ST. PETERSBURG — Northside Christian’s boys basketball program has gone through a major transformation, starting with new head coach Marreese Speights.
The St. Petersburg native and 10-year NBA veteran brings impressive credentials — including 15 years running his own AAU youth basketball program — that attracted several talented players to follow him to the Mustangs, who went 9-16 last season.
“The majority of my team is AAU kids anyway,” Speights said during last week’s Buckshot O’Brien Classic at Calvary Christian. “Sometimes that’s what happens when you’ve got a resume of developing guys and being at a level these guys want to be at. When the people from Northside reached out, I wanted to come here.”
New additions on varsity include junior guard Hudson McCain — “I’ve known his family since he was 6 years old” — along with seniors C.J. Hearn, Jordan Bender and Isaac Jacobs.
Bender posted back-to-back double-doubles at the O’Brien Classic, while Hearn scored 15 points and Jacobs added 16 to beat IMG Gold in the finale. The trio provides offensive punch alongside returning shooting guard Elijah Ahlers, who averaged nearly 22 points per game last season.
“It’s definitely been a change,” said Ahlers, a junior who led the team in four categories last season. “I’ve had to adjust my offense a bit. I’ve got a new role, so I’ve got to find the open spots, get open and let it go.”
Ahlers made it look easy in the opener against St. Petersburg, hitting 11 of 13 shots — including 6 of 8 from 3-point range — for 30 points in a 92-72 victory.
“Eli has been on my AAU team since he was 13 years old,” Speights said. “He’s a special talent. The junior class we’ve got is going to be really special.”
That class includes returnee J.B. Myers, who averaged 12 points and four rebounds as a sophomore and also played AAU for Speights.
The talent-laden Mustangs will test themselves with road trips to elite tournaments in Wilmington, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Gainesville.
“This platform we provided for these kids is being able to play a national schedule and compete against the best,” Speights said. “The best thing about high school basketball is if you win, people are going to notice.”
The 3-0 Mustangs play seven home games between Jan. 1 and Jan. 22, with extended road trips before and after.
“I’ve been around a lot of basketball through my whole career,” Speights said. “I’ve probably played over 1,000 games, so you can never be satisfied. As long as you compete every day and keep getting better, they can be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Quick hits
Northside’s Black wins Class 1A cross country title
Eliana Black completed her high school cross country career with another state championship, winning the Class 1A title in 17 minutes, 50 seconds — more than 18 seconds ahead of the field.
The Northside Christian senior became the third runner in school history to claim a state title, joining Erin Giesa (1997) and Brianne Harrington (1994-96). Black transferred from Cambridge Christian, where she won state in 2022 and finished as runner-up in 2024.
Her performance anchored Northside’s 12th-place team finish, the program’s best showing since 2011.
FHSAA panel finalizes heart screening requirements for athletes
The Florida High School Athletic Association’s medical advisory committee finalized electrocardiogram screening requirements for student-athletes this week, moving the state closer to implementing cardiac testing mandated under the Second Chance Act.
The screening requirement takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to incoming ninth-graders and any student in grades 10-12 who has never participated in FHSAA sports. Returning athletes are encouraged but not required to obtain ECGs.
Draft bylaw language and standardized forms approved by the committee will go before the FHSAA Board of Directors for a final vote in early 2026. The one-page form will document ECG completion with parent attestation and clinician verification.
Students can satisfy the requirement with any ECG performed on or after July 1, 2024. Families can find screening opportunities at WhoWePlayFor.org or consult their school’s athletic director or family physician.
The initiative aims to identify undetected cardiac risk factors in young athletes before they compete.
Buckshot O’Brien Classic results
The second annual Buckshot O’Brien Classic was held Nov. 21-22 at Calvary Christian High School’s Anderson Athletic Center.
The boys basketball tournament honors Ralph “Buckshot” O’Brien, who became the first player in Butler University history to score 1,000 points and earned All-American honors before playing in the NBA, where he averaged 7.1 points per game. O’Brien later became a beloved mentor at Calvary Church.
Here are the scores.
Nov. 21
Calvary Christian 60, Carrollwood Day 44
Northside Christian 92, St. Petersburg 72
IMG Blue 65, East Lake 63
Nov. 22
St. Petersburg 79, Carrollwood Day 59
Northside Christian 79, IMG Gold 59
Calvary Christian 59, Plant 56
