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Tribune photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ

Springstead High senior Dante Valentine (3) elevates in the air for two of his game-high 24 points Thursday afternoon at The Lakeland Center against No. 1 ranked Pensacola High. The Eagles earned the county’s first-ever berth in state title game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. thanks to a 61-49 triumph over the Tigers.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: March 5, 2009

LAKELAND - One team came into The Lakeland Center as the top-ranked team in the state Thursday afternoon. The other team looked like it.

Springstead put its perfect season on the line on the biggest stage and against supposedly the best opponent, and looked every bit like a team in the verge of a state championship.

Let that sync in for a second. Yes, these ninth-ranked Eagles (31-0) will return to this venue and play for the ultimate crown Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against either Bartow or Cocoa.

They earned that right following yet another extremely impressive performance, defeating number one Pensacola in a Class 4A state semifinal, 61-49.

"This feels like what should happen," Springstead senior guard Dante Valentine said. "I didn't even see myself going home tonight and not coming back on Saturday."

Happy Valentine's Day

Nobody made this more possible on this day than Valentine, who scored 24 points to go along with six rebounds and five steals.

"He was a huge part," Springstead Head Coach Pat Kelly said. "Dante Valentine I thought was the best player on the floor."

Just as they had throughout regionals, the Eagles stormed out to an early lead behind their energetic defense. All five starters contributed a bucket in a 10-0 run over the opening three minutes.

Pensacola (29-6) didn't record its first field goal until Terrance Beasley's lay-up at the 4:59 mark. He accounted for seven of the Tigers' points in the period, balanced by Valentine's six points and three steals.

Springstead forced Pensacola into 10 first-quarter turnovers and led 15-10 after one, and would have had an even bigger lead if not for nine missed field goals, three missed free throws and five turnovers.
"Our kids just play with tremendous energy and make it difficult for teams out of the blocks," Kelly said. "It was the energy, the confidence, the dedication, the heart, the courage, the irrefutable nature of these kids that won us this game."

The lead reached 10 for the first time, 24-14, when Valentine hit Ben Noury for a fast-break basket with 2:10 left in the half. The Eagles took a 26-18 advantage into intermission.

Mason gave Springstead an 11-point edge, 33-22, on a trey at 5:17 in the third quarter. However, the Eagles would go nearly the rest of the period without a field goal.

Pensacola cut its deficit to 34-30 on a Tevin Lutley lay-up with under a minute to go. But two free throws by Domnique Roberson and a long three-pointer by Valentine at the horn pushed it back to 39-30.

"That's almost like sticking a stick in your eye," Pensacola Head Coach Bob Stinnett said of Valentine's shot. "He looked at the clock, took two more dribbles and let it fly. That's clock awareness. That's what good point guards do."

A jumper by Mason and a runner in traffic by Valentine put the Eagles up 43-30 at the beginning of the fourth.

The Tigers pulled within five, 47-42, when Erin Straughn dunked off a steal under the basket with 2:51 to go.

Roberson knocked down 1-of-2 free throws and Valentine added a lay-up to bring the lead back up to eight.

Following a steal, Roberson found Mason with a long pass down the floor. Mason shoveled it to Valentine for a hoop and 53-43 advantage.

Valentine followed with a steal and hit Nick Steadman for a floater, making it 55-44 with just 1:21 remaining.

With 23.2 seconds left, Kelly pulled his starters to a rousing ovation from the large quantity of Springstead supporters.

"I knew we could get here all year," said Mason, who finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and a block. "I'm not surprised."

Roberson, the Eagles' other senior starter, added 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Stuck in mud

Straughn finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks for the Tigers. Beasley chipped in 13 points, seven boards and three steals.

Reflecting back, Stinnett admitted his squad looked like it was "stuck in the mud" and gave great credit to Springstead.

"From my perspective, they prepared better, executed better and seemed to just want it better," Stinnett said. "We kicked it in gear the last 4-5 minutes, but it was too late. We didn't match their intensity and they played well. They deserve to be 31-0.

"We've played teams that are more talented, but I don't think we've played a team that executes as well as they do."

Stinnett felt his team might have come in a little star-struck, while the Eagles showed great poise.

"Before the game started, someone said the team that got settled down, not worrying about the cameras and the crowd, had a better chance of winning," Valentine said. "I figured since they played in out-of-state tournaments, they'd be used to these gyms. But we got settled down really quick."

So Springstead will play one more time on Saturday, and these Eagles will have a chance to show they are the true number one team in the state.

"Gosh it hurts me to say this," Stinnett said. "But I thought the better team won."

SPRINGSTEAD 61, PENSACOLA 49

Qtr. Scoring 1 2 3 4
Pensacola 10 8 12 19 — 49
Springstead 15 11 13 22 — 61
Pensacola (49): Lutley 1 1-4 3, Straughn 9 5-8 23, Beasley 6 1-1 13, Edward 0 3-5 3, Johnson 0, Curry 3 0-0 6, McKinstry 0 1-2 1, Powell 0, Stomitoles 0, Gaston, Williams 0, Somerville 0, Mims 0. Totals 19 11-20 49.
Springstead (61): Roberson 2 7-10 11, O'Neil 1 4-4 6, Mason 3 4-9 11, Valentine 9 5-6 24, Steadman 2 0-4 4, Latimer 1 0-2 2, Noury 1 0-0 2, Inniss 0 1-2 1, Sabaski 0, Wild 0, Maragh 0. Totals 19 21-37 61.
Three-point field goals: PEN 0; SPG 2 (Mason, Valentine).
Total fouls: PEN 24; SPG 19.
Technical fouls: none.
Fouled out: Beasley, Edward (PEN).
Records: Pensacola (29-6), Springstead (31-0).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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