Seeking a return to past glory, Blanche Ely boys' basketball routs St. Petersburg
To restore the proud tradition of Pompano Beach Blanche Ely boys' basketball, which has won eight state championships - more than any other Broward County program.
The Tigers are one victory away from getting the job done.
A collective effort led by Kaleb Corbitt's 12 points and 10 rebounds led the Tigers to a 67-45 victory over St. Petersburg in a Class 5A state semifinal on Wednesday night at the RP Funding Center.
The Tigers (19-9) will vie to win their first state title since 2019 and Broward County-best ninth overall when they play Ponte Vedra (22-8) in the 5A final on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Sharks survived a triple-overtime game against Leesburg in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
'We put together a real competitive schedule and we didn't take days off and we feel blessed to bring Blanche Ely basketball where we feel it belongs,' said Ely coach J.R. McNabb, who coached the Tigers' girls teams in recent years.
Ely won seven state titles under former coach Melvin Randall, who now coaches at Miami Northwestern, and one in 1993 under then-coach Wade Edmond. A win Friday with McNabb at the helm would make them the first Broward school to win state titles with three different coaches.
'It feels good,' Ely senior point guard Justin Snell said. 'We've gotta bring Ely back to what it was. The job ain't done though.'
Ely traded buckets with St. Petersburg (18-12) for most of the first quarter until it put together a 12-0 surge keyed by Corbitt and Dylon Hanna, who finished with 10 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
'In the beginning, we came out a little slow. We're a fast-paced team and that's how we get into our stuff,' Snell said. 'We felt like we were the better team, but we just had to come out and show it.'
Once the Tigers got the engine running, they showed off their scoring balance and depth as seven players finished with six or more points. Ely's intense defensive pressure contributed to 19 St. Petersburg turnovers. The Tigers turned those into 23 points.
'I think they had 15 free throws in the first half,' McNabb said. 'Once we dug deep and did our job and secured rebounds and defended at a high level, we showed we're a pretty good team. Our best offense is our defense and we like to get out in transition.'
Four of those transition buckets were highlight-reel dunks by senior wing Jayelen Jonas, who finished with 11 points.
'What we practice translates to the game and it's all simple,' Jonas said. 'They call me their 'high flyer' and they're my family. They trust me to go up and get it. All of my guards, when they see me, they throw it up and they know I'm gonna dunk it.'
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