Pete Pena is PJC’s new basketball coach
March 22, 2010
Coach Pete Pena announced as Head Basketball Coach for Pensacola Junior College.
Pensacola Junior College selects one of its own, Pete Pena, to head the men’s basketball program. He replaces head coach Paul Swanson, who stepped down March 11.
“We are glad to announce the hiring of Pete Pena as the new men’s basketball coach,” said PJC Athletic Director Bill Hamilton. “Although Pete is not really ‘new,’ his duties will be, as he takes on this challenging role. All of us congratulate Coach Pena and look forward to the 2010-2011 Pirate basketball season with renewed optimism.”
PJC President Ed Meadows said, “Coach Pena appreciates and understands the level of competition in the Panhandle Conference, and he also understands the expectations of PJC’s fan base.
“PJC’s administration is pleased with Coach Pena’s willingness to accept the challenge and opportunity to produce a winning team where his student athletes are successful both on the court and in academics. I am excited we have selected a highly capable person with such enthusiasm and integrity as Coach Pena.”
Pena has spent the last 11 years as PJC’s head volleyball coach, but prior to taking the PJC volleyball post in 1999, all of Pena’s coaching experience was in basketball. Pena spent 10 seasons (1989-99) as head coach at Catholic High, posting a 143-156 record while taking the Crusaders to the regional playoffs three times. He also served two stints as an assistant basketball coach at PJC, one under Chip Boes (1979-82) and another alongside Kirk Speraw (1987-89). In Pena’s five seasons as a PJC assistant, the Pirates won the Panhandle Conference championship every year.
“This is an outstanding opportunity that I am proud to have,” Pena said. “To be the basketball coach at the school you love makes this very special. I will expend all my energy not to disappoint.”
Pena’s wife, Brenda, is PJC’s head softball coach.
Chipola Indians vs. PJC Pirates
February 15, 2010
PJC Basketball vs Northwest Florida State live blog
February 10, 2010
Click on the link below to follow our live blog of the game.
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Men’s basketball team shows determination
February 8, 2010
Madelain Tigano- The Corsair
Some predicted that they would be last in the Panhandle Conference. But the PJC men’s basketball team has shown heart and determination through the first round of play, snagging third place.
After losing their first two games against Northwest Florida State 73-96 and Tallahassee Community College 63-81, PJC upset then nationally ranked No. 4 Chipola College 75-70.
“I feel like we really came together that game and we really needed that game more than any game in the season,” sophomore Shawntez Patterson said. “If we play hard and together then we can build on it.”
Patterson is a 6-foot-7 forward/guard who has the most points this season at 210, and averages two blocks per game.
“We have so many new guys that don’t understand nonconference and the Panhandle,” Head Coach Paul Swanson said. “[Against Chipola] we played Panhandle basketball.”
PJC also grabbed a win against Gulf Coast Community College 63-58 on Jan. 16.
“Every team has strengths and weaknesses. You’ve got to play your strengths and hide your weaknesses, but expose the weakness of the other team,” Swanson said.
PJC guards are also persistent: Quintel Maxwell, hometown star from Pensacola High School, has a 46 percent beyond the 3-point line, while Daniel West averages three steals per game, a total of 47 this season.
However, sophomore center Shaun Clarke is out for the season due to a recent foot injury that put him on crutches.
“We have a saying, energy without focus is a motion but energy with a focus is intensity. What we want is focus,” Swanson said.
Men’s Gulf Coast vs. PJC
February 3, 2010
PJC vs. Tallahassee Community College
January 27, 2010
Click the link the follow our live blog of the game.
<iframe src=”http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=bd639b552f/height=550/width=470” scrolling=”no” height=”550px” width=”470px” frameBorder =”0″ allowTransparency=”true” ><a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=bd639b552f” >PJC basketball against Tallahassee Community College</a></iframe>
PJC pirate basketball against Chipola
January 13, 2010
Coach Swanson looks on as Brandon Knight has his turn against Chipola. Richard Rodriguez/The Corsair
Jalin Thomas dunk award for academics, basketball
April 29, 2009
Samantha Meyers
His peers think of him as a talented athlete, hardworking student, and a quick-footed basketball player; his name is Jalin Thomas. Now Thomas has been selected for the Hal Chasey Award by the Florida Community College Activities Association.
The Hal Chasey Award has only been given to five PJC basketball players in the past. It is a prestigious award given to one Community College player in Florida on the basis of statistics on the court and an outstanding academic record. Along with the Hal Chasey Award, Thomas accepted the Academic Award for the men’s basketball team.
Thomas averaged 12.5 points, 1.64 assists, and 4.28 rebounds per game for the 2008-2009 season. In addition, he had a 34.6 percent for three-pointers, 48 percent shooting on the field, and a 72.6 percent from the free throw line.
He has always kept up his grades; this past semester Thomas received a 4.0 grade point average. Thomas is in General Studies as of now, but plans to major in business or sports communication.
Thomas is a 20-year-old sophomore at PJC who has been playing basketball since second grade. He was not recruited by PJC, but after talking with Head Coach Paul Swanson, he got a tryout anyway. His 6’4 height and good impression on Swanson won him a spot on the team for the 2007-2008 season.
He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where his family still lives. Thomas was home schooled until his sophomore year of high school. He comes from a large family with four sisters and two brothers. He enjoys hanging out with the guys from the dorms, going to the beach, and running.
Apart from Thomas’ other hobbies, he is focusing on basketball. He is hoping to hear back from Mercer University in Georgia, Stetson University in Florida, and Ohio University.
“I’m hoping for a Division I scholarship, and I want to be successful at it,” he said. “I won’t be lazy if I get it, like some players. I will keep working hard, and whatever I go for, I want to be successful in too.”
If some of these opportunities do not work out, Thomas said he would love to play overseas. He has several friends that have done so.
Nevertheless, Thomas has had a gratifying season.
“I didn’t think it would be better than last season, but it was,” he said. “It’s a great group of guys. It was disappointing to only win two conference games. We had a good chance, but we just couldn’t pull through.”
Basketball teams finish with winning seasons but out of running at state
March 5, 2009
Samantha Meyers
The 2009 basketball season has come to a close. The PJC men and women’s basketball teams played for the last time Feb. 21 at home. Fans cheered on the Pirates as they watched the women defeat Tallahassee Community College by a 40 point spread, 93-53. The PJC men did not fare as well; Tallahassee swiped the win within the last few minutes ending the game, 85-77.
“The last two games we played, not everyone was on the same page, but there was just something about tonight and we had our minds set on finishing strong,” said freshman guard Deana Allen.
The Lady Pirates played with a dominating force that could not be stopped. The Eagles fell from the start, allowing the PJC women’s team to tear up the gym floor. Three players each scored 21 points, NEED NAMES leaving PJC with a comfortable lead.
During the men’s game, the Pirates and Eagles battled it out for the win. The game was back and forth from the start, with the score tied 36-all at halftime. The night was filled with great plays from the Pirates and the Eagles, but PJC could not keep control of the score board. The Eagles got ahead and stayed ahead during the final minutes of the game, ending the game 85-77.
Both PJC men’s and women’s teams had a rocky 2008-09 season. The women at one point were ranked first in the state, while third in the nation. They ended the season 5-7 in conference play and 22-8 overall. They were one game away from securing a state tournament berth. But the team was still ranked fifth in the state as of Feb. 17.
The men’s team finished last, 2-10, in what many say is the toughest conference in the nation. Chipola, the conference champion, is also ranked No. 1 in the nation. But the Pirates still finished with a winning season overall, 18-12.
PJC vs. Northwest Florida
February 18, 2009
By Sam Meyers
Published: January 28, 2009
The Lady Pirates were ranked No. 1 in the state, but after Wednesday night’s game the women’s basketball team fell in the ranks. The PJC team came up short to Northwest Florida State College 70-58. The Pirates have made it through the season with 23 wins and 2 losses.
The PJC women rocked the raiders through the first half leading 30-25, but that wasn’t enough to keep them on top. Christina Rateree from Northwest Florida seemed to control the court scoring 26 points during the game. The Raiders also had an advantage with an 80% chance in 3-pointers. The Pirates seemed to let the ball slip from their hands by making 14 turnovers. The two teams battled it out till the end, but Northwest Florida took the win 70-58.
The PJC men’s basketball team has 14 wins and 15 losses according to the 2008-2009 stats on the PJC website. They overpowered the Northwest Florida Raiders 62-50.
“It was a tough game and we came out to win it. We were patient, we came together and played well defensively. It was a team effort and it put us back in the race,” said Coach Swanson.
By halftime, Northwest Florida was leading 33-30, but PJC pulled through a steamy second half. PJC had a 15-0 straight run over the raiders leaving 7 minutes left to end the game. The Pirates kept a strong hold on the raiders, and in the final minute De’Andre Washington scored a one-handed dunk bringing the score 62-50.
