The 24th Clerc Classic Tournament was hosted at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, Florida, from January 15–17, 2026. Eight schools—California School for the Deaf (Riverside), California School for the Deaf (Fremont), Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, Indiana School for the Deaf, Maryland School for the Deaf, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, New Mexico School for the Deaf, and Texas School for the Deaf—came together to compete in girls’ and boys’ basketball and cheerleading.
Thursday, January 15
The varsity boys, seeded #6, opened tournament play against #3 seed Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD), a familiar opponent that defeated TSD by two points in last year’s 3rd/4th place game in Austin. The Rangers battled early but went into halftime trailing 18–14. In the third quarter, TSD went on a 6–0 run to take a brief 20–18 lead before MSSD responded to go up 26–20. Senior Sean Winegard and junior Xiovan Tomlinson hit back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game, but MSSD found its rhythm in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 37–29 win.
Xiovan Tomlinson finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals, while sophomore Joaquin Diaz added 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal.
After the boys' game, the #2-seeded TSD girls faced #7 seed Model. The Lady Rangers started strong defensively, holding Model to just two points in the first quarter while building a 15–2 lead. TSD continued its dominance into halftime with a 30–9 advantage. Model made adjustments in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as TSD scored 23 more points to secure a 53–35 victory and advance to the semifinals. Four players scored in double figures.
Senior Sulianie Casella led the way with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Junior Melanie Rubinshteyn added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Senior Anissa Castro and junior Savannah Fewel each contributed 10 points.
Friday, January 16
The boys returned to the court early Friday morning to face host school Florida in the consolation semifinal. The game was a back-and-forth battle on both ends of the floor. Despite committing 19 turnovers, the Rangers stayed locked in defensively and made key plays late. With the game tied in the final minutes, TSD pulled ahead to defeat the Dragons 30–27 and advance to the consolation championship game. Junior Xiovan Tomlinson posted 12 points and 9 rebounds.
The Lady Rangers then faced the host school Florida in the semifinals. Florida, the defending champion, had defeated TSD the previous year in Austin. Determined to return to the championship game, the Rangers delivered an outstanding defensive performance. TSD led 8–5 after a low-scoring first quarter and extended the lead to 16–7 in the second quarter behind timely three-point shooting from senior Anissa Castro. Florida closed the gap slightly, sending the teams into halftime at 16–11.
Following halftime adjustments emphasizing discipline and defense, TSD forced 24 team turnovers and controlled the second half. The Rangers defeated the defending champions to advance to the Clerc Classic championship game for the ninth time in the last ten years. Senior Jami Haynes scored 11 points, while senior Anissa Castro went a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, finishing with 8 points and 5 steals.
Saturday, January 17
Saturday marked a big day for Ranger Nation, featuring the boys’ consolation championship game, the cheer competition, and the girls’ championship matchup.
The boys faced New Mexico School for the Deaf, marking the second meeting between the two programs—the first coming in 2019 at Clerc Classic in Riverside. TSD opened strong, leading 16–13 after the first quarter, but New Mexico rallied to tie the game 22–22 at halftime. Head Coach Dylan Sicoli emphasized attacking the basket in the second half, and the Rangers stayed within striking distance. In the final minutes, a forced turnover by sophomore Joaquin Diaz led to a go-ahead layup. TSD’s defense held firm in the closing seconds, securing a 5th-place victory. Joaquin Diaz led all scorers with 18 points and 5 rebounds, while senior Sean Winegard added 14 points and 5 rebounds.
The cheer competition brought excitement as all eight schools showcased their talent across three rounds: floor cheer, dance cheer, and a jump contest. The TSD cheerleaders delivered an outstanding performance and represented Ranger Nation with pride.
The final game of the tournament featured undefeated #1 seed California School for the Deaf, Riverside (19–0) against #2 seed Texas (18–3). Riverside jumped out to a 5–0 start and led 11–5 after the first quarter. Defense dominated the second quarter, with each team scoring just two points, sending the Cubs into halftime ahead 13–7.
The Rangers came out of the locker room with renewed energy. Several clutch three-pointers by senior Anissa Castro fueled a comeback, cutting the deficit to two heading into the fourth quarter. The final eight minutes had the entire gym on its feet as TSD took a late lead before Riverside tied the game at 30–30. With 0.8 seconds left, junior Melanie Rubinshteyn was fouled on a shot attempt and went to the free-throw line. She calmly sank the first free throw to give TSD a 31–30 lead. Riverside was unable to score on the final possession, and the Rangers claimed the 24th Clerc Classic title, marking the fifth championship in school history and the first since 2020 in Indianapolis.
Anissa Castro finished with a game-high 17 points, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Senior Jami Haynes and DeKaylee Green, along with juniors Melanie Rubinshteyn and Xiovan Tomlinson, were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior Anissa Castro was selected as the Clerc Classic Tournament MVP