10 Regional Finals To Watch (1A-4A)
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There will be 56 games played on Tuesday.
The 12 regional finals in Classes 1A-4A will decide who advances to Lakeland for next week's state tournament.
Here is a look at 10 of the top regional finals in Classes 1A-4A.
Class 4A
Oviedo Master's at Seffner Christian
This was the round Oviedo Master's had to go on the road in last season and the Eagles were able to win over Carrollwood Day. Now, Master's will have to knock off Seffner Christian on the road, a team that won its district title over Tampa Prep by two points in double overtime and Santa Fe Catholic by two points in the region semifinal. The size and athleticism are there with 2019 guard Cornelius Bobo and 2021 guard/forwards Mike Trigg and Willie Jones. Master's has 2019 guard Blaize Darling and 2020 guard Corey Sawyer Jr. doing a lot.
P.K. Yonge at University Christian
Providence is out of the picture after P.K. Yonge knocked off the Stallions 63-61 last week. Now, the Blue Wave will head to University Christian, the same team that beat Providence in its district final a week and a half ago. P.K. Yonge has 2019 Southeastern Louisiana signee Byron Smith, 2020 guard Jalen Speer and 2019 guard Israel Wilcox doing damage. University Christian has been earning good play from 2020 forward Lenzy Hancock Jr., 2019 forward Michael Griffin and 2019 guard G'shan Aldridge.
Westminster at Sagemont
The two-time defending 4A state champions Westminster go on the road to Sagemont to try to punch its ticket to Lakeland once again. Sagemont has 2019 Southeastern Louisiana signee Isaiah Kirby carrying the way. Westminster has an impressive 2019 guard duo in Chase Johnston (IUPUI signee) and Sam Griffin (UT Arlington signee). This will be a fast paced outing.
Class 3A
Orlando Christian Prep at St. Pete Canterbury
Two-time defending state champion Orlando Christian Prep will have to go on the road to advance to Lakeland. The Warriors held off Mount Dora Christian at home in this round a season ago. St. Pete Canterbury will have to slow things down and play a near-perfect game behind 2020 guard Rivers Lenholt and 2021 guard Anthony Perkins to have a chance. Orlando Christian Prep has 2020 guard Eric Butler, 2021 forward Camden Easley and 2022 duo Ven Allen Lubin and Anthony Brown.
Fort Myers Canterbury at First Baptist
One of the biggest rivalries in the Fort Myers/Naples area has been between Canterbury and First Baptist as of late. The Lions won the district, as they did a season ago against Canterbury. These two teams then met in the regional final as the Cougars pulled off a 39-38 road win and carried that momentum into the state final before losing to Orlando Christian Prep. Canterbury has 2019 forward Simon Wilbar and 2021 guards Chase Garrett and Alan Cedeno at the forefront. First Baptist features 2019 guard Preston Urbancic and 2020 guard/forward Peyton Urbancic.
Jupiter Christian at Champagnat Catholic
These two squads met in the regional semifinal last season as Champagnat Catholic won 67-61 despite being a district runner-up. The Lions are now hosting and have a 2020 group led by Julio Rodriguez, Lian Lopez and Justice Galezo that is consistent. Jupiter Christian features 2019 trio Gedeon Germinal, Jake Thrift and Gethro Germinal.
Class 2A
Miami Christian at Schoolhouse Prep
This is the exact opposite scenario we saw a year ago. Miami Christian won the district over Schoolhouse Prep and beat them in the regional final on the way to capturing its second straight state championship. This time around, the Victors will have to go on the road to beat Schoolhouse Prep after losing the district title. 2019 guard duo Diego Rivera and Algenis Quintana are the top pieces for Miami Christian. As for Schoolhouse Prep, 2020 trio Carl Bigord, Ange Dibwa and Jose-Luis Benitez have been tough to slow down.
Central Florida Christian at Victory Christian
This will be the third matchup between these two schools as Victory Christian won at home in the regular season and Central Florida Christian beat the Storm 66-59 in the district final on Feb. 15. The Eagles made a state semifinal appearance last season. CFCA has 2019 Bethune Cookman signee Jordan Preaster alongside 2019 guard Bryce Street and 2019 forward Anterrius Washington. Victory Christian features 2019 forward Wilfredo Rodriguez and 2020 guard/forward Abdiel Echevarria.
Class 1A
Bell at Wildwood
A rematch of last year's regional final, Bell and Wildwood will square off once again. Wildwood won 59-45 in the last meeting before going on to capture the state title. 2020 guard Markus Niblack is the workhorse for the Wildcats alongside a pair of 2021 athletes in Nate Mikell and Alfred Corbin. Bell features 2019 guard trio Ian Townsend, Austin Bagby and Tyler Trantham. It will be a tall task for Bell to go to Wildwood and beat the defending state champions.
Madison County at Hawthorne
Another rematch of last year's regional final, Madison County cruised past Hawthorne 70-40 a season ago. Expect a much closer affair this time around. Madison County features 2019 FSU football commit Travis Jay, 2019 forward Vincenta Mitchell and 2019 forward Marvin Alexander. The Cowboys have lost just three games this season, all on the road to quality opponents (The Villages, Columbia and Lincoln). As for Hawthorne, the Hornets haven't lost a game to a Florida team this season. The only loss for the program came on Dec. 28 to Illinois Bolingbrook. 2019 starters Mike Reed and Devontie Bowe lead the way for Hawthorne.
