- April 26, 2024
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Mainland’s football team had a year to think about its two-point loss to Lake Wales. Coach Travis Roland made sure of it.
On the first day of practice he showed the final seven minutes of the 2022 Class 3S state championship game so his players would remember how that loss felt.
The Buccaneers made it back to the title game this year. This time, they won by two points. Jacob Gettelman’s 23-yard field goal in the waning seconds delivered the Bucs a 21-19 victory over St. Augustine for their first football state title in 20 years.
“My heart is so full. These kids earned this — worked hard for this,” Roland said after the game.
Mainland dominated offensively, outgaining the Yellow Jackets 505 yards to 204. But St. Augustine scored two special teams touchdowns in the first half to go into the locker room with a 13-0 lead. Quarterback Dennis Murray Jr., led Mainland’s second-half comeback with a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 44-yard touchdown run. The senior accounted for 380 offensive yards.
“Just the sheer will of wanting to win and (putting) it all out there for my guys kept me going,” Murray said. “… I’m going to leave it all out there on the field because this is my last game ever playing high school (football).”
Mainland finished the season with a 14-1 record.
— But football was not the only Mainland sport to collect a state championship in 2023. The girls basketball team won a state title for the first time in school history.
The basketball players battled through adversity to earn the championship. In a Jan. 14 game against University High, a skirmish broke out between the Bucs and Titans. The game was suspended and ruled a double forfeit. The Bucs were also forced to forfeit the following game and several players were suspended for multiple games.
They recovered to advance to the Class 5A final four and blew by Kissimmee Gateway 56-23 in the state semifinals to advance to the final against five-time defending state champ Plantation American Heritage.
The Bucs led by 20 points after the third quarter, but three starters fouled out in the fourth quarter and the lead dwindled to one point with seconds remaining. Mainland held on to win 62-61.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Mainland athletic director Terry Anthony said after the game. “To fight through the adversity of the suspensions, the not knowing if the season is going to be taken away from them and to come back and just put it all behind them and keep on marching is impressive.”
Anovia Sheals led Mainland with 22 points and 13 rebounds in the title game.
“Nothing compares to winning the state championship,” Bucs coach Brandon Stewart said. “As a coach, all year you try to talk to your girls about adversity and how it will be worth it. So when your word comes true, it’s a feeling like no other.”
Here are the other top sports stories of the year:
— Mainland’s boys basketball team almost gave the school three titles in the calendar year. The Bucs advanced to the Class 5A championship game. They defeated St. Petersburg 44-38 in the state semifinals, but fell to Miami Belen Jesuit 49-30 in the final.
The Bucs, who finished with a 25-6 record, relied on their defense to win 13 in a row and advance to the final.
— Seabreeze’s girls bowling team won its fourth consecutive district title and placed fourth at the state championships. During that run, the Sandcrabs won the state championship in 2021 and were runners-up in 2022.
The Seabreeze boys bowling team also advanced to state and finished among the top six teams. Seabreeze’s Brayden Barnes advanced to the individual round-of-16 and placed 12th overall. Bowling in a league two days later, Barnes rolled his first sanctioned 300 game.
— Seabreeze alum Lester Davis replaced Pat Brown as the Sandcrabs' head football coach in March. Brown left to become wide receivers coach at Valdosta State University. Davis, who had been the co-defensive coordinator at Mainland, graduated from Seabreeze in 1999. He played linebacker at Seabreeze and at South Carolina State University.
— Mainland’s flag football team advanced to the state final four for the first time with a 7-0 win over Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons. Kassie Stoner’s interception in the game’s closing minutes sealed the victory. The Bucs fell to state powerhouse Tampa Robinson in the state semifinals. The Tampa school went on to win its seventh consecutive Class 1A championship.
— Mainland and Seabreeze took their turns on the podium at the Class 3A state track and field championships. The Bucs' Jonathon Williams was runner-up in the 110 hurdles, while teammates Cameron Boatright (400 meters) and Zion Noralus (high jump) each took hom third-place medals.
Seabreeze's Zeli Hayworth and Chandler Mitzo placed second and third, respectively, in the javelin. Mackenzie Roy was fourth in the 1,600 meters and ran anchor leg on Seabreeze's fifth-place 4x800 relay.
— Seabreeze’s boys and girls swim teams both placed fifth at the Class 2A state championships on Nov. 3. Freshman Alexis O’Keefe and juniors Cole Conlan and Martin Montalvo each won runner-up medals.
— Seabreeze won a district baseball championship for the first time since 2014. The Sandcrabs trounced Pine Ridge 12-2 in the title game and then won its regional quarterfinal, 2-1 over Wesley Chapel, as senior Evan Miller scattered five hits. Seabreeze’s season ended with a loss to Sebring in the regional semifinals.
— Seabreeze’s girls soccer team advanced to the regional finals. The Sandcrabs (15-8) won 12 games by shoutout. They did not allow a goal in four postseason victories. They fell one game short of the Class 5A final four, losing to Cypress Creek 3-2 in double overtime.
Seabreeze’s boys soccer team went 13-4-3 and advanced to the regional semifinals. The Sandcrabs won the district championship against Matanzas on penalty kicks after two scoreless overtimes and defeated River Ridge 2-1 in the regional quarterfinals before losing to Horizon on penalty kicks.
