LAKELAND – Longtime Nease head coach Sherri Anthony could have scheduled cupcakes on her schedule to help pad her 600 plus wins; but she didn’t she went out and found competitive teams to push her team and get them ready for the postseason again.
It worked as the Lady Panthers are one win away from a possible second state title.
After falling in the Elite 8 six times, including the last three years and four out of the last six years; Anthony beefed up the schedule even more.
Anthony pushed her team hard with games against three Final Four teams playing this weekend including Bartram Trail (24-7), Tampa Bay Tech (28-3) and St. Thomas Aquinas (24-6). Nease also played out of state teams Holy Trinity Prep (26-3) the Class 3A GISA state champs, Loyola, Illinois (24-8) who made it to the Round of 32 and Rogers, Ohio (22-2), who is playing this weekend in the Division II state title game.
The schedule also featured games against Elite 8 teams Boca Raton, Bishop Moore and Sandalwood as well as Winter Haven (20-8) which won three straight state titles from 2016-2018 but fell in the Sweet 16 this year.
Unlike a lot of area team, Anthony took her team to Mayo to compete in the Andy Hart Memorial Classic to play Ocala Vanguard and Boca Raton, to Naples to play in the Naples Shootout and to Palm Coast to compete in the Moromarco Challenge where they knocked off both Winter Waven and Tampa Bay Tech.
It was the during the Naples Shootout, the Panthers swept through out of state teams Loyola (Illinois) 60-52 and Rogers (Ohio) 56-44 to advance to the title game where they were stunned by St. Thomas Aquinas 64-62 on a last second buzzer beater handing Nease its only loss of the season.
Anthony knew to get to Lakeland her team which had been so close the last three years had to see better competition that they were going to face in Lakeland like three time defending state champs Fort Myers and the dynasty Fort Lauderdale Dilliard.
After taking care of three-time defending state champs Fort Myers yesterday in the semifinals, Nease (30-1) will play for its second state title today against state power Fort Lauderdale Dillard (25-5), who is making their tenth appearance in a state title game.
Under legendary coach Marcia Pinder (967 wins, 217 losses), the Lady Panthers have won nine state titles (1980, 1982, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015), been to 13 Final Fours and are a perfect 9-0 in state title game appearances.
They are also 3-0 against St. Johns County teams having eliminated Bartram Trail three times in the Final Four in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
However, its been three years since their last state title and Dilliard is hungry for that elusive tenth title.
One thing is for sure both have the utmost respect for each other having both been coaching for over 34 years and combining for 1.572 wins and 545 losses.
Nease showed no signs of being intimidated of Fort Myers expect the same with Dillard. Both teams have one common opponent in St. Thomas Aquinas as both lost to the Raiders during the regular season. Although, Dillard was able to get revenge four days later in the BCAA Big 8 title game.
Yet after three straight losses in the Elite 8, this group of seniors Camille Hobby, Peyton Carter, Kiya Turner and Tia Robinson all intend on leaving the RP Funding Center with a state title.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Class 8A state title game
Today, 2 p.m. at RP Funding Center in Lakeland
Nease Panthers (30-1) vs Dillard Panthers (25-5)
NEASE
Head coach: Sherri Anthony (605-331), 33 years
Final Fours: 1999, 2019
State Championships: 1999
Top Players: senior Camille Hobby (18.2 p.p.g, 10.4 r.p.g.), senior Tia Robinson (10.1 p.p.g., 5.0 r.p.g., 3.0 a.p.g.), senior Kiya Turner (12.5 p.p.g., 4.6 r.p.g., 4.9 a.p.g., 4.3 s.p.g.)
Starting five
Camille Hobby (Sr., C) NC State signee
Tia Robinson (Sr., G) Texas A&M commit
Kiya Turner (Sr., G) Middle Tennessee State signee
Peyton Carter (Sr., F) Davidson signee
Stephanie Manherz (So., F)
Common opponents
St. Thomas Aquinas 64, Nease 62
DILLARD
Head coach: Marcia Pinder (967-217), 42 years
Final Fours: 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019
State championships: 1980, 1982, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015
Top Players: senior guard Genovea Johnson (10.4 p.p.g., 11.2 r.b.g.), senior center Raven White (11.9 p.p.g., 12.4 r.p.g.), sophomore guard Chynna Mattair (8.4 p.p.g.), Kintaeja Ling (9.4 p.p.g.)
Starting five
Genovea Johnson (Sr., G/F) Southern signee
Raven White (Sr., C/F) Southern signee
Chynna Mattair (So., G)
Briah Christia (Jr., G)
Kayla Burrows (Sr., G)
Common opponents
St. Thomas Aquinas 64, Dillard 48
Dillard 60, St. Thomas Aquinas 58
