Lakeland FL- Of the five teams to travel to the RP Funding Center from Northeast Florida, two undoubtedly had the toughest roads to hoe. Powerhouse programs in their own right Paxon (25-6) and Columbia (28-3) took on two former champions from south Florida, looking to return to Florida’s highest high school summit. It’s no secret that south Florida has had boys basketball bragging rights over North Florida in recent years. Yet Paxon and Columbia looked to redefine an entire area against their opponents.
For Paxon, they faced defending 6A champion Stranahan (23-9). The contest featured Paxon’s senior Isiah Adams versus Stranahan’s squad of multiple scorers. It was the classic case of the scorer versus the team and the state semifinal player just like that.
Adams would score 29 points in the game, shooting 5 of 10 from 3-point land. He scored 10 points in the first half as Paxon trailed 25-21 at the intermission. Adams doubled that output in third quarter alone, scoring 11 points as they closed the lead after 3 quarters to one point, 37-36.
In the fourth, Inady Legiste (12 pts) hit the first shot of the quarter, as Stranahan built a 10 point lead. Junior Thaddeus Squire had led the team in points leading up to the final quarter scoring 13 of his 14 points in the game. Yet experience and execution, hallmarks of a defending champion played out for the Mighty Dragons as Daquion Vickers and Chayse Culpepper drew fouls and made free throws down the stretch. Adams hit two big three pointers in the final quarter along with Derrick Johnson Jr, but it wasn’t enough as Stranahan took home the win 59-54.
Free throws were certainly a factor, as Stranahan reached the line 12 more times than Paxon. Yet Stranahan out-rebounded Paxon 38-30, and three players scored in double figures for the Mighty Dragons. Adams was the only Golden Eagle to reach double figures.
Coach Toby Frazier has done a masterful job with the program, returning Paxon to prominence. Unfortunately, he’ll have to continue the journey without seniors Isiah Adams, Micheal Caswell, and Derrick Johnson Jr. Yet Jakobe Williams, Quinnton Jackson and Maurice Willie Jr return in hopes of returning to Lakeland a third consecutive time.
Columbia (28-3) came against one of the winningest basketball programs in the state Dillard (24-7) . Dillard dawns an impressive 7 titles including their most recent in 2017. Last year they lost in the state championship game, so they were looking toward completing a job unfinished. The Tigers boasted one of the best records in the tournament, and quite possibly the best tandems of Kenney Gaines and Darrien Jones
Gaines and Jones scored 8 points in the first quarter as the Tigers jumped out on the Panthers early. Their lead got to as much as 9 before settling at 21-16. However, in the second quarter Dillard closed the gap thanks to the shooting of Ivan Reynolds who tallied 7 of his total 14 points in the first half. Columbia took a 35-30 lead into halftime.
The score was knotted at 41-41 after three quarters as Jalen Haynes heated up in the second half for Dillard. Jones would get the hot hand himself, knocking down buckets for Columbia as the game would be tied late at 55-55 in the 4th. Columbia had a chance to win it in regulation however, Gaines and Marcus Peterson both missed consecutive shots as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime.
Peterson seemingly redeemed himself knocking down two clutch free throws for Columbia to give them a 62-60 lead with just 21 seconds remaining. Yet that was enough time for Dillard’s Ivan Reynolds who hit a game tying shot at the buzzer to send it to a second overtime. Or was it?
In the second overtime, the game continued to go back and forth, yet free throws by Asonaba Bromley and Nick Bennett gave Dillard the lead 70-66 with less than a minute in the game. In the end Gaines missed a 3-pointer and a 2- pointer by Jones sealed their fate. Dillard escaped Columbia 71-66 in 2-OT.
Columbia’s Coach Steve Faulkner questioned the call at the end of regulation that sent the game into overtime, but no one can question the effort of he and his seniors. Kenney Gaines, Darrien Jones and Jordan Smith all made superb plays all year, leaving it to Marcus Peterson and future stud Tray Tolliver to take over and continue.
It was tough losses for two tough teams from the area, but their efforts and play have redefined Northeast Florida as formidable foes in basketball. Taking two of the best programs in the state to the brink, and cementing themselves as teams to be reckoned with at the state level not only this year, but for years to come.
