Who Would Win the Florida Tourney of Champions?

Who Would Win the Florida Tourney of Champions? By Michael Wholey 3/5/21 1:00 PM EST In several states across the country, after the conclusion of the state tournament, there is a second tournament called the Tourney of Champions were the Champs from each classification face off against each other to declare one overall TRUE STATE CHAMPION.  While Florida does not host a Tourney of Champions, we have created a hypothetical bracket to run our own Tourney of Champions.    FIRST ROUND 1A Ponce De Leon v 7A Plant HS Got to give Plant the victory here.  Senior Kendal Cheesman Kendal Cheesman 6'2" | PF HB Plant | 2021 State FL has been one of, if not the best player in the state all season.  She is a matchup nightmare for opponents and fellow Senior Nyla Jean Nyla Jean 5'7" | PG HB Plant | 2021 State FL been right on her side all season.  The Senior duo ends up being too much for 1A Ponce De Leon despite Lily Brooks and her squad’s best effort.  WINNER: Plant HS   3A Cardinal Mooney v 4A Lake Highland Prep Olivia Davis Olivia Davis 5'7" | CG Cardinal Mooney | 2023 State FL and Jordyn Byrd Jordyn Byrd 6'3" | PF Cardinal Mooney | 2023 State #25 Nation FL are two of the state’s top Sophomores, but Lake Highland has two elite post players and a 6 player rotation that is as talented as any team in the country.  With UCF commit Stefanie Ingram Stefanie Ingram 5'7" | CG Lake Highland | 2022 State FL leading the way and the front court of Nyla Harris Nyla Harris 6'2" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2022 State #34 Nation FL and Kayla Blackshear Kayla Blackshear 6'1" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2021 State #61 Nation FL , I got Lake Highland Prep taking this one.  WINNER: Lake Highland Prep   3A Miami Country Day v 5A American Heritage   There is not a team in the state as hot as Miami Country Day, winning 18 in a row.  The matchup puts Sydney Shaw Sydney Shaw 5'9" | SG DME Academy | 2022 State FL against her old squad.  Despite solid performances from Andrea Daley Andrea Daley 6'0" | SF Miami Country Day | 2021 State FL and Kayla Nelms Kayla Nelms 6'1" | PF Miami Country Day | 2024 State FL for the Spartans, I see the post play being even across the board in this matchup and the game being decided by guard play.  The three headed monster of Daniella Aronsky Daniella Aronsky 5'8" | CG American Heritage | 2021 State FL , Joey Delancy Joey Delancy 5'8" | CG American Heritage | 2022 State FL , and Sydney Shaw Sydney Shaw 5'9" | SG DME Academy | 2022 State FL I think will prove to be too much and American Heritage advances.  WINNER: American Heritage   2A Miami Christian v 6A St. Thomas Aquinas Miami Christian has been scheduling up all season and is no stranger to good competition.  They have gone as far as Gabriela Bendeck Gabriela Bendeck 5'4" | CG Miami Christian | 2021 State FL carried them.  But I think the athleticism of St. Thomas’s guards Samara Spencer Samara Spencer 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL , Karina Gordon Karina Gordon 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL , Reina Green Reina Green 5'10" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2023 State FL , Breanna Gustave Breanna Gustave 5'7" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL , and Maya Williams Maya Williams 5'6" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL would be too much for Miami Christian to overcome.  St Thomas takes this one. WINNER: St. Thomas Aquinas     SECOND ROUND 7A Plant HS v 4A Lake Highland Prep This would be interesting to see who Lake Highland Prep would match up against Kendal Cheesman Kendal Cheesman 6'2" | PF HB Plant | 2021 State FL .  Would they have Senior Kayla Blackshear Kayla Blackshear 6'1" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2021 State #61 Nation FL guard Cheesman, Junior Nyla Harris Nyla Harris 6'2" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2022 State #34 Nation FL , or would they throw Freshman Lexi Blue Lexi Blue 6'1" | SF Lake Highland Prep | 2024 State FL on the Vanderbilt signee?  In the end Cheesman would find a way to be productive on the offensive end as she always does, which is why she is headed to the SEC next year.  But I think Lake Highland Prep Junior guard Stefanie Ingram Stefanie Ingram 5'7" | CG Lake Highland | 2022 State FL will be able to really bother Nyla Jean Nyla Jean 5'7" | PG HB Plant | 2021 State FL or at least neutralize her and Lake Highland Prep talented roster will prove to be too much without a combined 50+ points from Cheesman and Jean and I got Lake Highland Prep moving on in this one.  WINNER: Lake Highland Prep   5A American Heritage v 6A St. Thomas Aquinas This game already happened back in January with American Heritage pulling off the 53-43 win, giving St Thomas its only other loss other than to Blanche Ely.  It’s an intriguing matchup with some really good guard play on both sides.  The Sydney Shaw Sydney Shaw 5'9" | SG DME Academy | 2022 State FL v Samara Spencer Samara Spencer 5'8" | CG St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL matchup would be a fun matchup to watch again but in the end I think the Wyche twins are the X-factors on this matchup.  The 6’2 twin towers Taliyah Wyche Taliyah Wyche 6'2" | C American Heritage | 2021 State FL and Tatyana Wyche Tatyana Wyche 6'2" | C American Heritage | 2021 State FL use their length to play the high low game and control the boards and St Thomas has no answer for them inside and American Heritage moves on.  WINNER: American Heritage   CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 4A Lake Highland Prep v 5A American Heritage Definitely a matchup that a lot of people would have loved to seen this season as this was two of the state’s top teams all season.  Both squads are loaded with talent at all positions and have two of the strongest front courts in the entire country.  I imagine this would be a back-and-forth battle similar to a heavy weight fight but in the end despite American Heritages best attempt Lake Highland Prep finishes undefeated on the season and takes home the Florida Tournament of Champions.  In the end, the balanced offensive attack from Stefanie Ingram Stefanie Ingram 5'7" | CG Lake Highland | 2022 State FL , Kayla Blackshear Kayla Blackshear 6'1" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2021 State #61 Nation FL , and Nyla Harris Nyla Harris 6'2" | PF Lake Highland Prep | 2022 State #34 Nation FL are tough for American Heritage to stop.  Mixed in with some timely outside shooting from Eleecia Carter Eleecia Carter 5'7" | CG Lake Highland Prep | 2023 State FL and Bri Rivera and Lake Highland takes the title!  WINNER: Lake Highland Prep   This is all hypothetical and purely my opinion.  All of these teams had amazing seasons and were champions in their own classifications.  Michael Wholey is the Senior Scout of Prep Girls Hoop Florida and he can be reached directly at WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com or on Twitter or Instagram at @WholeyPrepHoops.