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In 25 seasons as the Spartans' coach, Dan Wright has never won a state title.
By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 5, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Dan Wright has already won enough district-title trophies to fill the little available space in his embarrassingly small office at Lakewood High. He is a virtual lock to win his 500th game within three years, maybe two. He has produced enough good people and college players to be content and pleased with his work.
But outside these cramped quarters and sterile gray walls, beyond the balls bouncing off the gymnasium floor, into the south St. Petersburg community, Lakewood followers want to know one thing:
When are Wright and his Spartans going to win the big one?
What they may not realize is, technically, Lakewood hasn't even played in the big one yet. In 25 years at the helm of Lakewood, Wright has taken four teams to the state final four. The Spartans headed home each time after one game, a disappointing semifinal loss.
Forget about winning a championship; how about getting there?
"That's the hurdle we need to get over is that semifinal round to even have the opportunity to play that last game," said Wright, who also played in a state semifinal as a senior at Gibbs in 1972.
There is strong local sentiment for Lakewood winning its first title. The Spartans, whom Wright has built from the 1-23 team he inherited in 1977 at the age of 23 to a team on the cusp of being considered a national player, have had terrible luck at state.
In 1985, the Spartans beat mighty Boca Ciega for the first time in 12 tries for a district title, but once in Lakeland they were undone by nerves, not to mention 6-for-16 free-throw shooting in the first half in a 76-64 loss to Oakland Park Northeast.
In 1992, the Spartans were given little chance to beat No. 1 Tallahassee Rickards, but led 56-52 with 41 seconds left. Rickards scored five points in one second, and Anthony Brown's game-winning try fell short as Lakewood lost 57-56.
In 1997, Lakewood drew the No. 1 team again, Fort Walton Beach, and watched as the Vikings made 34 of 38 free throws in a 72-57 win.
Two years ago, with some of this year's stars playing supporting roles, the typically high-energy, high-scoring Spartans lost to Jupiter 44-39. The 39 points were just under half of Lakewood's season average.
While Wright said winning a title won't, in his own mind, alter his legacy, it is clearly a gaping hole in his 456-win career, fair or not.
"It doesn't matter (what people think)," said Wright, who was an All-American at Gibbs. "If we go up there and win, there will be some people who will say, "Oh, they should have won last time they were here.' So I don't worry about that. To say if our success was based on me winning a championship, then why do this? Out of the 700-some odd schools in the association, there's a lot of schools that have never even had the opportunity.
"If you broke my career down by the numbers ... I think most coaches would be pleased with that."
This is Wright's defense. Marcus Morrison, his star player, hopes he never has to make it again.
"We know it's real frustrating for him," Morrison said. "We want to win it for him. That's what we think about is Coach. He's had some good teams in the past and there's been some bad luck. It's just time to show everybody what we've got. This is going to be for Coach."
Lakewood, a frenetic bunch that thrives on pressuring teams silly, has what most local coaches think is Wright's best shot at a state title.
There is Morrison, guard Kevin Dorsey and forward Kory Crumbley, starters who all played on the 1999-2000 team, and a supporting cast that has gone 31-2 and destroyed the defending state champions (Lakeland Kathleen) Saturday by 32 points.
Its depth, one of its strongest suits, offsets any bad nights by the starters. Morrison, a Division I recruit, has spent large chunks of time on the bench and the team doesn't miss a beat. When Dorsey sprained his ankle and missed two weeks, the team's only loss was in overtime to Kathleen.
In years past, it was a center being out with grades one year, a key guard cramping up another, or the two best players going cold as they did in 2000. The Spartans couldn't overcome such failings.
This year, they can. That's why they enter the final four, for the first time, as the team to beat.
Since 1958, 19 state basketball titles have been won by teams in the Tampa Bay area, including two each by Boca Ciega, Gibbs, Dixie Hollins and Clearwater Central Catholic.
Lakewood has been consistently better than all the aforementioned teams but Bogie.
"I know the community has talked about that a lot," said Largo coach Phil Price, a Bogie grad who played against Wright in high school. "I know the community somewhat expects him to win. I think they have given him a raw deal over the years (over not winning a championship).
"It would be nice to see Danny win one."
Earnest Crumbley agrees with Price, saying that any criticism from the community is unfair. As the men's coach at St. Petersburg Junior College and the father of Earnest Jr. (2000 final four team) and Kory (2000 and this year), he has heard it all.
"I think it's important for Dan to win, but I don't think it solidifies his career," Crumbley said.
"I hope it happens for Coach Wright because he deserves it. Plus, because of the person he is, he deserves it. He does things the right way. I want Lakewood to win it, not so much because my son plays there, but because I've seen him go and come up short."
Wright's players are very aware of Lakewood's past stumbles at state.
Morrison said he had to endure Kathleen standout and summer league teammate Chris Richard waving his state championship ring in his face, and others admit that it's hard to stomach the fact that Bogie and Gibbs, the Spartans' biggest rivals, have titles.
Therefore, quieting the neighborhood smack would be an especially sweet byproduct of giving Wright his long-awaited title.
"That fuels us," Kory Crumbley said. "It's a big deal. There's been some great teams here in the past that got there and just weren't ready to play or didn't play well. We want to change that. We want to start a new legacy."
And cement their coach's.