3/19/2009

On March 13, Country Day’s boys basketball team won the state Class 1A championship, decisively beating Arcadia in the title game, 67-47. Coach Mike McGuire was honored with the game ball and Matt Derenbecker 2010 was named game MVP. Eddie Ludwig 2009, an LSU signee, and Derenbecker teamed up for 50 points in the game. Jordan McGuire had eight, Hunter Ham six, and Nick Hansel three. Country Day ended the season 34-7, the most wins ever in Country Day boys basketball history.

Coach McGuire said that the playoff victories showed the depth of the team. “We had the big guys,” he said, “but we also had a great selection of talent to back them up at any time.”

Over the winter break, the team established its credentials, surprising the Florida basketball community by winning Orlando’s prestigious Great Florida Shootout with a 76-66 victory over favored Plantation American Heritage.

During the subsequent regular season, the team won district, and, entering the Top 28 playoffs, easily overcame its opponents in the bi-district, regional, and quarterfinal games. In the semifinal game, the team beat defending champion Christian Life 58-49. Three days later they took the title.

Eddie Ludwig said the team started the season completely focused on winning state, and added, “We couldn’t have dreamed the season any better than it turned out. Beating Christian Life [state champion for the last three years] in the semifinals was the icing on the cake, but the state title was always our ultimate goal from the very first day.”

On February 2, in the course of the season, Eddie became Country Day’s Boys Basketball All-Time Leading Scorer. During the Crescent City game, Eddie was presented with a game ball for scoring his 2,300th point.

And on top of all this, Coach McGuire was honored for his 300th career win in a ceremony prior to the Reserve Christian game on February 23. He ended the season with 306 career wins.

Congratulations to the boys team for winning Country Day’s first state basketball championship since 1980.

(Thanks to John Koch for the great photos.)