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A jam packed week of high school sports postseason action in the Pensacola area concluded on Feb. 7 with five boys basketball teams playing in district finals.
Two teams were able to bring home titles, with both reclaming their crowns from a year ago. Below is a recap of district finals from Saturday night.
No. 1 Milton 72, No. 2 Tate 55
Despite returning just two players who saw serious varsity action a year ago, the Panthers remain the team to beat in District 1-6A.
Milton led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, but steadily pulled away from the Aggies from there to roll to a third straight district championship.
Milton (24-3) automatically clinches a spot in the Region 1-6A playoffs, which start Feb. 14. Tate’s season is over, as the Aggies (16-11) had to win the district tournament to qualify for the regional playoffs.
“Just super proud of the guys,” Panthers head coach Matt Anderson said. “We got so many guys before the year started that never even stepped on a varsity floor and they just kept persevering and improving and got us to this point right here.”
The Panthers got two brilliant offensive performances and paired it with tenacious defense to bring home a title.
Senior wing Mateo Robinson, who crossed the 1,000 career point mark in the district semifinal win over Niceville, poured in a game-high 28 points and put his imprint on both ends of the floor.
Mateo, along with his twin brother, Sergio, have been mainstays for Milton this year. But the Panthers offense opens up when they get production from others, and they got it in a big way in this one from sophomore Zhailyn Gaines.
The 6-foot-2-inch forward finished with 24 points, including three straight 3-pointers in the second quarter for a personal 9-2 run that gave the Panthers a 32-21 lead. It was their first double digit lead of the night, and they never led by less than nine points the rest of the way.
“After I hit the first two threes, I just started feeling hot,” Gaines said. “I kept shooting and it was a good night from there.”
On the other end, Milton continued to fluster an explosive Tate team, mixing up its defense after getting beat too many times in the first quarter. This was just the fifth time this season the Aggies were held under 60 points.
“We just started playing defense harder,” Mateo Robinson said. “Then we hit shots. The score just goes up.”
The Panthers have been the clear best team in the panhandle all season, but may have to hit the road for the regional quarterfinals. Milton entered the district tournament as the projected No. 4 seed, but led projected No. 5 seed Oviedo by just two spots in the FHSAA’s most recent power rankings on Jan. 27.
The Panthers have probably done enough to host next week, but their identity won’t change regardless of where they play. Anderson came to Milton this season as a veteran coach with four state championships and six Final Four appearances and added a 13th district championship on Saturday night.
A group of Panthers that grew up together but hadn’t had the chance to play together is thriving, buying into a new system that calls for playing together on both ends by pairing selfless offense with disciplined defense. “Just because you preach it and work on it doesn’t mean it always happens,” Anderson said. “But it has happened with this group.”
No. 1 Booker T. Washington 65, No. 2 Mosley 52
The Wildcats are back-to-back District 1-5A champions. Booker T. (20-5) automatically qualifies for the Region 1-5A playoffs, which start on Feb. 14. The Wildcats will likely play at home in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals.
Booker T. led 26-18 at the end of the first quarter, then led 39-34 at halftime and 50-44 in the fourth quarter before pulling away from Mosley (18-9) in the final frame.
The Wildcats previously beat the Dolphins 71-48 at the EscaRosa Thanksgiving Invitational on Nov. 24.
No. 1 Fort Walton Beach 69, No. 2 Pensacola 56
The Vikings led 34-28 at halftime before pulling away for good by outscoring the Tigers 23-13 in the third quarter.
Fort Walton Beach (20-7) automatically qualifies for the Region 1-4A playoffs, which start on Feb. 14. Pensacola (17-9) will qualify for the regional playoffs as an at-large bid but will likely play on the road in the Region 1-4A quarterfinals.
Jabari Epps finished with a team-high 15 points and added three assists to lead the Tigers. Khylen Eccles added 12 points, two rebounds and two steals. Jamarcuz Fountain chipped in six points, nine assists and three steals.
No. 1 Walton 51, No. 2 Pensacola Catholic 47
Walton won its second straight district title.
The Braves clinch an automatic berth to the Region 1-3A playoffs, which begin on Feb. 14.
Pensacola Catholic (20-8) will likely earn an at-large bid to the regional playoffs but play on the road in the regional quarterfinals.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area boys basketball district championship recap
Continue reading...
Two teams were able to bring home titles, with both reclaming their crowns from a year ago. Below is a recap of district finals from Saturday night.
District 1-6A championship
No. 1 Milton 72, No. 2 Tate 55
Despite returning just two players who saw serious varsity action a year ago, the Panthers remain the team to beat in District 1-6A.
Milton led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, but steadily pulled away from the Aggies from there to roll to a third straight district championship.
Milton (24-3) automatically clinches a spot in the Region 1-6A playoffs, which start Feb. 14. Tate’s season is over, as the Aggies (16-11) had to win the district tournament to qualify for the regional playoffs.
“Just super proud of the guys,” Panthers head coach Matt Anderson said. “We got so many guys before the year started that never even stepped on a varsity floor and they just kept persevering and improving and got us to this point right here.”
The Panthers got two brilliant offensive performances and paired it with tenacious defense to bring home a title.
Senior wing Mateo Robinson, who crossed the 1,000 career point mark in the district semifinal win over Niceville, poured in a game-high 28 points and put his imprint on both ends of the floor.
Mateo, along with his twin brother, Sergio, have been mainstays for Milton this year. But the Panthers offense opens up when they get production from others, and they got it in a big way in this one from sophomore Zhailyn Gaines.
The 6-foot-2-inch forward finished with 24 points, including three straight 3-pointers in the second quarter for a personal 9-2 run that gave the Panthers a 32-21 lead. It was their first double digit lead of the night, and they never led by less than nine points the rest of the way.
“After I hit the first two threes, I just started feeling hot,” Gaines said. “I kept shooting and it was a good night from there.”
On the other end, Milton continued to fluster an explosive Tate team, mixing up its defense after getting beat too many times in the first quarter. This was just the fifth time this season the Aggies were held under 60 points.
“We just started playing defense harder,” Mateo Robinson said. “Then we hit shots. The score just goes up.”
The Panthers have been the clear best team in the panhandle all season, but may have to hit the road for the regional quarterfinals. Milton entered the district tournament as the projected No. 4 seed, but led projected No. 5 seed Oviedo by just two spots in the FHSAA’s most recent power rankings on Jan. 27.
The Panthers have probably done enough to host next week, but their identity won’t change regardless of where they play. Anderson came to Milton this season as a veteran coach with four state championships and six Final Four appearances and added a 13th district championship on Saturday night.
A group of Panthers that grew up together but hadn’t had the chance to play together is thriving, buying into a new system that calls for playing together on both ends by pairing selfless offense with disciplined defense. “Just because you preach it and work on it doesn’t mean it always happens,” Anderson said. “But it has happened with this group.”
District 1-5A championship
No. 1 Booker T. Washington 65, No. 2 Mosley 52
The Wildcats are back-to-back District 1-5A champions. Booker T. (20-5) automatically qualifies for the Region 1-5A playoffs, which start on Feb. 14. The Wildcats will likely play at home in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals.
Booker T. led 26-18 at the end of the first quarter, then led 39-34 at halftime and 50-44 in the fourth quarter before pulling away from Mosley (18-9) in the final frame.
The Wildcats previously beat the Dolphins 71-48 at the EscaRosa Thanksgiving Invitational on Nov. 24.
District 1-4A championship
No. 1 Fort Walton Beach 69, No. 2 Pensacola 56
The Vikings led 34-28 at halftime before pulling away for good by outscoring the Tigers 23-13 in the third quarter.
Fort Walton Beach (20-7) automatically qualifies for the Region 1-4A playoffs, which start on Feb. 14. Pensacola (17-9) will qualify for the regional playoffs as an at-large bid but will likely play on the road in the Region 1-4A quarterfinals.
Jabari Epps finished with a team-high 15 points and added three assists to lead the Tigers. Khylen Eccles added 12 points, two rebounds and two steals. Jamarcuz Fountain chipped in six points, nine assists and three steals.
District 1-3A championship
No. 1 Walton 51, No. 2 Pensacola Catholic 47
Walton won its second straight district title.
The Braves clinch an automatic berth to the Region 1-3A playoffs, which begin on Feb. 14.
Pensacola Catholic (20-8) will likely earn an at-large bid to the regional playoffs but play on the road in the regional quarterfinals.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area boys basketball district championship recap
Continue reading...
