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Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Mater Lakes' Dominguez, Gulliver's Vaughan are Dade Water Polo Coaches of the Year
Gulliver coach Carroll Vaughan had seen her girls' water polo squads endure heartbreak for several years at the state tournament. That finally changed this season. Meanwhile, Nelson Dominguez has helped turn the Mater Lakes boys' team into a powerhouse. The Bears experienced the pain of coming up short of a state title albeit in a breakthrough season for the program. For their efforts, Vaughan and Dominguez are this year's Miami Herald Miami-Dade Water Polo Coaches of the Year. Vaughan led the Raiders to the state final four times since the prior time Gulliver won a state title in 2013. This season, Gulliver cleared the final hurdle with an impressive comeback win over Seminole in the state championship game. It was Vaughan's second state title as the Raiders coach. And with most of their players returning including freshman goalie Sofia Beltran, the Dade Girls' Player of the Year, it may be the first in a sustained run for the Raiders. We had been preparing for this for years,' Vaughan said after Gulliver's championship victory. 'We had some great practices this week. We talked about falling behind and staying in our game.' Mater Lakes hopes next season will bring such a breakthrough as Dominguez, the Boys' Coach of the Year, also returns a loaded squad led by Boys' Player of the Year, Noslen De La Puente. The Bears advanced to the state tournament for the first time in program history as the state's No. 1-ranked team, and did so by navigating through the state's toughest region after wins over Cutler Bay, Gulliver and Ransom Everglades. Mater Lakes came up on the short end of a 10-9 loss in the state final to first-time state champ Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy. But the Bears figure to have the core they need to make it back next season. 'We feel like we didn't lose. We only learned and we keep moving forward,' Dominguez said after the state final.
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Westminster Academy's Daniel Cercols is the Broward Water Polo Coach of the Year
Westminster Academy coach Daniel Cercols knew his boys' water polo team would have its best shot at a state championship this season. The Lions faced a path that required them to navigate through the toughest region in the state, however. But Cercols' squad never doubted it could be achieved. 'We knew on paper we had one of the strongest teams, but we were pretty even with the top seven teams in the state so anybody could win,' Cercols said. 'We were consistent especially considering we had some new kids… I'm so happy for the school.' It was a banner year for the water polo programs at Westminster as its boys' squad secured its first ever state championship. Meanwhile its girls' team appears to be on a path toward similar success after a regional semifinals finish through a tough bracket featuring some of the best teams from the central Florida area. In recognition of that success, Cercols, the coach for both squads, is this year's Miami Herald Broward County Boys' and Girls' Water Polo Coach of the Year. Cercols led Westminster's boys to a 24-2 record, which culminated with back-to-back one-goal victories at the state final four against former champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and Mater Lakes. The Lions already had a formidable roster heading into the 2025 season, which got stronger with the arrival of transfer Matthew Troche - one of the top-rated players in the nation. Troche, the Miami Herald's Boys' Player of the Year, became a catalyst for Westminster's explosive attack in the pool. 'It's amazing. We knew we'd be a high-contesting team from the start. But from the way this team put it together, it's just amazing,' Troche said after a 10-9 win over Mater Lakes in the state championship match. On the girls' side, Westminster went 18-8 with its season ending following a 12-10 loss to Orlando Dr. Phillips. The Lions, however, established themselves as one of the most dominant teams in Broward and statewide with a squad led by All-Broward first team selections, Marley Scott, Lynn-Rose Ruiz and goalie Megan Ruiz. With most of its squad returning, the Lions' girls hope next season to reach the milestone their boys counterparts did this season.
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Reagan boys' volleyball perseveres to advance to first ever regional final
It was a year ago at this time that Yeison Gonzalez helped the Mater Lakes boys volleyball program break through and make its first ever trip to state. After transferring to Ronald Reagan High last summer, Gonzalez, now a senior wanted to do the same for the Bison's boys program. On Friday night, after putting together by far the best season in program history and securing the No. 1 seed in Region 4-2A, it looked like that dream might come crashing down. But Gonzalez refused to let it happen. Hosting No. 4 seed and an upset-minded Belen Jesuit team that was much better than its 13-15 record indicated, Gonzalez, along with his fellow outside hitter Diego Cobena, prevailed in a five-set marathon match, 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 25-13, 15-13) to win a Region 4-2A semifinal at the Reagan gym. Reagan, after winning its opening set, had lost all the momentum as the fired up Wolverines, with their small but fired-up contingent of fans cheering them on, won the next two to go up 2-1 before the Bison rallied to win the final two sets and advance. Now 23-4, Reagan broke new ground with the win advancing to its first-ever regional final. What could have been a rematch with Gonzalez's former team didn't transpire, though, as No. 3 seed Varela also broke new ground, knocking off No. 2 Mater Lakes in the opposite semi and advancing to its first-ever regional final. The two teams will square off in the Region 4-2A final in Reagan's gym on Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a first-ever state final four berth for both teams on the line. Gonzalez dominated all players on the floor as he finished with 31 kills. But if he was Batman, Cobena was his Robin as he had his own big night finishing with 16 kills. 'So after that third set, it really became a mental struggle with the team and all we had to do talked about it in the huddle, about what was going on out on the court and what was going wrong,' Gonzalez said. 'The mentality we needed to get instead of the one that we had. It was let's not fight to make a play, let's fight to get the very next point and not think beyond that. I think that really helped us get the momentum going back in our direction again.' Even though the first set score was close, Reagan led the entire way before a late Belen charge closed the gap. That late surge would turn the tide in the Wolverines' favor. Led by outside hitter Max Klemick and Billy Essig who had a devastating serve, Belen jumped out to early lead in the second set and led the entire way. Reagan took a small early lead in the third but Klemick, Essig and Luke Diaz led the way back for another 25-22 win. 'It's very difficult to stay focused because there's a lot of pressure knowing this very well could've been my last high school game,' Gonzalez said. 'So that was my mentality. I had to work through not worrying about coming back to win the match, just winning the next point that I was in.' Reagan jumped out to a quick lead in the fourth set and never looked back, winning 25-13 and carried that momentum in the final set, leading 9-6 at one point. But Belen kept fighting and a pair of Klemick kills spurned a 6-2 run and 12-11 lead. But 'Batman and Robin' wouldn't been denied as they each recorded two kills over the next five points, Cobena the last one for the game-winner. 'He's brought so much to our program,' said Reagan assistant coach Joshua Garavito of Gonzalez. 'I'm sure it was a very tough decision for him to transfer over and people were always chirping to him about he had made the wrong decision and stuff like that. But he never let it get to his head and stayed strong throughout the process. 'We really built a family here and I think that's what kept him as happy and as strong as he's been.' Said Gonzalez: 'I helped make history last year at Mater Lakes and now I want to help make history here. I love the faculty and staff here, it's been an honor to help this program to success and now we need to get one more and get this thing to state.' MORE RESULTS Region 4-3A semifinal - Columbus d. Cypress Bay 33-31, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18: Lucas Riva had 22 kills, four blocks and eight digs to lead the Explorers while Charlie Friguls had 52 assists. Matias Claure had 10 kills and five blocks. Columbus (26-3) hosts Southwest on Tuesday in the regional finals at 7. Region 4-3A semifinal - Southwest d. Miami High 25-21, 25-12, 18-25, 25-20. Region 3-2A semifinal - St. Thomas Aquinas d. Dr. Joaquin Garcia 25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 15-13: The Raiders (16-8) travel to top-seed Riviera Beach Suncoast on Tuesday night at 7. Region 3-2A semifinal - Riviera Beach Suncoast d. Archbishop McCarthy 25-13, 25-11, 25-16 Region 4-2A semifinal - Varela d. Mater Lakes 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-9 Region 2-1A semifinal - Cardinal Gibbons d. Palm Beach Atlantic Christian 25-20, 25-15, 25-18: The Chiefs (17-10) will travel to West Palm Beach to face Kings Academy on Tuesday at 7. Region 3-1A semifinal - JC Bermudez d. Monsignor Pace 25-21, 28-26, 20-25, 18-25, 18-16: The Thunder (13-3) will host Divine Savior on Tuesday at Doral Legacy Park. Region 3-1A semifinal - Divine Savior d. Downtown Doral, 25-11, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 Region 4-1A semifinal - True North d. Sunset 25-19, 26-24, 25-21: The Titans (17-11) host La Salle on Tuesday. Region 4-1A semifinal - La Salle d. Somerset South Homestead 3-2
Miami Herald
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Mater Lakes, Gulliver survive tests from Ransom to advance to state water polo
Mater Lakes' boys' water polo team used to have trouble getting through its district tournament not that long ago. The Bears entered this week as the top-ranked team in the state. The Gulliver Prep's girls' water polo team knows all about that kind of pressure as a perennial state title contender. Both were tested on Thursday afternoon by capable squads from Miami Ransom Everglades eager to punch their own tickets to the state final four. But the top boys and girls teams in South Florida responded when it mattered most. Mater Lakes' boys overcame an early six-goal deficit to beat Ransom 11-10 in the regional finals at Gulliver Prep's on-campus aquatics center. The Bears (23-2) advanced to state for the first time in program history. On the girls' side, the host Raiders withstood a tough test from longtime rival Ransom with a second-half comeback to prevail 8-6 and advance to the state semifinals for the third consecutive season. Here's a look at how each team persevered. 'OUR YEAR' Mater Lakes supporters donned T-shirts Thursday that read 'Our Year,' as the Bears stormed into the postseason with their best record in school history. Ransom Everglades, a two-time state champion, nearly ruined Mater Lakes' season after storming out to a 6-0 lead over the first quarter and a half. But led by Noslen De La Puente and Amaury Alonso, the Bears chipped away at the deficit until tying the match at 6 just before halftime on Alonso's third goal. Alonso would then give Mater Lakes the lead before Ransom tied the match at 7 on a goal by Lincoln Broad. De La Puente, who finished with four goals, put Mater Lakes ahead for good at that point scoring two in a row. 'I made sure to tell my team to not give up,' De La Puente said. 'We knew it wasn't over. As soon as we scored a few goals, we knew it. I remember three years ago, we couldn't even win our district and now look where we are.' Alonso finished with a team-high five goals while Kevin Brancacho and Sergio Samada each had one. Mater Lakes advanced to take on either Seminole or Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy should it also advance to state, on April 25 in the state semifinals at Belen Jesuit. The opponent will be determined after the remainder of Friday's regional finals are played. 'We've got two games left and we hope to win the state title,' Mater Lakes coach Nelson Dominguez said. 'We need to keep training and keep working hard because the teams we're going to face are very good. Ransom is a great club, but the kids stepped it up and that's why we have confidence in this group.' The Bears have a core group with only four seniors, who hope to bring home the school's first state title next week as part of a potential sustained run of success. 'We just have to keep practicing and work on our chemistry,' De La Puente said. 'What happened in the first quarter can't happen again and it won't. We're gonna bring this home.' Elsewhere in the boys' bracket, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (20-6) advanced to the state final four for the sixth consecutive season and will vie for their first state title since 2023. The Raiders edged Miami Country Day on Thursday 10-9 in the regional final. Lev Konnikov had four goals and an assist to lead the Raiders while Samuel Eastaugh also had two goals and an assist. Marcel Valhalmi had nine saves in goal. GUTSY GOALIE Gulliver freshman goalie Sofia Beltran has a way of calming herself whenever she's about to try stopping a penalty shot. 'I go under water sometimes before facing those and exhale and go back up to reset and get the nerves out,' Beltran said. It worked three different times for Beltran on Thursday as she blocked three penalty shots to help the Raiders rally against Ransom. Beltran finished with 10 saves for Gulliver, which next plays on April 25 at Belen Jesuit against an opponent to be determined after Friday's regional final involving Winter Garden West Orange, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, Orlando Dr. Phillips and Orlando Lake Nona. The Raiders are looking to win their first state title since 2013. 'I felt very happy when I blocked those, but it was scary because anything can happen,' Beltran said. I'm very hopeful and I think we have a strong team and I'm excited to see what's out there.' Kathleeen Serig led Gulliver with four goals while Emma Preston had a key second-half goal and totaled three assists. Mariana Bernal and Sophia Kingston each had a goal and two assists and Isabella Ten-Have scored the go-ahead goal early in the fourth quarter to put Gulliver ahead for good. Gulliver trailed by a goal at the end of the second and third quarters. Preston then tied the match at 6 with 4:40 remaining in the fourth. Beltran then denied Ransom on the second of three penalty shots. Ten-Have gave Gulliver the lead for good moments later. Beltran then stopped another penalty shot to keep the game from going to overtime. Kingston sealed the outcome with a goal from distance with 22 seconds left. 'Ransom played a great game and we knew they would,' Gulliver coach Carroll Vaughan said. '(Beltran) is so young, only a freshman. We've got some good experience out of that. We haven't had a lot of competition since we left (a recent tournament) in Orlando. We're going to watch this game film over and over. 'I think they'll be ok and in a way it's good for them to see that vulnerability. I was really proud of them for holding their composure. They kept saying, 'We got this.' And we kept saying to just keep shooting. Our defense was doing what it needed to do and we held our composure.' -Miami Country Day's girls (13-9) advanced to state for the second consecutive season after beating St. Thomas Aquinas 19-12 on Thursday. The Spartans will likely face top-ranked Seminole in the other state semifinal pending the outcome of the aforementioned regional final.
Miami Herald
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Mater Lakes' Neifeld and South Dade's Balmeceda are the Dade Wrestling Coaches of the Year
Mater Lakes' boys made school history. And South Dade's boys added to their already historic state championship run while their girls got close to their first title. Both wrestling programs won state championships this past season in both the duals and individually-bracketed tournaments in their respective classes. As a result, their coaches - Brandon Neifeld at Mater Lakes and Victor Balmeceda and Gamaliel Duran at South Dade are the Miami Herald's Wrestling Coaches of the Year for Miami-Dade County. Neifeld and Balmeceda share Boys' Wrestling Coach of the Year honors while Duran wins on the girls' wrestling side. After coming close in recent years, Neifeld led Mater Lakes' boys to its first ever state duals title in Class 1A and the Bears followed that up with a dominant performance to capture the 1A title in the individually-bracketed tournament earlier this month in Kissimmee. Mater Lakes totaled 212 points to finish clear ahead of second-place Zephyrhills Christian's 149. The Bears placed six wrestlers in the championship matches and five came away with state titles, including Kellen Mesina (113), Keagan Mesina (120), Ethan Tran (126), Kalias Nazario (165) and Damian Soto (190). Christopher Greene finished as state runner-up at 132. 'This team has been around for four and five years. It's been the same group of guys,' Neifeld, who has been the school's coach for 13 years, said at the state meet. 'We should have won last year but we lost a tough one at the end. This year we just knew it was going to be our year and it's been incredible.' Balmeceda, meanwhile, directed the South Dade boys to another stellar season that included state titles in both formats once again. South Dade now has 27 wrestling state championship trophies having also won its seventh Duals state title earlier this year. The 20 IBT titles is the most for any Miami-Dade program and trails only Brandon High's 28 on the state's all-time list. The Bucs won their 12th in a row, which is the second-longest title streak in state history behind Brandon's 16 in a row from 2001-2017. South Dade placed nine wrestlers in the finals and came away with six individual champions, including Guillermo Jaramillo (126), Jovani Solis (138), Elvis Solis (144), Armand Williams (150), Tyree Graham (157) and Willie White (165). 'Realistically, anyone would have been happy to get four or five guys in the finals, but we went 18-0 on Day 2 with the quarterfinals and semifinals,' Balmeceda said after the state IBT meet. 'They answered the bell.' On the girls' side, South Dade had its own successful season under Duran's tutelage as they tied for the second-most points in the state (106) behind Flagler Palm Coast's 150. Willow White led the Bucs at 120 pounds by completing an unbeaten state championship season.
