By Marty Camacho

The Men’s Basketball Team defeated Gulf Coast State 54-48 on March 15 to secure the State Championship. The Pirates’ win in the tournament, which was held in Niceville, marks their first state championship in 32 years and secured them a spot for the nationals which was held in Hutchinson, Kansas, and began March 23.

“I feel really good for the kids,” said head coach Pete Pena, who won Coach of the Year, about securing the Pirates first championship in 32 years. “This league is just relentless [and] I think the kids did a heck of a job overcoming a lot of adversity. So I’m really happy for the kids more than anything.”

Coach Pena had confidence the team could win, going into the match against Gulf Coast State. On paper, the opponent had an advantage against the Pirates as they won all three of their last encounters. However, the story beyond the paper looks different – factors such as lack of practice due to the unprecedented snowfall in Pensacola, and lack of a key player, Will Vasser, who is the team’s leading scorer, in one of the games played a part.

“You take a piece of a puzzle away, and now, trying to fill that piece, people are put out of rotation and out of what their comfort zone is,” said Coach Pena. “So the fourth time, I was very confident. I thought we were ready for a physical battle, which is how it [the game] was.” With all the puzzle pieces available for the championship game, the Pirates were able to get the result they wanted to secure the win.

Before heading to Hutchinson for the nationals, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves visited the team for encouragement. “I think it’s great – the fact that he would take time out of his very, very busy day to come see us off,” said Coach Pena. “I think our guys really, really appreciated it, and anything that could make our guys feel special I’m all for because they’ve [the players] earned that right.”

The Pirates ended up falling against Trinidad State College in the first round with a final score of 83-75, as the Pirates failed to overcome their slow start in the first half. “I thought we looked like we were worn out,” recalled Coach Pena. “It looked like we were playing in quicksand and we couldn’t get out of it.” After a stretch of successive competitive games, the Pirates headed into the nationals with only a week of rest and preparation, including the two-day travel time to Hutchinson. “I told our guys it was a bad day, but you know, you’ve had so many great days. Unfortunately, it [the bad day] happened at the national tournament.”

Nevertheless, the Pirates season is nothing short of a success. The focus for the Pirates is now to be able to keep the level of play that allowed them to be crowned as state champions – a challenge made more difficult because of a change in roster due to graduating players.

“No matter who we recruit and bring in, there are certain things we’re going to do – we’re gonna play together, we’re gonna defend, and we’re gonna rebound,” said Coach Pena when asked how the team will address the challenge of keeping their standard. “That’s how people have come to know us – ‘Hey, you play Pensacola State, it’s gonna be physical. They’re gonna box out and they’re gonna guard.’ That’s a standard we have set for ourselves. It’s just who we are.”

Regarding his Coach of the Year award, Coach Pete could not be more thankful to his players and colleagues. “It’s an accomplishment shared by many,” he said. “You don’t become coach of the year without your players doing a great job out there on the court. [And] I’m very fortunate – I have a great administration, a great athletic director, and I’ve got supportive coaches. Being Coach of the Year is an accomplishment that I share with many, many people.”