Lely basketball on the move

Photo by ROGER LALONDE
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Randy Jackson Contributor Lely summer varsity team, from left, Karbiel Dirogene, Nick Ronquette, Nesly Olibrice, Jared Jackson, Rashod Jules, Wesly Lancaster, Nick Talko, Will Bott and Brodie MacDonald.

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The varsity boys have been working out all Spring and Summer. We have been working as a team since the beginning of June. We went to three tournaments this summer.

At the Florida Gulf Coast University Tournament we went 5-3 and finished second.

The following weekend we went to the Fort Myers tournament and went 2-5, but against top-notch competition, including Bishop Verot, Fort Myers and Mariner. We beat South Fort Myers who won the tourney and lost to Fort Myers by 3.

We went 7-2 last weekend at the Island Coast tourney and lost by one point in the championship game to Barron Collier.

This summer we have worked on defense and playing hard. We want to be a man-to-man program and our kids are buying into that concept from top to bottom.

Nick Talko has taken his game to another level on both ends of the floor. Nick Ronquette is developing a solid offensive game, along with being a good defender. Karbiel Dirogene is a defensive stopper and a rebounding machine. Newcomer Nesly Olbrice has added a 6-foot-5-inch big athletic body who gives us a shot blocking presence.

Wes Lancaster continues to be a good scorer for us and has improved a lot on the defensive end. Jared Jackson gives us a another solid option at the point guard spot. We are done for the summer. The kids need to continue to work hard on their individual games and in the weight room.

Our slogan is Mentality before Reality. We have to have the mentality of a top-notch high school basketball program before we can become one again. Our goal this year is to put Lely basketball in its appropriate place as one of the premiere schools in the county for academics and boys basketball.