JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A look at Thursday’s Class 6A boys basketball championship game between Ponte Vedra and Pembroke Pines Charter.
Class 6A boys basketball state semifinal
Ponte Vedra (23-7) vs. Pembroke Pines Charter (23-4)
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Watch it: Game can be streamed through the NFHS Network. Cost is $11.99 for a monthly pass.
Winner gets: Edgewater or Charlotte in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Glance: The Sharks have become consistent at reaching Lakeland. They’re back for the third consecutive season. In 2022, Kevin Whirity took Ponte Vedra to its first championship game where it lost in a 53-49 thriller to Martin County. Assistant coach Ben Wilson was elevated to the top spot in 2023 and he guided the Sharks back to the final where they lost to Dwyer, 51-40. The remarkable thing about Ponte Vedra’s continuity has been the evolution of role players becoming stars. In 2022, it was Ross Candelino leading the way. In 2023, it was Israel Nuhu emerging from averaging 4.6 ppg to leading the Sharks in scoring (12.6). This season, it’s Sam Ritchie, who has been a very good player throughout his career, leading the team (14.6 ppg), a boost of 3 points an outing from his junior year production. The greater jumps have been made by Tyler Cowan (3.7 ppg in 2022 to 11.6 in 2024) and David Sanchez Barrera (2.7 in 2023 to 11 ppg this year). Ponte Vedra has won 11 of its last 12 games entering the clash with the Jaguars. A win would send the Sharks to their third straight championship game and keep the area’s pulse in boys basketball beating for a couple more days. No area team from the News4JAX core coverage region (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns) has won a state championship since Bolles in 2016.