Lakeland FL- For the third time in four years Jackson leaves Lakeland with the State Runner-Up trophy, as the Tigers fell to Calvary Christian 74-58 in the Class 4A FHSAA State Championship game.
Calvary, with ESPN 300 Taylor Hendricks, 4 star Carl Cherenfant, and 4 star LSU commit Marvel Allen was just to much for Jackson, as they jumped over, ran through and around Jackson for most of the game.
Jackson kept it close early on trading buckets in the first quarter. Players played hard and hustled for loose balls. The Tigers took advantage of Calvary’s aggressiveness finding the open spot and knocking down shots. Andre Myers lofted a floater from the foul line to keep it close.
Guard Kevin Odom used his quickness to penetrate the lane, and step back for a score in the second quarter as Jackson hung within striking distance of Calvary.
However, Calvary kept the pressure on the offensive end with their aggressive play. They blocked shots and turned the defensive effort into offensive points in transition, like this dish from Allen to Cherenfant that rocked the rim.
Jackson struggled from the field shooting 30% from the field which has been an unfortunate occurrence in the Tiger’s last three appearances in the state title games. Yet, Jackson rebounded well, including out rebounding Calvary on the offensive end 13 to 12 going into the fourth quarter. Stephon Payne would throw it down in the paint thanks to these efforts.
Those hustle points kept Jackson in the game, but Calvary outrebounded Jackson in the game and quickly pushed the ball down the court for fast break points from it’s talented trio.
Head Coach James Collins has truly done something remarkable, taking his Tigers to three state championship appearances and winning three state runner up trophies in four years. He’s done this without hand picking talent, and without the resources that many of his title game opponents have had. Stacked private school teams has meant playing against a stacked deck in the championships for the Eastside Duval County public school.
Nevertheless, Jackson finished their season 29-3, Class 4A Regional Champions, Gateway Conference Champions, and Class 4A State Runners-Up. An outstanding season for the Tigers.
Stats: End of 3rd quarter
Stephon Payne – 9pts
Michael Swift 8-pts
James Morrow and Andre Myers- 6pts
