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Henson Solid In His Debut; Sickles Wins 63-27

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Sickles' John Henson looks to the inside during the first half of Monday's 63-27 victory.

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By NICK WILLIAMS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 25, 2008

TAMPA - The season opener couldn't have started any worse for the Sickles High boys basketball team and its star player, 6-foot-10 senior center John Henson.

The bus taking them to Freedom was two hours late, forcing the junior varsity team to forfeit. They arrived 15 minutes before tip-off, which delayed the game another 25 minutes. Once they took the court for warm-ups, Freedom's clock malfunctioned and could not be turned on.

All the while, Henson, who has signed with North Carolina and is rated the nation's No. 3 prospect, was worried how he would perform in his Hillsborough County debut. Last week, he rolled an ankle during practice and hadn't played since.

Nevertheless, Sickles, ranked No. 5 in the Class 6A preseason poll, dominated 63-27. And although he played sparingly, Henson led the Gryphons with 16 points, six blocks and five rebounds. He shot 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 on free throws.

"I told coach in his office this morning that I woke up early, thinking about Monday," he said. "I wanted to show people what I can do. I think I played a decent game."

"I was really pleased with John," Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia said. "He hadn't practiced all week and he had a tender ankle. He didn't want to miss this for the world."

Senior Brendon Bertorello led Freedom with 13 points.

On Thanksgiving Day, Sickles leaves for Illinois, where it will compete in the Trusted Choice Tournament of Champions, a tournament that includes some of the top teams and players in the nation.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851

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