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State's best to battle

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2001

Too bad they couldn't do it at the Bayfront Center and play a doubleheader.

Instead, Pinellas County public school basketball aficionados will have to make a painful choice -- Lake Wales at Lakewood or Lakeland Kathleen at Largo, but not both. The four schools, all ranked in the top six in the state, play tonight at 7:30 in the Class 4A, Region 3 semifinals.

Also tonight in Class 5A, Boca Ciega plays at Port Charlotte and Countryside travels to Plant.

"Pinellas County might have been down a little this year, but I still think the basketball here is as good as anywhere in the state," Largo coach Phil Price said.

The 4A matchups are about as good as it gets, starting with Lakewood (26-2) and defending state champion Lake Wales (24-7).

No. 2-ranked Lakewood, despite graduating four starters from last season, has been rolling all year and hasn't lost since mid-January at Bradenton Southeast.

No. 3 Lake Wales sustained several early-season injuries but proved it is again championship material by upending then-No. 1 Kathleen for the district title.

Kathleen (24-6), which has a pair of Division I prospects in forwards Rashad Anderson and T.J. Waldon, the brother of South Florida star B.B. Waldon, has played a top-notch schedule. No. 6 Largo can expect the Red Devils, who are tied for the No. 3 ranking with Lake Wales, to force a fast pace.

In 5A, Countryside and Boca Ciega will hit the road. Countryside (20-7) is a visiting underdog for its second straight game, this time against No. 4 Plant (25-4). As they did in their quarterfinal win over No. 3 Land O'Lakes, the upstart Cougars will try to use their superior depth and defensive intensity to wear down a highly ranked opponent. In the Times Tampa Bay Top 10, Plant is No. 3 and Countryside No. 4.

Boca Ciega (18-10) tries to take its surprising season one step further at Port Charlotte (20-10). The Pirates, who like Lakewood lost four seniors off an outstanding 1999-2000 team, survived Palm Harbor U. in overtime in the quarterfinal.

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