CFCA boys hoops playing well for first-year coach

OCOEE — It would seem football isn’t the only sport on the campus of Central Florida Christian Academy experiencing a notable turnaround.

The Eagles boys basketball team, which went 1-24 on the season in 2013-14, is off to a 5-1 start under first-year coach Jonathan McClintock. CFCA was dealt its first loss of the season Dec. 4 by Agape Christian Academy, just two days after the Eagles registered an emphatic 73-41 victory on the road over Legacy Charter.

McClintock, who has 16 years of experience and most recently was the head coach at Grace University, has instilled a sense of confidence in his players that has CFCA soaring early in the season.

“I feel really, really blessed to have the guys that we have in our program,” McClintock said after the win over Legacy. “There’s not a guy in the program or family that hasn’t sacrificed something to come together. … We’ve just got really coachable, good young men, and I’m just really fortunate.”

McClintock is perhaps most fortunate to have the addition of the Treacy brothers, Jerred and Dante. The two guards are a force for the Eagles, both with the ability to get into the lane and knock down shots from the perimeter.

During the Dec. 2 win over the Eagles, Jerred Treacy, a junior, led the team with 21 points, and Dante Treacy, a freshman, chipped in 15 points.

“They both have a good feel for the game,” McClintock said. “They’ve both played a lot of basketball, so there’s not really a whole lot of situations they haven’t seen. The play off each other well — there is a brother thing going on there.”

CFCA runs with a fairly small, wing-heavy lineup, but anchoring the Eagles in the post is 6-foot-5 freshman Ajay Green.

“Ajay’s a really strong kid, and he’s tough to prevent from getting to the spot he wants to get,” McClintock said. “He’s pretty skilled and he’s growing — he’s doing a great job.”

Things will get tougher for CFCA as the schedule picks up and the program continues along in district play in Class 2A District 4. Upcoming games for the Eagles include a back-to-back Dec. 11 and 12, with CFCA traveling to take on Trinity Christian on Thursday and hosting Halifax the next day. Both contests are district games and tipoff at 7 p.m.

There is still plenty of work to be done, but chief among the team’s priorities is to maintain its focus and improve on defense as the season progresses.

“Our approach doesn’t change the whole year,” McClintock said. “We think we can be a good man-to-man defensive team.”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].