North Shore Sun

He didn't want to believe it. He could fight through the pain, he thought. His season couldn't be over, not like this.

Tajric Boggs tried to come back on the court Sunday night after injuring his left foot against Lindenhurst. He couldn't make it. Boggs was forced to sit on the bench the second half and while the Lions would hang on to win 79-62, Boggs would learn the next day that his fate had been sealed.

"Usually I can suck it up and play," Boggs said before the start of Wednesday's Class AA county championship. "It just wasn't working this time."

Hobbling on crutches, Boggs, who averaged 14 points per game for Longwood, could only watch from the sideline as his teammates took the floor for the biggest game of the year. A broken foot had ended his season.

"It's the toughest thing right now," Boggs said. "I'm going to support my team no matter what, but it's kind of hard to sit on the sideline."

Boggs said that in the first half against Lindenhurst he went to do a cut to the basket and he heard a pop. He knew it wasn't good.

Without Boggs the Lions still put up an impressive effort against Half Hollow Hills West, ultimately falling 77-69, the second straight year they lost in the county final.

The Lions tried to rally around their fallen teammate and they nearly pulled off the win of a lifetime. Even without Boggs, the Lions' confidence never wavered.

"They looked right at me and said, 'We got you,'" Boggs said. "And I got faith in my team."

Gerald Holmes filled in for Boggs in the starting lineup and more than held his own. Coming off a huge game against Lindenhurst where he guarded Kamil Parzych most of the second half, Holmes scored 10 points with nine rebounds and four assists.

His most impressive play might have been a charging foul he drew against Hills West star Tobias Harris with 2:49 left in the third quarter. Harris picked up his fourth foul as Holmes stepped in front of a man at least nine inches taller to be plowed over. While Harris never picked up a fifth foul to end his game, the play by Holmes epitomized Longwood's commitment.

"We're not a one pony show," said Longwood coach Dennis Terry. "For the most part we run nine, 10 guys."

Boggs is one of the best defensive players for Longwood and without him the Lions altered their game plan defensively more so than on the offensive end. They chose to have Holmes drift off Hills West guard Tavon Sledge and double down in the post. The Lions were willing to give up an outside jump shot to Sledge, but he hit most of his shots.

joew@northshoresun.com