Heroes for a day, champions for a lifetime

Leesburg High School's coaches and players unveil the banner to be hung in the high school's gymnasium in honor of their winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

LEESBURG

THERESA CAMPBELL | Staff Writer

theresacampbell@dailycommercial.com 

Florida's boys basketball state champions -- Leesburg High School's Yellow Jackets -- received cheers and a standing ovation from the community Wednesday night, during a parade down Main Street and festive celebration at Leesburg's Towne Square. 

Hundreds of fans, parents, students and community leaders turned out to honor LHS for winning the state basketball title in Lakeland on Saturday, defeating Fort Lauderdale's Cardinal Gibbons High School 66-58 in the Florida High School Athletic Association's Class 4A Championship.

Leesburg High School's basketball coach Marcel Thomas introduces his players to the crowd during a celebration in honor of the high school's basketball team for winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

"I'm so proud of my Yellow Jackets!" fan Wanda Smith said as she waved the team's picture in the air. She also proudly noted that she's an LHS alumni who taught many of the basketball players when they were in middle school.

"Let's congratulate our boys' basketball team for bringing home the state championship!" Dr. Susan Moxley, Lake County Schools' superintendent, said to the cheering crowd after the parade. "This is what it is all about, the community and school coming together in strong partnership to support great times and great things that lie ahead for Leesburg High School, and I want to extend great congratulations to our Leesburg High School boys basketball team for winning the championship and for representing Leesburg High School and Leesburg community and Lake County Schools in such a stellar way." 

Leesburg High School's cheerleaders hold a banner introducing the basketball team during a parade downtown in honor of their winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

Rosanne Brandeburg said she was tickled to have "bragging rights" as she represents LHS on the school board. "You are No. 1, you are awesome, and I am proud of each and every one of you," she told the team. 

"This is a great day in Leesburg and we do have bragging rights," added Leesburg Mayor Bill Polk, a 1972 graduate of LHS. "On behalf of Leesburg residents and with tremendous hometown pride, I give the heartiest congratulations to the boys of Leesburg High School's basketball team on the Florida Class 4A Championship, and I can't think of a better way to begin my term as mayor then to come together with fans and LHS alumni to celebrate their outstanding achievement." 

Leesburg Commissioners Sanna Henderson, John Christian and David Knowles also echoed praise to the team and noted they were proud to be LHS alumni. 

"You guys have brought history to Leesburg," Knowles said. "You will, for the rest of your lives, be able to say, 'We were the state champions in 2011.'" 

"Moving on up" is Leesburg High School's motto, and LHS Principal Bill Miller related a special moment when "Movin' on Up," the TV theme song to The Jeffersons, was heard on the airwaves during the championship game. 

Residents line Main Street as Leesburg High School's coaches and players of the basketball team parade down Main Street in honor of their winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

"I have a hard time watching basketball, it makes me so nervous," Miller told the crowd. "When we were up 16 (points) I was thinking we were OK, and then you blink your eyes two or three times and it was down six points and we were starting to struggle. Guys are getting a little bit weary, and then all of a sudden the song, 'Movin' on Up' automatically appeared and everybody thought I paid the guys off to play the song, and I really didn't. It was like a gift from God above. When we were struggling, our 'Movin' on Up' song played and like a miracle, our guys responded, and they went on to put the game away." 

Leesburg High School's coaches and players of the basketball team parade down Main Street in honor of their winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

 Leesburg coach Marcel Thomas -- a first year coach at LHS along with his assistants -- praised the principal and other LHS officials for having faith in him as a coach, educator "and for allowing me to be part of the LHS Moving on Up movement." 

"I came to a great situation here in Leesburg with excellent kids, great parents a great community and a great administration," Thomas said, recalling he told the team last summer that they had a great opportunity to do something special with hard work and dedication. 

Leesburg High School's coaches and players of the basketball team parade down Main Street in honor of their winning the Class 4A State Championship title, in Leesburg, on Wednesday, March 9, 2011

"We did it Leesburg! We did it Lake County! And we are champions!" Thomas said.

Each LHS basketball player was introduced and received cheers from the crowd. 

"This is something I won't forget," Anthony Davis, one of six juniors on the 2011 state championship team, said with a wide smile. "This was fun."

RESOURCES

THERESA CAMPBELL | Staff Writer
DAILY COMMERCIAL

theresacampbell@dailycommercial.com

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Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
www.leesburgyellowjacketsbasketball.com

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