It hasn’t taken him long to establish himself a leader on the court and a favorite of coach Mike Davis.

“He shoots the lights out,” Davis said. “They guard him well, but he never turns it over. He handles the ball and keeps everybody calm.

“He’s just a great floor leader,” Davis continued. “Anytime you get a point guard that doesn’t play with too much emotion and plays within himself, that’s where you’ve got to start, is to have a good point guard.”

Palacio has played basketball since his early days in elementary school. The 10 or 11 years on the court show as he directs the traffic on the court.

To watch Palacio with his Hobo teammates one would think he’s been at the school for years.

Palacio would likely have been a role player for the Bulldogs. At Laurel Hill he’s a star.

“It’s been great on this team,” he said. “My confidence has been through the roof on this team. This whole team believes in me. I just play hard every night. I tell my guys to just hustle and play hard until the whistle blows.”

There was a bit of a transition for Palacio as he went from the largest high school in Okaloosa County to the smallest of any schools in the district. The Laurel Hill graduating class will likely be smaller than the number of students in a history class at Crestview High.

But Palacio has no regrets about becoming a Hobo.

“I’ve made a lot of friends here,” he said. “I’m grateful that I transferred.”

“A win is a win, especially in the postseason,” Crestview coach Connor Williams said. “We talked about everybody is 0-0 (their record). As long as you can remain on the positive side of that then we are good.

“We found a way to win tonight. They are a great team. Tonight, it was just supposed to be us.”

It was all Crestview through most of the first half and into the opening minutes of the third quarter. Not only did the Lady Bulldogs lead, the led comfortably.

A sharp shooting display by Crestview’s Madyson Boydstun from beyond the 3-point arch helped the Lady Bulldogs build a 19-9 lead at the half. Boydstun, who finished with game-high 17 points, hit her first 3-pointer and scored eight points in the first quarter and 11 points at the half hitting on three 3-point baskets.

Boydstun’s eight first-quarter points were more than double the three of Navarre in the frame.

Emily Baker, Gracie Boydstun and Kennedy Baluran joined Madyson Boydstun in scoring for the Lady Bulldogs in the first quarter. Natalie Toney hit a 3-pointer for Crestview in the second period to match Madyson Boydstun.

Crestview’s lead at the half was quickly challenged in the third quarter as the Lady Raiders started to make a move going on a 10-2 run to cut the Crestview lead to six points with 90 seconds left in the third quarter.

At that point it was game on even as things started to drag with fouls and teams shooting free throws.

The Lady Bulldogs led from the time Madyson Boydstun hit a 3-pointer at 7:15 mark in the first quarter and never trailed. But things did get interesting when a basket by Navarre’s Trista Wolk pulled the Lady Raiders even with Crestview at 47-47 with 36 seconds matched in regulation.

Baluran hit one-of-two free throws for the Lady Bulldogs with 24 seconds left. The free throw turned out to be enough as the Lady Raiders were unable to score the rest of the way.

Baluran scored 15 points to join Madyson Boydstun in double figures. Baker scored four points, Toney eight points and Gracie Boydstun four points to close out Crestview’s scoring.

Crestview plays at Niceville on Wednesday in the tournament semifinal.

When the Lady Knights jumped to an early 8-0 lead the slanted deck seemed even more in Rocky’s favor. But assistant coach Willie B. Livingston, who was filling in for Henry, didn’t panic. Livingston pushed all the right buttons as Laurel Hill came away with a hard-fought 59-51 win.

Laurel Hill went on a 23-0 run that stretched from the 1:30 mark in the first quarter to the 1:18 mark in the second quarter. The once hot Rocky Bayou shooters suddenly turned cold as they went more than eight minutes without a score.

Arianna Williams started the Lady Hobo run. Dracen Waters scored the next four points to close out the quarter with Laurel Hill having scored six unanswered points.

Williams kept things going with the first basket of the second quarter. The basket was followed by Alia Henderson getting in the scoring column.

Ayiana Dixon then took over, scoring Laurel Hill’s next 11 points. The 23-point run ended with baskets from Lakyn Varnum and Williams.

In the process of the big run the Lady Hoboes turned a 16-8 deficit into a 31-16 lead.

Rocky ended the scoring draught with a 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the quarter. The Lady Knights closed out the half with an 8-0 run to narrow Laurel Hill’s lead to 33-24 at the intermission.

Each team scored 14 points in the third quarter as the final period of regulation started with the Lady Hoboes up 47-38.

Dixon scored on a pair of free throws to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and Varnum connected on a basket to extend the Laurel Hill lead to 51-38.

Dixon’s free throws gave her 25 points for the game and if not for fouling out she might have easily reached 30 points in the game. But she did foul out with 5:40 left in the fourth quarter and Laurel Hill up 51-38.

Dixon’s departure helped spur a Rocky rejuvenation. The Lady Knights quickly got to within three points of Laurel Hill as the Lady Hoboes were stuck at 51 points.

A free throw with 2:05 left in the game capped an 11-0 run by the Lady Knights and cut the Laurel Hill lead to 51-49.

Varnum hit a pair of free throws to up the Lady Hoboes to 53 points. The 53 points would be enough as Rocky Bayou was only able to convert on two free throws in the last two minutes of play as Laurel Hill pulled away to the eight-point win.

Livingston credited the team with weathering the early and late storms the Lady Knights threw at Laurel Hill.

“We kept our heads and kept playing,” he said. “That run was big because it gave us momentum and that’s what you want.”

The kill shot had already been taken and made at that point and it wasn’t a matter of if Baker would win. The only questions left unanswered at the half was by how many points the Lady Gators would win and when the running clock would start with Baker in front by 35 points.

Baker won 47-18 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.

Baker led 14-2 at the end of the first quarter and 23-2 at the half.

As for the running clock, it never kicked in as Medley played her backups most of the second half. The move might have prolonged the game, but it gave the players that seldom see action a chance to play a significant amount of time in a win.

It also showed the characteristic good sportsmanship one has come to expect from Medley through her years as a player and coach.

“I love the opportunity to let the other girls play,” Medley said of getting bench players significant playing time. They come to practice and put in the same amount of hours and run like the starters do.

“It was something that was always told to us when I was in junior college that it’s the starters’ job to get the bench players their time. In a game that you are supposed to win, the starter’s job is to go out there and create the cushion to let the other girls have their time to shine, and not have to play when you’re down by 20 or 30. You get to play when you’re up and the excitement is in the air.”

McKenzie McGraw fueled Baker’s quick start scoring 12 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter. Most of McGraw’s points in the opening stanza came off Lady Eagle turnovers converted into layups.

Maddie Mills picked up the other Lady Gator basket in the first quarter.

Lily Adams hit a 3-point basket for Baker in the second quarter to go along with another score by McGraw and baskets by Bailey Johnson and Kat Price. The Lady Gators pitched a shutout in the second frame and were comfortably in front.

McGraw continued her big game in limited playing time in the second half scoring six points in the final two quarters.

Eight Lady Gators had scored, and every player had seen action when the final horn sounded.

McGraw was the only Baker player in double figures with her 20 points, but she had plenty of help from the supporting cast.

Johnson and Price each scored six points. Mills and Haley Westberry scored four points each. Adams had three points along with two points from Chyanne Case and Ja`Kiley Reed.

As important as it was for Medley to empty her bench and reward the backups with well-earned playing time, it was equally important not to inflict an unnecessary beatdown on East Hill.

“I don’t think at this level that you need to be putting that kind of embarrassment on kids,” she said. “If I have the opportunity to keep the score in the 20s, I think that’s what you should do. Some people say the score is irrelevant, but to these kids it’s not irrelevant.

“You can continue to go hard but try to do your best to let some kids play and not run the score up.”

A.J. Chilton paced the Hoboes in scoring with 23 points to match his number. He was one of three Laurel Hill players in double figures. Adrian McRae scored 17 points hitting four 3-pointers to go along with three free throws and a 2-point basket. Wade Borgesen also connected on four shots from beyond the arch for 12 of his points.

Laurel Hill coach Mike Davis said the ability of the Hoboes to hit long shots was the key to game.

“We have to make a few shots in order to get into our defense and put pressure on them,” he said. That was the key to it. We have to shoot it well. We just finally relaxed and got a little rhythm going and a little speed going.

“We got to play (fast) up and down the court. When this becomes a half-court game we don’t play nearly as well.”

Chilton got off to a quick start scoring six points in the first quarter. Borgesen hit the first Hobo 3-pointer of the game as Laurel Hill led 9-5 at the end of the quarter.

Chilton scored the game’s first basket with 6:35 left in the first period.

Back-to-back baskets by Joshua Prows and Stephen McCosker gave the Gators a rare lead less than three minutes into the contest.

Prows and McCosker combined for five points in the first five minutes of the second quarter to give the Gators a 10-9 lead as the Hoboes were in a scoring drought that lasted six minutes.

Chilton ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 3:07 left in the first half and the Hoboes led the rest of the way.

Chilton’s scored started a 13-point Hobo run that only ended with an Andrae Jackson bucket with two second left in the half. Chilton started the run and had another 3-pointer during the LHS surge. McRae scored one point better than Chilton’s six points as Laurel Hill led 22-12 at the half.

The closest the Gators would come to the Hoboes in the second half was eight points.

Laurel Hill put the game out of reach in the third quarter as Borgesen hit a pair of 3-pointers and Ray Palacio got in on the Hobo fun with a long shot. Ayden Hodge also scored on a 2-point basket for Laurel Hill.

Chilton finished strong, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter as Laurel Hill pulled away to the win.

The most revealing statistic of the game is that the Gators hit just one 3-pointer to the 12 by Laurel Hill, which is a scoring difference of 33 points in a 27-point Hobo win.

Prows was the only Gator in double figures with 12 points. McCosker and Jackson each had five points.