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Charlotte Takes Round 1 of Heated Rivalry
By: Marcus Watts
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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With just miles separating the two schools the air was thick with emotion from the time the lights were turned on in Port Charlotte High School in anticipation of the rivalry match-up between Charlotte and Port Charlotte boys basketball teams. If the junior varsity game was any sign, this District 5A-10 contest was going to hold up to the reputation. And so it would.
Behind a quick show of range by the Tarpons, the Pirates saw themselves down 10-3 at home before fans were even able to grab some popcorn. The Tarpons would end the quarter with a 10-point lead and the fans behind their bench on their feet waiting for more.
The second quarter was a bit different as the Pirates would pick up the scoring as they turned up their fast break attack and diced through the full court press by their cross-county rivals. However, the Tarpons would still hold a 28-24 lead going into halftime.
Slowly the Pirates clawed and fought back behind hustle and some tough play inside. Port Charlotte senior forward Chad Lawrence would bring a much needed spark, and with 2:55 left in the third quarter, the Pirates tied the game for the first time, then took their first lead to end the quarter 37-36. With the crowd as its pulse, the Pirates reached their biggest lead, six points, as well as reached the foul bonus with less than 7 minutes to play in the game. The game continued to increase in physicality and the crowd continued to battle each other, as they shot chants back and forth. Pirate junior guard Tyler Hevia gave a huge lift off the bench with steals, assists and rebounds even as the smallest kid on the court, standing at only about 5'4" tall.
With 3 minutes remaining, the Pirates still held the lead. That's when Tarpon senior forward Nick Goshay took matters into his own hands. Asserting his presence inside with two "And 1’s" after snagging big offensive rebounds, followed by another interior basket the Tarpons would take the lead.
Then, with under a minute left, the show of toughness would continue when fellow Tarpon senior Jonny Ocasio added yet another three-point play to seal the deal and give his Tarpons a 53-48 win.
For Charlotte, Goshay led all scorers with 21 points for the game, while senior guard Darion Shine, fresh off the football field, added 14 points. Ocasio chipped in with 6 points.
Lawrence led the Pirates attack with 15 points in the contest, and was helped out by senior guard Vince Lockhart who had 12.
Charlotte improves to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in district play, while Port Charlotte drops to 3-3 overall and 0-1 in District 5A-10 action.
