Columbus puts on a dunk show to cruise into fourth consecutive state final
But Columbus' star siblings say they know better than to challenge teammate Jaxon Richardson to a dunk contest.
'We can't do that because we know Jax is the most athletic of all of us,' Cayden Boozer said. 'He'd be the one to win for sure.'
Richardson was the frontman in a spectacular dunk show that he and his Explorers' teammates put together on Friday during a 78-48 rout of Sanford Seminole in a Class 7A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
Barely two minutes into the game, Richardson reached back with his right hand and threw down a fierce slam and moments later slammed another home off an alley-oop.
By halftime, Cayden and Cameron and teammates Caleb Gaskins and Cello Jackson had joined the party.
The Explorers totaled 11 dunks overall including 10 by halftime. At one point in the first quarter, Columbus had eight - nearly as many dunks as Seminole had points in the period (9).
'Most likely it's true I'd win,' Richardson said with a smile. 'I have some crazy dunks in my bag, but it was cool seeing a lot of our guys get some good ones today too.'
Richardson had five of the flashiest dunks, which more importantly, catapulted the Explorers (26-3) to their fourth consecutive state final where they will face Windermere at 1 p.m. Saturday with a chance to win a fourth state title in a row. Columbus, ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps, has a chance to join Miami Norland as the only Miami-Dade County teams to win four in a row. A state title would also keep the Explorers on course for a potential national title should they win the Chipotle Nationals this April 3-5 in Fishers, Indiana.
'State games are always tough,' Richardson said. 'We have to pull together and play as one and I think we'll get this done.'
The Explorers scored the game's first six points quickly and stormed out to a 40-11 lead midway through the second quarter.
Cameron Boozer led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Richardson had 15 points and Cayden Boozer had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jackson totaled 13 points and Gaskins had eight points and six assists.
'We did good, but we could have been a little better,' Cameron Boozer said. 'We're hyped up for tomorrow. We have to be locked in tomorrow and ready to come out strong and hit first.'
Although Columbus still has its eyes on potentially becoming Dade's first boys' basketball national champion, they're focusing on completing one of the most impressive four-year runs in the history of Florida basketball with another title.
Clearing the final hurdle has not come easy for the Explorers in any of the first three seasons of their current state title run. Columbus beat Orlando Dr. Phillips, 45-44, in the 2022 state final. They beat Winter Haven 50-48 in the 2023 final and they had to come back to beat Orlando Oak Ridge 72-67 in the 2024 final.
'We've got some things to clean up and we haven't had a state championship game that wasn't close,' Columbus coach Anthony Moran said. 'We have to be ready. We can't take anyone lightly. We have to be ready to go.'
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New York Times
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Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Dmitri Voronkov's new contract comes with demands
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'It's the conditioning factor,' Waddell said. 'I was adamant with his agents about it. The problem is, if he doesn't take it seriously himself, he's punishing the team, and he's punishing himself because he'd be leaving a lot of money on the table. 'This guy has the chance to be a 30-plus scorer and a physical force. I mean, there's a lot of money to be made for a guy like that. So, yeah, we talked about it.' BIG BOSS IS 🔙! We've signed forward Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year contract! 📝 — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 5, 2025 It's likely one of the reasons the Blue Jackets weren't willing to discuss a long-term contract with Voronkov. They discussed a one-year term before settling on two years, which leaves him as a restricted free agent when the deal expires after the 2026-27 season. Voronkov is listed at 6-feet-5, 227 pounds. He was significantly heavier when he arrived in Columbus before the 2023-24 season, but in each of his two NHL seasons, he has lagged badly in the second half. Last season, he had 19-16-35 through 44 games, but put up only 4-8-12 in his final 29 games. 'The reports we've had this summer are that he's been working out five days a week,' Waddell said. 'He's skating every day with Marchenko. So far, the reports are very positive.' Advertisement Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason found a fit last season with Voronkov joining the top line opposite Marchenko, with Sean Monahan in the middle. It was one of the NHL's most effective lines for long stretches of the season. On one hand, it's impressive that Voronkov has 41-40-81 combined in his first two seasons. But it also makes the Blue Jackets wonder how dominating a force he could be if his conditioning allowed him to move faster and respond quicker. 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Thank you for everything, Cleveland.' • As noted in this space last week, Blue Jackets prospect forward Jordan Dumais had two charges for driving under the influence dropped earlier this month when the arresting officer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, failed to show up to provincial court for trial. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada asked for an investigation, according to the Chronicle Herald. A public relations manager for the Halifax Regional Police later told the newspaper that an investigation is underway. 'There is an expectation that officers take their duty to appear in court very seriously,' the spokesperson said. 'The officer had a duty to appear in court (on June 27) and did not. There are consequences under the Police Act that are being explored now.' (Photo of Dmitri Voronkov: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
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Los Angeles Times
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Kenyans set two track world records at Prefontaine Classic
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