Broward 7A-6A boys basketball player of the year: Jeremy Elyzee, Pembroke Pines Charter senior
Pembroke Pines Charter senior Jeremy Elyzee scored a game-high 22 points to lift the Jaguars to their second Class 6A state championship in three years with a 59-55 victory over Orlando Prep at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Elyzee, a Southeastern Louisiana University signee, made sure that Pembroke Pines would play its third straight state championship game against Orlando Prep as he finished with 19 points in a 61-34 semifinal victory over Ponte Vedra earlier in the week. They sandwiched state championships around a regional loss to eventual state champion Dwyer last year.
“The year was good,” said Elyzee, who averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal and one block per game this year. “We only had three players back from last year, so we had to get adjusted to everybody.
“We gelled together quickly and easily, so that was the biggest push that helped get us this far,” Elyzee said. “I’m not surprised, and this has been like a dream to me because it is my last year, and winning states was my biggest goal.”
The team captain, who had three triple-doubles this season and played on the varsity for four years, also had 28 points in the regional finals and finished with 1,341 career points.
“Jeremy is going to score at the 1s, 2s, and 3s (positions), but he gets everybody involved,” said Pembroke Pines Charter coach Dave Roca. “He’s a playmaker. Jeremy can play every position on the floor, and he is our most important player because of that.”
“He’s a pass-first kind of guy and I can’t say enough good things about him to be fair and honest,” Roca added. “Winning states was what we worked for since the beginning of the season and we were able to figure that out in Lakeland and Jeremy was a big part of that too.”
Elyzee said early-season losses to Northeast, Hudson Catholic (NJ), Berkley Prep, and Coral Springs set the tone, and the Jaguars were able to forge a seven-game winning streak to close out the season.
“Most of the losses came early in the season as we were trying to build chemistry,” he explained. “Once we got the chemistry going, we went on a roll. Winning a state title was a joy.”