- December 26, 2024
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The Buccaneers are the FHSAA Class 5A girls basketball runners-up. Mainland lost 60-55 in overtime to American Heritage at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Rebound by Buccaneer Jade Parks (2) during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Tia Dobson goes up for a jump shot as American Heritage's Taniyah Davis (1) blocks and center Dezuray McGill prepares to assists. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Oliva Olson (5) up for the layup in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by MIchele Meyers
Ronneisha Thomas (1) drives down court as Emily Jean-Glaude (2) puts pressure on her during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Anovia Sheals (right) scrambles to save the ball from going out of bounds in the FHSAA Class 5A state final against American Heritage. Patriots under the basket-Tyra Blye (3), Jasleen Green (34) and Dezuray McGill (30). Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland girls basketball coach Brandon Stewart (center) leads his team to center coaurt to get their runner-up trophy after the FHSAA Class 5A state final against Plantation American Heritage at the RP Funding Center in Loakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Anovia Sheals dives for the ball in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Anovia Sheals' layup brings Mainland two points shy of going into overtime against American Heritage in the FHSAA Class 5A state final. Photo by Michele Meyers
Samantha Lecas (30) and Jade Parks (2) encourage Anovia Sheals (left) after she is fouled in the FHSAA Class 5A state final against American Heritage at the RP Funding Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Patriot Tyra Blye (left) guards Buccaneer Jade Parks as she goes up for the fourth quarter game-tying shot as Jasleeen Green (34) waits during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Patriot Tyra Blye (left) attempts to guard Buccaneer Jade Parks (2) as she goes up for the fourth quarter game-tying shot during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland coach Brandon Stewart (center) talks to his team before they hit the court in the third quarter of the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Referees prepare for the FHSAA Class 5A state final between Mainland and Plantation American Heritage at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland coach Brandon Stewart consoles team captain Tia Dobson after their 60-55 loss against Plantation American Heritage in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
American Heritage's Dezuray McGill (30) and Trya Blye (left) prepare for the rebound after Jade Parks' (2) shot hits the rim during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
American Heritage's Dezuray McGill (30) blocks Jade Parks' shot as Trya Blye (left) prepares to rebound in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Jade Parks (2) and American Heritage's Dezuray McGill (30) go up for the rebound as Jasleen Green (right) watches in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland coach Brandon Stewart (left) stands with his team following the Bucs' 60-55 loss to Plantation American Heritage in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Oliva Olson (center) checks out her options before she challenges Aemrican Heritage players Jasleen Green (34) and Trya Blye (3) in the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland starters Jade Parks, Olivia Olson, Anovia Sheals, Tia Dobson and Ronneisha Thomas take the court before the FHSAA Class 5A state final against Plantation American Heritage at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Tia Dobson (10) makes a free throw in the FHSAA Class 5A state final against American Heritage at the RP Funding Center in Laklenad. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Anovia Sheals drives into the key before making a basket in the FHSAA Class 5A state final versus American Heritage. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ronneisha Thomas (1) grabs a pass during the FHSAA Class 5A state final at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
A year after winning the state championship, the Mainland girls basketball team brought home the silver medal.
The Buccaneers went down to the wire in a tough 60-55 loss in overtime against Plantation American Heritage in the Class 5A state championship game Friday, March 8, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
The Bucs finished the season 18-13 after the Patriots put an end to Mainland's eight-game win streak.
“Thank God,” Mainland head coach Brandon Stewart said. “It’s a blessing to even be able to feel this. Obviously it doesn’t feel good, but not everybody knows what this feels like. I think it creates them to be better people — creates them to be better players in the future. You got to know how to win and you’ve got to know how to lose because that’s the nature of the beast. If you learn how to lose with class then you’re doing a good job.”
Bucs point guard Tia Dobson said she and her teammates were not motivated by the rematch with American Heritage after Mainland took home the state championship trophy last year with a 62-61 win over the Patriots.
“I feel like we trusted each other and we were ready together, as a team,” she said. “We believed in ourselves and we believed in the team as a whole. It didn’t matter if it was American Heritage. It could have been anybody. I feel like that was our mindset — to go out there and win together.”
Mainland jumpstarted the first quarter with a 13-8 lead over American Heritage which the Patriots reduced to one point at the half (22-21).
This is a winning era, really. These two right here (Anovia Sheals and Tia Dobson), are an era. I’ve enjoyed it. They can’t understand yet, that what we’ve done, you’ll never know when you’ll see it again. This is all deeper than basketball, really. We lost a game. The thing that I’ve been highlighting the whole time are the emotions that they’re feeling. If they deal with it now, they’ll know how to deal with it later in life.
— BRANDON STEWART, Mainland girls basketball coach
Going into the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers were up 35-33. The Patriots then went on a 16-point spree, led by sophomore guard Jasleen Green with 11 points, leaving Mainland in a scramble. A layup by Anovia Sheals brought the Bucs within two at 49-47. And Jade Parks tied the score with a put-back with a minute left to send the game to overtime.
“I think at that point, the players on the court were going to make plays,” Stewart said. “I think as our players are making plays, as coaches, we sit back and watch the game as well and try to manage the game the best we know how. Going into overtime, it was just a talk about having the will to win, to keep pushing forward and play for these four minutes. Play to win.”
Sheals scored four points and teammate Ronneisha Thomas had two points in overtime, but the Bucs could not slow down the Patriots. Taniyah Davis (six points) and Green (four points) scored 10 of American Heritage's 11 overtime points. Green finished with a game-high 27 points.
"We were thinking too fast — trying to hurry up and get a bucket so we wouldn't be down so much," Sheals said. "We weren't focused on playing like a team like we were from the beginning and in the other three quarters. So I wouldn't say it was jitters. It was really just trying to make another play, how we'd been making plays before but trying to play as a team not one-on-five or two-on-five."
Sheals finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Junior Olivia Olson scored 11 points while Dobson had nine points, four rebounds and three steals.
“All year, I have won and lost with them,” Stewart said. “So tonight, there were only two things that you could do — you could win or lose the game. There were plenty of times I felt like American Heritage could have put us away, but they didn’t and we went into overtime. The reality is, whichever team goes on a run in overtime, it’s pretty tough for the other team to get back in it.”
Dobson and Sheals are both headed to Division I universities. Dobson has committed to play at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Sheals has signed to play at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Stewart has coached at Mainland for five years — four with Dobson and two with Sheals. In that time, the Bucs won three district championships, two regional titles, a state championship and a state runner-up trophy. He said he hopes this will become their inner story and motivation for them in college.
“This is a winning era, really,” he said. “These two right here, are an era. I’ve enjoyed it. They can’t understand yet that what we’ve done, you’ll never know when you’ll see it again. This is all deeper than basketball, really. We lost a game. The thing that I’ve been highlighting the whole time are the emotions that they’re feeling. If they deal with it now, they’ll know how to deal with it later in life.”
