Legacy girls basketball wins district crown

The Legacy Charter School girls basketball team made history this year.

The Eagles earned the Class 2A, District 8 crown for the first time in school history. And they did so in a season filled with challenges. 

With a 6-10 regular season record, 8-11 with playoffs in the postseason, something clicked for the girls in the last few weeks of the season. 

Head coach Patricia Freeman said in the final two games of the season, one of her assistant coaches had been blunt and broke down for the team what it was going to take to come out on top: grit, desire, energy, effort and passion.

The Lady Eagles secured a 59-57 win over Moore Haven (4-7) in the first round of district play before moving on to pull ahead of City of Life Christian Academy (8-10) with a final score of 52-33.

“They truly locked in,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t just us talking about it; it was them executing the plan. We talk about it all the time, and we got really, really close two years in a row in middle school when we were runner-ups.

“That same group came up, and we were like, ‘You guys can do this; you just gotta meet us halfway,’” she said. “‘You all put in the work; you can do this.’ I wanted them to do something that’s never been done so they can truly feel like champions. We say winning isn’t everything, but when you win it just feels good.”

Although the girls playoff run came to a screeching halt after an 80-10 loss to Central Florida Christian Academy, player Mallory Daniels said winning the district champion title still hasn’t set in for her yet.

“It definitely makes me feel very proud and a huge sense of accomplishment,” she said. “But the story isn’t over yet. I’ve still got my senior year, and I’m ready to come back and be even better than before. It’s crazy to think this is something that’s going to be in our school’s history forever and something that I can talk about even when I’m 30. Having that something is an indescribable feeling.”

TEAM INCEPTION

The girls basketball team started in 2015 under the leadership of coach Blessing Freeman. 

Before the season began, Blessing Freeman first had to recruit players. She started holding basketball interest meetings, made announcements and put flyers up around the school. Sometimes, she even just asked girls she met if they wanted to play, even recruiting six volleyball players to join the team. Only one of the players, freshman Tya Freeman, had prior experience with organized basketball. 

“It set the foundation for the girl’s program,” Athletic Director Russell Hunt said. “Ever since then, we’ve always been to district championships and gotten somewhat close but we haven’t gotten to the point where we’ve sealed the deal.”

Patricia Freeman, who started off as a parent, began to coach the girl’s middle school basketball team.

That’s when she met her core five.

From their seventh-grade year, Patricia Freeman has worked with Daniels, Avery Velazquez, Madison Velazquez, Ashlyn Kraus and Brooke Smith. When Blessing Freeman left, Patricia Freeman went on to coach her girls in high school. 

“Those core five know what our expectations are, and they know how to execute what needs to be done while also getting the other players involved,” she said. “They know how to transcend the message of what we’re about.

“It’s been such a pleasure to watch these girls as they grow into becoming young ladies,” she said. “I’ve watched them grow in life to overcome adversity and be strong as they go into the world to be successful in all that they do. It’s bigger than just basketball all the time.”

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

Patricia Freeman said the team has been a winning program from seventh grade to now.

“This year, we lost a couple of close games,” she said. “We should have had a winning record easily this year, but we were one of those teams, just like any other team — you get hit with injuries. With the injuries this year, we missed some key players during some key games.”

Patricia Freeman said Daniels had a breakout season this year, during which she had to play both ends of the court with the injuries. She had to score on offense but also take on the challenge of playing defense.

“She did a phenomenal job with that this year, and that’s what led to our success,” Patricia Freeman said. “It also led to our district win and district semifinal game. She stepped up and took on the challenge to help her team become successful — no matter what she had to do.”

Daniels said new players on the team meant dynamic changes, and it took time to figure out individual roles on the team paired with team communication. 

Hunt said he has been trying to hammer into the athletes’ heads since he started as athletic director two years ago that you can’t control the cards that you’re dealt in life.

“Whether that’s injuries or you don’t like the offense that your coach runs, just stuff like that that’s small and petty that you can’t control,” he said. “Control what you can. Your effort, your attitude and the rest will fall into place. It’s hard for younger athletes to see that but I think when they look back on it you can appreciate it more. This team just set the standard for that. They’ve showcased grit, toughness and perseverance. Winning can be contagious and I think our other sports teams are going to see what these girls did and push even harder.”