The Wekiva Mustangs girls basketball team saved its best performance for the biggest moment of the season, defeating Edgewater 74-68 in the Class 6A District 5 title game Friday night at Mustang Arena in a back-and-forth battle that featured championship-level toughness. 

Head coach Jerry Middleton credited his team’s growth through adversity for the victory.

“All the life that we went through, up and down throughout the season, if you learn something, it’s a blessing,” Middleton said. “We had Jakayla twist her ankle, we had girls in foul trouble, but through the journey of us playing with only six girls for a lot of the season, everybody built confidence. Today, everybody chipped in. It was a total team effort. A lot of people didn’t think we had a chance.” 

The game opened with physical play in the paint. Alexis Hill scored first on an offensive rebound and finish inside before Edgewater answered with a reverse layup. Makayla Bell gave Wekiva an early spark with an and-one layup, but the Eagles countered with consecutive baskets to seize a brief lead.  

Jakayla Johnson continued the fight inside for the Mustangs, and Bell knocked down a deep 3 to give Wekiva a 10-9 advantage midway through the first quarter. 

Both teams traded baskets for the rest of the period. Paris Blackwood and Johnson provided scoring late for Wekiva, and the first quarter ended tied 16-16, setting the tone for a championship thriller. 

Wekiva found rhythm early in the second quarter when Jasmine Pooler fed Johnson for an and-one. Moments later, Johnson went down with a lower-body injury scare, but the Mustangs continued to battle. Bell found Jaydalis James cutting on the baseline, then stole the ball and finished a hop-step layup in transition. 

After a technical foul on Edgewater, Hill calmly sank two free throws to keep Wekiva in front. Johnson returned and immediately made an impact, drilling a 3-pointer off a Hill pass.  

Ja’Niya Poole answered an Edgewater trey with one of her own, and Hill added another 3 following multiple offensive rebounds. 

At halftime, Wekiva held a narrow 34-32 lead behind balanced scoring and relentless effort on the glass. 

The Mustangs came out of the locker room with full-court pressure that shook the Eagles. Bell opened the half with a steal and coast-to-coast layup. Tiana Washington cleaned up an offensive rebound, and Hill added another putback as Wekiva pushed its lead to six. 

Edgewater battled back with perimeter shooting, tying the game with consecutive makes. Blackwood answered with a layup off a Pooler bounce pass, and Hill followed with free throws after strong defense and rebounding. A late inbounds steal led to a Blackwood-to-Hill connection for another layup, but the Eagles continued fighting as Wekiva carried a 54-51 lead into the final quarter. 

Edgewater struck first in the fourth quarter with a fast-break layup, but Johnson answered with an and-one after multiple offensive rebounds. Pooler stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for two, keeping Wekiva ahead as the Eagles hit timely 3s to stay close. 

With just over four minutes left, the Mustangs led by two. Out of a timeout, Johnson dominated the glass and scored through contact for another three-point play. Bell then drew a foul and knocked down both free throws. 

Wekiva controlled the tempo in the final minutes, forcing Edgewater to foul. Bell delivered the decisive blow with an and-one layup with 1:38 remaining, pushing the lead to double digits. Though the Eagles made one last push, Hill sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds. 

The Mustangs emerged as district champions with a 74-68 victory, and danced on their home court with the trophy. 

Johnson led Wekiva with 20 points and seven rebounds. Hill posted a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals. Bell added 15 points, four assists, and three steals in a complete all-around performance. 

After the game, Bell reflected on what the championship meant to the team. 

“It just feels great,” Bell said. “Everybody puts in their hard work at practice, the hours that other teams don’t get in. It feels great to finally get an accomplishment under everybody’s belt. It’s great energy going into regionals. We can go all the way. We’re getting rings this year.” 

Middleton believes the Mustangs are still climbing. 

“I truly believe this team is something special because I still don’t think we’ve hit our peak yet.” 

With the district championship secured, Wekiva now turns its focus to the regional playoffs carrying momentum and confidence. The Mustangs will host their first-round game Friday night against Lakeland.