Saturday, November 14, 2026
Photos by Scott H. Shook | Senior Kevin Barry jockeys for rebounding position.
Junior Nick Smithem looks for an open man.
Freshman Grayson Jones lines up a three-pointer.
Senior Kyler Howard goes in for a layup. Howard had 17 points for the Academy.
Sophomore John Boxma brings the ball upcourt.
Johnny Watt is on the move. Watt scored 24.
Sophomore Shamus Coyle lines up a three-pointer.
Junior Joe Reisinger drives to the basket. He scored 12 points for the Rays.
The Marco Island Academy could not have asked for an easier time in their home opener Friday night at the Marco Middle School gym, coasting to a 97-35 win over outmanned Mason Classical Academy.
Head Coach Travis Berry had to miss the game because of a family emergency, but assistant Coach Jim Watt had an easy time leading the Rays to victory. “It was great,” Jim Watt said. “The kidsâ¯played good. Our senior leadership was outstanding. I was proud of them.”
The Rays jumped out to a 41-12 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, leading 73-19 at halftime and coasting to the win.
Despite the ease of their success, Watt said the match-up was beneficial to the Rays. “We got to run our defense. Run our press a little bit. We look at this as getting ready for our next game. It was almost like a practice for us. It was fantastic. We executed the defense really, really well. Sharing the basketball wasâ¯fantastic. I felt they reallyâ¯showed the team we’re building in to.”
Kevin Barry was the leading scorer for the Rays, with 36 points in three–quarters of play. Johnny Watt had 24 and Joe Reisinger finished with 12.
The Rays improved to 2-1 with the win. It was the first game of the season for Mason Classical Academy.
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