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Miami Herald
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Columbus earns exclusive place in South Florida history after winning Chipotle Nationals
The goal when Cameron and Cayden Boozer first arrived at Columbus was to dream big. Not just for state championships, which the school had never won to that point, but also for national championships, which no Dade team had ever won. With the twin sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer at the forefront, the Explorers spent the past four seasons collecting state titles. The missing piece, the one Cameron referred to as being on he and his brother's 'bucket list,' was a national championship. Playing in their final high school game together on Saturday afternoon, the Boozers and the Explorers added the missing piece. Led by Cayden Boozer's 27 points, Columbus pulled away in the second half and secured a 67-49 victory over Texas' Dynamic Prep to win its first championship of the Chipotle Nationals tournament in Fishers, Indiana. The Explorers began the season ranked No. 1 in the nation. They're in position to end it there after becoming the first team from South Florida to win the event, which is in its 16th year. Columbus would be the first boys' basketball team from South Florida to be voted national champions. 'It's obviously amazing and an incredible feeling,' Columbus coach Andrew Moran said. 'It's the cherry on top. These kids won everything they set their minds to win. It was always their mindset and they played their (butts) off. It's an incredible feeling.' Columbus, the top-seed in the tournament, was the first South Florida team to play in the event's championship game since 2018 after surviving a close call in the semifinals. Cayden Boozer's buzzer-beating jumper as time expired lifted the Explorers to a 47-45 win over Brewster Academy of New Hampshire on Friday night. Boozer carried over that momentum to Saturday's final with one of his most dominant performances. Tied at 34 with 3:44 left in third quarter, Cayden Boozer sparked a 10-0 run that allowed Columbus to pull away for good. Meanwhile, Cameron Boozer took on more of a point forward role, facilitating teammates such as Cello Jackson, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Cameron finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Explorers' collective defensive efforts stifled Dynamic Prep's Jermaine O'Neal Jr., an SMU signee, holding him to only three points. O'Neal's father - former Pacers and Heat standout Jermaine O'Neal - is the coach at Dynamic Prep. He watched his team, seeded 10th in the tournament, beat three higher-seeded opponents on their way to Saturday's final. But after two and a half quarters, Columbus imposed its will and ended Dynamic Prep's stellar run through the tournament. 'It's special and something we were dreaming about since we were freshmen,' Cayden Boozer said. 'To finish it the right way with the group we have is just an amazing feeling and doing it with my twin brother is a blessing.' South Florida has long been known for producing top-tier talent and teams that have won national titles in sports like football, baseball and soccer. But teams achieving even close to the level of dominance Columbus did this season on the national stage has been rare. Teams such as the 1998 Miami High team, which ended the season ranked No. 2 nationally with Udonis Haslem, the 1985 Miami Carol City team that finished ranked in the top 10, the 1974 Miami Jackson, affectionately known as the 'Jackson Five,' which went undefeated, and the Miami Christian teams of the early 2000s with Jose Juan Barea come to mind. The Explorers now have something none of those could claim - a national title. They did it with the Boozers, both of whom have signed with Duke University. They did it with Cameron, a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year who's been named an All-American by multiple outlets and ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in the country. And Cayden, arguably the top point guard in the nation who is ranked No. 16 overall by ESPN. The Boozers have had their jerseys retired at Columbus in honor of their vast list of accomplishments. And Columbus achieved these heights with more than just the Boozers. They also did it with talent such as 6-6 small forward Jaxon Richardson, as well as 6-7 forward Caleb Gaskins and 6-4 small forward Cello Jackson - all of whom are highly-ranked prospects for the class of 2026. Moran, who will reportedly join new University of Miami head coach Jai Lucas on his coaching staff next season, led the Explorers to a 138-32 record during his six seasons at Columbus and 109-13 over the past four seasons. Moran was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year recently after guiding Columbus to all four state titles and now this national crown. If that junior core remains under a new coach, Columbus should remain among the nation's best and in good shape to challenge for a fifth consecutive state title, which would tie a state record. 'This was the last thing we needed on our bucket list and now we're just celebrating,' Cameron Boozer said. 'This is super sweet after last year, we knew we wanted to win it all and we came back and did it.'
Miami Herald
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
A Boozer buzzer beater lifts Columbus basketball team to Chipotle Nationals title game
The dream of a national championship was in jeopardy. Cayden Boozer wasn't about to let it slip away. Boozer, who has proven so adept at finding open teammates over his four-year career as Columbus' star point guard, took it upon himself on Friday night in the closing seconds. With the game tied and the clock ticking, Cayden drove to the top of the key and then hoisted up a three-pointer across his body which found the mark to seal a 47-45 victory over New Hampshire Brewster Academy in the semifinals of Chipotle Nationals at Fishers, Indiana. Columbus, the top-seed in the tournament and the No. 1-ranked team in the nation per MaxPreps, advanced to the final where it will face No. 10-seed and Texas powerhouse Dynamic Prep at noon on Saturday. The Explorers are the first South Florida team since NSU University School in 2018 to reach the final and will try to become the first boys squad to win the event in its 16-year history. Columbus is also vying to become the first South Florida team to finish a season voted national champions. All of those goals were in serious danger once Sebastian Wilkins tied the game at 45 with 10 seconds left. Columbus chose not to call timeout and proceeded to inbound the ball to Cayden Boozer, who then calmly pushed the ball down the court and set up his winning shot. Boozer's teammates rushed the court to celebrate with him after his heroics. He finished with nine points and nine assists in what turned out to be a defensive struggle for a team, which often scored 90-plus points this past season on its way to a fourth consecutive state championship. Cayden's brother, and fellow Duke signee, Cameron Boozer once again led the Explorers on the scoresheet with 15 points and also had a team-high 11 rebounds. Wilkins, a four-star 2026 prospect, led Brewster with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Caleb Gaskins and Cello Jackson each also had nine points for Columbus, which led 40-33 with 5:01 left in the fourth quarter before Brewster began chipping away. The Explorers were outrebounded 32-31 and 17-8 on the offensive glass, which kept Brewster Academy in the game with 19 second chance points. Columbus defeated its final opponent Saturday, Dynamic Prep, 73-55, during the regular season on Dec. 6. Dynamic Prep has been on an impressive run during the Chipotle Nationals, ousting Montverde Academy, Link Academy (Missouri) and Prolific Prep (CA) on its way to the final.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch: Incoming KU basketball guard Darryn Peterson drills go-ahead shot at Nationals
Prolific Prep guard Darryn Peterson (24) shoots a free throw during the second half of the Grind Session High School Basketball World Championships against DME Academy at Coffin Sports Complex Kansas, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Lawrence. Future Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson, the co-MVP of Tuesday night's McDonald's All-America game in Brooklyn, New York, two days later was instrumental in leading Prolific Prep (California) to a victory in the quarterfinals of the 16th-annual Chipotle Nationals in Fishers, Indiana. The 6-foot-5 native of Canton, Ohio, scored 28 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists in No. 6 seed Prolific Prep's 81-80 overtime victory over No. 3 seed Long Island (New York) Lutheran at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Advertisement 'It's almost normal. That stuff all comes with it,' Peterson told Jason Jordan of ESPN in referring to a hectic travel schedule. Peterson is ranked No. 2 in the recruiting Class of 2025 according to ESPN. 'It's been pretty crazy over the last couple of days. McDonald's was nonstop just with intense practices and a lot of different things they had us doing, then I came straight here and had practice,' Peterson added, speaking after the victory. 'I tried to sleep the rest of the day to be ready for today. I usually have at least some time to rest in between, but it's just been nonstop.' Peterson, the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter of a close game. Advertisement 'I just love the game, everything about it,' Peterson told ESPN. 'I just focus on the task at hand. I don't think about anything but what I'm doing right now. I don't think about next year or the future or anything like that. I was only focused on this game today. This game requires extreme focus. I feel I've got to do that every night to be in my zone and get wins.' After missing his first six 3s, he drilled a deep 3 with 6.5 seconds left in regulation and his team down by one. The New York team was able to hit two late free throws and force overtime. Prolific Prep won the OT 13-7. 'My coaches joked to me that that was the only 3 I made all game,' said Peterson, who scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. He has averaged 32.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game this season. Advertisement 'I wouldn't even know that because I shot it like I've been making them all night. That's the thing for me. This game requires extreme focus. It's been a crazy week and crazy couple of days. But I don't want to lose so I'm putting everything into winning Chipotle Nationals,' he added. Of Peterson's performance, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report and NBA TV/Turner wrote: 'The creativity, pacing, counters, shotmaking, athletic finishes, demeanor — just off the charts sharp and advanced. Best prospect in high school basketball.' Prolific Prep (35-5) advanced to meet Dynamic Prep (Texas) in Friday's semifinals (1:30 p.m. Central, ESPN2). Dynamic Prep defeated Link Academy (Missouri) 74-55 in the quarterfinals. Advertisement Prolific Prep (California) (34-5) is making its fifth appearance at Chipotle Nationals and is seeking its first national title in school history. According to the Chipotle Nationals website: 'The National High School Invitational (NHSI) was created in 2009 by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a platform for the top, nationally ranked high school basketball teams in the country to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament. 'Over the course of 15 years, this event (previously titled DICK'S Nationals and GEICO Nationals, taking place in Washington D.C., New York, Florida) has crowned the best high school basketball teams in the country. In 2024, the event moved to Indiana and became the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals.'
