- January 31, 2023
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Buccaneers Ajai Harrell (24), Nick Antoine, Zay Mincey(11). Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Zay Mincey (11) scores with a layup in the District championship game against the Deltona Wolves. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Nick Antoine (20) goes up for two as Ajai Harrell (24) watches. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Nick Antoine (20) goes up for two as the other players watch the Michael Jordan-like move. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland High School cheerleaders enjoy a laugh in between cheers. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Angelo Mack scores in traffic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's lead scorer Nick Antoine (20) jumps over Deltona's Jex Morales as he passes the ball to a teammate. Photo by
Mainland's Zay Mincey drives past his opponent in the district championship game against the Deltona Wolves. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Vance Wilford (10) prepares to shoot a free throw after the Deltona Wolves were called for a technical foul. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland guard Jordan Porter gets some air before he is fouled in the district championship game against the Deltona Wolves. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland football coach Travis Roland's children pose for photos after the Mainland boys basketball team won their district championship game. Photo by Michele Meyers
District 4-5A champions Mainland High School Buccaneers. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland High School boys basketball team coaches. Photo by Michele Meyers
District 4-5A champions Mainland High School Buccaneers. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland boys basketball team seized the District 4-5A championship title in a runaway 54-25 win against Deltona on Feb. 11 at home.
Mainland coach Joe Giddens annually constructs a tough schedule to prepare his team for the playoffs. This season, the Bucs played Jacksonville Jackson, Lake Highland Prep and Orlando Christian Prep, all of which are ranked among the state’s top 10.
“Every year I’ve organized the schedule to be really hard because if it’s hard, it will help us in the long run.”
JOE GIDDENS, Mainland boys basketball coach
“I think the schedule is what got us prepared for this,” he said. “Every year I’ve organized the schedule to be really hard, because if it’s hard, it will help us in the long run. That’s the strategy I do. We go play in Orlando. We go play so many tournaments. I try to play tough tournaments to get us ready.”
Mainland kept Deltona’s score to single digits each quarter until the fourth when the Wolves were able to get away with 10 points. Bucs captain Nick Antoine scored a game-high 19 points.
“We needed this win to get home court advantage in the next round,” he said. “We focused very hard in practice on our defense. Defense has been carrying us throughout the entire season. We felt like as long as we keep teams under 40 points, we always have a chance to win.”
Antoine has been playing basketball since he was 3 years old. It all began in the driveway, playing one-on-one against his older brother Jerry Antoine who played at Spruce Creek High School and went on to play in the Junior Basketball Association for the New York Ballers.
“I had to make him better,” he said. “It started as big brother beating up on little brother, but it became an inseparable bond that we have.”
Mainland will host Tallahassee Godby in the regional quarterfinal on Thursday, Feb. 17.
