Top Performers: State Tournament (Day 3)
LAKELAND, FLORIDA – The FHSAA state tournament continued on Friday with a four-game slate that featured the Class 7A semifinals and 1A and 2A finals.
Results:
- 7A Semifinal: Columbus 71, Colonial 28
- 7A Semifinal: Winter Haven 61, Oak Ridge 58
- 2A Final: Sagemont 67, Orlando Christian Prep 66
- 1A Final: Williston 58, Chipley 49
Here is a look at the standouts from Friday’s action.
ICYMI:
2023 6-6 G Tynan Becker – Sagemont
The best shooting performance of the day came from Tynan Becker. The 2023 6-6 guard was red hot in Sagemont’s Class 2A state title win, the program’s third in school history. He netted 25 points as he shot 6-of-13 from long range. Becker simply was confident, finding openings and making them count. He’s a passionate and athletic player who won’t back down from attacking or shooting with prowess. Becker certainly opened some college coaches eys after that game.
—2023 6-1 guard Asthon Smith had a productive outing with 15 points and nine assists. A speedy ballhandler, he has a knack for flying up and down the floor.
2024 6-4 G Isaiah Brown – Orlando Christian Prep
Orlando Christian Prep didn’t go away despite trailing by double digits for a good portion of the second half. 2024 6-4 guard Isaiah Brown (28 points) went to the rim time and time again and had the game-tying bucket with under 30 seconds left. Orlando Christian Prep never led in the game, but with Brown it felt that it had a chance throughout.
—2024 6-0 guard Ameer Ramadam (16 points) is a poised shooter, who didn’t knock down shots at a high clip but he battled late to keep his team alive. He’s a very gifted ballhandler and floor mover.
2025 6-8 F Cameron Boozer – Columbus
Columbus got out in front early against Colonial and made it quite difficult to attempt a comeback. 2025 6-8 forward Cameron Boozer dropped 22 points and 11 rebounds and was all over the glass on both ends of the floor making it look easy. He is a highly skilled all-around talent who is tasked to do plenty for this well put Columbus unit.
—2024 6-9 forward Malik Abdullahi (12 points) continues to shine around the rim and is a special athlete. 2025 6-5 guard Cayden Boozer (11 points, eight rebounds) is a nice lead piece for this squad and had a nice showing overall.
2024 6-5 F Tyler Johnson – Oak Ridge
From the opening whistle, Tyler Johnson came to play against Winter Haven. The 2024 6-5 forward is a gifted ballhandler and finisher. Most impressively, he can really shoot it and takes high IQ looks. With 17 points and seven rebounds, Johnson put it all on the line in the last second loss.
—2024 6-5 G Cameron Simpson (21 points) caught fire in the second half with 19 of his team-best 21 points which featured 5-of-8 shooting from deep. He really found his groove and helped his team gain a lot of momentum. Simpson is commited to UCF and really proved his worth on Friday.
2023 6-1 G Kjei Parker – Winter Haven
Winter Haven has a lot of state tournament experience on its roster. No one was more clutch than Kjei Parker, who buried the game winning buzzer beating 3 (video below). Headed to Florida A&M in the fall, Parker had 13 points and made some huge shots late that mattered the most. The kid is just a winner.
—2024 6-6 guard/forward Isaac Celiscar is a versatile player who knows his role as a slasher and he was finishing with power on his way to 17 points and 10 rebounds. 2023 6-8 forward Dylan James (12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks) fought through foul trouble to play a complete game as usual.
2023 6-2 Greg Maxwell – Williston
After a rather quiet semifinal performance, Williston’s main offensive weapon Greg Maxwell shined on the way to the school’s first state championship. He totaled 23 points and eight steals. Maxwell buried a huge 3-pointer with just under three minutes left to really set thegame apart. He is a very skilled unsigned senior that would help any college program right now.
—2024 6-6 forward Kyler Lamb (11 points) is just scratching the surface. His length and ability around the rim is fun to watch.
2023 6-0 G Daquayvious Sorey – Chipley
Headed to Auburn in the fall for football, Daquayvious Sorey had a nice showing and some big buckets late for a scrappy Chipley team with 13 points. He is so bursty and athletic. Sorey is going to have a nice career on the football field.
—2024 6-2 guard Kyler Bryant (11 points) has had a nice week as he as averaged just around 16 PPG. Bryant is very talented and should have a nice summer during AAU season with his lead guard skills.
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Jake Perper has been a sports writer since 2010 and a basketball scout since 2015. He was the Southeast Scouting Director for the Prep Hoops Circuit and the lead scout for Prep Hoops’ Florida site for seven years. You can follow him on Twitter @thehoopvibe.