Lakeland High School’s boys’ basketball team had four all-conference representatives among the talent-rich Conference 27.

Leading the Cavaliers honorees was senior forward Deonta Knight, who made the first team. Senior guard Qurante Budd, senior guard Jamonte Ricks and junior guard Jerry Goodman made the second team.

“It was good that (opposing coaches) recognized the talent that Lakeland had,” Cavs coach Clint Wright said, noting he was excited about the players getting recognized. “It continues to show that we were relevant on this particular season.”

This year’s all-conference voting meeting was a different experience for Wright, because he was being asked to vote on players that he was completely unfamiliar with.

Lakeland had played neither Tabb High School nor York High School, and other teams in the conference also had not played each other.

“It makes it real odd to have to vote in the blind, so to speak,” Wright said. Of course, each coach gave a summary of what their players accomplished, but he said, “Not playing a Tabb and a York this past season and not having ever seen them, it was difficult to vote.”

Coaches could not vote for their own players, but Lakeland’s quartet of honorees was represented by Wright and had also made impressions on some of the coaches there that the Cavaliers had faced off against.

Wright said that even though Tabb and York coaches had not faced Knight, they could appreciate his remarkable career total of 1,261 points.

“On all phases of the game, I thought that Deonta Knight was impactful,” Wright said, explaining why he thought Knight made the first team.

The coaches from I.C. Norcom High School, Phoebus High School and Booker T. Washington High School were well aware of Knight, who averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds this season.

After making the All-Southeastern District second team as a freshman, he has earned a first team all-conference honor with each successive season.

“What he did for the team for his career, he was very, very consistent,” Wright said. “His averages increased each and every year.”

Budd’s ability to shoot the basketball at any given time — including key moments — is what Wright cited as a quality that drew the senior guard a second team all-conference honor.

Wright described Ricks as a utility player that did a lot of things well. After playing sparingly as a junior, Ricks exploded onto the scene this past season thanks to a terrific summer of preparation.

The coach speculated that Goodman drew support from other coaches in the conference for his intellect. Wright also praised Goodman for his ability to combine good defense with making jump shots and running the offense.

“I think it’s a tremendous platform to build upon coming into next year’s season,” Wright said of Goodman’s play and selection.

Lakeland finished the season with a record of 15-8, falling to Phoebus in the conference tournament semifinals. Despite ending on a three-game losing streak, the Cavaliers produced the best record yet under Wright, who has coached them for the past four years.