‘We have to win it back’: Heritage girls’ basketball seeks redemption
LAKELAND
Dezuray McGill looks at it every day when she gets up.
McGill has her silver runner-up medal from last year’s state championship game hanging in her room.
It’s provided motivation for American Heritage’s starting junior forward every time she’s been on the basketball court for the past year.
McGill’s teammates, including sophomore Jasleen Green, and her coach Greg Farias, have pictures from that night of the team that beat them — Daytona Beach Mainland — wearing their gold medals.
That night, Heritage suffered a deflating, onepoint loss to Mainland in last year’s Class 5A state final, which snapped the Patriots’ five-year streak as state champions and ended one of the longest title runs in state history.
“It was very sad, seeing a streak that our coach built from the ground up end like that,” McGill said. “I felt embarrassed to break that tradition. We have to win it back and I want to keep winning it every year until I graduate.”
It’s no wonder Heritage didn’t waste any time on Wednesday to punch its ticket for the rematch.
The Patriots scored the first 13 points of Wednesday night’s Class 5A state semifinal and never let up on their way to a 63-24 rout of Port Charlotte at the RP Fundíng Center.
Heritage (24-6) earned its shot, taking back the crown from Mainland, and will face the Bucs on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the state final.
It will be the seventh consecutive appearance in the state championship game for the Patriots, who tied Miami Country Day and Orlando Lake Highland Prep for the longest streaks in state history of making it to a state final.
“We worked so hard this summer to make sure we came back here,” Farias said. “We’ve been here eight years straight, and you can assume you’ll be here but it’s very hard.”
Green led the way with 12 points while McGill totaled 11 points and seven rebounds. Taniyah Davis also scored 11 points.
“We were locked in from the beginning, and it was just about staying focused,” Davis said. “I was really looking forward to getting here with these girls, and we’re not finished. We’ve got one more and we’re going to handle business.”
The Patriots scored 18 points off 16 Port Charlotte turnovers and outscored them in the paint 30-12. After leading 45-11 at halftime, Davis hit a three-pointer nine seconds into the second half to trigger a running clock, and Farias took out his starters shortly thereafter.
“We always tell them never look ahead, and we have to take care of business,” Farias said. “That’s why we started with a full-court press the way we did. I wanted them to have energy, especially since we didn’t play for the last 10-12 days or so.”
But a few of the Heritage players said after the game that they were mentally preparing for Mainland even though they did not let it affect their play on Wednesday.
“We came out, ready to play, and we were really thinking about Mainland and trying to kick them out the door,” Green said.
For the Patriots, Friday’s game will be a bit of a role reversal, historically. While Heritage even last season was the favorite coming off five consecutive championships, some may consider it an underdog this time.
Mainland (18-12) is led by two McDonald’s AllAmerican nominees in
5-11 senior forward Anovia Sheals (18.9 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game) and 5-5 senior point guard Tia Dobson. The Bucs also added length and versatility to their lineup this season with the addition of 5-11 junior guard Olivia Olson, a transfer from Port Orange Spruce Creek.
“They are a very talented team and they are the champions, and we are the underdog,” Farias said. “We’re the ones who have to take it from them.”