Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Grandview opens title defense with victory
Grandview Prep began defense of its Class 2A state championship Monday night with an 85-29 rout of Sheridan Hills in the District 7-2A tournament at Atlantic Christian.
The Pride went 32-0 a season ago and defeated Bradenton Christian 87-63 in the state final. Grandview Prep became the third boys basketball team in Palm Beach County history to finish a season unbeaten.
Grandview was one of four South Florida programs to win state championships in 2016, joining Coral Springs (Class 8A), Blanche Ely (7A) and Dillard (6A). Westminster Academy made it to the 3A title game before falling to Windermere Prep.
This year, top-seeded Grandview Prep improved to 23-3 with Monday's victory and will face the winner of Tuesday's Hollywood Christian-Donahue Academy game Friday in the district semifinals. Jamal Ellick led the Pride with 16 points, Roy Jones III had 15 and Matt Schner 14. The finals are scheduled for Saturday night.
"We feel we are playing our best basketball right now at the end of the year," Grandview Prep coach Joe Dawson said Monday. "All of our kids are on the same page mentally."
Grandview Prep has been among the county's top programs all season long, along with Wellington, Palm Beach Lakes, Dwyer, Royal Palm Beach, Cardinal Newman, Oxbridge and St. Andrew's.
The Pride's three losses have come to New York power Long Island Lutheran (71-40) in the Holiday Classic of the Palm Beaches, Class 4A Westminster Academy (76-62) and 5A Oxbridge (75-72). Grandview Prep has split a pair of games with the ThunderWolves.
Two of the three losses — versus Westminster and Oxbridge — occurred when junior big man Marcus Bentley was out with an ankle injury. He is now back playing.
Atlantic Christian is the No. 2 seed in the district. Grandview Prep defeated Atlantic Christian 72-65 in the regular season.
Wellington has first-round bye
Among some of the other interesting districts, Wellington is the No. 1 seed in 9-9A at Seminole Ridge with John I. Leonard the No. 2 seed. Led by guard Trent Frazier, the Wolverines get the winner of Jupiter-Palm Beach Central in its opener Wednesday.
Frazier, an Illinois signee and the Sun Sentinel’s reigning Player of the Year, is averaging 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season.
Crash course likely in 13-8A
District 13-8A at Forest Hill is a three-way showdown between No. 1 seed Palm Beach Lakes, No. 2 Dwyer and No. 3 Royal Palm Beach. Dwyer plays West Boca on Tuesday, while Royal Palm faces Olympic Heights. Palm Beach Lakes will play the winner of the Boynton Beach-Forest Hill game on Friday.
Royal Palm, which was expected to battle Dwyer for district honors this season, is led by standout senior Jules Jasmin, a 6-foot-3 wing, and point guard Leonard Thorpe, while standout guards Tommie Luke, a senior, and Miles Coleman, a junior, form the potent scoring nucleus of perennial power Dwyer.
Lakes has shined this season, surprising many by beating Dwyer for regularseason district honors, led by guards Lavorris Givins and Ty Hands.
Around the county
District 12-5A at King's Academy should go to the wire as well between No. 1 seed Cardinal Newman and No. 2 Oxbridge. Newman plays King's on Wednesday while Oxbridge gets Inlet Grove.
And St. Andrew's is the No. 1 seed in 13-5A at North Broward Prep. The Scots, led by Florida State signee Anthony Polite, will face the Heritage-North Broward Prep winner on Wednesday. Districts finish up at the end of this week.
Regional quarterfinals in Classes 5A-9A and regional semifinals in Classes 1A-4A will be held Feb. 16. The state tournament is set for Feb. 28-March 4 in Lakeland.