There are a total of seven high school basketball teams in the Mainstreet coverage area who are trying to keep a streak intact.

Since 2022, a girls or boys team from the area has won a hoops state title.

The Bradford (Starke) boys won it all in 2022, the Hawthorne girls went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, the Williston boys also repeated in 2024 after winning their first state title in program history in 2023, and last year the Hawthorne boys won their third state title (1987, 2020 and 2025).

Will the streak go to five straight years and, if so, which area hoops team will win it all?

We may find out tonight.

Both Williston teams are playing for an FHSAA Rural state championship at the University of North Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville.

The Lady Red Devils, who are seeded No. 1, will play No. 2 seed Jay at 6 p.m. You can listen to the game online (free audio) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 5:45 p.m. with Marty Pallman (Play-by-play) and coach Mac McCray (Color) broadcasting courtside.

Williston (21-2) made its first-ever appearance in the state semifinals on Tuesday and won a nail-biter, 43-41, against No. 4 seed Blountstown despite shooting just 20.9% from the floor.

“The keys this year have been believing in your coaches and playing hard all game,” said second-year Williston girls coach Willie Powers II, who led P.K. Yonge to state titles in 2010 and 2012.

The Royals (25-4) defeated No. 3 seed Hilliard, 53-39, in the other state semifinal. Junior Hattie Locklin (16 points) paced three players in double figures, along with juniors Presley Hawthorne (15) and Aubreigh Nelson (12).

“Jay is a very well-coached team who really executes on the defensive end,” Powers said. “It will take us to pick up the defensive pressure and get out in transition (in order to win).”

The Williston boys are the No. 2 seed and will play at 8 p.m. against top-seed Crossroad Academy (Quincy), which lost to Hawthorne in last year’s state championship game.

The Red Devils (21-7) advanced with a 60-52 win against No. 3 seed Trenton, while the Scorpions (20-3) defeated No. 4 seed Ponce De Leon, 45-37, in the other state semifinal.

Junior Jaden Magee had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds for Williston, which will make its third state championship game appearance in the last four years.

You can also listen to the boys game on Mainstreet with Pallman and McCray calling the action from UNF. Special thanks to Smith Law Firm, Lane’s Hardware, and Smith Asset Management for sponsoring the postseason broadcasts.

If both teams win, it will mark the first time that two area teams brought home a state championship since 2010, when the P.K. Yonge girls won the 2A state title and The Rock girls won the 1A championship.

In addition to both Williston programs, Newberry High School’s girls and boys teams are one win away from a final four appearance.

The No. 2 seed Lady Panthers (21-4) advanced to Friday night’s Class 3A-Region 1 Final with a 78-54 win at home against No. 3 seed South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach).

Sophomore Destiny Neal led Newberry with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

“Destiny is a true presence in the paint,” said first-year Newberry coach Jessica Ross. “As a post player, she plays with physicality, great footwork, and a strong understanding of her positioning on both ends of the floor…defensively, she anchors us. She rebounds at a high level, protects the rim, and communicates. She’s a tough player and she takes pride in doing the gritty work that wins games.”

Newberry is now one win away from its first final four since 2012.

“Coming into the season, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Ross said. “My expectations weren’t about wins or records; I just wanted them to compete every night and represent our program the right way. What has been special is that they have pushed me to be a better coach. 

“From the beginning, they’ve wanted to work. They’ve asked for extra reps, extra gym time, and they’ve embraced the grind. When you have players who are hungry like that, it raises the standard for everyone. To see that commitment and that hard work pay off has been incredibly rewarding.”

To make it to UNF, they’ll have to beat top-seed Bolles (Jacksonville), which was a state runner-up last year in Class 3A.

“We’re going against a team that knows what this stage feels like,” Ross said. “When you’ve made a final four before, there’s a level of confidence that comes with experience. They understand the moment, they understand the preparation it takes.”

Bolles, which is also No. 1 in the all-classification regional rankings, is led by senior Evie Freeman (15.4 ppg). She is one of three players who average double figures.

Newberry counters with senior Brandy Whitfield, who went over 2,000 points in her career during the district semifinals and is averaging 28.7 points per game.

“For us, it’s about matching their intensity and discipline,” Ross said. “We have to be locked in for 32 minutes, value every possession, and play with toughness. At this point in the season, it’s about doing the little things consistently and competing at a high level from start to finish.”

Patrick Green and the Newberry boys are also one win away from a final four appearance.

The Panthers (21-3) advanced to Saturday night’s 3A-Region 1 Final with a 77-49 win at home against No. 2 seed Episcopal Jacksonville. Newberry senior shooting guard Henry Mathias led the team with 20 points.

“Henry is a great student of the game,” said Newberry boys coach Patrick Green. “He watches a ton of film, converses with coaches and teammates about film, and at times has played a role in game planning. Henry is now shooting the ball as good or better than anyone in the state. He recently reached the 1,000-career point club as well.”

He was one of four players who were in double figures, along with seniors Kai Washington (17), and Juwan Scippio (12), and junior Colton Sembower (10).

“It’s been an amazing ride,” Green said. “No one expected us to be at this point because of what we lost last year. I’ve been coaching long enough to know it’s the teams people overlook that tend to exceed expectations. It’s a fun group of kids and recently we have become more of a family. I genuinely enjoy being around this group even if we’re just hanging out.”

Standing in the way of the program’s first final four, though, is a talented Andrew Jackson team in Jacksonville. The Tigers lost to The Villages Charter School in last year’s 3A final four and finished 28-3.

This year’s team is 27-1.

“Andrew Jackson is a very good ball club with a ton of winning tradition,” Green said. “They’re extremely athletic and have several guys that score on multiple levels. We are going to have to take care of the ball, make some tough shots at times, and get our fair share of rebounds and turnovers. If we do a good job on those things, I believe we can once again do something that has never been done at Newberry.”

Class 6A-Region 1 features the Buchholz Bobcats and head coach Elliot Harris, who led the Bobcats to their first playoff appearance in 15 years during his first season just a couple of years ago.

Buchholz, which is seeded fifth, travels to No. 2 Lake Howell (Winter Park) (24-5).

The Bobcats (21-7) defeated No. 8 seed Forest (Ocala), 57-39, in last Saturday’s regional semifinals. They were led by senior Jamison McTureous with 21 points.

“Jamison is a hard worker that typically takes on the toughest defensive assignment,” Harris said. “It was great to see him have a great offensive game versus Forest. When he attacks the basket, coupled with our shooters, it makes us tough to guard.”

Buchholz is still alive after missing the FHSAA tournament last year.

“This year has been great,” Harris said. “The winning feels good, but we have some great kids. They are a pleasure to coach, but off the court they’re fun to be around.”

A win ensures their first trip to the state semifinals in a very long time.

“Buchholz made it to the final four in the 80s, but we’d like to etch our name in Bobcat history as well,” Harris said. “Rick Swain, the former Buchholz coach in the 80s, gave me my first opportunity to coach at Santa Fe and it would be really cool to put a team board up in the gym next to his. Lake Howell is a really athletic team with a lot of size. We’ll need to control the boards, be patient on offense and hit shots.”

Eastside basketball and long-time head coach Herman “Pop” Williams are also still alive following a 47-44 win at North Marion (Citra) in last week’s regional semifinals.

The No. 4 seed Rams (17-8), who have won nine of their last 10, travel to No. 2 seed Atlantic (Port Orange) (21-9) for a Class 4A-Region 2 Final.

Columbia (Lake City) (17-11), which is seeded sixth, visits top seed Fleming Island (Orange Park) (21-8) for a Class 5A-Region 1 Final, giving the area a total of seven basketball teams who are still alive.