- December 26, 2024
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Kade Manley (11) shoots a three-pointer in the FHSAA Class 5A game against Blake High School at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Joshua Lewis (5), Kentrell Martin and Buccaneer Narayan Thomas fight for the rebound in the FHSAA state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
River Ridge's Thomon Godbolt guards Mainland's Seven Simmons (2) as he runs to grab a pass in the key during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Narayan Thomas (3) scores in the FHSAA state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland against Blake High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Nathan Kirk goes up for two in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifianl at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Kirk scored 15 points in the game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Kade Manley fights for the rebound in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal against Blake at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland Buccaneer cheer coach Jenece Giddens (back right) cheers with her team during the FHSAA Class 5A boys basketball state semifinal. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captain Nathan Kirk (1) drives to the hoop with Blake captain Joshua Lewis on his heels in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captain Nathan Kirk (1) floats under the net with Blake captain Joshua Lewis on his heels in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captain Nathan Kirk (1) looks up as the ball works its way into the basket with Blake captain Joshua Lewis on his heels in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland Buccaneer cheerleading team supports the boys basketball team during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal t the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Nathan Kirk goes up for the jump shot as Blake's Kentrell Martin (3) attempt's to block and Malik Brady-Ayers (12) waits for the outcome. Photo by Michele Meyers
Narayan Thomas (3) passes wide as he battles Blake players for control of the ball during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Bubba Westbrook (right) claps his hands as he takes on Blake's Malik Brady-Ayers (left) in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Bubba Westbrook (right) challenges Blake's Joe Philon (left) in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland Buccaneers and the Blake Yellow Jackets face each other in the FHSAA Class 5A final four at the RP Funding Center in lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Elijah Clark (left) defends against Blake's Joshua Lewis (5) during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Blake's Joe Philon cannot stop Buccaneer Nathan Kirk (1) as he makes the shot in the FHSAA final four game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Nathan Kirk (1) flies toward the basket as Blake's Joe Philon attempts to hinder his progress in the FHSAA final four game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Blake players are all over Mainland's DeAndre Newland as he goes up for the basket in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Blake won 53-40. Photo by Michele Meyers
After losing in the state championship game last year, Mainland boys basketball coach Joe Giddens said the Bucs would be back.
A year later, they were back in the final four, this time falling short in the state semifinals. Giddens' message is the same: We'll be back.
Mainland fell to Blake High from Tampa 53-40 in the Class 5A state semifinals on Wednesday, March 6, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. The Bucs finished their season with a 22-7 record.
Blake (26-6) went on to lose to Miami Norland 61-48 in the championship game on March 8.
The Bucs’ semifinal loss came down to shooting, Gidden said. Mainland shot 31.3% from the field and 40% from the free throw line compared to Blake’s 48.6% and 59.1%, respectively.
“I thought that we did not shoot the ball well tonight,” he said. “Sometimes we felt like we were going to get going and couldn’t. At times it was a little physical and sometimes that didn’t go our way. I don’t really think it was anything that Blake did on defense. We just didn’t shoot well.”
Mainland had four losses in the 2024 calendar year including the state semifinal loss and an 81-45 loss to Winter Haven on Jan. 27. The Bucs followed that setback with a six-game win streak heading into the final four.
Sophomore point guard Nathan Kirk powered through against Blake with 15 points and three steals. Senior swingman Narayan Thomas scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds.
When I played, it was like a family and I want to create the same environment for these guys ,because these are lifelong memories. Coming here and being a part of this helped me to be who I am today. That’s why I continue to instill my work ethic and life skills in these guys. Basketball is a life skill.
— JOE GIDDENS, Mainland boys basketball coach
Kirk said some of his teammates were playing in the final four for the first time. He said playing in that big of an environment at the RP Funding Center could have affected them.
“I could tell that some of them were a little nervous,” Giddens agreed. “The guys kept trying to tell them, hey, it’s basketball — just a different court. It’s easier said than done, but they got a chance to taste it and we’re going to be back.”
Blake was stacked with height and future Division I players. Five players are 6-foot-5 and taller. Shooting guards Joshua Lewis and Kentrell Martin are 6-foot-7 while sophomore center Joe Philo stands at 6-foot-9. Lewis has college offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Ole Miss, South Florida and Virginia Tech.
Lewis led the Yellow Jackets with 24 points and 12 rebounds against Mainland.
Thomas and Kirk said they did not feel like it was difficult dealing with the height. They have been playing against bigger guys the entire season to prepare them for the final four Kirk said.
Thomas, who is 6-foot-6, and 7-foot senior DeAndre Newland were the only players taller than 6-3 in the Bucs’ starting lineup.
“There’s only me and DeAndre," Thomas said. “So it gives the shorter guys on the team a tough fight. They gave it all they had. They rebounded well and played the ‘D’ well.”
Thomas said many of his teammates came in as transfers and did not know each other. He said he is going to remember how they established a bond which evolved into a brotherhood as the season progressed. Giddens said he believes that is how they started making their run toward the final four.
“When I played, it was like a family and I want to create the same environment for these guys because these are lifelong memories,” Giddens said. “Coming here and being a part of this helped me to be who I am today. That’s why I continue to instill my work ethic and life skills in these guys. Basketball is a life skill.”
Giddens was part of back-to-back Mainland championship teams. The first was in 1995 with teammate Vince Carter, who went on to score over 25,000 in his 22 years in the NBA. Carter and Giddens have remained friends. Carter sat on the bench during the semifinal and has encouraged the players throughout the season. Giddens said that is what Mainland does —creates lifetime bonds.
“How many former NBA players sit on a bench in high school — none — or be in the locker room to encourage,” Giddens said. “I’m just proud of my guys. Most people don’t get a chance to come here. I tell them any local team coach would trade anything to be here so for us to be here two years in a row … the rest is in the pudding. Like I told my guys, we are going to keep coming back until we win and when we win, we’re going to continue.”
