State favorites reach for district wins
After back-to-back boys basketball final four appearances that ended two wins shy of a state championship in 2015 and 2016, The First Academy rolled through its regular season and looks as ready as ever to finally take a firstplace trophy home from Lakeland.
The postseason is underway and area No. 1 TFA (23-1) leads a lengthy list of area contenders hoping to go all the way. The Royals are also top-ranked in Class 4A and should dominate this week’s district tournament at Santa Fe Catholic in Lakeland.
ACC signees Chaundee Brown (Wake Forest) and Malik William (Clemson) lead a team that has won 19 straight since losing 50-49 to Edgewater.
“I think this group of kids is about as ready to make a run as any team I’ve ever had,” said coach Chris Mayberry, who has taken TFA to five state tournaments, including a 2011 runner-up finish.
Here are other storylines watch as the playoffs heat up: to quadrant in another unpredictable big-school bracket.
District 3 has two more Super 16 teams in Evans and Apopka, and its fourth member, West Orange, has homecourt advantage and the distinction of being the only team to deal Wekiva a regular-season district defeat.
Boone is the top seed in 9A-4 and Braves coach David Martinson said his seven seniors are zoned in on playing the deliberate style that can frustrate and derail teams deemed to be more talented.
That said, the Braves must take care of business in a district that includes an Orlando University team that also plays to its strengths; Timber Creek, which dealt Boone its only district loss; and Winter Park, which holds out hope of saving a depressing campaign on its homecourt. Master’s Academy.
The Lakers also must stop a skid that saw them drop their final four regular-season games — all to qualitity opponents — following a 10-game win streak.
“We had a stretch where we were kind of sleep-walking a little bit, getting by just off our talent against teams that weren’t as good as us,” Lakers coach Ben Wilson said. “We needed some wake-up calls. We’re going to have to make sure we’re focused every time out because now it’s the time of year where it’s win or go home.”
District semifinals are pressurepacked because winners punch their tickets for region play next week regardless of what happens in finals. Wekiva faces its former coach, Scott Williams, when it meets Apopka on Wednesday.
“Scott Williams is a master planner,” said Mustangs coach Gersino Lubin, who was promoted after serving as an assistant to Williams. “I know he’s going to know all our plays and know all our guys inside out. I have to make sure my team is very prepared.”
Master’s figures to face Lake Highland Prep (14-10) on the Highlanders’ home court in another Wednesday semifinal. Their regular-season matchup went to the wire, with Master’s prevailing 58-55.
9A-2 top seed Oviedo can push coach Ed Kershner, already the state all-time career wins leader, to the 900 plateau with three postseason victories. He’s 897-382 in 45 seasons.
7A power Edgewater is glad to be hosting this week in a league where the top three seeds did not lose a district home game.
Rivaling the 9A districts for parity will be: 8A-5, where Ocoee (11-14) is top seed; 6A-13, where top seed Leesburg had to go overtime to beat Poinciana, Bishop Moore and Eustis; and 7A-5, which has seven Volusia County teams jousting for two berths.
No. 1 Wildwood (20-3), which started 19-0 in 1A, lost its final two regular-season games by one point at Inverness Citrus and by two in overtime at South Sumter.
Central Florida Christian Academy, ranked third in 2A by MaxPreps, starts the quest for its first state tourney appearance since 1997. SENTINEL SUPER 16