By FRANCIS FEDOR
The 2024-25 HS basketball season ended in Lakeland, FL, when Columbus, from Fort Lauderdale on the other side of the state, won the Florida State High School Championship and became 4-Time champions. The state semi and finals are moving from Lakeland to Jacksonville for the 2025-26 season.
Hillsborough County HS basketball is getting ready to tip-off a new season on or around Nov. 17. The South Shore welcomes the newest entry on the scene, Aquilla J. Morgan High School in Wimauma, as it enters its first varsity season in the inaugural year of the school. Sumner comes into the season as the highest ranked South Shore Six squad with the Stingrays coming in at 275 in the FHSAA rankings. Spoto follows at 391, Lennard at 436 and Riverview at 520.
The Morgan Mustangs will play in the FHSAA 5A District 9 grouping. That group consists of South Shore rivals Spoto and East Bay, with Jesuit, Southeast and Braden River rounding out the division.
The remaining South Shore Six teams will compete in 7A District 11 competition. That divison includes Sumner, Lennard and Riverview as the SS6 members and adds Alonso, Palm Harbor University and Plant into the mix. Lennard moves into the 7AD11 bracket from the 6AD10 bracket in the 2024-25 season.
Morgan, coached by Caleb Summerville, starts its first season opening on the road, playing Winthrop College Prep Academy on Nov. 17 and stays on the road to play Riverview and Jefferson on successive nights to start their seasons. The Mustangs play in front of a home crowd for the first time in school history on Nov. 21 vs Spoto. A number of key games in their schedule are at Sumner on Dec. 2, at East Bay on Dec. 9, vs Lennard on Dec. 12 and an afternoon game vs Jesuit on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m.
The Sumner Stingrays, coached by Augustine Gaddis, start play on Nov. 18 with a home game vs South Shore rival East Bay. The Rays will play at rival Lennard on Nov. 21, vs Morgan on Dec. 2, at Riverview on Dec. 12 and finish South Shore play on Jan. 6 vs Spoto. They are set to take part in the National HoopFeast Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 28 and 29.
Coach Gaddis is looking forward to a team that returns three juniors and five seniors and is excited to see them hit the floor after a great off-season showing at the Eckerd Team camp and the XBL fall league. He is looking for a big season from his senior guards, Bennard Anson and Nasir Tim. He offered that Miles Moore could be the county’s best kept secret. Gaddis will be looking for camaraderie and continuity as the true keys to success.
Sumner, 15-12 in the regular season, entered the 7A District 11 playoffs last season with a bye and defeated Alonso, 54-38, in the second round. The win setup a rematch between Plant and the Stingrays; they had met on Jan. 8 at Sumner with the Panthers emerging with the 52-45 win. The Rays couldn’t carry the momentum of the second round win into its district finals rematch against Plant, losing 60-49. Sumner is working towards a playoff rematch and a chance to advance into the state bracket.
The Lennard Longhorns, coached by Christopher Putnam, open their season with back-to-back road games, first at Spoto on Nov. 18 and then a visit to Blake the next night. The Longhorns play their first home game vs. nearby South Shore Rival Sumner on Nov. 21. Lennard has key games vs East Bay on Dec. 5 and at Morgan on Dec. 12. The team plays in a tournament starting on Jan. 17 at Booker High School and is set to face the Cardinal Mooney Cougars in tournament action on Jan. 19. The Longhorns wrap up their regular season on Jan. 27 and 30 with teams still to be determined.
Lennard finished with an 11-14 (1-1 for third in its district) record and found first round success in last year’s 7A District 11 playoffs with a 74-54 win over Palm Harbor University. In the second round, the Longhorns drew the eventual champion Plant Panthers, coming off a bye, and couldn’t find enough offense to overcome a strong Panther offense, losing 72-38 to close their season.
The East Bay Indians, coached by Yusef Hemmings, open their season at South Shore rival Sumner on Nov. 18 and stay on the road to visit Strawberry Crest the next night. They welcome Durant for their home opener on Nov. 21. They are slated to play in the Springstead Christmas tourney from Dec. 21 to Dec. 23. They are also scheduled to compete in the Seffner New Year’s tournament on Jan. 2.
East Bay closed its positive 16-win season with a tough loss, 62-57, to Southeast in the 5A District 9 playoffs after opening with a first-round win over Hillsborough, 70-36. Jesuit was the eventual winner of that district’s playoffs.
The Spoto Spartans, coached by Bryce Moragne, open their season at home on Nov. 18 vs South Shore rival Lennard. The Spartans play a number of other South Shore opponents, continuing at Morgan on Nov. 21, home vs Riverview on Dec. 9, at Sumner on Jan. 6 and at East Bay on Jan. 13. The Spartans also have the Nature Coast Christmas Tournament, starting on Dec. 27 in Brooksville, FL. The season concludes with games against two “Western Conference” opponents that will be determined near the finale of the regular season.
Spoto went 13-9 (1-0 for second in the district) in the regular season and wrapped up its 5A District 9 season with a 64-49 loss in the district playoffs to Braden River. Jesuit was the eventual winner of that bracket.
The Riverview Sharks, coached by Anthoine Corpening, are looking to turn around a 2024-25 season where they finished 6-14. They will embark on a new journey with a clean slate, hosting the Morgan Mustangs for their home opener on Nov. 18. They will face all four other South Shore teams by traveling to Spoto on Dec. 9, vs. Sumner on Dec. 12, vs. East Bay on Jan. 9 and concluding the run through the South Shore at Lennard on Jan. 13. A couple of other notable games on their schedule are the nearby Newsome Wolves on Nov. 21 and the highly ranked Cardinal Mooney squad on Jan. 5.
The Sharks ended their previous season 6-14, with a first round exit in the 7A District 11 playoffs, losing 54-38 to Alonso. The Plant Panthers would be the eventual district champions.
The Ruskin Christian Warriors, coached by Kenneth Bellard, went 16-7 (13-5 district) in 2024-25, winning in the first round of their playoffs, 49-43, over West Melbourne Christian Academy. The Warriors fell 75-57 at Heritage Christian Eagles to end their season.
Ruskin Christian opens its season on Nov. 20 on the road at Palm Grove Christian Gators. The team’s full schedule is still being developed, but they will play home-and-away against a number of district opponents, including the Community Christian Crusaders (away Dec. 11/home Jan. 22) and New Jerusalem Christian Academy Eagles (away Jan. 9/home Jan. 27) and a home game on Dec. 2 against Palm Grove Christian.
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