#6 Blanche Ely (FL)

Roster
No. Name Position Class Height Weight
1 Therrell Gossier PF/C So. 6'7" 210
5 Kahlil Thomas PF/C Sr. 6'7" 190
10 Lance Tejada Jr PG Jr. 5'11" 180
11 James Labadi SG/PG So. 5'10" 165
12 Dallas Cameron SG/PG Sr. 6'3" 170
13 Matthew Jackson PF/SF Sr. 6'3" 180
15 Roshane Smith PF/C Sr. 6'4" 230
20 Ashton Bristol SG Sr. 6'0" 185
21 Joshua Smith SG Sr. 5'10" 170
22 Marcus Gylliard SF/SG Sr. 6'3" 165
23 Darrion Allen SG/SF Sr. 6'2" 175
24 Richard Lee SG Jr. 6'3" 185
25 Marlon Jackson SF Sr. 6'2" 185
Head Coach: Melvin Randall

The triumvirate of 6-3 Dallas Cameron, 6-8 Kahlil Thomas and 5-11 junior Lance Tejada helped guide the Tigers (27-1) to their second straight Class 7A state championship. Cameron (10.8 ppg, 6.4 apg, 2.3 spg) was the Broward County Player of the Year and Ely’s trusted leader. Cameron, who signed with American University, is a dependable scorer and playmaker but is prideful in his sticky defense. Thomas (13 ppg, 13 rpg) is good for a double-double each night, but is the Tigers’ only inside presence. He’s also a steal for Rider University while Tejada, a transfer from Miramar (FL), flipped in 12 points and handed off 8.5 assists per game, seamlessly fitting into Ely’s up-tempo offense.

The Tigers, who return for a second straight NHSI, were unbeaten against instate competition, suffering their only loss in the championship game of the Chick-Fil-a Classic in Columbia, SC. They also beat the New York State Federation champs, Christ the King (NY) in the semifinals. Coach Melvin Randall’s team captured their third BCCA Big 8 Tournament title, edging rivals Deerfield Beach, 65-63, when Kahlil Thomas slammed home the winning points with 14 seconds left. The Broward County title simply propelled the Tigers in the postseason, which was capped by a state final victory over Orlando Evans.