Sponsored by Indian Head Athletics

By: Matt Schooley

With his team in a heap of trouble against West in the quarterfinals of the Class L boys basketball tournament, Cormac Fitzpatrick dribbled in front of his bench, where his coach was trying to get a referee’s attention.

“I was trying to call a timeout, and he hits a three,” said Trinity head coach Dave Keefe. “I guess it was a good thing I didn’t get that timeout.”

Trinity went on to win the state championship, thanks in part to Fitzpatrick’s play at both ends of the floor, earning him the Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month for March.

The junior had 16 points against West in the quarterfinals, then hit another key shot in the semis and played stellar defense throughout the postseason tourney.

Fitzpatrick nailed a trey in the semifinals from well behind the three-point line to help Trinity erase a 10-point second-half deficit against upset-minded Alvirne. The shot tied the game at 58-58 with less than three minutes remaining, and the Pioneers went on to win by six.

In the finals, Fitzpatrick managed five points and just one three, but he kept Memorial marksman Pierre Reyes off the board.

“He knocked down the threes when we needed him, and what really helped was that he held Reyes to zero points,” said Keefe, who believes Fitzpatrick has a good chance at a Division II scholarship.

“(Reyes) helped (Memorial) get into the Class L championship, and we told Cormac that if (Reyes) started knocking down threes, we were in trouble.”

Though Trinity star Jordan Laguerre did most of the scoring, following the championship game the star guard said he knows where to look when the Pioneers need a long-range basket.

“Even when he’s cold, you can get him the ball and he’ll shoot it – and make it a lot of the time,” said Laguerre. “He didn’t hit six or seven threes like he’s (done before), but he still played a great game.” When the ball isn’t falling for Fitzpatrick, he has the confidence to keep shooting. “You almost have to be arrogant at times, knowing that they’ll start going in,” Fitzpatrick said following the win over West. “Lucky for me my teammates keep getting me the ball.”

One of the reasons for the junior’s success could be found patrolling the bench opposite Trinity’s in the title game. Cormac’s father, Mike Fitzpatrick, is the Memorial head coach.

“The night before the championship game I asked Cormac what he was doing, if he was going to bed early. He said he was going to shoot with his dad,” said Keefe. “A lot of kids who can shoot the ball as well as he can might take some time off. He’s right back at it again already.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)