The Jackson boys basketball team had a spot in the state championship game slip away.
The Tigers, making their sixth state semifinal appearance in seven seasons, saw a nine-point lead in the final quarter dissolve in the final minutes in a 57-55 loss to the Villages Charter on Friday in the Class 3A final four game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
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The Tigers had a desperation shot in traffic at the buzzer after officials stopped play to confer after Jahari Simmons slipped with the ball. His shot after play resumed grazed off the front of the rim as the Buffalo avenged a loss in last year’s semis to Jackson.
Jackson (28-3) will chew on this loss for awhile. The Tigers were in front 50-41 after a layup by Jahari Simmons with 5 minutes, 50 seconds to play. Villages ripped off an 8-0 spurt before Simmons drained a 3. The teams were neck and neck the rest of the way, with Simmons knocking down a free throw for a 55-54 lead with 1:46 left. A trey by Villages gave it the lead for good, but Simmons had a 3 for the win in heavy traffic bounce off the rim. He led Jackson scorers with 20 points.
Jackson has five state championships, tied with now-defunct Arlington Country Day for the most by an area team, but it will have to wait another year to try and add to it.
The Tigers have championships in 1928, ’37-38, ’51 and ’93. They’ve been close in recent years, losing title games in 2019 (University School), 2020 (St. Andrew’s), 2022 (Calvary Christian) and 2024 (St. Petersburg Gibbs).
