BOYS BASKETBALL: DAVE BLISS WINS STATE TITLEIn his first year at the high school level, former Division I college coach Dave Bliss guided
Allen Academy (Bryan, Texas) to a 63-51 victory over Texas Institute For Men (Dallas) to win the Class 2A Texas Christian Athletic League state championship. Senior forward
Trevar Mayon led the champs with 26 points and 13 rebounds while earning MVP honors. The Rams finished with a 20-12 record, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
Bliss told MaxPreps, "Coaching in college – because of the pressure to succeed – tends to be more about the coach. Coaching in high school is all about the kids and this is what it needs to be. If we lose track of this, we will miss out on one of our last opportunities to positively influence young people."
* Patterson (Baltimore) sophomore guard
Aquille Carr is quickly becoming a local legend. According to Josh Barr of the Washington Post, the diminutive Carr already has been given such nicknames as The Computer, Aquille The Deal and The Crime Stopper. The latter name is quite meaningful, because Barr claims that when Carr is on the court, everyone comes to his game and, therefore, crime is greatly diminished on those occasions. Eight times this year, Patterson games were moved to Morgan State University to accommodate his fans.
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Cameron Biedscheid scored 41 points, but it wasn't enough as defending champion Cardinal Ritter (St. Louis, Mo.) was upset by Elsberry (Mo.), 80-79, in overtime during the Class 3 state quarterfinals.
* Mentor (Ohio) defeated Brush (Lyndhurst, Ohio), 76-67, behind senior guard
Cole Krizancic's 41 points.
* Pendleton Heights (Ind.) junior
Kellen Dunham scored a career-high 41 points during a 58-53 victory over Northrop (Fort Wayne, Ind.).
* Junior
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 10 rebounds to earn Most Outstanding Player honors as he sparked St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.) to a 90-74 victory over Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.) in the National Prep Championship finale.
* Bob Farrell, one of New Jersey's premier basketball coaches, has retired after 34 years at
Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.). He won 777 games and a pair of Tournament of Champions titles. He will be succeeded by longtime assistant Kevin Williams.
* Indiana lost its No. 1 high school basketball historian when Herb Schwomeyer died at age 93. Schwomeyer, who played basketball under legendary Butler University coach Tony Hinkle, attended every state final from 1932-2004. He was a teacher, coach, college professor, author, referee and color commentator during his career.
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