Gateway Conference Tournament Preview

It’s that time of year again.  The Gateway Conference Tournament is upon us.  For those who are unfamiliar with the Gateway Conference, it is comprised of the 17 schools that are located in Duval County.  It includes Andrew Jackson, Atlantic Coast, Baldwin, Ed White, Englewood, First Coast, Fletcher, Mandarin, Paxon, Raines, Ribault, Riverside (formerly Lee), Sandalwood, Stanton, Terry Parker, Westside, and Wolfson.  Of those 17 schools, only 12 actually make the tournament with the top 4 seeds all receiving a first-round bye.  Let’s take a look at what we should expect from this year’s tournament. <ol> <li> <strong>Mandarin</strong> has earned the number one seed in the tournament and is one of the favorites to win it all.  They are undefeated at 13-0 and looked primed to ride this momentum to a championship.  They have a great chance with sensational sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="349326" first="Nykeria" last="Thomas"]</strong> leading the way for them.  She is a silky smooth wing that is athletic and can score at all three levels.  They also have senior <strong>Ellie Jackson</strong> averaging double figures and has been playing great for them as an undersized big.</li> <li>Two teams that have battled in recent years for the crown and are well-known to most are <strong>Raines and Ribault</strong>.  It is shocking that neither is the favorite but I wouldn’t count them out.  They are both in rebuilding years as they each had senior-heavy teams last year.  They still have a good chance as they both return their veteran coaches with aggressive defensive mentalities.  Ribault has a roster with no seniors and is led by freshmen <strong>Terrannya Medlock, Destiny Donaldson, Paris Washington</strong>, and sophomore <strong>Kayla Massey,</strong> who is the lone member remaining from last year’s team but they have a first-round bye and a favorable bracket.  Raines has more returning players but not with much experience.  They are led by senior Shemaiah Lester and freshman Joy Wright and [player_tooltip player_id="346822" first="Lamiyah" last="Hogans"].  They will have to potentially beat Jackson, Paxon, and Mandarin to make it back to the championship.</li> <li>Three teams that have won the tournament in the past and have a good chance to win it all are <strong>Andrew Jackson, Paxon, and Sandalwood.</strong>  Of the three, Andrew Jackson has the best chance.  They are a senior-heavy team led by <strong>Indreanna Bargeron, [player_tooltip player_id="248563" first="Jazmine" last="Jackson"], and Irene Kabassubabo.</strong>  They came into the season as the favorite but have not played one team that is in the conference which makes it hard to gauge how they will fair.  The tough schedule they have played should make up for this but they have a tough draw and will have to make it past Raines, Paxon, and Mandarin just to make it to the championship game.  Paxon has had a great season thus far and is led by two sensational sophomores, <strong>Ansley Hicks and [player_tooltip player_id="349325" first="Kennedy" last="Waymer"]</strong>.  They played their way into the number four overall seed and a first-round bye.  It won’t be easy though as Raines, Andrew Jackson and Mandarin are all on their side of the bracket.  Sandalwood is also an experienced team but they have a new coach.  I still like their chances as they have one of the most dominant players in the area in junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91643" first="Jada" last="Jones"] </strong>and have secured a first-round bye.</li> <li>Although their teams aren’t favorites to win it all, look for these four players to have big games that may propel their teams to an upset victory.  <strong>London Jenkins and Jazarri Henderson</strong> are two dynamic guards that play for <strong>Riverside</strong> under an experienced coach.  London is quick, fearless, and can catch fire quickly.  Jazarri is a smooth shooting guard that can score at all three levels.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="349439" first="Jaide" last="Williams"]</strong> is the floor general for <strong>Terry Parker</strong>.  Jaide is a capable scorer that has taken on a leadership role this year and is primed for a breakout performance.  <strong>Leandrea McCloud</strong> is a silky smooth forward that plays for a young <strong>Ed White</strong> team.  Leandrea leads her team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks.</li> </ol> The Gateway Conference Tournament will take place during the week of January 10th.  Mandarin, Sandalwood, Ribault, and Paxon secured the top 4 seeds and first-round byes.  The other eight teams that will participate in the tournament are Andrew Jackson, Atlantic Coast, Baldwin, Ed White, Raines, Riverside, Stanton, and Terry Parker.  First-round games will be played at Raines and Ed White starting at 5:30 pm on Monday, January 10, 2022.  Go out and support these young ladies and their teams if you can and follow me on Twitter @CoachPatrece for updates.  You can view the bracket <a href="http://&quot;C:UsersalberDownloadsIMG_0204.jpg&quot;">here</a>.