Forest H.S. boys basketball team volunteers by filling and loading sandbags
Ocala, Florida: As Hurricane Milton approaches, FHS basketball team helps community by filling and loading sand bags
There’s always a lull in the first game after Thanksgiving. Athletes and coaches eat their fill while school closures keep everyone away from the court to enjoy their lives away from the game.
Forest’s new Turkey Shootout tournament gave North Marion, Vanguard, Trinity Catholic, and its hosts its first test after the break. Marion County teams went 2-2 through the six-game slate of games, which included teams from North and Central Florida.
The tournament gives us our first in-depth look into teams that will develop storylines throughout Marion County basketball. Let’s find out what each team will hang their hat on in the first half of the 2024-25 high school basketball season.
Running with the North Marion Colts
It took 32 minutes for the Colts to send Tavares home with a 72-34 loss. It’s North Marion’s biggest blowout of the young season, with Coy Sizemore and JD Jackson combining for 29 points as they fight for the title of best backcourt in the county. Junior Lemont Sweeting added 16 points and six rebounds.
Playing North Marion requires you to handle their energy and pace. If you can’t run with the Colts, they’ll show you why they have a top-three offense in the area three games into the season.
Crashing the boards with the Vanguard Knights
Under head coach Travis Licht, Vanguard has put athletic lineup after athletic lineup on the floor. Despite falling to Osceola 59-48, it helped them improve on both sides of the ball.
The Knights are rebounding like their athletic lives depend on it. Players snatching down offensive and defensive boards and immediately turning it into offensive momentum will give them a recipe tailored to taking teams’ morale and leaving them trailing in transition.
“Number one, defense, being able to put more pressure on teams, obviously transition, and like you said rebounding,” Vanguard head coach Travis Licht said. “The better we rebound, the better we’re going to play.”
Trinity Catholic continuing to adapt and improve in new system
Trinity Catholic is fighting to get to the days it was competing for district title and regional titles on the hardwood. In year one under JUCO national championship-winning head coach Tim Ryan, seniors Julian Mendez and Jadiel Jimenez are having hot starts to the season.
The Celtics’ rebuild will take time, but in the meantime, they have a backcourt that will keep them in games. As the team adjusts to the new style, expect a team that improves on the offensive side throughout the season.
“In transition, I think we’re playing a lot better than we used to be,” Trinity Catholic senior captain Julian Mendez said. “Our transition defense is getting better, and we’re running our lanes on offense. We’re getting open looks. Once we start hitting them, we’ll be good.”
The Forest Wildcats and their deep bench
The Wildcat’s depth and ability to fight down the stretch stood out as their strong points in their home holiday tournament. In a game where Forest’s top two scorers struggled, Trey Chisholm stepped up with 21 points, and senior Carson Davidson scored 7 in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
The Wildcats have the deepest roster ever under head coach Mike Hoffman. With so much talent on the roster, his substitutions are reminiscent of the 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats platoon system.
“We have a lot of dudes who can really help us,” Forest head coach Mike Hoffman said. “I love our group, and I love our kids. We’ve got to stay focused on the bigger picture.“
