By Lynn Ramsey - Florida Catholic
This round-up of results in high school winter sports is based on information from the Florida High School Athletic Association.
MIAMI | Nadley Pierre earned Archbishop McCarthy’s first individual weightlifting state title, winning the 154-pound weight class with a personal-best 400-pound total. The Mavericks senior beat Winter Springs’ Camila Vizcaino by 20 pounds.
Pierre cleared 220 pounds in the bench press, beating everyone by 35 pounds. She then lifted 180 pounds in the clean and jerk. She advanced to the state meet by winning Region 7-2A with a 340 total — tied for the fourth-best total among region qualifiers.
She led the Mavericks to a 10th-place finish with 10 points. The Mavericks also got two points for Christian Pommels’ fifth-place 330 total in the 139-pound class, and one point from Ariana Reyes’ sixth-place 305 total in the 119 class. Pommels bench-pressed and clean-and-jerked 165 pounds each. Reyes lifted 145 in the bench press and 160 in the clean and jerk.
GIRLS SOCCER
Our Lady of Lourdes, Archbishop McCarthy and Cardinal Gibbons all advanced to the state finals, with Lourdes and McCarthy (see separate stories) winning championships in classes 6A and 5A respectively. In class 4A, Gibbons (see separate story) lost to Jacksonville Bishop Kenny, 2-1 .
BOYS SOCCER
Belen Jesuit had the archdiocese’s farthest advance in boys soccer. The Wolverines reached the Region 4 final from the sixth seed before falling 1-0 to state finalist Pembroke Pines Charter.
In Class 7A, fifth-seeded Columbus lost 1-0 in the first round to fourth-seeded Coral Reef.
In Class 6A, second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas won its district championship, then beat Homestead in the first round before falling to state finalist Hollywood South Broward 2-0 in the Region 4 semifinals.
In Class 4A, Cardinal Gibbons earned the fifth seed and fell to Mater Lakes Academy 3-1 in the region quarterfinals.
In Class 3A, 2019 finalist Immaculata-La Salle lost in the Region 4 semifinals to Miami Country Day. The teams tied 2-2, then La Salle lost 4-3 in a penalty-kick shootout.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cardinal Gibbons fell to eventual Class 4A champion Orlando Lake Highland Prep 62-35 in the 4A state semifinals Feb. 29 in Lakeland. Turnovers dogged the Chiefs against Florida’s No. 1 team, with Cardinal Gibbons committing 24 to LHP’s 3.
Although the Chiefs trailed only 14-13 at the half, the Highlanders outscored Gibbons 24-4 in the third quarter. Sharale McCormick had 13 points, and Jennifer Whitlow had 12 points for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs earned Region 4’s second seed, then beat Mater Lakes 57-20, Gulliver Prep 59-39 and Keys Gate 72-62 to reach the state semifinals. Msgr. Pace earned Region 4’s fourth seed but fell 54-23 to Delray Beach American Heritage.
St. Thomas Aquinas, which reached the 2019 Class 8A final, fell in the region semifinals to Pompano Beach Blanche Ely 46-42. The Raiders earned the fifth seed and beat North Miami 78-49 to reach the region semifinals.
Lourdes earned Region 4’s third seed but fell to Davie Nova 57-47.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna also reached the state semifinals before losing to Class 3A’s eventual champion, Boca Raton St. Andrew’s, 68-58.
The Lions had reached the state semifinals for the first time since 1967, and they were trying to reach their first final since 1966. Thaddius Franklin, a running back on the Lions’ state-champion football team, scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for Chaminade-Madonna, who also got 17 points and three assists from Johnny O’Neil.
O’Neil’s basket with 6:55 left in the third helped the Lions tie it 30-30. But Yussif Basa-Ama scored five points in a 13-0 run that put St. Andrew’s to a 43-30 lead. Chaminade-Madonna could not cut the deficit to less than 6 the rest of the way.
In Class 7A, Columbus earned the seventh seed but fell to Davie Western 65-51 in the region quarterfinals.
In Class 5A, Belen Jesuit earned Region 4’s seventh seed but fell to Okeechobee 54-38 in the region quarterfinals.
In Class 4A, Msgr. Pace earned Region 4’s fourth seed by winning its district. But the Spartans lost to Stranahan 111-86 in the region quarterfinals.
CHEERLEADING
Look for separate stories on St. Brendan’s fifth consecutive state title and Immaculata-La Salle’s first title.
Archbishop McCarthy took seventh in the semifinals of the Class 1A medium-non tumbling division. The Mavericks scored 68.10, an improvement over their 65.50 at the Region 4 meet.
Msgr. Pace took fourth in the semifinals of the Class 1A extra-large, non-tumbling division. The Spartans scored 70.80, also improving over the 66.70 earned at the Region 4 meet.
WRESTLING
Columbus sophomore Christian Guzman and Cardinal Gibbons wrestlers Tyler Cabral and Alexandro Mas each took second in their weight classes March 7 at the FHSAA Individual State Championships in Kissimmee.
Cardinal Gibbons had the best team ranking of archdiocesan teams, finishing fourth in Class 1A with 111.5 points. Cabral took second in the 113-pound weight class, losing to Merritt Island’s Elijah Lusk in the final. Cabral won two matches by fall and one by technical fall to reach the final. Mas took second in the 132-pound class, losing to Somerset’s Bas Diaz 10-5 in the final. Mas won by fall and twice by decision to reach the final.
The Chiefs also received a third-place finish from Johnathan Ley in the 145 class and fourth-place finishes from Nicolas Yancey (106) and John James Yancey (138) and a fourth-place finish from Jertavis Black (285).
Columbus finished 15th in Class 3A with 41 points. Guzman led the way with his second-place finish. He fell to Kissimmee Osceola’s Cooper Haase 10-3 in the final. Guzman won three close matches to reach the final.
The Explorers also got a fourth-place finish from Robert Dusendang and a fifth-place finish from Gavin Buck.
St. Thomas Aquinas took 28th with 13 points in the Class 2A meet. Noah Lusk had the Raiders’ best record, going 2-2. Archbishop McCarthy was represented by Jaden Villalobos, who went 1-2.
