Preview: Haines City Hornets vs. Avon Park Red Devils
The Haines City Hornets just played last night, but they'll still head out to face the Avon Park Red Devils at 8:00 p.m. on January 16th. Haines City is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.
Haines City pushed their score all the way to 56 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 62-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of McKeel Academy. While losing is never fun, Haines City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 563rd, while McKeel Academy is ranked 189th).
The losing side was boosted by Jorge Ramirez, who scored 21 points. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ixion Toro, who scored five points along with three blocks.
Meanwhile, Avon Park pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a serious blow against Sebring, falling 97-56. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Avon Park in their matchups with Sebring: they've now lost seven in a row.
Haines City bumped their record down to 4-14 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.0 points per game. As for Avon Park, their loss dropped their record down to 4-10.
Haines City beat Avon Park 66-57 when the teams last played back in December of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Haines City since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
