WEST PALM BEACH − Selection Show Sunday is a long-awaited judgment day for high school basketball teams around Florida. This year's was a little different for the boys of Cardinal Newman.

A 25-point performance by senior Jermaine Council to take down rival King's Academy saw the Crusaders sleep soundly on Saturday night, minds roaming with dreams of Lakeland after the 74-60 victory punched Newman's ticket to the 3A state playoff.

On Sunday afternoon, Newman (22-5) learned that it was the four-seed and would be hosting No. 5 Bell Creek Academy for region quarterfinals on Feb. 15.

It was a stark contrast from last winter's 10-15 run following a first-round exit from districts that left the Crusaders no reason to bother tuning in for the bracket release.

"We wasn't a championship team when we started, but we worked to it, and that's what's important," Council said on Saturday night.

Newman had just won its first district championship since 2016, but Council was basking in the glory of going back-to-back. Meanwhile, the frustration was clear on the faces of former teammates like Javian Jones.

The year prior, King's won the district for the first time since 1990 with Council on the roster, and went as far as the region championship with a 27-2 finish.

"Javian is a helluva athlete and I don't go a day without missing playing with him," Council said. "Me going up against him, there was no bad blood. I love competing with him − we did it for a long time, growing up since middle school."

"Just being on the court with him one last time felt great."

Council wasn't alone in the pursuit of taking down old friends. Seniors Alex Grande and Joe Duran supported the point guard with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Barred to just 21 points in the first half − eight in the second quarter − King's came out of the locker rooms swinging to start the second half. Four baskets for Evan Alicea helped King's outscore Newman in the third quarter, putting up 21 total points, but the Crusaders' efforts from downtown were too much for the Lions to bear.

Between Council, Grande, Duran, and LT Noegel, Newman banked eight three-pointers in the second half with a total of 12 on the evening. Grande was the most productive from the arc with four treys.

"When my team needs me I’m there to step up," Grande said. "Tonight was a big game, so I put in extra hours in the gym. I will continue to do so throughout the playoffs. It feels great to give Newman our first district title in the past 8 years and I wouldn’t have loved to do it with any other group of guys then my teammates right now."

Knowing King's was going to "key in" on him and limit his power in the paint, Council said he and the Crusaders stayed after practice for more than an hour on Friday just working on threes.

"I told my teammates they [King's] couldn't have a big game, and that's just what it was," Council said.

"I love my team. Shoutout to King's, but like coach Reilly said, there's a new sheriff in town."

After the loss on Saturday, Jones, who supported Matt McPherson's 20-point performance with 16 points, shared that King's had "just hope" that it would return to playoffs.

"As a Christian school, it doesn’t matter what happens. It’s God's decision," Jones said. "We will fix any errors we had tonight and move on."

Although they have no district title in tow this year, King's got the luck of the draw and the chance to suit up another day. Fortunately, with Jones taking Council's role as top scorer, King's is 21-7.

The Lions will just have to hit the road for region quarterfinals at No. 2 Santa Fe Catholic.

"It feels great being able to lead my team to victory this year − it’s still a team effort no one man can win a whole basketball game," Jones said.

King's and Newman could meet again, but it would take seven-seed King's upsetting Santa Fe, as well as the winner of Holy Trinity (Melbourne) and First Academy (Orlando). While Newman is favored to win against Bell Creek (16-11), which hosts Florida's No. 10 rebounder in junior Caleb Sanders, the Crusaders will likely be making the trip to Windermere Prep. The runner-ups for the 2023 state championship are seeded first in Region 2.

Grande said Newman's greatest strength heading into regionals is the team's ability to play at its "own pace, no matter the situation in the game."

"We play our hearts off on both ends of the court and that’s what’s so strong about our group, Grande said. "We just need to stay locked in and be us and not let anyone bring us down because I have a feeling we are going to the top − and I will make sure of it!"

"Coming in, people are going to doubt us because we're Newman. The only thing they think about is Newman football, but they don't know we get out there in basketball, too − so they can keep doubting us," Council said.

"Anybody who wants to play, they can think they're going to win, but at the end of the day, we're going to show them."

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cardinal Newman boys basketball wins districts, on to hosting playoffs