac- handlers that will makes some threes,”
cording to Beech. “Instead of relying summed up a confident Beech.
on one guy to put up 25 points I feel
Only Johnson and Pirris return from
we have a number of players on any last year’s team that were in the Shark
given night that can score by commit- rotation, but there is little question
tee, so to speak, 15 or more points.”
that many of the Junior Varsity Players
will prove to be more than adequate
to replace those lost through graduation or transfer.
However, the Sharks will have to
wait before the talented Pirris, the
leading receiver on the Shark’s playoff
bound football team, takes the court.
“We will miss JD but we know what he
can do,” said Coach Beech. “We play
a 27-28 game schedule so we know
he will be with us for the majority of
the season. In the meantime I’m just
happy to go out to the football field
and watch him catch all those passes.
On a positive note, until he returns,
somebody is going to enjoy getting
some of his minutes that hopefully
will translate into a better player.”
The current Ponte Vedra squad will
count on receiving some major help
from last year’s outstanding JV team.
After starting the season with a pair of
narrow defeats, the Shark JV’s would
go on to win 20 of their next 22 games
to finish the season with a spectacular 20-4 record. Many of those players
will be vying for valuable playing time
during the forthcoming season.
Beech however cautioned: “Despite
the fact we had a very good JV team
last year it’s still going to be a big transition for these youngsters.”
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