By By James Crawford
News Editor
A dream came true this past Wednesday for Northview student and basketball player Daryl Cohen when he signed the committment papers to play basketball at the college level for Pearl River Community College.
"We're certainly going to miss Daryl but we are very excited for him and will do watch him play as often as possible," said Northview Principal Gayle Weaver.
Cohen wrapped up his four-year career with the Chiefs by compiling approximately 1,624 points and having started the entire four years.
At the end of the season Cohen posted an scoring average of 31.8 points per game during the regular season and 31 including playoff stats. During the season Cohen was ranked as high as a top 10 player by the state of Florida.
With Cohen at the helm, the Chiefs have earned two district titles.
"I'm really proud of him. Daryl scored the most points for our team and became a great leader," said Gillies.
Cuyler said Cohen's style and abilities would fit in perfect for what his team is trying to build in Mississippi.
"We're trying to repeat this year," said Pearl River Community College's Assistant Basketball Coach Jimmy Cuyler.
"We need him to score for us and we feel he can. Basically, our team is built on defense.
"We need someone who can score a lot of points on the court and we feel Daryl is that person."
Cohen said he chose Pearl River over other schools because the style of play seemed to fit him best.
"I like the coaches and the players. They have the same basic type of offense and I think I'll fit right in," said Cohen.
Richard Mathis is the head basketball coach at Pearl River and has five championships under his belt.
Last year, he guided his team to a 25-5 record and captured the South State and State Championship.
Several players from last years team including Yandell Brown have since signed on to continue playing at four-year colleges.
"All of our sophomores have signed on somewhere. We have three more players who could also move on," said Cuyler.
Recapping a winning season Gillies continued to boast about Cohen's abilities on the court.
"During the Sweet Sixteen the other teams only scored a few points more than we did.
"We had so many games that came down to just a few points. I know of three right off hand that were one-point games and Daryl won several of those for us.
"We are going to miss him terribly but we're all very proud of what he's accomplished.
"I think he's heading to the college that fits his needs the best."
The school will recognize Cohen's achievements on senior night by presenting a plaque in his honor that will be displayed in the school's display case in the front lobby.