Final destination

Making his way to the free-throw line in the final minute, Avierre Conner locked eyes with teammate Cleveland Nobles, then both tapped their chest.

Keep the faith, they said.

Through the record-breaking start, the stunning loss in the district finals and now, the improbable road to Lakeland, the Red Devils have rallied around that singular message.

"It took faith," Avon Park assistant coach Alvin Conner said. "We knew that if we had a chance to win we would do whatever it takes. We had come this far, and we weren't going to be denied."

They're about to go even further.

The Red Devils will play in Wednesday's Class 3A state semifinals for the first time in 14 years after defeating Bishop Verot 58-53 on Saturday night in John J. Nevins Gymnasium.

Avon Park (26-3) nearly blew a 17-point lead in the second half, relying on Avierre Conner's five free throws in the final minute to turn back a spirited Vikings rally.

It was the Red Devils' third consecutive playoff win on the road, a remarkable two-week journey that has taken them from Tampa (twice) to the Gulf Coast. On Saturday, they beat a Bishop Verot team that has appeared in the regional final game five of the past six seasons and was a state semifinalist a year ago.

Their next opponent will be Rickards (Tallahassee), which has defeated each of its three playoff opponents by at least 13 points.

"This is not the road we had planned," Avon Park coach Luther Clemons said, surrounded by a strong contingent of red-clad fans, "but this has made us stronger."

Nobles said, "From Day 1 Coach (Clemons) said that adversity was going to hit us left and right, and how you react is what brings us together. We had faith in each other."

Understand: This is largely the same team that was bounced in the first round of the district tournament last season. Avierre Conner says the Red Devils first fused in the summer, during 5-on-5 tournaments, when they decided to focus less on individual achievement and more on one unifying goal - to play in the Lakeland Center.

Coach Conner knew what it took to get there. He coached the 1996 team, the last one to play in the state semifinals, and regaled his players with stories from that year. "He pushed us to do what it takes to make it back there," Avierre Conner said.

The Red Devils did their part, too, even while facing mounting criticism.

They set a school record by winning 12 straight games to start the regular season, but outsiders dismissed that feat because of the lack of competition. They went 12-0 in the district during the season but lost in the district tournament finals to Mulberry, a defeat many presumed would lead to a one-and-done in the playoffs.

Not quite.

"We went on the road," Avierre Conner said, "and it made us a better team."

A five-point win at Tampa Catholic.

A 14-point triumph at Berkeley Prep.

And now this, a down-to-the-wire finish at Bishop Verot that ended with a frenetic fourth-quarter flourish.

Of course, this victory wasn't without adversity. With the Red Devils, it rarely is.

They jumped out to a 17-point halftime lead, but that advantage quickly vanished once Bishop Verot switched to a man-to-man defense. Alonzo Robertson, the team's leading scorer, fouled out with 1:30 left and Avon Park ahead by only three points. And two Red Devils cheerleaders inexplicably rushed under the basket to wave their pompoms and shout while Avierre Conner attempted to make two game-clinching free throws.

In the end, though, Conner sank the free throws - including 5 of 6 in the final minute, finishing with a team-high 18 points - the Vikings couldn't make a desperation 3-pointer and about 200 Red Devils fans rushed onto the court to celebrate a victory that brought a few spectators to tears.

"We've always been told that no team in the state can play with us when we play our game," said Nobles, who finished with 10 points. "And when we play like a family, we can win this."

Playing its first regional final game in a decade, Avon Park played virtually flawlessly in the first half, surging to a 34-17 lead at halftime. Four minutes into the third quarter, Bishop Verot had cut its deficit to nine, beginning the period on an 11-3 run.

The Vikings cut it to seven, then six, then four in the fourth quarter, after an Avon Park turnover resulted in an easy basket in transition with 1:38 left. A few seconds later, Robertson (13 points) picked up his fifth foul and was relegated to the bench.

Avon Park led by only two, 52-50, with 55 seconds left, before Avierre Conner, with the crowd roaring behind him, made four consecutive free throws to push the Red Devils' lead back to six. He made another free throw with 21 seconds remaining- ignoring the jumping cheerleaders along the baseline - and Nobles, after securing a long rebound, sank another to seal the victory, pumping his fist as his teammates spilled onto the court to greet him.

"This is a team by committee," Alvin Conner said. And then, demonstrating faith in his players: "Somebody always steps up when we need them to."

Now, they'll step into the Lakeland Civic Center wearing some new shoes.

Clemons noticed last week that the soles on many of his players' shoes had begun to rip.

"I thought, 'They'll need some new shoes for Lakeland,'" he recalled.

So, on Friday morning, he ordered a new pair for each of his players. They'll arrive today, two days before the Red Devils' first Final Four appearance in 14 years.

Not advancing to the state semis? Clemons didn't even consider it.

"Now let me ask you," he said, breaking into a grin, "Do I believe?"

Now that's keeping the faith.