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Tampa Bay Tech thwarts Plant City’s comeback attempt

David Cexil comes through late for the Titans after the Raiders rally within two.
 
Published Feb. 16, 2019

PLANT CITY — David Cexil wanted the ball. He wanted the Class 8A, District 9 championship even more.

Cexil converted two key three-point plays in the final two minutes Friday, enabling Tampa Bay Tech to stave off a huge Plant City rally for a 56-47 victory

It was the second title in three years for the Titans (18-7), who lost the crown last season to the Raiders (16-10).

Cexil, a 5-foot-10 forward, was the second-half catalyst for Tampa Bay Tech, which broke open a tight game in the third quarter with a 17-6 surge.

The Titans’ 45-31 lead evaporated quickly, however. Plant City scored 14 of the first 16 points of the final period to pull within 47-45 at the two-minute mark.

But Cexil got the ball, and he didn’t let his teammates down. First, Cexil nailed a trey from beyond the top of the key, and after teammate Gavin Antoine fouled out — leading to a pair of Justyn King free throws — Cexil followed with a three-point play off a layup to give Tampa Bay Tech a 53-47 lead with 30 seconds remaining.

"I’m a leader on this team, so I have to lead by example,'' said Cexil, who scored 15 of his game-high 21 points after halftime. “Everybody knows that when I get the ball in my hands, I can lead my team. So that’s what I try in the big-time moment.”

Tampa Bay Tech never trailed after snapping a 24-all tie late in the second quarter on layups by Henry Hughes and Ronnie Johnson.

Defense propelled the Titans’ big third quarter. They forced 12 of Plant City’s 26 turnovers, and limited the Raiders to only seven shots (two made). Tampa Bay Tech scored the first seven points of the period to take its first double-digit lead of the game at 35-25.

“We tell our guys defense is what wins championships, and we’ve been working all year just trying to prepare them,” Tampa Bay Tech coach Adrian Johnson said. "There is no quit in the team. . . . They played like Titans, and I’m proud of them.

"Plant City has a very good ball club, and (Raiders coach) Billy Teeden does an excellent job with those guys. We know it’s a game of runs, and we just held them off."

Jamarcus Robertson added 13 points and Antoine had 10 for Tampa Bay Tech, which made 11-of-22 field-goal attempts in the final two quarters after a 36 percent first-half showing.

Andrew Walden (15 points) and King (12) led Plant City’s offense, which shot only 35 percent.

“It feels good (to win district),” Cexil said. “We’ve had a couple of games (this season) where we were up, and then we came down. Those games prepared us for this moment, so we knew what we had ahead of us when they were making a rally.”