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City rivals set for 1st big clash

By Staff | Dec 4, 2008

In high school basketball, each team plays 20 or more games in a season, and often two or three games per week. Given the multitude of games, it’s never a good idea for coaches and players to look too far beyond the task at hand on any particular night.

In only the season’s second week, District 5A-15 rivals such as Cape Coral, Mariner, Ida Baker and Fort Myers are getting used to that grind.

Each found themselves in tough district battles Tuesday night while this week concludes with a pair of marquee matchups. Ida Baker (3-1) hosts defending district champ Fort Myers (2-0) Friday night, while Mariner (1-3) visits city archrival Cape Coral (3-0) Saturday.

“It will be a good measuring stick,” Baker coach Greg Coleman said of facing Fort Myers. “It’s turned into a nice little basketball rivalry.”

The Bulldogs and Fort Myers Green Wave met three times last year. The Wave won all three en route to the district title, but they mostly were close thrillers. Perhaps the best came in the district semifinals when the Wave prevailed 85-78.

Fort Myers has the more established program, but Baker has made huge strides in only four years since the school opened.

With seniors John Skinner, Zach Campbell, Xavier Battle and Gabe Rodriguez all returning from last year, the Bulldogs are hoping to take the next step, which would include knocking off the Wave and competing for the district title.

Tuesday – the first night of district play – both teams got all they could handle. Fort Myers pulled out a hard-fought win at Mariner, 63-55. Baker got ahead early against Gulf Coast and needed to make some clutch free throws late in a 62-60 win.

In the win at Mariner, Fort Myers trailed 48-47 early in the fourth quarter, but had several players step up down the stretch, both on offense and defense. Senior center Josh Nicholas, sophomore guard Evin Graham and junior forward Colin Henry were among the players leading the charge.

“We played some great games last year (against Baker),” Fort Myers coach Scott Guttery said. “The game (against Mariner) should help us. They gave us all we could handle. Hopefully, we can come out and learn from our mistakes.”

Among the more surprising teams so far has been the Cape Coral Seahawks. They’re off to a 3-0 start overall and 1-0 in the district, equaling last season’s number of district wins.

They opened with pair of victories in the Lemon Bay Thanksgiving Shootout last weekend, then went on the road Tuesday and knocked off Barron Collier, 72-58. The host Cougars, who figure to be one of the favorites in the district, jumped out to a 37-27 halftime lead, but the Seahawks stormed back in the second half. Cape coach Mark Rinehart said he challenged the team at halftime and they responded.

Next up for the Seahawks is East Lee County Thursday night and then they host the rival Mariner Tritons Saturday at “the Nest.”

Mariner defeated Cape 60-46 in the first meeting last year, but Cape returned the favor with a wild 56-52 overtime win later in the year.

Like the Seahawks, the Tritons are trying to recover from a disappointing season a year ago, when they went 7-21 overall.

Despite losing to Fort Myers Tuesday, coach James Harris liked what he saw from the Tritons against the defending district champs.

“We just have to keep plugging away and trying to improve,” he said. “All the games will be tough in the district, nobody is going to feel sorry for us.”

Before visiting Cape Saturday, Mariner hosts Evangelical Christian Friday night.

Baker entertains Cypress Lake Thursday in a tuneup for Friday’s showdown with the Green Wave.