Coral Springs Wins First State Basketball Title, Takes Down Riverview 61-57

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LAKELAND – They say respect is earned, not given.

So Coral Springs, hungry for respect and recognition on the South Florida basketball scene, went out and earned it.

Led by Myron Dewar's 21 points – including six game-clinching free throws down the stretch, Coral Springs manufactured a 61-57 win over Sarasota Riverview Saturday night in the Class 8A state final at The Lakeland Center.

The Colts (22-7) earned their first boys basketball state championship in the school's history; just the fourth of any sport for the school.

Coral Springs head coach Devin Barta, who jumped around the court with his players as time ran off and stood on the bench to salute the throng of Colts fans that made the trip for the game, called winning the 8A the "most incredible feeling in the world".

"Coming back to my alma mater, a program that didn't have much of a basketball history – didn't even have any district championship – to be standing here three years later with a state championship really proves how hard work can pay off."

"If these guys don't believe that now, they never will," Barta added.

Coral Springs held a 53-43 lead with just over a minute and a half to play before Riverview tried to mount a comeback. The Rams, who survived an overtime game with South Miami on Friday in the state semifinal, cut into the Colts' lead over the final minute – cutting it to 53-50 with 43 seconds left.

The Rams began fouling, but each time it was Dewar they sent to the line. The senior scorer knocked down a pair of free throws to put his team up 55-50 before Riverview cut it back down to three.

Coral Springs thought it had sealed the game when Trevon White threw down a big slam dunk to put the Colts up 57-52, but Riverview's D.J. Bryant tossed in a deep three-pointer to cut Springs' lead to 57-55 with 11 seconds to play.

Riverview fouled Dewar again and he calmly sank two more free throws, putting his team up 59-55. The Rams then made two free throws of their own, before fouling Dewar again.

He drained his fifth and sixth free throw of the quarter and cemented the win for the Colts.

Dewar, who averaged nearly 30 points per game this season, said when he stepped to the free throw line he was thinking about something the coaches told him earlier in the day.

"When I got to the line I was thinking back on what the coaches said to us during our shoot around," Dewar said. "They were saying 'practice your free throws', and everyone was still kind of playing around. But they said it again, 'practice your free throws, the game tonight might come down to free throws'. So we took it more seriously and look at what happened tonight."

Dewar has been Coral Springs' go-to guy all season, carrying the team to key victories with his scoring prowess.

"He's the best basketball player to ever walk the halls at Coral Springs," Barta said. "From where he's come in a three-year stretch is amazing. I don't think the state final four was his best two-game stretch, but when we needed those key free throws down the stretch – I didn't want the ball in anyone else's hands."

The turning point of the game really came in the third quarter. After taking a 35-33 lead into the locker room at halftime, both teams came out sloppy in the third quarter. But Coral Springs was able to take a 44-36 lead after senior Michael Carey hit a momentum-swinging 3-pointer in the corner. Coral Springs' continued effort on the defensive end held Riverview to just five points in the third.

Coral Springs got 10 points from Carey, who received a big embrace from his head coach during the celebrations, and a double-double from senior Trevon White – 18 points and 10 rebounds.

"I told one of my assistant coaches 'watch Mike Carey is going to make one of the biggest plays that wins us a state championship' and he did that tonight," Barta said.

Riverview star junior Brion Whitley finished with a game-high 25 points, albeit on 10-of-21 shooting.

With Saturday's victory, Coral Springs completed what some were calling a "Broward Sweep" – referring to Broward County teams winning state championships in the three biggest classifications with Fort Lauderdale Dillard winning the Class 6A title and Pompano Beach Blanche Ely winning the Class 7A crown on Saturday.

Sweep or not, Barta and the Colts are happy to have a state championship.

"Coral Springs is really near and dear to my heart. Ever since I was a player, I looked up in the gym and I didn't see any banners up there and I said that I wanted to put a banner up there. That was always my dream. Then as a coach, I told my guys that I wanted to put a banner or a picture up there. They bought into my dream and now we'll have a banner and picture that'll hang up there forever."

Box Score

Class 8A state championship: Coral Springs 61, Sarasota Riverview 57 – SRV: Whitley 25, A. Caldwell 15, Bryant 8, Wright 6, D. Caldwell 3. CSP (22-7): Dewar 21, White 18, Carey 10, Fils 7, Gill 3, Lucien 2. Halftime: CSP 35-33. Fouled out: Lucien. Rebounds: White 10. Assists: Dewar 6. Steals: Lucien 4. Blocks: White 3.