In their first season competing in Florida’s 1A Rural District 8 classification, the Lady Fins of Marathon brought home a district championship.
Traveling to Moore Haven for the tournament, the Fins had no idea what to expect against a pool of opponents they had never faced. Common opponents were nonexistent and the FHSAA’s system of rankings has not always been reliable, so Marathon entered the tournament determined to play their best and leave it all on the court.
They started with a quarterfinal bye, then faced the Miners of Fort Meade on Feb. 4 in the semis. Daysi Williams dropped 14 on the Miners with Payton Junker and Elena Eubanks adding seven each in the 39-22 win. With the victory, the Lady Fins eliminated the second seed and the only thing that stood between them and a championship trophy was the top-seeded Moore Haven Terriers.
On Feb. 7, the Lady Fins found themselves in the district championship match against Moore Haven. The Fins were the underdogs in the finals and had to travel to Moore Haven twice in one week, as the top-seeded team earned hosting privileges for the tournament. Marathon came out shooting and outscored the Terriers 20-13 in quarter one, finding themselves up by four at the half. They stretched that lead out by two more in quarter three, then finished on top, 58-50, to seal their first district title since 2018.
Daysi Williams registered a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Marti’yana Kilbourne had 17 points, seven rebounds and eight steals. Elena Eubank scored nine with 13 rebounds and Shaina Robinson added 13, with nine coming from behind the 3-point line. Not bad for a team with three seventh-graders, Robinson included, who saw playing time in the championship game.
Even though Marathon methodically picked off teams ranked higher than themselves, their rating will likely not change enough to earn a home match in the Rural Sweet 16 State Championship series. They play their first match Feb. 13, and a win then would propel them into the regional finals, two more wins away from a state championship shot.
Coral Shores, ranked No. 3 in 3A’s District 16, faced No. 2 Keys Gate in their quarterfinal game. The ’Canes lost 72-44, but every single player gained the experience of being in a playoff matchup, and each contributed to the points total as well. Anna Barrow had a team-high 11 while Melanie Estevez added nine. Grace Leffler and Presley Bagwell scored six each with Gabby Thomas and Abby Vogt contributing four. Thomas was credited with 10 rebounds in her final game as a Lady ’Cane, while London Atkins finished out her first season with two points. The team finished the season 5-6.
Key West completed its season at 1-20 after a loss to the top seed in District 16’s 4A pool. With just four teams, quarterfinals were unnecessary, sending them each into the semifinals where No. 4 Key West drew the No. 1 seed as their opponent. Miami Northwestern defeated the Lady Conchs 60-21.
