Clearwater blows past Flanagan

After several turned ankles, a torn meniscus, a torn quadriceps and a concussion - all of which hit Clearwater in the first three weeks of the season - the Tornadoes finally appear strong, if not at full strength.

In Saturday's opening-round game of the Tampa Hoops Classic at Plant High, Clearwater not only defeated Pembroke Pines Flanagan 83-55, but also the Tornadoes often looked like the dominating force that reached last year's state final.

If nothing else, Flanagan coach Michael Bentivegna is a believer.

"I thought we had a chance to win this game, but Clearwater was much better than us tonight," Bentivegna said. "We were a bit slow and flat, but Clearwater did cause us a lot of problems, particularly at the guard positions."

Time and again, Clearwater (9-3) dropped in easy layups off its man-to-man defense and half-court trap, a staple of the Tornadoes' attack.

The top scoring beneficiaries included Okaro White (22 points), Joey Nungester (16), Brandon Leston (13) and John Hogan (11). Overall, 10 Tornadoes scored.

For White, who has committed to Florida State, it's a step toward gaining a higher level of recognition for a team that already has a great deal of respect.

"We came into this tournament wanting to play the best teams that we possibly could," said White, who missed the season's first five games with a sprained ankle. "Hopefully that will help get some more exposure for my teammates.

"We're really fired up for this."

On Monday at 8 p.m. at Plant, Clearwater will have the opportunity of playing against the storied program of St. Anthony (New Jersey), currently ranked in the top 25 of several national polls. St. Anthony advanced after defeating Lakewood 75-32 in Saturday's late game.

"I don't want our team to be intimidated, or nervous, and I really don't think we will be (against St. Anthony)," Clearwater coach Allen Carden said. "This is a chance to showcase our program and I believe we're ready for that.

"We would like to be nationally ranked and this type of game can go a long way to reaching that goal," Carden said. "We believe we have the type of program to be at that level."

If Clearwater shoots like it did Saturday (see 13 3-pointers), who knows?

"We believe we can do it," said the 6-foot-9 White, among the most highly recruited players in the country. "We feel ready."