The Dragons of Jefferson High School lost the semi-final round of the 6-A Tournament in Lakeland on Friday, 67-43, finishing the season at 27-5.
BY GWEN HAYES
Sentinel Editor
Jefferson High School basketball coach, Eric Hayes, said the trip to Lakeland for the Florida High School Athletic Association State Basketball Tournament “was a good experience for the boys.”
Having been a longtime supporter of the State Tournament (since he was about 3 years old), Hayes said he carried his team to Lakeland for the 2014 tournament as spectators and they were excited about what they saw. “They saw what it took to make it there to be on the floor,” he said.
With all of their work, the team was able to make it to Lakeland. Friday afternoon, February 27, 2015, Jefferson took on the 21-8 Miami Norland Vikings, coached by Lawton Williams, III, in his 12th year.
The Dragons shot 35% as a team. Coach Hayes said this was the lowest percentage for his team this season and the lowest score. Jefferson made 18 of 51 shots, while Norland shot 59%, and 66% on 3-pointers.
Jefferson stayed close to Norland in the first quarter, down by 1 point, 14-13 at the end of the quarter. The second quarter was a different story. Jefferson was down 30-17 at the half.
Norland’s David Jean-Baptiste started hitting 3’s (he hit 4) and forward Dewan Huell grabbed 17 rebound and blocked 7 shots, that zapped Jefferson of its energy. One of Jefferson’s players commented that they “played lackadaisical.”
“The team was down. We came close to the basket, but didn’t finish. I told the team we have to finish the basket and when we get turnovers, we have to finish the play.
“I’m proud of their efforts – all the work they put in during the offseason, summer, and throughout the season. They had an experience that many players in Hillsborough County did not have this season.”
As a matter of fact, Coach Hayes, started 4 years for Tampa Catholic High School, but never made it to the State Tournament as a player. He did, however, make it there as an Assistant Coach for Tampa Catholic in 2000. Jefferson was the only team from Hillsborough County to make it to the 2015 State Tournament.
Graduating 7 seniors this year, 4 of them starters, Coach Hayes said “a lot of the guys on the team were contributors. Our JV team has a lot of good guys who will be called on to produce more. With all that is done in the offseason, they’ll be ready when the season starts. We’ll be back down there sooner than some think.” (Photos by Frederick Harris)
