Southern Lee’s Gaston Collins Picks Up 300th Win – Cavaliers Roll Past Western Harnett 52-32

WFJA Staff Report

Southern Lee broke open a tight game in the 2^nd quarter Friday night with relentless defense and rolled to a convincing 52-32 win over Western Harnett in Carolina Pines 6A play.   The win was the 300^th career win for Head Coach Gaston Collins at Southern Lee.   The Cavaliers trailed 10-8 at the end of the first and 15-14 midway through the 2^nd quarter but outscored the Eagles 38-17 the rest of the way to pick up the win and even their conference record at 4-4.  The Cavaliers would get four players in double-figures and forced 26 turnovers to get past the Eagles and stay in the hunt for one of the playoff spots in the upcoming state tournament.  Ben Harrington would lead the Cavaliers with 13 points while CJ Tuck added 12, Jordan Kelly had 11, and Nazir Quick added 10 points and 11 boards.  Southern Lee will host Triton Tuesday night on WFJA in an important Carolina Pines 6A matchup.

Gaston Collins picked up his 300^th win in what is now his 18^th season as the Cavalier Head Coach.   Collins worked as an assistant for the school’s 1^st Coach – Chris Cherry – and took over when Cherry left before the start of the 2008-09 season.   Collins immediately made his mark, winning conference titles in his 1^st three years with a combined 25-2 conference record, and the wins begin to pile up.  Collins would lead the Cavaliers to 9 conference titles and 4 runner-ups in 17 years and establish a reputation of teams that would be the toughest defense that opposing teams would see each season.   Southern Lee has been in the playoffs nearly every year under Collins – with three different Cavalier teams advancing to the Eastern Regional.

Collins played football and basketball collegiately at Elizabeth City State and for those that don’t know Collins, at 6’7, he could be an imposing figure.  But those that know Collins, understand he is a quiet man that leads by example, and they would use words like kind, considerate, softspoken and humble to describe him.  Collins has become the face of Southern Lee basketball – and has done it with class.  He has established a reputation for doing things the right way and becoming a winner along the way.   His teams always play hard, are good fundamentally and will defend you like no one else.  

He has coached his share of star players over the last 18 years and views Akeem Richmond, Khalil Ridges, Noah Mellette, Josh Mellette, Ace Chalmers, Nysheed Williams, Juwan Jackson, Quay Williams and Nate Thompson among his best.  His best team was possibly the 2010-11 squad led by Chalmers and Josh Mellette that finished up at 23-5 and made the Regional Finals.   Collins was also quick to mention Chad Taylor, Darius Gill, Christian and Cameron Locust, Juwan Jackson and RJ Upchurch as a group of young men that was an honor to coach.   That statement alone tells you a lot about who Gaston Collins really is – a mentor of young men that just happens to coach basketball.    

It came as no surprise when we heard recently that Collins was nearing 300 wins.  And it won’t be a surprise in 5 or 6 years when he passes the 400-win mark.   WFJA Sports congratulates Coach Gaston Collins – Well Done!!!

Coach Gaston Collins – By Year – Conference, Overall Record, Conference record, Conference Finish

2008-09 Cape Fear Valley 3A  20-7, 14-1  1^st  

2009-10 CFV 3A  17-9, 9-1   1^st

2010-11 CFV 3A  23-5, 11-1   1^st

2011-12 CFV 3A  20-7, 10-2   2^nd

2012-13  CFV 3A  15-11, 11-2  2^nd

2013-14  CFV 3A   15-11, 7-5   4^th

2014-15  CFV 3A   14-11, 8-4   3^rd

2015-16  CFV 3A   20-9, 9-3   2^nd

2016-17  CFV 3A   18-9, 10-2   1^st

2017-18  Tri-County 3A  25-4, 9-1   1^st

2018-19  TC 3A   25-4, 9-1   1^st

2019-20  TC 3A   15-11, 10-0   1^st

2020-21  TC 3A   7-4, 6-1   1^st

2021-22  Sandhills 3A/4A  3-18, 2-10  6^th

2022-23  SH 3A/4A   10-15, 3-10   5^th  

2023-24  SH 3A/4A   23-5, 11-4   2^nd

2024-25  SH 3A/4A   23-4, 10-3  1^st

2025-26  Carolina Pines 6A   10-7, 4-4  currently 4^th

Records furnished by MaxPreps