By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner had both the boys and the girls basketball squads playing in the state regional semi-final round (Sweet 16) on Friday (girls) and Saturday (boys), Feb. 20 and 21.
The girls opened the weekend, traveling to Haines City for a rematch of a Jan. 5 game played there, where Sumner lost 69-59. That game provided all the information Coach Starks and her staff needed to pull together a plan to close the gap. And this time the Stingrays stung the Hornets, winning 53-48 and setting up another rematch that pits Sumner against Winter Haven in the regional finals (Elite 8). Sumner looked to its 1000-point star, Mariah Farmer to take the lead on the court, and Farmer answered the call with a huge 30-point effort, including 4 for 6 from beyond the 3-point arc. London Arthur and Jada Mathruin hauled in 23 rebounds between the pair to setup the court for Farmer and the offense. The win has the Stingrays just three wins away from a state championship. As in the Haines City game, Sumner lost 75-39 on the road at Winter Haven back in December. The Stingrays will be looking to avenge that loss, and Coach Starks will have an approach for facing the Blue Devils because of her meticulous scheduling of potential playoff opponents during the season. Whatever the outcome, and this Stingrays’ roster should never be underestimated, the season has been an amazing success.
The boys did not fare as well in their trip to Sarasota. The team struggled to hold back the Sailors offense, which went on an 18-0 run with the Stingrays only down by five in the early stages of the second quarter. Sarasota, which made it to the state tourney final four in March of 2025, continued to pull away and celebrated an 89-45 win in front of its home fans. The Rays completed their best season in the history of the Sumner boys basketball program, winning a 7A District 11 Championship and playing in its first ever Sweet 16. As Coach Gaddis tells it, this was a historic season with a group of kids that no one had predicted would do what they did. Without returning any key starters, the team came together, supported each other and made a magical run. Coach Gaddis has the program heading in the right direction and is looking forward to his third season in the late fall of this year with the goal of reaching the Elite 8 and, ultimately, the Final Four in Jacksonville.
Sumner’s basketball success has its teams in elite territory in Hillsborough County. Amongst public school basketball programs with boys and girls squads, the Stingrays are in a three-way tie with Bloomingdale and Plant, with each having 37 combined wins. And the girls will take the court on Feb. 27, looking to add to that total.