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Eagles Soaring To New Heights

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: December 27, 2008

EAST LAKE - Visitors entering the East Lake High School gymnasium are greeted with an extensive array of banners recognizing the school's athletic prowess over the past 21-plus years.

Boys and girls soccer, volleyball, golf, football, baseball, softball; all of these sports and then some have flags hanging from the rafters in a blue-and-white salute to past excellence.

There has, however, been one notable exception: boys' basketball.

That's an omission this year's Eagles netters are looking to change.

"There's no banner in this gym for basketball and I told Coach a couple years ago I want to get him one," said senior forward Kendall O'Neill. "So I want to help fulfill that promise."

The team finished 9-16 last season and the program has spent much of the decade around the middle or bottom of its district's standings. So that promise may sound like wishful thinking.

Far from it.

As of Thursday, East Lake is 7-2 and continuing to gel as a team. It has a solid returning core of experience from last season and has added impact transfers.

Since making the move from Clearwater High School, Walter Smith and his 19.8 points per game and Cornelius Rowell have helped ignite the Eagles' hot start and transform the team into a contender to be reckoned with.

Smith, a 6-foot-6 forward, has become the big man East Lake teams have lacked in recent years. He is explosive around the hoop and will regularly excite crowds with his athleticism and two-handed or alley-oop dunks.

"We're able to get more inside looks now, especially with Walter, because he gives us a post presence we haven't had," Eagles Coach Joe Bloznalis said. "Teams have to account for him and that opens up something for somebody else. It just makes such a difference."

Rowell, though positioned as a shooting guard, is versatile enough to be able to affect possessions both from the perimeter and post.

"Cornelius is just so physical," Bloznalis said. "We're such a different team when he's in there. He has those things you can't coach or teach - just a tough kid."

Add in O'Neill (16.7 points per game), a dangerous weapon from the outside, and combine his contributions with a constantly swarming pressure defense and the reason East Lake is improving so markedly becomes clear.

"I think our chemistry has always been good," O'Neill said. "But then Walter and Cornelius came in and we accepted them into our family at East Lake, treated them well, and I think they like it here."

"It's a nice fit," Smith said of his new digs. "They welcomed me here. We've got a lot of energy and that's what it's all about. We all support each other no matter what's going on."

While many outside of East Lake may be surprised with the new-look Eagles' results, those within the program are not. Smith and Rowell have been playing with the team since spring and summer ball and successes there have helped buoy expectations for this high school season ever since.

"District champions, that's our goal right now," O'Neill said with Smith reiterating the response in near unison. "We definitely have high expectations for this year."

If that is so, O'Neill's promise to Bloznalis will be accomplished and it will be time to make some room in those already crowded rafters and hang yet another big blue banner.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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