2021 SUN Preps All-Area Athletes & Teams
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Page 30 www.yoursun.com First Team Alex Perry (Port Charlotte junior) It's the high-flying dunks that come to mind first when the subject is that of Port Charlotte's leading scorer. Soaring, ceil- ing-scraping hops that end with a violent collision against the rim. Perry averaged 18.8 points per game during his junior season, leading Port Charlotte to a 17-4 record and a trip to the Class 5A region semifinals. He hit 69 percent of his shots, mostly because many came from inside the rim and he averaged 8.3 rebounds, half coming close-in at the offensive end which also helped the shooting percentage. "A very tough competitor," Port Charlotte coach Kip Rhoten said of the senior-to-be. "He can be the best defensive player in Southwest Florida. He has a high basketball IQ for his age." Like Carroll, Perry had his best games when Port Charlotte needed them most, such as the 24-point effort as the Pirates crushed Mariner to take the district title. Myles Weston (Venice junior) Venice coach Mike Montgomery said early on he had no notion what the 6-0 Weston would bring to the team. "We honestly had no idea Myles was that good of a ball player," he said. It took a minute to whip himself into basketball shape after Venice's long football season, but when Weston hit his stride, few players in the area provided as complete a package — 15.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Despite his size, Weston's nose for sniff- ing out rebounds was the most surprising trait of all. "His ability to rebound along with his scoring ability made him the biggest asset on our team." Three times, Weston went over 30 points for Venice, the product of next-level hoops IQ. "I know he had great stats, but his floor presence and the ability to make the right decision is what made him such a great player," Montgomery said. Donnie Harvey (Lemon Bay senior) With a lot of roster churn wrecking the Manta Rays' attempts at establishing consistency, Harvey was the one constant, providing vital leadership and scoring in bunches from virtually any spot on the floor. In Lemon Bay's five wins, Harvey factored prominently, including a 28-point, 10-rebound performance at Community Christian. He led the Mantas with 14.7 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. SUN PREPS ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM Player of the year Tre Carroll (Charlotte senior) The numbers are staggering. In his 30 games this season, Carroll scored 20 or more points in 19, including six games where he scored more than 30. The points came whenever the Tarpons most needed them, too. During a remarkable stretch beginning with the regular season finale against Palmetto through the region championship at East Lake, Carroll averaged a whopping 30.6 points per game. In the final two home games of his career, Carroll scored 35 against Braden River and 36 against Fort Myers. "You knew at a young age he really just wanted to be a basketball player," Charlotte coach Tom Massolio said earlier this year. "He has developed and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to coach him." An adept shot-blocker and a physical presence in the paint who knew how to avoid foul trouble, Carroll was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 6A Player of the Year this past week, which makes him a finalist for Florida's Mr. Basketball. CARROLL By PATRICK OBLEY SPORTS WRITER I t was a year like no other at Charlotte High and the Tarpons' historic run to the Class 6A Final Four capped a terrific year for the area's boys basketball teams. Peel away the team records and it's apparent each school had at least one star shining bright on the court night in and night out. As for those teams that had the greatest success, their stars had stout supporting casts. The Tarpons, of course, led the way with Player of the Year finalist Tre Carroll, but by sea- son's end, John Gamble made it clear he had a successor. Port Charlotte's deep Class 5A run was spearheaded by POY finalist Alex Perry, but Logan Rogers' able direction and distribution skills as the team's point guard were key. Myles Weston did a little of everything for Venice in earning his spot as a POY finalist, but it was Tristan Burroughs who carried the team while Venice's stars were still on the football field and it was Jayshon Platt who took point once coming off it. Throughout the area, coaches earned their pay while navigat- ing the COVID-19 pandemic. No school fought the bug more than Kip Rhoten's Pirates — both in- ternally and in terms of sched- uling nightmares as opponents shut down. Ryan Power dealt with the area's worst rash of injuries at North Port. The coach of the year honors go to Charlotte's Tom Massolio, who with a heavy heart upon the passing of his wife in February never wavered as the rock the Charlotte program has come to rely upon. On to The Daily Sun's All- Area Boys Basketball selections: Terrific trio headlines stacked group SUN FILE PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL Charlotte's Tre Carroll, right, shoots past East Lake's Noah Chatman last season. SEE BASKETBALL, 30