More history for Columbus basketball with record fifth consecutive state title
Two banners hang from the top of the Columbus gym with the retired numbers of Cameron and Cayden Boozer.
Modern day legends for one of the greatest state championship runs in state boys’ basketball history.
They also cast a big shadow on the current Explorers roster this season, with many wondering if they were good enough to extend their state championship streak without the sibling stars who now play for Duke University.
On Saturday night, Columbus answered the challenge.
It took all 32 minutes, but the Explorers emerged with another major piece of history following a nail-biting, 53-50 win over Sarasota in the Class 7A state championship game at UNF Arena.
“It’s a great feeling. We thank those great players who played here for four years, but now this is our time,” said Columbus forward Caleb Gaskins, a University of Miami signee and McDonald’s All-American. “They paved the way for us, and we had to finish it for them.”
Gaskins was one of the few returners from last year’s fourth and final state championship with the Boozer brothers in Columbus uniforms and former coach Andrew Moran on the sideline before he left to become an assistant coach at the University of Miami.
Gaskins provided leadership to a revamped Explorers’ roster, which on Saturday, won the school’s fifth consecutive state championship.
Columbus became the first Miami-Dade County program to accomplish the feat surpassing Miami Norland’s string of four in a row. The Explorers also matched a state record shared by Jacksonville Arlington Country Day and Malone.
“It’s surreal because obviously we had a great group of guys come here to this program and set a standard,” said Columbus coach Jorge Milo, who was an assistant under Moran until being promoted to head coach this season. “The new group came in and followed and paved their own way. Adversity hit and they stuck together and made winning plays. It’s historic.”
And the Explorers (26-6), ranked No. 21 nationally by MaxPreps, are not done.
Next week, they will take part in The Throne national championship tournament from March 19-21 in East Rutherford, N.J. Columbus won the tournament three years ago during the Boozer twins’ sophomore season.
The Explorers needed their returners and newcomers alike to help them defeat underdog Sarasota (25-7) in the 7A final, which came down to the final possession. Multiple Columbus players were in foul trouble in the second half, and freshman Jordan Fisher fouled out with 1:59 left in the fourth quarter.
Columbus never led by more than eight points in the game, and broke a 48-48 tie with 1:37 remaining when Cello Jackson, a Memphis signee, made two free throws.
Over a minute later, Sarasota’s Sam Reindell turned the ball over under the basket and Jackson again was fouled with 29.7 seconds left. He made one free throw to make it a three-point game.
Senior Felipe Quinones, an FAU signee who transferred to Columbus from Bradenton IMG Academy, then came up with a pivotal steal with 13.6 seconds left.
Quinones led the Explorers with 15 points while Caleb Gaskins had 12 points and Cayden Gaskins had 11 points.
“One of the reasons I came here. I was at IMG for three years and couldn’t get a state championship,” Quinones said. “I’m just very happy we did it. People didn’t think we could do it. We heard it all season literally since they left. We knew what we had to do. It was a collective group, but we did it without them.”
Cayden, who is Caleb’s younger brother and a freshman, nearly made a crucial mistake when he slammed the ball in celebration and was called for a technical foul. This allowed Sailors guard Johnny Lackaff, who led Sarasota with 27 points, to make two free throws to keep it a one score game and retain possession for one last chance to tie the game.
But Lackaff’s three-pointer fell short and Columbus was able to run out the clock.
“That was my little brother. He’s a young freshman,” Caleb Gaskins said. “It’s a learning moment and God got us here for a reason and that didn’t take away our victory. I just told him don’t worry about it, it’s a learning experience and just move on from it.”
Cayden Gaskins and Fisher, who had seven points and eight rebounds, will make up a big part of a young Explorers core next season that will try to break the state record if Columbus can win a sixth consecutive state title.
Caleb Gaskins felt grateful to have been able to continue a winning tradition that began with the Boozer brothers.
“I’ve got two national championships and two state titles here,” Gaskins said. “I’m so grateful to God for this, and I’m ready to do some big things with the (Miami) Hurricanes.”
