PORT ORANGE — Travis Norfolk gets it.

“With me being the third coach in four years for the seniors, it’s hard to just trust somebody,” Atlantic’s first-year head coach said.

He felt his Sharks, six of the 14 being seniors, battled two things during their 2-4 start: Lack of buy-in and shot making. Neither lasted long, though.

Since Dec. 13, Atlantic has claimed eight of 11 games. It extended its win streak to a season-best three against City of Life Christian 73-56 Monday during the Execute to Impact MLK Showcase at Spruce Creek.

Stacking wins makes it easier to build a culture.

“We’re just fun,” senior Keenan Plummer said. “We get the job done at the end of the day.”

Plummer led the Sharks with 12 points during their victory over the Warriors. They sped to a double-digit advantage in the first quarter and hung onto that for the duration as every player on the roster scored.

Atlantic checked off two of its top objectives by rebounding well and shooting well from 3-point land.

But it wasn’t the most impactful game of the season. That was against Palatka last Thursday.

Against a traditionally good program with a current 14-3 record, Atlantic went into a loud opposing gym and gritted out a 67-60 win.

Norfolk highlighted the reasons.

The Sharks rebounded well, something their coach listed as their greatest strength. Everyone from bigs like Plummer (10 rebounds a game) to guards like junior Trenton Miller and sophomore Cris De La Pena (four rebounds a game) crash the boards.

They took care of the ball. They converted shots. And they made the “winning plays” in the fourth quarter.

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That’s exactly what Norfolk wanted when he assumed control at Atlantic after stretches as an assistant there and, most recently, at Spruce Creek. It just took a while for the players to gel together and within Norfolk’s new systems. The only remedy was playing meaningful minutes together.

The result: The Sharks are progressing and peaking at the right time.

“When we do that stuff (that propelled us to the Palatka win), we can be tough,” Norfolk said. “We absolutely can make a run in districts if we do what we’re supposed to do as Atlantic basketball.”

What does that look like?

“We’re going to clap it up and play with a ton of energy,” Norfolk said. “We’re going to play hard as hell. We’re going to be physical. And we just want you to know, when you play Atlantic, you’re going to have a fight.”

Senior, freshman spearheading Deltona's winning streak

Deltona's girls team hasn’t lost since November.

After starting their season 1-3, the Wolves secured eight in a row ahead of Tuesday night’s tilt with Master’s Academy. Half of those eight wins have come against local programs: Father Lopez, Flagler Palm Coast, New Smyrna Beach and University.

Senior Calise Chisholm and freshman Iniya Reddicks lead the way with virtually the same production. Chisholm is averaging 14.5 points per game while Reddicks is contributing 14.4. Both rank among the area’s scoring leaders.

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Quick hits

• Father Lopez’s boys team stormed out of the gate with seven straight victories this season. The Green Wave’s current record stands at 10-5 and includes area wins over Calvary Christian, Flagler Palm Coast (twice), Halifax, Matanzas, Seabreeze and Warner Christian.

• Under former Atlantic star and WNBA draftee Ronni Williams, a first-year head coach, the Calvary Christian girls squad holds a 9-7 record going into Tuesday night.

• The Five Star Conference tournaments kick off Saturday. The boys quarterfinals will take place at University and the girls at Atlantic.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school basketball: Atlantic boys, Deltona girls piling up wins