MdVarsity.com caught up with the 2004 Washington Post Boys’ Coach of the year at Cardozo High School to get Coach Lindsey’s reflections on the Clerks’ stunning upset win in the D.C. City Title Game and to also discuss the recruitment of his two All-DCIAA West seniors (Roland Williams and Lorenzo Lessene) and the off-season plans of talented underclassmen Antonio Cooper and Lester Williams.

Coach Lindsey was selected Coach of the Year, in large part, for the 16-8 Clerks’75-71 overtime win at the Smith Center over the taller, higher ranked Bishop O’Connell. The WCAC Champion Knights came into the City Title Game ranked No. 3 in the D.C. area with a 27-3 record.

Cardozo was voted No. 7 in the final post Top Twenty Rankings.

“I’m going to tell you the truth,” said Coach Lindsey. “The first five minutes or so, I was a little concerned. O’Connell had a good team and they had a size advantage. We got down a little early in the game, but the kids kept their heads up, played hard and we won. Our players showed a lot of poise, it was a tough game and a great win for us.”

As D.C. area prep hoops fans know, Coach Lindsey’s story is hardly that of an “overnight success”. He has been coaching some of the DCIAA’s best teams, and best players, at Cardozo for over two decades. Coach Lindsey has won 422 games and four DCIAA West Titles in his 24 years at Cardoza. He has coached at District high schools for 40 years and compiled a career record of 491-250.

This summer, Coach Lindsey will be inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches association Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I was very proud to be selected,” Coach Lindsey told us, “as a high school coach, that is a great honor.”

We asked Coach Lindsey where this year’s City Title Championship ranked in his long, distinguished career as a top high school coach.

“I don’t know if this was my greatest accomplishment, but it is up there. We certainly made a great run at the end of the season as we had to beat Woodson and Dunbar on the way. We had some nice talent this year, but, more importantly, we played together when we had to…it was a mentally tough team.”

Coach Lindsey pointed out that this was not, however, necessarily his most talented team.

“We’ve had some really good teams and players here in the past. In 1995, we had a very good team, but we lost to McNamara (in the City Title). In 1992, I had Moochie Norris and some great players, but we got beat in the (DCIAA) semifinals. I think back to the 1980’s when we had William Davis and that group, we had four D-I college players on that team. So, we have had some talent here at Cardozo.”

Regarding his seniors, Coach Lindsey told us that Lorenzo Lesesene, “will probably go to either prep school or junior college.” Roland Williams, whose 12 points and 6 steals were so critical in the O’Connell win, Coach Lindsey said that he is considering a scholarship offer to St. Augustin College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“They have a real good D-II program, they play in the CIAAA, which, of course, is a very good basketball league.”

As for his talented young backcourt players, 5’8” freshman Antonio Cooper and 5’10” sophomore Lester Williams, Coach Lindsey said that they will be playing for the Clerks’ entry in the Urban Coalition League which plays at Dunbar High School. Coach Lindsey said that he does not anticipate that either Cooper or Williams will play at any of the National “Shoe Camps’ this summer or at any other National camps.

“They’ll be playing with us at Urban Coalition and I imagine they’ll be playing AAU ball as well. Frankly, I like to give my players freedom during the summer to play where they want. I don’t look to control that time, though playing with the team at Urban Coalition is important.”

Cooper garnered All-DCIAA West honors as a freshman. Lester Williams secured his place in Cardozo hoops history with a 29 point effort against O’Connell.

As a veteran coach who has seen a lot of his players go on to play in college, how does Coach Lindsey project Williams and Cooper as college prospects?

“I think they could both be mid D-I college players. The key, of course, is for them to stay on track in their academics. They are talented players and they love to compete and understand he game. Height could be an issue for them at some colleges, but they can play. Lester will be a point guard in college, but he already handles the ball for us a lot, so it won’t be a big transition for him.”

With Antonio Cooper and Lester Williams in the backcourt, Coach Lindsey’s 25th team at Cardozo could be another special team in 2004-2005.