Columbus puts on a dunk show to cruise into fourth consecutive state final
Cameron and Cayden Boozer are hard to beat in any basketball-related competition.
But Columbus' star siblings say they know better than to challenge teammate Jaxon Richardson to a dunk contest.
'We can't do that because we know Jax is the most athletic of all of us,' Cayden Boozer said. 'He'd be the one to win for sure.'
Richardson was the frontman in a spectacular dunk show that he and his Explorers' teammates put together on Friday during a 78-48 rout of Sanford Seminole in a Class 7A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
Barely two minutes into the game, Richardson reached back with his right hand and threw down a fierce slam and moments later slammed another home off an alley-oop.
By halftime, Cayden and Cameron and teammates Caleb Gaskins and Cello Jackson had joined the party.
The Explorers totaled 11 dunks overall including 10 by halftime. At one point in the first quarter, Columbus had eight - nearly as many dunks as Seminole had points in the period (9).
'Most likely it's true I'd win,' Richardson said with a smile. 'I have some crazy dunks in my bag, but it was cool seeing a lot of our guys get some good ones today too.'
Richardson had five of the flashiest dunks, which more importantly, catapulted the Explorers (26-3) to their fourth consecutive state final where they will face Windermere at 1 p.m. Saturday with a chance to win a fourth state title in a row. Columbus, ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps, has a chance to join Miami Norland as the only Miami-Dade County teams to win four in a row. A state title would also keep the Explorers on course for a potential national title should they win the Chipotle Nationals this April 3-5 in Fishers, Indiana.
'State games are always tough,' Richardson said. 'We have to pull together and play as one and I think we'll get this done.'
The Explorers scored the game's first six points quickly and stormed out to a 40-11 lead midway through the second quarter.
Cameron Boozer led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Richardson had 15 points and Cayden Boozer had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jackson totaled 13 points and Gaskins had eight points and six assists.
'We did good, but we could have been a little better,' Cameron Boozer said. 'We're hyped up for tomorrow. We have to be locked in tomorrow and ready to come out strong and hit first.'
Although Columbus still has its eyes on potentially becoming Dade's first boys' basketball national champion, they're focusing on completing one of the most impressive four-year runs in the history of Florida basketball with another title.
Clearing the final hurdle has not come easy for the Explorers in any of the first three seasons of their current state title run. Columbus beat Orlando Dr. Phillips, 45-44, in the 2022 state final. They beat Winter Haven 50-48 in the 2023 final and they had to come back to beat Orlando Oak Ridge 72-67 in the 2024 final.
'We've got some things to clean up and we haven't had a state championship game that wasn't close,' Columbus coach Anthony Moran said. 'We have to be ready. We can't take anyone lightly. We have to be ready to go.'
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: 6 potential trade chips, targets and free-agent signings
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They'd also like to overhaul their goaltending, which has been among the worst in the NHL over the past four seasons. Yeah, that's all. Of course, Waddell may not get it all done — that's literally every position on the ice, right? — by the time the league settles into its offseason hibernation around mid-July. As the silly season kicks into overdrive beginning this week, here are six players (or commodities) the Blue Jackets might trade, six players they could trade for and six players they could be expected to pursue via free agency. 1. No. 14 pick: OK, not a player (technically), but this pick will have a name by Friday evening. Waddell has made it clear he's willing to part with one or both of his first-round picks — he also has No. 20 — but the guess here is he'll need to add a sweetener (perhaps No. 2 on this list) to land an impact player. 2. Yegor Chinakhov, LW: Chinakhov has plenty of talent; the shot, the speed. 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Ivan Provorov, D: If it becomes clear that Provorov is hitting free agency, there will be several teams lined up to sign him, just as teams were lining up to trade for him at the deadline in March. If a club wants dibs, it might trade for Provorov's rights so it can negotiate a deal without interference from another club. We see you, Rangers. 6. Cole Sillinger, C: This one would sting. Sillinger is an important part of the Blue Jackets at a very young age, and there's certainly no desire to trade him. But if the Blue Jackets are in the market for big moves involving significant pieces, they'd have to include impact players, too. Sillinger, who plays behind Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan, would move the needle for a lot of clubs. 1. JJ Peterka, LW, Buffalo: It seems unconscionable that the Sabres, waiting desperately for their rebuild to gain traction, would move a 23-year-old player who has scored 55 goals the past two seasons. 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They were in Carolina together when Necas emerged as a legit NHL top-six forward. 1. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto: It's also hard to believe the Maple Leafs will let a 100-point scorer walk, but it will likely come to that. If Marner is receptive to the idea of joining the Blue Jackets — and they're a much more inviting situation now than they were a short while ago — expect Waddell to throw massive term and money at Marner. His addition would make the Jackets one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive clubs. They might even discover a power play! 2. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg: The bigger role he's long wanted with the Jets would be his in Columbus, including a possible run with Monahan and Kirill Marchenko on the top line. He's a 25-goal, 60-point player despite modest minutes. He played 15:47 per game last season, which would have ranked eighth among forwards in Columbus. 3. Jake Allen, G, New Jersey: In a thin market, he's at the top of most lists. 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Cody Ceci, D, Dallas: This wouldn't set off fireworks in the Arena District, but Ceci can carry big minutes and play a solid role next to an offensive defenseman. If Fabbro doesn't re-sign with the Blue Jackets, this might be more likely. It was a momentous week for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets, whose efforts to build a new facility and add multiple sheets of ice to the growing central Ohio hockey scene took a big step forward. Delaware City Council approved plans to build a 125,000 square-foot complex — the Performance Impact Arena and Pavilion — that will include three ice rinks and a 6,000-seat amphitheater, which would host concerts in the summer and be transformed into an outdoor rink for use in the winter. The facility, with a price tag north of $50 million, will be built on approximately 14 acres at the southwest corner of the Sawmill Parkway/Ohio Route 42 intersection, about three miles south of Delaware. 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Miami Herald
8 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.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ohio State softball 2026 conference schedule unveiled
It was an overachieving year for the Ohio State softball team this past season. Despite losing a lot of key players, new head coach Kirin Kumar was able to lead the team to an offensive explosion in which the Buckeyes led the country in home runs, runs scored, and a few other categories. OSU ended up tying for third place in the Big Ten and found its way into the NCAA Tournament. Now, the trick will be to continue that momentum and continue the climb in the Big Ten and nationally. To do it, Ohio State will have to navigate a Big Ten schedule that now includes West Coast power teams like UCLA and Oregon. Advertisement This past week, the Big Ten unveiled the conference schedule for the 2026 softball season, so we got a look at who the Buckeyes will play next season and where they will do it. Ohio State will host four home series in the conference and hit the road for four others. Here's how it'll all look next season. Ohio State 2026 Big Ten Softball Schedule March 6-8, 2026: Iowa (Columbus, Ohio)March 13-15, 2026: at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.)March 27-29, 2026: Michigan State (Columbus, Ohio)April 3-5, 2026: at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.)April 10-12, 2026: at Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)April 17-19, 2026: Penn State (Columbus, Ohio)April 24-26, 2026: at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)May 1-3, 2026: Washington (Columbus, Ohio) It's still a long time before we see any of these games, but it's nice to see how everything will look next year. The nonconference schedule will be released at a later day. Advertisement Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State softball unveils its 2026 Big Ten schedule
