PREP SPORTS
THE SUMTER ITEM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015
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B3
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Lee Central Middle School boys basketball team went 12-4 and captured its third straight Upper Pee Dee Conference tournament championship with a 56-45 victory over Spaulding on Monday at the LC gymnasium. Team members are, first row, left to right: Darryl Stuckey, Kentavious Reed, Deondraye Moses, Amir Jackson, Kentrell Holloman and Jalen Johnson. Second row: Derrick Joye, Javonte McCloud, Naquan Peeples and Techaun Mixon. Third row: Travis Hickson, Deablo Halley and Jalen Atkinson.
LCMS FROM PAGE B1 “It’s been a tremendous three years for us and it was a tremendous year for both Lee Central teams this year,” said Price, who was also named the conference’s coach of the year for the third straight time. “I think it speaks to all of the kids working hard and buying into the program and the tradition that we’ve tried to establish.” That tradition came about for the Stallions right after the winless ’11-12 campaign, he said. “That was really the starting point,” Price said. “That team was just as important as any other because they sparked the turnaround. We as coaches developed a plan to put our kids in the best position possible and really worked on building the program.” The results were evident by the next season. Returning four players from the 0-14 team, LCMS had a great influx of talent at the seventh-grade level, Price said, and the result was a 13-3 record and championship season after the Stallions got hot down the stretch. The next year proved even more remarkable as LC returned 11 players from that championship squad and rolled past everyone en route to a 16-0 record and a second straight title. “The only thing that could have stopped us last year was if I over-coached them and messed things up,” Price said laughing. “Sometimes you just have a special group and that was it. They knew the system, they had the championship experience and they just played very well together.” The Stallions brought back five players again this year, but really didn’t hit their stride until the end of the season and the tournament, Price said. “We had a couple of kids who started on the team not finish the year on the team, so that meant we had to have some players step in and fill key roles,” he said.
LCMS was led this season by point guard Deondraye Moses and leading scorer Javonte McCloud. Moses averaged around eight assists per game and was the floor general, Price said, while McCloud capped off his stellar offensive year with 22 points in the championship game. Derrick Joye had 10 points in the title game and Deablo Halley led the defense with 18 rebounds. Halley led the Stallions with 13 boards per game this season while Joye stepped into a starting role late in the year. Lee Central also had a strong combo at center in Jalen Atkinson and Travis Hickson while Jalen Johnson and Techaun Mixon contributed greatly off the bench. The girls squad was also predicated on defense, head coach Shameaka McDowell said, and the big key was playing it as a team. “They just played team ball,” said McDowell, who also won the conference coach of the year award. “They played unselfishly as a team and worked hard from the first scrimmage.” McDowell didn’t know it was going to be a championship season at that first scrimmage, however. “I think they were a little nervous to begin with,” she said. “But once we got to that first game and I saw how hard they played, I knew they had a chance to do something special.” Robionne Myers led the Lady Stallions in scoring all season long and posted 27 points in the title game. Keoshia Evins added seven points. Brynasia Wesley was another offensive force for LCMS this year, McDowell said, while Tashanna Harris and Nicah Johnson led the charge defensively and in rebounding. “They really ran the court and hustled from the beginning of the game to the end of the game,” McDowell said. “You could see they really wanted to win every game and they really wanted to win the conference.”
JARECKI FROM PAGE B1 Jarecki talked with his future players last week and stressed everyone needs to come together. “I told the players we want to come together as one big family and to love one another,” Jarecki said. “The rest of it will take care of itself. “I want to keep this going, what they’ve had here for so long,” Jarecki said of Wilson Hall’s football program, which has played in the 3A state semifinals for 16 consecutive years. “They’ve had a lot of great coaches, a lot of well respected coaches.” Jarecki said he is not set in stone when it comes to what his football teams do on ei-
ther side of the ball. “We’re going to see what we have and then we’ll go from there,” he said. Jarecki will take over the baseball program from Tommy Jones, who recently announced he was retiring from his second tenure with Wilson Hall at the completion of the 2015 season. The Barons are the defending 3A state champions, the fourth time they’ve won the title under Jones’ guidance. “I’m privileged to come in behind Tommy Jones as the baseball coach,” Jarecki said. “He’s one of the most well-respected coaches in the association.”
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Lee Central Middle School girls basketball team went 16-0 and captured its first Upper Pee Dee Conference Tournament championship with a 50-24 victory over Hannah-Pamplico on Monday at the LC gymnasium. Team members are, first row, left to right: La’Vea Burrough, Nicah Johnson, Desiree Holmes, Robionne Myers, Nijeria Reddick and Tashanna Harris. Second row: Miya Gokey, Brynasia Wesley, Sakaisha Evans, Keosha Evins and Keonna Evans.
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