LAKE WORTH – Calvin Sirmans and his teammates are on a mission right now.
With just one game standing between the Lake Worth Trojans (20-3) and a trip to Lakeland for the Class 7A State Final Four Series, Sirmans believes this team has what it takes to continue their dream season.
In fifth-seeded Lake Worth’s 78-71 home win over eighth-seeded Forest Hill this past Tuesday night (Feb. 22), Sirmans led his team with 23 points. He spoke on how the Trojans pulled away from the Falcons in the game’s final two quarters.
“In that second half, we came out with energy,” the Trojans junior guard said. “We had a slump in the first half. We just had to pick it up in the second. I just tried to get more touches, and the ball just turned in on the rim.”
Lake Worth was tied with Forest Hill at 20-20 to close out the first quarter of its Class 7A-Region 3 semifinal game. By halftime, the score was 40-38 in favor of the home team.
“It’s a crosstown rivalry game,” Sirmans said. “We know they’re going to come out and play hard. It’s just one of those games that they held our main scorers to a low number of points. They stuck with us until the end of the game.”
Lake Worth officially eliminated Forest Hill (20-6 final record) from the FHSAA playoffs with its third straight victory over its crosstown rival for the 2021-2022 boys basketball season.
With the win, Lake Worth will travel north tonight (Feb. 25; 7 p.m. tip-off) to second-seeded Osceola (Kissimmee) (20-5) in the 7A-Region 3 title game.
“I’m expecting us to come out with energy,” Sirmans said. “Come out and play hard. Do the little things and try to come out on top.”
Lake Worth sophomore forward Hedrens Bartelus offered his own take on how his team will approach tonight’s regional final.
“That’s not for us to talk about,” Bartelus said. “Stay low-headed, humble, and focused.”
NOTE: The Lake Worth-Osceola winner will advance to next week’s 7A State Final Four Series, which will convene on March 4 and March 5 at RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
CLASS 3A-REGION 3: Second-seeded St. John Paul II (17-10) is the only other Palm Beach County team that made it past the regional semifinal round this past Tuesday night (Feb. 22).
The Eagles came back from a four-point halftime deficit and took down Sante Fe Catholic in a 66-55 home triumph.
The next opponent in tonight’s 3A-Region 3 title game (Feb. 25; 7 p.m. tip-off) will be at home again against fourth-seeded Holy Trinity Episcopal (18-11).
The St. John Paul II-Holy Trinity Episcopal winner will advance to next week’s 3A State Final Four Series at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
PHOTO CREDITS: Xavon Christopher and Keith Forde
