In a remarkable twist of fate, Winter Haven has secured a district championship, joining five other teams from Polk County in the postseason. The Blue Devils, seeded No. 2 in Class 7A, District 10, staged a comeback to defeat top-seeded Newsome, 60-57, with Norris Birdsong sinking the game-winning layup just 25.5 seconds before the final buzzer.
This victory marks Winter Haven”s first district title since 2023, breaking a streak of two challenging seasons. Despite finishing the regular season with a record below .500, head coach Tyrone Woodside remained optimistic about his team”s potential heading into the tournament. He cited their 30-point semifinal win as a significant confidence booster. “I don”t think there was any pressure on us,” Woodside stated. “The pressure was on them. We didn”t fit the bill of a team that should win a district title.”
Initially, it seemed Winter Haven would not clinch the title, as Newsome took a nine-point lead into halftime. Woodside noted, “We missed a lot of layups and took more 3s than we should have. They don”t have a rim protector.” As the third quarter commenced, the Wolves extended their lead to 13 points before Winter Haven began to adapt to a more aggressive style of play. “We just decided to start running and jumping them in the half court,” Woodside explained, crediting their experience against other Polk County teams for their resilience.
In the fourth quarter, Winter Haven pulled ahead 43-41 after a layup from Corey Bailey followed by a free throw. Although Newsome tied the game, Winter Haven responded with a 7-0 scoring run, bringing the score to 50-43. As the game progressed, Newsome fought back, and Max Urbanek”s 3-pointer narrowed the gap to 52-51. However, Winter Haven”s Na”Qualen Gunter answered with two crucial free throws.
With just under a minute left, Newsome had an opportunity to tie the game but managed only one free throw from Aiden Nelson. Following a foul on Winter Haven“s Gavin Hall, he converted both free throws for a 57-54 advantage. After another missed free throw from Nelson, Urbanek managed to tie the game with a shot from beyond the arc. In the final moments, Birdsong found a path to the basket, scoring the decisive layup. A subsequent offensive foul on Newsome allowed Winter Haven to regain possession, and Birdsong closed the game with a free throw.
Leading the Blue Devils, Bailey scored 17 points, Hall contributed 15 points, and Birdsong added 12 points. This victory is significant for Winter Haven, likely pushing Newsome, currently the No. 8 seed in the region, out of playoff contention. In contrast, Winter Haven, now the district champion, will at least secure the No. 8 seed.
In other district championship action, Bartow dominated Lakeland, winning 76-39 in the 6A-7 district title game. After a tight first quarter, Bartow surged ahead with a 27-11 second quarter push, leading by 23 at halftime. Jay Crossley starred for Bartow with 24 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, while Derwin Link and Syrus Sanford added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Auburndale triumphed over Sebring 71-52 in the 5A-8 district championship. Santa Fe Catholic narrowly defeated Lakeland Christian 49-47, having led by nine points heading into the fourth quarter. Toby Lane and Urijah Newkirk each scored 15 points, while Shannon McArthur contributed a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. For Lakeland Christian, Messiah Borders led the scoring with 20 points.
Victory Christian also celebrated a significant win, overpowering City of Life Christian 75-37 in the 1A-9 district championship, marking a second consecutive decisive victory after a 73-point win in the semifinals. Lastly, Fort Meade claimed its district title by defeating Moore Haven 67-48 in the Rural 8 championship.
