Holmes County's Dockery wins state 3-point title

BONIFAY - Nothing about Saturday’s Allstate 3-point showdown state championship in Lakeland was familiar territory to Holmes County’s Brock Dockery.

It didn’t matter.

Shooting in The Lakeland Center, one of the largest venues he’s been in, off racks instead

of the dribble, the senior cruised through the Class 3A state finals setting himself up for a chance to win the all-class state championship.

After winning the Class 3A title by hitting seven 3-pointers, Dockery drew the fifth spot out of six shooters in the all-class finals. He watched as three of the first four competitors hit nine shots behind the 3-point arc, out of 15 shots in the timed 45-second event.

Knowing he needed at least nine to tie, Dockery made five 3s heading into the last rack. Of his final five shots, Dockery made the first, missed the second and hit the next three to finish with nine.

In the overtime round, which included 10 shots from the corners in 30 seconds, Dockery was the last to shoot. He hit all five shots on the first rack and then hit two more to win the state title.

“It was great,” Dockery said. “It was a really good environment. It was crowded. It was a really nice arena. I really enjoyed it.”

Winning a 3-point contest on the state level was a fitting tribute to Dockery’s high school career. The 6-foot-6 point guard was the focus of Coach Po White’s Blue Devils this past season. White gave Dockery the green light when it came to scoring, and it led to Dockery’s 25-point average. White said Dockery averaged about four 3s a game.

“He’s a pure shooter,” White said. “A nice touch. He puts in lots of hours. He’s the type of kid when he’s not following form, he’d stay after practice and shoot 2-300 shots.”

It’s more like 500 3-pointers a day, Dockery said. His shot started to evolve in eighth grade, when as a 6-2 forward he was tutored by friend and former coach Ron Mollett. The two have worked ever since at producing a consistent and repetitive follow through.

During their time together at Holmes County, White watched Dockery’s shot improve. It started without much rotation and Dockery brought it too far behind his head, White said.

With daily practice, including off the dribble and with the help of a shooting machine, Dockery became one of the pre-eminent marksmen in the state. He also studied Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick, who at Duke broke the NCAA record for most 3-pointers made.

Like Redick, Dockery can shoot off the dribble or spotting up, skills which helped him win the state 3-point title.

“I just think about trying to knock them down and as many as I can,” Dockery said. “And there’s no pressure. It’s a big deal and I wanted to win, but I know there’s no pressure.”

The best part of shooting in Lakeland for Dockery?

“Definitely watching it go in.”