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A Wesley Chapel win tonight over Tampa Jesuit at home would send the Wildcats to the final four and a title shot.
By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 8, 2003
WESLEY CHAPEL -- While the Wildcats practiced Friday afternoon in preparation for tonight's regional final, more than 40 tables were wheeled out of the Wesley Chapel gym, one by one.
All week long, students have sat on the hardwood as part of FCAT testing, leaving enough scuff marks to prompt a last-minute touchup, with a layer of protective coating added Friday night and some mop work this morning.
The reason? A bigger test awaits the Wildcats tonight. Every school gets to take the FCAT, after all, but with a win against Tampa Jesuit on their home court tonight, Wesley Chapel can become the first county boys team in 36 years to earn back-to-back trips to the state final four.
The Wildcats, ranked sixth in Class 3A with a 26-3 record, are hoping for a return trip to Lakeland for the Class 3A state tournament next week, but last year's playoff experience is a major factor in their comfort level now.
"Last year around this time, we were nervous, but now we're real comfortable with (tonight's) game," senior forward Tyrone Tomlin said. "We want to do better than last year. We've got to get through (tonight) and then we'll go from there and see what we can do."
Last year's postseason ended with a loss to St. Augustine Nease in the state semifinals, but to get there, the Wildcats had to win on the road. Tonight, they'll have the comfort of their home arena, where a navy blue banner shows the team to be Wesley Chapel's most successful in its four-year history. A sign on one wall reads: "Believe in each other and victory will follow."
"You don't want it anywhere else but on your home court, in front of your own fans," senior guard Eric Sorensen said.
Seats might be hard to come by for tonight's 7:30 tipoff, with Wesley Chapel's gymnasium expected to be near its 1,200-seat capacity. Jesuit (25-5) should have a strong showing, too, as the Wildcats' opponent had sold out its allotment of 450 tickets by Friday afternoon.
Such playoff success is rare for Pasco County, even as Ridgewood travels to Gainesville to play Eastside High tonight for a spot in the Class 4A final four. Before this season, no county team had won a playoff game in back-to-back seasons since 1966, but Wesley Chapel already has two this season after winning three last year.
This year's team has already set a school record with 26 wins, and coach Kent Mills said his players' success last season has given them confidence in what is now familiar territory for them.
"It helps a lot with confidence, with understanding the nature of elimination play," Mills said. "One loss, you go home, and they know the meaning of that. Instead of wanting to believe, they believe this year."
The Wildcats are a close team, with nearly every player returning from last year's playoff run and a core group that has played together since grade school. This weekend will be both an exciting one for the Wildcats, but also a somber one as well. Countless hours on a basketball court can bond a team, but life can do that better sometimes.
After practice Friday, the team visited the funeral home and the family of Andrew Clark, the father of sophomore forward Nigel Bryant and uncle to Tomlin. Clark died recently, and the Wildcats will wear black bands on their uniforms tonight to remember Clark, as well as the No. 15 to show their support for Bryant.
Tomlin wore a black band on his left ankle at Friday's practice, with his uncle's nickname, "Bobby Jack," inscribed on the back of his shoes. For the rest of the team, it's another reason to pull together and keep their season going for another game.
"We definitely want to get this win for him, and hopefully make it to state and get a state championship for him and his family," Sorensen said.