Basketball Game Preview: Oakleaf Knights vs. Ponte Vedra Sharks

Oakleaf and Ponte Vedra are an even 3-3 against one another since November of 2017, but not for long. The Oakleaf Knights will face off against the Ponte Vedra Sharks at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Oakleaf knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 games -- so hopefully Ponte Vedra likes a good challenge.

Last Saturday, Oakleaf strolled past Bradford with points to spare, taking the game 72-54. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 80th, while the Tornadoes are ranked 236th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Ponte Vedra didn't have too much trouble with Bishop Snyder on Saturday as they won 65-51. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Sharks.

Oakleaf better focus on containing David Sanchez Barrera and Maddox Palmer as the pair were huge in Ponte Vedra's win. Sanchez Barrera went 6 for 9 en route to 18 points in addition to eight steals and five assists, while Palmer almost dropped a double-double on 16 points and nine boards. The dominant performance gave Sanchez Barrera a new career-high in steals. Trace Westercamp was another key player, putting up nine points and seven blocks.

Oakleaf has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. As for Ponte Vedra, their win bumped their record up to 13-7.

Oakleaf came up short against Ponte Vedra in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 79-73. Can Oakleaf avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.