BRADENTON, Fla. - By hoops standards, O’Mariah Gordon may be small.

But she plays big.

Put a basketball in this Braden River senior’s hands and she looks larger than life.

“I’m happy at the size I am because I wouldn’t be the player that I am,” O’Mariah said.

She might measure at 5-foot, 5-inches tall, but she’s got a heart that’s immeasurable.

“I’m ready for the challenge,” she said.

The challenge this season? Win a state title. The Pirates have come close the past two years, including a trip to the Final Four last season. But a championship has escaped them.

“I dream about it,” she said. “I can see it, like literally and see it like a vision, like it just happens. It would mean the world.”

O’Mariah’s got the individual accolades. She’s the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Florida, going for an unprecedented third title. No female player has ever won three in a row.

“She’s just so humble and she just keeps her head down and keeps grinding,” Braden River head coach Stephanie Smith said. “It doesn’t matter if she gets an award or not. Every time she gets it, she’s surprised.

They don’t just give these awards away, they’re earned. They’re earned with hours of practice, extra workouts and lots of sweat. Gym rat doesn’t even begin to describe O’Mariah.

“Her work ethic is ridiculous,” Smith said. “Sometimes it’s too much. I tell her sometimes you can overwork. She’s nonstop”

That overdrive reaps big benefits, like a full ride to Florida State. O’Mariah had a lot of Division I schools vying for her talents, but she picked the Noles. Her basketball journey will continue in Tallahassee and maybe beyond.

Big things sometimes come in small packages and with basketball, O’Mariah is the full package.

“It’s taken me way farther than I ever thought it would,” O’Mariah said. “I love playing basketball, so I just play and I work hard at it. I just ended up loving the game.”