St. Joe completes regular season at 20-4
The Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks boys basketball is headed into the post-season with the wind at their backs, and the honor of hosting the districts.
At 20-4, the Tiger Sharks are seeded second in this week’s districts, with Crossroads Academy, a team they didn’t face in the regular season, the top seed.
Sandy Quinn’s Tiger Sharks are coming off a seven game win streak, highlighted by a 78-56 trouncing at home Thursday night of the Blountstown Tigers, avenging Port St. Joe’s last loss, when they fell on Jan 16 64-47 at Blountstown.
This time, the Tiger Sharks led from start to finish, building up a 46-30 lead at the half and, despite a short run by the Tigers to bring it under double digits in the third quarter, handling the game the rest of the way.
Sophomore Zay Jenkins put on a clinic, with a game-high 34 points, including four three-pointers and 8 for 8 at the free throw line.
Sophomore Jayden Reese was right behind, with five treys en route to 17 points, and junior Elijah Harris had 10, including two treys.
“We are all like family, the team bonding we have it’s like no one else,” said Reese. “All the hard work we’ve put in it shows.
Jenkins was pleased the team avenged the Blountstown loss, and said he feels he is playing the best he has all season.
“When they come here it’s a different environment,” he said. “I like our guys over anybody.”
He had high praise for Harris, the team captain. “He’s a great team leader,” said Jenkins.
Harris urged fans to come out Wednesday, when the team is likely to face third-seeded Franklin County, and then on Friday, when if all goes well, they’ll likely square off against Crossroads.
“The next game’s always our biggest game,” said Harris. “We put on an impressive night at home, and we need everybody here.”
Coach Sandy Quinn said defense made the difference against the Tigers.
“We normally go as the defense go,” he said. “They boys played well on defense.”
Neither St. Joe or Franklin has played Crossroads yet this season.
“Sometimes they will play you and sometimes they won’t,” said Quinn. “I didn’t even reach out. I’ve seen some film here and there.”
Freshman Justus Barber finished with 6 points and 4 rebounds, while seniors Kanaan Jefferson and Jamal Lewis, and freshman Mase Larry each had 3 points. Senior JD Becton, who got slapped with a technical at one point in the game, scored two points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
On Friday night, the team traveled to Bozeman and downed the Bucks 65-55, with Reese scoring a team-high 17 points. Jenkins had 14 and Jefferson 11, and with Harris scoring 8, Larry 7, and Becton and Barber each 4. Barber pulled down 11 rebounds and Becton 8.
On Jan 27, the Tiger Sharks downed Covenant Christian 75-33, third time led by Larry’s 18 points, senior Daren Angelin’s 17 and senior Jamal Leslie’s 12.
On Jan. 28, the team traveled to Bay and defeated them 78-56, led again by Jenkins with 34 points.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.