5 Takeways: Plant City vs. East Lake (Class 8A, District 3 Region Quarterfinal)
East Lake took down Plant City on Thursday night 62-40 in the Class 8A, District 3 region quarterfinal. The Eagles (23-4) will now meet up with rival St. Petersburg on Tuesday, the same team they beat to capture the school’s…
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Continue ReadingEast Lake took down Plant City on Thursday night 62-40 in the Class 8A, District 3 region quarterfinal.
The Eagles (23-4) will now meet up with rival St. Petersburg on Tuesday, the same team they beat to capture the school’s first ever district title.
Here is a look at five takeaways from the region quarterfinal matchup.
Blanch attacks at will
Behind a game-best 26 points from 2020 guard Dionte Blanch, the Eagles pulled away in the third quarter and shot the ball at a high clip.
Blanch scored 16 of his team’s 24 points in the first half as East Lake led by nine at the break. The junior combo guard attacked endlessly with six free throws and the rest of his points on lay-ins. He was almost unstoppable when he went to the rack.
East Lake’s ball movement
2019 guard Dakota Speed delivered with 12 points, all from beyond the arc. 2020 guard Jordan Hillmon and 2019 forward Timothy Bruner each had 10 points.
East Lake head coach Britt Taylor said it was the best thing that could happen for his team to have four players in double figures.
“We just kind of react to the way (Dionte) plays. What people don’t know about Dionte is that he is the most selfless kid I’ve ever coached,” Taylor said. “They played us straight man to man in the first half and if that happens then he’s going to go work. Then they brought the double team in the second half and he’s perfectly fine not taking a shot.”
This was all without 2021 guard Dean Gabrelcik (two points) making his normal impact.
King and Walden team up
For Plant City (16-11), the 8A-9 district runnerup earned an 18-point game from senior Bethune Cookman signee Justyn King in his final high school game. 2021 forward Andrew Walden paced him with 13 points.
This was a real effort for King who had to do even more than usual against the fast paced East Lake team. Walden stepped up and is now in line for a steadier role next season as a junior. He was able to get inside and grab boards with his big body.
East Lake’s resilience
East Lake had never won a district title. The last time I had seen the Eagles they lost 59-41 on Jan. 15 at St. Pete. Since then, East Lake has gone 10-1, beating rival St. Pete twice.
Coach Taylor says he likes the momentum his team has generated heading into the region semifinal next week.
“I told this group from the very beginning back in October that our goals were PCAC, school record, district championship and the Final Four. We’ve been steady on our goals and locked in,” Taylor said. “It is not much of a surprise for this group here because we believed in it but to everyone else that hears that East Lake is winning games, it is kind of a shock.”
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St. Pete-East Lake preview
‘Part 5’ of the St. Pete-East Lake series this season comes up on Tuesday. After beating the Green Devils in the district championship 68-52 last Friday, it is East Lake that has the tools to win a third straight game against St. Pete.
After losing to St. Pete by a combined 30 points in the first two meetings of the season, East Lake won by a total of 38 in the last two games, the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship and last week’s district title.
Blanch is looking forward to the home-court advantage.
“It is going to be hype and a crazy atmosphere,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the double teams. We definitely have to control the tempo and go at our pace.”
Taylor says his group is playing with endless confidence.
“If we can make our shots and play confident then we’ll be tough to beat. I know St. Pete is going to bring it but I like our chances.”