Three weeks ago, Seminole’s boys basketball team enjoyed one of its most memorable moments in program history, beating heavily favored Gibbs for the Pinellas County Athletic Conference title.
It was not just who the Warhawks beat that made their first PCAC title special.
It was how they did it.
Seminole fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. But there was no panic. The Warhawks chipped away at the deficit by hitting shots and playing defense.
Everything worked. The game was tied at the end of regulation. Then it went into not one, not two but three overtimes.
Dominic Leide ended the marathon contest by nailing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the third overtime to cap off a wild 57-56 victory.
And the season just keeps getting better.
Two weeks ago, Seminole exacted revenge for a heartbreaking one-point loss to Northeast by beating the Vikings in the Class 5A, District 9 final for the Warhawks’ sixth overall district title.
They followed that up by knocking off longtime nemesis St. Petersburg in the region quarterfinals.
Tonight, Seminole can accomplish another program milestone by reaching the region final for the first time with a win over Braden River in the semifinals.
“We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Warhawks coach Josh Walker said.
There was some uncertainty at the start of the season. Seminole graduated three starters from last year’s team that went 15-9 and made the region quarterfinals.
Still, Walker knew had two players to build around – Colin Way and Lavant Burgess.
Way, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, averages 22 points a game and provides veteran leadership.
“There haven’t been too many players like him to come through Seminole,” Walker said. “He’s pretty special.”
Burgess, a 6-8 sophomore forward, has developed into a force down low and has scored 20 or more points in 10 games.
“When you have two guys like that who can each give 20 points on any given night, you stay in games,” Walker said.
The Warhawks expect a big crowd tonight for what be another memorable moment.
“It’s exciting,” Walker said.
