Page 28 - Florida Sentinel 3-10-17

Sports
COACH RENALDO GARCIA
Coach Garcia discusses defense strategy with play- ers.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Thirty-five years ago, Re- naldo Garcia, the head bas- ketball coach at Sickles High School, was an 11-year-old spectator at the State’s bas- ketball tournament in Lake- land.
His father, Rigoberto Garcia, an avid basketball fan, had taken him to the game. That was in 1982. Plant City High School won the game 73-61 over Jack- sonville-Forrest. That is the last time a Hillsborough County High School won a state championship basket- ball game, until Saturday night when Sickles defeated Tallahassee Lincoln High in a relatively low-scoring game (for Lincoln) 51-45.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Wants To 'Set Up Shop' In The UK
Coach Renaldo Garcia:
Stressing Defense Helped Sickles’ Coach Win State’s 8A Championship
Floyd Mayweather has revealed plans to "set up shop" as a promoter within the UK.
Mayweather, 40, was due to announce on Tuesday that Mayweather Promotions has negotiated with Frank Warren for a fight between IBF super featherweight champion Gervonta Davis and Britain's Liam Walsh in London on May 20.
The fight will be his first in any promotional capacity within Britain, although he had already expressed an in- terest in recruiting James DeGale.
SICKLES HIGH 2017 BASKETBALL TEAM
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
Broadcasting interest in the UK boxing scene is healthier than it has been for some time, and that has led to greater competition between British promoters. May- weather's vast riches and profile would make him a se- rious player in the market.
Garcia, who has been at Sickles since it opened 20 years ago (15 years as the head coach) said he has al- ways been a teacher of de- fense. “I just try to use the old school approach of defense. If you can limit the number of shots the other team makes, you can stay in the game,” he said.
Sickles has won all of its home games over the past 2 years. And, they were able to have home-court advantage throughout the tournament.
However, Coach Garcia knew that his team was going into the championships game as the underdogs, especially since Lincoln was there last year and had made the Final 4 recently. But, he and his staff continued to emphasize “following a solid game plan,” especially when the game was close in the 4th quarter.
Sickles watched the Lin- colns game on Friday and knew that the team had them in height, but continuing to stress defense, he kept telling his team to limit the other team to 1 shot.
Saturday’s game was a special event for Coach Gar- cia. Both parents were there;
it was his mother’s (Sonja Garcia) birthday, his wife, Jodi and sons, RJ (an 8th grade basketball player at Villa Madonna) and Rico, 4th grade, were also in the stands, and the win. “That did it all for me,” he said.
The Yankees have invited the team to join them for a game later this month; and the Hillsborough County School Board has also invited them.
“There are some great teams with great coaches, with great styles in this county. Winning this game, considering the history, made it all very special,” he said.
David Price Relieved To Avoid Surgery; No Timetable For Return
DAVID PRICE
Boston Red Sox ace David Price got the news he hoped to hear this time, namely that the soreness in his left elbow and forearm will subside with- out the need for surgery.
But what about next time?
"They were like, 'Your elbow is extremely unique. It's found a way to kind of heal itself,'" Price told reporters Saturday, referring to his meeting this week with Drs. James An- drews and Neal ElAttra- che.
Price almost certainly will begin the season on the dis- abled list. He has been on the DL only once before in his ca- reer, for six weeks in 2013 with a strained left triceps.
Stephen Curry, Among Others Say Kyrie Irving Has Best Handles in NBA
The ability of Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving to handle the basket- ball in all sorts of situations is one reason that’s he’s at or near the top when any discus- sion of the top players at his position takes place. It also bolsters the reasoning behind Irving being the top pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Irving’s stature within the league was noted by The Un- defeated, which quoted a number of different players who all raved about the soon- to-be 26-year-old’s ball-han- dling ability.
Irving’s most memorable ball-handling took place last June in Game 7 of the NBA Fi- nals, which preceded his iconic game-winning 3- pointer. The player who was the victim of Irving’s clutch play, Stephen Curry, of- fered his own praise:
STEPHEN CURRY AND KYRIE IRVING
“He is able to use both hands and he’s shifty and crafty,” Curry said.
Irving’s ability in this area doesn’t come without fre- quent work that often takes place before and after the team’s practices and prior to the team’s games.
That pre-game work gener- ally takes place an hour before tipoff, with Irving working with assistant coach Phil Handy on 10-to-12 minutes worth of dribbling and shoot- ing.
Vernon Davis Says He Signed 3-Year Deal To Remain With Redskins
Lance Stephenson To Get Second 10-Day Deal From Wolves
Future Hall Of Famer Ver- non Davis chose to stay home, as the veteran tight end has re-signed with the Wash- ington Redskins. The move prevents him from hitting free agency and helps the team keep an important piece of its passing game.
The Washington, D.C., na- tive announced on his Snapchat account that he had signed for three years.
Davis, who turned 33 in January, caught 44 passes for 583 yards last season for the Redskins, and his two touch- downs were his first scoring receptions since 2014. He be- came a strong complement to starter Jordan Reed and a solid target when Reed had
The Minnesota Timber- wolves will sign wing Lance Stephenson to a second 10- day contract.
The new deal was signed on Wednesday, sources say.
Stephenson's first 10-day contract with Minnesota began on Feb. 8, but he suf- fered a sprained ankle on his sixth day on duty in a game against the Cleveland Cava- liers. The Timberwolves were still committed to thoroughly giving him a proper evalua- tion. He remained in Min-
nesota while receiving treatment.
On Mon-
day, head
coach Tom
Thibodeau
said
Stephen-
son was
"coming
along" from his ankle injury.
In four games for Min- nesota, Stephenson is aver- aging 4.3 points in 12.2 minutes a game.
VERNON DAVIS
to sit out games. Davis' blocking also drew praise from his coaches.
Before last season, Davis appeared to be wrapping up his career. Indeed, he said during the 2016 season that he would have played only one or two more years had it not been for playing with his hometown team.
LANCE STEPHENSON
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 17-A