Class 2A: Top Players at Lakeland

The FHSAA State Tournament has taken place from Wednesday the 23rd until Saturday the 26th in Lakeland at the RP Funding Center. In Game One, Faith Christian had their hands full with University Christian, but they had a huge third quarter and held on to win 37-33. Game Two was a dominant performance by Miami Christian over Neumann by a score of 68-47. The State Championship saw Miami Christian have a big 1st and 3rd quarter to earn them a back-to-back 2A State Title! Here were the top players who showed out in Class 2A on the big stage: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="154908" first="Enjulina" last="Gonzalez"] | Miami Christian - MVP</strong> Enjulina didn't have to do much in their semifinal game but she finished with 11 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Mercer commit is crafty getting to the hoop and looks to distribute and score it equally. She has nice length and is a tough finisher at the rim which will be key at the next level. In the Championship, her final game at Miami Christian, she went off with a 24 point/10 board double double as well as dropping 4 dimes. I'm excited to see what she will do with the Bears in her next chapter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="244205" first="Ziul" last="Gonzalez"] | Miami Christian</strong> Enjulina's younger sister looked fantastic in the Championship win with 15 points and 4 assists. In the semifinal win, she finished with 12 points and 5 assists. She scored it from all three levels and was always in the right position at the right time to benefit from the dribble-drive by her teammates. Keep an eye on her as she transitions into being an Upperclassmen and a leader. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="221843" first="Samantha" last="Vales"] | Miami Christian</strong> Sam is another talented 2024 for the Victors. She's quick, has a nasty floater, and sees the floor and pushes it ahead really well. In game one, she had 16 points and 4 steals in an easy win. Her defense was a key to the Championship win as this Miami Christian team defends hard and well. Samantha added 10 points in that State Title game, too. Watch for her to continue growing and developing as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="243908" first="Ciara" last="Hayes"] | Faith Christian</strong> Cece went off in their semifinal game with 15 points and 6 steals as easily one of the best 2026's in Florida. She's a playmaker that plays like a veteran with good physicality for her size. Ciara can shoot it from anywhere and had some nice tip passes while playing hard on the defensive end, too. The 8th grader didn't find her shot until late in the Championship loss, but she finished with 14 points in that one. Major stock riser! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="248306" first="Camryn" last="Patterson"] | Faith Christian</strong> Cam was the most impressive player for the Lions in the Championship loss. She has good size, court vision, and really controls the game and her body well. Camryn can get to the hoop and finish using her strength and shoulders to create space. In the championship game, she shot 9 for 11 from the field with 21 points and 4 assists. Game one wasn't her best offensive game, but she did finish with 6 points, 7 boards, and 4 steals. This Faith Christian team will be back! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="353625" first="Taijshiah" last="Baldwin"] | University Christian</strong> Tai was about the only spark of offense for the Christians in an off-shooting night for her and the team due to that defensive pressure by FCA. She had 18 points by shooting 9 of 10 from the charity stripe with 5 steals. Taijshiah swatted some shots, and she always played hard and fast for the entirety of the games. It will be interesting to see where she plays in college. <strong>Sophia McCartney | St John Neumann</strong> Sophia had a massive double double with 22 points and 20 rebounds to keep her team competitive in the semifinal loss. She had a height advantage and used that size to control the glass and get easy buckets around the rim. She's only a Sophomore so she still has a lot of time to continue developing into one of the top posts in Southwest Florida. <strong>Leah Martin-Gonzalez | St John Neumann</strong> Leah led her team all season long and that didn't stop in the semifinal loss with her 15 points. Her second half gave the team a little life as she's long and has a quick first step that can get by just about anybody. SJN had a terrific last season to cap off her career! <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;">Your back-to-back 2A State Champs - Miami Christian!</p> <img class=" wp-image-393602 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/2A-Miami-Christian-300x259.jpg" alt="" width="322" height="278" /> &nbsp;