Gaither's 6-foot standout, the Hillsborough player of the year, never let taller opponents or any other challenges get best of him.
By SCOTT PURKS
Published April 1, 2004
TAMPA - He never had the luxury of playing with tall players, or having a deep bench or, sometimes, being blessed with athletic teammates.
This did not mean, however, that Antonio Russell didn't win a lot of games or improve as a player in his four years as a starter at Gaither High.
Far from it.
His situation made him the meaning of getting the most out of a team and himself.
This year is a case in point: Gaither's starting lineup basically included four guards and a forward who played guard. One player was 6 feet 3, three were 6 feet and the fifth was maybe 5-7.
Despite that the group finished 21-8 and came within one victory of making it to the Class 5A state semifinals, losing in the region final 55-46 to Lake Region.
The leading scorer in that game?
The 6-foot Russell who had 26 points, just two less than his county-leading 24 points a game.
This is not to say he was only about scoring, either.
"Antonio Russell is a complete player," Gaither coach Dwayne Olinger said. "He is productive in every way and that's a measure of a great player.
"He rebounds, is a great defender and is a tenacious competitor. He was our best defender."
To the point of guarding the opponent's best offensive player, no matter how tall.
Last year he guarded Sarasota Riverview's center who was 6-8.
"I love that challenge," Russell said. "Coach told me that's what he wanted me to do and I said okay, I'm ready. I mean I may be skinny, but I'm strong, nobody pushes me around on the court.
"I'm all about defense. If the man I'm guarding gets more than six points in a game then I feel I haven't done my job."
Russell said guarding a 6-8 guy and learning to play tenacious man-to-man team defense, and running an offense around a much taller team - all these things - made him better over his four years with the Cowboys.
Now at the end of his high school career he has earned the honor of the Times Hillsborough County Player of the Year.
His disappointment?
Losing that last game to Lake Region.
"We had them down 21-12 and everything was working, we were playing our game," Russell said. "But then we got out of our game. We started rushing shots, we weren't patient on defense. Then the game started slipping away from us.
"Still though, I thought we were going to win right up until the end. That's the way you have to think.
