Pride book return trip to Final Four

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Grandview Prep senior guard Isaac Sosa watched from the sidelines last year as the Pride advanced to the first final four in school history.Saturday, he was front and center, helping lead the Pride to its second straight semifinal berth.

Sosa drained a three-pointer with 27 seconds left to give Grandview a one-point lead, then Paidrick Matilus sealed a 68-65 win over Miami-Choice Learning Academy with a steal and a layup Saturday night.

“They left me open,” Sosa said. “They were playing zone. They were supposed to play man-to-man and they left me open, I took the shot. I trusted myself.”

Grandview coach Joe Dawson said the play was originally designed to go to Altavious Carter in the post, but if Sosa, the inbounder on the play, wasn’t being guarded or if his man helped on Carter, Sosa had the green light to take the shot.

“It worked out and Sosa hit the big shot, like he’s done all year,” Dawson said.
It was the only field goal Sosa made in the fourth quarter too, as he had missed five straight shots in the second half. But he wasn’t about to miss the biggest shot of his career.

“He can miss 50 and still shoot it,” Dawson said. “He’s done that all year.”

Sosa transferred to Grandview Prep last January, and wasn’t eligible for the state semifinal run. Saturday, he put his own stamp on the Pride’s second semifinal appearance with a 6-of-16, 19-point performance.

Sosa got a lot of help from Matilus, who had his second straight big postseason game with 21 points – 19 coming in the first three quarters, as he slashed and wove his way through the Choice Learning defense for easy scores. In the Pride’s 82-55 win over Lake Worth Christian, Matilus scored 17 first-half points to help Grandview advance.

But it was Matilus’ final basket that was the biggest.

“All I saw was the ball going up, and in my head I said I was going to go get it,” he said.
Matilus, a transfer from Atlantic High last year, has been the X-factor in the Pride’s playoff run. With Carter in foul trouble and limited to six points, Matilus stepped up to become the second option after Sosa.

“If there’s ever a time to shine, this is the time,” Dawson said. “Everybody’s keying on Isaac Sosa and Altavious Carter. We need him (Matilus) to be good and he’s been phenomenal for us.”

The Pride started the game hot, hitting 16-of-34 field goals to take a 36-31 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Grandview built the lead to as many as eight points. But Carter picked up his third foul and was forced to sit, and Grandview Prep, which had befuddled the Hoyas with a 2-3 zone, was forced to go man-to-man.

The Hoyas used their size advantage to exploit the new defense.
Center Joel Gierbolini and forward Sam Blucher dominated the inside, combining for 23 points as the Hoyas closed the gap.

Gierbolini made three straight layups to give the Hoyas a 65-63 lead with 1:05 left.

That set the stage for Sosa and Matilus to come through in the biggest spot of the season so far.

Grandview (27-1) will face FAMU High, a 63-61 winner over Paxton, in a Class 1A state semifinal Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Lakeland Center. Orlando Christian Prep, the No. 1 team in the state in Class 1A, will play Bradenton Christian in the other semifinal at 11:30 a.m.

The winners meet Friday at noon.

“We’re trying to build this and every year we’ve gotten better and every year the schedule’s gotten better,” Dawson said. “It’s a great stepping stone for us.”