District 7A-14 Playoff Preview: Anybody’s Game

Site: West Boca High School

Monday, April 22nd

6PM – Game 1 – (3) Olympic Heights vs. (2) Atlantic

Tuesday, April 23rd

6PM – Game 2 – (4) Lake Worth vs. (1) West Boca

Wednesday, April 24th

Rain Date

Thursday, April 25th

6PM – Championship – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Full stats for 7A-14 can be found on the 7A-14 Stats Page!

Overview – Last season Atlantic rode the momentum of a 7A-14 district title all the way to the state tournament, and along the way the Eagles had to twice defeat West Boca in the process.

This year there is a very strong chance that these two programs could again meet in both the district championship as well as the regional semifinals two weeks later. With no disrespect to the other teams along that path in Class 7A, the truth is simply that these two teams are both that good.

Each will enter their respective opening-round district playoff as a heavy favorite in the game that clinches a regional berth for the winner. The district championship will then determine which squad hosts and which one travels in the regional quarterfinals, and for West Boca this could be an even larger advantage since the team is also hosting the district tournament this season. This means the Bulls could play on their home turf at least into the regional semifinals, which is particularly huge for a team that has not lost at home this year.

Both West Boca and Atlantic have been to the state tournament in the past two seasons, as the Bulls won the Class 5A title in 2011. On paper both squads are good enough to return to states, but games are not won on paper.

Bradley Bush emerged to lead a solid rotation for West Boca.

1. West Boca – The Bulls primary focus is always to execute flawlessly on the three fundamentals of pitching, hitting and defense. This is not a flashy team that blows away opponents, but nor is this a team that ever gets blown away themselves. In fact, the Bulls have only been beaten by more than three runs just once all season long, and that came in a Spring Break tournament against another perennial state powerhouse.

West Boca has been one of the better teams on defense all year, which has helped the squad overcome the loss of ace Sean Gabel to a season-ending injury. Bradley Busch has emerged in his wake to carry the load, and Chris Brown and Angelo Dovas have also proven up to the task.

Pitching has always been a strong point for this program, and this season has been no different as the team recorded six shutout victories this year.

Sean Kuchta and Koby Pepia lead a team of young but talented hitters who hit well in the clutch. Although the Bulls did not put up eye-popping offensive numbers this year, the team has executed when it mattered most, going 5-2 in games decided by two or less runs.

The Bulls swept the district this season to earn the top seed and an opening-round game against Lake Worth, a team it beat by a combined score of 22-1 this season. Should the team take care of business as expected, it likely will get another chance to play Atlantic for the district crown they came just short of winning in last year’s 4-3 district championship loss to the Eagles.

The Eagles hope to have much more to celebrate this season.

2. Atlantic – The Eagles are not going to sneak up on anybody like they did last season. After their big state run last year, the word has been out on Atlantic and they have faced more and more of the other team’s best pitching this season.

Meanwhile, despite graduating two ace lefties and then starting the year without their standout captain in Brad Myott, the Eagles have bounced back from a rough 0-5 start to become incredibly tough to beat down the stretch.

Atlantic has won 10 of its last 11 games heading into the final week of the regular season.

But that lone loss came at the hands of the Bulls, in a game in which they clinched the top seed in the district.

Atlantic seemingly plays better as a unit when it is the underdog, although it is difficult to imagine a team this talented ever being an underdog.

Cody Bryant has anchored the pitching staff, as the big right-hander is among the county leaders in strikeouts. Duane Cyr has emerged as a solid number two, with a WHIP around 1.00, and Brad Myott has come out from behind the plate to pitch some solid innings as well.

Bryant and Myott are both key pieces to the team’s offense, a unit which may just be enough to give Atlantic the edge it needs this postseason. Returners Jesse Kieffer, Bruce Thomas, Joey Ohannasien and Bobby Borque have all improved on last season’s successes, and newcomer Jarren Pinkney has burst onto the scene to be among the county leaders in most offensive categories.

Bryant and Pinkney have also combined to hit nine home runs, showcasing the type of power that has given opposing pitchers trouble all season long.

Atlantic also won the GGI Classic this spring, and features a core built of players who have not forgotten the reward it feels to play in the state tournament.

Sophomore right-hander Nick Stachnik is part of an improved pitching staff for the Lions this season.

3. Olympic Heights – The Lions have experienced a resurgence under new manager Sam Howell, who is a Palm Beach County Hall of Famer. The team has more than doubled its win total from a year ago and is on pace to accomplish the goal it set this year to earn double-digit victories. But more than just the results on paper is the enthusiasm the players now have, as well as the up-tempo and aggressive style of play the Lions have adopted.

For Olympic Heights to pull off the big upset over Atlantic, it will have to play its finest game of the season. Most likely the team is still at least one more year away from competing in regional play.

But with a guy like Sam Howell at the helm, anything is possible.

The Lions’ repertoire includes everything from suicide-squeezes to the kitchen sink, and as a group they have stolen over 30 bases, led by Conor Archer as the only Lion with double-digit steals.

Senior Sean McClaskie has paced the offense by leading the team in hits, doubles, and on-base percentage. John Ricca, Archer and Casey Furnas have all hit over .350 for the year as well.

The largest area of concern for the team has come in its young pitching staff, which as a unit holds a season-long ERA of roughly 4.00. McClaskie has been the workhorse for the Lions, leading the team in innings pitched even though it may not even be his strongest position on the field. The senior has stepped up to aid the team in its thinnest and most important position.

Freshman Jared Spector has shown the potential to be the team’s longterm solution, posting an ERA undr 2.50 and a WHIP right around 1.00

Even if the Lions cannot pull off an upset this postseason, the future is very bright for the program.

Lake Worth’s Kevin Hankla bats during the GGI Classic.

4. Lake Worth – The Trojans are under their third manager in as many years, and the team has struggled mightily during that time. But first-year Manager Bobby Gilbert is a Trojans alumni who is full of pride and determination to restore his alma mater to glory.

The team still has a long ways to go, and an upset over West Boca in the 7A-14 district semifinals seems very unlikely. Lake Worth has yet to win a game during its two seasons in this district, and the Trojans will also be facing the number one seed on their home field.

The Trojans have shown promise in many areas this year, such as in its outfield defense and corner defense.

Offensively, Johnathan Rodriguez and Matt Kopp have led the team with batting averages that hovered around .300 all year. Typical of many young squads, the team lacks much power and has not hit for many extra-base hits.

On the mound, Rodriguez and Lucas Clark have taken the bulk of the innings behind a young and inexperienced defense that has struggled with consistency. Freshman Tyler Vandersande and sophomore Chase Forrest have emerged as two improving pitchers capable of being the team’s answer in the future.

With many young programs, often the biggest struggle is getting the players to believe they can get that much better. But Coach Gilbert has inherited a good group of players this season, and he has already begun to brand them with the work ethic and belief they need to turn the program in the right direction.

Leave a comment using your facebook account!