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Hernando Today

Opportunity Of A Lifetime

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR. Hernando Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 7, 2009

Updated: 03/07/2009 12:42 am

The fairytale season will end today. That much is guaranteed.

Either the glass Chuck Taylor will fit for Cinderella Springstead, or the Eagles will leave the ball with a second-place trophy.

Today Springstead (31-0) takes on Cocoa (29-3) in the Class 4A state championship game at 3:30 p.m. at The Lakeland Center's George Jenkins Arena.

For the Eagles, it's a chance to reach their ultimate goal, one that up until the past few weeks they only dreamed they could achieve.

It's also a chance at perfection and history - a chance to become the first basketball team from Hernando County and first athletic team in school history to claim a state crown.

Senior guard, emotional leader and team spokesman Dante Valentine summed it up best.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Valentine said. "We're going to take it all in."

One-mile marker
Springstead Head Coach Pat Kelly has a mantra that he borrowed from Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin about how his team has miles to go before it could sleep.

Well, consider this the one-mile marker. The Eagles stormed through their district and region, and Thursday knocked off the top-ranked team in the state, the Pensacola Tigers, in a state semifinal.

Just as they did against a quality West Port squad in the regional final, the Eagles rode an early surge and remained in control the entire way thanks to their smothering defense, winning 61-49.

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

High praise from a coach whose club played a challenging schedule that included Biloxi, a team playing for Mississippi's 5A state championship today, and three ranked teams in regionals.

Valentine's 24 points, six rebounds and five steals paced Springstead, who forced 23 turnovers and held the Tigers to 33 percent shooting.

Having disposed of number one in the state rankings, the ninth-ranked Eagles will now move to sixth-ranked Cocoa, also named the Tigers.

Cocoa defeated third-ranked Bartow in Thursday's other semifinal, 61-52, despite a near capacity crowd filled mostly with fans of nearby Bartow.
Springstead figures to have a similar edge in the stands, considering the school is much closer to Lakeland and had hundreds of supporters show up for a 2:30 p.m. contest on Thursday.

Julius Reid, a 6-foot-1 senior, displayed his shooting prowess against Bartow, knocking down three three-pointers in scoring a game-high 21 points. He's averaging 15.0 points on the season and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Ellis Young, a 6-foot-5 senior, posted 14 points and nine boards on Thursday and averages a double-double (14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds) along with 2.1 blocks per game.

Though point guards Reggie Clark and Jesse Capell showed capable ball-handling skills, Cocoa nearly blew a late lead when Bartow went to a press and cut its deficit to three.

After the game, Bartow Head Coach Terrence McGriff admitted he should have gone to a press sooner. Still, Cocoa Head Coach James Rowe has great faith in his backcourt personnel.

"We've got pretty good ball handlers," Rowe said. "I'm comfortable with guys handling the ball. That's what wins championship, protecting the basketball."

Of course, protecting the basketball is the primary concern of any Springstead opponent. The tenacity and quickness of Springstead's press has appeared to take teams by surprise throughout the state playoffs.

Rowe admitted he did not watch Springstead defeat Pensacola, but did have a scout in the crowd. The Tigers' 13-year headman said he preferred to focus on his own team.

"I believe in my team, I really do," Rowe said. "I felt good about this year from the start. It's a great group of kids. It's our time. We're happy to be here."

Scouting Cocoa

While Cocoa tangled with Bartow Thursday night, Kelly and his team watched from the stands in preparation for today's contest.

"Great team," Kelly said of the Tigers. "They're well-balanced. They have a high skill level. They have great athletes.

"We're going to go to the boards and defend and play at a high energy level. Increase our chances of winning by playing with high energy throughout the game."

Kelly felt Cocoa presented different challenges than Pensacola, noting slightly better perimeter shooting.

"We're going to bring the energy and try to adjust to what develops," Kelly said. "That's what we try to do, gauge what's going on in the game and adjust accordingly."

This marks the second time in Kelly's coaching career he has taken a team to a state final, following a 2003 appearance with Dover High in Delaware.

He lost that day, but knows firsthand what this game is all about and how much it takes just to reach it.

"It's not once in a lifetime because not everybody gets it," Kelly said of this opportunity. "If you do get there, it's a great accomplishment. The second thing is, once you get there, you sure want to win it.

"What you do is do what you've been doing that got you there. Put your best foot forward and have faith and believe and go through the ebbs and flows, the peaks and valleys, and fight through them and have a chance. I think it'll be a hard-fought game."

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: 2009 FHSAA Class 4A state championship game.

WHO: Cocoa Tigers (29-3, 4A-IV champions) vs. Springstead Eagles (31-0, 4A-II champions).

WHEN: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: George Jenkins Arena at The Lakeland Center.

AT STAKE: Class 4A state championship.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Cocoa (James Rowe, 13th year) - C D'Mario Hollingsworth (Jr), F Ellis Young (Sr), F Maurice Pugh (Fr), G Julius Reid (Sr), PG Reggie Clark (Jr); Springstead (Pat Kelly, 2nd year) - C Isaiah Mason (Sr), F Addison O'Neil (Jr), F Domnique Roberson (Sr), G Nick Steadman (Jr), PG Dante Valentine (Sr).

DIRECTIONS: Take Interstate 75 south to Interstate 4 east heading toward Orlando. Get off on exit 31 (Kathleen Road) and turn right toward Lakeland. Stay right as Kathleen Road becomes Sikes Boulevard and turn left on Lime Street. The Lakeland Center will be on the right.

FOR A COMPLETE

GAME RECAP: Check out www.hernandotoday.com and tomorrow's Tampa Tribune.

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

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