Newberry Boys Basketball Again Wins District Championship
NEWBERRY – The Newberry Panthers were crowned 3A-District 3 boys basketball tournament champions Saturday after defeating the Bradford Tornadoes, 60-49.
The Panthers (19-3) made school history by going back-to-back as district champions for the first time. The program has won a district title four times.
Four players scored in double figures for Newberry, with senior Juwan Scippio leading the way with 16 points against the Tornadoes (17-5).
“I think that our cool and calmness prevailed at the end, especially when techs went flying,” Newberry coach Patrick Green said. “That’s one of the things that kind of allowed us to pull away.”
The Panthers knocked down 14 free throws in the fourth quarter, when senior Henry Mathias contributed seven of them and Scippio three. Junior Colton Sembower scored 13 points for Newberry, Mathias added 12 and senior Kai Washington had 11 points, including seven in the fourth.
Last year, Newberry made history as the first team to go undefeated during the regular season in Alachua County.
“That’s not a goal that this team has to strive for. We have been there and done that, but there are other goals,” Green said. “Being back-to-back district champions. We used that from the jump to motivate the players.”
The Panthers celebrated the home victory with area fans.
“This program has really pulled this community together in the past couple of years,” Green said. “The community could really use something positive to come out and cheer together.”
NHS enters the region playoffs still building its identity, Green said.
“Toughness is what we always try to build around,” Green said. “Just learning how to bounce back from things.”
The Panthers are on a four-game winning streak heading into the regional tournament. The quarterfinals are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday. The pairings are yet to be announced.
2026 FHSAA Boys Basketball District Tournaments 3A District 3
Category: Basketball, Bradford High School, High School Sports, Newberry High School
