Community School shocks the Eagles

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Community School's Zach Friedman gives out a roar and begins a fist pump, while Charter School's Neil Prisco feels the shock of Friedman's layup with 1.7 seconds left to knock out the Eagles in the Gulf Coast Conference Tournament at Marco on Thursday.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Roger Lalonde Staff Charter School's Cole Stretton makes what the Eagles thought was the basket to seal a victory over Community School of Naples with 2:12 left in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference playoff game on Thursday. It gave the Eagles a 47-40 lead, but Community stormed back for a 48-47 victory.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Roger LaLonde Staff Community School players kept Charter's big man, Trevor Dye, off the boards in gaining a last-second win over the Eagles, 48-47, knocking them out of the ulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Roger LaLonde Staff Marco Charter School's Patrick Michel outdueled two Community School of Naples players for thh ball in a Gulf Coast Conference Tournament battle, won in the last seconds by Community at the Charter School's home court.

With the Marco Island Charter Middle School boys team playing at home, the odds heavily favored them to defeat Community School of Naples in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference semifinal game on Thursday.

Apparently no one told Community School as they kept coming back from the brink of defeat to win the game with 1.7 seconds left, 48-47.

The Eagles might have thought they had clinched the game when Cole Stretton made a layup to put Charter School up, 47-40 with 2:12 left.

The Eagles didn’t realize it would be their last basket.

Community’s School’s pressing defense won out, keeping the ball out of the hands of the Eagles big man, 6-foot-4-inch Trevor Dye, who didn’t score a point in the final quarter.

With 10.7 seconds left, and the Eagles clinging to a 47-46 lead, a loose ball fell in the hands of Zach Friedman at half court. He romped to the basket for a layup, putting them up 48-47 at the 1.7-second mark.

A desperation shot by the Eagles missed and the game was Community’s.

Freidman finished the game with 17 points, with George Schmelz chipping in 12.

Dane Ussery, coming off the bench, led the Eagles with 13 points, while Patrick Michel had 12, Stretton, 10 and Dye, 9.

The girls and boys teams travel to St. Ann’s today, with the girls varsity playing at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:15 p.m.