Seahawks top Bay, fall to W. Gadsden

The Franklin County Seahawks boys basketball team lost its second district game last week, to West Gadsden, before bouncing back to beat Bay High.

Preparing to face district leader Port St. Joe at home Saturday night, before what is sure to be the largest crowd so far this season, coach Fred Drake’s squad is focusing more on the post-season than a regular season district title, which has grown increasingly unlikely.

“I told them before the season we’re going to play them (St. Joe) four times this year, twice in the regular season, once in the district tournament, and then again in the regionals,” said Drake. “We have to win number three and four; they’re the ones that count.”

After enduring a heartbreaking 72-69 overtime loss at Port St. Joe Jan. 9, the Seahawks faced off the following Tuesday at West Gadsden, and lost a cliffhanger 57-56.

“ I felt as a coach the kids left it all at St. Joe,” said Drake. “You could just tell they were so emotionally and mentally drained.”

The coach said the team also had heard stories about West Gadsden’s sometimes “rowdy and crazy fans” and so this first visit to Greensboro had the team on edge.

“We were intimidated by the fact we were thinking something bad was going to happen,” Drake said. “Emotionally we lost the game before it even started.”

The Seahawks broke out to a 11-2 run in the second quarter, but West Gadsden tied it at 27 at the half.

Franklin County opened a 33-27 lead with 6:22 left in the third quarter, but the Panthers clawed back into a 37-all tie. The Seahawks led 43-41 going into the final frame, but it was nip-and-tuck from then on. With under a minute left, the Panthers held a slim 57-56 lead.

But Franklin County couldn’t secure the win, with senior guard Austin O’Neal missing two free throws, and then his teammates unable to capitalize on two Panther turnovers and a jump ball in the waning seconds.

Sophomore Carlos Morris, who led the team with 19 points, had two free throws at the end of the game and he, too, missed them both.

“We play good against teams we shouldn’t beat and we lay it down against ones we should,” said Drake. “They’re unpredictable, full of growing pains. You never know what to expect from these guys now.”

On Jan. 14 at home against Bay High, the Seahawks re-established their poise on their home court, winning 65-58 behind a 31-point effort from Morris.

The Seahawks opened with a 12-2 run, but the Tornadoes whirled back to knot it at 20 with 1:33 left in the half, and then stepped ahead with a 25-24 lead going into the locker room.

The two teams battled it close in the third quarter, but the Seahawks seized the advantage, holding a 49-43 lead going into the last stanza. The Tornadoes managed to get within two points, 53-51, about halfway through the quarter, but the Seahawks opened a 10-point lead and held on for their second victory this season against Bay.

The Seahawks now stand at 9-6, with a 3-2 record in the district.

Senior point guard Arron Prince has rejoined the squad, after conveying to Drake in a heart-to-heart talk the personal reasons that prompted him to miss the last four games of 2009 and the first of 2010.

“Everybody deserves a second chance, especially a senior,” said Drake. “I see a kid that’s a senior and I know I can help get him out of here and into college. I’m looking at the kids’ wellbeing.

“I’m going to base my success on how many kids I get into college,” he said. “That’s my number one goal, to get these kids out of Franklin County on some type of scholarship.”

Jan. 14 vs. Bay High

Bay                  10  15  18  15 – 58

Franklin Co.     16    8   25 16 – 65

SEAHAWKS: Arron Prince 2/7 2s, 0/1 3s, 0/1 FTs, 4 pts.; Carlos Morris 10/16 2s, 3/9 3s, 2/2 FT, 31 pts.; Dalin Modican 5/6 2s, 10 pts.; Adam Joseph 1/3 2s, 2 pts.; Austin O’Neal 8/15 2s, 2/3 FTs, 18 pts.

Totals: 26/47 2s, 3/10 3s, 4/6 FTs

Rebounds: Morris 12, O’Neal 8, Joseph 7, Modican 6, Prince 3, James Winfield 2, Michael Turner

Steals: Joseph 3, Prince, Modican, 2, Winfield

Assists: Prince 7, Modican 6, O’Neal 4, Joseph 2, Morris

Jan. 12 @ W. Gadsden

Franklin Co.     12  15  16  13 - 56

WGadsden      17  10  14  16 - 57

SEAHAWKS: Prince 3/5 2s, 1/6 3s, 9 pts.; Morris 6/13 2s, 1/16 3s, 4/6 FT, 19 pts.; Modican 2/3 2s, 4 pts.; Winfield 1/1 2s, 2 pts.; Joseph 1/2 2s, 2 pts.; O’Neal 7/14 2s, 0/2 3s, 5/10 FTs, 19 pts.; Zach Jones 1/2 FTs, 1 pt

Totals: 20/38 2s, 2/26 3s, 10/18 FTs

Rebounds: O’Neal 11, Morris 7, Joseph 6, Modican 5, Prince 4, Winfield 2, Allen, Jones

Steals: Morris 4, Prince 5, O’Neal 3, Winfield 2

Assists: O’Neal 2, Prince 4, Morris 4, Winfield

Blocks:  Joseph, O’Neal, Turner

Jan. 9 @ PSJ

FRANKLIN         6   20  17  15 11 - 69

PSJ                 16  11  19  12 14 - 72

SEAHAWKS: Prince 1/6 2s, 1/1 3s, 3/4 FTs, 8 pts.; Morris 6/11 2s, 4/10 3s, 4/7 FT, 28 pts.; Modican 3/8 2s, 1/2 FTs, 7 pts.; Joseph 1/4 2s, 2/2 FTs, 4 pts.; O’Neal 9/15 2s, 0/1 3s, 4/7 FTs, 22 pts.

Totals: 20/45 2s, 5/12 3s, 14/22 FTs

Rebounds: Morris 9, Modican 7, O’Neal, Winfield, Joseph 5, Prince 3

Steals: Joseph 3, Morris, Modican 2, Prince, O’Neal

Assists: O’Neal 4, Prince 3, Morris 2, Modican

Blocks: Morris

Jan. 5. vs. Wewahitchka

Wewa              10   13  14  14  - 51

Franklin Co.     20   23  20  23  - 86

SEAHAWKS: Marcus Allen 2/6 2s, 0/3 3s, 4 pts; Morris 8/16 2s, 5/8 3s, 3/4 FT, 34 pts.; Modican 5/8 2s, 1/2 FTs, 11 pts.; Winfield 1/2 2s, 2 pts.; Turner 1/3 2s, 2 pts.; Tydron Wynn 2/2 3s, 6 pts.; Joseph 2/3 2s, 4 pts.; O’Neal 9/18 2s, 1/3 3s, 2/2 FTs, 23 pts.

Totals: 28/57 2s, 8/18 3s, 6/8 FTs

Rebounds: Morris 10, O’Neal 9, Winfield, Turner 7, Joseph 6, Allen 5, Modican, Trekale Turrell 3. Wynn

Steals: O’Neal, Modican, Allen 3

Assists: O’Neal 9, Turrell 7