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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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Miami, FL

Orlando 2-4 Miami (2 Mar, 2026) Game Analysis – ESPN

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Orlando 2-4 Miami (2 Mar, 2026) Game Analysis – ESPN


ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.

Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.

“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.

“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”

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Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.

“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”

Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.

Inter Miami players celebrate after scoring a goal against Orlando City in MLS.

Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.

Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.

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Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.

Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.

Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.

Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.

Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.

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Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.

Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.



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Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival

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Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival


Rain floods Miami Beach streets, cut short Miami Heat Family Festival

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Much-needed rain fell across South Florida on Sunday, but the downpour quickly led to flooding and traffic headaches.

“The drainage systems aren’t the best but in ten minutes it will be gone,” one person said.

The rain lasted longer than 10 minutes, flooding several spots along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.

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In one neighborhood, at least a foot of water blocked the entrance. Drivers who attempted to pass through sent waves crashing onto nearby sidewalks.

The heavy rain also snarled traffic on parts of Interstate 95 and on the bridges to and from Miami Beach, slowing drivers trying to get around the area.

“It’s Miami for you. What do they call it, a sun shower?” one driver said.

The weather disrupted Sunday plans for many. The 26th annual Miami Heat Family Festival was cut short after strong winds swept through Dan Paul Plaza, knocking over several tents.

There is no word yet on how or when the Miami Heat plan to make up the family festival.

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Brett Knese

Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.



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Miami youth trace Bahamian roots in powerful Black History Month journey

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Miami youth trace Bahamian roots in powerful Black History Month journey


Jack and Jill of America’s Miami chapter closed out Black History Month with an inaugural “Roots Across Waters” trip to Nassau, where families explored ancestral sites, honored the Bahamian labor that helped build early Miami, and donated Afro‑Caribbean children’s books to local students.



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