Columbus earns exclusive place in South Florida history after winning Chipotle Nationals

The goal when Cameron and Cayden Boozer first arrived at Columbus was to dream big.
Not just for state championships, which the school had never won to that point, but also for national championships, which no Dade team had ever won.
With the twin sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer at the forefront, the Explorers spent the past four seasons collecting state titles.
The missing piece, the one Cameron referred to as being on he and his brother's 'bucket list,' was a national championship.
Playing in their final high school game together on Saturday afternoon, the Boozers and the Explorers added the missing piece.
Led by Cayden Boozer's 27 points, Columbus pulled away in the second half and secured a 67-49 victory over Texas' Dynamic Prep to win its first championship of the Chipotle Nationals tournament in Fishers, Indiana.
The Explorers began the season ranked No. 1 in the nation.
They're in position to end it there after becoming the first team from South Florida to win the event, which is in its 16th year.
Columbus would be the first boys' basketball team from South Florida to be voted national champions.
'It's obviously amazing and an incredible feeling,' Columbus coach Andrew Moran said. 'It's the cherry on top. These kids won everything they set their minds to win. It was always their mindset and they played their (butts) off. It's an incredible feeling.'
Columbus, the top-seed in the tournament, was the first South Florida team to play in the event's championship game since 2018 after surviving a close call in the semifinals.
Cayden Boozer's buzzer-beating jumper as time expired lifted the Explorers to a 47-45 win over Brewster Academy of New Hampshire on Friday night.
Boozer carried over that momentum to Saturday's final with one of his most dominant performances.
Tied at 34 with 3:44 left in third quarter, Cayden Boozer sparked a 10-0 run that allowed Columbus to pull away for good. Meanwhile, Cameron Boozer took on more of a point forward role, facilitating teammates such as Cello Jackson, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Cameron finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Explorers' collective defensive efforts stifled Dynamic Prep's Jermaine O'Neal Jr., an SMU signee, holding him to only three points. O'Neal's father - former Pacers and Heat standout Jermaine O'Neal - is the coach at Dynamic Prep. He watched his team, seeded 10th in the tournament, beat three higher-seeded opponents on their way to Saturday's final.
But after two and a half quarters, Columbus imposed its will and ended Dynamic Prep's stellar run through the tournament.
'It's special and something we were dreaming about since we were freshmen,' Cayden Boozer said. 'To finish it the right way with the group we have is just an amazing feeling and doing it with my twin brother is a blessing.'
South Florida has long been known for producing top-tier talent and teams that have won national titles in sports like football, baseball and soccer.
But teams achieving even close to the level of dominance Columbus did this season on the national stage has been rare.
Teams such as the 1998 Miami High team, which ended the season ranked No. 2 nationally with Udonis Haslem, the 1985 Miami Carol City team that finished ranked in the top 10, the 1974 Miami Jackson, affectionately known as the 'Jackson Five,' which went undefeated, and the Miami Christian teams of the early 2000s with Jose Juan Barea come to mind.
The Explorers now have something none of those could claim - a national title.
They did it with the Boozers, both of whom have signed with Duke University.
They did it with Cameron, a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year who's been named an All-American by multiple outlets and ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in the country. And Cayden, arguably the top point guard in the nation who is ranked No. 16 overall by ESPN.
The Boozers have had their jerseys retired at Columbus in honor of their vast list of accomplishments.
And Columbus achieved these heights with more than just the Boozers.
They also did it with talent such as 6-6 small forward Jaxon Richardson, as well as 6-7 forward Caleb Gaskins and 6-4 small forward Cello Jackson - all of whom are highly-ranked prospects for the class of 2026.
Moran, who will reportedly join new University of Miami head coach Jai Lucas on his coaching staff next season, led the Explorers to a 138-32 record during his six seasons at Columbus and 109-13 over the past four seasons.
Moran was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year recently after guiding Columbus to all four state titles and now this national crown.
If that junior core remains under a new coach, Columbus should remain among the nation's best and in good shape to challenge for a fifth consecutive state title, which would tie a state record.
'This was the last thing we needed on our bucket list and now we're just celebrating,' Cameron Boozer said. 'This is super sweet after last year, we knew we wanted to win it all and we came back and did it.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Miami Herald

3 hours ago

• Miami Herald

Columbus' Moran and Doral's Viruet are the Miami-Dade Overall Coaches of the Year

Both the Columbus boys' basketball team and the Doral Academy softball team shone brightly at a national level seldom, if ever, achieved by a Miami-Dade County team in their respective sports. Columbus' coach Andrew Moran helped build a state championship dynasty, which set a state milestone and achieved something never done in the long and storied history of Dade boys' basketball when they won a national title. And at Doral, Willie Viruet has built one of the most dominant programs in the sport in recent memory and capped this stellar season with a state championship. Moran and Viruet are the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Overall Sports Coaches of the Year for the 2024-25 season. Moran is the Boys' Sports Coach of the Year after leading the Explorers to their fourth consecutive state title and their first national championship. Led by their star twins, Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Columbus became only the second team in Miami-Dade County history, joining Miami Norland, to win four consecutive state titles. They took things up a notch after the season when they became the first Dade team to win the prestigious 16th annual Chipotle Nationals, cementing their No. 1 national ranking. They are the first Dade boys' basketball program to secure a national title. Moran, who joined new University of Miami head coach Jai Lucas' staff after the season, led the Explorers to a 138-32 record during his six seasons at Columbus and 109-13 over the past four seasons. Moran, who has won five state titles overall, was also named the Naismith Boys' Basketball National Coach of the Year. 'It's obviously amazing and an incredible feeling,' Columbus coach Andrew Moran said after the Explorers' title-clinching win at Chipotle Nationals. 'It's the cherry on top. These kids won everything they set their minds to win. It was always their mindset and they played their (butts) off. It's an incredible feeling.' Doral Academy had been seeking a similar feeling for years. But despite setbacks at the state final four in recent years, Viruet has kept his team as the best in South Florida and one of the best in the state overall. Viruet is the Coach of the Year for Girls' Sports. This season, the Firebirds finally ended their six-year state title drought, winning their second state title ever and losing only one game all season. Viruet's team, led by University of Texas commit Anabela Abdullah and Clemson signee Sarah Breaux, spent the season ranked among the best in the nation and finished ranked No. 3 in the country by MaxPreps. 'It's been six years since we won a state title. We were long overdue,' Doral coach Willie Viruet said after the state final victory over Santa Rosa Pace. 'The community, the school, well, I think we deserved it.' BOYS' SPORTS FINALISTS ▪ Frankie Ruiz, Belen Jesuit cross-country: The running dynasty for the Wolverines continued to reach new heights as they secured their eighth consecutive state title and once again finished among the top 10 teams in the nation. ▪ Anthony Shahbaz, Riviera Prep basketball: Despite having their top player transfer out in the offseason and having two key players suffer season-ending injuries late in the regular season, Shahbaz steered his team to a historic third consecutive state title in Class 2A. ▪ David Fanshawe, Miami Springs baseball: Fanshawe led the Hawks to a historic first state title for their program and first for their school in any sport since 1988 when they won the Class 3A championship. ▪ Teddy Bridgewater, Northwestern football: Bridgewater returned to his alma mater with a goal of restoring their program to former glory. In one season, the Bulls accomplished their mission winning the Class 3A state championship in dominant fashion. ▪ Katia Garcia, Braddock swimming and diving: Following back-to-back state runner-up finishes, Garcia made sure the Bulldogs didn't settle for anything less than first place, winning their school's first state championship this past fall when they won the Class 4A title. ▪ Brandon Neifeld, Mater Lakes wrestling: After coming close in recent years, Neifeld led the Bears to their first ever state duals title in Class 1A and followed with a dominant performance to capture the 1A title in the individually-bracketed tournament. GIRLS' SPORTS FINALISTS ▪ Gator Rebhan, Somerset Silver Palms softball: Rebhan saw a five-year process culminate with the Stallions first state championship for their program and their school when they secured the Class 3A title. It was Rebhan's third after leading Palmetto to titles in 2000 and 2003. ▪ Julie Doan Kurenuma, Westminster Christian volleyball: After five years of leaving the state tournament with runner-up trophies and medals, Doan Kirenuma and her players finally celebrated a state championship when the Warriors won Class 2A. It was the school's third all-time and first since 2016. ▪ Ochiel Swaby, Miami Country Day basketball: Swaby's Spartans made it a decade of state titles when they won their third in a row and 10th overall, tying them for the most by any South Florida team. ▪ Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton track and field: In a sport often dominated by the larger schools, Hermelee guided the Cyclones to their first state championship. A squad of nine competitors made every point count as they edged Montverde Academy by half a point for the 2A team crown. ▪ Stephasia Doctor, Southridge basketball: Doctor spearheaded one of the most remarkable runs to the state tournament in recent memory by a Dade team when she coached a roster of just seven players within one victory of the school's first state title. ▪ Antonio Boada, Ransom Everglades soccer: After years of contending as one of the county's better programs, Boada's squad took the next step and advanced to the state final four for the first time in program history.

USA Today

3 days ago

• USA Today

Q&A: Asa Newell pitches his 'contagious' energy as NBA draft prospect

Q&A: Asa Newell pitches his 'contagious' energy as NBA draft prospect Georgia Bulldogs freshman forward Asa Newell had a strong one-and-done campaign while in college. Now, he's ready to show what he can do as a pro. Newell helped Team USA win a gold medal during the FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup in 2022. He was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school and one of the most highly-touted players aside from Anthony Edwards ever to commit to Georgia. Alongside other standouts like Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen, he helped lead his high school basketball team at Montverde Academy to an undefeated season and won the Chipotle Nationals championship. Last season, Newell earned SEC All-Freshman honors after averaging 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He is currently projected at No. 21 overall in our latest consensus mock draft. Meanwhile, for more prospect coverage, here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. You can watch Episode 2 of Prospect Park below: How have you spent the pre-draft process and where are you improving the most? Newell: I've just been in the gym every single day taking care of my body. What it means to be a pro: You have to take every single day seriously, not take a day for granted. That's something I've been learning in this process. I think the main factor is my 3-point shot making ability. It's a lot of reps. I've changed my shooting motion a little bit. Instead of having a little bit of waste of movement, bringing the ball down on the catch and bringing it back up and catching the ball and going straight up with it has been something that I've found very consistent. Also, my ball handling has improved as well. What is your confidence in your jump shot and how will it help you in the NBA? Newell: I've always been extremely confident in my jump shot from high school to college and now into the NBA. It's going to have a huge impact. You have to have a 3-point shot to survive in the NBA. The NBA has become extremely positionless. It's a lot of catch and shoot 3's and attacking mismatches and driving closeouts. So a 3-point shot is something everybody needs. How are you able to impact winning the most while you are on the court? Newell: I'm a match waiting for some gasoline and causing a whole fire. I play with a lot of energy. That is very contagious. When you have someone who plays really hard with motor and doesn't really take plays off, you see all the top teams doing that. Oklahoma City is doing that. They play with camaraderie and a brotherhood. They take advantage on defense. So I'm just coming with that mindset into the league. I don't know what it's going to look like until I get there, and that's the beauty of the game. That's the beauty of life and something I'm super excited for. How are you able to get to the basket and score at such an efficient rate? Newell: I think it's just my mindset, being able to have smaller guys or bigger guys. In a basketball game, there are a bunch of mini games. When you have someone bigger on you, I can use my speed and quickness and my touch. If there is someone smaller on me, I can take my time and punish a smaller defender. It's really just a mindset and a lot of reps that I've been doing in the gym and countless hours that's just being paid off and being shown on the court. What should NBA teams know about you and what you bring to a locker room? Newell: Character and morale go a long way, especially in an NBA locker room. I like having a team of guys, a brotherhood, that you can bring into an NBA locker room. It's important to give resilience and work ethic and you're a pro on and off the court. When you get in the NBA, you're going to have a lot of free time. What you're doing in that free time is going to determine the type of player that you're going to be. I like to lead by example, so coming to Georgia, I wanted to find my voice a little bit. Silas Demary was our leader. He is a strong presence. He's been in college and experience the coaching staff that Mike White had at Georgia. Silas was always holding me accountable in practice. Overall, at Georgia, it was just being a guy who can hold people accountable and raise the intensity in every single practice. How did soccer help you and would you advise multi-sport athleticism? Newell: It started across the gym with my dad with that footwork in soccer. I played soccer growing up and swimming. I've done a lot of coordinated sports and have the ability to move my feet and it's how I was raised and grew up from different sports. But 100 percent. Definitely do soccer because it definitely helps with your footwork. Just staying in the gym and doing a lot of drills. When I used to live in Destin, Florida my dad would take me on the sand on the beach. I had the right coordination. It's the highest factor you need to have agility. In sixth grade, I decided to cut everything off and focus on basketball when I moved to Destin when I fell out of love with the game for soccer and swimming. I just love watching basketball so I decided to take it seriously, and now here we are. Where does your high school squad rank among the best, and what did you learn there? Newell: I'm always going to bet on myself, and Montverde is somewhere that I think is the best high school team. The special thing about is we always made sacrifices to go to Montverde. We could have went anywhere and averaged 25 points at a public high school. But we wanted to do something. Guys like Curtis Givens and Rob Wright and Liam McNeeley and Derek Queen and Cooper Flagg: We just have a special bond and brotherhood that nobody will be able to break. To have a coach like Coach [Kevin] Boyle pushing us through the hard days and carrying us throughout thick and thin is something that I'll never take for granted. Iron sharpens iron. So playing against the top guys in the country definitely made me better. I got to watch people work and their work ethic and how they handle adversity and bounce ideas off one another. That is something we always used to do. What did you learn from representing Team USA on the FIBA circuit? Newell: It started from the tryouts. You have to take care of yourself. You have to sleep in the dorms and sleep in a new bed and have a meal plan. You're being evaluated from day one. So you have to have the same mindset. It reminds me of when I started doing my NBA workouts. You have to go in and kill or be killed. You're not there to make friends. So go in there and have the utmost confidence. That's what these teams are looking for. What was your favorite memory of playing basketball over the past few years? Newell: I think it was March Madness for Georgia. Being able to help lead a team back to March Madness and being able to share a court with my brother is something that is just super special and there are a couple pictures I will hang up on the wall and remember forever. Being able to play with my brother is something I love doing. It started at Choctawhatchee High School and now at the collegiate level, I'll never forget it.

Hamilton Spectator

5 days ago

• Hamilton Spectator

Brewers activate outfielder Daz Cameron from the paternity list

CHICAGO (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers activated outfielder Daz Cameron from the paternity list on Tuesday. Cameron takes the roster spot of outfielder Drew Avans, who was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. The 28-year-old Cameron is batting .200 with a homer and three RBIs in 19 games in his first year with the Brewers. Garrett Mitchell's rehab assignment was moved from the Arizona Complex League to Nashville. The outfielder is coming back from a left oblique injury. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said there is no target date or number of at-bats for Mitchell. 'We got to kind of track and see where he's at, keep him healthy,' Murphy said before the team's series opener against the Chicago Cubs. Mitchell, a first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft out of UCLA, hasn't appeared in a major league game since April 25. He batted .255 with eight homers, 21 RBIs and 11 steals last season, helping Milwaukee win the NL Central. The Brewers are hoping the 26-year-old Mitchell will be able to rejoin the team before the All-Star break. ___ AP MLB: