Indians Finish Season 35-2
June 1, 2008
By Chipola Staff
The 2007-2008 Chipola Indian campaign ended with the school’s
13th trip to the National Tournament, including its fourth trip in
the past five years. A 7th place national tournament finish, along
with a school record 35 wins, capped off a remarkable run.
“I’m really proud of the way that these guys competed all season,”
said Chipola head coach Greg Heiar. “Despite not winning a title, we
had a really great season.”
The Indians, who eyed the championship trophy the entire season,
lost in overtime to Seward County (KS) in the first round at the
National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Despite the setback,
Chipola would run the table, defeating Shelton State (AL), Itawamba
(MS), and Paris (TX) to end the year with more wins than any other
team in the country.
“We play in the toughest conference in the country,” said Heiar. “So
to win the Panhandle Conference, win the State Tournament, and get
to Hutch again is a very difficult task. This was a team and a
season that I will always remember because of how hard we worked and
what we accomplished.”
Chipola will now look to fill the void of seven players that have
either exhausted their eligibility or will forgo a second season to
pursue their Division I basketball dreams.
Mario Little (Kansas), Mario Edwards (Coastal Carolina), and Skyler
Williams (Lamar) finished their two-year career at Chipola with a
68-5 record.
Other players moving on include: Malik Alvin (Binghamton), Joey
Cameron (Undecided), Antwon Hall (Undecided), Clevin Hannah (Wichita
State), Eddie King (Undecided), Vernon Teel (Loyola-Marymount), and
Decoya White (Undecided).
“For the guys that are moving on, I just want to thank them for what
they have done to help elevate this program to another level,” said
Heiar. “And for the players that we have returning, we know that
there is still one more step that needs to be taken. I’m confident
that we will have the pieces again next year to play at a high level
and compete for a National Championship.”