Ely boys dethrone Pines Charter to secure return to state, cement program’s resurgence

On paper, the Pembroke Pines Charter and Pompano Beach Blanche Ely boys’ basketball teams appeared to be dead even. Anybody’s game.

That’s exactly what everyone got - and then some.

Everybody who packed into the Pines Charter gym on Thursday night to standing-room-only capacity wound up getting every dime’s worth as the Jaguars, the defending Class 5A state champions and Ely put on quite a show.

Neither team ever led by more than five points in a game that featured a whole bunch of mini-spurts by each team and a total of 13 lead changes. When it was over, it was Blanche Ely that made a few more big plays in the final minutes as the Tigers hung on for a 59-56 win in a Region 4-5A final.

And with that came a return to glory for Blanche Ely boys’ basketball.

After the Tigers rolled to six state titles in an eight year span from 2012 to 2019 under legendary coach Melvin Randall, the program fell into the abyss after Randall’s departure, not even qualifying for the regional playoffs again until last season.

Under first-year head coach Henry McNabb, who came over from coaching the girls program, the Tigers (18-9) are headed back to a place they used to make an annual trip to, the RP Funding Center in Lakeland for the state final four. Ely will take on St. Petersburg in a 5A state semifinal on March 5 at a time yet to be determined.

“Guts, grit and the will to win, that’s how we got it done tonight,” said McNabb, soaking wet from a water cooler bath from his players in the locker room. “We have so much respect for Coach (PC head coach Dave) Roca and the job he does preparing his team and we knew it would take every ounce of what we had tonight to come into the home court of the defending state champs and find a way to get out of here with a win. I can’t be more proud of our kids.”

The final lead change of the night came with 2:38 left on a put-back basket off a rebound by Kaleb Corbitt to put the Tigers up 48-47. After a turnover, Jayden McNabb, after struggling most of the night from the floor, launched a long three-pointer that found nothing but net to make it 51-47 as the Ely bench erupted.

After Pines Charter guard Max Ortega, who was brilliant all night, leading all scorers on the floor and finishing with half his team’s points, 28, made a driving layup, it was time for Ely’s Jayelen Jonas to step up and perform his heroics.

Averaging nearly 20 points per game, it had been a quiet for Jonas up to that point with just four points.

But he came through with a big rebound and put-back bucket to make it 53-49 and followed that up with two thundering back-to-back alley-oop slam dunks, the last one putting the Tigers up 57-51 with just 15 seconds left to seemingly wrap things up.

But when PC’s Jacob Trenchfield launched and drained a rainbow-sized Steph Curry style three pointer with 9.7 seconds left, it was back to a one possession game.

After Corbitt was fouled, he went to the line with 7.1 seconds left and cooly drained both free throws to make it 59-54.

“It’s all about execution under pressure. As long as we listen to our coach, lock in and buy in to his principles, we’re fine,” said Corbitt who led all Ely scorers with 19 points. “Obviously I put the work in tonight and had a few big shots. Me and my partner right here, Jayelen (pointing to Jonas), we made the big shots when we needed to. Every single day, our coach was telling us how great it used to be. Three peats, 27-1 records and players from past teams coming to our gym and tell us how great it used to be. I’m just glad that we’ve been able to bring Ely basketball back to Lakeland because everyone has missed it.”

The Jaguars last gasp came when Ortega was fouled on a three point shot with 1.6 seconds left. After making the first two, he purposely missed the third hoping to have it hit hard off the iron and perhaps kick back out for a tying three. But Corbitt was there to bring down the rebound and the clock ran out.

“It was a slow game for me for awhile but my coaches and my teammates told me to keep my head up,” Jonas said. “That when the time came, I’d hopefully be able to step up and that’s what I managed to do down the stretch to help my team. It was just a matter of staying cool and keeping our heads in the game. It was the ultimate back and forth game but it was up to us to block out the noise and stay focused.”

Asked about the pressure of taking over a program that has attained such high standards under Randall, McNabb did not hesitate.

“The pedigree? Nobody can walk in Mr. Randall’s shoes,” McNabb said. “He’s the GOAT around here, he’s my mentor, so I don’t try to live up to his hype or expectations. I have just come in here, worked hard with these kids, stay true to them and live with the results. We’re thrilled to be headed back up to Lakeland.”