Class 5A, Region 4: Pembroke Pines Charter vs. Northeast
Round one went to Northeast. Round two went to Pembroke Pines. Round three went to Northeast. Round four…goes too Pembroke Pines. In the final installment, the Pembroke Pines Jaguars (24-2) went on the road to defeat the Northeast Hurricanes (21-7),…
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Continue ReadingRound one went to Northeast.
Round two went to Pembroke Pines.
Round three went to Northeast.
Round four…goes too Pembroke Pines.
In the final installment, the Pembroke Pines Jaguars (24-2) went on the road to defeat the Northeast Hurricanes (21-7), 76-69. With the win, the Jaguars advance to the Class 5A regional finals to face Okeechobee. Of the four total meetings, the aggregate score was 305-301 for the Jaguars.
Stat of the Night: If you follow the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rankings, Pembroke Pines ranks 6th in the state while the Northeast Hurricanes sit 9th. With two evenly matched teams, sometimes it is the little things that make all the difference. On Tuesday night, the Jaguars dominated on the free-throw line, sinking 18 out of 22 attempts (82%). On the flip side, the Hurricanes shot a paltry 14 for 29 (48%) from the line. At one point, the Hurricanes missed five in a row and closed out the half four out of 12.
Stat 2.0: Pembroke Pines came out firing early, hitting seven 3-pointers in the first half. The Jaguars eventually “settled” down after halftime with two additional deep balls. On the other end, the Hurricanes would catch fire after halftime, opening up the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to finish with seven on the night. The hot shooting swing was a huge factor in momentum shifts over the course of the game.
Standouts:
1) Geoffrey Sprouse – Pembroke Pines: When it looked like Northeast was going to steal a victory late, the 2022 guard put the Hurricanes rally on mute with 11 fourth quarter points. Overall, the 5-foot-11 sophomore finished with a game-high 23 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. In front of a sell-out crowd, nerves paid no visit to Sprouse as he knocked down seven free-throws. With the lead tightening late, Sprouse was strong driving to the basket and earns my nod as the MVP of the night. Whenever they needed a shot, the sophomore seemed to come up big.
2) Dallas Graziani – Pembroke Pines: A Nova Southeastern commit, the 2020 guard finished with 20 points for the Jaguars, 16 of which came in the first and fourth quarter. The five-foot-nine senior was instrumental in Pembroke Pines 18-5 run early and knocked down a clutch 3-pointer late to close out the Jaguars victory. In addition, Graziani made seven free-throws and did a terrific job slipping under defenders in the lane for field goals. With the length of the Hurricanes, I thought Graziani displayed terrific body control and a strong ability to shield off his opponent for shots. The senior does not let his size deter him and has a heart of a Lion on the floor.
3) Wesley Cardet – Northeast: A 2021 four-star recruit, Cardet led the Hurricanes with 19 points while grabbing nine rebounds. At 6-foot-5, he is an excellent example of a guard who can contribute on the boards. In the fourth quarter, Cardet was extremely effective getting into the lane for lay-ups. Specifically, the junior had a nice swing move working from off his right side, which effectively allowed him to high point the ball with his length for buckets off the glass. On the defensive end, Cardet is quick enough to slide end-to-end against smaller back-court counterparts. Heading into next season, he will be one of the top seniors in South Florida.
4) Tyrecke Francois – Northeast: A 2020 team captain, the 6-foot guard finished with 16 points, 12 of which came after halftime. To start the second half, Francois and 2021 guard Jameon Harris would hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut into the Jaguars lead. In addition, Harris would catch fire himself with two additional second half 3-pointers to finish with 13 points. Overall, I thought the duo was a huge reason the Hurricanes were able to cut the Jaguars lead down to a single possession in the second half.
5) Javen Flowers-Smith – Pembroke Pines: With 11 first half points, the 2021 guard was a big reason the Jaguars were able to jump out to an early 13-point lead and secure a five-point advantage heading into halftime. The 6-foot junior finished with 14 points overall and knocked down three 3-pointers.
6) Matthew Bewley – Northeast: The 2023 power forward is one of the best players in the state, regardless of class. Quite honestly, I would not have a problem anointing him as the best player I have seen this year. The 6-foot-9 freshman finished with a “quiet” 13 points and nine rebounds against the Jaguars. The scary part is, Bewley didn’t have a great night and still almost finished with a double-double. Around the rim, I thought the freshman missed some easy baskets which racked up some of his rebounding totals. Still, he was able to combat those “mistakes” with second chance opportunities that led to makes on the foul line. Bewley already has a solid jump on the recruiting process with offers from DePaul, Alabama, Florida and Iowa State. Is there any stigma of freshman not getting superlatives over seasoned veteran players? If there is, count me in as one person who does not believe in that. Bewley has earned A LOT of honors this year.
For any South Florida news or information…please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 or follow him on twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.