By Kyle Coppola
Wildwood Girls Hoops Team One Win Away from FHSAA State Finals
WILDWOOD, Fla. — The only thing that seems capable of stopping Wildwood Middle High School from reaching the state final is themselves. However, Blountstown High School, coming in as the underdog, has everything on the line as they prepare for a monumental clash in the FHSAA Class Rural State Semifinals.
The Lady Wildcats enter the State Semifinals with a perfect 23-0 record. They have not lost a game since March 1, 2024, when they fell to Hawthorne in the FHSAA Semifinals at the RP Funding Center—the very same place where they now look to redeem themselves. Over the past two seasons, Wildwood has been nearly unstoppable, losing only four games in total.
(Coach Vincent Brown Sr. and his staff have done an incredible job with the Wildwood girls basketball program. Photo Credit – Joe Ott)
What head coach Vincent Brown and his staff have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. Their dominance this season has been fueled by a determined group of players, led by senior standout Trinidy Harris. Harris, who vowed to win a state championship at the beginning of the season, has delivered in every way possible, averaging 19 points and four rebounds per game. She has scored a team-high 418 points this season.
“Trinidy has meant everything to us. I have personally watched her grow and mature not only as a player but as a young adult. She has really stepped up this year in a big way and I am very proud of her.” says head coach Vincent Brown Sr.
Freshman sensation Zoey Brown has been a key contributor, scoring 281 points while averaging 12.8 points per game. Junior Kayla Lyde has provided consistency, averaging 10.3 points per game. The depth of the team has been a crucial factor in their success, with major contributions from freshman Ja’Niya Corbin, junior Adejah Corbin, Zaria Weaver, and freshman Jeriyah Walker. Even eighth-grader Khloe Brown has stepped up, averaging four points per game against high school competition.
However, Wildwood will need to be at their best against a formidable Blountstown team that enters the semifinal with a 20-6 record. The Tigers boast one of the best sophomore players in the state, Cyianna Smith, who is averaging an impressive 21.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Jalynn Copeland has been a key playmaker, averaging 11.3 points per game, while sophomore Jaharra Pennywell and freshman Jillian Davis provide additional depth for Blountstown.
(Junior Kayla Lyde goes in for a layup on senior night. Lyde is averaging 10.3 points per game.)
“This is what we’ve worked for all season,” said Coach Brown. “Blountstown is a great team, and we have to play our best basketball to get to where we want to be. I keep telling the girls we need to play Wildwood basketball. We didn’t come into the season thinking about an undefeated record until the playoffs but what a difference 365 days makes. We are focused on winning this basketball game on Wednesday,” says coach Brown.
With two powerhouse teams set to face off, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Wildwood aims to extend its unbeaten streak and take one step closer to a state title, while Blountstown looks to pull off an upset and keep its championship dreams alive. Only one team claim a spot in the FHSAA Class Rural State Final.
(Zoey Brown is 2nd on the team in points scored. She is averaging 12.8 points per game. Photo Credit – Joe Ott)
Tipoff is set for Wednesday at 1pm at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, where only one team will punch their ticket to the FHSAA Class Rural State Final.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
