The swagger—and the Florida Christian Conference state title trophy—are back in Kissimmee and at Heritage Christian School, where the Eagles won back the league’s boys basketball title this season.
HCS (18-3) defeated New Jerusalem Christian Academy, 71-60 in overtime to win its first title in a decade last month.
While the Eagles’ roster has seven seniors, they were led by brothers Elijah and Jeremiah Reid, a sophomore and eighth-grader, that day. Jeremiah scored 25 points and Elijah had 22 in a game they combined to shoot 18-of-21 from the field and 7-of-9 from three-point land. Elijah also had seven rebounds and six assists. Senior Gavyn Gailfoil led Heritage with nine rebounds.
Longtime Eagles Coach Jim Estrella said the game went back and forth through the four quarters of regulation before Heritage dominated the overtime.
“It was a great game, and not just because we won,” he said. “During the game I told the boys at least once, ‘God’s got bigger plans for us.’ And then God showed up. The kids just worked the hardest, especially on defense.”
The Eagles’ three losses this season were to public schools Gateway and Liberty and to FCC foe Valrico Grace Christian, which went 21-1 and lost to New Jerusalem in the FCC semifinals. Along the way were two victories over crosstown rival North Kissimmee Christian, the two-time defending FCC champs.
In the postseason tournament Heritage defeated Ruskin Christian, 75-57, in the quarterfinals, and Apopka Christian Learning Academy, 77-52, in the semifinals, Jeremiah Reid was named tournament MVP.
“We had a great season, but our seven seniors … you could tell they wanted to win the whole thing, or it would feel hollow,” Estrella said. “Some of these kids were in the JV or middle school program and have been around for half their lives. And this is big time for us, it really means something to everyone involved in our school.”
The varsity team this year included the Reid brothers, Gailfoil and seniors Isaac Gonzalez, Eli Morales, Anthony Olmo, John Herrera, Jayden McLean, Carlos Ramos, juniors Joseph Jimenez, Kai Dennis and Sergio Jimenez and sophomore Jesus Ramos.
It was the Eagles’ first basketball championship since 2011.
“Get that 2011 team versus this team, it would be a really good game,” Estrella said. “These guys can really shoot.”
For years, Heritage was a stalwart in the Florida Christian Conference, often dictating who did win the conference basketball if the Eagles didn’t win themselves. They play in a setting that’s right out of a scene from the classic Gene Hackman movie “Hoosiers”. The gym, off U.S. Highway 192 across from Valencia College, has no permanent bleachers; fans pull up a plastic chair and, quite literally, sit courtside. HCS students know the life hack of “going upstairs” as the court is in a classroom building and the second-floor hallway overlooks the court on two sides.
Estrella also coaches the Eagles’ girls volleyball program which has also logged a number of FCC titles and appearances in end-of-season national Christian school tournaments.
