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Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Aquinas' Wimbley Jr. and Dillard's Reid are Broward 7A-4A Overall Athletes of the Year
Dwayne Wimbley Jr. was one of Broward County and the state's best two-sport standouts through his first three years of high school. For his senior season, he chose to focus solely on basketball and transfer to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas where he made an immediate impact and led the Raiders to a state title. At Fort Lauderdale Dillard, track and field standout Alexia Reid became the key cog in what has become a new dynasty in the sport. Reid etched her name in the record books, winning three state titles while leading the Panthers to an impressive repeat team championship. For their impressive seasons, Wimbley Jr. and Reid are the Broward County Overall Athletes of the Year for Classes 7A-4A. Wimbley Jr. is the boys' winner after leading Aquinas to its first state title in boys' basketball since 2001 and second ever for the program. Wimbley Jr., who was also the Herald's Boys' Basketball 7A-4A Player of the Year, averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game. He fit in seamlessly with an already-talented roster for the Raiders and led them to a BCAA Big 8 title and district and regional titles. 'It was the best feeling ever because this is exactly what I came to Aquinas to do,' Wimbley Jr. said at state. 'We were in that situation, I don't even know how many times this year. For this to happen like that showed the heart this team's got. I love these boys. Every tournament we were in we were down, but we really wanted it.' Reid, who will compete for UCF in the fall, finished her time with the Panthers as a state champion in both the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, as well as a key contributor on two of Broward County's best relays. On a deep and talented squad, Reid stood out and helped Dillard repeat as girls' team state champions in Class 3A, topping mighty Miami Northwestern for the second consecutive year after the Bulls had won a state-record 14 state titles in a row. 'It was a satisfying win, especially after we had so many (weather) delays the first day,' said Reid, who was also named the Herald's Broward Girls' Track and Field Athlete of the Year in May. 'We had to regroup and stay strong mentally and determined. It showed how together we were as a team and as a family.' BOYS' FINALISTS ▪ Christien Moreau, St. Thomas Aquinas (football, track and field): Moreau was a force on the Raiders' football team's defense, helping them win a state-record sixth consecutive state title. Moreau, who will be a senior next season and is being recruited as a defensive lineman by multiple FBS schools, had 41 tackles including 12 for loss, nine sacks and one fumble return for a touchdown. In track, Moreau was the top shot putter and discus thrower in Broward County, qualifying for state once again. ▪ Joshua Gammage, Dillard (cross-country, track and field): Gammage capped a stellar running career by running the fastest time at state by a Broward athlete (15:37) and following that up in track season with the fastest times in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. ▪ Gio Rojas, Douglas (baseball): Rojas showed off why he is a potential first round Major League Baseball draft pick heading into his senior season as he powered the Eagles to their state-record fifth consecutive state championship. Rojas went 12-0 on the mound with a 0.72 ERA, and struck out a county-best 120 batters in 68 innings. ▪ Tyler Johnson, Cypress Bay (volleyball): Johnson is heading to BYU after a stellar career on the court for the Lightning. Johnson, a 6-3 outside hitter, once again showed off his great skill by leading the Lightning to the Class 3A regional semifinals with 302 kills, 147 digs and 52 blocks. GIRLS' FINALISTS ▪ Nykeria Flowers, Northeast (basketball): Flowers was the engine that drove the Hurricanes to the state final four for the first time since 2017. Flowers led Northeast to a school-record 28-3 season and their first BCAA Big 8 title, averaging 19.7 points, 3.8 steals, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. ▪ Shynah Collins, Dillard (cross-country, track and field): Collins, an eighth-grader, proved herself to be one of the rising stars in Broward and one of the key members of the Panthers state championship track team, helping Dillard repeat as team champs and win a 3,200-meter relay title. In cross-country, she finished sixth individually in Class 3A. ▪ Grace Finneran, STA (cross-country, track and field): Finneran had another dominant cross-country season, capped by running a county-best 18:26 at the state Class 4A meet. She followed that up by earning second team honors in track in the 1,600 meters. ▪ Maddison Manragh, Western (basketball, flag football): Manragh proved herself a valuable part of two of the Wildcats' top programs. In basketball, she led Western to the regional playoffs, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and five steals per game. In flag football, Manragh caught 46 passes for 656 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 61 flag pulls and eight interceptions on defense to lead the Wildcats to the Class 4A regional finals.
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Chaminade's Lopez and N. Broward Prep's Schwartz are Broward 3A-1A Athletes of the Year
Even before transferring to Chaminade-Madonna before last football season, junior Jasen Lopez was known for his versatile talents in both football and basketball. And at North Broward Prep, senior Alexa Schwartz has long established herself as a standout in basketball and track and field. Both athletes put together tremendous efforts for their respective teams this past season, which added to their impressive athletic resumes. And so, Lopez and Schwartz are the Miami Herald's Broward County Overall Athletes of the Year for Classes 3A-1A. Lopez, who had already enjoyed three fantastic seasons as a prolific wide receiver and shooting guard at True North Classical Academy in Miami, he took things up a notch this season upon his move north to Broward. Against a national schedule, Lopez caught 87 passes for over 1,300 yards and caught 14 touchdown passes while rushing for two more scores and returning a punt for a touchdown. Lopez, a 5-10, 165-pound receiver who is being recruited by several schools including Miami and Florida State, was a steady presence during a turbulent start to the Lions' football season. Eventually, Lopez was a big reason Chaminade kept its state championship streak going with its fourth in a row. He carried the momentum to the basketball court where he elevated Chaminade's program to secure its first ever bid in the BCAA Big 8 tournament. He then led the Lions to the Class 2A regional semifinals. 'This is very special,' Lopez said after the football team's state win. '...It's great for me being my first and for the guys who have been here, it's a four-peat. It's very special.' Schwartz etched her name in the state record books this past season in track, setting a new state meet record and winning the Class 2A state title in the javelin with a throw of 47.04 meters. Schwartz was a two-time state champion and three-time district champion in the event. On the basketball court, Schwartz heads to the college level as North Broward Prep's all-time leading scorer with over 1,000 points and single season assists leader. Schwartz, who recorded the school's first triple-double in a game. Schwartz, who was a Miami Herald Silver Knight nominee and this year's Broward Girls' Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was part of her school's Honor Roll every semester, and is a member of seven different National Honor Societies. Schwartz is heading to FSU after graduating with a 4.7 GPA and scoring a 30 on her ACT. BOYS' FINALISTS ▪ Brandon Bennett, American Heritage (football, track and field): Bennett played a huge role once again in leading the Patriots to their first state title since 2020 in football and followed that up with a strong performance in track and field, helping the Patriots' 400-meter relay win a state title and break a state meet record. ▪ Jonathan Pena, Westminster Academy (cross-country, track and field): Pena placed fourth at the Class 1A state championships in cross-country and ran the fastest time in the county (15:14). Pena, the Herald's Boys' Runner of the Year, was also a state qualifier in track in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. ▪ Shon Abaev, Calvary Christian (basketball): Abaev earned McDonald's All-American honors and led the Eagles to a state championship and a top 5 national ranking. Abaev, the Herald's 3A-1A Boys' Basketball Player of the Year, averaged 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. ▪ Michael Mocco, Cardinal Gibbons (wrestling): Mocco proved to be one of the most dominant wrestlers in the nation once again as he went undefeated (43-0) and repeated as a state champion - this time in the 215-pound weight class. He was also the Herald's Broward Wrestler of the Year. GIRLS' FINALISTS ▪ Bradee Boyd, Calvary Christian (indoor and beach volleyball): After transferring to the Eagles, Boyd immediately made an impact as one of the top players in the state. Boyd, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter and the Herald's 4A-1A Girls' Volleyball Player of the Year, totaled 488 kills, 274 digs and 415 receptions to lead the Eagles to the Region 4-3A semifinals. She also earned first team All-Broward honors in beach volleyball with teammate Vitoria Belfort, a junior, after leading that squad to regionals. ▪ Lydia Berent, Cardinal Gibbons (softball): Berent became an even more dominant pitcher this past season, going 20-6 with 243 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA. Berent, a Stanford University commit, was also a force at the plate, hitting .500, three home runs, 11 doubles and scoring 39 runs. ▪ Isabella Sangha, Pine Crest (volleyball, basketball): Sangha was a prolific scorer in basketball and a strong presence on the Panthers' regional finalist volleyball team. Sangha averaged 27 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game in basketball and finished with 199 kills in volleyball to earn All-Broward second team honors.
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Coral Springs Charter rolls to another BCAA Big 8 softball championship
Championship teams continuously find ways to win when it counts most. The Coral Springs Charter High softball team apparently owns the blueprint when it comes to the BCAA Big 8 tournament. Led by Heather Roberston, Gio Gurgel and Courtney Wahlbrink, who combined for six RBI, the Panthers rolled to a 9-4 victory over Western on Wednesday for the team's third consecutive Big 8 title at Pompano Beach Community Park. It was the Panthers (19-3) fifth Big 8 title in seven attempts. '[Western] is a seasoned team and three games in a row is tough on pitching staffs,' Coral Springs Charter coach Mark Montimurro said. 'They have a lot of good hitters, and we felt they would put a lot of balls in play. They put some runs on the board, but we did enough to come out with trophy.' Charter has defeated Western seven consecutive times by a combined score of 62-11 since 2019. They finished the tournament, by outscoring their three opponents 26-7. 'Our team has moxie and grit and everybody in the county thought we'd be way down because we lost a lot of players,' Montimurro said. 'They stepped up and played up to their level. With our pitching we can play with anybody.' Charter took an early 5-0 lead keyed by Roberston's fourth home run in five at bats. She was named the tournament MVP with her four homers and 10 RBI. 'I honestly wasn't expecting it,' Robertson said. 'I was looking for some hits and putting pieces together for the team. I wasn't expecting the home runs. I was just swinging to swing. Today I came out hot and was ready to play hitting a home run in my first at bat.' The Wildcats didn't cave, rallying for four runs between the third and fifth innings, closing to within 5-4. Analie Diaz, Kennedy Butter and Emma Konieczny had consecutive RBI singles in the top the third inning and Butter added another RBI singles in the fifth inning. 'It's frustrating, but there's a silver lining and that's that we fought to the end,' Western coach John Bradshaw said. 'I was super proud of the girls fighting to the end. Mark's teams never quit and he's got us three years in a row.' The Panthers seized the Wildcats (15-5-1) comeback bid in the bottom of the sixth inning. Addi Michel had an RBI bunt single, which was followed by an RBI single to left field by Gurgel and a two-RBI double to left by Wahlbrink a five-run advantage. 'We can up too flat, but we did bring it up throughout the game,' Gurgel said. 'When our pitching and hitting come up big, we win.' District play begins next week with Coral Springs Charter and Western as No. 1 seeds.
Miami Herald
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Northeast's Nykeria Flowers is the Broward 7A-5A Girls' Basketball Player of the Year
Nykeria Flowers never lets adversity slow her down. Whether it's on or off the court, Flowers often exhibits the mental toughness it takes to succeed. It's what carried her and the Northeast girls' basketball team to a historic season. Led by Flowers, a 5-5 senior guard, the Hurricanes recorded a school record for wins and made it back to the state final four for the first time since 2017. Her efforts earned Flowers this year's Miami Herald Class 7A-5A Girls' Basketball Player of the Year honors. 'This was big. I always wanted to be Player of the Year growing up,' Flowers said. 'My family looked up to me and wanted me to achieve. This season was rough in the beginning, but I turned it around and made the best of it.' Flowers wasn't just a scorer, but a strong defender and solid distributor of the ball, making her a threat to opponents at both ends of the court. She averaged 19.7 points, 3.8 steals, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while leading Northeast to its first BCAA Big 8 title as well as district and regional titles. At the BCAA tournament, Flowers earned MVP honors after leading the Hurricanes to a win over then four-time defending state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the championship game. Flowers earned so much respect from her peers, a rival school took a moment to honor her this past season. When Flowers eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark for her career during a game at Cooper City High School, the opposing team and its fans took a moment to acknowledge her accomplishment. Flowers' drive led Northeast all the way to Lakeland where it faced Gainesville in the Class 5A state semifinals. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, a slow start led to a double-digit early deficit they would not be able to overcome and eventually they lost by two points. But Flowers took solace in the fact, she and her teammates made history and perhaps established a foundation for future success. 'We're just grateful even though we lost. We made a lot of history in one season,' Flowers said. 'It was great. We just learned we have to be ready from the start.'
Miami Herald
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Northeast's Hanna and Heritage's Farias are Broward Girls' Basketball Coaches of the Year
Few girls' basketball teams across the country have been as consistent over the past decade as Plantation American Heritage. The Patriots have made it to the state championship game a state-record nine consecutive seasons, winning six championships during that span. Over at Northeast, the Hurricanes hope to build something similar and took their first step this season. The architects of both programs are the Miami Herald's Broward County Girls' Basketball Coaches of the Year. Northeast's Lawrence Hanna guided the Hurricanes to their most wins in school history and a trip to the Class 5A state final four. As such, Hanna is the Broward Coach of the Year for Classes 7A-5A. American Heritage didn't come away with a seventh state title this season, but a young team overcame adversity to once again reach the season's ultimate game for the ninth consecutive year. Patriots' coach Greg Farias takes home the honor of once again being Coach of the Year for Classes 4A-1A. During Farias' 10 years at Heritage, the Patriots have won 10 district titles and nine regional titles. Only a frustrating loss in the state final to Melbourne Palm Bay, during which a 14-point first-half lead slipped away, kept Heritage from having the opportunity to hang state championship banner No. 7 at their gym. 'We have to learn from our mistakes,' Farias said after the state final. 'Every year is special. Even though we're runners-up we don't take it for granted. But we're used to winning and that's the biggest disappointment.' At Northeast, winning was not something the Hurricanes were used to doing a lot in recent years. That changed dramatically this season after Northeast put together a 28-3 record, claiming their first BCAA Big 8 title, as well as district and regional titles, and its first state final four appearance since 2017 along the way. The Hurricanes' season ended with their own frustrating 54-52 loss in the state semifinals against Gainesville. But Northeast hopes it laid a foundation for future sustained success. 'We started slow and on the big stage like this, you can't do that,' Hanna said after the state semifinal loss. 'We fought back but we ran out of time.'
