Special era of Pirates girls basketball ends

Three days after the Braden River girls basketball team's 53-42 road loss to Charlotte High in the Class 6A regional semifinals, Pirates Head Coach Stephanie Smith said the game still stung. 

"I'll remember this one for a long time," Smith said. 

Not only because of how the game went, but because the game marks the end of a special era of Pirates basketball. 

O'Mariah Gordon, the best player to wear a Pirates uniform and one of the best high school players in Florida history, will graduate this spring, then she will be off to Florida State.

Smith said Gordon ushered in a new era of girls basketball at the school not only through her spectacular play, but her attitude. Smith said Gordon never acted like she was the best player on the team, even though everyone else knew she was. Gordon practiced at 100% effort every day, and the team followed her lead. She was always encouraging to others, Smith said, and her attitude spread not just through the program, but through the school. 

Smith said she had multiple students ask to join the basketball team even though they knew they wouldn't see a minute of game time. They just wanted to be a part of what was being built.

Their desire to be something special included not only Gordon, but other special players such as senior guards Cheyenne Stubbs and Ellie DiGiacomo. Stubbs played her freshman year at Braden River before transferring to Sarasota High. She returned to the Pirates for her senior season, gearing up for one more run at a state title.

When Gordon injured her ankle against Cardinal Mooney High on Jan. 9, Stubbs became the team's go-to scorer, and did an admirable job. DiGiacomo came to the Pirates from Venice High prior to her junior season. DiGiacomo, a 3-point specialist, played through injuries both seasons as a Pirate, and still found ways to contribute. 

Smith said the Pirates underclassmen said how much the seniors meant to the program and how much they inspired the underclassmen to get better. That, said Smith, makes her happy. 

"We might not have won a title, but we're doing the right things for these kids," Smith said. "We're not failures if we're impacting the world in a positive way. That's what will define us." 

I enjoyed watching Gordon play these last four years. Her unquestioned desire combined with her natural ability made her one of a kind. Gordon hit buzzer-beating 3-pointers from near half court so often I came to be surprised when she missed. Her senior season did not end how she wanted, but she's primed to do big things with the Seminoles, and she can take solace in the fact that she and her teammates changed the culture at Braden River. The things the Pirates underclassmen learned from them will carry on. I'm excited to see where both groups go from here. 

So, too, is Smith, even if she's not quite ready to move on yet. 

"This was an unforgettable team," Smith said.