logo
St. Thomas Aquinas boys' basketball clinches first trip to state in over two decades

St. Thomas Aquinas boys' basketball clinches first trip to state in over two decades

Miami Herald21-02-2025

The twenty-two year wait to play at the boys high school state basketball final four is finally over.
Led by senior forward Dwayne Wimbley's 24 points, St. Thomas Aquinas overcame an early 15-point deficit to defeat Coral Springs 62-54 in the Region 4-6A final at home on Thursday.
The Raiders (28-2) advance to the state tournament for the time since losing to Winter Haven in a semifinal game 50-49 in 2003. They haven't won a state championship since 2001.
Aquinas will play in a state semifinal against Punta Gorda Charlotte on Thursday, Mar. 6 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
'After the first quarter we told we have 24 minutes and there's was a lot of basketball left,' Aquinas coach Julius Sandi said. 'The guys stuck to the plan and listened. We've been in all types of games this season, and this was one of them. We never panicked. Wimbley was huge and it came at the right time to get us back in the game. This is amazing.'
Wimbley led the first half rally for Aquinas after they trailed by 15 points at one point 17-2. Springs had opened the game on a 13-0 run.
The Raiders defense got in order and the offense responded, as they outscored the Colts 23-9 in the second quarter as Wimbley scored 12 points, nine coming on a trio of 3-pointers.
Aquinas went into the half with a 30-28 lead following a 3-pointer by Nate Accius at the buzzer.
Wimbley, who scored 12 second quarter points, helped the Raiders fight back giving them their first lead at 27-26 on a three-point basket with 1:19 left in the second quarter.
'This is my last year, and I couldn't go out without a fight,' Wimbley said. 'I did everything I could to get my team back in the game. The school last own a state title in 2001 and its time to win another one.'
The Raiders' largest lead was eight points at 37-29 in the third quarter. The Colts (18-10) found a way to stay within striking distance and closed to within 55-52 on a pair of free throws by freshman Jahmai Henry with 1:23 to play.
They never got any closer.
The Colts opened with a 13-0 run and led midway through the second quarter 26-13. At the end of the half, Aquinas went into the break with a 30-28 lead on a Nate Accius 3-pointer at the buzzer.
'Make no doubt about it, St. Thomas is a team that is very good,' Coral Springs coach Devin Barta said. 'They have very little weaknesses. We played ahead this time instead of behind, but Aquinas is a hell of basketball team. We knew they would make a run, and we just couldn't hold on.'
Aquinas defeated Coral Springs three times this season, the previous two by a combined 40 points. The Colts have lost five straight games to the Raiders and eight overall dating back to 2006.
Henry led Coral Springs with 16 points, while Joshua Pierre added 15 points.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ex-Raiders GM reveals fascinating Bo Nix nugget from 2024 NFL draft
Ex-Raiders GM reveals fascinating Bo Nix nugget from 2024 NFL draft

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Ex-Raiders GM reveals fascinating Bo Nix nugget from 2024 NFL draft

Ex-Raiders GM reveals fascinating Bo Nix nugget from 2024 NFL draft The Denver Broncos used the 12th overall pick in last year's NFL draft to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, and the team faced criticism for taking him at that spot. The Broncos did not want to trade down and risk losing Nix to another club, including the division rival Las Vegas Raiders, who picked right below them at No. 13. In hindsight, it looks like that was the right decision. In a recent interview on "Check the Mic with Steve Palazzolo & Sam Monson," former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco hinted that Nix would have been in play for Las Vegas had he not gone off the board to Denver. Telesco said the Raiders had conversations about Michael Penix, but probably wouldn't have drafted him had the QB fallen to pick No. 13. "Now, looking back, if I knew I only had one year there, maybe that would have been different, I don't know," Telesco said. The ex-GM was then asked about the thought of trading up for a QB. He said they would have traded up for Jayden Daniels if possible, but wouldn't have moved up for the QBs after him. Had somebody like Nix fallen to them, though? "If they were there ... Bo Nix, his background of work, his durability, his movement skills -- that one was interesting, and he's gone to the perfect team. That would have been a good possibility [at pick No. 13]." Nix went 2-0 against the Raiders last season and was invited to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after surpassing 4,200 yards from scrimmage and scoring 34 touchdowns as a rookie. Had the Broncos passed on Nix, he might have ended up with a division rival. So it seems safe to say Denver's front office made the right choice to use pick No. 12 on Nix last year. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

We hit 89 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now
We hit 89 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

We hit 89 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now

We hit 89 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now We are now inside 90 days until the Raiders season opener at Foxboro against the Patriots, Our countdown hits 89 days so let's look at who has brought it in Silver & Black wearing that number. No. 89 Who's wearing it now: TE Brock Bowers Bowers was the Raiders top pick at 13 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Napa native and University of Georgia product was one of the most anticipated tight end prospects to come out in years. And he lived up to every bit of the hype. The two-time Mackey Award winner had a rookie season for the ages. His 1194 receiving yards broke Mike Ditka's six-decade old rookie tight end record and his 112 receptions set the all-time NFL rookie record along with the Raiders single-season receptions record. Another season like that and he will quickly become not just who is wearing 89 now, but the best to ever wear it. I mean, unless he changes his number. Who wore it best: WR Amari Cooper Coop was the Raiders' pick at four overall in the 2015 draft. He began his career with consecutive 1000-yard seasons and made the Pro Bowl both seasons. In the middle of his fourth season with the team, the Raiders traded him to Dallas fo a first round pick.

Raiders Named Landing Spot for Recently Released All-Pro Defender
Raiders Named Landing Spot for Recently Released All-Pro Defender

Yahoo

time14 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Raiders Named Landing Spot for Recently Released All-Pro Defender

Raiders Named Landing Spot for Recently Released All-Pro Defender originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders welcomed in a new leadership tandem of Pete Carroll and John Spytek ahead of the 2025 NFL season. With two competent people now in place, the team can begin rebuilding their roster the right way. Advertisement That started this offseason with the overhauling of the team's defense, particularly the linebacker and cornerback positions. Now gone were Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones, all of whom were starters the last two seasons. In came Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Jaylon Smith and Eric Stokes from the free agent market, as well as a handful of drafted prospects, to replace them. Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23).David Banks-Imagn Images Many have questioned the talent and depth of the Raiders' roster, with the cornerback room in particular coming under fire. On Monday, the Green Bay Packers may have given them an opportunity to remedy this with the release of Jaire Alexander. Advertisement According to Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema, Las Vegas is among the teams who could land Alexander now that he is a free agent. "Now that Pete Carroll is the head coach in Las Vegas, don't count the Raiders out of the Alexander sweepstakes," Sikkema wrote. "Carroll knows how to build an elite secondary, as evidenced by the Legion of Boom during his time in Seattle. He is also known as a player's coach and someone who can handle big-personality players." Alexander has been a Second-Team All-Pro honoree twice in his career, as well as a Pro Bowler in two different seasons. Unfortunately, he has struggled with injuries throughout his tenure in the NFL. Only one time has Alexander played every game in a season, and that was all the way back in 2019. He has played in seven games or less in three of the last four years, including just 14 total in his last two campaigns. Advertisement Las Vegas is returning cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who had eight passes defended in just 10 games last year, as well as 2024 fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson, who showed flashes last season. However, the additions of 2025 third-rounder Darien Porter and four-year veteran Eric Stokes may not immediately offset the losses of Hobbs and Jones, so the Raiders could use some experience at cornerback. Alexander could provide just that if he can stay healthy and is willing to restructure his $18.2 million price tag. Related: Former Raiders First-Round Draft Bust Lands Texans Workout Related: Raiders Veteran LB Praises North Carolina Coach Bill Belichick This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store