Latest news with #Viruet
Miami Herald
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Columbus' Moran and Doral's Viruet are the Miami-Dade Overall Coaches of the Year
Both the Columbus boys' basketball team and the Doral Academy softball team shone brightly at a national level seldom, if ever, achieved by a Miami-Dade County team in their respective sports. Columbus' coach Andrew Moran helped build a state championship dynasty, which set a state milestone and achieved something never done in the long and storied history of Dade boys' basketball when they won a national title. And at Doral, Willie Viruet has built one of the most dominant programs in the sport in recent memory and capped this stellar season with a state championship. Moran and Viruet are the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Overall Sports Coaches of the Year for the 2024-25 season. Moran is the Boys' Sports Coach of the Year after leading the Explorers to their fourth consecutive state title and their first national championship. Led by their star twins, Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Columbus became only the second team in Miami-Dade County history, joining Miami Norland, to win four consecutive state titles. They took things up a notch after the season when they became the first Dade team to win the prestigious 16th annual Chipotle Nationals, cementing their No. 1 national ranking. They are the first Dade boys' basketball program to secure a national title. Moran, who joined new University of Miami head coach Jai Lucas' staff after the season, led the Explorers to a 138-32 record during his six seasons at Columbus and 109-13 over the past four seasons. Moran, who has won five state titles overall, was also named the Naismith Boys' Basketball National Coach of the Year. 'It's obviously amazing and an incredible feeling,' Columbus coach Andrew Moran said after the Explorers' title-clinching win at Chipotle Nationals. 'It's the cherry on top. These kids won everything they set their minds to win. It was always their mindset and they played their (butts) off. It's an incredible feeling.' Doral Academy had been seeking a similar feeling for years. But despite setbacks at the state final four in recent years, Viruet has kept his team as the best in South Florida and one of the best in the state overall. Viruet is the Coach of the Year for Girls' Sports. This season, the Firebirds finally ended their six-year state title drought, winning their second state title ever and losing only one game all season. Viruet's team, led by University of Texas commit Anabela Abdullah and Clemson signee Sarah Breaux, spent the season ranked among the best in the nation and finished ranked No. 3 in the country by MaxPreps. 'It's been six years since we won a state title. We were long overdue,' Doral coach Willie Viruet said after the state final victory over Santa Rosa Pace. 'The community, the school, well, I think we deserved it.' BOYS' SPORTS FINALISTS ▪ Frankie Ruiz, Belen Jesuit cross-country: The running dynasty for the Wolverines continued to reach new heights as they secured their eighth consecutive state title and once again finished among the top 10 teams in the nation. ▪ Anthony Shahbaz, Riviera Prep basketball: Despite having their top player transfer out in the offseason and having two key players suffer season-ending injuries late in the regular season, Shahbaz steered his team to a historic third consecutive state title in Class 2A. ▪ David Fanshawe, Miami Springs baseball: Fanshawe led the Hawks to a historic first state title for their program and first for their school in any sport since 1988 when they won the Class 3A championship. ▪ Teddy Bridgewater, Northwestern football: Bridgewater returned to his alma mater with a goal of restoring their program to former glory. In one season, the Bulls accomplished their mission winning the Class 3A state championship in dominant fashion. ▪ Katia Garcia, Braddock swimming and diving: Following back-to-back state runner-up finishes, Garcia made sure the Bulldogs didn't settle for anything less than first place, winning their school's first state championship this past fall when they won the Class 4A title. ▪ Brandon Neifeld, Mater Lakes wrestling: After coming close in recent years, Neifeld led the Bears to their first ever state duals title in Class 1A and followed with a dominant performance to capture the 1A title in the individually-bracketed tournament. GIRLS' SPORTS FINALISTS ▪ Gator Rebhan, Somerset Silver Palms softball: Rebhan saw a five-year process culminate with the Stallions first state championship for their program and their school when they secured the Class 3A title. It was Rebhan's third after leading Palmetto to titles in 2000 and 2003. ▪ Julie Doan Kurenuma, Westminster Christian volleyball: After five years of leaving the state tournament with runner-up trophies and medals, Doan Kirenuma and her players finally celebrated a state championship when the Warriors won Class 2A. It was the school's third all-time and first since 2016. ▪ Ochiel Swaby, Miami Country Day basketball: Swaby's Spartans made it a decade of state titles when they won their third in a row and 10th overall, tying them for the most by any South Florida team. ▪ Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton track and field: In a sport often dominated by the larger schools, Hermelee guided the Cyclones to their first state championship. A squad of nine competitors made every point count as they edged Montverde Academy by half a point for the 2A team crown. ▪ Stephasia Doctor, Southridge basketball: Doctor spearheaded one of the most remarkable runs to the state tournament in recent memory by a Dade team when she coached a roster of just seven players within one victory of the school's first state title. ▪ Antonio Boada, Ransom Everglades soccer: After years of contending as one of the county's better programs, Boada's squad took the next step and advanced to the state final four for the first time in program history.
Miami Herald
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Doral Academy's Viruet, Somerset's Rebhan are Miami-Dade Softball Coaches of the Year
Doral Academy's Willie Viruet and Somerset Silver Palms' Gator Rebhan direct what have been the two most successful softball programs in Miami-Dade County in recent years. But a state championship eluded both programs over the past three seasons. In Rebhan's case, the Stallions had never hoisted a state championship trophy. In Viruet's case, the Firebirds had in 2021, but had come heartbreakingly short more than once of recapturing that feeling again. It all changed this season as both Doral Academy and Somerset Silver Palms overcame that final roadblock and were each state champions. And so, Viruet and Rebhan are once again, the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Softball Coaches of the Year. Viruet is the winner for Class 7A-4A after leading Doral to its second state title in school history. The Firebirds have been regulars at the state final four under his watch, advancing to at least the state semifinals every season since 2019 - the longest active streak for any Dade team. This season, Doral took things up a notch, however. The Firebirds finished the season 31-1, ranked No. 3 in the nation and higher than any other Florida team. Doral capped the season with a dramatic 5-4 comeback win in eight innings over Valrico Bloomingdale in the Class 6A state semifinals before beating Pace 1-0 in the final. Miami Herald 7A-4A Pitcher of the Year Meagan Villazon, an FIU signee, was the main reason for the team's success in the pitching circle. Junior shortstop Anabela Abdullah, a Texas commit and the Herald's 7A-4A Player of the Year, and senior third baseman Sarah Breaux, the Herald's Player of the Year in 2024 and a Clemson signee, drove the Firebirds' offense. For Somerset Silver Palms, the state championship was a brand new feeling. And it was something Rebhan hadn't experienced for over two decades since leading Miami Palmetto to a pair of state titles in 2000 and 2003. Rebhan left high school coaching for a few years while coaching at the collegiate level at FIU and later solely travel ball. But he returned to the high school scene and began building Silver Palms into a state powerhouse in 2021. After two consecutive years reaching state, the Stallions finally secured that elusive first title with convincing wins over Dunedin and Eustis. Rebhan's daughter Taylor Rebhan, a junior shortstop and Louisville commit, and sophomore pitcher Ava Stevens, who are the Miami Herald's 3A-1A Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively, led the Stallions throughout the season.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Doral Academy rallies to advance to state softball final with walk-off in eighth inning
With the Class 6A state softball semifinal on the line on Friday, Doral Academy freshman Zoey Abdullah stood in the batter's box against Bloomingdale senior Natalie Cable, a UCLA recruit. Despite the fact that Cable has struck out more than 1,000 batters in her prep career, Abdullah got the job done, lofting a walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Doral prevailed, 5-4, in Longwood. 'I don't usually celebrate much,' Doral coach Willie Viruet said, 'but I had to throw up a couple of fist pumps after this one.' Doral (30-1) will play the Pace Patriots (24-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the state championship. A victory would give Doral its second state title and its first since 2021. But the Doral Firebirds, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 4 in the nation, according to MaxPreps, almost didn't make it to Saturday's final. Doral fell behind 3-1 in the fourth inning despite the fact that two of the Firebirds' greatest former players were in the dugout on Friday, helping Viruet and his staff coach. Those two players are: Amanda 'Tuta' Ramirez, who just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she served that team's catcher; and Louisville pitcher Alyssa Zabala. 'There were a bunch more of our alumni sitting in the stands,' Viruet said. Perhaps all that support inspired Doral senior Sarah Breaux, a Clemson recruit who homered in the bottom of the fourth, cutting Bloomingdale's lead to 3-2. That was Breaux's 14th homer of the season, which is one behind team leader Anabela Abdullah, who is a Texas recruit and Zoey's older sister. Doral then trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth. But the Firebirds started a rally with a Breaux walk and single from Leyani Viruet, the coach's daughter. Both runners came home, including Viruet, who scored the tying run on an RBI single from Sara Utera. The game then went to extra innings, where the designated runner starts each frame at second base. So, with a speedy runner on second and no outs, Doral pitcher Meagan Villazon retired Cable on a pop-out in one of the game's biggest moments. Earlier in the game, Cable had slugged her 15th homer of the season on a Villazon curve. This time, Villazon won the battle. 'I was a little worried because I had missed my spot and she homered off me in her previous at-bat,' Villazon said. 'This time, I just tried to spin the ball as best I could. 'I got the result I wanted, and I was hyped.' Villazon got the next two batters, also on pop-outs, ending the threat. 'Meagan didn't have her best stuff today, but we battled the whole game,' Coach Viruet said. 'We didn't make any errors, and we defended the bunt well.' After escaping that jam, Doral started the bottom of the eight with Utera on second as the designated runner. Ashley Tremont got on base with an infield single, moving Utera to third. Then, after an unproductive out, Abdullah delivered against Cable, who finished with 10 strikeouts. Abdullah's fly ball to right-center was not hit that deep, though, causing an anxious moment or two. 'The ball hung there for a second,' Viruet said. 'Everything paused in my mind until I saw it was deep enough.' This was the first time all year that Doral played extra innings. And it was just Doral's second one-run game. Next up is Pace, which is ranked fourth in the state and 18th in the nation. Pace won the 6A state last year with Jayden Heavener, who is now pitching for LSU. This year, Pace relies on sophomore pitcher Hannah DeMarcus, who is 23-2 with a 0.29 ERA and 15 shutouts. In fact, Pace has shut out its past four opponents. Overall, this season, Pace has posted 18 shutouts and held opponents to just one run five times. Also, Pace has lost just two games all season to Florida schools. Doral, which is undefeated against Florida schools, will counter DeMarcus with Villazon, who is 25-1 with a 0.66 ERA. This will be the first meeting between Doral and Pace, according to Viruet. 'We've checked them out,' Viruet said when asked about scouting Pace. 'We do our homework. Coaching travel ball for more than 10 years helps. We've seen a lot of their kids. '(DeMarcus) is a competitor. They have elite pitching in that Pace program. But we are 'ride or die' with (Villazon).'
