Dwyer leads list of Florida boys basketball champions

The third time truly was a charm for Jacoby Brissett and the Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) boys basketball team, which captured the Class 5A state title in impressive fashion last weekend in Lakeland.

Brissett, the outstanding two-sport athlete who is headed to the University of Florida on a football scholarship, scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Dwyer's 72-57 romp over Lake Wales on Saturday at The Lakeland Center's George Jenkins Arena. The Panthers did it despite a partisan crowd that favored Lake Wales, which is only about 30 miles from Lakeland.

"This just takes my breath away," Brissett said after the Panthers secured their first state title since winning back-to-back championships in 2004 and '05. It also helped soothe the pain of being upset in the state semifinals each of the previous two years for Brissett and the Panthers, who finished the season with a sparkling 32-1 record, the only blemish coming in a loss to Class 6A state champion Winter Park during the prestigious City of Palms Classic tournament in Fort Myers during Christmas break. (Note: Dwyer also lost to 6A power Dr. Krop of Miami in early January, but that loss was reversed when Dr. Krop was forced to forfeit most of its wins for using an ineligible player).

It also helps ease the pain Brissett felt in early December when the Dwyer quarterback fell short of winning a second consecutive state title in football.

Dwyer bulldozed every opponent in the playoffs during its state championship run. The Panthers won their three regional games by scores of 78-54, 81-54 and 91-55, then trounced Fort Walton Beach 83-58 in the 5A semifinals last Friday before taking down Lake Wales in the title game. That impressive run vaulted the Panthers to No. 10 in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball national rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

SUMMIT WINS ALL-PALM BEACH FINAL
Two of the south Florida region's best boys basketball small-school programs hooked up in the Class 1A state championship game last week in Lakeland. Summit Christian (West Palm Beach) defeated Grandview Prep (Boca Raton) 62-50 to claim the program's first state title.

Junior guard Farad Cobb was outstanding for Summit Christian, scoring 20 points in both the state semifinal and championship games. Senior 6-5 power forward Jean Prophete and 6-8 center Brandon Williams also played key roles inside for the Saints, especially on defense in providing thenecessary muscle to keep Grandview Prep (Boca Raton) 6-9 senior center Ismaila Dauda from taking over the game. Dauda scored 26 points, but they were hard-earned, and the big man was outrebounded by Summit's inside duo of Prophete and Williams.

Grandview and Summit, which did not meet during the regular season despite residing only about 25 minutes driving time apart in Palm Beach County, played most of the season in the shadow of 5A state champion Dwyer. However, last Thursday afternoon they had the stage all to themselves.

It's the third state title for Summit coach Murray Smith, who guided Cardinal Newman to back-to-back Class 2A state titles in 1999 and 2000. After hoisting the state championship trophy with his players, Smith couldn't hold back his jubilant emotions during the post-game interview with media.

"It's a great win because all year they talk about Dwyer, they talk about Grandview and they talk about Summit. Well, we just took one of them out of the equation," said Smith, whose team was ranked No. 3 by the Palm Beach Post behind Dwyer and Grandview at the end of the regular season. "We'll stay (in Lakeland), and on Sunday, if they'll let us, we'll play Dwyer."

SAGEMONT MAKES HISTORY
If the concentration level among students at Sagemont (Weston) was fleeting last Friday, it's understandable. The entire school had a reason to be distracted after the Broward County school's boys basketball team captured the first state championship trophy in the school's history, in any sport.

"This is something that has eluded us as a basketball program for five years now. It was something we were finally able to accomplish," Sagemont coach Adam Ross said after his team had rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit to defeat First Academy (Orlando) 53-41 in the Class 2A championship game Thursday in Lakeland.

Sagemont, which finishes the season 28-4, is the first 2A state champion from Broward County since Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale) won the title in 2002.

Jeff Coby, who was held to three points in the first half because of foul trouble, finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead Sagemont.

Three of the six state champions crowned last week in Lakeland call south Florida home. There were four other teams in Lakeland, but Columbus (Miami) and Miramar lost in the Class 6A state semifinals, Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) lost in the 4A championship game, and Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale) lost in the 3A semifinals in overtime.

DILLARD COACH WHITE ON HOF BALLOT
Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) assistant football coach Lorenzo White, who starred at Michigan State and played eight seasons at running back in the NFL, is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the Class of 2011. White, 44, is among 79 former players and nine coaches on the ballot this year. Voting results will be announced in May.

Steve Dorsey is a freelance writer based in West Palm Beach, Fla., who covers the south Florida region for MaxPreps.com. He also is a contributing writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and American Football Monthly.