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Blake boys fall to Miami Norland in Class 5A state championship game

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Blake boys fall to Miami Norland in Class 5A state championship game


LAKELAND — For the first time since the school reopened in 1997, Blake High on Friday night played in a state basketball championship game.

The Yellow Jackets felt good about their chances as they ran onto the RP Funding Center floor with a couple thousand fans cheering, a 26-5 record and a strong lineup: Joshua Lewis, Joe Philon, Rashif Sinkfield, Kentrell Martin, Malik Brady-Ayers and Shamar Council.

Early on, it looked like it just might be their night. They led Miami Norland by eight points late in the first quarter and held a three-point advantage at halftime.

Blake junior guard Joshua Lewis, a major-college recruit, scored 12 points before fouling out. [ SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times ]

But third-quarter foul trouble proved too much to overcome, ultimately resulting in a painful 61-48 loss in the Class 5A final.

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After the final buzzer, Blake coach Fred Lewis stood with his son, Joshua, near center court as Norland (21-10) celebrated behind them.

He couldn’t have been much more matter-of-fact.

“I feel really bad for the boys, because we worked so hard to get here and it really hurts for it to end this way,” Fred Lewis said. “I thought the referees didn’t let us play our type of game (Friday). I thought the calls were inconsistent. We were in so much foul trouble, and we couldn’t afford to be in foul trouble.”

Most notable were the calls on Joshua Lewis, a 6-foot-7 junior guard and major-college recruit. He picked up his third foul in the second quarter and his fourth in the third before fouling out with six minutes remaining.

Blake coach Fred Lewis consoles one of his players after Friday's loss to Miami Norland.
Blake coach Fred Lewis consoles one of his players after Friday’s loss to Miami Norland. [ SCOTT PURKS | Special to the Times ]

With Lewis on the bench — along with Council, who also fouled out, and frequently joined by Philon and Sinkfield, who each had four — Norland outscored Blake 39-23 in the second half, including 17-5 in the pivotal third quarter.

“It was tough to sit on the bench and not be able to help,” said Lewis, who finished with 12 points, almost five below his game average. “But we can’t make any excuses. Now we have to prepare harder and get back here. We know we can.”

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They’re certainly positioned well. With the exception of senior Brady-Ayers, the Yellow Jackets return their entire roster.

“We knew coming into this game that we would have everybody back for next year, but we really, really wanted to get it done (Friday),” Joshua Lewis said. “Now we want to take advantage of this experience. I feel we are more motivated than ever. We’ll be back on Monday getting ready for next year.”



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Could Miami Dolphins trade up in first round of 2026 NFL Draft?

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Could Miami Dolphins trade up in first round of 2026 NFL Draft?


Jon-Eric Sullivan — new Miami Dolphins general manager — has been busy acquiring a war chest of draft picks for the 2026 NFL Draft. The team currently has 11 picks in April’s selection process — including two first rounders and four third round picks.

While the team has plenty of holes in their roster that desperately need to be filled, could Sullivan’s stockpiling of picks have been conducted with the idea that the Dolphins want to move up in the first round of the draft in order to land an elite prospect?

Yesterday, Washington Commanders beat writer, Josh Taylor, dropped an interesting social media post where he said that he’s heard from two separate sources that the Dolphins and Commanders are in talks about a trade that would see Washington trade back from pick #7 in the first round in order for Miami to move up from pick #11.

Again, with Miami needing to upgrade at so many positions, it’s hard to guess which player the team might be targeting, but safety Caleb Downs, offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, linebacker Sonny Styles, defensive linemen Rueben Bain and David Bailey are just some of the names that the Dolphins could be interested in.

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Of course, as Taylor states, these whispers could remain just that — whispers.

With the Dolphins in full-on rebuilding mode, the team needs to bring in as many young, talented players as possible. Trading away draft picks instead of adding more would not help them to accomplish that goal. However, with the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off in less than a month, we won’t have to wait long to discover what Sullivan’s ultimate plan for his first draft as Dolphins general manager ultimately ends up being.



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New video shows aftermath of police shooting in Downtown Miami

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New video shows aftermath of police shooting in Downtown Miami


Witness video captures immediate aftermath of police shooting in Downtown Miami

MIAMI — Video captured by a witness shows what happened after a police shooting that occurred on Saturday in Miami.

It happened outside the Yve Hotel along Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast Second Street.

The video obtained by Local 10 News shows the immediate response to the man being shot.

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Miami’s police chief said the man was causing a commotion outside the hotel, and tasing him didn’t stop him.

After things got physical, one of the officers opened fire on the man.

Authorities said he is recovering and expected to be okay.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting, as is customary when an officer opens fire.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.

David Dwork

David Dwork joined the WPLG Local 10 News team in August 2019. Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, David has covered South Florida sports since 2007.



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Jannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Skirt Before Miami Open Final

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Jannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Skirt Before Miami Open Final


Jannik Sinner, who is currently the world’s No. 2-ranked player, according to the ATP, faces off against Czechia’s Jiri Lehecka (who is ranked No. 22 in the world) in the final of the 2026 Miami Open on March 29.

This is surely the biggest match of Lehecka’s career to this point. He had won several ATP tournaments (including the 2024 Adelaide International and the 2025 Brisbane International), but neither of those came against an opponent of Sinner’s caliber. Therefore, this win would mean more for Lehecka than any of his past tournament victories.

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Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic | Mike Frey-Imagn Images

As for Sinner, this is just another Sunday on the court. He already won the Indian Wells Open earlier this month, and a win against Lehecka would be his 26th ATP Title. Still, that doesn’t mean Sinner isn’t hungry for another win to add to his staggering resumé and perhaps overtake Carlos Alcaraz for the world’s No. 1 spot.

While Lehecka will have his girlfriend, Lucka Neumannova (aka Lucie), in the stands showing him support on Sunday, Sinner’s girlfriend, Laila Hasanovic, appears to be back in her home country of Denmark.

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Laila Hasanovic | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Sinner and Hasanovic have been together at least since the summer of 2025. Before that, Hasanovic (who is a model and fashion influencer) dated Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher for at least three years, but the couple split up in the spring of 2025.

She is clearly busy with her own career in Copenhagen right now and isn’t able to attend Sinner’s matches while he’s playing in America. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t finding the time to show him support, albeit not in person.

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Laila Hasanovic at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix when she was dating Mick Schumacher. | IMAGO / Laci Perenyi

Laila Hasanovic Catches Eyes with Outfit Before Jannik Sinner’s Miami Open Final Match

Hasanovic has been active on social media throughout Sinner’s Miami Open run. This was the case once again before his match against Lehecka, as she made a March 28 Instagram post that was captioned, “🫀”.

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The post shows various scenes from Hasanovic’s recent events in Denmark. The fourth photo shows her in an eye-catching skirt and a black shirt. Among the other notable photos show her in two different types of black jackets, and the first photo features a nice checkered coat.

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One would imagine that Hasanovic will be locked in when Sinner takes the court on Sunday, hoping to secure his secong tournament victory of 2026 and perhaps reclaim the world’s No. 1 ranking.





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