On Feb. 21, the Miami Palmetto Senior High School boys basketball season came to an end. There were many memorable moments this year, from big wins to electric plays. Here are the top five moments of this MPSH basketball season.
- Scoring over 100 points against Immaculata La Salle in the first preseason game of the season
On Nov. 12, MPSH played a preseason game against Immaculata-La Salle High School, in which they won 102-77. This win was led by senior guard Jaiden Horton, who scored 35 points and set the tone for the incredible season.
- 87- 44 win over Miami Southridge Senior High School
On Dec. 12, the Panthers traveled over to rival school Miami Southridge Senior High and took them on in a heated matchup. Not only did the Panthers beat the Spartans, but they did so boldly, winning by 43 points. While the Spartans had vast amounts of athleticism and size, the Panthers were not affected by this. Again, Horton put up an impressive 27 points, making six three-pointers. Junior Sebastian Madera had an impressive outing as well, scoring 22 points.
- Big dunk during the first play of the game against the Panthers’ biggest rival: Coral Reef
The gym was packed and loud. The crowd was pumped. The referee blows the whistle, tosses the ball up and the game begins. Junior guard Samfree Sarante corrals the ball and throws a perfect pass from halfcourt right to the rim, and Madera catches the ball and slams it home for the dunk. The home crowd was quiet, but the loyal MPSH fans filled the silence. It was the perfect way to start the game against the Panthers’ biggest rivals, the Coral Reef Barracudas. After this play, the Panthers went on to spoil their opponents’ senior night, winning by an enormous 50-point margin with an overall score of 90-40. Horton and Sarante both posted an impressive 22 points to overpower the impressive noise that Coral Reef created.
- Beating Belen Jesuit twice in 10 days
There is a video circulating on social media right now of an internet creator saying, “You can’t win in Belen; Belen’s crowd is too crazy.” Well, the Panthers did twice — in 10 days. The first game against the Belen Jesuit Wolverines, a part of the Junior Orange Bowl Basketball tournament, was the third-place game, which the Panthers took, 63-54. Madera had 19 points to headline the Panthers’ performance. The next game was the real big one — the 66-63 win during the regular season. This game was a demonstration of the Panthers’ grit and toughness down the stretch, as they pulled out an extremely hard-fought victory. The postgame scenes were chaotic, as the Belen student section and even some parents rushed toward the MPSH locker room, creating a very tense situation. It was nothing too tense for the Panthers, as they walked out of the locker room safely and knowing they outplayed the Wolverines twice in 10 days.
- Winning the District Championship for the fourth time in five years
On Feb. 7, the Panthers beat the Coral Gables High School Cavaliers 63-57 to claim the Class 7A District 16 championship in a battle of a game. The Panthers survived an extremely strong outing from Coral Gables to come out victorious. Sarante had an extremely impressive 24 points, capitalizing on a very skilled performance from the Panthers.
While these five moments are certainly nothing short of incredible, they do not fully encapsulate how much this MPSH team showcased their effort, toughness, grit and character throughout this season, and there is no doubt there are special things ahead for this team.
