Barron Collier super seniors lead Cougars to second straight district title

The talented and experienced veterans combined for 58 points and 10 3-pointers

NAPLES, FLORIDA – The Barron Collier boys basketball team boasts four starters who are 6-foot-4 or taller, can shoot, and played prominently on last year's regional finalist.

But it isn't the Cougars' talent or experience that's led to the program's turnaround. It's attitude.

With a 76-59 win over Lely on Friday, Barron Collier won its second straight Class 5A-District 12 championship. It's an impressive feat considering before coach David Watts arrived four years ago, the Cougars had suffered through six straight losing seasons.

"(Watts) has not let failure be an option," Barron Collier senior Noah French said. "If we lose, we learn from it. When we win, we act like it's normal. That keeps us winning."

French is one of the Cougars' four-year seniors who have been with Watts since the beginning. Those seniors once again catapulted Barron Collier to a big victory Friday.

French, Bryce Clayton, Mike Reyes and Brayden Touchette – all listed at 6-4 or 6-5 – combined to score 58 points and drill 10 3-pointers. Clayton nailed six 3s and finished with a game-high 20 points.

"It feels great," Clayton said of the district title. "We put a lot of work into this season. Coach Watts did a great job preparing us for this tournament and we got it done."

Head coach Noah French got a big night from his seniors during Barron Collier's 76-59 win over Lely, as the Cougars clinched their second-straight Class 5A-District 12 championship / Photo by Adam Fisher

French scored 15 points, and Touchette had 11. Reyes finished with 12 points, all in the first half. He injured his ankle early in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.

The Cougars won just the seventh district title in program history (dating back to 1978). It was only the second time Barron Collier has won back-to-back titles. The last time was 2011 and 2012, which also was the last time the team had a winning record before Watts arrived.

With the win, Barron Collier improves to 21-5, its most wins since 2012. The Cougars have had a winning record all four seasons under Watts.

Barron Collier never trailed in Friday's district finals, but Lely stuck around early. Each time the Cougars opened up a double-digit advantage, Lely seemed to fight back.

However, Barron Collier closed the first half on a 12-0 run that seemed to put the Trojans away. The Cougars led by as many as 26 points in the second half, and Lely never got closer than 16 the rest of the way.

"You expect Lely to make runs. They're an energy-based team," French said. "We just keep doing what we do and eventually their run will end, and that's when we go on ours. We persevere through the hard times and keep going."

The Trojans (11-14) made a surprise appearance in the 5A-12 championship game. Most fans expected a rematch between Naples High and Barron Collier, who faced off in the district finals the past two seasons.

But Lely, the No. 3 seed in the district, upset No. 2 Naples 71-68 in the semifinals. The Trojans had lost eight of their previous 10 games before starting the postseason.

Senior guard Roy Obsaint led Lely with 16 points. Freshman Sam Powell scored 13 for the Trojans.

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher