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| The Buccaneers gather around Coach Marshawn Cherry (in middle, partially visible) in team huddle before Tipoff Night game against Country Day at Torrey Pines High Dec. 26. (Photo by Ed Piper) |
Marshawn Cherry, head coach of Mission Bay's top-ranked boys basketball team, has paid his dues.
"He (Dennis Kane) gave me my first job as a freshman coach at San Diego High 20 years ago," said Cherry, second-year coach at the Pacific Beach school. "I was about 21."
So, when Kane retired two years ago, his long-time assistant took over, and after a 19-11 season with a starting core of four sophomores last year, he has the same four back as juniors firing on all cylinders.
The Bucs, featuring 6'7" Rodney Latting inside and 6'2" point guard Boogie Ellis outside, stand 14-3 on the season, and 2-0 atop the Western League with a home game against Cherry's alma mater, Patrick Henry, on tap Tues., Jan. 9.
"I tell them they're the hunted, instead of the hunter," said Cherry in a phone interview Mon., Jan. 8, following his day of work as a Special Education Tech on campus, a position he has been in for two years. Being at the school during the day allows players and coach the advantage of checking in with one another when there is a need.
"If they have an issue, they know where my class is," said the coach. "The teachers (and staff) know where I am. So, it's actually a really good situation to be on campus."
"Being on campus, I want the kids to be where they need to be," he said. "All the teachers and staff help out with the kids. They do a great job."
Cherry reported, "We have study hall everyday. They're all there."
"I tell them they're the elder statesmen on campus," he said, "and they need to carry themselves as the elder statesmen."
"Rodney is our force inside," said the coach. "He is the best rebounder in the city. He goes up high and gets the ball. If it goes off the rim, he gets it and clears it for us."
The coach doesn't hold back on 6'1" Jaymarree (pronounced jay-MAR-ee) Norton's defensive skills, either: "In my opinion, he's the best on-the-ball defender in the city."
"He's our hotshot. If he's hot, he can hit 10 three's for you."
The other of the Bucs' big four is Andrea (pronounced Andre) Scott, 16, also 6'1". "He's our slasher. He's probably our most athletic guy. He gets midrange shots, and he's also a very good defender."
Ellis gets a lot of the ink. He just turned 17 in December. Asked if he is the "motor" of the team, Cherry replied, "I would say he is the leader. He is the workhorse. He is constantly in the gym, always working to get better." The 6'2" point guard and Scott are the two team captains.
These are the four juniors who started last year as sophomores. The fifth wheel is "usually" Savaughn Davis, the 6'3" younger brother of former Buc star Justin Moore, who now plays at Georgia Tech. "(Davis) helps handle the ball," said the coach. "He helps get us into our offense, so he helps Boogie out at the point guard position. He also a shooter, too."
Preparing for the Henry matchup Jan. 9 in week two of Western League play, Cherry said, "It's kind of funny. I'm a Patrick Henry alumni. Every game we're looking at doing what we want to do in every game."
The Bucs hit one of their few skids this season Dec. 26, losing to La Jolla Country Day 62-50 on Tipoff Night before the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. "It being the first night and Tipoff Night, I think maybe the guys were a little nervous," said Cherry of the team's poor shooting from outside that LJCDS capitalized on.
Said the Mission Bay coach, "I always tell them, always do the right thing. If it doesn't help you, it doesn't hurt you.
"One of our goals this year is having a team GPA (grade-point average) of 3.0 (a "B") or above. We have a 3.2."
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