First Month Testing Ground for Tiger Sharks

Fresh off a successful tip-off to the basketball year, the Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks face a stiff December schedule as the regular season begins.

The Tiger Sharks swept Marianna and Cottondale in a Tip-Off Classic at Marianna prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, but on the horizon – actually the horizon arrives this Friday – looms a difficult opening month for Port St. Joe, coming off a season in which the Tiger Sharks went 22-5 before being eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.

“I bet half our games are against (Class) 4A or 5A teams,” said Port St. Joe coach Derek Kurnitsky. “It’s brutal early but that is what we want to do in December. When you play good teams, you learn your weaknesses and that is what we want to do in December.”

Tallahassee Godby, twice, Tallahassee Lincoln, Tallahassee Leon, Bay, the Subway Classic at Chipola Junior College and the prestigious Capital City Classic at Florida State University are all on the slate for the coming month.

Springfield Rutherford comes around after the New Year as do rematches with Bay and Leon as well as the district schedule and a season-finale against Lynn Haven Mosley, but the first month out of the gate will be no easy feat.

“It’s a marathon and not a sprint,” Kurnitsky said. “We have to get better, but it should be a fun year.”

One reason is that the Tiger Sharks return all five starters from last year as well as three key reserves.

“We have a ton of experience back,” Kurnitsky said. “We are very balanced. We have four guys who can score in double digits any night.”

That was amply demonstrated in Marianna.

In the opener of the Tip-Off Classic, won by Port St. Joe 66-55, Calvin Pryor led the way with 24 points but had support from Raheem Clemons with 19 points and Roman Quinn with 17.

Two nights later, against Cottondale, the Tiger Sharks built an early lead and padded it every quarter en route to a 70-46 victory.

Willie Quinn led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds, with Pryor (13), Clemons (17) and Roman Quinn (11) all reaching double figures in points.

Darrell Smith and Quincy Welch each added six points and Jaylen Pittman had two points.

The Tiger Sharks were playing without Trubias Hill and Rock Quinn due to injuries suffered near the end of the football season.

“We are very sloppy right now and we are not in great (basketball) shape,” Kurnitsky said. “But I don’t want to look like rock stars now; I want to look like rock stars at district.”

December will be the opening act that hopefully steels the Tiger Sharks to perform like rock stars come the postseason.

* Reserved seats for all Port St. Joe home games are available. The cost is $60 for one, $100 for two tickets. Please call Coach Kurnitsky at the high school, 229-8251, to reserve your seats.