February 28, 2025
Wildwood Girls Basketball Win FHSAA Rural State Championship, Complete Perfect Season
By Kyle Coppola
Wildwood Girls Basketball Win FHSAA Rural State Championship, Complete Perfect Season
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Wildwood Middle High School girls basketball team achieved perfection this afternoon, capping an undefeated 25-0 season with a dominant performance in the FHSAA Rural State Championship game. Led by senior Trinidy Harris, the Wildcats secured a long-awaited title with a stifling defensive effort that overwhelmed Holmes County in a 65-43 victory.
For Harris, the triumph was the culmination of a promise she made at the start of the season—to go out as a champion. She delivered, providing the veteran leadership that fueled Wildwood’s championship run this season. It also marked the final game of Harris’s storied high school career that included three trips to the FHSAA State Finals.
“It means everything,” Harris said. “We’ve been here before, but this time we refused to let it slip away. We wanted to leave our mark, and we did.”
Head coach Vincent Brown Sr. praised his team’s resilience and preparation throughout the season.
“This group of girls knew what they were capable of, and they played with heart all year,” Brown said. “From day one, they believed this was their time, and they proved it.”
Freshman Zoey Brown and sophomore Kayla Lyde were key contributors, providing scoring depth and tenacious defense to help Wildwood control the game from the opening tip. Their efforts ensured that Holmes County (26-2) had little room to operate offensively.
Holmes County’s top scorers, seniors Bri Adams and Emma Whitaker, were hounded by Wildwood’s aggressive defense, which has been a hallmark of the team all season. The Wildcats’ smothering pressure disrupted the Blue Devils’ rhythm and forced crucial turnovers.
For Wildwood, the championship ended years of heartbreak after falling short in the FHSAA State Finals in both 2022 and 2023. The program last claimed the title in 2018, and this victory restores its status among Florida’s elite small-school programs.
“This is history,” Brown said. “These girls rose to the occasion and made sure Wildwood was back on top. I preached to them all year about playing Wildwood Basketball and they did that tonight.”
With Harris set to graduate, the Wildcats will look to their talented underclassmen, including Zoey Brown, Kayla Lyde, Zaria Weaver, Adejah Corbin and others to carry the torch later this year when the season begins in November. But for now, Wildwood can celebrate a perfect season and the return of championship glory.
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.
