- April 24, 2024
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Senior Victor Rodriguez III drives to the basket. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Senior Bryce Taugher passes the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC coach Derrick Williams yells instructions to his players in a Feb. 4, 2022 game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Karl Knighten handles the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Senior Alex Aviles led the Bulldogs with 19 points. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rya'sir Jefferson on defense. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Keymarion Hall dribbles upcourt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Victor Rodriguez Jr., father of senior Victor Rodriguez III, and sister Abigail Rodriguez celebrate the guard's final regular-season game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC cheerleaders. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Karl Knighten at the free throw line. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC cheerleaders. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Alex Aviles (10) drives the baseline. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Karl Knighten set to shoot a free throw. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Alex Aviles get sets to shoot a free throw. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Alex Aviles brings the ball upcourt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
In his first two preseason games with Flagler Post Coast, Calvary Christian transfer Karl Knighten had trouble adjusting to a new role.
The junior guard was no longer required to run the offense and take most of the shots. Alex Aviles was the established point guard for the Bulldogs' boys basketball team and was returning for his senior season.
“It was different, me playing off the ball,” Knighten said. “Alex and I talked about it. Then we got in our groove. It's nice having another person around me who can score and play point guard.”
Aviles and Knighten combined to score 31 points as the Bulldogs defeated Maitland Orangewood Christian 46-41 in their final regular-season game Feb. 4 on Senior Night at FPC.
Aviles scored a game-high 19 points, and Knighten added 12 as the Bulldogs (11-12) won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Five of the six wins were by seven points or less.
“All of our games are low scoring,” FPC coach Derrick Williams said. “Our guys now have figured out how to finish.”
After Ceaden Duford missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the score with five seconds remaining, Aviles drained two free throws to put the game out of reach.
“We know we're going to have a lot of close games, because we don't have any shooters,” said Aviles, who hit the only two 3-pointers in the game for FPC — both in the first half.
Aviles, and Knighten average a combined 28.8 points. Aviles, who averages 17.1 points per game, leads the team with 46 made 3-pointers.
The backcourt mates don't need to shoot a lot from long-range, they say, because they are so effective driving to the basket.
“A lot of teams can't guard us,” Knighten said. “We have our shooting nights, but mostly we drive to the hole and go to the foul line.”
While Knighten, a junior, has found his comfort zone, Aviles has found more freedom with Knighten on the floor.
“Sometimes teams try to double-team me, and I just feed it to Karl,” Aviles said.
“Those guys are the two horns of the bull. They bring all the damage.”
DERRICK WILLIAMS, FPC coach on leading scorers Alex Aviles and Karl Knighten
“Those guys are the two horns of the bull,” Williams said. “They bring all the damage.”
Williams, who is in his first year with the Bulldogs, has put a lot more on Aviles shoulders this season.
“He has to be averaging about 31 minutes out of 32,” Williams said.
Aviles, forward Bryce Taugher and guard Victor Rodriguez, are the only seniors on the team. They might have played their final home game. But the Bulldogs felt like they were in a good spot entering the District 2-7A tournament against Spruce Creek on Feb. 9.
