LAKELAND – Now that the 2022-2023 boys basketball season has officially wrapped up at the RP Funding Center, we can look back on the great moments that transpired.
We ended last night (March 4) with six state champions out of the seven total FHSAA classifications. Let us take a look.
FRIDAY, MARCH 3: 2A STATE TITLE GAME
Class 2A State Semifinal:
— ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘᴇʀ (@thehoopvibe) March 3, 2023
Final Score
Sagemont 67
Orlando Christian Prep 66
The Lions capture their 3rd state title ever.
📊Leaders@SagemontMbb
Tynan Becker 25
Ashton Smith 15
Deontae Jean 12@ocphoops
Isaiah Brown 28
Ameer Ramadam 16 pic.twitter.com/bzaBqUKjqo
Here is another Sagemont moment to capture.
Imagine Just Coming To America & Winning A State Championship #kNOwPressure pic.twitter.com/toQndEHke6
— Pressure Athletics (@pressure_athl) March 3, 2023
Sagemont (29-4 final record) was the only team from Broward County to hoist an FHSAA state boys basketball trophy for this season. The city of Weston may be celebrating their high school boys basketball team right now and for quite some time thereafter.
SATURDAY, MARCH 4: FINAL DAY OF 2022-2023 BOYS BASKETBALL SEASON IN FLORIDA
We started the day in Lakeland with the the Class 3A state title game.
Here are some highlights from it.
End of 3Q: 32 @RivieraPrepMBB, 14 @WPS_Basketball. Looks like Riviera Prep has got this in the bag, a lot can happen in one quarter though. Stay tuned to see who will be awarded the 3A FHSAA Basketball State Champs. @FHSAA #FHSAAstatechampionships pic.twitter.com/ATOuvtjrHG
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Watch how this one ends.
FINAL: @RivieraPrepMBB is your 3A FHSAA Basketball State Champion. 51-27. @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/SPFgDvCvIU
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Riviera Prep (Miami) ended its season at 27-6 and the Class 3A state title.
Not long after that, it was time for Mater Lakes Academy (Hialeah) to have its shining moment of glory in the Class 4A state title game.
Here is one highlight from it.
4:34 2Q: Michael Bradley #0 is absolutely killing with the 3s this game. 29 @MLA_BasketbaII, 12 @VHS_Hoops. @FHSAA @dylan_estock @prephoopsfl pic.twitter.com/UHyC42ApGF
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Watch how the 4A state title game ended.
FINAL: 77-41. @MLA_BasketbaII is your 4A FHSAA State Champion. @dylan_estock @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/shpudXRtcg
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Mater Lakes Academy finished its season with a 28-3 record to go with the Class 4A state title.
Next up was Belen Jesuit (Miami) in the Class 5A state title game. Here is one highlight from it.
END OF 3Q: 32 @belenbasketball, 20 Mainland. pic.twitter.com/I0zMrKfais
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Belen Jesuit (28-4 final record) secured the Class 5A title with its amazing fan base celebrating the moment.
FINAL: 49-30 @belenbasketball is the 5A State Champion. @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/387WCLrpjE
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
So at this point, Broward County has one total state title and Miami-Dade County has three state titles in one day of action.
For the first time in recent history, Palm Beach County had a chance to join the state title party. This is where Dwyer came in.
We will show you one in-game highlight from the Class 6A state title game.
6:15 4Q: @DwyerBasketball had a 10 pt lead over @PVSharkBBall. 41-31 Dwyer. pic.twitter.com/fnuguJQ4Oy
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
Dwyer (29-1 final record) would go on to win the Class 6A state title in grand style with perhaps the best ending one can see.
FINAL: @DwyerBasketball is your 6A State Champion. 51-40 final score. pic.twitter.com/sbYD8qbDng
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 4, 2023
As it stood after the 6A final, Broward County and Palm Beach County won one state title game each. Miami-Dade County has three state titles with one more to go.
Columbus (Miami) has been pegged as perhaps the best overall boys basketball team all season long in the state of Florida. The Class 7A title game turned into a classic battle with a familiar finish.
Here’s how it went down.
Only 37.4 seconds left in the 4th Quarter. 47 @ColumbusHS_Mia, 48 @whhsbballers. Winter Haven just took one of their timeouts leaving them with 3 more and Columbus with only 1. pic.twitter.com/phdpx3npHp
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 5, 2023
Columbus (26-4 final record) completed a huge comeback effort against upset-minded Winter Haven (27-5 final record).
Watch the finish.
GARYN BESS WITH THE SHOT OF HIS LIFE!!! #cpride @MaxPreps pic.twitter.com/OvpFmZWNZ6
— CCNN Live (@CCNNLive) March 5, 2023
Here is another one for you to see.
Wild sequence as @ColumbusHS_Mia survives and wins second consecutive state title with a 50-48 comeback win over Winter Haven. @HeraldSports pic.twitter.com/vVCXZ3qyZD
— Andre Fernandez (@FernandezAndreC) March 5, 2023
Columbus has the distinction of celebrating state title wins in the final game in Florida for both boys basketball and football. This has happened in a span of less than three months.
BACK TO BACK!!! COLUMBUS DEFEAT WINTER HAVEN 50-48 AND SECURE THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND SECOND IN SCHOOL HISTORY!!! #cpride @MaxPreps pic.twitter.com/eRyPSz525n
— CCNN Live (@CCNNLive) March 5, 2023
South Florida can celebrate this fact you will see below.
South Florida leaves @RPFundingCenter with a perfect 12-0 record in the 2023 @FHSAA State Final Four Series. 🏆
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) March 5, 2023
Your state champs:
2A: @SagemontMbb
3A: @RivieraPrepMBB
4A: @MLA_BasketbaII
5A: @belenbasketball
6A: @DwyerBasketball
7A: @CCNNLive @clarasales04 @Photoman0007 pic.twitter.com/aHew1mwjdG
It does not get any better than this for Miami-Dade County (four state titles), Broward County (one state title), and Palm Beach County (one state title).
Let us celebrate the good times right now, South Florida.
PHOTO CREDIT: Chuck Bethel
VIDEO CREDITS: Jake Perper, Pressure Athletics, Clara Sales, CCNNLive (Columbus High School Media), and Andre Fernandez