30th annual tournament tips off Monday

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
The holiday prep basketball feast soon will begin when the Rotary Club of Kissimmee’s 30th annual Great Florida ShootOut at Osceola Heritage Park takes center stage Dec. 27-30.
The 16-team tournament field is filled and, for the 30th time, the Osceola Kowboys will participate. The Kowboys enjoyed one of their best ShootOut performances last year when they finished third overall and guard Brenton Williams was named the tournament’s MVP. Williams graduated in May.
The other Osceola County representative is Poinciana.
The local teams are joined by defending state champions Bartow (Class 5A) and Fort Myers (Class 4A), as well as Class 6A runner-up Dr. Phillips.
Fort Myers was 1-2 at the ShootOut last year and returns three senior starters as well as 6-10 sophomore Rudy Zahorchak.
Dr. Phillips won the 2008 ShootOut title and has won 20 games or more for the past 15 seasons.
From out of state come Ball High of Galveston, Texas; Christian County High of Hopkinsville, Ky.; Bishop McNamara of Forestville, Md.; Hoover High of San Diego and Lexington High from Lexington, S.C.
Bishop McNamara was the No. 1-ranked team in Maryland for 2008-09, while Hoover has been California’s Eastern League champion three years in a row. Hoover boasts one of the nation’s premier big men in 6-9 senior forward Angelo Chol, a native of Sudan, who is ranked No. 75 on ESPNU’s Top 100.
ShootOut tournament chairman David Apfelbaum said fans should be thrilled with the competition this year.
“The Hoover team was recommended by (University of Louisville Coach) Rick Pitino. Chol is one of the top big men in the country,” Apfelbaum said.
Chol set a national mark with 337 blocks last year.
Poinciana will tackle the challenge of facing Hoover in the first round. Coach Jay Lunce said it will be great test for his team. Poinciana, off to an 8-1 start, returns seniors Lex Curry and Sherwood Vinson.
“We normally choose one of the top three teams in the tournament to play first, due to the fact that we want to keep the tournament strong throughout,” Lunce said. “If it gets to the point where we win the first game, two things come into play: We are either really going to be good that year, or we’ve watered down the tournament.”
No one is suggesting that this version of the ShootOut is watered down, Lunce said.
“This might be one of our stronger fields that we have had in a while,” he said.
Bishop McNamara will be a difficult first-round draw for Osceola,  5-3, which returns guards Jedarian Jackson and Michael Sanchez as Coach Steve Mason begins his second season.
Mason welcomes the challenge.
“Bishop McNamara already has two guards who are Division I signees. I told David Apfelbaum that we are not in this tournament to hide and I want to play the best,” Mason said. “I feel the ShootOut was instrumental in getting us ready to play in the tough Polk County district we are in and the success we had in winning it last year.”
Christian County, with four returning starters, is projected to be No. 1-ranked team in Kentucky after winning regional crowns in four of the past five seasons.
American Heritage High from Plantation, the 2007 ShootOut runner-up, returns for the third year in a row, while Fort Myers Bishop Verot, Melbourne Holy Trinity Academy, Orlando Lake Highland Prep, Wekiva High and two-time ShootOut champion Oviedo top off the field.
Oviedo, coached by former OHS Coach Ed Kershner, is back after a two-year absence. Kershner has more ShootOut championships (four, including two with OHS) than any coach. The Lions won ShootOut crowns in 2000 and 2006. Kershner is closing in on Florida’s all-time career wins record (760) and may reach that mark at the ShootOut.
Orlando Christian Prep won the ShootOut title last year and went on to defend its Class A state championship.
The Rotary Club has raised more than $250,000 through the ShootOut to provide scholarships for local students. During the tournament, at least 45 Rotary Club volunteers will be on duty at all times.
Tournament passes are available for $30 (adults) and $15 (students).
Daily passes are $10 and $5. Advance tickets are available at the Silver Spurs box office, or through Ticketmaster.

30th annual Great Florida ShootOut

Monday games: Christian County High, Ky. vs. Holy Trinity, 10 a.m.; Lake Highland Prep vs. Lexington High, S.C., 11:30 a.m.; Bartow vs. Galveston Ball High, Texas, 1 p.m.; Fort Myers vs. Wekiva, 2:30 p.m.; Bishop Verot vs. Dr. Phillips, 4 p.m.; American Heritage vs. Oviedo, 5:30 p.m.; Osceola vs. Bishop McNamara, Md., 7 p.m.; Poinciana vs. Hoover High, Calif., 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday games: Consolation bracket, 10 a.m.; Winner’s bracket, 4 p.m.
Wednesday games: Consolation bracket, 1 p.m.; Winner’s bracket, 7 p.m.
Thursday games: Consolation bracket, 1 p.m.; 5th place, 5:30 p.m.;
3rd place, 7 p.m.; Championship, 8:30 p.m.
All games are played at the Silver Spurs Arena.
Tickets: $10 per day ($5 for students); $30 tournament pass ($15 for students).
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