The finality of the months-long journey elicited more than one set of tears inside UNF Arena last week.

The Florida High School Athletic Association brought its state basketball championships back to Jacksonville for the first time in 50 years. The 11-day FHSAA state series produced record-setting crowds and enough emotion to power the next Ryan Coogler film.

Jacksonville Today asked local high school students Breionna Watson and Yash Patel to help illustrate atmosphere at UNF. Breionna is a senior at Sandalwood High who plans to study journalism next year. Yash is a junior at Atlantic Coast High who enjoys storytelling through images.

The excitement, energy and elegance of basketball were captured by Yash, Breionna and Jacksonville Today.

One game that represented plenty of all three was the March 12 Class 4A girls basketball final, when Bishop Kenny beat Orlando Bishop Moore 58-48.

Kathleen Crawley burst into tears the moment the horn sounded. The Bishop Kenny junior played all 32 minutes to help the Crusaders win their first state title in 34 years.

The Crusaders (28-4) were led by irrepressible freshman point guard Shea Donovan, who finished with 16 points and five assists.

Crawley finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Sienna Williams’ 3-pointer at the start of the second half ignited the Bishop Kenny offense in the final 16 minutes.

“It feels amazing,” junior forward Makala DesJarlais said. “I’m surrounded by my teammates, my best friends. We play as a team. We went out there and said, ‘I’m not going to let you lose.’ They said, ‘They are not going to let me lose.’ We played. We had each other’s back. It feels amazing to do it with these girls.”

DesJarlais recorded with 13 points and seven rebounds in the title game.

Junior forward Elle Deegan, whose 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter gave Bishop Kenny a lead they would never relinquish, scored all seven of her points in the second half.

“We told ourselves, let’s play our basketball,” DesJarlais said. “Let’s not play how they want to play. Let’s play how we play. That’s where we are successful. We played our speed, our game and that’s how we did what we needed to do.”

The two schools named after former Bishops of St. Augustine – both of whom contracted yellow fever in Jacksonville in 1888 – competed for a basketball championship…in Jacksonville.

Bishop Kenny’s girls were among the 10 Northeast Florida programs that competed at the state basketball championships this year.

While the Crusaders’ ended Duval County’s nine-year championship drought on the girls side; Providence ended Duval’s 10-year wait for a boys basketball champion.

Providence beat Miami Country Day 51-43 on March 7 to earn the program’s fourth title.

FHSAA administrator Ed Thompson said the association was thrilled at the turnout and collaboration for the state basketball tournament.

“Jacksonville is a basketball town. It has been as long as I have been doing this,” Thompson said. “There is a long history for excellent basketball and support for basketball there.”

State officials estimate nearly 21,000 tickets were sold for the 48 games that were held over two weeks at UNF Arena. If accurate – final numbers are expected by early next week – it would represent a 15% increase from the 2025 state championships and the highest number of ticket sales since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are excited for that turnout,” says Jacksonville Sports Foundation CEO Samantha Vance. “It’s the first time in Jacksonville, and hopefully, many years to come. Having a closer seat to the court and views from every direction that is visible allows you to have a full experience. An impactful part about the arena experience was that we were able to provide different types of seating. The excitement in the gym was really thrilling.”

No game had the energy or excitement of the Class 3A boys semifinal between The Villages Charter and Andrew Jackson. An estimated 4,800 people watched that contest on March 9.

It was an audience that included Duval County Superintendent Christopher Bernier, former Tigers from throughout the decades as well as legendary Ribault girls basketball coach Al Austin.

The Villages stunned all of them, and a few thousand others, with a 54-52 win.

Ethan Bevis’ layup with less than a second to go, lifted The Villages Charter to the Class 3A final. For Jackson, it was a heartbreaking end to a 28-2 season that included Gateway Conference and the Region 1-3A title.

For a few fleeting seconds the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat shared the same space. Eventually, Jackson’s disappointment dissolved into pride for a fantastic season.

For The Villages point guard Aaron Britt, it was a happy homecoming. The four-star prospect is a Jacksonville native who played in front of nearly two dozen family, friends and loved ones.

The dream ended there for Britt and The Villages. Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian blitzed the Buffaloes 87-51 in the Class 3A final. Calvary Christian was led by a power forward whose Twitter bio says he is a professional athlete.

Not every champion from South Florida was littered with prospects with their eyes beyond varsity basketball.

Riviera Beach Suncoast won its first state title in 36 years on March 12 when it defeated Port Orange Atlantic 85-62 in the Class 4A boys final.

The Chargers were electrified by the active hands of senior guard Kyree McKelton – who produced seven steals in less than 10 minutes of game time – and the levitation of four-year guard Aaron Horton.

In all, 12 Suncoast players scored in a game the Chargers (25-5) never trailed.

Once the coronation was complete, Suncoast assistant Markee James had tears in his eyes. James coached at high schools in Palm Beach County for years. He and Suncoast head Coach Jason Powell dreamed about an opportunity to work together. That happened this season and the result was a title and tears.

Suncoast High junior Zack Olius isn’t on the team. He’s a basketball fan who loves his school. That’s why Zack led the student section in chants, cheers and the occasional roast of the Atlantic students.

“I just love basketball and I love my peers,” Zack said during the second half of Suncoast’s burgeoning blowout. “This is a dream come true for me to have this responsibility.”

When 64 teams compete for 16 championships, of course, not everyone leaves Jacksonville with a trophy.

Nevertheless, the River City emerged victorious.

Thompson says the collaboration between UNF, the city of Jacksonville and other local partners exceeded their initial expectations.

“The venue was what we were looking for as far as providing an atmosphere where spectators could be close to the court and the people on the court could feel the energy in the gym,” Thompson said. “It got loud. And, that was exciting.”

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan proclaimed March 10 FHSAA Day in Jacksonville. The next afternoon, everyone from federal judges to local tourism officials to a former WNBA Commissioner watched Bishop Kenny win its first title since 1992.

For Vance, a former collegiate track and field athlete who has spent more than a decade a sports executive, witnessing trailblazers in girls and women’s sports – like former Bishop Kenny basketball player Mary Pat Corrigan – watch today’s athletes achieve their dreams in Jacksonville was the highlight of her week

“Honestly, I was surprised at the level of support,” Vance said this week. “To see the crowds of men, watching and supporting, the young ladies in sports was very surprising. It brought joy for me to see that.”