Prep Report: Seahawks fall short 62-58

MICHAEL PISTELLA Baker High senior Gabe Rodriguez (22) keeps the ball away from Mariner junior Javier Rivera (21) in the second quarter of Friday night’s game. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.
After a series of down years, the Cape Coral High basketball program appears to be on the rise. One indication was the overflow crowd that turned out Friday night at “The Nest” for an early-season battle of unbeatens between the Seahawks and Fort Myers Green Wave.
It was execution the Seahawks lacked the most in a 62-58 loss, but they showed plenty of resiliency in a spirited fourth-quarter rally.
The Seahawks (5-1) trailed by 11 with three minutes left, but trimmed the Green Wave lead to 57-56 with 27.3 seconds remaining. Clutch free-throw shooting by Will White helped the Green Wave secure the victory in the closing seconds.
“We played hard and when you do that you give yourselves a chance,” Seahawks coach Mark Rinehart said.
“We have five sophomores,” he added, “and they were like ‘there’s people here watching us, it’s an important game.’ We were a little nervous and we played that way.”

MICHAEL PISTELLA Baker High senior Ron Ward (20) pulls up in the paint in the second quarter Friday night against Mariner. More photos from Baker’s 67-52 victory can be viewed online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.
The Green Wave (5-0) had three players in double figures. Evin Graham scored 15 points, Matt Yance had 13 and Colin Henry added 12. They played without 6-foot-11 senior Josh Nicholas.
Early on, the Wave set the tone with their defensive pressure. They forced several first-half turnovers and held the Seahawks to 5-of-29 shooting as they built a 25-17 halftime lead.
“We had a chance to put them away in the third quarter and didn’t do it,” Wave coach Scott Guttery said. “We have to figure out how to close teams out.”
The Wave maintained a six- to 10-point cushion throughout the third quarter and went ahead 56-48 with two minutes left in the fourth on a pair of free throws by Graham.
The final two minutes, though, were played at a frantic pace as the Seahawks pressed to try and force mistakes.

MICHAEL PISTELLA Mariner High junior Kameron Beach (10) goes to the basket hard against Baker senior Erik Ramos Friday night. More photos from the game are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.
Cape senior Joel Hill, who led the team with 16 points, converted two free throws, cutting it to 56-50.
After a traveling violation on the Wave, fellow senior Cameron Hall came back with a fadeaway jumper, cutting the Wave lead to four.
The Wave extended the lead to 57-52 with one-minute left, but the Seahawks answered quickly. Hill connected on a jumper, and another steal by Hall led to a three-point attempt by Yoko Roldan. Roldan’s shot, which would have tied the game, rimmed out, but he was fouled behind the three-point line. He made two of three free throws, cutting it to 57-56 with 37.9 left.
After White made two free throws, the Seahawks got the ball back, down by three, but sophomore Josh Monteagudo was unable to convert on a drive to the basket.
White continued to sink his free throws, converting five of six, including a pair with 4.4 left keeping the lead at four.
Rinehart said the Seahawks’ poor shooting made it an uphill battle. One they weren’t able to overcome, despite the valiant effort. The Seahawks finished 16-for-58 from the field and 23-for-35 from the line.
They return to action Tuesday when they host Ida Baker.
Fort Myers 12 13 18 19 – 62
Cape Coral 8 9 15 26 – 58
Fort Myers (62) – Henry 12, T.Bridley 2, Desire 2, White 5, Manning 5, Graham 15, McClendon 8, Yance 13. Totals: 22-50 15-24 62. 3-point goals: Graham 3.
Cape Coral (58) – Roldan 11, Monteagudo 7, Bregenzer 3, Figueroa 2, Tavarez 6, Hill 16, Hall 7, Mitchell 6. Totals: 16-58 23-35 58. 3-point goals: Roldan 2, Monteagudo 1.
Ida Baker 67, Mariner 52: John Skinner scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down an Ida Baker school record 22 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to victory over Mariner.
Baker broke the game open in the first half, building a 33-13 halftime advantage, and sailed through to the end.
Gabe Rodriguez added six points and 11 rebounds while Xavier Battle had eight steals for the Bulldogs (6-3, 3-0 district), who play at Cape Coral Tuesday.
Javier Rivera led the Tritons with 20 points and Kameron Beach added 15 points. The Tritons (1-7) host North Fort Myers Monday.
Ida Baker 13 20 13 21 – 67
Mariner 7 6 17 22 – 52
BAKER 67 – Battle 2, F. Serrano 7, Ward 5, Rodriguez 6, Dobbins 4, Skinner 23, Campbell 12, Gonzalez 2, Ramos 6. Totals: 26 14-17 67.
3-point goals: R. Serrano 1.
MARINER 52 – Beach 15, Barsesa 3, Kuchman 6, Bello 2, Rivera 20, Emmons 2, Johnson 4. Totals: 20 6-7 52.
3-point goals: Beach 2, Barsesa 1, Kuchman 1, Rivera 2.
Girls Soccer
Ida Baker 3, Mariner 2: The crosstown rivals, who battled to a scoreless tie while shorthanded a week ago, played a back-and-forth rematch Friday with Ida Baker scoring two unanswered goals in the second half to pull out a one-goal district victory over Mariner.
Autumn Yesh put the Bulldogs on the board first with an unassisted goal in the first 10 minutes. Mariner’s Emily Diroma tied the match 1-1 shortly before the half off an assist from Brittany Harris.
Harris converted on a penalty kick early in the second half for a 2-1 Tritons lead.
Freshman Brittney Herrera delivered the ball to Payton Van Horn, who scored the tying goal for the Bulldogs. Yesh took a crossing pass from Christine Giles for her second goal of the game to win it with 12 minutes remaining.
Goalkeepers Natalia Ortiz and Libby Schuls combined for 13 saves for the Bulldogs while Brittany Steeb saved 15 shots for the Tritons.
Baker (10-3-2, 5-1-1 district) plays at Fort Myers Monday. Mariner (6-4-1) is at North Fort Myers Monday.
Bishop Verot 5, Golden Gate 0: Kady Otzko scored a hat trick to lead Bishop Verot to victory at Golden Gate.
Lauren Cento and Stephanie Zavada added one goal apiece while goalkeeper Amber Law had two saves to record the shutout.
Verot (4-4-1) is idle until next month unless a makeup date with Port Charlotte for next week is decided.
Boys Soccer
Cape Coral 2, Fort Myers 2 (tie): Fort Myers scored its second goal with 1:30 to play to tie Cape Coral.
Guillermo Duque got an unassisted goal on a direct kick to start the scoring for Cape. After Colin Baird scored the first of his two goals for Fort Myers to tie it 1-1, Andrew Torres scored to put the Seahawks up 2-1 off an assist from Caio Amaral.
Seahawks goalkeeper Santi Villamil made eight saves. Cape (5-4-3, 3-1-2 district) hosts Ida Baker Tuesday.
Mariner 1, Ida Baker 0: Juan Rincon’s goal off an assist from Mikey Cardenas midway through the second half broke a scoreless tie and lifted Mariner to victory over Ida Baker.
Goalkeeper Renato Proia made 11 saves to record his fourth shutout. Baker keeper Jose Zuniga had seven saves.
Travis Edward, Matt Isherwood, John Teeter and Matt Lott anchored the defense for the Tritons, who are 3-1-2 in the district with two games to play. Mariner hosts North Fort Myers Monday.
Baker (6-3-2) visits Cape Coral Tuesday.
Girls Basketball
Cape Coral 58, Archbishop Curley 10: Jardin McCarthy led all scorers with 15 points and Alexiss Griffin added 14 as Cape Coral spanked Archbishop Curley in Miami.
The win boosts the Seahawks’ season record to 7-3. They play at Ida Baker Tuesday and at Mariner Wednesday.
Bishop Verot 70, North Fort Myers 61: Bishop Verot junior Allie Mitchell pumped in 23 points in a nine-point victory over North Fort Myers.
Taylor Kramer scored 13 and Cici Ward added 12 for the Vikings (8-3).
Cassidy David paced the Red Knights with 20 points.
Football
All-Star choice: Cape Coral High senior Tony Waller has been chosen to participate in the FACA All-Star Football Game on Dec. 23 in Sebring.
Waller, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound center, was an anchor on the Seahawks’ offensive line, helping them reach the Class 5A state playoffs each of the past two years.
Waller will play on the South squad in the All-Star Game, which features players from all classifications.
Former Cape quarterback David Pasquale played in the game last season, after his senior year.
Sports editor Jim Linette contributed to this report.
- MICHAEL PISTELLA Baker High senior Ron Ward (20) pulls up in the paint in the second quarter Friday night against Mariner. More photos from Baker’s 67-52 victory can be viewed online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.
- MICHAEL PISTELLA Mariner High junior Kameron Beach (10) goes to the basket hard against Baker senior Erik Ramos Friday night. More photos from the game are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.