Panthers ready for big challenge ahead

BRADENTON — On paper, the Bradenton Christian boys basketball team doesn’t appear to have a chance on the road against two-time defending state champion Orlando Christian Prep.

The Warriors seem to be a shoe-in to win their Class 1A-Region 2 title game tonight and head to another state final four. Outside of the players and coaches in the Bradenton Christian locker room, you would be hard pressed to find people who give the Panthers a chance.

But there is a reason they play the game, and BCS head coach Dave Magley, though his team is short on height and perhaps athleticism, likes their chances if only because of the intangibles.

In seniors Michael Frey and Jordan and Jon Negrin and junior Daniel Magley, there is a lot of big-game experience.

This is the seventh straight region final for Frey and the Panthers (27-3), who have been to the final four in three of the past four seasons.

On the flip side, a taller OCP (25-4) has won two straight state titles, is seventh in the state in all classification rankings and several times this year was ranked in the top 50 nationally.

To make things more difficult, Frey (BCS’s best post player at 6-foot-4) will battle a front line of 6-5 Adonis Burbage, 6-8 senior Orlando Parker and 6-4 Isaac Cohen along with a backcourt of 6-1 senior Josh Castellanos and 6-3 Jordan Montgomery.

Along with Frey, the Panthers counter with the Negrin brother,s who are in the 5-7 range, Brian Cobb (6-5) and Magley (6-2).

“They are bigger than us at every position and are a skilled team with a very good coach and great tradition,” Magley said. “To beat a team like that we have to be extremely disciplined and execute our game plan. I am confident my guys have the skill set to do that and have good experience themselves.

“Jordan and Michael have been to three final fours, and Jon and Daniel have been in two, so with that type of experience this is not a new thing for us.”

Both teams are balanced. BCS has five players averaging about 14 to 15 points per game while OCP has four averaging about 10 and is led by top scorer Burbage (13.5 ppg), a junior and coveted Division I prospect.

The Warriors are coached by Reggie Kohn, who gained his notoriety as a guard at the University of South Florida, where he is the career leader in assists and 3-point field goals. He is in his second year at the helm.

“Bradenton Christian is a tough team that has state tournament experience and gets up and down the floor really well. It will be a battle,” Kohn said.

Frey arguably has the toughest job for BCS because he will be giving up so much height in the post while trying to provide some inside scoring and holding the Warriors big men in check.

“We just have to stick to our game plan, be smart, make good passes and take good shots. We need to wait for our openings and play disciplined defense and box out,” Frey said. “I’ve been going up against bigger guys since I was in the eighth grade practicing against D.J. Magley and Ryan Bradley. I’ve been guarding 6-10, 6-11 guys almost ever since I’ve been in high school so a 6-8 kid is not that big a difference for me.