Basketball Game Preview: Avon Park Red Devils vs. DeSoto County Bulldogs

After both having extra time off, the Avon Park Red Devils and the DeSoto County Bulldogs will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Avon Park has seven straight wins, DeSoto County has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

While Avon Park didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They strolled past Jordan Christian Prep Sunshine with points to spare two weeks ago, taking the game 80-65.

Avon Park's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tayvion Jones, who posted 19 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Kelly, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 20 rebounds.

Meanwhile, DeSoto County was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap two weeks ago as they fell 70-65 to Southwest Florida Christian.

Avon Park pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.9 points per game. As for DeSoto County, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.

Avon Park took their victory against DeSoto County in their previous matchup back in December of 2024 by a conclusive 83-60. The rematch might be a little tougher for Avon Park since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.