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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 2, 2002
Most years, Dan Wright joins fellow coaches in Lakeland for the state championships. He shakes a few hands, catches up on old times and catches up with old friends.
But last year was different.
"I didn't go," the Lakewood coach said, "because I couldn't bear to watch."
What Wright missed was Lakeland Kathleen, a team his Spartans should have beaten the week before, winning the Class 4A state title.
The Red Devils appeared done in last season's regional final against Lakewood, but they rallied from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win.
That game left a bitter taste in the mouths of many in south St. Petersburg. So much so that tonight's rematch at 7:30 -- for the Class 4A, Region 3 title and a trip to next week's state semifinals -- is sold out. This season, the Spartans are 31-2 in what has arguably been the team's best ever. But no one is talking about this season. "All they want to talk about is last year's game," junior center Brian Ligon said. "We don't hear anything about what we've done this year. All I hear is Lakeland Kathleen."
The Red Devils (28-4) have become, for the time being, the Spartans' biggest rival. In addition to last season's rally, Kathleen erased a 10-point halftime deficit and won in overtime against the Spartans in this season's Hooters Shootout championship.
Lakewood was reminded constantly during the Hooters title game of last season's 15-point collapse.
"They got one guy there that did a lot of bragging about how we were up 15 and they came back," said guard Kevin Dorsey, who missed the Hooters final with an ankle injury. "I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm really looking forward to this game. I want revenge."
Dorsey's inclusion tonight is expected to make a big difference. Since recovering from the injury, he has been one of Lakewood's best players. With superb ball-handling and outside shooting, Dorsey hopes to offset Kathleen's Rashad Anderson, one of the best in 4A. Inside, it will be Ligon's duty to hold off 6-foot-8 Chris Richard, a junior who caused problems for the Spartans in December.
Wright also is counting on a big defensive game from Marcus Morrison, who has the wingspan and athleticism to make things difficult for Red Devils shooters.
If they can do that, the Spartans have the depth to win -- something that also seemed to be the case last season. "(Our players) feel like we had the best team last year," Wright said. "And they had every right to think that. But being a realist, and having done this as long as I have, the best team is the team that best executes at the end of the game."