7A State Final: Crestview takes home its first state title in 34 years

<p>LAKELAND - The Crestview Bulldogs defined odds all season long.</p> <p>Crestview (25-6) split the regular season series with Class 7A-District 2 rival Choctawhatchee. The Bulldogs then lost to Choctaw again in the district title 73-55, but got revenge in the regional semifinal with a gritty 61-58 win.</p> <p>On Saturday, the Bulldogs completed the job by taking down a state regular in Dillard 50-40 to win its second state championship in school history and first since 1985. This was a Panthers (20-7) program that owns seven state titles including two most recently in 2017 and 2016. </p> <p>Led by 2019 guard Jaden Voisin's 21 points (6-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line), the senior was active from the start and really took advantage of the openings that the Panthers defense gave them.</p> <p>Dillard was searching for an eighth state title, but turnovers and an overall offensive flow really plagued them.</p> <p>"They were able to maintain on the boards," Dillard coach Darryl Burrows said. "As big as we were, we didn't have that much of an advantage. We had 18 turnovers and shot 12-of-21 from the free throw line."</p> <p>Dillard outrebounded Crestview 30-27, but with 2019 6'7" forward Makerere Williams (17 rebounds) and 2020 6'8" forward Jalen Haynes usually towering over teams, it wasn't enough to compensate for the overall 33 percent from the field.</p> <p>Williams was certainly a monster on the boards with eight offensive rebounds and nine defensive rebounds on the day, using his arms very well all over the floor.</p> <p>Crestview got good minutes from 2019 trio Marcus Purcell (7 points), Chris Basil (6 points) and Devin Voisin (6 points).</p> <p>"It was a grind it out kind of game like we thought it might be," Crestview coach Greg Watson said. "We tried to speed up the pace a little bit but you know they are good, big and long. They are hard to press. That was our game plan to keep them out of the paint and half court."</p> <p>Finally getting past Choctaw certainly played a role in this run for the Bulldogs and Watson took a note of it as his team was a rare state winner above Class 1A from the panhandle area.</p> <p>"To see Choctaw to come down here last year and lose a close game, I think that gave everyone a little bit of confidence that we could come to do it," he said. "We knew when once we beat Choctaw, we can play with anybody down here. I told our guys the first practice of the season that no one could beat us if we play the right way."</p> <p>As for Dillard, the fouls picked up in furries in the early part of the game and it was just a 16-12 game at the half with the Panthers trailing.</p> <p>"We were able to go down inside a couple of times to score, but we couldn't convert the free throws to go with it," Burrows said. "Chandler Mack picks up three fouls in the first three minutes of the ballgame, Jalen (Haynes) picks up two. We had to make substitution patterns."</p> <p>Photo credit: Will Turner</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Final Score (7A State Final):<br /> <br /> Crestview 50<br /> Dillard 40<br /> <br /> The Bulldogs win their 2nd ever state title (last one - 1985)<br /> <br /> ????leaders <a href="https://twitter.com/CrestviewHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CrestviewHS</a> <br /> Jaden Voisin 21<br /> Mason Cooper 8<br /> Marcus Purcell 7<a href="https://twitter.com/DillardHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DillardHoops</a> <br /> Jalen Haynes 10<br /> Makerere Williams 10 <a href="https://t.co/jNidpdBYJv">pic.twitter.com/jNidpdBYJv</a></p> — ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@JakePerper) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakePerper/status/1104480149079314432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>