Bartow has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Ridge Community Bolts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Last Friday, Bartow lost to Santa Fe Catholic at home by a decisive 61-46 margin. While losing is never fun, Bartow can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 342nd, while Santa Fe Catholic is ranked 18th).
Despite their loss, Bartow saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Antwan Willis, who scored 11 points along with 6 assists and 3 steals, was perhaps the best of all. Edward Wiggins was another key contributor, scoring 6 points along with 8 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Ridge Community gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Wednesday. They strolled past East Ridge with points to spare, taking the game 67-48.
Their wins bumped Bartow to 1-3 and Santa Fe Catholic to 3-0.
Bartow beat Ridge Community 66-55 when the teams last played back in December of 2022. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bartow since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
