Santa Fe High Boys Basketball Tries For State Tournament

Santa Fe Boys Basketball will continue on their quest for a State Championship tonight in the 4A Regional Championship against Lake Highland Prep. With a win, the Raiders would be named regional champs and advance to the Class 4A Final Four of the FHSAA State Tournament.

Tip-off for the game is at 7 PM.

The Raiders have had an exciting season, with an 18-5 record and a 5-game winning streak going into the regional championship game. This past Tuesday, Santa Fe defeated the Eastside Rams 41-31 in a low-scoring contest. When asked about the game, Head coach Elliott Harris said that locking down the Rams defensively in the third and fourth quarter was the game’s deciding factor.

Scenes as the #Raiders secure a spot in the Regional Final:#SantaFe
D. Jenkins- 18pts (4/9 from 3)
E. Ross- 12pts, 11reb@RowdyEHSRams
Q.Brodus- 12pts, 7reb@ESPNGainesville @SFHS_Raiders @RAWE_RECRUITS @ThePrepZone @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/86vi5qjUer

— Chris Will (@Chris_Willl) February 24, 2021

Leading the charge for the Raiders this year has been Senior Captain Ernest “Poppa” Ross. Ross has been a dominant force on all fronts this season, leading the team in points per game, rebounds, and blocks.

Santa Fe defeats Eastside in OT 59-51. The Raiders remain undefeated. Check out this dunk by 6'9" forward and @PackMensBball signee Ernest Ross (@erndastern230) ! #NCState pic.twitter.com/5ba3Z3Yqb3

— Cierra Clark (@CierraClark_) December 11, 2020

This season has been no walk in the park for any team. With Covid-19 and all of the resulting effects, this season has certainly tested many teams. For Coach Harris and the Raiders, however, they only have one thing on their mind: bringing home a state championship trophy.

“Its been an up-and-down season, but at this time of the season it’s survive and advance. We hope to do that again tonight.” – Head Coach Elliott Harris

The Raiders have their work cut out for them with Lake Highland Prep, who is 13-7 on the season and is no stranger to the playoffs. Harris knows that in order to advance, they will have to bring the same energy on defense as they did against Eastside. “They have good shooters,” said Harris. “We’ve got to find their shooters, close them out and make them take tough shots. “