RYAN YABLON DELIVERS EXTRA-INNINGS BOMB FOR MARATHON

Conchs baseball hangs on to top rank in 4A with playoffs approaching

Key West hosted the Tigers of Palmetto on April 7-8. In game one, Anden Rady went 3 for 3 at the plate, earning a single, double and triple with three of the Conchs’ four hits. Gabe Williams earned the final hit of the 3-0 win. Andris Barroso threw for six innings, earning the W for Key West, and Jacob Burnham gave him an inning of relief in the game.

DAESHAWN HOLMES Freshman, Marathon

Daeshawn Holmes led the Fins in points (9.6), rebounds (7) and blocks (3.7) per game. Just a freshman, his blocking earned him the fourth-place slot in the state for blocked shots per game in District 3A. Described as extremely coachable and driven, Holmes is already a playmaker for Marathon, and all indications point to him becoming an all-out beast in the coming years. “If he is not blocking shots, he is altering them,” said Marathon coach Kevin Freeman. “He has a natural instinct to block shots, something inside of him that doesn’t need to be taught. As he gets stronger as he gets older, he will be a force in the paint.”

FISHER COLEMAN-SAYER Senior, Marathon

A four-year starter for the Fins, Coleman-Sayer averaged 7.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, but his most important role for Marathon was his leadership. A captain for two seasons, he stepped into numerous positions on the team without complaint, filling in wherever needed. Freeman praised Coleman-Sayer’s leadership and positive influence on the underclassmen, explaining, “He has a grasp of what we are trying to accomplish on the court and teaches the younger players what our goals are. He will be greatly missed.”

The following day, the Conchs collected multiple hits from Jack Haggard, Matt Greenberg, Sam Holland, Jose Perdigon, Williams and Rady while Wyatt Kuhn added a base hit to make it 13 for Key West. Felix Ong earned the win for the Conchs, throwing six innings against the Tigers, and Marlin Takovich closed it out to give Key West a solid 15-4 record with seven games left in the regular season. Key West is holding on to the top spot in the FHSAA 4A rankings with district action beginning May 1.

Marathon had a mixed bag last week, losing to Highlands Christian on April 3 before defeating Palmer Trinity on April 5 and earning a win via forfeit from Everglades Prep on April 7. In the loss against Highlands, Gabe Leal, Gavin Leal and Ryan Yablon each had a base hit. Yablon went the distance on the mound for the Dolphins, striking out eight in the game.

Two nights later, Yablon registered two hits, one a home run, in a game that would need an eighth inning to decide a victor. Gabe Leal also had a pair of hits and Gavin Leal, Micah Sauders and Dylan Globe each had base hits in the win. Dylan Ziels and Bryan Broche teamed up on the mound for Marathon as Broche was awarded the win. The Fins’ record stands at 11 wins and 5 losses.

Coral Shores suffered two losses, bringing its record to 4-11 on the season. They played at Chaminade-Madonna on April 4, losing 10-0. Maykol Bonito-Rodriguez registered the only hit for the ’Canes against the Lions. On April 7, the result would be closer but not quite close enough for a win against Keys Gate in an 11-7 loss.