JOHN LEONMartin County, third yearThis season: Guided the Tigers to a 26-4 record and first Final Four appearance since 1987. Martin County lost to Orlando-Evans 53-50 in the Class 7A semifinals, after the Tigers avenged their 2012 regional final loss to St. Petersburg. Three of Martin County’s losses were by four points or less.Quotable: “We were smaller than a lot of our opponents, and I don’t even know if we were better than them, but it was our attitude that won us games. I get joy from every game we win, but the St. Petersburg game, it was like a load off our shoulders. The kids were jumping around, and I think I did, too. To see them get across that hump, to see them accomplish their goals, that’s why I coach. That was truly special.”

4C » Sunday, March 31, 2013 » S C R I P P S T R E A S U R E C O A S T N E W S PA P E R S » T C

ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

All-Area First Team

Jean Alexis

Garrett Kent

Nick Marder

Justin Nichols

Shelvick Henry

Mario Lambert

Alan Morgan

Jean Walker

PLAYER OF THE YEAR JERMOHN QUEEN

JEAN ALEXISJensen Beach junior guard/forwardStats: 13.3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks per game

SHELVICK HENRYSebastian River senior guardStats: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals per game

GARRETT KENTTreasure Coast senior forwardStats: 11.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game

MARIO LAMBERTVero Beach senior guardStats: 15 points per game, 3 assists, 4 rebounds per game

NICK MARDERMartin County junior guardStats: 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game

ALAN MORGANPort St. Lucie junior guardStats: 14.1 points, 3.2 assists per game JUSTIN NICHOLSTreasure Coast senior guardStats: 16 points, 3.5 assists per game; shot 82 percent from free throw line

JEAN WALKERFort Pierce Central senior point guard Stats: 16.8 points per game, 6.6 assists, 2.5 steals, 5.8 rebounds

Coach of the Year

Honorable Mention

WILLIE BATTISTINIJensen Beach junior point guard

PARKER DRESSLERSt. Edward’s senior forward

ALTON EDWARDSMartin County senior guard

VILLE EWARMaster’s senior forward

KEVIN GRACETreasure Coast sophomore post

TREY GRAHAMMartin County junior forward-center

JOSH KNIGHTFort Pierce Central senior forward

BLAKE LUCKYSouth Fork sophomore guard

DENSON LUMENEMartin County junior guard

TERRELL MABINSMartin County sophomore guard

DAVEY MARINEVero Beach junior guard

DOMENICO SANTIAGOPort St. Lucie junior forward

KYLE SHAPIROTreasure Coast senior guard

BROCK MILLERSt. Edward’s freshman forward

RODERICK REAVESLincoln Park junior guard/forward

SHARIEFF RHAHEEDFort Pierce Central junior forward

MIKE ROSARIOJohn Carroll senior forward

BERNARD SMITHLincoln Park senior guard

JACK STUBBLEFIELDPine School junior forward

EDWIN THOMASJohn Carroll junior forward

SHELDON THOMASSebastian River freshman guard

DAVID THOMPSON Jensen Beach senior forward

TYLER WASHINGTONSebastian River freshman forward

BRAYVON YOUNGSt. Lucie West Centennial junior guard

ALL-AREA TEAMThe All-Area girls basketball team was compiled by Laurel Pfahler.

All-Area Schedule

By Laurel Pfahlerlaurel.pfahler@scripps.com 772-978-2282

STUART — If there was an area boys basketball individual performance that stood out most this season, it was Jermohn Queen’s 52-point effort against Treasure Coast High School.

Queen took his “refuse-to-lose” attitude and carried Martin County to a three-point, double-overtime victory for its 10th straight win to open the season.

From there, Martin County coach John Leon said the 5-foot-7 senior point guard’s game took on a life of its own. Queen averaged 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while leading the Tigers to a 26-4 record and their first Final Four since 1987.

Queen is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“There were several games where he just willed us to wins, most nota-bly the Treasure Coast game when we couldn’t buy a shot, and his deter-mination willed us to victory,” Leon said. “He had a great year, and our success was a direct result of what he was doing.”

The Treasure Coast game was one Queen said he always will re-member.

“I didn’t want to lose to a local

team,” Queen said. “That’s all that kept going through my head, ‘We’re not going to lose.’ I just felt like all the hard work, the suicides (drills) and all we do in practice, this is where it pays off. The teams that are more conditioned are the ones that make a run in the postseason, so we had to show we could pull through.”

Queen took on more responsibility this season. Always a scorer, Queen amassed 1,482 points in four years — the last three at Martin County — but became more of a vocal player this season.

For him, it started off the court, encouraging his teammates to get to practices early and motivating them with the reminder the smallest details can matter most.

“We had a lot of young kids com-ing up this year, so I had to be more of a leader,” Queen said. “I knew they would be looking to me, and with (2012 graduate) Justin (Simmons)

gone, I had to step up. We had no time to slack off because, as we learned last year, one point (in a region final loss to St. Petersburg) could be a difference in the game.”

That 2012 season-ending de-feat gave Queen an extra push this season. He worked especially hard on his shot and it paid off, improving from 15 points a game as a junior.

Martin County earned a rematch with St. Petersburg and rolled to a 63-52 win at home to send the Tigers to the Final Four. Martin County lost in the Class 7A semifinals, a game in which Queen’s playing time was limited by foul trouble.

“Since middle school, I wanted to make it to state,” Queen said. “Each year we got closer and closer, and this year we finally did it. We could have done better at state, but we got there and made history.

“That was pretty special.”

Refuse to loseJermohn Queen’s attitude and stellar play

led Martin County to the Final FourPlayer of the Year

JERMOHN QUEENMartin County senior point guardStats: 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists per gameCoach John Leon: “It’s a combination of heart and determination. I think because he was always the small one on the court, he felt he had to play bigger than his stature, and he did. He had a refuse-to-lose attitude, and he really amazed a lot of teams that were seeing him for the first time.”

ALEX BOERNER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

Martin County High School’s Jermohn Queen is the 2013 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

WEDNESDAY

Girls Soccer

THURSDAY

Boys Soccer

FRIDAY

WrestlingSATURDAY

Girls Basketball

SUNDAY

Boys Basketball

MONDAY

Girls Weightlifting

I didn’t want to

lose to a local team.That’s all that kept going through my head, ‘We’re not going to lose.’ ”

Jermohn Quenn, Martin County guard

on regular-season game against Treasure Coast