Preps

Basketball: Eagles, new coach a step ahead

Even with a limp, Pat Kelly has Springstead looking like more than a team trying to rebuild.

By IZZY GOULD
Published November 28, 2007

SPRING HILL - The limp in Pat Kelly's step is temporary.

Weathered yet durable, the 55-year-old said his right knee wore out long ago during the 22 years he worked as a lifeguard on Delaware's beaches. Summers of jogging on sand pounded his joints, ultimately destroying the meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Kelly also had his left hip replaced.

Stepping onto the court to teach the Eagles how to run plays felt natural for a guy who spent all of life involved in athletics.

Quickly known as hands-on, Kelly said it cost him at Monday's practice when he twisted his knee in a 360-degree spin.

"I was running the point a little bit, trying to work on entries to show them some stuff," Kelly said. "I have no meniscus and no ACL so that probably wasn't a wise decision. ... When that knee went it just buckled."

The chance of Springstead buckling looked far more remote Tuesday in a 76-38 win against Wiregrass Ranch.

The Eagles 3-1, 2-0 in Class 4A, District 8 took a 34-point lead into the locker room at halftime with relentless full-court pressure that forced turnovers and high-percentage transition shots.

The Bulls (1-1, 0-1) could do little to stop them.

Kelly's goal this season sounds simple: Guide Springstead to its third consecutive district title.

But the Eagles are adjusting to their new coach and a new system in the wake of losing nine seniors from last year's 23-6 team that went to the Class 4A region quarterfinal. Kelly watched some of last year's tapes to scout other teams and to see some of what he had to work with.

"They had a good year; they got it done," Kelly said. "The school should be proud."

But Kelly quickly mixed it up, implementing a new philosophy he bought into in 2003 when he guided Dover (Del.) High team to the state final.

"That team couldn't shoot and couldn't rebound, but they were so aggressive they got to the last game," Kelly said. "I think if you get kids to play at a fever pitch, anything's possible."

That style was on display Tuesday as the Eagles swarmed the Bulls in the first half to force a running clock in the second.

The Eagles took some time to adjust to their new coach and his up-tempo style.

"It took some getting used to," Eagles junior Dante Valentine said. "We used his style in game situations and they were working. That's when it clicked."

Looking for standouts? There were plenty on Springstead's roster Tuesday night. Valentine led all scorers with 27 and came into the game averaging a team-high 25.3 per game and an eye-popping 7.3 steals. Nehemiah Mason added 23.

This early success can be attributed to a balance of Kelly's new style and a talented roster. The Eagles have quickly bought into their new coach, who has a career coaching record of 557-236 with stops in Pennsylvania, Delaware and now Florida.

Practice has been one of those painstaking deals where half the time is devoted to dribbling, passing and shooting techniques.

"We're more up-tempo than last year, we had size," Mason said. "We have to work harder now. We knew he (Kelly) was the real deal. We knew we were getting a good coach."

[Last modified November 27, 2007, 23:37:34]