Did you think that basketball in Hernando County was completely over? Nope! We still have one last high school team still taking part in playoff action, as the Central Bears will be playing in tonight’s Class 4A, Region 2 final against St. Petersburg Gibbs. The winner will advance to the Class 4A state semifinals, a feat that hasn’t been done by a Hernando County team since Springstead back in the 2008-2009 season when the Eagles went 31-1. Now the Bears have a chance to reach states and possibly compete for a state crown. Here’s our preview on tonight’s contest between the Bears and Gladiators.
Class 4A, Region 2 final
Central (25-4) at Gibbs (20-8): Many of us knew that Central would have another good squad under their belt in 2021-2022 but the Bears have certainly exceeded their expectations. The Bears have pulled off impressive wins over St. Petersburg Lakewood and Port Charlotte in the first two rounds, and now come up against a Gibbs team that looks to be a formidable region final opponent. The Gladiators nearly were upended by Bushnell South Sumter in the opening round, as they barely edged the Raiders 56-55 in overtime. Gibbs’ top scorers are junior Marcus Calvin and freshman Jacob Daniels, who scored 20 points in the win over Parrish Community. Both Calvin and Daniels are tied for the team-high at 11.8 points per game. On Central’s side, the Bears feature a very talented group scoring the basketball, with Tre Joyner leading the way at 19.2 points per game and collecting 6.6 rebounds. He is joined in the scoring department by teammates DJ Brown (14.2 points) and junior Caden Bergantino (11.6 points).
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
