By Kyle Coppola
Wildwood Girls Basketball Ranked #5 In State Of Florida
Wildwood, Fla. — The Wildwood Middle High School girls basketball team has a perfect 7-0 record and are now the No. 5-ranked team in the state and the top-ranked team in the FHSAA’s Rural Classification. The Wildcats are aiming to bring home a state championship after falling just short in recent years. This team rivals the top teams Wildwood Middle High School has ever produced.
Leading the charge is senior Trinidy Harris, who has been nothing short of dominant in her final season, averaging 17.4 points per game. A fixture of Wildwood’s success, Harris has reached the FHSAA State Semifinals three times in her career playing in the State Finals twice but finishing runner-up on both occasions. With this being her last chance, Harris is determined to cap her high school career with a State Championship in Lakeland.
(Senior Trinidy Harris is a senior who’s been a long time contributor to Wildwood Middle High. She’s been to the state semifinals three times. Photo Credit – Joe Ott Photography.)
Freshman sensation Zoey Brown has proven to be the perfect complement to Harris, contributing 15 points per game in her third varsity season having played on the team her 7th and 8th grade years. She is really beginning to grow into her body and mature on the court. She’s among the best guards in the state right now.
Another key piece to Wildwood’s undefeated start is junior guard Adejah Corbin, whose clutch play has been pivotal, including a game-winning shot against Leesburg earlier this season. Kayla Lyde has been the team’s force on the boards, leading Wildwood in rebounds.
(Adejah Corbin at a recent game against MDCA – Photo Credit – Joe Ott Photography.)
Head coach Vincent Brown has orchestrated this team’s championship succes, building a powerhouse program with a mix of experienced veterans and rising young stars. Brown’s leadership has positioned Wildwood as the favorites to return to the FHSAA State Finals and contend for the title. When you watch this team play, they do it like a well oiled machine. They are also among the quickest team in all of Florida.
“I’ve been here before, and I know what it takes to get to the Finals,” Harris says. “This year, it’s all about finishing the job. We’ve got the team, the talent, and the drive to bring the championship home to Wildwood.”
(Khloe Brown is just an 8th grader but has been getting some playing time with Wildwood’s offense this year. Photo Credit – Joe Ott Photography.)
As the Wildcats continue their undefeated run, there has been a buzz around the community. Wildwood has been a long time basketball hot spot in Sumter County. This girls team has been good for many years including recent state championship wins in 2017 and 2018. They have made it to the State Finals in 2022 and 2023 ultimately settling for state runner-up. This team is on fire right now and we are excited to see just how far they can go.
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.
