the Wakulla Christian Saints Basketball Program has only been around for three years and has only played a full college season once.

His freshman year, he started with a roster of eighth graders and played a JV-only schedule. In its second season, adding a bit more experience, the program earned its first victory by defeating Aucilla Christian.

Monday against the Warriors, Wakulla Christian made history again.

Going into the Class 1A-District 2 quarterfinal matchup against Aucilla Christian, the Saint has only two wins on the year. The two victories were against programs airing independent schedules, Tallavana Christian and Community Christian. Both programs are in a similar situation where Wakulla Christian was only a few years ago.

Additionally, the Saints had lost to the Warriors twice this season. However, this time Wakulla Christian found his X-factor in second-year guard Jace Estes, who missed the previous two matchups through injury.

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Estes’ 21 points helped Wakulla Christian beat Aucilla Christian, 50-38, for the Saints’ first playoff win in their first playoff tournament. The win by 12 is also the biggest win for the Saints in program history.

“They came out and played hard from the opening tip to the closing buzzer,” Saints coach Steve Sullivan said. “We worked on that in training all week. They came out and performed. That’s what we expected of them.”

Build up

Having Estes step in as an offensive weapon for Wakulla Christian, the Saints were forced to stop senior Aucilla guard Hunter Watson. Watson has been the Warriors’ central scoring force this season, averaging 19.6 points per game.

Watson was at the top of his game, scoring 24 points in their first meeting and 27 in their second. However, the Saints grabbed Watson, limiting him to just nine points at halftime. He would find a small advantage in the fourth quarter, draining 10 of Aucilla’s 14, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback.

“We had to stop number 11,” Estes said. “That’s their forte and they get most of their points. We had that momentum from the start and we never stopped. We just kept going.”

By stopping Watson, Estes’ game began to open up. The sophomore weaved in and out of traffic before finishing at the net with a bucket. At halftime, Estes had 13 points while junior guard Garrett McKenzie and sophomore forward Brandun Carroll each had seven points.

Estes is delighted to return to the field after spending part of the end of the season injured. It also watches the start of the baseball season. While basketball is still growing in Wakulla Christian, baseball has slowly established itself as a Big Bend mainstay, going 13-5 last season before falling to North Florida Christian in the regional semifinals.

“I’m just happy to be healthy,” Estes said. “I always try to relax a bit because I’m a baseball player, but it’s always fun. It’s fun to be back.”

The Saints’ victory not only keeps their season alive, but creates excitement for what’s to come. Facing the top-seeded North Florida Christian, the Saints are ready to get back on the court and take on a new challenge.

“We have all the momentum,” Sullivan said. “This is our fourth game in a row where we’ve scored over 50 points, so we’re going to be ready for battle. NFC is the No. 1 seed in the district, but they haven’t seen us yet and we’re coming for them.”

Beyond that, players and coaches described the win as a stepping stone. Not only is this another step in the right direction for the Saints, but it has already created excitement for this young team, which will return to 93% of their current roster next season.

“It shows what we can do next year,” Estes said. “It shows we can improve. I’m really excited. We’re a young team and I’m really excited for next year.”

Love thy neighbor

There aren’t too many schools in Big Bend that can relate to the situation that Aucilla Christian is going through.

Aucilla Christian Senior Dakota Hagan died Friday of natural causes, leaving the Aucilla community in a state of shock and grief. Monday was the first day school was in session after Hagan’s death and it was a long day for those close to Hagan.

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While 50 miles separate these two schools, Aucllia Christian and Wakulla Christian are both driven by faith and athleticism. At the end of Monday’s game, players from both teams gathered in front of the scorers’ table and prayed together.

After a long day at Monticello, it was the Warriors opponent who offered his support in a difficult period.

“I’m proud of the boys and I’m proud of the way Aucilla fought there,” Sullivan said. “They are going through something very surreal right now with their family. We love them and have prayed with them.”

Wakulla Christian 50, Aucilla Christian 38

Wakulla Christian (3-16): 15, 15, 11, 9 – 50

Aucilla Christian (6-17): 6, 8, 10, 14 – 38

Wakulla Christian: Estes 8 5-6 21, McKenzie 4 5-7 13, Carrol 1 6-9 8, Stephens 0 0-0 3, F. McClendon 1 0-2 2, Vierday 0 1-2 1. Totals 14 17 -26 50.

Aucilla Christian: Watson 4 2-3 19, Grant 4 1-2 9, Gamalero 2 1-2 5, Lamb 0 2-4 2, Fisher 0 1-4 1. Totals 10 7-15 38.

3 points: Wakulla Christian 1 (Stephens 1). Aucilla Christian 3 (Watson 3).

Fouls: Wakulla Christian 15. Aucilla Christian 20.

Jack Williams covers prep sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him by email at [email protected], on Twitter @jackgwilliams.