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JACKSONVILLE – It had been a long time. Nine thousand, five hundred, five days to be exact.
Then Booker T. Washington’s quest to win its first state championship in girls basketball since March 4, 2000, became even more difficult when 6-foot-2 senior Chamiah Francis crashed to the UNF Arena floor with a left leg injury less than three minutes into Friday’s Class 5A state title game against No. 1-ranked Pompano Beach Ely.
The Wildcats have played without their Florida State-bound pillar before, though. One more time was just going to require a little bit of regrouping.
They did just that – putting the ball in the reliable hands of junior Nylah Brooks and sophomore Jada Clardy, using a 9-2 run to grab a fourth-quarter lead, then fighting off a four-point deficit in the final three minutes to beat the Tigers 56-54 and make some more Booker T. history.
If you don’t believe it, let Clardy tell you.
“We just made history, man! We deserve to be here. We’re going to celebrate tonight.”
It marks Escambia County’s first girls basketball state crown since Pine Forest won the 6A title in 2015, and the Florida Panhandle’s first since Ponce de Leon’s 1A victory in 2022.
More importantly, it brings back so many memories. The days of Ronnie and Janis Bond, who compiled 756 wins from 1976-2007. The four championship runs. Two of them were perfect seasons.
“I talk with (Ronnie Bond) all the time,” Wildcats head coach Jade Brown, a Woodham graduate, said. “When I became the coach here, this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to add to the legacy that he and his wife started from nothing.
“I’m just glad this group got to add to that Booker T. Washington legacy.”
The No. 2-ranked Wildcats (24-3) survived both Francis’ injury and some horrid shooting (5-of-21) in the first half, in large part because of 11 consecutive made free throws.
“It felt like I tore something again, I’m not sure,” said Francis, who suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in practice on Feb. 3, 2025, but returned early this season to average 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23 games. Her postgame tears Friday were equal parts joy and relief.
“It was scary, but my teammates kept telling me they had me,” she said. “I’m just glad they pulled through. … This team has done so much, every player. I’m just so happy they did what they had to do.”
The Wildcats, held without a trey in the first half, suddenly got hot in the third quarter, using 3-pointers by Brooks, Kalyn Thomas (nine points, five rebounds) and Amauri Hall to turn a 26-21 halftime hole into a 39-37 lead.
“We had to do a lot of different things with a lot of different people,” Brown said. “People were playing all over the place. … That’s the thing, though. You keep shooting. We knew this would be a four-quarter game. Blanche Ely is a great team.”
The Tigers (21-6) regained control down the stretch and led 54-51 after Janiya Dennis’ putback with two minutes left. But Clardy’s basket cut it to 54-53, and Thomas’ layup – off a slick pass from Brooks (16 points, three assists) – lifted the Wildcats to a 55-54 advantage with 1:06 remaining.
That set up a wild finish. Booker T. forced a turnover with at the 0:34.3 mark, and Brooks dribbled out nearly two-thirds of that before Hall was fouled with 11.5 seconds on the clock. She missed both free throws, but sophomore Keviana Williams grabbed the offensive rebound.
All while Francis languished on the bench, assuming the role of an animated and unofficial assistant coach.
“I told her, ‘Tell me what you see,’ because she’s an amazing player and a smart player,” Brown said.
“To see your best player go down, you get a little heart drop there. As a coach, you’ve got to respond to those moments quickly. But we’ve played without her before, and I knew these girls could play without her.”
Brooks made one of two free throws with one second left – and the celebration was on.
“Chamiah is a big part of what we do and why we win, but we all wanted this and we’re all bigger than one person,” Brooks said. “If we all come together, we’re all good. Everybody had to step up, the whole team picked it up a notch.”
The Wildcats won their final 19 games, only five of them closer than 18 points and two – including the title game – by single digits. They swept through No. 1 Ely, No. 3 Gateway and No. 4 Ponte Vedra in their last three playoff games.
Isyss Mims led Ely with 17 points. But it was Clardy’s 15 points, six boards and four assists that ultimately won the day.
“I kept saying, ‘We’re still in the game, we’re still in the game,’ she said.
And sure enough, the Wildcats have their fifth championship – finally.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T Washington girls basketball wins state championship
Continue reading...
Then Booker T. Washington’s quest to win its first state championship in girls basketball since March 4, 2000, became even more difficult when 6-foot-2 senior Chamiah Francis crashed to the UNF Arena floor with a left leg injury less than three minutes into Friday’s Class 5A state title game against No. 1-ranked Pompano Beach Ely.
The Wildcats have played without their Florida State-bound pillar before, though. One more time was just going to require a little bit of regrouping.
They did just that – putting the ball in the reliable hands of junior Nylah Brooks and sophomore Jada Clardy, using a 9-2 run to grab a fourth-quarter lead, then fighting off a four-point deficit in the final three minutes to beat the Tigers 56-54 and make some more Booker T. history.
If you don’t believe it, let Clardy tell you.
“We just made history, man! We deserve to be here. We’re going to celebrate tonight.”
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It marks Escambia County’s first girls basketball state crown since Pine Forest won the 6A title in 2015, and the Florida Panhandle’s first since Ponce de Leon’s 1A victory in 2022.
More importantly, it brings back so many memories. The days of Ronnie and Janis Bond, who compiled 756 wins from 1976-2007. The four championship runs. Two of them were perfect seasons.
“I talk with (Ronnie Bond) all the time,” Wildcats head coach Jade Brown, a Woodham graduate, said. “When I became the coach here, this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to add to the legacy that he and his wife started from nothing.
“I’m just glad this group got to add to that Booker T. Washington legacy.”
The No. 2-ranked Wildcats (24-3) survived both Francis’ injury and some horrid shooting (5-of-21) in the first half, in large part because of 11 consecutive made free throws.
“It felt like I tore something again, I’m not sure,” said Francis, who suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in practice on Feb. 3, 2025, but returned early this season to average 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23 games. Her postgame tears Friday were equal parts joy and relief.
“It was scary, but my teammates kept telling me they had me,” she said. “I’m just glad they pulled through. … This team has done so much, every player. I’m just so happy they did what they had to do.”
The Wildcats, held without a trey in the first half, suddenly got hot in the third quarter, using 3-pointers by Brooks, Kalyn Thomas (nine points, five rebounds) and Amauri Hall to turn a 26-21 halftime hole into a 39-37 lead.
“We had to do a lot of different things with a lot of different people,” Brown said. “People were playing all over the place. … That’s the thing, though. You keep shooting. We knew this would be a four-quarter game. Blanche Ely is a great team.”
The Tigers (21-6) regained control down the stretch and led 54-51 after Janiya Dennis’ putback with two minutes left. But Clardy’s basket cut it to 54-53, and Thomas’ layup – off a slick pass from Brooks (16 points, three assists) – lifted the Wildcats to a 55-54 advantage with 1:06 remaining.
That set up a wild finish. Booker T. forced a turnover with at the 0:34.3 mark, and Brooks dribbled out nearly two-thirds of that before Hall was fouled with 11.5 seconds on the clock. She missed both free throws, but sophomore Keviana Williams grabbed the offensive rebound.
All while Francis languished on the bench, assuming the role of an animated and unofficial assistant coach.
“I told her, ‘Tell me what you see,’ because she’s an amazing player and a smart player,” Brown said.
“To see your best player go down, you get a little heart drop there. As a coach, you’ve got to respond to those moments quickly. But we’ve played without her before, and I knew these girls could play without her.”
Brooks made one of two free throws with one second left – and the celebration was on.
“Chamiah is a big part of what we do and why we win, but we all wanted this and we’re all bigger than one person,” Brooks said. “If we all come together, we’re all good. Everybody had to step up, the whole team picked it up a notch.”
The Wildcats won their final 19 games, only five of them closer than 18 points and two – including the title game – by single digits. They swept through No. 1 Ely, No. 3 Gateway and No. 4 Ponte Vedra in their last three playoff games.
Isyss Mims led Ely with 17 points. But it was Clardy’s 15 points, six boards and four assists that ultimately won the day.
“I kept saying, ‘We’re still in the game, we’re still in the game,’ she said.
And sure enough, the Wildcats have their fifth championship – finally.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T Washington girls basketball wins state championship
Continue reading...
