Medals for Mainland: Buccaneers win state girls basketball championship

Mainland won the first girls basketball title in school history, holding off American Heritage 62-61.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 9:35 a.m. March 2, 2023
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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Family, focus, leadership and even the North Star played a part in the Mainland girls basketball team winning the Class 5A state championship Saturday, Feb. 25.

The Bucs defeated Plantation American Heritage 62-61 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland for their first girls state basketball title in school history. 

Point guard Tia Dobson believed it was the Buccaneers’ time. Following the 56-23 win against Kissimmee Gateway in the sate semifinal, Dobson said the game plan was and always will be to be themselves. 

“Our game plan, every game, is to go out and be ourselves,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s basketball. We all grew up playing the same game so we just go out there and be ourselves and have fun. We did what we did to get us here. Why change something for the state championship game?” 

Dobson and transfers Anovia Sheals and Jordan Boddie led the Bucs this season in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Sheals racked up 413 points and 192 rebounds while Dobson had 87 assists and 56 steals. The three of them were top scorers in the championship game with Sheals scoring 22 points, Dobson 13 and Boddie 10. 

Coach Brandon Stewart’s dominant scorers factored into the Buccaneers’ success this season, but after three of his top players fouled out of the championship game, he subbed in freshman Ronneisha Thomas and sophomores Samantha Lecas and Shilah-rayn Lord. Each played aggressively and scored key baskets, showing glimpses of the Bucs’ future. 

Being a players-first coach has helped Stewart develop a team that is family, making it easy to tap into the “Buc Pride Never Dies” belief system. The players not only bring skills to the court but the knowledge that the other players have their backs in any and all situations. 

“Getting to know them as people (helped the team gel),” he said. “When times do get hard, I know how to communicate. I think being able to communicate the right way with them means everything.” 

Sheals had the benefit of playing ball with Dobson before joining the team. She spent time creating a bond with each of her teammates and talked to them as individuals. By being there for them, she was able to establish friendships and be part of the family. 

“Being able to know each other and already know how each other plays is great,” she said. “We already fit together so perfectly.” 

The team’s bond seemed to tighten when, with less than a month from playoffs, a fight broke out during the game against the University Titans. The Bucs’ future was uncertain as disciplinary measures were decided by the Florida High School Athletics Association. Mainland faced a double forfeit and a few suspensions, but it did not stop their drive to the top. 

“I’m so proud of these girls. 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.” — TERRENCE ANTHONY, Mainland athletic director

“I’m so proud of these girls,” Mainland athletic director Terrence Anthony said. “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.” 

Volunteer coach Kimberly Davis Powell has been involved with basketball for 26 years and played five years prior to that. She helps Stewart with defense and in-game adjustments. She credited focus and leadership as factors for the team’s ability to push forward. 

“The girls are excited to be here but focused,” she said. “I think it attributes to our leaders — Jordan, Tia, Anovia and Shaiya — their leadership has been amazing, especially for the young girls we pulled up (from JV).” 

As the seconds counted down in the fourth quarter of the championship game, American Heritage made an astounding 31-point comeback.

Mainland had to fight to hold on to its one-point lead. Lecas missed a free throw in the final seconds, American Heritage rebounded and Lecas went airborne to block the ball. 

We focused on the mission. We knew what the mission was. I told the girls to treat this game like an airplane and we were almost done landing it. Even if they fouled out, we still had a plane to land and that’s what we did. — BRANDON STEWART, Mainland coach

“We focused on the mission,” Stewart said. “We knew what the mission was. I told the girls to treat this game like an airplane and we were almost done landing it. Even if they fouled out, we still had a plane to land and that’s what we did.”

Boddie was incredulous at the thought of being state champions. 

“I never thought I’d be standing here, ever,” she said. “I couldn’t even make it past districts so I don’t know how I got here, but I’m happy I made the transfer. We just had to calm down and play the game we knew how to play regardless of what was happening with the ref, the score, with the team. We just had to keep playing. It got us here.”


 

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