Mike Ridaught
Williston coach Jim Ervin said that his team’s practices have been more intense than their basketball games.
That’s saying something considering the Red Devils scored 95 points in a regional final against Trenton to advance to their second straight final four.
It was a season high in points for Williston (27-2), which is averaging 80.25 points in four postseason games.
To say they are on a mission to win a second straight state title is an understatement.
“I’ve never had a team in 25 years as special as this one,” Ervin said. “When we come to play, I know what I’m going to get out of them. It’s the same results whether we’re in practice or in games. We know what the end result is going to be.”
Top seed Williston, which defeated Chipley, 58-49, in last year’s state title game, will face the No. 4 seed Tigers again in Friday morning’s state semifinals at 9 a.m. at the R.P. Funding Center in Lakeland.
The game will be broadcast online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 8:50 a.m.
It’s a familiar opponent, but it’s also a familiar venue.
“Last year it was like a shock when we walked into the arena down there,” Ervin said. “Some of the kids had never been in an arena like that so I think it will help us. We’re a little bit more prepared, not only for the court but off the court too…I think the experience will pay off for us.”
Four starters are back from that team which won its first state title in program history.
“I feel like it will be an advantage for us because we’ve been there before,” said senior guard Reggie White, who is one of four players averaging in double figures.
Senior forward Kyler Lamb (16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game), sophomore guard Deandre Harvey (11.4 ppg), White (10.5 ppg), and senior point guard Aramys Rodriguez (10.4 ppg), plus senior forward Javon Brown (9.2 points and 7.1 rebounds), a Toledo football signee, embody what it means to be a true team.
“If we’re going to win a state title or contend, it’s got to be about a team, not an individual,” Ervin said. “Individuals win awards, but they don’t win state championships.”
Chipley (19-11) is peaking at the right time.
The Tigers, who defeated Jay, 73-49, in the 1A-Region1 Final, have won eight in a row.
Newcomer Albert McKinnie (16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds) leads Chipley, followed by Calhoun Community College signee Kyler Bryant (14 points and 4.5 rebounds).
No. 2 seed Hilliard, which defeated Fort White, 64-51, in the 1A-Region 3 Final, will face No. 3 seed Crossroad Academy (Quincy) at 11 a.m. in the other state semifinal.
The boys’ championship game is at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Hawthorne girls are looking to do what the football team has done, win consecutive state titles.
At 3 p.m. on Friday in the Class 1A state semifinals, the Lady Hornets (20-3) will face Wildwood, who they defeated, 42-38, in last year’s 1A state championship game.
“Familiar opponent, of course,” Ingram said. “When you talk about girls basketball and rich tradition, Wildwood is up there at the top of, not only in our class, but all classes year in and year out so you can’t help but have a ton of respect for their program and what they’ve been able to do. They have some amazing coaches and great ball players. We’ll definitely have our work cut out for us. We definitely have to prepare the right way against a tough opponent.”
Friday’s game will also be streamed online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 2:50 p.m.
Hawthorne, which is making its fifth final four in the past six years, rallied from a three-point third-quarter deficit last year to win its second state title.
“I’m looking forward to Wildwood,” said junior guard De’Mya Adams, who leads the team with 16.2 ppg. “I know Wildwood has great guards. I know they want to beat us so we’re ready.”
Junior Jhalea Jackson, who is averaging 8.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, will be a key factor in Hawthorne’s title defense.
Wildwood advanced with a 66-24 rout of Trenton in the 1A-Region 4 Final, while the Lady Hornets advanced with a 55-42 win against Madison County in the Region 3 Final.
The Wildcats (19-3), who are averaging 60.7 points per game, are led by junior Trinidy Harris (17 ppg).
“It feels amazing to go back to the final four, back-to-back is something, it’s special,” said senior Ashlyn Coleman, who scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Cowgirls. “It takes a lot of discipline to get there too. When you’re in practice and you’re messing up and he (Coach Ingram) corrects your mistakes, and he’s just yelling at you, it actually motivates me to go harder for the team and not be selfish.”
The winner will play either No. 2 seed Ponce De Leon or No. 3 seed Graceville in the title game at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“When fans know you’re coming off of a state championship year they automatically think it’s going to happen again, and it’s so hard to do,” Ingram said. “To get our girls to refocus on the task at hand, it’s an unbelievable feeling…I’m happy for my girls to have an opportunity to make a final four run again, a state championship run, because it’s extremely hard to do.”
Hawthorne and Williston both have an opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done in quite a while.
The last area girls team to win back-to-back was Keystone Heights, which won the 2A state championship in 1994 and the 3A title in 1995.
Gainesville High was the last area boys team to win back-to-back. The Hurricanes won the Class 5A state title in 1999 and 2000.
Editor’s note: The game time for the Class 1A boys championship on Saturday was changed from 7 to 8 p.m.