Life to receive honor of a lifetime from SCF

The journey that will bring James Life to the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Hall of Fame later this month almost got derailed.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard was known as a battler on the basketball court. But a nasty fight during his junior year at Cape Coral Mariner High School got Life expelled.

The incident followed him. Only the Lancers, the nickname at the time of Manatee Community College, eventually extended a Lifeline.

“Everything I went through and Manatee was the only school that let me try out,” the 34-year-old said. “I had never gotten contacted by anyone.”

In two seasons at the school, 2003-05, playing for head coach Brac Brady, Life averaged 22.5 points and amassed a career total of 1,341 points, both SCF records. Against Pasco-Hernando State College, he scored 55, still a single-game school mark.

On Jan. 18 at the IMG Academy Golf Club, Life will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with former school stars Lance Carter (baseball), Aurora Davis (volleyball) and Tiffinee Harvey (softball).

“I didn’t expect this,” said Life, now an automobile finance manager. “It’s never something that really crossed my mind until they brought it up a couple of years ago. I never imagined it.”

The period after being booted from Mariner High was one of uncertainty for Life. It even extended to his situation at home.

“It’s a story for you,” he said. “I couldn’t begin to tell you all that happened. I was literally on the street. My mother, a single mom with four kids, almost gave up on me.”

Perhaps Life had given up on himself when MCC called. The school wanted to see him work out. But there was the not-so-insignificant matter of Life not having graduated high school.

Two attempts at the GED test finally got him eligible to play. “It really worked out,” he said.

As for his 55-point game, 30 of which came on 3-pointers, another school record, Life said the basket that night didn’t look particularly big.

“It never feels as big as an ocean, because if it did, I would never have missed,” he said. “I was just in my zone. It was just my night. It was always a little challenging to guard me. I definitely made most of the shots.”

After verbally committing to Utah State, Life wound up playing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As a senior he connected on 87 3-pointers and finished sixth all-time in school history in 3-pointers attempted and made.

Life ended up playing professionally for four years in Europe and Puerto Rico, but never will forget his time as a Lancer.

“Manatee has had a profound effect on my life.”

Before embarking on a six-year MLB career, Carter led the Lancers to the 1994 Suncoast Conference and state championships. While at Manatee, the right-hander went 12-2, throwing seven complete games in 15 starts and posting a 2.55 ERA with 108 strikeouts. Carter was drafted in 1994 by the Kansas City Royals in the 21st round and in six seasons posted a 13-12 career mark for the Royals, Devil Rays and Dodgers.

Davis played volleyball at the school in 2009 and 2010. As a sophomore she led her team to a 35-7 mark and a third-place finish at the state tournament. Davis paced the nation’s JUCO players with 550 kills and 64 aces. She later played beach volleyball for three years at FSU, where she was team captain. Davis currently competes on the Association of Volleyball Professionals circuit.

A softball player for two seasons at SCF, Harvey batted .457 her first year, with seven home runs and 77 RBI. As a sophomore she hit .414, eight home runs and 43 RBI. Her performances earned Harvey back-to-back Suncoast Conference Player of the Year awards. She continued her career at St. Leo University before returning to SCF as an assistant coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Tickets to the Hall of Fame social and dinner are $50 per person. For information or tickets, call (941) 752-5261 or visit www.scfmanatees.com/athletics/halloffame.com.