A decent season for the Crooms Academy Information Technology Boys Basketball team may have come to an early end with a loss in the District Tournament, but that didn’t keep the Panthers program from racking up the Postseason Awards.
Earlier this week veteran Head Coach Keith Wright was voted the Coach of the Year for Class 3A-District 9 for the second time by the members of the FACA (Florida Athletic Coaches Association), while Graydon Gillum became the third Crooms AIT player overall, and second straight, to with the Class 3A-District 9 Player of the Year.
The Panthers were 11-13 this season and is 58-64 in six years under Wright. But the results look better _ 56-49 _ if you take away a 2-15 season his first year in 2020-2021.
Gillum, a 5-foot-11 senior guard, only averaged 6.1 points per game this season, but he proved himself as an all-around excellent lead guard, breaking the school single-season record in both assists with 84, breaking the previous record of 77, and steals with 66, surpassing the previous mark of 56. He averaged 3.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game and was also outstanding on the backboards, averaging 6.0 rebounds per game.
REGIONAL BASKETBALL
The Postseason in Basketball took a tough downturn for Seminole County programs as only the boys squads from Lake Mary and Lake Howell high school’s are still alive heading into Regional Championship Games this coming Saturday night.
The No. 2 seeded Rams (23-7) dominated at home, easing past Atlantic Coast (21-7), 57-33, in Class 7A-Region 1 and will travel to Winter Park to battle the top-seeded Wildcats (22-7) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Homestanding Lake Howell (24-5) got involved in a marathon, outlasting Tocoi Creek (23-5), 82-77, in double overtime in a Class 6A-Region 1 Semifinal.
Johnas Maurice had 36 points, five assists and four rebounds for the top-seeded Silver Hawks.
Ethan Diaz added 14 points and seven rebounds and Isaac Buckley contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for Lake Howell, which avenged a 2025 playoff defeat at the hands of Tocoi Creek.
The Silver Hawks will be home again in the Class 6A-Region 1 final against Buchholz (21-7) of Gainesville on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Check FHSAA.com and look for the Basketball pages for more information.
Here are the basketball Regional results and schedules:
BOYS REGIONALS
(at games at 7 p.m., unless noted)
Class 7A-Region 1
Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 14
Game 1 _ Winter Park 62, Seminole 43.
Game 2 _ Apopka 52, Lake Brantley 45.
Game 3 _ Lake Mary 33, Hagerty 31.
Game 4 _ Atlantic Coast 56, Flagler Palm Coast at 43.
Semifinals
Saturday, February 21
Game 5 _ Winter Park 29, Apopka 25.
Game 6 _ Lake Mary 57, Atlantic Coast 33.
Finals
Saturday, February 28
Championship _ Lake Mary at Winter Park.
Class 6A-Region 1
Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 14
Game 1 _ Forest 57, Mainland 55.
Game 2 _ Buchholz 44, Milton 41.
Game 3 _ Lake Howell 86, Nease 54.
Game 4 _ Tocoi Creek 54, Oviedo 47.
Semifinals
Saturday, February 21
Game 5 _ Buchholz 57, Forest 39.
Game 6 _ Lake Howell 82, Tocoi Creek 77 (double overtime).
Finals
Saturday, February 28
Championship _ Buchholz at Lake Howell.
Class 1A-Region 2
Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 14
Game 1 _ Central Florida Christian Academy 82, Halifax Academy 46.
Game 2 _ Mount Dora Christian 64, Florida Prep 60.
Game 3 _ Orlando Christian Prep 56, North Tampa Christian 43.
Game 4 _ Legacy Charter 56, Lake Mary Prep 50.
GIRLS REGIONALS
(at games at 7 p.m., unless noted)
Class 7A-Region 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, February 13
Game 1 _ Ocoee 63, Hagerty 30.
Game 2 _ Timber Creek 41, Lake Mary 37.
Game 3 _ Colonial 59, Flagler Palm Coast 47.
Game 4 _ Creekside 54, DeLand 38.
Class 6A-Region 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, February 13
Game 1 _ Tocoi Creek 62, Oakleaf 37.
Game 2 _ Lake Howell 64, Buchholz 52.
Game 3 _ Niceville 71, Forest 58.
Game 4 _ Bartram Trail 38, Navarre 44.
Semifinals
Friday, February 20
Game 5 _ Tocoi Creek 60, Lake Howell 51.
Game 6 _ Bartram trail 54, Niceville 46.
Class 2A-Region 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, February 13
Game 1 _ Providence School 66, Destin 35.
Game 2 _ Bishop Snyder 60, Trinity Catholic 46.
Game 3 _ San Jose Prep 74, Rocky Bayou Christian 25.
Game 4 _ The First Academy-Orlando 47, The Master’s Academy 21.
Class 1A-Region 2
Quarterfinals
Friday, February 13
Game 1 _ Orlando Christian Prep 73, Morningside Academy 23.
Game 2 _ Central Florida Christian Academy 54, Merritt Island Christian 42.
Game 3 _ North Tampa Christian 61, Classical Prep 51.
Game 4 _ Altamonte Christian 65, Mount Dora Christian 62.
Semifinals
Friday, February 20
Game 5 _ Orlando Christian Prep 52, Central Florida Christian Academy 37.
Game 6 _ Altamonte Christian at North Tampa Christian 71, Altamonte Christian 49.
