Boys Basketball State Finals
All games at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Admission is $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the event via the RP Funding Center Box Office. Parking is $12.
Class 4A
No. 2 Fort Lauderdale Stranahan (24-7) vs. No. 1 Gibbs (27-4), 7 p.m. tonight
How they got here: Stranahan d. Riviera Beach Suncoast 67-54, d. Naples Barron Collier 48-44, d. Miami Central 74-57, d. St. Brenden 72-61, d. Jacksonville Ribault 72-55; Gibbs d. Island Coast 92-39, d. Seminole 89-51, d. Blake 50-49, d. Eustis 65-50.
Stat Leaders
| Category | Stranahan | Gibbs |
| Points per game | Christian Yeargin, 14.8 | Oneal Delancy, 17.7 |
| Rebounds per game | Isaiah Brown, 9.6 | Bobby Crawford, 6.4 |
| Assists per game | Esron Simeon, 4.3 | Jacob Daniels, 5.2 |
| Steals per game | Esron Simeon, 2.7 | Jacob Daniels, 2.1 |
| Blocks per game | Isaiah Brown, 3.0 | Bobby Crwaford, 2.1 |
Outlook
The defending 4A state champion Gladiators look to make history tonight when they face the Mighty Dragons in the 4A state championship game.
Gibbs, riding an impressive 20-game winning streak after dispatching Eustis 65-50 in the semifinals, is attempting to become the first public school team from the Tampa Bay area to win back-to-back state titles since integration. The Gladiators’ veteran leadership has been their hallmark, with most starters having reached the state final four every year of their high school careers.
Leading the way for Gibbs is Oneal Delancy (17.7 ppg) alongside versatile Bobby Crawford (6.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg) and playmaker Jacob Daniels (5.1 apg, 2.1 spg). Their championship pedigree has helped them get back to the title game.
Stranahan, however, is no stranger to dashing the title hopes of Tampa Bay teams. The Dragons defeated Tampa Catholic in the 2020 state championship game and enter tonight’s final on a six-game winning streak of their own. The Fort Lauderdale powerhouse is led by Christian Yeargin’s 14.8 points per game and the dominant interior presence of Isaiah Brown (9.6 rpg, 3.0 bpg).
Both teams have thrived in neutral-site environments—Gibbs boasting a 17-4 record and Stranahan at 11-3 — setting the stage for an electric atmosphere at the championship venue.
With historic implications on the line for Gibbs and Stranahan’s history of championship success against Tampa Bay opponents, tonight’s final promises to deliver a classic battle between two of Florida’s premier basketball programs.
