Woodbridge father, daughter get one last game together; Smyrna pair get another home game
SMYRNA — For as long as she’s been playing basketball, Reghan Robinson’s dad has been her coach.
It started when she was just 7 and her father, Isaiah, coached her in AAU.
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Woodbridge father, daughter get one last game together; Smyrna pair get another home game
By Andy WalterSMYRNA — For as long as she’s been playing basketball, Reghan Robinson’s dad has been her coach.
It started when she was just 7 and her father, Isaiah, coached her in AAU.
The partnership lasted all the way through high school at Woodbridge.
Reghan isn’t going to pretend having her dad as her coach was always easy.
“It’s definitely been hard trying to separate the dad, coach relationship,” she said. “But, in the end, it definitely feels really good. I love being able to do things with him.
“The good parts definitely outweigh the bad.”
Indeed, Reghan says it will be bittersweet playing for her dad one last time on Saturday.
Isaiah Robinson will be the head coach for the girls’ Gold team in the annual Blue-Gold All-Star Game, which is slated for noon Saturday at Smyrna High. The boys’ game will follow at about 2 p.m.
The contests benefit both the Delaware Safety Council and the Delaware Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association scholarship fund.
Not surprisingly, Reghan Robinson is one of the seniors chosen to play in the all-star game. The standout guard broke the school record with over 1,600 points in her career.
In back-to-back games this winter, Robinson scored 47 and 50 points.
The Blue Raiders were also just as successful as a team.
Over the last four seasons, Woodbridge went 67-22, won three Henlopen South titles and posted a 9-4 record in the DIAA state tournament. Twice the Raiders reached the state semifinals.
“It’s definitely been special,” Isaiah Robinson said during the Blue-Gold practices at Smyrna on Sunday. “I’ve traveled all over the place, state to state, between high school ball, AAU basketball, just watching her grow from then to now.
“We definitely bump heads at times but the goal never became broken. We stayed focused on the goal. She wanted to be a top player in the state and she’s definitely accomplished that. We won games we weren’t picked to win.
“We’ve been in a lot of battles,” he added. “As father and daughter and coach and player, we’ve been battle-tested.”
The two aren’t sure what happens next. Reghan wants to play in college but hasn’t made any decisions.
For the moment, they’re going to try to enjoy their one last game together.
“It’s definitely crazy to think this is really going to be our last game,” said Reghan. “He definitely tells me all the time, just wait, I’ll appreciate all of this in the end.
“Being a public school and being able to do all that we did — going to the Final Four last year — those are things that you don’t see too often. Being able to do it with my dad, it definitely feels good to do all that we’ve done.”
Home sweet home
With the games being played at Smyrna, a couple Eagles will get the chance to play one more game in their home gym.
Smyrna’s Skylar Curley and Talaney Pierce are both on the Gold roster.
“It’s fun seeing a bunch of people from different teams,” said Pierce. “It’s definitely special to play one last home game. It’s very exciting.”
The Eagles played some of their best basketball at the end of the season. They knocked off Henlopen North champion Dover in the last week of the regular season before winning a pair of DIAA state tournament games as the No. 24 seed.
“We should have been playing like that all year,” said Pierce. “But luckily we got our chance to shine at the end.
“I think we surprised a lot of people being a 24 seed — almost not making it and then making it to the quarterfinals It was pretty fun.”
Moment in the spotlight
Mia Peacock hadn’t even been thinking about playing in the Blue-Gold game until her coach told her she had made it.
The Early College senior said Hornets’ coach Eric Winston told her before a practice with all her teammates gathered around. They all started cheering.
“I think it’s really amazing,” said Peacock. “I didn’t think I was going to get chosen but things happen.”
A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Peacock went to school in both the Caesar Rodney and Capital school districts before going to Early College for high school.
She’s helped Early College go 31-10 and earn its first two state tourney berths over the last two seasons. Peacock is only the second Hornet to be chosen for the all-star game.
“I’m proud of my team,” she said. “It (making the tournament) allows people to not underestimate us.”
Extra points
Dover’s twin sisters, Malya and Mila Milstead, are playing for the Gold. They’re joined by Senator teammate Ashtyn Torbert. ... The Gold’s 16-player roster includes 14 Henlopen Conference players along with two from Caravel. ... The all-star games are trying to bring attention to teen driving safety. There will be a traffic safety experience set up in the parking lot on Saturday. People don't have to attend the game to go to the safety experience ... Tickets for the games are available at https://my.hometownticketing.com/agency/ec766f13-073a-4d71-bad3-098631c6402f/events/a15ed61a-6e1f-40be-bfab-dc08aa2b5a39 Use key words Delaware Interscholastic Basketball Association - DIBCA.
Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at awalter@iniusa.org.
Follow on Twitter @DSNSports.
