TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Guard Leads Spoto Basketball

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2007

RIVERVIEW - He didn't even take up the game until five years ago.

"Basketball's kind of a family thing," said Derick Beltran, a Spoto High School student. "I didn't start playing until around the eighth grade. I kind of picked it up from my pops first, but I've also got a few cousins that like to play."

Now Beltran, 18, is a senior and a starting guard for the Spartans basketball team in their first year of varsity competition.

"It's not going to be easy, since it's our first year, but I still expect us to compete every night," head coach Eric Brooks said.

Last year, the team finished with a 2-18 record while playing a junior varsity schedule, but closed its regular season with two wins.

This season, the team is off to a 0-2 start. Beltran has led the team in scoring in each contest. He is averaging 26 points and eight rebounds.

"He's very talented, and he's also a good teammate, a hard worker and a very good student," Brooks said.

This is Beltran's first year at Spoto. In addition to basketball, he was a high jumper for the East Bay High School track and field team.

He also plans to try out for the tennis team in the spring.

"It's my senior year, so why not," Beltran said.

Once his high school career is over, he plans to go to college - either Florida A&M or Clark Atlanta University - and study pharmacy, since science is his favorite subject.

Beltran also is holding out hope of taking his basketball game to the next level.

"I really enjoy playing sports and going to school," Beltran said. "The way practices and everything else is scheduled, it's not too difficult at all to do both if you really want to."

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT