4A-District 14 Championship Capsule (Part One)

Over in Hallandale Beach, I took in the 4A-District 14 semifinals to determine the championship match-up set for Saturday.

In game one, the #2 seed Stranahan Mighty Dragons defeated the #3 seed Hallandale Beach Chargers, 57-46. Stranahan took control of this one midway through the second quarter, going up 30-20 before a Hallandale timeout with 3:20 remaining in the half. The Mighty Dragons would take a 12-point lead at the break after the 18-6 quarter. After an early Charger run in the second half, Stranahan would settle things down to take a double-digit lead at the end of the quarter in route to its spot in the district final. Currently, the Mighty Dragons are ranked #22nd in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rankings and are 19-8 overall.

Dragons Are Deep

Of the Mighty Dragons 33 first half points, 16 of them came from its bench. As has been well documented all season long, Stranahan receives contributions from its entire unit. In this contest, I was impressed with the play of 2020 forward Savie McCall. McCall banged home a 3-pointer from the right corner for his first bucket of the game and finished with eight points. Add in six rebounds and McCall's totals were good for second on the team in both categories. This was the second time in a row I have been impressed with McCall after a strong game earlier this season against St. Thomas Aquinas.

In the Dragons mix of top to bottom talent, the trio of 2020 forward Inady Legiste, 2020 guard/forward Daquion Vickers and 2021 wing Thaddeus Squire finished with seven points apiece. Legiste was particularly strong in the paint early on, using his frame to carve out space to get to the free-throw line for the Dragons. The 6-foot-7 senior would knock down his first four points from the stripe.

Chargers Fight Back

When some teams fall behind, they tend to fold. However, Hallandale Beach is not one of those teams. The Chargers are a senior laden group and came out strong in the third quarter after it looked like the Mighty Dragons had seized momentum. Leading the way were 2020 guards Carrington Campbell and 2020 wing Shawn LaFrance, who finished with 11 and nine points respectively. Campbell, who has a smooth outside stroke, knocked down three 3-pointers on the night. In addition, 2020 shooting guard/small forward Michael Rogers knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.

Chayse Culpepper Performs

In yesterday's quarterfinal, I predicted the Chayse Culpepper-Carrington match-up would be a key focal point in determining who would advance to the title game on Saturday. While I thought both players performed well, the Mighty Dragons came out on top on the scoreboard and the senior was a huge reason. Culpepper finished with team-high 11 points and ran the Stranahan offense as you would expect a senior to do. The 6-foot-1 guard brings a level of poise to the floor while having the natural leadership skills of a veteran player. Defensively, he has quick hands, evident when he poked the ball away from Carrington for a steal in the half-court. Culpepper might be the most important piece to the Dragons success, as the ball tends to be in his hands in key moments while setting up opportunities for his teammates on the floor. With the athletic experience of his father as a guide, it probably is a good bet Culpepper is going to get the job done when it counts.

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