7A Championship Preview: Winter Haven vs Dr. Phillips

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saturday, February 25, 2023, 8:00 p.m. (RP Funding Center: Lakeland, Florida)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be an all Central Florida area battle in the final girls' basketball game of the 2022-2023 season in the state of Florida. The Winter Haven Blue Devils (24-4) led by 15th year head coach Johnnie Lawson are in the state championship game for the first time since 2018 where they knocked off Nova (Davie), 56-45. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blue Devils reached the state championship game by knocking off Colonial 61-52 on Friday afternoon, where 5'8 freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='861097' first='Serenity' last='Hardy'] led the way with 20 points in the win. The Lady Devils will be seeking their 6th girls basketball state title in school history, which is the most by any Polk County school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Dr. Phillips Lady Panthers have reached the state championship game for the second consecutive year, after defeating Miami High 40-31 in their state semifinal game on Friday afternoon. The Lady Panthers (30-1) are led by 14th year head coach Anthony Jones and look to seek their fifth state championship in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players To Watch For Winter Haven: 5'8 freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='861097' first='Serenity' last='Hardy'], 5'5 senior combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='166213' first='Bre'asia' last='Washington'] and 5'7 freshman guard Quin'nya De Sanders</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players To Watch For Dr. Phillips: 5'8 freshman combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='514550' first='Kendall' last='Perry'], 5'8 junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='248320' first='Trinity' last='Turner'] and 5'7 sophomore combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='248677' first='Anilys' last='Rolon']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How Did Winter Haven Get Here? Defeated Sickles 73-38 (Regional Quarterfinals), Defeated Sarasota Riverview 63-39 (Regional Semifinals), Defeated Plant 80-44 (Regional Finals), Defeated Colonial 61-52 (State Semifinals)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How Did Dr. Phillips Get Here? Defeated Harmony 70-9 (Regional Quarterfinals), Defeated Vero Beach 75-43 (Regional Semifinals), Defeated Oak Ridge 83-50 (Regional Finals), Defeated Miami 40-31 (State Semifinals)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: Dr. Phillips </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->