FLEMING ISLAND - With lightning-fast attacks on the courts and hockey-like shift changes, both the Fleming Island and Oakleaf boys basketball squads are zooming to five-win, one-loss records in the early stages of the 2024 seasons.
Oakleaf is looking to bank off of last year's 19-7 finish, but with a district finals loss to rival and 6A Final Four finisher Ponte Vedra, then an Earth-shaking 47-46 loss in the region playoffs to Gainesville, who lost to Ponte Vedra in region semifinals, graduated a ton of senior talent and will fielding a new batch of greyhounds for 2024.
Fleming Island also is fielding a fairly new face with sophomore Carson Crawford the most notable returning starter in the paint at 6'-6" and with a stellar 18.5 points per game so far, leading a team that has slowly learned the value of coach Traavis Chandler's run to you drop strategy, rest two minutes then get back in to put out six games of 60-plus points with an 84 pointer against Bradford last week and a 73 pointer against Ridgeview on December 12.
"We knew it was going to take a while to get all the guys to gel together under the plan," said Chandler. "All we ask is give us your best energy for two, two and a half minutes, and we'll switch out, put someone else in, and just keep the rotation."
Where Chandler has seen his team evolving is that second shift of five players that comes in understanding the concept and responding.
"Some guys are off the bench guys, some guys are starting fresh from the whistle guys," said Chandler. "We are finding out who is who out there."
In the recent Bradford County win, 84-56, Chandler had 13 players scoring points with Crawford punching in for 25 and juniors Isaiah Robinson, Alex Brown, and Nate Lowery all hitting for 10 apiece.
"They come in, contribute, keep the pace, come out and we just keep the gas pedal on the floor," said Chandler. "Everyone gets a touch."
Lowery has emerged as a second three-point ace for Chandler with him and senior Luke Frisbee exchanging threes from the corner giving the Eagles a unique double-whammy points machine.
"You can't cover both," said Chandler. "One of them gets a hot hand, a potential 9-12 point shift in points really quick."
For Oakleaf coach Jason Price, the sting of last year's finish has resulted in his own quick start after a season-opening loss to Atlantic, 67-65, that opened the doors to his own points explosion for five straight wins including an 82-65 shootout win over Sandalwood and two wins over Columbia; 77-55 in November and 60-56 in December to strengthen the team's resolve. Sandalwood saw a 30-point third quarter ignite the Knights win led by 22 points from seniors Tyler Owens and 15 from Jelani Wright. Owens has picked up on Aaron Rivers' steal-and-go mentality with five steals against Sandalwood as well as five assists.
Against NFEI, it was Wright again leading the attack with 17 points and five steals with Owens at 10 points.
Owens and Wright have both raised their game from single-digit scoring last season to double digits in 2024.
In the most recent Columbia road game, Price got two new faces on the top of the scoreboard with junior Amauri-Butler Bailey popping for 15 and senior Danny Huffman adding 14. Huffman also had seven steals.
Oakleaf has two tough games this week with St. Augustine and Vero Beach visiting before Christmas tournament time and then before returning in January to open with Orange Park and Fleming Island in the first week.
Orange Park, erratic to start in their 2024 season, has also been feeling its way around a new team with an opening win over Sandalwood, but an emotionally-charged 62-58 loss in the Raiderdome to Fleming Island with wins recently over ED White and Palatka in Palatka.
"Any time you get a win in Palatka, it's a big deal," said Raider coach Derek Kurnitsky, after his 57-45 fourth quarter staving off a furious Panther comeback that tied the game late. "As John Wooden once said, it's good to be fast, but you can't be in a hurry, and we tend to get ahead of ourselves on the court."
Against Palatka, it was senior guard Keion Brown's two fourth-quarter threes that stymied the Palatka comeback and strong paint play from senior center Quayshon Blot.
"Guys have to assume the leadership role this season, it's that simple," said Kurnitsky, who blamed the 49-40 loss to Paxon on December 5 on coaching mistakes. "My coaching staff and myself have to take what we got and make it work. It's all a process of learning to play as a team. We'll get there."
At Middleburg, under first-year coach Burt Cannon, a stalwart at Lakeside Junior High, the Broncos have rebounded from two losses to welcome Cannon to high school basketball with wins of 60-42 over River City and 59-22 over Stanton to break even as the December schedule emerges.
Ridgeview also has a new coach in Isaiah Jackson taking over with former Orange Park and Ridgeview dual-sport standout Kadin Elmore on his side with the Panthers opening at 1-5 with a win over Orange Park Classical Academy losses to Fleming Island and Bradford.
Jackson does have two scorers in double digits with senior William Ziegler hitting for 13.2 points per game and sophomore Justyn Cappas adding 10.6.
Clay, 1-3, got their first win last week with a 63-42 win over Menendez with the Blue Devils not shying from competition with Bartram Trail, St. Augustine, and Baker County opening the season.
Keystone Heights, 2-2 under coach Carlos Lamar, has senior Gregory Pelham putting in 30 points in two games with junior Zane Leger adding 20 points. Senior Michael Petty has 7.5 rebounds per game in four games.