Berkeley Wins Headmasters'

Berkeley Prep won all five varsity events during the sixth annual Headmasters' Challenge, a yearly winter sports tournament between the private schools, to walk away with the Headmasters' Cup on Saturday.

Overall points are awarded for each win in basketball, soccer and wrestling at the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels. The Buccaneers earned 171/2 points, while the Terrapins finished with 31/2.

With the school already ahead in points, the Berkeley Prep boys basketball team, ranked sixth in the latest Class 3A state poll, ended the day's event with a convincing 83-69 victory against previously undefeated and state-ranked Tampa Prep.

Senior guard Johnathan Gray led Berkeley (11-4) with 23 points, while senior forward Austin Suarez added 20 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

"With them being undefeated, we heard so much about them," Suarez said. "It feels so good to win."

Tampa Prep won last year's game, when both teams were No. 1 in state polls, 65-61.

Suarez scored six consecutive points, including a two-handed dunk on a fast break, in the final minute of the second quarter to cap a 12-1 Berkeley run that gave the Bucs a 30-25 lead going into halftime.

"That electrified everything," Suarez said.

Tampa Prep trailed 54-45 after the third quarter and allowed Berkeley to take its largest lead of the game, 71-54, with 2:30 left in the fourth.

Tampa Prep closed the gap to 71-60 with 1:53 remaining, but found itself in foul trouble, giving Berkeley a chance to seal the game at the free-throw line. The Buccaneers made 28 of 36 free-throw attempts.

Junior forward Jay Bowie led Tampa Prep (14-1) with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jamal Cherry and senior guard Jake Haslam added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

"I thought we played out of control early on," Berkeley Prep coach Bobby Reinhart said. "We got our poise back in the second quarter and we went on that 12-1 run to finish the half."

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Playing without leading scorer Ayala Wasser, Tampa Prep lost to Berkeley Prep, 34-31. The Bucs led by one at the half, and pulled ahead by five with help from one of Jalan Wishik's four 3-pointers. Jumpers by Tampa Prep's Hannah Kotzen and LaTora Lofgren cut Berkeley Prep's lead to one heading into the final quarter.

After a pair of free throws by Rachel Shepard put the Bucs up by three, Lofgren tied the game with a 3 with 5:35 left in the game. Berkeley then went on an 8-4 run to pull away.

Lofgren led Tampa Prep with nine points, while Wishik led with a game-high 16 points.

BOYS SOCCER: Berkeley Prep improved to 17-1-1 with a 3-1 win against Tampa Prep (7-5-1), the defending 2A state champion.

Eri Jacobs, T.J. Roehn and J.D. Post scored for Berkeley, while keeper Alex Jenkins made five saves.

"It was a big win because we haven't played well in the last couple of games," Berkeley coach Tim Cooper said.

GIRLS SOCCER: Sophomore Taylor Richardson scored her 19th goal of the season and Berkeley Prep (13-3-1) scored on an own goal for a 2-1 victory against the defending 2A champion.

Paige Goodwin scored Tampa Prep's (9-3-1) lone goal.

WRESTLING: In the opening varsity event of the day, Berkeley defeated Tampa Prep, 42-36, giving the program its first win against the Terrapins in the Headmasters' competition.

"It helped set the tone for the day," said Reinhart, also Berkeley's athletic director.

Reporter Katherine Smith