Give Me Five!
Give me Five! That is exactly what the Arlington Country Day Apaches gave their coach, Rex Morgan, when they won their fifth consecutive 2A Florida State Basketball Championship in March of 2009, which extended their playoff win streak to 25 straight games. Coach Morgan has now coached at Arlington Country Day (ACD) for 13 years, but the past five have been incredibly special. During his stint, he has enjoyed many successes, including the opportunity to coach the Jordan game in 2006.
In September of 2008, Coach Morgan showed his commitment to continued success when he purchased a “Gun” from Shoot-A-Way to better utilize his teams’ practice time and to get more efficiency out of their daily shooting routine. Coach Morgan says the Apaches use the “Gun” everyday to work on free throws, 3-point shots, and mid-range pull-ups, and it showed during competition. Over the past season, ACD’s mid-range field goal percentage improved from 47% a year ago to 52% during their 2009 campaign. “I feel that, with the Gun, we were able to maximize our shots in practice in a shorter period of time”, Morgan says.
When Arlington Country Day won their fifth championship in 2009, they tied Malone HS for the Florida Record of consecutive state championships. As the Apaches move forward into next season, they will undoubtedly be shooting for their 6th straight championship and a chance to stand alone in the Florida record book. As we left Coach Morgan, we asked him if he had any final thoughts. He simply added, “I just wish we would have had the ‘Gun’ thirteen years ago. We might have had thirteen championships.” And for that we say to Coach Rex Morgan, “Give me Five!”