2021 SUN Preps All-Area Athletes & Teams
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1466350
Page 6 www.yoursun.com Two-sport Perry shines in Athlete of the Year season SUN PREPS ALL-AREA MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR By PATRICK OBLEY SPORTS WRITER There are many stars who excel in one sport, but Port Charlotte star Alex Perry doesn't limit himself. The two-sport Pirates athlete is one of the best area football players and was a basketball player of the year finalist — earning him Sun Preps Male Athlete of the Year honors. The 6-foot-6, 175-pound Pirates athlete beat out Tre Carroll — Charlotte's top basketball player — and Colin Blazek — the football player of the year and a starting varsity baseball player for Venice. Though Perry was not named as the football player of the year or the boys basketball player of the year, he starred in both sports for Port Charlotte. The rising-senior athlete was one of the area's top receivers on the gridiron — turning 28 catches into 658 yards and nine touchdowns, good for 23.5 yards per reception. "When Alex gets to college he's gonna be surrounded by elite players, so we're trying to continue developing him as a man, not just as a player," Port Charlotte coach Jordan Ingman said during this past football season. "He's done a great job responding to the challenge." He was even better on the basketball court where he averaged 18.8 points per game, leading Port Charlotte to a 17-4 record and a trip to the Class 5A region semifinals. "A very tough competitor," Port Charlotte boys basketball coach Kip Rhoten said of Perry earlier this year. "He can be the best defensive player in Southwest Florida. He has a high basketball IQ for his age." Perry, who has offers to play Division-I football for Purdue and Old Dominion, was unable to attend the All-Area awards event due to a last- minute invite to showcase his skills in front of coaches at UCF. The versatile athlete was also the only non-senior to be a finalist — or win — an Athlete of the Year award in 2021, setting up a senior year to remember next season. SUN FILE PHOTO Alex Perry was unable to attend the All-Area awards because of a last-minute recruiting visit to UCF. SUN FILE PHOTO Port Charlotte wide receiver Alex Perry was one of the most difficult receivers to contain in southwest Florida this past football season -- scoring nine touch- downs on just 28 receptions for the Pirates.