'It's never taking a game for granted': Winter Haven earns another district title
WINTER HAVEN — The right mentality and work ethic has been fused in Winter Haven guard Isaac Celiscar’s mind. And this carried over into the Class 7A, District 9 title game at Winter Haven High School on Saturday.
Winter Haven, the No. 1 seed in the district yet the No. 4 team in the state, blew out Durant, the No. 2 seed, 84-63. Celiscar posted 22, while senior Tyrese Mayo and junior guard Jamie Phillips put up 14 apiece.
The district title win meant the program has earned eight district championships under head basketball coach Tyrone Woodside.
Heading into the year, Celiscar prioritized the goal of winning a state title, especially since the program last year lost by just two points to Columbus in the state championship game.
The first step in avenging last year is taking care of business and winning the district ahead of the 2024 state playoffs. And Celiscar said he respects his competition.
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“It’s never taking a game for granted,” Celiscar said. “We come out, (and) we knew the team wasn’t as good as us, so we don’t want to think that way. We want to think, give every single team a fair chance, so you know just playing hard every game. That’s what made us come out here and play hard.”
Still, Celiscar knew that in order to help the Blue Devils win a state championship — but first district — he needed to improve his individual game. He worked on his shot and his bounce in the off-season.
Early signs of the work put in in the off-season showed, which helped him commit to Yale earlier in the basketball year. By the time the district championship game rolled around, it was evident that his muscle memory was working like a charm. His 3 was working, his driving to make plays was on full display and his catching of alley-oop passes was exhibited.
Celiscar was able to play off of a stingy full-court trap that forced a Durant team into turnovers, which blew the game open in the third quarter. Winter Haven did a good job of being patient and finding the open man, making the smart basketball play, which is a hallmark of Whiteside's teams.
“I’m really proud of them because they have set goals for themselves in the season. Their first goal was to win a district championship — they accomplished that goal,” Whiteside said. “…They didn’t let anything deter them. They stayed focus. They’re a very good team that we’ll probably see in regionals. We’re just proud of them that they locked in and finished the job.”
Winter Haven (25-1) finished the job despite junior guard Isaac Redding and sophomore guard Gavin Hall being out. Redding is a defensive specialist, while Hall is a shooter.
Whiteside said he was impressed.
“I’m just proud of the guys and really happy for them,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Winter Haven wins another district title
