Lely Falls to Miami Palmetto in Don Stewart Shootout

Nothing like playing two high school basketball games on adjacent courts, separated by a vinyl curtain, to get the adrenaline going inside the Lely gym. Such was the case Friday night at the Don Stewart Shootout at Lely gymnasium.

Don Stewart was on hand Friday night when his former team, the Lely Trojans and hosts of the tournament, took on Miami Palmetto. While Lely ended up on the short end of a 71-43 score, the overall success of the tournament pleased both Stewart and Lely coach Fritz Jacques.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing for the community,” Don Stewart said. “You have Community School, Naples, Barron Collier, First Baptist Academy, and of course Lely. You can see the difference in the crowd when Lely’s playing.”

Stewart was Lely’s head coach for 26 years (1983-2009), winning 456 games. His 1994 team advanced to the state championship game.

“This is my favorite gym. We have a great fan base here at Lely High School. I’m just so blessed. The years I was here at Lely High School, we had so many great kids, great families. It’s very rewarding, very nice.”

Fritz has done a great job.

Jacques was philosophical about his young team’s loss and the tournament overall. He has a freshman and sophomore in his starting five.

“The kids gotta understand,” Jacques said, “there’s a reason we make a game plan. This group with a lot of young guys, we’ve gotta be tougher. I preach a lot in practice about competing and being tough. The dirty work. That’s the stuff we’ve gotta do. They out rebounded us. They got second chance shots. You take those away and it’s a different ball game.”

Jacques couldn’t be prouder of the Don Stewart Shootout, named in honor of his high school coach at Lely.

“We’ve been doing this tournament for a while for coach Stewart. We’ve had a lot of teams from Miami. They keep coming back. We’ve made a big impact on the East Coast. Next year we’ll probably make it a little bigger.  Stay tuned for the Don Stewart Shootout next year.