Blake High School Senior Andre Smith held his head high as he exited the Lakeland Civic Center Friday afternoon. Coach Winston Davis and his Yellow Jackets had just lost a semi-final contest 68-52 to the “other” Yellow Jackets from Leesburg.

Blake’s magical season ended in front of 2,200 fans on Florida’s biggest stage at the FHSAA Boys Basketball Finals. It was a disappointing ending for a great season.

Yet, Smith managed a smile as a fan shook his hand and wished him well, as he heads for South Carolina’s Division I Winthrop University in the fall. He scored 16 points in his final game for Blake, while 6’3″ junior, Brandon Channer added 20 points.

Channer and 6’2″ defensive specialist Clarence Peterson return to Blake’s squad next year, which made it to the state tournament for the first time since the all-black state tournaments ended in the late 1960s. Blake closed in 1971 and reopened in 2007.

Tampa’s Yellow Jackets entered the tournament ranked #1 in Florida Class 4A , and took a 28-2 record into their matchup with Leesburg.