For one half, the Zephyrhills Bulldogs looked every bit capable of hanging with perennial power Clearwater Central Catholic. But after trailing by just six at halftime, the Bulldogs’ offense stalled, opportunities dried up, and a long second half allowed CCC to pull away for a 67–39 victory on Tuesday night.
Coach Mike Novak’s Bulldogs went into the locker room down 32–26, buoyed by relentless hustle, strong defensive effort, and timely scoring. But what started as a promising night quickly turned into frustration, as the Bulldogs mustered only 13 second-half points while CCC found its rhythm from the perimeter and punished Zephyrhills in transition.
“We came out flat,” Novak said. “We took some bad chances, guys pressed too much, and others didn’t get back on defense. They beat us down the floor several times. It’s just inexperience. Hopefully, it’s an eye-opener. Sometimes you have three or four kids who think they’re ‘all that,’ and then a night like this humbles you.”
The Marauders outscored the Bulldogs 35–13 over the final two quarters, flipping a competitive game into a runaway.
Kayin Shive led the Bulldogs with 11 points with nine of those coming in the second quarter.
Zephyrhills entered the matchup short-handed and still in the early stages of building its identity. Several key players—fresh off a deep state playoff run in football—were in street clothes on the bench, expected to join the basketball roster in the coming days. Their absence was felt.
With a rotation stretched thin and roles still being defined, the Bulldogs struggled to create consistency on offense. Open looks became harder to find, shots stopped falling, and turnovers in the half court allowed CCC to seize momentum.
“We’re just a young team that has to learn to pick up the intensity and be mature,” Novak said. “It’s the same thing we talked about yesterday (after a 50-42 loss to Lakeland Christian). We came out without energy, we were up nine yesterday, and then did the same thing tonight. We just fell flat.”
Even in defeat, Zephyrhills showed flashes of what it can become. The Bulldogs battled early, attacked the paint, and matched CCC’s intensity for much of the first half. Several underclassmen logged meaningful minutes, gaining experience that will pay off once the roster is at full strength.
But the second half underscored the reality of an early-season team still finding its footing. CCC pushed the tempo, knocked down outside shots, and steadily widened the gap as Zephyrhills’ offense sputtered.
For Zephyrhills, the loss stings but doesn’t define the season. With reinforcements arriving soon and key football standouts expected to transition onto the court, the Bulldogs’ lineup will look very different in the coming weeks.
For now, the Bulldogs head back to the practice court knowing exactly where they need to grow. They are back in action at the Dog House Friday against Patel with an 8 p.m. tipoff.
