Northeast Fl- North Florida Educational Institute ( NFEI) defeated Impact Christian Academy 55-46 in the FHSAA Class 2A Regional Final Friday night, to advance to the Final 4. The two teams are familiar foes, with two great coaches in Benjamin Jones for Impact, and Stacey Poole Jr for NFEI. Yet the high-flying players from both teams is what truly made for physical and exciting playoff game for the packed house.
NFEI jumped out ot a 10-0 lead against Impact in the first quarter. The energy and intensity was evident from the start as players like 6’6 guard LeAno Rolle and 6’2 point guard Juan Barbista slashed to the basket for lay-ups. Second chance points were also a big factor for NFEI as players like 6’5 Kemauny Welch, and 6’9 Odaine Clahar crashed the boards for put backs and dunks.
Yet, Impact would adjust, and make a furious comeback in the first half. The Lions roared back thanks to an 11-2 run jumpstarted by 6’6 senior Issac Edwards. He scored 11 of Impact’s 15 first quarter points. Including knocking down a big 3-pointer erupting the home crowd in attendance. Edwards would finish with 16-points in the game to lead Impact.
He also got help from sophomore guard Wilmer De’jesus, who in the second quarter caught fire scoring 8 of his 14-points by kncoking down perimeter shots and getting to the free-throw line. It was important for Impact to match the intinisty of NFEI and they did leading to a 28-26 halftime lead.
The second half was a different story however, as NFEI came out confident and focused. Said head coach Stacey Poole Jr of his team at halftime, “the game is about runs and I told them to just stay the course, stay in the fight, and just go out and take it”. That’s exactly what the Fighting Eagles did, as they fought from behind in the third quarter to build a 46-33 lead.
The difference makers for NFEI were senior point guard Jeremiah Kwarteng and junior center Odaine Clahar. Clahar scored 10 of his team high 16 points in the second half by establishing his presence down low with lay-ups and dunks.
Kwarteng was instrumental by grabbing offensive rebounds and setting up scores by penetrating the basket. He scored 10-points in the contest. He was also active on defense as NFEI flustered Impact, making it hard for them to find open shots. The iron was un-kind to the home team, as Impact failed to knock down shots when they did find an openeing.
NFEI started high and finished high, and now they can wake up in the sky this moring knowing they are headed to Lakeland. Stacey Poole Jr and his team lost to Sagemont 76-72 in overtime last year in the Final 4. In 2019, NFEI fell to Central Florida Christian Academy 71-67 in the state championship. So the Eagles look to soar to new heights this time around by winning a championship.
