TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Crusaders Are On Schedule

ADVERTISEMENT

By GREGG BECNEL, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 16, 2008

SEFFNER - The Seffner Christian girls basketball team flew so low under the Hillsborough County radar, it barely registered a blip.

Teams such as Sickles, Plant, Tampa Bay Tech, Freedom and Bloomingdale received most of the attention during the season.

But when the region finals tip off tonight, the Crusaders will be the only county players lacing up their sneakers for a chance to advance to the final four.

"We have only been in the FHSAA for five years," Seffner Christian coach Greg Fawbush said, "and we have won two district championships and are now in the regional final."

The Crusaders (15-10) host No. 9 Sarasota Christian (23-5), which has reached the state tournament the past two seasons, in the Class 1A-Region 3 final.

Fawbush scheduled tough out-of-district competition from higher classifications for the sole purpose of preparing his team for this moment.

"I scheduled up this year because I believed it would help us at the end of the year," he said. "We have seen every type of team and player because of it. Some of the teams would press the entire game; others tried to work the half-court offense, so I think it allowed us to be ready for different situations.

"But the biggest thing it did is helped our confidence. We played those bigger schools close. All the girls believe it helped us."

Seffner Christian wasn't concerned with having a glamorous won-loss record. It just wanted to progressively get better as the season went on.

"I saw myself and other teams in the past with 20-win seasons and get put out in the first round," Fawbush said. "Our goals were to get better by the district tournament and not have any regret. We have never told the girls it was about winning. It is about giving all you have and letting the rest take care of itself."

The Crusaders are led by junior Jenny Moorer, who averages a double-double with 18 points and 14.7 rebounds per game, and sophomore Arielle Jadlowski, who is good for 13.4 points a game.

"Jenny and Arielle are team players. They are the first ones to give other girls credit for doing something right," Fawbush said. "They are both gamers who work hard all the time."

Fawbush believes Moorer could have an even bigger impact if she was more aggressive.

"At times we have to make Jenny take over games," he said. "She tries to get others involved too much."

Other key contributors for Seffner Christian are Sara Santmeyer, Alexandra Hagel and Ashley Schubel.

The Crusaders seem to be peaking at the right time.

"We are where we thought we would be," Fawbush said. "The thing that surprised me was that early in the year we were playing really bad. I thought the girls were so disheartened that they were going to mentally pack it in, but they pulled it together and we are playing our best ball."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT