‘Meant everything.’ Pembroke Pines Charter players reflect on championship season
When the final buzzer sounded inside the University of North Florida gymnasium, Robert Guishard Jr. didn’t hesitate.
He ran.
First to his best friend, then to his coach, then to his father.
“This is what you worked for,” he recalled his dad telling him.
The Pembroke Pines Charter High School Jaguars had just outlasted Fleming Island 52-48 to win the Class 5A boys basketball state championship, securing the program’s second title in three seasons.
For the players, the win over the Golden Eagles proved to be more about everything it took to get there rather than a trophy or a ring. The moments of self-doubt, sacrifice and the bond that carried them through the season.
For Guishard, a senior forward, the championship game — which capped a 22-6 season and gave the program its third state crown since 2021 — carried a sense of finality.
“It meant everything, because it was my last year,” he told the Pembroke Pines News. “I wanted to last year too but we came up short, so this meant everything coming back.”
Guishard, who said he’s received college offers from Division II schools, said the emotions after their win hit all at once.
“I was happy, excited, I was kind of shocked, too,” he said. “I never did something like this, and I never won like this in this stage.”
The Miramar resident said he hopes to leave a legacy of leadership and is focused on gaining weight for college.
“I had to give everything I got, because that’s it,” Guishard said. “If I lose, I’m done. If I win, I’m done. It doesn’t matter, so I might as well win.”
He wasn’t the only one feeling the weight of the moment, though.
For junior guard Zacuras Dawson, the start of his high school career wasn’t smooth sailing.
“Winning a championship meant a lot to me, especially where I came from,” Dawson said. “I started my high school career off, not on a good note. My freshman year, I didn’t play at all.”
After transferring every school year before landing at Pines Charter High for his junior year, the South Miami resident said the win in the championship game is still sinking in.
“I felt emotional,” Dawson said. “From the start of the season, I knew we were going to get there. I knew that I had to win the state championship, it was my No. 1 goal for the whole season. This summer, I worked hard and when the final buzzer rang, I just felt emotional, like I did it.”
Dawson said there were moments during the season when he questioned himself.
“Sometimes I questioned my confidence,” he said. “Like, am I good enough? But thanks to my dad and my parents for giving me reminders that I can do it.”
For the other Jaguars, the season was defined by a commitment to sacrifice.
Senior shooting guard Adam Starr made a daily commute from Coral Springs.
“We worked really hard for the moment,” Starr said. “The win meant a lot for all of us, like our families and everything. I sacrificed a lot as well. It was a long trip to the Pines every day, so it meant a lot to me and my family.”
He said the team’s connection made the effort worthwhile.
“I’m glad I got to do it with all my close friends, my brothers,” Starr said.
Senior forward Isaiah Jenkins, who has been with the program since his freshman year, said the championship reflected the work and pressure they felt off the court.
“We came together and we worked very hard for that moment,” he said.
When the final buzzer rang, Jenkins said he felt relief. He added the team’s bond came from the accountability and trust they built over the season.
“Not giving up on each other no matter how many mistakes we made,” Jenkins said.
The connection showed most in the season’s toughest moments, particularly during the March 13 championship game in Jacksonville, the players said.
“We conditioned all year for that,” Starr said, speaking to the defensive struggle that occurred in the title game. “We just focused on defense and we pushed through any fatigue and we had a goal in mind so it wasn’t that bad in the moment.”
The Jaguars also pointed to memorable moments for the team, including a strong showing at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Ocala, in which Dawson was recognized as MVP and Guishard as “All-Tournament Selection.”
“That was a good trip where we went 4-0 and we really got to see each other’s strengths and build trust through that,” Starr said. “We had a lot of individuals, and we ended up coming together as a team as the season went on.”
Senior shooting guard Andre Daniel, who has been with the team since his sophomore year, said the team’s brotherhood and bond defined their success and built a culture that will outlast this season.
“I feel like you build such a strong culture that, like for years to come, that what we built here is going to set up the rest of us,” Daniel said.
