Motivated by legacy, Stranahan back on cusp of another boys’ basketball state title
It hasn’t been that long since Stranahan put together a dominant four-year run in boys’ basketball.
The Mighty Dragons won three state titles in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
There’s no doubt that recent history is what’s driving them on the quest for a fourth title.
Senior Esron Simeon, the only player remaining on the roster from that most recent state title, scored 21 points on 8 of 9 shooting, and junior Christian Yeargin had 20 points to lead Stranahan to a 72-55 victory over Jacksonville Ribault on Tuesday in a Class 4A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
“We’ve been here three times and we’re doing it for my brother’s legacy, and I’ve got my brother right beside me, and we’re going to come back (Thursday) for one more (win) and get that ring,” said Yeargin as he stood next to Simeon and spoke to reporters postgame.
The Dragons (24-7) will do their best to back up Yeargin’s prediction on Thursday night at 7 p.m. when they square off with reigning 4A state champion St. Petersburg Gibbs in the 4A final.
Stranahan is vying for its fourth state title in the past seven seasons. If they prevail, the Dragons will have the most state championship of any Broward boys’ basketball program during that span. Stranahan would also become the fourth Broward public school to win four or more state titles all-time.
“These kids are young so they have a chance to go back-to-back and I told them at the beginning of the season,” said Stranahan coach Edward Schuler about his team, which has only nine players, seven of whom are juniors. “They have a chance to do something special.”
The Dragons trailed for the entire first quarter and fell behind by as many as eight points early.
But Stranahan made a defensive adjustment late in the period, which began to turn the tide against Ribault (21-9).
“We came out in a zone to try to make them shoot some jump shots, but they got hot and we switched back to man and turned the whole game on them,” Schuler said. “We knew they had four left-handers and our defenders wanted to push them right the whole game and stay up and your man and when you get the rebound, get out and go.”
The Dragons took advantage of Ribault’s 14 turnovers and turned several into fast break points.
Simeon led the defensive effort with three steals while 6-9 junior center Isaiah Brown had two.
Brown and 6-3 junior David Nealy, who also scored 12 points, led Stranahan on the boards.
Guard Damari Foster, the Dragons’ lone sophomore, scored 15 points and did a great job of facilitating the ball to teammates with five assists.
Leading 34-30 at the half, Stranahan scored the first six points of the third quarter and gradually pulled away for the victory.
“It was just defense and playing our type of basketball,” Simeon said. “That’s just us. We don’t panic and we do what we do.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 5:53 PM.
