COMMENTARY: Columbia seniors leave behind program-altering legacy

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  • Columbia’s Kenney Gaines (4) goes up for a basket against Dillard during the second half of their Class 6A state semifinal at The RP Funding Center on Thursday, in Lakeland. (MICHAEL WILSON/Special to the Reporter)
    Columbia’s Kenney Gaines (4) goes up for a basket against Dillard during the second half of their Class 6A state semifinal at The RP Funding Center on Thursday, in Lakeland. (MICHAEL WILSON/Special to the Reporter)
Body

I know it hurts. 

I know you’re devastated.

You’ll feel that way for a while, but not forever. What will last forever is the legacy you’ve left behind at Columbia High School.

Say what you want about Ivan Reynolds’ buzzer-beater at the end of the first overtime. Did he get it off in time or didn’t he? Columbia fans say no. Dillard’s fans, of course, say he did.

I’m not even sure if the referees knew. They made a split-second decision, one that ultimately cost Columbia a shot at a state title. Instead, Dillard celebrated after a second overtime with a 71-66 in Friday’s Class 6A state semifinal.

Me? I’m still not sure, but part of me wants to side with the Tigers. Maybe that’s just the homer in me. Maybe it’s because it was such a blast to cover such an awesome season that I wanted to watch you all play one more time.

This is a group that I’ll remember forever. Basketball used to be irrelevant at Columbia. It was irrelevant for so long that none of the players on the roster were alive the last time it mattered.

But you guys made it matter, especially seniors Darrien Jones, Jordan Smith, Kenney Gaines, Marcus Owens and D’Andre Jefferson. You achieved more than any other set of Tigers have in more than five decades. 

You made you first state Final Four since 1968, one year after winning the school’s first district title since 2000. This program is no longer an afterthought.

You’ve made people care about basketball again. No one can ever take that away from you.

“I told them the big thing right now is this is going to hurt no matter what,” Columbia coach Steve Faulkner said. “But these seniors have put us on the map in the state of Florida for basketball because we’re not going anywhere. We’ve got more talented kids in our program and we’re going to continue to work just as hard as these guys have to build this program to keep it where it is.”

I’m sure some underestimated this group going into the season. They weren’t always the biggest or the strongest, but man, were they the toughest.

These Tigers loved living life on the edge, whether it was gutting out back-to-back overtime wins over Orange Park and Gainesville in the middle of the season or nearly giving Faulkner a heart attack when they rallied from 14 down to beat Chiles in the opening round of the playoffs.

Even when the Tigers had a lead, they made sure to keep things interesting. They held a seven-point advantage in the regional semis against Lincoln before letting that lead dwindle down to one late.

But you knew Columbia wasn’t losing that game. Not after that rally against Chiles.

Mainland did the same thing in the regional finals, pulling within a point in the final minute only for Gaines to close the door with a heroic effort. Their resiliency was on display time and time again throughout their playoff run, even in Friday’s loss to Dillard.

Columbia squandered an early 13-point lead, fell behind by five in the fourth and still fought back to take the lead late before going to overtime. That’s just what the Tigers do — they fight.

They fought all season long. That’s what made them great, and all their close battles that turned into wins had me believing they would pull it out again in extra time.

Maybe they even did.

“I can’t be more proud of the way we fought, but that’s the group of kids that I’ve been coaching. That’s who they are,” Faulkner said. “They showed to all the people in the arena who we are and that’s all I can ask of them. At the beginning of a game, at the beginning of the season, just give me everything you’ve got. They did, and unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

The pain of defeat radiated in the post-game press conference. Faulkner sat with Jones, Smith and Gaines and all four pairs of eyes were red. It was clear how much this loss ached in their hearts.

But don’t forget, even in your funk, the accomplishments you made in your high school careers. You set the bar for future Tigers to follow, a bar they’re going to want to surpass every season from here on out.

You can’t ask for any more from a group of players. Because of you guys, I know Columbia basketball is here to stay.

Even with seven seniors graduating, no one should doubt this program going forward. If you do, Faulkner’s got a message for you.

“If they’re a coach, call me and we’ll schedule,” Faulkner said. “We’ll you see in the winter. We’ll be fine. I’m confident that the foundation that these guys have helped lay is firm enough that we’re going to continue to be successful in the future.”

I believe you coach. 

Next season can’t get here soon enough.