February 9, 2024
Eustis Middle School Honors NBA Player Keon Ellis with Retirement of #14 Jersey
By Kyle Coppola
Eustis Middle School Honors NBA Player Keon Ellis with Retirement of #14 Jersey
The Eustis Mustangs, the middle school team for Eustis, have retired NBA Player Keon Ellis’s #14 jersey in a special ceremony. Ellis is currently playing in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings. During his early years, he played for the Eustis Mustangs from 2012-2014.
It was a wonderful night that celebrated the legacy of Keon Ellis as he continues to reach for his dreams in the NBA. The jersey retirement ceremony was a memorable night, signifying that the #14 will never be worn by another Eustis Mustang. This gesture reflects the trailblazing journey of Keon Ellis. For generations to come, children will look at the retired jersey and be inspired to work hard to achieve their dreams. Keon Ellis, with humble roots, is now playing at the highest level of sports and grew up right in Lake County. Keon’s mother and brother were in attendance for the reveal.
Ellis would go on to have a successful high school career, leading Leesburg High to two consecutive state championship titles in 2017 and 2018 under head coach Sean Campbell. During his time with Leesburg High School, Ellis was a two-time Class 6A All-State and All-Area honoree by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches. He then spent time with Florida Southwestern State College from 2018-2020 before joining the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2020-2022, earning a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team. After going undrafted in 2022, Ellis signed a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Keon Ellis played in 16 games during his first season in the NBA but the 2023/2024 has been a coming out year for Ellis. He has played in 29 games for Sacramento this season, averaging 12 minutes per game and 4 points. He also averages at least 1 assist and 1 rebound per game. Ellis may not have done it the easy way, but he is proving that he has what it takes to make it in the NBA and that is incredibly inspirational especially for all the young athletes who look up to him.
As for the Eustis Mustangs, they secured 2nd place in their district this season. The team bids farewell to the 8th-grade class moving up to high school, including two players from the girls’ team who are also transitioning to high school next year. Coach Wills and Coach Shaun have been leading the Eustis Mustangs program. What a great night! Congratulations to everyone involved in making this happen!
Photo Credit – Michelle Lyn McGovern
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
