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Senior sees payoff this season

Dylan Fugate sees Newsome hitting its stride in its fifth year of play.

By BRANDON WRIGHT, Times Correspondent
Published January 4, 2008

LITHIA 

Dylan Fugate's basketball career at Newsome High began quite inauspiciously.

A part-time freshman starter, Fugate took in the whispers and heard the snickers during the Wolves' warmups. Few opponents took them seriously and even fewer had anything but a cakewalk in mind. Newsome, a fledgling school, was no more than a punching bag during Fugate's first two seasons.

"We got no respect," he said. "Teams looked at us and knew they were going to blow us out. We were always the underdog. Always."

Things began to change last season when the Wolves started to hit back. They finished the year 15-11, the first winning season in school history. There was belief among the players, and the foundation set by the coaches began to take shape.

"We preached [that] this is about a program," coach Jon Mackey said. "And to do that there needs to be steps taken to improve. More than anything, it's about where you finish, not where you start."

Newsome, now in its fifth year, is leaving those lean early years behind and focusing on how to finish a promising season. Fugate, a senior, has been through the growing pains of a new program. But with the Wolves off to a 9-2 start, there is reason to believe those days are gone.

It would likely take a monumental late-season collapse to keep theWolves from setting a school record for wins.

"We've worked so hard each summer to get better each year," Fugate said. "Whether it was in the weight room or out running, everyone has done what they need to do. There hasn't been much goofing around."

Fugate, a Division I prospect, has been at the heart of Newsome's emergence. The 6-foot-5 swingman has great explosiveness and is comfortable in the front or backcourt.

"Dylan is extremely versatile," Mackey said. "He can play multiple positions and is a real leader on the floor."

But part of Newsome's success, Mackey said, is how Fugate's teammates have elevated their play. Mackey cited strong contributions from guard Samal Shepherd and forward Joe Raga. Raga had 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 71-63 loss toBrandon on Dec. 14.

"It's not that we haven't needed Fugate or that he's had a bad year," Mackey said. "But other guys have stepped up around him, which gives us more options."

Newsome, like any other team in 5A-8, has a tough road ahead. Perhaps the deepest district in Hillsborough County, Mackey said the second time through the slate will tell a lot about the Wolves.

"There are just so many good teams (in the district) that it's hard to look too far into the future," he said. "I would say Brandon is the favorite, but I think the district tournament will be up for grabs, so we need come down the stretch and end strong."

Brandon Wright can be reached at b21wright@yahoo.com.

[Last modified January 3, 2008, 23:15:48]