Basketball Recap: Winter Haven Takes a Loss

Winter Haven was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. 2025 welcomed they with a 69-49 loss courtesy of the Calvary Christian Warriors. While losing is never fun, the Blue Devils can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 474th, while the Warriors are ranked 32nd).

When it comes to explaining why Winter Haven lost, don't look at Troy Boswell Jr. Despite the final result, he went 7 for 15 on his way to 19 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. That was a full 38.8% of Winter Haven's points, marking the ninth time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jhalen Wilson, who put up ten points and eight rebounds.

Blue Devils

Previous 4 Games

01/02/25 vs Calvary Christian	49-69
12/29/24 vs Central	51-72
12/28/24 vs Ensworth	24-63
12/27/24 vs Notre Dame	37-92

Even though they lost, Winter Haven smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 19 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Calvary Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ethan Bergantino, who had 17 points. Bergantino's morning made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ethan Sabec, who posted 17 points.

Winter Haven's defeat dropped their record down to 2-11. As for Calvary Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season.

Winter Haven didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 65-23 loss against Zephyrhills Christian Academy on the 3rd. As for Calvary Christian, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next contest, a 54-52 victory against Berkeley Prep on the 3rd.