Basketball Game Preview: Central Cobras vs. North Tampa Christian Academy Titans

The Central Cobras will challenge the North Tampa Christian Academy Titans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Central knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully North Tampa Christian Academy likes a good challenge.

On Tuesday, Central escaped with a win against Vero Beach by the margin of a single free throw, 69-68.

Christian Maxon

Points

01/14/25 @ Vero Beach	33
12/21/23 vs Jensen Beach	33
12/08/23 @ Treasure Coast	27
12/29/24 vs Winter Haven	27
12/12/23 @ Westwood	27

Christian Maxon was his usual excellent self, going 9 for 11 from beyond the arc on his way to 33 points and five rebounds. That's the most points he has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Maxon, who posted 11 points in addition to eight assists and seven boards.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for North Tampa Christian Academy on Monday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Haines City out of the water with an 81-41 final score. The Titans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 23 points or more this season.

North Tampa Christian Academy's win came from a few key players Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Toni Bryant, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. He is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted three or more in the last 45 games he's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Brodey Cuffle, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 17 points.

North Tampa Christian Academy's victory was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-5. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 37.9 points. As for Central, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 9-6 record this season.