Story
Dwyer captures boys state basketball championship
Saturday, March 05, 2011
by
Jeff Greer
Photo by Stephen M. Dowell / Orlando Sentinel
Dwyer players celebrate after beating Lake Wales 72-57 for the Class 5A state boys basketball championship.
Read Jeff Greer's 5 thoughts on Dwyer's win
LAKELAND -- Dwyer guard Jacoby Brissett and his fellow seniors were getting sick of leaving Lakeland without any hardware.
After missing out on a second state football championship last fall, Brissett made his third consecutive trip to the state basketball tournament count Saturday.
The 6-foot-4 Brissett scored a game-high 19 points to help Dwyer win its third state championship since 2004 with a 72-57 rout of Lake Wales in the Class 5A final.
Brissett, who has signed to play football for Florida, keyed a critical 10-0 second-half run that ended a Lake Wales charge that had cut Dwyer's lead to 51-42 in the third quarter.
"Third time's a charm," Brissett said. "I thought it was fake for a minute. This just takes my breath away."
Dwyer (32-1) was upset in the state semifinals each of the past two years This time, the Panthers left little doubt, jumping out to a quick 22-6 lead.
From that point on, Lake Wales actually kept pace, but aside from that third-quarter burst, the Highlanders never got close enough for the Panthers to be concerned.
"After we watched them last night (in the semifinals), we just felt like, if we just played our game, we were the better team," Dwyer coach Fred Ross said. "We wanted to get off to a fast start and try to take the home crowd out of it."
Lake Wales (29-3), which is about 30 miles southeast of Lakeland, had the fan advantage, but that was about it.
Everything else went Dwyer's way.
Lake Wales shot just 31 percent and the four top scorers for the Highlanders were just 16-of-55 for the field. Senior Kevin Capers scored 17 points, but it took him 19 shots.
Oshey Washington, Lake Wales' leading scorer this season, was held to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting and had a team-high five turnovers.
"The ball just didn't bounce our way," said Lake Wales coach Billy Dee Washington, whose team was making its first finals appearance since winning in 2000. "We just weren't comfortable in this atmosphere."
Dwyer's early push only added to Lake Wales' discomfort.
Junior 6-10 center Joel James (11 points) got going early with eight first-quarter points. Then senior guard Victor Adams (18 points) got hot from the outside.
The Panthers turned the ball over 21 times, but they dominated the glass, outrebounding Lake Wales 51-35. Brissett had 12 rebounds and senior forward Greg Louis added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
It was exactly the kind of bigger, stronger, tougher win that typified Dwyer's state-title run.
"The past two years when we came up, we had some in-house problems," said Ross, who won his third state championship at Dwyer. "We're a closer team (this year)."
That much was clear after the buzzer sounded. Senior guard Montel Williams, who was a starter for Dwyer last year, walked over to the Dwyer fans with arms held high. He was mobbed by Brissett and fellow senior Terrell Harris.
"Jacoby said it perfectly," Louis said. "It felt unreal. It felt fake, like it wasn't really happening."
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User Comments:
Tom Magill commented on March 5, 2011 at 8:35 p.m.: report abuse
Congratulations to the Dr. Joe Lee, AD Tom Pagley, Coach Steve Ross and all the Panthers. Well deserved conclusion to a great season.
Tom Magill
Adjunct Professor of Economics
Palm Beach State College
JayF8ch48 commented on March 5, 2011 at 10:22 p.m.: report abuse
Congratulations! To Dr. Lee, Athletic Director Pagley, Coach Ross, the Assistant Coaches, to the entire team, especially the Seniors. I jumped on your wagon last year and rode it to the state tournament. The season ended in disappointment. Some would say, it just was not the year for the Panthers to win. I was at Armwood this year when the Panther hearts were broken again, during football season. It is so hard to win a Championship. What an amazing two days of basketball this team played. They are deserving Champions! Nobody can deny this! This was their year. The hard work the players put into their basketball game during off season and during the season paid off handsomely! Way to go Panthers, you did yourself proud! Your Champions for the rest of your life!
GTRGrad commented on March 5, 2011 at 10:46 p.m.: report abuse
Awesome play and well-deserved. You boys are as good as any team in the nation when you play as you often have. Not only are you state champs, you are a national power! Good job and God speed!
Landlord commented on March 6, 2011 at 1:36 a.m.: report abuse
Great job Dwyer thats the way to close the casket on all the negative talk, also thanks to Boo, Nat and Sheely for putting in the long hours with the kids over the summer. I remember when this group first came to Dwyer I said that they should at least win 2 state championships,they only won one that just goes to show you winning a championship is hard to do. You can play 3 sports and never win a championship on any level from pop warner to pro ball , so Dwyer you have done something most people will never do.
Mark A. Shirey commented on March 6, 2011 at 7:16 a.m.: report abuse
dwyer panthers,
you guys are awesome. i have NEVER seen a team with the heart, the enthusiasm, the team cohesiveness, and the desire to be the best, like you have shown this season! good luck in maryland in the national tournament! congratulations, coach ross and thank you and your assistants!
the big fat guy who attends every game
panther commented on March 6, 2011 at 9:24 a.m.: report abuse
W.T.Dwyer = WINNER!
Mrs. Schaub commented on March 6, 2011 at 2:44 p.m.: report abuse
Congratulations Dwyer! You guys have been working hard and deserve what you've been working for all these years!
Mrs. Schaub
@ goon commented on March 6, 2011 at 9:34 p.m.: report abuse
goon is so funny, I almost forgot to notice his terrible use of the English language.
Quit trolling PalmBeachPost.com and go back to the working on that hooked on phonics so next time you attempt to be funny, you don't look like an utterly useless idiot.
Sucks to suck.
Panther Parent commented on March 8, 2011 at 12:04 p.m.: report abuse
TO ALL THE PLAYERS AND COACHES "CONGRADUATIONS" Lets not leave out all the VOLUNTEERS. A special Thank You to Coach Ross and his Wife. Behind a Good Man is a Good 'Strong" Woman. "LETS GO D-BLOCK"
Bryan commented on March 21, 2011 at 1:28 a.m.: report abuse
Very amazing game. Takes skill to get to something like this.
To Mark. A Shirley: What big, fat guy?
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