Newcomer and senior lead North Miami girls’ basketball. Plus football honors and soccer results
At the beginning of last season, North Miami girls’ basketball coach Louis Presume spotted a tall girl walking the hallways.
Presume approached the 6-foot-4 Fenishka Bertho, asking if she played basketball. She said, “No.” Actually, she never played any organized sports.
Presume convinced her to give basketball a try, and during the summer, they worked on her game.
The hard work paid off as the 16-year-old Bertho honed her newfound skills rather quickly.
“She’s just a student of the game,” Presume said. “She has soft hands and a big body. She is a very good free throw shooter, too. She’s doing good.”
Making her basketball debut this season, she is starting at center, where she is averaging 18 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks a game. She also carries a 3.2 GPA.
What a find.
With Bertho controlling the middle, the Pioneers are 10-4.
In the winter break, North Miami competed in the Archbishop McCarthy Holiday Classic. Prior, the Pioneers beat American twice, Hialeah twice, ATM, Miami Central, North Miami Beach, Palm Beach Central, Santaluces, and Westland Hialeah. They’ve lost to Killian, Lourdes, Somerset Academy Silver Palms and Norland.
North Miami features just two seniors, including 5-11 small forward Desiree Sinclair. Of the starting five, Sinclair is the lone senior starter and lone returning starter. She is a four-year starter, who leads the team.
Freshman point guard Alexie Nicolas, junior shooting guard Myiesha Herard (4.0 GPA) and sophomore guard Kindal Glanton also start. Freshman 6-2 power/forward center Laila Handerson (straight As) is the team’s rising star.
“They are hard working kids who just click; they put it together,” said Presume.
This marks Presume’s sixth season at the helm of North Miami girls’ basketball. The Pioneers have been district champs and district runners-up, advancing twice to regionals, including last season.
This season the Pioneers are vying to reach state for the first time. Blanche Ely and St. Thomas Aquinas are in their way.
Football
The finalists for the state-wide 2021 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football and Football Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school football coaches and prep media representatives.
Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in his classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in his class. The two overall winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
Here are Mr. Football finalists who are from South Florida.
Taron Dickens, Junior, Quarterback, Northwestern, Class 6A Player of the Year
Led his team to a 10-4 record and a spot in the state Final Four by completing 230-of-327 passes (70.3%) for 3,743 yards with 42 TDs and 8 interceptions. Rushed for 572 yards on 101 carries (5.7 avg.) with 8 TDs.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Senior, Defensive Lineman, Chaminade-Madonna, Class 3A Player of the Year
Led his team to an 11-1 record and the state championship with 72 tackles (34 solo), had 17 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. Selected as an Under Armour All-America. Signed with Ohio State University.
Ennio Yapoor, Freshman, Quarterback, Champagnat Catholic, Class 2A Player of the Year
Led his team to an 11-3 record and the state championship by completing 230-of-335 passes for 3,300 yards with 26 TDs and 4 interceptions. Rushed for 530 yards on 124 carries (4.3 avg.) with 11 TDs.
Here is how other local players finished in the voting by each class.
Class 8A: 4. Collin Hurst (Western). 5A: 3. Omar Graham (Stranahan), 4. Wesley Bissainthe (Miami Central), 5. Marvin Jones Jr. (American Heritage). 4A: 3. Mason Thomas (Cardinal Gibbons). 3A: 3. Leon Hart (Edison), 4. Davion Gause (Chaminade-Madonna).
Here are Coach of the Year finalists who are from South Florida.
Matt DuBuc, Cardinal Gibbons, Class 4A Coach of the Year
DuBuc led his squad to an 11-2 record and a second straight Class 4A state title. In six years at Cardinal Gibbons he has compiled a 63-12 record, including the 2018 Class 5A state championship.
Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna, Class 3A Coach of the Year
Led his team to an 11-1 record and the Class 3A state title. In six years at Chaminade he has posted a 66-13 record with four state titles (2017-19 and 2021) and two runnerup finishes (2016 and 2020). In 16 years as a head coach (10 years at Hallandale), he has compiled a 140-30 record.
Here is how other local players finished in the voting by each class.
Class 7A: 2. Roger Harriott (St. Thomas Aquinas). 6A: 4. Max Edwards (Northwestern). 5A: 2. Roland Smith (Miami Central). 2A: 2. Hector Clavijo (Champagnat Catholic).
Miami Classic basketball
The Miami Classic for boys’ basketball teams is Jan. 7-8 at Florida Christian School, 4200 SW 89th Ave., Miami 33165.
Jan. 7: 5 p.m.: Calvary Christian vs. Archbishop McCarthy. 6:30 p.m.: Columbus vs. Dillard. 8 p.m.: Florida Christian vs. Mater Lakes.
Jan. 8: 11 a.m.: Dade Christian vs. Gulliver Prep. 12:30 p.m.: Chaminade vs. Belen Jesuit. 2 p.m.: Cantebury vs. Calvary Christian. 3:30 p.m.: Archbishop McCarthy vs. Palmetto. 5 p.m.: Dillard vs. Riviera Prep. 6:30 p.m.: Mater Lakes vs. Columbus. 8 p.m.: Florida Christian vs. Southridge.
Basketball results
BOYS: Gulliver Prep 67, LaSalle 43: Amare Sanders 15 points, 5 assists 3 steals; Jeremy Arnum 11 pts, 5 rebounds; Jackson Mansfield 11 pts, 10 asts; Anthony Isler 11 pts, 4 rebs; 3 stls; Ray Allen 6 pts, 10 rebs, 5 stls.
BOYS: Junior Orange Bowl Classic: Gulliver Prep 72, Westminster Christian 40: Amare Sanders 21 points, 4 steals, 6 rebounds; Keenan Lawrence 17 pts, 3 asts; Ray Allen 10 pts, 10 rebs.
Soccer results
BOYS: Cardinal Gibbons 2, Pembroke Pines Charter 1: Danny Perret-Gentile 1 goal; Adam Elkott 1 goal; Johnny Bromfield 1 assist; Danny Perret-Gentile 1 assist. CG (10-1-2).
BOYS: LaSalle 3, Miami Country Day 1: LaS: Luis Sosa 1 goal, 2 assists; Charles Esber 1 goal; Dylan Batalha 1 goal. MCD: Jhonny Mercado 1 goal. MCD (4-6-1).
BOYS: University School 2, Pine Crest 1: Nikolas Ricardo 1 goal; Rafael Matiello 1 goal. UNIV (7-2-1).
GIRLS: American Heritage 2, Boca Raton 0: Diana Pon 1 goal; Romi Witek 1 goal; Savannah Hydes 1 assist; Gkp Sophia Garcia shutout. AH (5-3).
GIRLS: Pines Charter 8, Everglades 0: Gianna Burbridge 3 goals, 2 assists; Sabrina Araujo 1 goal, 1 assist; Andrea Calderon 1 goal, 1 assist; Marissa Martin 1 goal; Mariana Ardila 1 goal; Gkp Madison Casanova 11th shutout. PC (10-0-3).
GIRLS: St. Brendan 7, Marathon 0: Kyara Ormazabal 2 goals; Gkp Meagan Alvarez shutout. StB (9-2).
GIRLS: St. Thomas Aquinas 9, Coral Springs 0: Player of the Game Genesis Hernandez 3 goals; Gabby Stewart 2 goals; Isabella Humbles 1 goal; Delaney Guerin 1 goal; Bella Jahnes 1 goal. STA (12-1-1).
Submit sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results, top performers and stats for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 10:22 PM.
