The Coral Glades Jaguars basketball team has accomplished something incredible this year. They have qualified for the BCAA Big 8 tournament for the first time in over 15 years. This is a wonderful achievement and indicates how diligently the team has practiced. The Jaguars defeated tough teams this season such as Coral Springs, Balboa, Stranahan, Ft. Pierce Central, Blanche Ely and more. It is their first return to the Big 8 tournament since 2008, and it’s the second time in the school’s history that they have made it.
The Big 8 tournament is a regional event, gathering the best of what Broward County has to give. A lot of teams dream to be part of it, but only a few are qualifiers. Coming back to the tournament after all those years is a true testament to how much this program has grown. All those years of effort they have been putting in have finally paid off this year more than ever before. The teams that qualify are public schools and some private schools. In order to qualify you have to be in the Broward and Miami County areas.
We asked Anthony Valdes, a senior on this team how important it is to finally make it to the Big 8 for the first time in his high school career. He commented, “It is really important to me because I’ve never made it before. It is a great accomplishment for not just me but also the players and coaches on this team. Now we have to finish the job and go win it.”
The eight selected teams to participate in this year’s Big 8 tournament are Coral Glades, Stranahan, Pembroke Pines Charter, Blanche Ely, St. Thomas Aquinas, Western, Chaminade-Madonna, and Cardinal Gibbons. All 8 of these teams have shown why they should be in this tournament this season and it should be one of the most anticipated events so far this season.
Ethan Jean-Louis, the starting center for Coral Glades told us, “I am very happy to make the Big 8 this season since we did not make it last year. Our coaches and players work really hard and our team making the big 8 this season proves that.”
The Jags will play Pembroke Pines Charter in the first round of the Big 8 next week on Thursday, January 30th at Fort Lauderdale High School. Who will be the better Jaguar that night? Will Coral Glades make it past the first round of the Big 8 for the first time in school history? All will be determined on January 30th at 8:30 pm at Fort Lauderdale High School. See you there!
