By Gary Curreri
Blanche Ely’s boys’ basketball team roared to the championship in the Under Armour Challenge bracket at the 28th annual Kreul Classic at Coral Springs City Gymnasium.
The Tigers topped Leflore (Mobile, AL) 66-48 in the championship game as it finally strung together two solid efforts on both sides of the court.
“You play with five individuals on the court,” said Blanche Ely coach Melvin Randall. “If you have those five kids coming on the court together with one fist and delivering that punch you can do some things. Tonight, they were able to put it together. We still have some things to work on, but we are getting better.”
Randall hadn’t been pleased with his team’s effort earlier in the year.
But the Tigers (10-5) put things together on both ends of the court Monday night en route to whipping Leflore, of Mobile, AL, 66-48 in the championship game of the Under Armour Challenge bracket at the 28th annual Kreul Classic at Coral Springs City Gym.
“In the beginning of the season, he (Randall) wasn’t happy,” said Ely senior guard Michael Forrest, who was named the MVP of the bracket. “He said that we would always quit on him. He put us to the challenge. We accepted the challenge and we stepped up. We played hard. we played as a team.”
Forrest finished with 19 points and Anthony Byrd Jr. added 14 for the Tigers (7-3), winners of four straight after starting 3-3.
Ely led only 16-15 after one quarter, but broke the game open after that.
“The (defensive) pressure gives us more energy to get stops,” Forrest said, “and, as we get more stops, we get easy buckets.”
Baseball showcase
The South Florida Baseball School and STEALTH are teaming together for the Phenom Recruiting Showcase event on Jan. 6 at Highlands Christian Academy, 501 NE 48 St., Pompano Beach.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be a pro-style workout with evaluations and the cost to register is $150.
Confirmed schools that will be in attendance include Barry, ASA, Broward, Felician, Florida National, Hillsborough Community College, Palm Beach Atlantic, St. Thomas (NY) and more.
To register, go to www.Phenomrecruiting.com. For more information, call 973-295-5409.
Wallace Field House opening
Highlands Christian Academy baseball coach Bruce Charlebois and the South Florida Baseball School, based at the Pompano Beach campus, will hold a grand opening of the Wallace Field House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 13.
The field house is a 5,000 sq. ft. indoor baseball and softball training facility complete with a Raw Juice and Smoothie Bar, as well as dugout seating and a waiting area with TVs.
The grand opening will include self-guided tours of the facility, demonstrations, guest speakers, music, food and more.