The Excitement Continues In Leesburg, March 31, 2011

The Excitement Continues In Lake County 

By Bill Buchalter, BHSN H.S. Insider
Last Updated: Thursday, March 17, 2011  

ORLANDO --  
Proclamations, declarations, parades of athletes, perhaps even some confetti, too.

Little old Lake County was right in the middle of all this excitement.

The Leesburg boys basketball team relived a magical moment for the city when it celebrated the state championship with a parade that culminated with a visit to City Hall. The parade brought back memories of 1977, would you believe 34 years ago, when Bill Clendinen created a defensive mind-set that had opposing coaches shaking their heads and opposing coaches bewildered by the energy.

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Ed Chatman was the all-star team leader. Leesburg crushed a good Marianna team by 20 points in the title game, thanks to a suffocating defense that produced a slew of easy baskets.

Clendinen was well prepared to coach that title team. He was a top assistant for Hugh DurhamTates Locke at Clemson. Later in Clendinen’s career when he was working in school administration in Lake County, Locke, then working as an NBA scout, asked Clendinen to check out an area high school player. He told his old friend and boss to get on the bandwagon. That player was Orlando Cypress Creek senior A’Mare Stoudemire, now with the New York Knicks. at Florida State and

That 1977 success was multiplied by Orlando Boone, led by Coach Wayne Rickman and senior star Pernell Tookes, who upset favored DeLand in the 4A championship game. DeLand was led by 6-9 Gumby Lewis and 6-7 Oliver Lee who arguably was a better high school talent than his nephew who came along later. His name was Vince Carter, yes the same Vince Carter starring in the NBA. Lee played collegiately for Al McGuire at Marquette.

Boone’s triumph closed out a four-year domination (Reaching the Class 4A final for four consecutive years) known as the Metro Conference’s Golden Era of high school basketball. Winter Park Coach Bobby Marr and shooting star Stan Pietkiewicz lost to Miami Jackson in ’74 but the Jackson Wonder Five’s title was vacated for using ineligible players, among them Mychel Thompson who later became an NBA all-star for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Darryl Dawkins and Coach Fred Pennington delivered the ’75 crown to Orlando Evans and the late Dion Rainey and Coach Rudy Tapia, Pennington’s protégé, did likewise in ’76 for Orlando Edgewater..

It wasn’t until 1983 that Orlando won another title with Rickman and Boone beating Jacksonville Jackson.

So the success leading to the Leesburg parade can be tied to the past.

Not only did Leesburg win this year, but so did Winter Park who beat fellow Metro foe and rival Orlando Dr. Phillips in the title game. Ironically, another gifted shooter, Austin Rivers, led the way for Winter Park. It’s too bad the three-point shot wasn‘t around when Pietkiewicz played because his numbers would have been staggering.

So, it’s been a great two weeks for Metro and Lake County hoops. 

The late Austin (Red) Robbins of Groveland and later Chipola Junior College in Marianna, the University of Tennessee and the American Basketball Association, was announced for induction in to the FHSAA Sports Hall of Fame. University of Florida senior Chandler Parsons (Winter Park Lake Howell) was named Southeastern Conference player of the year. He’s the son of Gary Parsons, who starred along with Pietkiewicz and Jesse Cleveland on that ’74 Winter Park team.

Earlier in the month, a number of Olympic athletes visited Grassy Lake Elementary in Minneola.

The special guests were helping students to celebrate Read Across America, a program designed to encourage reading of books by young people. The athletes did some reading to the students and shared their medals and life lessons and focused on the importance of education and how to overcome obstacles..

Among the Olympians, who train at the National Training Center in Clermont or at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, were Beijing bronze medal hurdler David Oliver and 4th place hurdler Damu Cherry, who grew up in Tampa and sprint silver medal winner Churandy Miranda of The Netherland Antilles plus Jamaica hurdler Andrea Bliss.

Resources

Bill Buchalter, 

BHSN H.S. Insider

www.bhsn.com

Article provided by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
www.leesburgyellowjacketsbasketball.com

    

Gerald is a professional Internet marketer and social media marketing expert. His online business ventures and websites generate multiple streams of income annually. His consulting clients include best selling authors and international speakers.  

Gerald is the CEO/President of Lacey LLC and OmariWholesale, Inc. He runs his entire business from his home where he is able to spend quality time with his family and friends. He is passionate about helping individuals to build and monetize their personal brand online.