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Record-Breaking Rams Rolling

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By CRISTINA LEDRA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2008

PORT RICHEY - While knocking off opponents all over town, the Ridgewood Rams have been knocking off records, too.

In last Friday's 84-63 win over Central, Lukas Poderis and Mike Lawrence entered the Rams' record book.

Poderis set the single-game points record with 38. The previous record was set by Bill Linderman in 1986.

Lawrence set a single-game assists record with 17 to break Dan MacLachlan's 1997 record of 16.

"I've always said that with a point guard, everybody sees every mistake they make and half the good plays they make because they're in the spotlight, but he makes us go and he makes great plays," Ridgewood coach Gary Anders said of Lawrence.

"He is very, very good and gets the ball where it's supposed to be."

Both records were broken on the same play when Lawrence's 17th assist led to Poderis' basket that gave him his 38th point.

Tonight, against Land O' Lakes, Anders is going for his 500th career win.

But that milestone is the furthest thing from Anders' mind with five games left in the regular season, even though Ridgewood claimed the top seed in the district with its 83-46 win over Wesley Chapel on Tuesday.

"This is going to sound really stupid, but I wish it would happen in the offseason," Anders said of the milestone. "That's one of those things that means something when you're driving down the road, daydreaming and stuff like that, or when you're with your family. But during the season it's about the team.

"If we were a .500 team having just a mediocre year ... it's not about me. I just can't overemphasize that because it's going to happen unless I just quit tomorrow, sometime it's going to happen, whether it's next week, next year, whatever. So it's more important to take care and get the most out of this team."

Although the seedings for the Class 5A-District 7 tournament have been decided, that's not going to lessen the intensity of tonight's game. The teams' first meeting this season, at Ridgewood, ended with the Rams winning 70-69.

Lawrence said students around Ridgewood have promised to pack the visitors section at Land O' Lakes tonight.

SCRAMBLE FOR SEEDING IN 4A-8: In nine-team Class 4A-District 8, seeding is far from finalized.

Springstead was on top with a 12-1 district record, but the Eagles had three district games remaining going into Thursday night's game against Hudson. They also play Zephyrhills tonight and Gulf on Jan. 25.

Pasco was second with a 9-3 district record and three district games left after Thursday's matchup with Nature Coast - against Wiregrass Ranch (tonight), Hudson (Tuesday) and Sunlake (Jan. 25).

Hudson and Nature Coast were 8-4 and Zephyrhills was 9-4 going into Thursday night's district games.

Wiregrass Ranch (7-6) was next, and Gulf and Sunlake were 2-10 going into Thursday's action. Hernando had no district wins.

All teams in 4A-8 have to play 16 district games.

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