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Pirates Are A Different Team

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By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: January 9, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - When Pasco boys basketball coach Derek Heard steps inside the Donald McBath Activities Center, there is a tremendous difference in his practices now compared to the opening weeks of the season.

"The obvious thing is there's just more bodies, you can do more, but the speed and the intensity of the practice is turned up," Heard said.

A handful of players on the basketball team are also football players. As the Pirates basketball team opened the 2008-09 season, the football team was making its way through the playoffs.

When the season ended with a loss to Tallahassee Godby on Dec. 12 - one game shy of the Class 3A state title game - those players made there way indoors. Chaise Dunn, Marquise Dixon, Trey Giles, Travis Glover, Hakeeme Ishmar and Josh Johnson are those guys, and what a difference their addition has made.

"Before, we had a lot of young kids, ninth- and 10th-graders, who were just unfamiliar with the competitiveness of high-school sports, period," Heard said. "Then we had those football guys come out, all they want to do is compete in practice. They want every drill to be a drill or competition. It just turns the intensity of practice up a whole lot."

Pasco (1-9) earned its first victory of the season Tuesday, and two of those latecomers made a big difference. In the 45-44 victory against Sunlake, Johnson knocked down five 3-pointers en route to 24 points. Ishmar took a crucial charge with nearly six seconds left. The successful basket on the play was waved off, giving the Pirates the win.

Heard was hired in July, and he said his style is still sinking in with his players.

"People outside of basketball really don't know, spring, summer and fall are real huge with getting kids to do exactly what you want them to do," Heard said. "Putting in a complete system is not something you can do in two weeks of practice. So with us getting the football players late and not having a complete roster, we've never been able to get everything in that we wanted to and be consistent with it and be consistently good at it.

"I'm real proud of our guys for working hard. We're still out there and still working hard, looking to accomplish some things at the end of the year."

INJURY UPDATE: Dixon, a senior guard for the Pirates, has played in just three games this season because of a knee injury suffered during football season. Heard said he will have an MRI this week to evaluate the injury.

CLOSE, BUT ...: A handful of fans in the Land O' Lakes gym were a little bit shocked as Land O' Lakes went back-and-forth with Oldsmar Christian on Tuesday night. The Gators eventually lost, 65-56, but with 2:41 remaining in the contest, the game was tied at 52.

"Little bit of a scare," Oldsmar Christian coach Ryan Pannone said after the game.

Pannone said it was the worst game his Eagles had played this season, but he attributed their problems to a solid Land O' Lakes effort.

That admission was music to the ears of Gators coach Dave Puhalski. He would have preferred a win, but the praise would have to suffice.

"I was happy that the kids hung in there, especially defensively," Puhalski said. "Offensively, we knew we had to keep it in the high 50s to have a chance. The tempo was good, we did a good job handling the ball, especially in situations where it was starting to get away.

"I hope they didn't sink down to our level. I hope we came up to their level."

Puhalski was impressed with Mike Cardwell's defense of Chris Perez, who had the eyes of a Jacksonville University scout on him Tuesday night. Puhalski also said his team was beginning to rebound well and play better in the post. He also was impressed with the outside shooting of Ryan Harris, who knocked down two 3-pointers.

SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Log on to TBO.com and head to the prep sports section to read the game story from Thursday night's matchup between Ridgewood and Wesley Chapel.

Coaches who want to add their team's information can submit their entries to Eddie Daniels by calling (813) 948-4214 or

e-mailing edaniels@tampa-

trib.com.

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