High school boys basketball preview: State champs Stranahan, Calvary Christian loaded, but headed down different paths
By Gary Curreri
Sun Sentinel Correspondent
Both Stranahan coach Edward Schuler and Calvary Christian Academy coach Clik McSweeney believe their boys' basketball teams might be better than the 2022 versions that came home with state championships.
Yet only one – Stranahan – will defend their Class 5A state championship. Calvary Christian won't try for a three-peat of their FHSAA state titles the past two years after pulling out of the FHSAA to play an independent national schedule that will have them playing in 14 national tournaments this season. They will travel to Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Calvary Christian Academy will have a second team competing locally this season, however, McSweeney said they will not be eligible to play in the state series.
"We wanted to give every athlete at our school the opportunity to play on the varsity level," McSweeney said. "By creating two teams, we have been blessed and have the opportunity to play at a high level nationally and our other team has a chance to grow versus other local varsity teams."
Calvary Christian Academy returns Memphis signee Carl Cherenfant, a 6-6 senior forward, who helped the Eagles win a second straight state title. They finished 26-2 last season, with the two losses by a total of eight points, including one defeat in overtime to Montverde Academy, who went on to win the Geico national title. CCA opens the season ranked 13th nationally by MaxPreps.
McSweeney believes he has six Division 1 prospects on his roster, including North Carolina transfer Jaylen Curry, a 6-2 senior guard who averaged 19.0 points and 11.3 assists last season while playing in Charlotte. He is expected to fill the void left by Marvel Allen, who transferred to Monteverde.
"Jaylen is one of the best point guards in the country," McSweeney said. "I believe he is better than Marvel."
Curry is not the only transfer for the Eagles. They also picked up 6-10 junior Ethan Lathan, who transferred in from Missouri; Jake Warren, a 6-10, 220-pound forward, who transferred in from Pennsylvania; Shon Abaev, a 6-7 sophomore forward who transferred from Miami Country Day, and 6-4 senior wing Derrick Edouard, who transferred from North Miami.
Edward Schuler guided the Mighty Dragons (27-3) to the third state title in four seasons after the 2021 team failed to get out of the district playoffs. He said this year's team could be the most talented team they have had in a while at the school.
That is a bold statement considering he lost Sentinel All-County first-team selection Hykeem Williams (C/F) who averaged a team-leading 12.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game. Williams, who scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the state championship win last season, has chosen to be an early enrollee at FSU where he will play wide receiver next season.
There are just three returners on the team this season: 5-9 sophomore point guard Esron Simeon; 5-8 senior guard Andre Brown; and 6-4 junior forward Mekhi Murray. Simeon, who averaged 19.0 points last season for an undefeated junior varsity and was called up to the varsity at the end of the season, could be one of the best guards in Stranahan history, according to Schuler.
Lake Worth finished 21-4 last season and lost in the state semifinals to the eventual state champion, Miami Columbus. They return starting 5-7 guard Calvin Sirmans, the large-schools player of the year last season, and 6-4 senior forward Marvin Golf, who averaged 14.5 points per game.
"We are really excited about this year's team," said Trojans assistant coach Derrick Franklin. "We believe last year has taught them a lot about themselves and the possibilities that can be reached.
Broward County teams to watch
Westminster Academy: Westminster Academy went 22-7 and advanced to the regional finals. Lions coach Ehren Wallhoff said this is probably the most talented team he has coached in his 20 years at the school. He returns 6-9 senior forward Jaylen Curry and sophomore guard Alex Lloyd. The Lions added two key transfers in 6-7 sophomore junior wing DJ Wimbley Jr., who averaged nearly 20 points per game at Dillard last season, and freshman wing Alex Costanza who averaged 16 points as an eighth grader at Mater Lakes last season.
North Broward Prep: The Eagles finished last season 27-3 and made it to the regional semifinals. The team returns junior 6-8 forward Enrico Borio, junior 6-5 guard Raul Perez, and 6-6 senior small forward Ben Daniels. North Broward Prep was also bolstered by the addition of 6-4 senior guard Ryan Weiss, who averaged nearly 28 points and 9 rebounds per game at Hewlett, New York last year.
Cardinal Gibbons: Cardinal Gibbons, who finished last season 22-7 and fell in the regional semifinals, will return seven of its top nine players. The Chiefs had been waiting for its football players to finish the postseason before expecting to start hitting on all cylinders. Among them is 6-3 junior point guard Casey Etienne. Three other players averaged in double figures for the school last year in 6-5 senior Caleb Alceus. junior 6-0 guard Sam Vill and sophomore 6-3 power forward Marcus Perrier.
Sagemont: Sagemont, which went 25-7 and finished second at the Class 2A state finals, will need to fill the shoes of leading scorer Adrian Cruz, who averaged 19 points per game, and is now at Limestone University. The Lions do have a group of seniors that they can count on.
Boyd Anderson: Boyd Anderson returns its leading scorer from a 15-8 season, 6-0 junior point guard William Gray, and has 6-3 senior guard Isaiah Joseph and 6-4 senior guard Kellen Cashman, who missed the season at Monarch with an injury. He brings his 17 points, 7 assists, and three rebounds a game to the table.
Palm Beach County teams to watch
Wellington: The Wolverines are always in the mix, and this year, with senior forward Shawn Cineus leading the way, the Wolverines should be in contention once again. Wellington downed Lake Worth for the district title last season. They return several key pieces in senior power forward Shawn Cineus, junior shooting guard Reggie Reinhardt and senior small forward Erick Perez, who moved from New York. They have also moved into a different region which means the road to states could go through Orlando.
Suncoast: The Chargers will go as far as junior small forward Stone Bureau, senior small forward Nate Sasser and junior center Ian Smickle will take them. The team finished 19-6 last year with one of its losses being a 58-57 OT defeat to Stranahan. They will have to get past the defending state champion Dragons and Miami powerhouses Miami Norland and Miami Northwestern.
Dwyer: The Panthers have a plethora of talent this season and hope to get past the regional semifinals where they fell to Martin County for a second time in three games last year. Dwyer has senior point guard Kyle McNeal and senior wing Blake Wilson, a College of Staten Island commit, and senior combo guard Nelson Altilus. Add in senior small forward Mason Brown, a transfer from Santa Fe High School (Alachua), and the squad can be dangerous.
St. Andrew's: The Scots finished 18-8 last season, but return key pieces in junior guard Brooklyn Vick, and senior small forward Andrew Sineway. They also added a senior forward from Serbia, Marko Toljagic. They will likely have a harder road this season as they move into a more difficult classification in Region 4 with the likes of Riviera Prep, Westminster Academy, and Miami Country Day, and are in the same district as St. John Paul II Academy.
St. John Paul II Academy: With senior guard Kyle Edison, the Sun Sentinel 5A-1A player of the year last season, returning, the Eagles hope to make it past the regional final this season. They were seconds away from a trip to the Final Four and lost some key pieces from that 17-11 squad. Sophomore point guard Christian Rosado and junior guard Akeim Strahan will be needed if the Eagles are to be as good.
Feb. 1-4: BCAA Big 8; Feb. 7-10: District tournaments; Feb. 16: Class 7A-2A regional quarterfinals, Class 1A regional semifinals; Feb. 21: Class 7A-2A regional semifinals, Class 1A regional finals; Feb. 24: Class 7A-2A regional finals; March 1-4: State tournament at RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
2021-22 state champions
Class 7A: Miami Columbus; Class 6A: Martin County; Class 5A: Stranahan; Class 4A: Calvary Christian Academy; Class 3A: Florida State University; Class 2A: Orlando Christian Prep; Class 1A: Bradford (Starke).