Additional Fall Storylines: South Florida

As I mentioned in my last <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/09/fall-storylines-south-florida/">piece</a>, basketball season is right around the corner in South Florida. October 25th is listed as the first practice date according to the <strong>FHSAA</strong>. I ’d like to touch on more storylines as we approach game time. The great thing about high school sports in South Florida is there’s always something to talk about. Last season, <strong>Miami Christian</strong> went 17-7 and won the Class 2A state championship. 2021 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91546" first="Gabriela" last="Bendeck"]</strong> was a huge part of that team after averaging 15.1 points, six rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Her void will need to be replaced in 2021. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="154908" first="Enjulina" last="Gonzalez"]</strong> returns after averaging 12.9 points, six rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. She recently signed with <strong>Mercer University</strong>. 2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="221843" first="Samantha" last="Vales"]</strong> and 2023 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="244206" first="Daimelys" last="Morera"] </strong>should see their roles increase this season. Both players finished one and two in 3-pointers made a year ago. In particular, Morera has some length as a 5-foot-10 forward. You certainly have enough pieces if your Miami Christian to make another run at it. <strong>Miami Palmer Trinity</strong> went 12-8 in 2020-2021 with a young roster. The Falcons were essentially made up of freshman and sophomores. Will they build on that record this season? 2023 point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91640" first="Emily" last="Montes"]</strong> is a talent at 5-foot-10. She averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.5 assists per game. In addition, she made 32 3-pointers. She’s an All-county pick and one of the better players in the area. 2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217669" first="Jade" last="Leon"]</strong> is also 5-foot-10 and averaged 13.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals per contest. 2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="221696" first="Annalise" last="Lindsay"]</strong> (7.8 ppg/9.4 rpg) is gone after transferring to <strong>Miami High</strong>. Obviously, those rebounding totals will need to be replaced. 5-foot-11 forward <strong>Isabella Porto</strong> did average six per game (three offensive). The Falcons have a ton of length and should only be better after a year of development. <strong>Fort Lauderdale</strong> <strong>Calvary Christian </strong>had a pretty good season after finishing 14-8. Consider, three of their eight defeats came to <strong>Westminster Academy</strong>. Also, their overall schedule was pretty tough. A challenging slate last season should help Calvary Christian Academy in 2021. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91595" first="Samiyah" last="Briggs"]</strong> has been fairly consistent over her 66 career games with the Eagles. She’s averaged right around 12 points and five rebounds per game over three seasons. Briggs should uptick those numbers in her final campaign. 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="220010" first="Elizabeth" last="Schnell"]</strong> can really score after knocking down 53-pointers as a junior. The 5-foot-6 shooting guard should be a good bet for multiple 20-point efforts. 2025 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="221649" first="Markeli" last="Jones-Tynes"]</strong> is a 5-foot-10 point guard prime for a big season. She had a great summer playing against top competition. I like her as an overall playmaker in this offense. She has a knack to score the ball and great vision for a guard. <strong>Pompano</strong> <strong>Blanche Ely</strong> should be motivated after suffering a 2-point defeat to <strong>St. Thomas Aquinas</strong> in the Class 6A state tournament. Going 18-2 with both defeats by a combined 12 points is a tough pill to swallow. The Tigers also went 2-1 over the Raiders overall. The good thing is Blanche Ely will be right in the mix once again with players like 2022’s <strong>Michiyah</strong> <strong>Simmons</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91563" first="Mya" last="Kone"]</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91568" first="Zaria" last="Blake"]</strong>. Each player brings quickness and length at their respective positions. In addition, 2024 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="219925" first="Janessa" last="Kelley"]</strong> is a super talented point guard. If I had to pick one area to watch, it would be the nearly seven assists and five steals per game lost from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91491" first="Ja’Leah" last="Williams"]</strong>. The <strong>Miami</strong> signee was a great player and team leader. Still, Blanche Ely just reloads as one of the best programs in the state. The 2022 class I mentioned above should be just fine in keeping this program at the top of the food chain. <em><strong>For any South Florida Prep Girls Hoops news or information...please contact Michael Costeines @Steins_23 on Instagram or follow him on Twitter @Mungertown_Mike23.</strong></em>