 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Believe it
By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer WESLEY CHAPEL -- It has become a mantra to the players. Ask the question, and be prepared to hear the same answer. When Wesley Chapel takes the court at the Lakeland Center tonight at 7 against St. Augustine Nease in the Class 3A state semifinal, what is the key to victory? Just what is it exactly that has driven the surprising Wildcats to a school-record 25 wins, the school's first district title, first playoff victories, and to within two wins of a state championship? "Believing in each other," shooting guard Eric Sorensen said. "That's what Coach is always telling us." "Believing in each other is the most important thing we do," said sixth man Greg Harrison. Said forward David Simpson: "We just believe." Amen to that, coach Kent Mills said. "They truly believe in themselves," Mills said, "and they believe somebody will get hot for them that day at the right moment. "Somebody is always willing to go out there and get the job done." Which is why they now have a new mantra: Practice Thursday. The last county team to reach the state semifinal was Pasco in 1995, the last to win a state semifinal was Zephyrhills in 1966 and the last to win a state title was also Zephyrhills, in 1962 and 1964. A win over Nease, ranked No. 2, will give the Wildcats that extra practice and set up a 3:30 p.m. Friday showdown for the state title against the Alachua Santa Fe-Key West winner. The Wildcats are the darkhorse entrant, the only unranked team to advance. But then, they've been a postseason underdog throughout. No. 3 Immokalee was certainly stunned to learn Wesley Chapel was the better team in a 58-55 region semifinal victory. Avon Park discovered an intimidating home crowd and stifling conditions didn't faze Wesley Chapel in Saturday's 58-53 region final win. Belief can be a powerful thing, as the Wildcats' opponents have learned the hard way. A lesson about confidence and believing in themselves has taken the Wildcats years to digest. "We make the extra pass, we look for the open man, we talk with each other on defense," Simpson said. "That's what it means to play together." Look at the roster and Wesley Chapel is a first-year team. There are only two seniors -- point guard Spencer Honeycutt and forward Sandor Riholm -- and Honeycutt is the only starter back from last season. Everyone else was on the junior varsity. But look closer. This is their first varsity season together. They have played with each other, and been coached by Mills, for years: from the sixth grade to East Pasco youth games to summer leagues to Weightman Middle and on through Mills' JV team last season. "The junior class has played over 450 basketball games together," Mills said. "They've already played against a lot of the summer teams of a lot of the high schools in this state tournament. They've played against some very good competition." But this season, playing together took on a whole new meaning. "At the start of the season, most of us weren't really playing together," Harrison said. "We were playing as individuals, and, in the middle of the season, everybody stepped up and realized we weren't going to win the hard games playing by ourselves."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From today's Pasco Times |
