Patriots dominate Ponte Vedra for girls title
LAKELAND — For the first time in school history, American Heritage is bringing a girls basketball state championship back to Plantation.
Making their state finals debut, the Patriots pounded Ponte Vedra, winning 59-33 to capture the Class 6A championship.
“It feels amazing [to be the first Heritage title team],” senior Femi Funeus said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’m so shook right now that we made it, and I’m so proud of my team.”
Funeus, a Seton Hall commit, led the Patriots (24-7) with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Tyaliah Willis notched a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
This year’s Lakeland trip was a resounding 180-degree turn from last year, when American Heritage lost by 29 points to eventual state champion Ribault in the semifinals.
“We got here last year, but the atmosphere was too much for us,” American Heritage coach Greg Farias said. “The whole summer, we worked and worked. It’s an honor. I’m so excited. We played the hardest schedule. We believe in playing the best competition because when we come here, we’re ready for it.”
“One of the biggest things I told the girls, ‘It doesn’t matter how many points you score in a game, [when you win a title, your name goes on a banner]. In 10th grade, [my high school team] went to the state final. I went to the school last year and my name was there. They can’t know if I scored or played. Ten years from now — it’s a banner [that people remember].”
The Patriots, who previously reached the state tournament in 2010 and 2017, stormed out of the gate on Thursday night, taking a 15-7 lead after the first quarter. Heritage’s defense held the Sharks (24-7) to 2-for-11 shooting in the opening quarter.
American Heritage continued to extend its lead in the second quarter. Behind 10 first half points from Funeus, the team took a 14-point lead into halftime and never looked back.
“[Ponte Vedra]’s a shooting team predominately, but we’re an all-around team,” Funeus said. “We have a bunch of bigs, a bunch of smalls — the best of both worlds. It was a perfect blend to go against them.”
The Patriots continued to exert their dominance in the second half, holding Ponte Vedra to just 11 points.
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