Top Performances: Day 5 of the state tournament (7A-9A)
On Friday, six semifinals were played in Lakeland, two apiece in Classes 7A, 8A, 9A. The finals will be played on Saturday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. with 7A.
Results
7A: Choctaw 88, Hillsborough 52; Doral 52, Cape Coral 28
Saturday’s final: Choctaw vs. Doral (2 p.m.)
8A: Creekside 78, Winter Haven 59; Blanche Ely 73, St. Pete 58
Saturday’s final: Creekside vs. Blanche Ely (4:30 p.m.)
9A: Oak Ridge 86, West Orange 64; Wellington 75, Miramar 60
Saturday’s final: Oak Ridge vs. Wellington (7 p.m.)
Here are the top performances from Day 5 of the FHSAA state tournament.
Serrel Smith (St. Pete)
In what turned out to be his final high school game, Serrel Smith did everything he could to keep St. Pete afloat. The senior guard had a game-high 36 points in the semifinal loss to Blanche Ely. He scored 23 of his team’s 33 second half points routinely pulling up and driving to the rack. Smith put it all on the line. Expect him to do plenty of that in the fall at Ole Miss.
Anthony Byrd/Josh Scott (Blanche Ely)
The length of senior Anthony Byrd and junior Josh Scott proved to be too much for St. Pete to handle. The duo combined for 48 points which included 21 points from the free throw line. Scott finished with a team-high 26 points while Byrd had 22 points. Senior guard Michael Forrest fought for 18 points while senior forward Wilkenson Isnord produced five points and 10 rebounds. Blanche Ely accomplished all this with just a six-man rotation. The Tigers will be playing for their third state title in four years on Saturday against Creekside.
Noah Lippy (Creekside)
Senior guard Noah Lippy averaged 12.1 PPG for the season but it was certainly a surprise that he had 27 points in the semifinal win over Winter Haven. Lippy made 9-of-10 field goals from in the paint with the other one coming from downtown, his usual dangerous spot on the floor. Seniors DJ Dumas (13 points), J’Michael Plummer (10 points) and Caleb Townsend (9 points) did work on both ends. Townsend played his first game since suffering an injury in the regular season opener.
Antwaan Jones (Oak Ridge)
Senior Texas A&M commit Antwaan Jones put on a show in the convincing semifinal victory over West Orange. Jones scored 30 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists. He was efficient from the field, aggressive and he made some big jumpers. Junior forward Niven Glover netted 15 points while seniors Emmitt Williams and Robin Perry and junior Kaleb Coleman each recorded 11 points.
Bryan Williams (Wellington)
The Wolves are still perfect at 31-0. Senior guard Bryan Williams did it all for Wellington on the way to a 25-point outing. Junior Linton Brown added 18 points while senior Joe Philistin put up 16 points in the win over Miramar. It has been a fun season for the Wolves as they’ve played team basketball. Now, one final task remains against a loaded and athletic Oak Ridge squad in Saturday’s final.
Diante Smith (Choctaw)
It was quite a showing from junior forward Diante Smith. The Choctaw leader had 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Indians in the semifinal win over Hillsborough. Smith helped Choctaw get up early and his efficient shooting certainly stuck around the whole game. Senior guard Marquis Jackson had 13 points while junior guard Josh Williams contributed 11 points and seven steals.
Keyshawn Bryant (Winter Haven)
Senior forward Keyshawn Bryant returned home this season to try to help Winter Haven capture its first state title since 1973 and second in school history. It didn’t work out for the Blue Devils, but Bryant was sensational for his team generating 25 points. His senior counterpart, North Florida commit Dorian James had 13 points. Winter Haven did all it could against a ferocious Creekside defense.
KJ Simon (West Orange)
KJ Simon didn’t have the best first half but he continued to battle in the second half even with the game well out of reach. The senior Troy commit added 20 points to cap off an impressive high school career. Junior forward JaMarcus Clark paced him with 10 points of his own.
Kobbie Perez (Doral)
A pair of twin brothers and a fellow senior proved to be too much for Cape Coral. Doral twin brothers Kobbie Perez (16 points) and Reggie Perez (13 points) combined for 29 points while Miguel Ayesa punched in 12 points. The senior trio can shoot from anywhere on the floor and they’ll have to perform well on Saturday against a tough Choctaw group in the final.
Damian Miller (Miramar)
The team’s leading scorer for the season, Damian Miller was tough in the loss to Wellington, producing a team-best 16 points. He had some key jumpers that kept his team around in the first half. Fellow senior forward Immanuel Crump generated 11 points and nine rebounds.
Warren McLymont (Hillsborough)
Between Warren McLymont and Christian De Leon, the 2019 duo combined for 10 of the 19 field goals that the Terriers made in the game. McLymont finished with 14 points and five rebounds while De Leon had 12 points. McLymont grew up in a hurry this season, serving as a slasher and pure hustle player.
Harwin Francois (Cape Coral)
For Cape Coral, its first state tournament appearance didn’t go as planned. However, the Seahawks made a run in regionals and it was a pleasant surprise for Lee County. Cape Coral scored just four points in the opening quarter and none in the third quarter. Doral scored the only two points in the third quarter actually. The Seahawks earned a gritty effort from senior forward Harwin Francois who had 10 points and eight rebounds.