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Largo Outlasts Countryside To Open Season

Ben Patrick Pours In 35

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST NEWS

Largo's Khari Armstrong floats to his left with Countryside's Dino Tabakovic (#24) defending.

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: November 20, 2007

CLEARWATER - CLEARWATER - Tuesday night showcased two of the younger boy's basketball rosters in Pinellas County when Countryside hosted Largo for both team's season opening games.

In a rematch of last year's opener at Largo – a 55-23 Packer rout – each showed their youth and inexperience throughout the 32-minute match up that finally saw the Packers escape victoriously, 67-58.

"An ugly win's better than a pretty loss," Largo head coach Phil Price said following the game. He informed that two players – Reginald McCray and Michael Marry – are still missing from the team because of the football team's continued success in the playoffs.

The main reason why Largo was able to win despite those two key absences: Ben Patrick and his 35-point night. The math is not hard. That's more than half of Largo's offensive output.

After a slow start by both squads, Largo began putting it together and appeared to show they were the more talented group.

With the second quarter starting much as the first finished, Countryside suddenly snapped into form. Shots started to fall and the inadvertent turnovers faded.

The Cougars game plan shifted to funneling the ball down low to senior C.J. Moody who scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half. Countryside then took a 24-22 lead when guard Tucker Pollard finished a three-point play after being fouled while making a layup.

All of Pollard's 10 points came in the first half.

Countryside remained on top going into the locker room at halftime, up 33-31.

Unfortunately for the home team, the second half turned into the Ben Patrick Show.

The sophomore transfer from Berkeley Prep went off for 23 points in the final half to finish with the game-high 35.

"Once I start hitting one, and then another, I start getting on a roll," the 6-foot-1 guard said outside of the visiting locker room. "Our freshman Breon (Bostik), he played phenomenal. He was setting me up with all the screens that let me shoot so much."

Bostik and Kyle Harter both added 11 points a piece for the Packers.

The sloppy Countryside play of the first half became exacerbated in the second by a full-court press defense Largo executed the entire final 16 minutes.

Falling in a double-digit hole by the end of the third quarter, the Cougars could not adjust to the swarming Largo defense sufficiently nor did they have enough time catch up after the lights-out night had by Patrick.

A valiant comeback effort – spearheaded by the sharp shooting of Dustin Callan from beyond the arc - brought the Cougars to within four points with a minute left to play.

Callan hit all four of his made field goals – all 3-pointers – in the final quarter. The last was the shot to make it 59-55, but it proved to be too little, too late and Largo overtook Countryside once again.

"We've got to play a little smarter. We're awful young," Coach Price said. "We have nobody back playing for us and it showed."

Price mentioned that for what this year's Packers lack in size, they make up for in quickness. It was for that reason why he made the halftime adjustment to pressure the young Countryside players and it paid off well.

And of course, the play of his young star-in-the-making Patrick helped, too.

"Ben's nice and consistent. He's one of those guys that just does what he's supposed to do – nothing really spectacular – and then at the end of the game you look at the stat sheet like, 'Are you kidding me?'" Price said in praise of the guard's performance.

Next up for Countryside will be a Class 6A, District 7 home match up with Mitchell High School on Nov. 28.

Largo will hit the road once again on Nov. 27 to pay visit to Class 5A, District 9 foes Palm Harbor University.

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