Belen boys’ basketball seeking first trip to state final four
A veteran coach with two state championships.
A core of players that shares the ball well and presses teams into doubledigit turnovers per game.
A budding sophomore star.
And a loud, loyal fanbase that should only add to their home-court advantage throughout this postseason.
This is Belen Jesuit’s boys’ basketball these days.
It hasn’t typically been this way for one of Miami’s oldest schools. But this season, the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 5A and looking to do something unprecedented for their program — win a state championship.
Belen took another step toward that on Thursday night by coming back to beat Terra Environmental 71-60 in a Region 4-5A quarterfinal in front of a packed gym on its home campus.
The Wolverines (24-4), who won back-to-back district titles last week for the first time in 17 seasons, will host Rockledge on Tuesday night at 7 in the regional semifinals as they try to move closer to a potential first trip to the state final four for their program.
“There’s a banner up there [in our gym] that was 17 years in the making, and we want to make history,” Belen guard Kevin Garcia said. “We want to be a part of something special.”
Garcia, who along with sophomore Bryce Fitzgerald each led Belen with 19 points, is one of seven seniors on a team that next week will try to win multiple playoff games in a season for the first time.
“Our seniors have built a culture that believes in sticking together,” Belen guard Javi Rosell said. “We may be down sometimes, but we stay tough and stay together.”
Belen Jesuit put itself in this position by navigating through a challenging schedule that included games against state title contenders Riviera Prep, Mater Lakes and Palmetto as well as out-of-state powers like Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller.
On Thursday against Terra, a familiar opponent Belen needed to rally against three times this season including last week’s district championship, the Wolverines overcame a five-point deficit early in the second half to move on.
Josh Perez totaled 11 points and Ryan Cuellar had 10.
Rosell had only seven points, but had multiple assists, and leads Belen in that category with 6.1 per game. He is also averaging 13.4 points per game. Cuellar leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game.
The Wolverines are averaging 18.8 assists and 11.2 steals per game as a team, which has been key to their success and a staple of the style their longtime coach Gaston
“Chachi” Rodriguez loves for his teams to utilize.
“Coach calls it ‘organized chaos,’ ” Rosell said. “We defend the house and that’s how we win games and how we get everyone the ball, and that’s how we get buckets.”
Rodriguez, the only coach in Miami-Dade County to win state titles at two separate programs having won at Hialeah Champagnat Catholic and Miami Coral Reef, is in his seventh season coaching Belen.
“We share the ball a ton. Every game we play, it’s like a brotherhood,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of attention gets put to Javi, but I have a lot of great leaders. I thought last year when our seniors left was the group, but this senior group has really established the culture.”
REGION QUARTERFINALS
Region 4-7A — Columbus 66, Western 27: Cameron Boozer led the Explorers (22-4) with 21 points while Garyn Bess had 14 points. Cayden
ABoozer had 11 points. Columbus will host Doral Academy on Tuesday in the region semifinals at 7 p.m.
Region 4-7A — Palmetto 69, Coral Glades 48; Doral 52, Cypress Bay 48; Deerfield Beach 42, Stoneman Douglas 40.
Region 4-6A — Pembroke Pines Charter 48, South Plantation 28: Jeremy Elyzee led the Jaguars (15-10) with 18 points. Adrian Shackleton added 13 points.
Region 4-6A — Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer 60, Piper 27; Southridge 64, Boyd Anderson 48; St. Thomas Aquinas 63, Miami Beach 48.
Region 4-5A — Rockledge 63, Stranahan 51; Riviera Beach Suncoast 48, Northwestern 45; Norland 90, Archbishop McCarthy 57.
Region 4-4A —
Lakes 80, Booker T. Washington 57; Hallandale 69, St. Brendan 67; Somerset Canyons 68, Cardinal Gibbons 66; North Broward Prep 53, Gulliver Prep 49.
AAAAAMater
Region 4-3A — Riviera Prep 76, Boca St. Andrews 46; Divine Savior 82, University School 68; Westminster Academy 69, Keys Gate 54; Miami Country Day 64, Hialeah Educational 51.
Region 4-2A — True North 71, Atlantic Christian 62: J-Roc Lopez scored 23 points and had eight rebounds and seven steals to lead the Titans to the regional semifinals where they will next face Sagemont in Weston on Tuesday at 7. Boosie Swan had 19 points and five assists while Ryan Rodriguez and Jermaine Freeman each had 10 points.
Region 4-2A — Dade Christian 68, Lake Worth Christian 30: Isaiah Williams had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Matias Montezuma had 17 points.
Region 4-2A — Sagemont 81, Vero Beach St. Edwards 26; Jupiter Christian 76, Miami Christian 53.
AAAAAndre C. Fernandez: @FernandezAndreC