Leesburg Basketball: Yellow Jackets Earn Return Trip To Lakeland, February 26, 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Yellow Jackets Earn Return Trip To Lakeland, February 26, 2012

Photo by Despina Barton, BHSN Reporter

Leesburg Slips Past Orlando Edgewater For Class 6A Region 2 Championship

By Gerald Lacey

Staff Writer

Carver Heights Quarterback Club

leesburgyellowjacketsfootball@yahoo.com

Sunday, February 26, 2012

ORLANDO - Leesburg Boys Basketball (21-9) second year head coach Marcel Thomas has his team in position to do something that has never been done in Lake County High School Sports history. The Fightin' Yellow Jackets will travel to Lakeland for a chance to repeat as Boys Basketball State Champion this weekend. No Boys Basketball team has ever won back to back state championships in Lake County High School Sports history.

2012 University of Miami (FL) Football Signee D'Mauri Jones free throw with 9 seconds left in the 4th quarter gave Leesburg a 54-53 win and the Class 6A Region 2 Boys Basketball Championship. The Eagles of Edgewater gave the defending champs all they could handle at the Eagles Nest on the campus of Edgewater High School. The Eagles finished the 2010-2011 season 1-24 and had no seniors in their starting lineup.

The Jacket Nation turned the Eagles Nest into a home away from home. Tickets were not sold to fans until hours before tipoff. Nearly 2000 fans packed the Eagles Nest most of them from Leesburg.

"Besides winning the game, the best part for us tonight was getting off that bus and seeing all our fans here to greet us," Leesburg coach Marcel Thomas said. "It made us feel very comfortable heading into our biggest game of the year. Our fans are fantastic. They've been with us at every game this season. You tend to play so much better when you know you have supporters behind you when you play."

Leesburg jumped out to a early 4-0 lead but went through a scoring drought over the next five minutes. The Jackets signature pressure defense kept the young Eagles squad off of the scoreboard for most of the opening quarter.

"We didn't want to leave them any open shots," Yellow Jackets coach Marcel Thomas said.

The Eagles finally got on the scoreboard and took a 5-4 lead late in the first quarter.

Leesburg Coach Marcel Thomas

"There must've been a lid on the basket," Thomas said. "We had a lot of good looks at the basket, but the ball just wouldn't fall. I give our guys credit for not getting frustrated and getting away from what we were trying to do."

The Jackets had won their five games by a average margin of 25 points could get no farther then 7 points in front of Edgewater throughout the game. Sophomore Eddie Keith hit three 3-pointers in third quarter to keep the game close. Cousins PG Joe Toolie, Jr. and sophomore center Troy Willis Jr. paced the Jackets in the quarter with a combined 13 points.

The Jackets led 51-44 with about 4 minutes left in the game and seemed to have the game under control at that point. Leesburg, the 2011 defending 4A champion that moved into 6A this season, used full-court pressure in the fourth quarter. That disrupted the less-experienced Eagles. But Edgewater wouldn't go away and the game was tied with 1:32 left to play in the 4th quarter. Two free throws put the Jackets ahead 53-51 when Edgewater's Josh Howard sank a layup with 57 seconds left to tie the game.

Leesburg converted 11 of 13 foul shots in the fourth quarter.

Marcel Thomas called a timeout and demonstrated why he is the 2012 FACA Class 6A District 7 coach of the year. Thomas drew up a play that resulted in 2011 Class 4A Boys Basketball All Final Four Team member D'Mauri Jones going to the free throw line with 9 seconds remaining in the game. Jones once again came up big and knock down the first free throw and missed the second attempt.

After the miss Edgwater's Josh Howard grabbed the rebound and dribbled up court for a final desperation shot. Howard put up a spinning driving runner that bounce off the rim and rolled out of bounds giving the Jackets possession of the basketball with one second remaining in the game.

Watch Game Highlights Click Here

Toolie paced Leesburg with 14 points, followed by Willis with 12

Edgewater, which finished its season with a 19-11 record and started no seniors, were led by Keith with 12 points and DeAngelo Legrier with 11. Howard added 10.

"Experience was everything tonight. I couldn't have asked for anything more, as we got beat by seniors tonight," said Edgewater coach Matt Turner.

The "Eagles Nest" on the campus of Orlando Edgewater High School.

"I'm so proud of these kids," Thomas said after the Yellow Jackets held off a late charge by the Eagles.

"Getting back to Lakeland was one of our goals this year and every member of this team has worked hard to achieve that goal. It's not easy to get to the Final Four two years in a row.

"The fact we've done that is because of the dedication of our players and their willingness to work."

With the win the Jackets clinched their 15th FHSAA Final appearance according to Buddy Collings of the Orlando Sentinel. They will face Jacksonville Wolfson in the Class 6A Boys Basketball Semifinal Friday at the the Lakeland Center in Lakeland Florida. Leesburg beat Jacksonville Wolfson 89-85 February 22, 2001 in the Class 5A boys basketball Regional Quarterfinal playoff game.

Listen live on my790am or www.my790am.com Saturday February 25, 2012.

Former Leesburg High School Football and Basketball Standout Matt Shepherd at Monmouth College, Monmouth Illinois

Former Leesburg High School, Monmouth College (Monmouth, Illinois), Finland’s Kouvola Indians Standout and current Marburg Mercenaries in the southern division of the GFL player Matt Shepherd will make his first appearance on the Lake County Sports Show March 10, 2012.