Panthers face 3rd consecutive ranked opponent

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 17, 2000

LECANTO -- Here is all you need to know about the Class 4A, Region 2 tournament for the Lecanto girls: Their road to the state finals isn't going to be easy.

The upstart Panthers will face their third consecutive ranked opponent in six days tonight.

After upsetting sixth-ranked Leesburg in the district semifinals, then losing to eighth-ranked Ocala Forest in the district final, Lecanto (9-20) will play at Port Orange Atlantic at 7:30 tonight in the region quarterfinals.

Having gone 1-1 with ranked opponents last week, Lecanto is unfazed by the Sharks' resume. The Panthers have prepared for Atlantic as they have for other opponents all season.

"We realize that even though they are state-ranked, that doesn't mean they are not beatable," Lecanto senior Sarah Hernandez said.

"We have to settle down, play hard and don't think of them as a ranked team," junior Erin Bailey said. "We have to think of it as just another game we have to win."

Lecanto coach Ron Allan has never seen the Sharks play, but he's anticipating facing a powerhouse.

"They've got to be good," Allan said. "They are 24-4 and ranked No. 3 in the state. You've got to be halfway decent to get that many votes."

Unfortunately for the Panthers, Allan isn't exactly sure what makes Atlantic so good. His requests to eight schools for videotape of Atlantic games went unanswered. Allan is relying mostly on a brief conversation with Atlantic coach George Butts on Tuesday.

"I won't get a film now so I'll just make do with what I can get," Allan said. "I know they are going to press us. I know they've got three good perimeter players and a freshman point guard that is their leading scorer, averaging 17 points. So they've got people that are capable of scoring."

The Panthers have spent the week trying to ensure they are both mentally and physically prepared for the game.

Last week's meltdown in the district final (Lecanto went scoreless for nearly 13 minutes) has the players realizing that preparation this week is key.

"We just weren't mentally into it (Saturday) and we know we have to stay focused and play like we know how," Hernandez said.

This week's workouts included a scrimmage game with the Lecanto boys junior varsity team that will play for a championship Saturday night prior to the Class 4A, District 5 championship. The scrimmage was intense, physical and beneficial, Allan said.

"It gave us a different look," he said. "The main thing I wanted to see was us go against the press and to go up against a little faster players. We're trying to work through some things and we're looking to change a couple of things. (Wednesday) we'll work on specifics based on what we know about Atlantic and what they do. They'll be ready to go."

Although it has been a rocky season for the Panthers, they have been impressive in two of their last three games, playing tenacious defense and hustling hard on every play. The offense, however, has been up and down. Leesburg didn't bother to see if the Panthers had improved. Having defeated them twice during the regular season, Leesburg didn't scout.

Allan said he's not worried about how the Panthers will perform -- on the road, facing a hostile crowd and looking to play David vs. Goliath one more time.

"I have confidence in them," Allan said. "I think we can beat anybody we come into the gym with if we play like we're capable. Coach Butts told me he's not underestimating us."

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