Lakeland- Possessing intestinal fortitude in basketball usually describes a team or a player’s endurance through pain and adversity on the court. However for the Jackson Tigers, the popular euphemism meant a lot more when their captain and leading scorer Joshua Knox fell ill before the biggest game of his life.
At the start of the 3rd quarter in the Class 5 A State Semifinals, Knox would leave the court and proceed to the locker room with his team tied 24-24 against Tampa Catholic. Yet Knox would return with a little over three minutes remaining in the quarter, to score 5 of his 11 points in the game. He and his Jackson Tigers showed they’re built hard and tough, by gutting out an compelling victory over Tampa Catholic 69-55.
” I was a little sick and had to leave, but I knew I was coming back; I wasn’t going to let my teammates down” said Knox after the game. In fact, it was Knox’s teammates that didn’t let him down in his absence. In the third quarter, Jackson outscored Tampa Catholic 22-15 which was the difference in the game.
No player stepped up bigger in the quarter than Junior #10 Logan West. West scored all of his 10 points in the second half asserting himself in the paint with his power. Said West, ” I came out and had a bad first half, but I came back and had a strong second half for my team”.
F Randolph Myers 
G David Daniels
By the end of the third, Jackson had built a 46-39 lead. A major reason for this was the play of Randolph Myers. Myers hit mid- range jumpers shooting 8 of 14 from the field. He closed the game out for Jackson hitting close end shots as Tampa Catholic attempted to full court press.
Jackson’s point guard David Daniels was able to find the open man and break the trap. He finished with 5 assists in the game, but it was his three point shooting that initially lifted the team. Daniels went 2 for 2 from 3-point land giving Jackson the lead in the second half. Daniels 15 points helped his team stay out front with the scoring. An Advantage to which the Tigers would never relinquish.
The 69-55 win was extremely special for Jackson Head Coach James Collins who played at the school and was on the team the last time they appeared in the state championship. Said Collins ” Being that this is my community and my Alma mater, I graduated from Jackson it means the world to me. Just to be able to be blessed by the kids, to come back and be a blessing to the kids, being able to be their coach, it doesn’t get any better”.
Jackson HC James Collins 
Jackson Sidney Parks
Andrew Jackson (24-6) will face University (25-4) on Thursday at 4:30pm . University defeated The Villages Carter 91-53 in their state semifinal contest. It will be another test for the Main Street crew, who look to bring a championship back home to Jacksonville for the first time since 1993.
