NEW TAMPA — Even as the new season began, Wharton girls basketball coach Terry Thompson was still thinking about last year’s loss to Hillsboro in the district tournament, in which the Wildcats collapsed in the fourth quarter. It was the second loss of the season to the Terriers, and it upset him.
Well, it doesn’t bite anymore.
The Wildcats are off to one of the best starts in school history, jumping to an 8-0 record (and likely 9-0, considering they still have the freedom to go winless before the Christmas break).
And along the way, the Wildcats got revenge on Hillsboro, beating the Terriers 55-51 last week.
“We felt like we gave them that game last year,” Thompson said. “So, it felt good.”
Senior forward Tamara Bryant scored a career-high 19 points, grabbed 13 rebounds (9 from the offensive glass) and added five assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
“That was the best game I ever played,” Thompson said.
If you look at the stats, you might wonder how the Wildcats win games. They are shooting just 32% from the floor, 54% from the free throw line and 21% from 3-point range.
But here’s how – defense.
The Wildcats have a whopping 147 steals (18.3 games) and allow just 25.7 points per game. They have held three opponents under 20 points.
But despite wins over Hillsboro, a decent Wesley Chapel team and Armwood (coming back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter), the schedule hasn’t challenged the Wildcats as well either.
The Wildcats will play in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational at Wesley Chapel on Dec. 27-30, opening with an Orlando Hegarty team that beat the Wildcats by 40 points over the summer. Teams from over 20 states will meet in some tough competition.
The Wildcats’ schedule heats up during the last two weeks of January as well.
So, while the 8-0 start was good, Thompson says, Wharton is about to find out just how good a district can be.
“We’ll find out if we’re playing, or if we’re serious,” Thompson said.
Wild cat cooking
The girls basketball team isn’t the only team cooking at Wharton heading into the winter break – the boys soccer team is 8-1-1, with the only loss coming 2-1 to traditional Wiregrass Ranch.
The start matches the Wildcats’ 8-1-1 start in 2006 (Wharton kept winning, going 16-1-1 before losing). The Wildcats also started 8-1-3 in 2008 and 8-2 in 2020.
Senior striker Brendan Norgaard leads the team with 24 goals and has five assists, while Leonardo Velez has eight goals. Wharton outscored its opponents 55-9 and scored goals from 13 different players.
The Wildcats’ 6-0 win over King last week earned them a spot in the district tournament quarterfinals, a first for the Scott Ware program.
View history
If you’re wondering if Norgaard has a chance at setting Wharton’s season scoring record, the answer is yes.
From what we can find on MaxPreps.com, the current Wharton record holder is Felipe DeSousa, who found the back of the net 28 times in the 2011-12 season (plus adding 14 assists). With at least six games remaining until December 14, the record may be in the works.
Props to the angel
Liberty Boys basketball coach Ken Angell is doing wonders for the Patriots. The previous coach left last season, and the Patriots went 4-21.
This year, they are already 5-4, heading into a Dec. 15 matchup with rival Wharton. Quite frankly, it wasn’t completely crazy to think they might be favorites, which they never were.
What tha?
Speaking of the rivalry game, the Wildcats entered that game with a 4-5 record, with their last loss coming to Leto by a score of 59-38.
say what?
Leto may be one of the best teams in Hillsborough County, and the Falcons have now won seven in a row, but losing 21 to the Wildcats?
It’s not the worst start in Wharton boys basketball history, but it’s close. In the 2007-08 season — the year after current coach Sean VanZant led the team to a 29-2 record before graduating — the Wildcats started 0-4, 1-6 and 2-9 before finishing 15-14.
Despite some bad luck at the start of this season with a four-point loss and two-point loss, it will now take a dramatic turnaround to keep the program’s impressive streak of 16 straight seasons with at least 20 wins going.
Lions roar
King also got off to a rocky start this season losing his first three matches but has been unbeaten since.
The Lions will likely head into the winter break on a seven-game winning streak, thanks to an influx of new players. Transfers Julian Barnett (leading scorer at 17.9 points per game) and Ian McLargin (shooting 60% from the floor and 44% from 3-point range) have been welcome additions, and Eric Turner is averaging 8 points and six rebounds.
Gabriel Hakim, a 6-foot-4 senior guard and returning player, played his first game of the season last week in a 67-65 win over rival Tampa Bay Tech, making 7 of 8 shots and scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds.
The Wharton girls’ prep sports team has had an impressive start to the season, remaining undefeated as they head into their recess period. Their strong performance on the field has garnered attention and excitement among fans and fellow competitors alike. With their unscathed record so far, the team is set to make a big impact in the upcoming games, and their determination and skill make them a force to be reckoned with in the prep sports scene.