1A State Championship Game: Hawthorne v Wildwood Recap

By Michael Wholey 2/27/23 3:00 PM EST   The 2023 FHSAA State Tournament concluded in Lakeland at the RP Funding Center hosting the 1A – 7A State Championship games. Here is a recap of the 1A State Championship game between Hawthorne v Wildwood.     GAME RECAP   Hawthorne took home the 1A State Championship by defeating Wildwood 42-38. The game was back and forth with five lead changes in this low scoring affair. Ultimately it was a 9-3 2nd quarter for Hawthorne and a +13 in free throw attempt differential that helped Hawthorne pull away for the 4-point victory. [player_tooltip player_id='400803' first='Trinidy' last='Harris'] did all she good to will Wildwood to the win, finishing with a game high 21 points, playing all but 5 seconds of the game but it was not enough. For Hawthorne De'Mya Adams led them in scoring with 18 points, playing all 32 minutes and [player_tooltip player_id='349374' first='Jhalea' last='Jackson'] finished in double digits with 10 points as well.     TOP PROSPECTS   [player_tooltip player_id='223867' first='Jaz'lyn' last='Jackson'] (Hawthorne) 5'9 Guard – Class of 2023   Jackson struggled from the field on 1/8 from the field but did a good job being active and pursuing balls on the boards. She finished the game with 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 5/8 from the free throw line. At 5'9 she was one of the teams' taller players and did a good job finding ways to fill up the stat sheet despite a poor shooting night from the field.     De'Mya Adams (Hawthorne) 5'6 Guard – Class of 2025   In a low scoring affair, Adams was the difference maker, leading Hawthorne with 18 points on 6/19 from field and 3/6 from 3. While she struggled from the field, Adams made her biggest impact on the defensive end, using her defense to create offense. Adams finished the game with 6 steals and helped bring home a 1A State Championship for Hawthorne.     [player_tooltip player_id='400803' first='Trinidy' last='Harris'] (Wildwood) 5'4 Guard – Class of 2025   Harris led all scorers with 21 on 7/20 from the field like she did all season for Wildwood but in the end, it was not enough. The 5'4 guard was aggressive on both end of the floor and did everything she could to help lead her team to victory, accounting for over 50% of her teams points. She has impressive handle, is explosive off the dribble, crossing up her defenders and getting into the paint to create disadvantage situations on the opposing defenses. She is a pesky and aggressive on ball defender that does a good job applying full court pressure and picking up the opposing teams point guard.     [player_tooltip player_id='349374' first='Jhalea' last='Jackson'] (Hawthorne) 5'10 Forward – Class of 2025   Jackson was most impactful in the paint, grabbing an impressive 17 rebounds to go along with 10 points and 4 blocks. She was equally active on both the offensive and defensive glass, and most of her offensive production was as a result of second chance points with 8 of her 17 rebounds being on the offensive end. The matchup of Jackson vs Wildwood's 6'0 F/C Alexia McCray, Jackson won the duel and ultimately won the 1A State Championship for Hawthorne. With both of them being just Sophomores, this is a matchup we will see for the next several years.     Alexia McCray (Wildwood) 6'0 Forward / Center – Class of 2025   McCray battled against Jackson for supreme dominance in the paint. With points hard to come by, McCray was only able to muster up 3 points on 1/5 shooting. But she did her best to make her presence known, grabbing 9 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks and 2 steals. She is a strong 6'0 forward / center that battled the entire game and is just a sophomore with two more years of high school ball to go.     Zaria Weaver (Wildwood) 5'5 Wing – Class of 2026   Weaver, just a freshman, started for Wildwood and played 15 minutes and accounting for 3 points and 9 rebounds. Searching for offensive production, Wildwood went to their bench searching for points and gave several players opportunities. While she struggled from the field, she remained active on grabbed 9 rebounds from the perimeter position.     [player_tooltip player_id='514905' first='Zoey' last='Brown'] (Wildwood) 5'3 Guard – Class of 2027   Brown, just a 7th grader started and played all but 3 minutes of the entire game. At 5'3 she struggled vs Hawthorne pressure, doing her best to handle ball handling responsibilities with fellow backcourt mate [player_tooltip player_id='400803' first='Trinidy' last='Harris']. In the end, she finished with 5 points, 9 rebounds on 2/7 from the field. Wildwood is a staple in Lakeland and you will be hearing [player_tooltip player_id='514905' first='Zoey' last='Brown'] name often for the next five years.     Michael Wholey is the lead scout for Florida Prep Girls Hoop Florida and a former division one Assistant Coach at American University, University of Memphis, and Georgia Tech.  Wholey and the rest of the Prep Girls Hoop staff, seek to cover the entire state of player, keeping subscribers up to date with player evaluations, recruiting info, and statewide news.  Our audience often supplies us with some of our best information.  If you have any information on players, teams, or statewide news in the state of Florida, emailing Michael Wholey at <a href="mailto:WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com">WholeyPrepHoops@gmail.com</a> or DM him through Twitter or Instagram @WholeyPrepHoops.

By Michael Wholey 2/27/23 3:00 PM EST