Preps

Jesuit jumps all over DeSoto

CLASS 3A: The Tigers put on a clinic, scoring enough points in the first half to win, then settling for a 55-31 victory.

By SCOTT PURKS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 5, 2003

ARCADIA -- Jesuit drove 110 miles, down dark, desolate roads toward the state's center until it ran into DeSoto County High School.

There the Tigers -- namely Alan Schonbrun, Clayton Yeko, Joe Donoho, Mike Gutowski and Matt Daniels -- put on a clinic: crisp passing, sharp shooting and a smothering defense.

The problem for DeSoto was that it was playing Jesuit in a Class 3A, Region 3 semifinal, a game the Bulldogs lost 55-31 and were basically out of midway through the second quarter.

"We came in here with the attitude that we weren't going to play this like a road game," said Schonbrun, who led all scorers with 22 points. "We came here like we were playing at home, where we've played well and gotten on some teams quickly."

Which is exactly what happened at DeSoto.

In an 8-minute span between the second and third quarters, Jesuit went on a 15-0 run and took a 22-7 lead, one it would never come close to giving up.

"We've had runs like that a few times this season (see last Thursday's 61-40 victory over Pasco)," Jesuit coach Neal Goldman said. "We're capable of that kind of thing and it sure was nice to see tonight."

Highlights from Tuesday's run: three conecutive blocked shots by Yeko, seven points and three assists by Schonbrun, and nine DeSoto turnovers, mostly from Jesuit steals.

"That run was a killer," DeSoto coach David Oness said. "We're not a team that comes back well from 15-point deficits. We just don't have that kind of offensive firepower."

Something Jesuit was well aware of.

"We felt good at halftime with our lead (34-15)," Schonbrun said. "We even talked about the fact that 34 points might be enough to win.

"We said even if we don't score in the second half we had a good chance of winning. As it turns out, we were right. Our defense gave us that kind of confidence."

The Tigers will need more of it Saturday night at Wesley Chapel, a final-four team last season that came back Tuesday to defeat Lemon Bay 60-53 in overtime.

"We don't care who we play," said Schonbrun before he heard the Wesley Chapel-Lemon Bay outcome. "If it's Wesley Chapel then it should be a shootout.

"I think that would be a great game, very close all the way."

Wesley Chapel, at least, is a lot closer than DeSoto County.

"We're ready to go anywhere," Schonbrun said. "We're ready for anything."

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