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Fort White forward Chancellor Wilson is the LCR’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (COURTESY)
Chancellor Wilson took off for a loose ball on Dec. 13, 2019.
Little did he know, his sophomore season would quickly come to an end.
Fort White’s forward collided with a Columbia player and his knee buckled as he planted his foot. Wilson suffered a torn ACL and his season was over after five games.
Months of rehab awaited, and although it took a toll on him mentally and physically, Wilson never let it bring him down.
“I kept my mind focused the whole time on trying to get back on the court,” Wilson said.
Fast forward to his junior season and Wilson’s return was an astounding one. Wilson averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks per game for the Indians — all area bests.
His comeback story earns him the Lake City Reporter’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year honor.
“It’s really an honor because I put in a lot of work in the offseason,” Wilson said. “To see it all pay off with a successful year after coming off of a season-ending injury and to make a big comeback means a lot to me.”
Watching Wilson go down with an ACL tear so early in his sophomore season was tough to watch for Fort White coach Isiah Phillips. He could tell just a few games into Wilson’s sophomore campaign that he was ascending as a player who was already averaging more than 18 points per game.
When it was finally time for Wilson to lace up his shoes to take the court again, Phillips made sure to tell him to never take the game for granted. You never know when it could be your last.
“I think him being out last year made him hungrier,” Phillips said. “He wanted to be back out on the court and when he got back out there I told him to take advantage of every moment.”
Wilson did. In fact, he did it all for Fort White.
Standing 6-foot-6, Wilson played every position for the Indians as their tallest player. Phillips started him at center just for his height but Wilson handled the ball a ton as a point forward, doing whatever he could to help the team win.
Wilson didn’t know what to expect when he first returned to the court but it didn’t take him long to realize he could be a dominant force. He proved that night in and night out as he aims to one day grab a college scholarship.
“I definitely came in focused and prepared on what my goal is,” Wilson said. “I’m just still chasing it every day.
“Obviously the end goal is to get to the next level, the college level. Looking at my dreams and goals in life kept me focused on trying to achieve those goals.”
Wilson helped the Indians get off to a fast start this season as they won five of their first six games. But then injuries took their toll and a few quarantines made putting lineups together quite difficult for Phillips.
But Wilson was always there. He was the one constant Phillips could count on.
“He was definitely a dominant force for us, especially for a team that didn’t have a lot of height at all,” Phillips said. “He played our center spot but I could have played him at the 3 spot because he handled the ball well and he could shoot from the outside also.”
Unfortunately for the Indians, they stumbled down the stretch, losing eight of their last nine games to finish with a 6-9 record. That hasn’t sat well with Wilson, who is motivated once again entering his senior year.
Anything less than a district championship will be a disappointment.
“We need to come in and stay focused throughout the whole season,” Wilson said. “Everybody needs to come in and work harder than they did the day before. We definitely have a chance to do a lot of big things next year and I’m really excited for it.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
F: Chancellor Wilson
Fort White, junior
The LCR’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year did it all for the Indians. In what was an up-and-down year for Fort White, Wilson was the team’s steady star. He averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks — all area bests.
F: Evan Dowdy
Branford, senior
Averaged a team-best 12.4 points per game for the Buccaneers, scoring 23 twice including in a 55-48 win over Aucilla Christian.
F: Brian Fuery
Suwannee, senior
Led the Bulldogs in several categories, averaging team highs of 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks. He scored a season-high 27 points in a 78-56 win over Baker County.
F: Marcus Peterson
Columbia, junior
Was a swiss-army knife for the Tigers, averaging a team-high 8.4 rebounds to go with 12.9 points, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals and one block. He had a whopping 32 points and 22 rebounds in Columbia 96-73 win over Tate in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals.
F: Charleston Ponds
Columbia, senior
Led the Tigers with 16 points per game, which included a season-high 29 against The Villages Charter. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals to help Columbia reach the regional semifinals.
G: Decalvion Bennett
Suwannee, senior
Averaged 9.8 points per game for the Bulldogs, scoring a season-high 23 points in wins over Baker County and Madison County.
G: Wyatt McLaughlin
Fort White, senior
Averaged 10 points and six rebounds a game in Fort White’s backcourt.
G: Tray Tolliver
Columbia, sophomore
Averaged 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals as the Tigers’ sixth man off the bench. He scored a season-high 20 points in a 56-45 win over Buchholz.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Steve Faulkner, Columbia
Faulkner led the Tigers to their fourth straight playoff berth and an area-best 19-6 record. Columbia was the only team in the area to make it to regionals, beating Tate in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals before falling to Lincoln in the regional semis.