Columbus puts on a dunk show to cruise into fourth consecutive state final
Cameron and Cayden Boozer are hard to beat in any basketball-related competition.
But Columbus’ star siblings say they know better than to challenge teammate Jaxon Richardson to a dunk contest.
“We can’t do that because we know Jax is the most athletic of all of us,” Cayden Boozer said. “He’d be the one to win for sure.”
Richardson was the frontman in a spectacular dunk show that he and his Explorers’ teammates put together on Friday during a 78-48 rout of Sanford Seminole in a Class 7A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
Barely two minutes into the game, Richardson reached back with his right hand and threw down a fierce slam and moments later slammed another home off an alley-oop.
By halftime, Cayden and Cameron and teammates Caleb Gaskins and Cello Jackson had joined the party.
The Explorers totaled 11 dunks overall including 10 by halftime. At one point in the first quarter, Columbus had eight - nearly as many dunks as Seminole had points in the period (9).
“Most likely it’s true I’d win,” Richardson said with a smile. “I have some crazy dunks in my bag, but it was cool seeing a lot of our guys get some good ones today too.”
Richardson had five of the flashiest dunks, which more importantly, catapulted the Explorers (26-3) to their fourth consecutive state final where they will face Windermere at 1 p.m. Saturday with a chance to win a fourth state title in a row. Columbus, ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps, has a chance to join Miami Norland as the only Miami-Dade County teams to win four in a row. A state title would also keep the Explorers on course for a potential national title should they win the Chipotle Nationals this April 3-5 in Fishers, Indiana.
“State games are always tough,” Richardson said. “We have to pull together and play as one and I think we’ll get this done.”
The Explorers scored the game’s first six points quickly and stormed out to a 40-11 lead midway through the second quarter.
Cameron Boozer led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Richardson had 15 points and Cayden Boozer had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jackson totaled 13 points and Gaskins had eight points and six assists.
“We did good, but we could have been a little better,” Cameron Boozer said. “We’re hyped up for tomorrow. We have to be locked in tomorrow and ready to come out strong and hit first.”
Although Columbus still has its eyes on potentially becoming Dade’s first boys’ basketball national champion, they’re focusing on completing one of the most impressive four-year runs in the history of Florida basketball with another title.
Clearing the final hurdle has not come easy for the Explorers in any of the first three seasons of their current state title run. Columbus beat Orlando Dr. Phillips, 45-44, in the 2022 state final. They beat Winter Haven 50-48 in the 2023 final and they had to come back to beat Orlando Oak Ridge 72-67 in the 2024 final.
“We’ve got some things to clean up and we haven’t had a state championship game that wasn’t close,” Columbus coach Anthony Moran said. “We have to be ready. We can’t take anyone lightly. We have to be ready to go.”
