Editor’s note: This is the third part of a summer series revisiting the best of “The Prep Zone” sports show at locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville, featuring interviews with area coaches and players with host Mike Ridaught from the 2024-25 seasons.
The Newberry boys basketball team, along with head coach Patrick Green, the Bosshardt Realty Big School Boys Coach of the Year, joined Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught on his weekly high school sports show on Wednesday, Jan. 29, with co-host Marty Pallman.
The Panthers defeated Bradford (Starke), 75-38, to win a district title for the first time since 2004. Newberry went undefeated during the regular season (21-0), won a first-round home playoff game against Bolles (Jacksonville), before losing in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs against Florida High (Tallahassee), 56-51, to finish 24-1.
Below are excerpts from the Jan. 29 interview — edited for length and clarity — of The Prep Zone’s interview. You can listen to the full conversation, which is archived online.
Q: What’s been the key for you this year? Why is this team different?
Patrick Green: You know, I’ve been asked that a lot, and the biggest thing that I think that it is, is having two- and three-year guys returning. I think that’s huge, especially this day and time with kids wanting to transfer all the time. But yeah, my seniors, most of them have been around for three years. Juniors, some of them also three years, and so I just think with that consistent message, you know that we’ve had for the last three years, I think it’s now starting to pay off.
Q: How much has it been a help for you to have those football guys now a part of the basketball team?
Patrick Green: Always huge. You know, as is tradition at Newberry, we always share athletes. And those football guys just bring something different. They make coaching a little bit easier. You can just say, just go get the rebound, and football players typically go and do that. Whereas my basketball players, it’s a little bit more involved with that.
Q: You’ve got a bunch of seniors, but how is it looking for next year?
Patrick Green: We’ve still got a pretty good junior class, and we’ll lose a lot of course, plus numbers with those seniors, and we lose a lot of size with Logan McLeod and Colin Dunmore, who has been a great addition for us. So that’ll be the main thing, is trying to replace that size from the senior class.
Q: Talk about this 20-0 start. How difficult has it been going out there knowing that everybody’s gunning for you because they want to be that first team to hand you guys a loss?
Henry Mathias (JR): I think we kind of like having the target on our back. It kind of gives us extra motivation knowing we’re everybody’s biggest game. All the fans come out and everybody wants to see it, a close game, but we always kind of take pride in that and try and just blow teams out by as many as we can, so there’s no doubt. We’ve had a couple of close games, but I think we’re such a deep team that on any given night we can have somebody different leading us in scoring, which I think really helps us. We didn’t really have that last year, but I think that’s the main difference. That’s helped us be undefeated this year.
Q: Talk about next week (district tournament) and the opportunity to now get ready for maybe a postseason run.
Jacob Green (SR): Yes, sir. Really just the main focus is to come in, work hard, get prepared for the districts. We have a motto saying, “Unfinished business.” Last year, Hawthorne took that away from us. So this year we’re trying to come out, finish the business, get a district championship, make Coach Pat happy, and move on to the playoffs.
Q: Kai, how would you say that your junior year has gone for you personally?
Kai Washington (JR): I would say it definitely has been really good. I’ve improved a lot, and my shot has gotten better. I’ve been getting better at handling the ball, playing defense. I think my role has definitely stepped up from last year, and I’ve helped the team out in some ways that aren’t really seen in the stats, you know, but I think definitely stepping up and being a leader in some aspects, and trying to talk more and do everything that my coaches have been pushing me to do since last year. I’m focusing on those things this year and it has definitely helped me improve as a player.
Q: Talk about this year. I mean, 20-0, it’s been a really, really fun year. Kind of sum it up so far.
Juwan Scippio (JR): This year has been great for us. This is one of the first years that a Newberry program went undefeated. So, we just want to continue that and tomorrow get the win to finish the season undefeated.
Q: Is there a game that you can look back and say we really wanted to win that game?
Juwan Scippio (JR): I’ll say the Williston game. That was one of the biggest games for us because we went to their house. Now, last year we lost to them, we went 0-2, so this year it changed. We beat them two times. So yeah, those wins really meant a lot to us.
Q: What has it been like having your dad help out coaching the team?
Dylan Strappy (SR): It’s been interesting. You know there’s moments where we agree on what we think could help the team, and then there’s moments where we disagree on what we think could help the team. But at the end of the day, we go home knowing that the most important thing is the team and the win. And you know, that’s the one thing we keep in mind. So, at the end of the day, I respect whatever he says, and I think he respects what I say, so whenever he tells me to do something, that’s just what I’ve got to do because he’s my dad, he’s still my coach, and I respect my coaches at all times.