In the “expanded” FHSAA playoffs, it takes essentially three weeks to complete the state championships.  The last week of February saw the Rural Classification have the spotlight all to itself as the state tournament plays its first year at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.  Last week, Classifications 1A and 2A wrapped up.

Rural Classification

The first semi-final pitted Crossroad Academy out of Quincy and Ponce De Leon.  Crossroad jumped ahead early, holding Ponce De Leon to just two first quarter points while the Scorpions scored seventeen.  Ponce De Leon outscored Crossroad Academy over the course of the next three quarter but couldn’t dig themselves out of the first quarter hole they created.

The second semi-final between Williston and Trenton was much closer.  Williston outscored Trenton over the first three quarters by a total of eight points.  That margin held up in the final score.

The championship game between Williston and Crossroads was highly competitive as there were 10 ties and 17 lead changes.  This one went into overtime.  Williston had a 52-51 lead with just under two-and-a-half minutes to play but Crossroad outscored the Red Devils 10-4 the rest of the way to claim the Rural Classification championship.

All-Tournament Team

Camari Hale, Crossroad Academy (MVP): Hale was the team’s leading scorer in both the semi-final and final.  The 6’1 senior guard had 12 points and 5 rebounds against Ponce De Leon, then cranked up 20 points in the title game, several coming in key moments late in the game.

Tyrek Jesse, Crossroad Academy: The 6’4 senior came up big when it mattered.  He tallied 11 points and 8 rebounds in the semi-finals and notched 11 points in the title game.

Jacques Edwards, Williston: The 6’0 sophomore played much bigger than his size in the semi-finals, putting together a stat line of 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Traeston Armstrong, Williston: The 6’0 senior was instrumental in the Red Devils’ OT semi-final loss, leading all scorers with 20 points.

Marc Micale, Trenton: The 6’3 junior was arguably Trenton’s most effective player in the semi-final.  He finished with a stat line of 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Class 1A

The first semi-final in this classification had top seed Weston Sagemont taking on Central Florida Christian Academy out of Orlando.  The first quarter was high-octane with both teams scoring nineteen points each.  Sagemont asserted itself from there, outscoring CFCA the remaining three quarters to win by sixteen.

The second semi-final had a lot more drama.  The game was tied at the break and Victory Christian led by just two going into the final period.  Impact held a two-point lead with 2:47 to go, but Victory outscored them 11-3 the rest of the way to win by five.

The final between Sagemont and Victory Christian was a rematch from last season.  Sagemont turned a two-point half-time deficit into a thirteen-point lead going into the final period of play.  Sagemont had to hold off a furious Victory Christian rally that saw them get to within 64-60 with 1:30 remaining.  Victory hit a three to get within three but with only eighteen seconds remaining, there was not enough time to complete the comeback.  Sagemont wins a tough one to capture the Class 1A state title.

All-Tournament Team

Kevin Thomas, Weston Sagemont (MVP): The Louisiana State signee was dynamic in leading hit team to the championship.  The 6’7 senior torched the nets for 27 points in the semi-finals.  On the big stage for a state title, Thomas came through with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.

David Nealy, Weston Sagemont: The 6’3 senior no doubt improved his stock in Jacksonville.  He dropped in a smooth 24 points in the semi-finals, then put up 13 points in the championship game.

Christian Fuller, Lakeland Victory Christian: The 6’0 junior is in his first year at Victory and proved to be a more-than-solid addition.  He led the way in the semi-finals with 15 points and 4 assists.  Fuller elevated his play in the final, notching 16 points to go along with 3 assists and 3 steals.

Tucker Fox, Lakeland Victory Christian: The 6’0 guard has become legendary for his play in the state tournament the last two seasons.  Last year he drained a three the buzzer to win a four-OT thriller in the semi-finals.  This time around, he nearly led Victory Christian from a double-digit deficit to the title.  He pumped in 26 points and had 7 steals in the final.

Ron Clark, Jacksonville Impact Christian: The 5’10 junior was key in keeping Impact Christian in the semi-final game, finishing with a team-high 16 points.

Class 2A

The first semi-final contest featured Miami Country Day taking on Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic.  Santa Fe stayed with MCD for the first quarter, but from there simply didn’t have the manpower to keep up.  When a team shoots 56% from the field overall and 53% from behind the arc while holding the opponent to under 40% from the field on defense, that is pretty much a guaranteed recipe for success.  Miami Country Day ultimately won by 19 points.

The second semi-final was top seed Jacksonville Providence going up against Northside Christian out of St. Petersburg.  This was surprisingly a low scoring affair but Providence established its dominance early on.  They outscored Northside in three of the four quarters, ultimately winning by 16 points.

This set up what looked to be an epic final between #1 Providence and #2 Miami Country Day.  The teams were tied up at the break and Providence had a two point lead going into the final period of play.  Providence started the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run to give them the cushion they needed.  Providence wins the Class 2A state title by the score of 51-43.

All-Tournament Team

Nolan Nelson, Jacksonville Providence (MVP): The 6’8 junior was arguably the best Christmas present the Providence coaching staff received.  He tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the semi-finals.  Nelson elevated his game in the championship, putting up a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.

William Stewart, Jacksonville Providence: The 6’3 sophomore is known for his deft scoring skills, but he made a big impact on the boards in Jacksonville.  He had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the semi-finals.  In the title game, Stewart had 6 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Miguel Orbe, Miami Country Day: The 6’3 junior was a consistent offensive presence in MCD’s run to the title game.  He tallied 15 points and 4 rebounds in a big semi-final win.  Orbe followed that up with a game-high 20 points in the title game.

Fernando Romero, Miami Country Day: The 6’3 senior had some great moments in Jacksonville.  In the semis, he tallied 19 points to go along with 7 rebounds.  In the final, he contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds.

Jordan Bender, St. Pete Northside Christian: The 6’7 senior led the team in scoring 2ith 13 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the semi-finals.