The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) boys’ basketball state championships resume this week with the larger classifications taking the stage at UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Here is a preview of the 6A semifinals that are scheduled to take place on Thursday:

Lake Howell vs. Evans (Orlando)- Thursday, March 12 at 9:00 a.m. Our first semifinal in Class 6A brings us two Central Florida programs, as the Lake Howell Silverhawks make their first trip to the Final Four in program history, and take on the Evans Trojans, who are making their third consecutive trip to the Final Four.

The Lake Howell Silverhawks (25-5) are on the verge of their best season in school history, led by 8th-year head coach Michael Sutton, who has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons. The Silverhawks have been led this season by 6-foot-2 sophomore combo guard Johnas Maurice, who leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game. Other names to keep an eye on for this veteran-led group are senior forwards Isaac Buckley and Ethan Diaz. 6-foot-8 senior power forward Jaydon Samuels is on the verge of having a breakout season where he leads the team in rebounding, averaging over seven boards per game.

The Evans Trojans (22-7) are back within familiar territory as they are looking to hopefully come home with some hardware this season after coming up short in last year’s Class 6A Championship Game against St. Thomas Aquinas, who is also representing in the Final Four once again this year. The Trojans come into this year’s Final Four as a district runner-up, where they lost to Edgewater back on February 7. The Trojans have picked up three tough wins during the regional playoffs against Gaither, Viera, and Bartow. Leading the way this season for the Trojans has been 6-foot-2 senior shooting guard Abimael Belleus, who is averaging 15.0 points per game.

Sickles (Tampa) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas - Thursday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m.

In our other Class 6A semifinal, we have the Sickles Gryphons, who are making their first Final Four appearance since 2017, when they won the Class 7A Championship over Tallahassee Lincoln. The Gryphons have also won 20+ games for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. Standing in their way are the reigning Class 6A champions in the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders, who are hungry for their second consecutive state title and third overall.

Sickles (26-4) comes into the Final Four riding a 14-game winning streak, dating back to December 23 when they lost to Evans at the Bulldog Holiday Classic, who is also representing in the Class 6A Final Four. Earlier this postseason, the Gryphons got some reinforcements back as 6-foot-3 junior guard Chase Weismiller returned to the fold after recovering from a torn ACL he sustained last summer on the Grassroots Circuit playing with the Florida Rebels. The Gryphons have also been led this season by 6-foot-1 senior point guard Jackson Byam and 6-foot-3 junior combo forward Adrian Thomas. Another name to keep an eye on in this matchup will be 6-foot-7 senior forward Eddy Hernandez.

St. Thomas Aquinas (26-4) is two wins away from winning their second consecutive state championship, where last season they defeated Evans in the championship game to take home their first state title in 24 years. The Raiders come into the Final Four on a 10-game winning streak, dating back to January 14, when they lost to Pembroke Pines Charter, who are representing in the Class 5A Final Four. The Raiders this season have been led by 6-foot-1 junior point guard Clarence Westbrook Jr., 6-foot-2 junior guard KJ Sandi, alongside his older brother, 6-foot-2 senior guard DJ Sandi, who has signed with American University to play collegiate basketball next season.

Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast region scout & writer for On The Radar Hoops since 2024. He has been involved in basketball scouting with previous stops at Prep Hoops from 2022 to 2024. You can follow him on X @RossVDG14 or reach him via email at rossvdg14@gmail.com