Wekiva coach Butts reaches 300-win mark
Wekiva girls basketball coach Tommie Butts was set up by a trusted, longtime assistant coach Thursday night.
Butts said he was confused when Latoya Ross repeatedly requested that he exit Colonial High School’s gymnasium through the main lobby after his team prevailed 68-42 over the Grenadiers.
Soon after joining the team outside, he was showered with water by players in celebration of winning his 300th game.
“I didn’t know what was going on, but she kept insisting that we go outside,” Butts said with a smile. “I’m going to have to get on my assistant about that.”
Wekiva (9-0) used a 15-0 run in the first half and a game-high 47 points from sophomore standout Jada Eads to pull away from Colonial (7-2) in a matchup of top-ranked public schools in the state.
Eads took over early in the second quarter. After scoring on a jumper from the corner, she stole a pass and drew a foul on a layup for a 3-point play.
The Grenadiers jumped out to a 6-2 lead on 3-pointers by Carmen Richardson and Sophya Barreiro. Wekiva responded with a scoring spree that led to a 17-6 advantage. Colonial cut the deficit to 44-34 late in the third on consecutive buckets by Barreiro, but free throws by Eads and Shaniyah McCarthy ended the threat.
Richardson finished with 15 points while Milan Santos and Anaya Brown combined for 15 rebounds in the loss.
Wekiva, last year’s Class 6A state runners-up, ranks No. 4 and 7A Colonial ranks No. 5 in the state, according to MaxPreps computers. Class 4A’s Lake Highland Prep (8-1) is third behind No. 1 Montverde Academy (10-1) and No. 2 DME Academy (12-0), both of which compete as independents.
The Mustangs have reached the state finals each of the past three seasons. Last year’s 62-60 loss vs. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas still resonates with a team that graduated two seniors.
“We’ve been putting in a lot of effort to try to get it done this year,” Eads said.
Said Butts: “They still remember it and they still have that in the back of their head, but they’ve moved on. They know they don’t want to feel like that again and that’s helped with the motivation. They are on a mission to go ahead and try and seal the deal this year.”
In his 10 seasons at Wekiva, Butts has guided the program to state championship wins during the 2013-14 and 18-19 seasons and runner-up finishes in 15, 20 and 21.
Butts is 300-107 over 16 years, which includes six seasons as head coach at Blanche Ely High in Pompano Beach. He graduated from Blanche Ely in 1993.
Colonial coach Cindy Richardson won her 300th game with the Grenadiers last December. A 1996
Colonial grad, she entered the season 314-167.
The two coaches spent time conversing before the game tipped off. Most players from each team compete with and against each other during the travel ball season in the summer.
“I’m proud of him. Getting to 300 wins is great, but why did it have to be against me?” Richardson said with a laugh.
Wekiva plays Jacksonville San Jose Prep (5-2) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldog Classic. Colonial returns Monday at Oak Ridge (3-3) before clashing Friday with defending Class 3A state champion Miami Country Day (4-3).