Cardinal Gibbons wins first state baseball title since 1980s, North Broward Prep gets third in four years

The last time Cardinal Gibbons’ baseball team won a state championship, coach Jason Hamilton was a 12-year-old seventh grader at Sunrise Middle School.

Now, 37 years later, the albatross has been lifted as the Chiefs received a dominant pitching performance from junior Brenden Trujillo to top Santa Rosa Beach South Walton 4-1 to win the Class 4A state championship at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

“My dad was a high school baseball coach, so I was kind of born into this,” Hamilton said by phone. “I have been doing this since I was born and there is a lot of hard work and dedication that went into this, and many years of preparation and great teams, and great families here at Gibbons. Brenden was fantastic and the entire team and community contributed to this win.”

“That foundation built this moment,” said Hamilton who received more than 380 texts and phone calls leading up to and following the game. “It was a workmanlike group. We start four freshmen. It was a great mix of older kids mentoring the young kids. Not one moment on this run was too big and that is a testament to their character.”

Hamilton’s teams reached the final four in 2019, losing 6-3 in eight innings to Melbourne Central Catholic. The 2020 team was also special, starting off the year 9-1, Hamilton noted, but COVID cost them a chance to finish out the year and make a run at the state championship.

Trujillo tossed a two-hitter and allowed just one unearned run in the top of the seventh inning. He walked three, hit a batter, and struck out seven and he faced 25 batters, just four over the minimum, as the Chiefs finished the year on a 14-game winning streak.

Cardinal Gibbons (25-4-2) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning to take command. Bryce Faison led off the second with a walk and one out later George Stringos and Victor Norori both singled to load the bases. Two wild pitches later, and a fielder’s choice made it 3-0 before Jason Vazquez lined an RBI single to left to up the margin to 4-0.

Vazquez went 2 for 4, while Stingos and Norori each were 1 for 2, with a walk and a run scored. Cardinal Gibbons got all of its runs in the bottom of the second and Trujillo did the rest.

“It definitely meant a lot being able to come here with a great team and being able to win,” Trujillo said by phone. “Getting that early lead definitely helped me relax. My changeup was working, and I just took it one pitch at a time. It was an amazing feeling, especially being at the bottom of the dogpile.”

North Broward Prep wins third state championship in four years

North Broward senior Gian De Castro was downright giddy after he and his Eagles teammates completed a four-year run that saw them win three of four state championships, finishing with a playoff record of 27-1.

The lone loss, coming at the hands of Clearwater Calvary Christian in last year’s title game, was put far in the rearview mirror with a 5-4 win over the Warriors that closed out a Class 3A state championship at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

“A lot of work has gone into this and I’m just really, really proud of them and being their coach,” said North Broward coach Brian Campbell by phone. “It means everything, especially for this senior class that has been a part of this four-year run, They have played in the state finals all four years, which is pretty special.

“To lose last year, it was their goal and mission to come back to Fort Myers and win this year and I am most proud of that,” said Campbell, whose team fell in the state semifinals in 2011 and 2014. “They are winners, and grinders and got the job done. They are always together in class, at practice, and outside of school. They are truly brothers.”

UF commit Mateo Gray got things going for the Eagles (28-3) with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. After Westminster Christian (25-5) cut the lead in the top of the third, Gray had a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

De Castro, an Arizona State commit, said the team has been like brothers.

“It means everything, especially being with the boys since freshman year,” Castro said. “We have a great bond both on and off the field…just great chemistry. We got back what was taken from us last year. To leave with another ring after we battled through injuries all year long was great.”

Westminster Academy rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth before the Eagles plated two runs on a 2-run single by Kiernan O’Neill to extend the lead to 5-3. Ethan Puig grounded out to short, scoring courtesy runner Ashton Jacomino to cut the lead to 5-4. Appalachian State commit Riley Luft had a key assist in the outfield as he cut down a runner at the plate in the seventh to preserve the win.

FAU commit TJ Gramesty was 2 for 4 with a run scored while fellow FAU commit Nik Koorse, pitched 5 1/3 innings, struck out four, and walked three.