After Stoneman Douglas clinched the Class 7A state championship on Saturday, two smaller schools are hoping to come back from Fort Myers with state championship trophies.
In Class 5A, Archbishop McCarthy is looking to restart a dynastic run. In Class 4A, North Broward Prep is seeking the program’s first state title.
Here’s a look at the two local teams playing in Fort Myers this week.
Archbishop McCarthy (20-8-2)
The Mavericks are accustomed to reaching the state tournament. Archbishop McCarthy has seven titles in program history, and all of them came during two runs of consecutive championships: four straight championships from 2010-2013 and three more from 2015-2017. That dynasty came to an end in the wake of FHSAA sanctions, which resulted in the former coaching staff being let go. Aaron Voracek took over the program before the 2018 season, and the team has picked up the winning pace. The Mavericks have relied largely on strong pitching to reach this point in the season. Sophomore Andrew Ildefonso leads the way with a 7-1 record and a 1.45 ERA; he has struck out 54 batters in 43 1/3 innings. Ildefonso also leads the team with a .343 batting average and a .974 OPS. Archbishop McCarthy faces Naples Barron Collier (21-10) in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Like the Mavericks, the Cougars’ hitting has not been their strength, and they have a team OPS of .780 (Archbishop McCarthy’s is .723). But Barron Collier runs often, stealing 97 bases on 118 attempts. Starting pitcher Jacob Marlowe will be a challenging foe; he has a 1.76 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings.
North Broward Prep (18-10-1)
Some teams make the state semifinals, throw their best pitcher in the semifinal and just hope to piece together good pitching in the title game. North Broward Prep is not one of those teams. The Eagles have two solid pitchers who could provide back-to-back strong performances. Shane Huntsberger has pitched the most inning for North Broward Prep, putting up a 2.04 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings. Behind him is Yoel Tejada Jr., who has a 0.72 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 39 innings. Tejada has also been one of the Eagles’ top hitters, leading the team with a .365 batting average, a 1.060 OPS and two home runs. Jonah Diaz and Tyler Richman have also had solid seasons at the plate. North Broward Prep is notable for walking nearly as much as it strikes out, with 160 walks this season against 170 strikeouts. The Eagles draw Dunedin (18-12) in the state semifinals, facing the Falcons at 7 p.m. on Monday. Dunedin makes contact (the Falcons have a .305 batting average as a team) but the team doesn’t have much pop — the Falcons have three home runs all year and have a team OPS of .774. Sophomore Trey Beard has been a standout for Dunedin. He is their top pitcher, posting a 1.90 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. Beard is also one of the team’s top hitters, hitting .359 with 24 RBIs.
