TAMPA — On an overcast Saturday afternoon, Land O’Lakes coach Mark Pearson accepted the Class 3A runnerup trophy with a silver medal around his neck and a solemn look on his face.

“I’ve had a runnerup trophy,” Pearson said.

What he and the Gators don’t yet have is a state title, a drought that continued after Plantation American Heritage’s 3-1 victory at USF’s Corbett Soccer Stadium. Pearson’s Gators also finished second in 1999.

NEW TAMPA — The final seconds of East Lake’s quarter-century wait for a playoff victory may have been the most excruciating.

District boys basketball: Cannon's last-second magic lifts Land O'Lakes

TRINITY — Land O’Lakes senior Jackson Cannon stood wide-eyed under the basket with 10 seconds remaining. He watched Ernest McClendon receive all of the defensive attention on the final possession, leaving him open.

The Bulls saw their 10-point 3rd quarter lead disappear, as the Warriors used a huge 28-point 3rd quarter to take the lead heading into the final frame.