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After a very successful season, the Gainesville High boys basketball team will play for the class 6A regional final Friday against Ponte Vedra. The winner of this game will also qualify for a spot in the state semifinals starting March 2. The Hurricanes enter the game on a seven game winning streak dating back to the regular season.
Season at a glance
The Hurricanes enter the class 6A regional final with a 23-6 record, and are 2-0 in district play.
In Gainesville High’s last game they defeated Oakleaf High School 47-42. The 47 points scored by Gainesville was the least amount of points they’ve had in a win all season. Gainesville High’s head coach Mike Barnes credits Oakleaf’s defense and also praises his seniors for never giving up.
Matchup with Ponte Verda
The Hurricanes and the Sharks did not play each other during the regular season. However, they did square off during preseason back in mid-November. Coach Barnes said his team did well against Ponte Verda in the preseason, but acknowledges that the game was months ago. He expects that Ponte Verda has grown as a team and also feels his team has improved a lot since their preseason matchup.
Senior Israel Nuhu is a major contributor for the Sharks. He leads the team in both points (13.0 PPG) and rebounds (5.9 RPG) per game.
Major contributors for Gainesville High
The Hurricanes have had a very balanced attack offensively this season. However, the defensive anchor for the team has been 6’9 senior Josh Hayes. He leads the team in both rebounds (9.0 RPG) and blocks (2.2 BPG) per game. He also puts up 14 points per game to go along with his defensive prowess.
The leading scorer for the Hurricanes is senior guard Theo Stephens (16.5 PPG). The leader in assists for GHS is senior point guard Seth Childers. Coach Barnes had high praise about Childers, saying that he “runs the show” when he’s on the court.
Gainesville High and Ponte Verda tip-off at 7 p.m. Friday for the Class 6A regional final for a chance to move to the state playoffs.
