Senior Kaelynn Ayala has been attending P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School since Kindergarten. This year, Ayala will leave the school and embark on a new journey outside of Gainesville, Florida.
But, as Ayala leaves the memories of the school that built her behind, she will leave another very important aspect of her life with it.
Ayala has played softball since she was eight years old. She started out in the Gainesville City and Rec Ball leagues, but as most things in her life, Ayala wanted a constant.
“She’s always wanted to be a pitcher, since day one,” said her father, Jim.
Having found success as a youngster playing organized softball, Ayala wanted to further her career during her middle school stage. P.K. Yonge allows children in 6th grade to begin trying out for varsity sports.
“Kaelynn was terrified to try out,” said Jim.
After all, it was rare for a sixth grader to make the team, especially a team who aspired to reach the state championship with star players already stacking the roster. In the end, the accurate pitcher earned a spot in her inaugural middle school year.
“First of all, I never would have even gone to the tryouts in 6th grade if it wasn’t for my dad,” she said. “He was the one that pushed me to give it a shot and see what happened. When I looked on the roster the night after tryouts in 6th grade and saw my name, I was so shocked and excited because I never thought I would make the team so young.”
And in case you were wondering, that team did in fact reach the state championship game in 2014 and finished as Class 4A state runners-up, losing to Pensacola’s West Florida, 6-5, after giving up five runs in the bottom of the 7th.
“Overall, it was an awesome experience because all the games leading up to it were an example of how the game should be played,” she said. “Although we lost that game, it is a game that I will always remember because it is a reflection of softball as a whole. The main thing that I took from that game was that other team can come back just as fast and that is something I have remembered and played the game by.”
The close one-run loss in the title game helped mold her into the player she is today.
“It is one of the main reasons that I play the way I do,” she explained. “When I play I tend to have very level emotions, meaning I never get too excited and I never get too down when the team is losing. They (West Florida) came back and won the game in the last two outs of the last inning and that was a huge learning experience for me because I know what the ups and downs feel like.”
The next year, Ayala primarily served as a “live batter,” throwing to her teammates with whom she had reached the state championship just one year before.
Unfortunately for the pitcher, a rotator cuff injury sidelined her for the rest of the season, where the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave went 25-4. Seventh grade would be the last year Kaelynn would be on a winning team.
“Most of the coaches and star players moved on to other schools, but Kaelynn chose to stay at P.K. Yonge,” said Jim.
This year, the Blue Wave are 2-9.
Jim said, “The team is struggling to stay relevant.”
Ayala is the last player on a team of just nine girls to know what the Blue Wave’s glory days were on the softball diamond. And while she still has six letterman years under her belt, the fall from grace must be tough to swallow in the final year of her softball career.
Next year, Ayala will attend the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Her time at P.K. Yonge, highlighted by her time on the softball team, will come to an end.
“Being a lifer, there are so many memories that come to mind from being at the school so long and on the softball team for 7 years now,” she noted. “I think the thing that I remember most, is the relationships that I made with the older girls when I was in my middle school years. It was not only a great experience to learn from them on the field but the relationships extended off the field and made the overall time so much more memorable.”
Kaelynn Ayala will carry those memories, and the experience as a sixth grader on a star team, with her forever. But it all started with one influential person.
“My dad is my biggest supporter and has taught me everything I know about the game,” she said.
The P.K. Yonge softball team will be our guests on The Prep Zone radio show on Monday, April 2, from 7-8 p.m. You can listen to the show on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, and online at ThePrepZone.com.
Defending 8A state champions climb to the top spot
GAINESVILLE – There’s a new No. 1 in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
In a head-to-head match-up of the top two teams, the Oakleaf Knights (11-2) knocked off visiting top-ranked Gainesville, 1-0, scoring a run in the bottom of the 7th inning to take over the No. 1 ranking.
Oakleaf (Orange Park), the defending 8A state champions, also defeated previous No. 4 Keystone Heights, 9-2, as part of a 2-0 week.
They received four of the six first-place votes in the all-classification regional rankings.
The loss dropped the Hurricanes (13-3) to third. GHS also lost to Columbia (Lake City), which moved up 10 spots after also winning at previous No. 6 Trenton, 5-2, on Monday night.
Bartram Trail (St. Johns), which defeated Oakleaf 8-4 on March 2, moved up one spot to second.
Despite the loss to the Tigers from Lake City, Trenton (12-2) actually moved up one spot to fifth. They are also remained No. 1 in the Class 1A state rankings.
Defending 5A state runner-up Eustis is ranked sixth, followed by Keystone Heights, defending 1A state champion Union County (Lake Butler), defending 2A state runner-up Aucilla Christian (Monticello) and University (Orange City) in the top 10.
The Class 9A Titans (12-2) made one of the biggest jumps, going from unranked to 10th following a 5-0 week that included winning the Battle at the Beach at Spruce Creek. They had wins last week against previous RV Mandarin (Jacksonville), 1-0, in the championship game, and #13 Deltona, and #19 Taylor (Pierson). They have won seven in a row.
Class 9A Mandarin also moves into the rankings at No. 17 following a 3-1 record at the Battle at the Beach which included wins against previous RV DeLand and Spruce Creek (Port Orange).
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Strive Fitness.
The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2018 Softball Poll #3
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 3/26, and total voting points)
1. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (4) (11-2) – 118
2. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (2) (12-1) – 116
3. Gainesville (7A) (13-3) – 103
4. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (13-3) – 94
5. Trenton (1A) (1) (12-2) – 88
6. Eustis (5A) (9-2) – 84
7. Keystone Heights (5A) (12-3) – 77
8. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (8-2) – 73
9. Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (5-1) – 71
10. University (Orange City) (9A) (12-2) – 60
11. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-1) – 55
12. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (12-2) – 51
13. Deltona (7A) (10-2) – 47
14. East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (13-1) – 38
15. Dunnellon (6A) (10-2) – 37
16. West Nassau (Callahan) (5A) (10-4) – 35
17. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (13-3) – 29
18. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (12-4) – 22
19. Taylor (Pierson) (5A) (10-1) – 18
20. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (10-2) – 12
Also receiving votes: Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (10-5) – 8, St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (3A) (10-1) – 8, Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (9-3) – 7, Chiefland (1A) (12-2) – 5, Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (10-4) – 3, DeLand (9A) (8-5) – 1.
The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Tuesday, March 27, is Jud Fabian of the Trinity Catholic (Ocala) baseball team.
Fabian set the tone early for the Celtics in an 11-5 win at defending 1A state champion Trenton.
The University of Florida commit hit the fourth pitch of the game over the fence in left centerfield for a lead-off homerun, his team-leading fourth of the season, as the Celtics grabbed an early 1-0.
The junior, who entered the game batting .500, continued his hot start to the 2018 season by going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run single in the seventh.
Everyone in the line-up had a hit except for the No. 9 hitter as the Class 4A No. 6 Celtics (MaxPreps) improved to 7-2 on the season.
“We had guys swing it well from top to bottom and anytime you can start the game with a homerun it kind of sets the tone,” said Trinity Catholic coach Tommy Bond.
Senior Eddie Lefever added an RBI single in the first to make it 2-0 and Trinity Catholic added two more in the second on just one hit to extend the lead to 4-0.
Trenton, which is ranked 8th in the state in Class 1A according to MaxPreps and is coming off its 2nd state title in the past five years, got back in the game in the bottom of the second.
Zachary Hardee’s ground out plated Trey Sanchez, who had led off with a single, and Sanchez scored on a double by Landon Kennedy to make it 4-2.
The Tigers (8-3) made it a one-run game in the third on a ground out by Florida commit Wyatt Langford, scoring senior Chase Malloy who had doubled to start the inning.
But that’s as close as Trenton would get thanks to the pitching of Alex Cameron, who moved to 4-0 on the season, going six innings and allowing four runs on five hits to pick up the win.
“He doesn’t try to overpower you,” said Bond. “He was ahead in the count a lot tonight and we played well defensively behind him.”
FSU commit Bryce Boone added a solo homerun and senior Ryan Rogers had a bases-loaded double in the fifth to put the game away.
Up next for Trinity Catholic is a trip to Montverde Academy, which is ranked third in the country.
“We’ll be in a battle for sure,” said Bond. “We will have to be on top of our game and will have to play well to beat them.”
Every game The Prep Zone will recognize a Player-of-the-Game. The recipient receives a $10 gift certificate courtesy of Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville & Ocala.
This is the seventh Miracle Sports high school softball state poll conducted by Miracle Sports for the 2018 season. The Miracle Sports state softball poll is produced weekly utilizing former and current high school and college coaches from across the state. Area teams are in bold.
ALL-CLASSIFICATION
1. Pembroke Pines Charter (8A) 16-1
2. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch (8A) 11-1
3. Land O’Lakes (6A) 13-0
4. Wellington (8A) 15-1
5. Lithia Newsome 7-0 (9A) 12-1
6. Coral Springs Charter (5A) 15-2 7. Orange Park Oakleaf (8A) 11-2
8. Apopka (9A) 13-1
9. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (8A) 8-1
10. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes (2A) 13-1
CLASS 9A
1. Lithia Newsome 12-1
2. Apopka 13-1
3. Miami Palmetto 12-2
4. Tampa Alonso 10-2
5. Palm Harbor University 13-4 6. Orange City University 12-2
7. Jupiter 9-2
8. Kissimmee Osceola 11-3
9. Orlando Dr. Phillips 14-1
10. Davie Western 11-3
Honorable mention: Jacksonville Mandarin 13-3; Orlando Timber Creek 10-2; Parkland Stoneman Douglas 7-3; Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley 8-3; Coconut Creek Monarch 8-4; West Broward 10-3; Vero Beach 7-1; Davenport Ridge Community 8-4; Winter Garden West Orange 9-5; Miami Coral Reef 8-5.
CLASS 8A
1. Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 11-1
2. Wellington 15-1 3. Orange Park Oakleaf 11-2
4. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas 8-1
5. Tallahassee Chiles 13-0
6. Bartow 9-1 7. Clermont East Ridge 13-1
8. Cooper City 13-2
9. Plant City 13-2
10. Winter Springs 11-2
Honorable mention: Lakeland George Jenkins 13-3; Tarpon Springs East Lake 13-3; Lutz Steinbrenner 11-3; Oviedo Hagerty 12-4; Valrico Bloomingdale 13-4; St. Cloud 8-3; Boca Raton Spanish River 8-3; Tallahassee Lincoln 6-2; Tampa Freedom 9-4, Tampa Wharton 8-3.
CLASS 7A
1. Pembroke Pines Charter 16-1
2. Fort Myers 11-1
3. Land O’Lakes Sunlake 13-1
4. Viera 15-1 5. St. Johns Bartram Trail 12-1
6. Tampa Chamberlain 12-1 7. Lake City Columbia 13-3 8. Gainesville 13-3
9. Bradenton Braden River 12-3 10. Deltona 12-2
Honorable mention; West Boca Raton 12-2; Niceville 9-3; Melbourne 12-3; Seminole Osceola 14-4; Estero 11-3; Stuart South Fork 7-2; Navarre 10-2; Miami Terra Environmental 11-2.
CLASS 6A
1. Land O’Lakes 13-0
2. New Port Richey River Ridge 13-1 3. Spring Hill Springstead 12-2
4. Rockledge 13-2 5. Dunnellon 10-2
6. Immokalee 11-2
7. North Fort Myers 13-3
8. Plantation American Heritage 9-6
9. Sebring 10-2 10. Crystal River 7-2
Honorable mention: Orange Park Ridgeview 9-3; Tarpon Springs 11-4; Panama City Beach Arnold 10-4; Tampa Robinson 9-4; Cape Coral 7-4.
CLASS 5A
1. Coral Springs Charter 15-2
2. Marianna 14-1 3. Pierson Taylor 10-1 4. Eustis 9-2
5. Miami Gulliver Prep 8-2-1 6. Keystone Heights 12-3 7. Brooksville Hernando 10-2
8. Key West 11-3 9. Callahan West Nassau 10-4 10. The Villages 10-1
Honorable mention: Lakeland McKeel 13-5; Glen St. Mary Baker County 10-4; Titusville Astronaut 9-4; Lake Placid 10-4; Cocoa Space Coast 13-5; Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek 9-4.
CLASS 4A 1. Jacksonville Providence 10-1
2. Miami Westminster Christian 12-4
3. Tampa Academy of the Holy Names 10-3
4. West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 12-4 5. Jacksonville Trinity Christian 12-5 6. Perry Taylor County 7-3
7. Chaminade Madonna 4-1
8. Tampa Catholic 11-6 9. Jacksonville Episcopal 6-4
10. Clearwater Calvary Christian 6-3
Honorable mention: Delray Beach American Heritage 6-4; West Palm Beach King’s Academy 10-4; Fort Myers Bishop Verot 8-6; Panama City North Bay Haven 11-6; Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy 9-3.
CLASS 3A
1. Niceville Rocky Bayou Christian 7-1 2. Orange Park St. Johns Country Day 9-1
3. St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut 10-2 4. Jacksonville University Christian 4-1
5. Belle Isle Cornerstone Charter 9-5
6. Lakeland Christian 10-4
7. Oviedo Master’s Academy 5-1
8. Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 9-3
9. St. Petersburg Northside Christian 10-5
10. Orlando Faith Christian 8-3
Honorable mention: Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 8-5; Tampa Carrollwood Day 8-5; Moore Haven 4-2; Spring Hill Bishop McLaughlin 8-5; Marathon 9-6; Naples Neumann 9-8.
CLASS 2A
1. Land O’Lakes Academy at the Lakes 13-1 2. Monticello Aucilla Christian 4-1 3. Jacksonville Eagle’s View 11-1
4. Homestead Colonial Christian 11-1 5. Mount Dora Christian 11-2 6. Deltona Trinity Christian Academy 6-1 7. Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian 9-2 8. Palatka Peniel Baptist 13-2 9. Jacksonville Christ’s Church Academy 7-1
10. St. Petersburg Canterbury 4-7
Honorable mention: Palm Bay Covenant Christian 6-3; Sarasota Christian 7-3; Vero Beach Master’s Academy 6-4-1; Naples Seacrest Country Day 7-4; Lake Worth Christian 3-2; Belle Glade Glades Day 4-4.
CLASS 1A 1. Trenton 12-2
2. Wewahitchka 10-4 3. Lake Butler Union County 8-2
4. Bonifay Holmes County 12-3 5. Chiefland 12-2
6. Sneads 13-3
7. Bratt Northview 10-2 8. Madison County 10-3
9. Panama City Bozeman 10-2
10. Frostproof 12-2
Honorable mention: Altha 13-1; Jay 10-5; Mayo Lafayette 8-7; Bell 7-5; Paxton 7-4.
GAINESVILLE (March 26) – Vernon Carey Jr., a junior at NSU University School of Ft. Lauderdale, has been named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.
Carey, who earlier this month was named the Class 5A Player-of-the-Year, averaged 26.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while leading his team to the Class 5A state championship.
He tallied 10 of the 21 first-place votes and 136 points to finish ahead of Class 3A POY Nassir Little of Orlando Christian Prep, who had seven first-place votes and 118 points.
Class 8A POY Serrel Smith of St. Petersburg finished third with three first place votes and 86 points followed by Class 9A POY Emmitt Williams of Oak Ridge (64), Class 6A POY Elijah Weaver of Rockledge (41), Class 4A POY Zachary Scott of Westminster Academy (32), Class 2A POY Neftali Alvarez of Miami Christian (27), Class 7A POY Colin Castleton of Daytona Beach Father Lopez (23) and Class 1A POY Kevon Godwin of Blountstown (17).
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 26th year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
2018 FINAL VOTING RESULTS (Area players in bold)
Player Total Points 1st-place Votes
Vernon Carey Jr. 136 10
Nassir Little 118 7
Serrel Smith 86 3
Emmitt Williams 64 0
Elijah Weaver 41 0
Zachary Scott 32 1
Neftali Alvarez 27 0 Colin Castleton 23 0
Kevon Godwin 17 0
NOTE: The Mr. Basketball Award was sponsored by Florida Sports News, Inc., from 1983 to 1992
Past Mr. Basketball Winners:
1983 – Frank Ford, Kissimmee Osceola 1984 – Vernon Maxwell, Gainesville Buchholz
1985 – Toney Mack, Brandon
1986 – Chris Corchiani, Hialeah Miami Lakes
1987 – Chris Corchiani, Hialeah Miami Lakes
1988 – Johnny Walker, Quincy Shanks
1989 – Douglas Edwards, Miami Senior
1990 – Clifford Rozier, Bradenton Southeast
1991 – Steve Edwards, Miami Senior
1992 – Steve Edwards, Miami Senior 1993 – James Collins, Jacksonville Jackson
1994 – LeRon Williams, Bradenton Southeast 1995 – Vince Carter, Daytona Beach Mainland
1996 – Luke Barnes, South Miami
1997 – Jason Pryor, Fort Walton Beach
1998 – Teddy Dupay, Cape Coral Mariner
1999 – Casey Sanders, Tampa Prep 2000 – Orien Greene, Gainesville
2001- Adrian McPherson, Bradenton Southeast
2002 – Amare Stoudemire, Orlando Cypress Creek
2003 – Chris Richard, Lakeland Kathleen
2004 – Darius Washington, Orlando Edgewater 2005 – Keith Brumbaugh, Deland
2006 – Nick Calathes, Winter Park Lake Howell
2007 – Nick Calathes, Winter Park Lake Howell
2008 – Ray Shipman, Miami Monsignor Pace
2009 – Brandon Knight, Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest
2010 – Brandon Knight, Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest
2011 – Austin Rivers, Winter Park
2012 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
2013 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
2014 – Joel Berry II, Lake Highland Preparatory
2015 – Antonio Blakeney, Orlando Oak Ridge
2016 – Tony Bradley, Bartow
2017 – Kevin Knox, Tampa Catholic
Date: Wed 03/28/2018 at 7:00pm
Title: The Prep Zone
Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught as he talks high school sports from Sonic Drive-In of Ocala (Summerfield location). Guests for this episode included Belleview baseball coach Brian Fennewald and members of the Rattlers’ baseball team. The show will also air in its entirety on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville, as well as 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala following Gator softball in the 8 p.m. hour. #ThePrepZone.com
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Date: Tue 03/27/2018 at 6:30pm
Title: HS Baseball – Trinity Catholic (Ocala) at Trenton
NOTE: This broadcast has not started yet.
Event Details: Join Mike Ridaught (Play-by-play) & Michael Knauff (Color) for this match-up of state playoff teams from 2017. Trenton is the defending 1A state champion. The game will also air on 92.1 FM & 1230 AM in Gainesville and 100.1 FM & 900 AM in Ocala. #ThePrepZone.com
CHROME BROWSER NOTE: Recent versions of the Chrome Browser have discontinued support for several plugins including the Silverlight media player used on this site. The best option to access this ‘live’ broadcast is to switch to a different browser, i.e. Internet Explorer or Firefox.
The other option for windows users is to click the “WMP Player” once you access the broadcast on Chrome. This will play the broadcast in your standalone windows media player if that is available on your computer.
GAINESVILLE (March 26) – Sean Campbell of Leesburg High School has been named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.
Campbell led Leesburg to a 30-1 record and a second straight Class 6A state championship. In five years at the school, Campbell has posted a 101-53 record.
Campbell, who was selected as the Class 6A Coach of the Year in a previous round of voting, finished with 122 points to win the overall award ahead of Class 7A COY Jorge Fernandez of Doral Academy (103) and Class 8A COY Melvin Randall of Blanche Ely (78).
Class 5A COY Adrian Sosa of NSU University School finished fourth (56), followed by Class 1A COY Von Moreland of Wildwood (48), Class 2A COY Juan Cardona of Miami Christian (34), Class 9A COY Steven Reece of Oak Ridge (23), Class 4A COY Ehren Wallhoff of Westminster Academy (21) and Class 3A COY Treig Burke of Orlando Christian Prep (14).
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 26th year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
2018 FINAL VOTING RESULTS (area coaches in bold)
Player Total Points 1st-place Votes Sean Campbell 122 8
Jorge Fernandez 103 6
Melvin Randall 78 4
Adrian Sosa 56 0 Von Moreland 48 1
Juan Cardona 34 0
Steven Reece 23 0
Ehren Wallhoff 21 0
Treig Burke 14 0
Past Boys’ Basketball Coaching Winners:
1993 – Bernard Wilkes, Jacksonville Ribault
1994 – John Ellerbee, Malone
1995 – Bob Carroll, Bradenton Southeast
1996 – Wade Edmond, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
1997 – Joey Pons, Fort Walton Beach 1998 – Bruce Rosebrock, Jacksonville Wolfson
1999 – Vernon Eppinette, Port St. Joe 2000 – Anthony Long, Gainesville
2001 – Mark Rickman, Orlando Boone
2002 – Ricky McCullough, Chipley
2003 – Mark Lieberman, Miami Pace
2004 – Mike Gaudy, Cocoa Beach
2005 – Danny Wright, Lakewood
2006 – Matt Hixenbaugh, Winter Park
2007 – Steve Kohn, Winter Park Lake Howell
2008 – Lawton Williams III, Miami Norland 2009 – Kelly Beckham, Gainesville
2010 – Eli Bryant, Tallahassee Rickards
2011 – Fred Ross, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
2012 – Billy Washington, Lake Wales
2013 – Melvin Randall, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
2014 – Ed Kershner, Oviedo
2015 – Melvin Randall, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
2016 – Shane Whitsett, Poinciana
2017 – Darryl Burrows, Dillard
The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of March 12 is JAXSON LAMB* of the Oak Hall (Gainesville) boys’ lacrosse team.
Photo credit: TopLaxRecruits.com
*The High Point commit helped lead the Eagles to a 3-0 week, including a 17-0 win against Gainesville to start the week and the inaugural Sunshine State Athletic Conference title on Saturday. The senior midfielder saved the best for last. Lamb had eight goals in a 14-2 win against host All Saints Academy (Winter Haven) in the second game of a doubleheader at the inaugural Sunshine State Athletic Conference lacrosse tournament. The eight goals tied a school record for goals in a single-game.
Nominate an Athlete of the Week each week no later than Sunday at 6 p.m. Email your nominations to mike@ThePrepZone.com
Previous 2017-18 winners:
March 5 – Ethan Brunson (P.K. Yonge baseball)
The senior helped lead the Blue Wave to a 3-0 week. In a 6-4 win against Fort White to start the week, Brunson had a single, double, and two runs batted in, plus he collected his second save by tossing two innings. His best performance came next when he went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple and two singles with three RBIs in a 13-4 District 5-5A win against Santa Fe. He finished off the week with a 2-for-3 performance, including his 5th RBI of the week, in a 5-2 win against Oak Hall as the Blue Wave (9-0) stayed unbeaten.
Feb. 26 – Trey McCray (The Rock boys’ basketball)
McCray, who transferred in from Santa Fe High School this season, led The Rock (28-10) to the SIAA state title by scoring 21 points in the championship game as the Lions defeated Victory Rock, 73-59. The junior scored 14 in the semifinals, a 76-61 win against West Oaks, and 13 in the quarterfinals, an 86-46 win against Calusa Prep. He was named the tournament’s MVP.
Feb. 19 – Adebola Adeyeye (The Rock girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead the Lady Lions to their second consecutive NACA National Championship for Division II. The University of Buffalo signee scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as The Rock defeated Comenius (Fort Mill, SC), 61-50, in the title game. Adeyeye scored 73 points and grabbed 72 rebounds during the tournament. She also had five blocks in the four games.
Feb. 12 – Nick Baskin Jr. (St. Francis Catholic Academy boys’ basketball)
Baskin had 20 points and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line down the stretch to lead Saint Francis Catholic Academy to its first district title in basketball since 2013 in a 61-57 home win over Trinity Christian Academy (Deltona) in the Class 3A-District 2 title game. The senior tied for game-high honors with 15 points in the district semifinals as the Wolves defeated Christ Church Academy (Jacksonville), 87-43, to clinch an FHSAA state playoff berth.
Feb. 5 – Lele Young (Gainesville girls’ basketball)
The senior guard helped lead GHS (21-7) to its eighth consecutive district title. Young scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and added four steals in a 72-58 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the Class 7A-District 4 semifinals. She was also 7-of-8 from the free throw line. It marked the 15th game this season that Young had scored 21 or more points in a game. In the championship game, she scored 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds and added three steals in a 55-40 win against Forest (Ocala).
Jan. 29 – Kursten Bakken (Union County girls’ weightlifting)
Bakken set a new Florida record as the Tigers won their first-ever FHSAA championship in girls weightlifting. The senior was one of four individual state champions for Union County. She bettered her fifth-place showing at state last year as a junior by setting a new state record in the bench press in the unlimited class at 300 pounds. She lifted a combined 525 pounds in the bench press and clean-and-jerk, breaking a Florida high school record that had stood since 2009.
Jan. 22 – Devin King-Porter (Buchholz girls’ soccer)
The sophomore midfielder helped lead the Lady Bobcats to the Class 5A-District 1 title. King-Porter led all scorers with three goals in an 8-0 win against Sandalwood (Jacksonville) in the district semifinals. She followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win against Forest (Ocala) in the district championship.
Jan. 15 – Zack Martin (Santa Fe boys’ soccer)
Martin had eight goals during the week to help lead Santa Fe to a 3-0 record, with all three wins coming in Class 2A-District 5 competition. He began the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at Interlachen. Two days later, the senior forward scored two goals for Santa Fe in a 3-0 win against second-place Crescent City, which gave the Raiders the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament. Martin finished the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).
Jan. 8 – Ayanna Rollins (Oak Hall girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead Oak Hall to a couple of wins during the week. Rollins led the Eagles with 30 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in a 65-33 win against Florida School for the Deaf (St. Augustine). She followed that up with a monster effort two nights later in a 39-31 win at Eastside (Gainesville). Rollins scored 24 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and had six steals.
Jan. 1 – No award due to holiday and cancelled school
Dec. 25 – Jimmy Johnson (Eastside boys’ basketball)
Johnson helped lead the Rams to a third-place finish at the Hitchcock’s Challenge in Alachua. The senior guard scored in double figures in every game as Eastside went 3-1 in the tournament. He scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 behind the arc, in a 70-36 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the 3rd-place game.
Dec. 18 – Christian Miller-Cardwell (Gainesville boys’ basketball)
Miller-Cardwell led Gainesville to the Kiwanis Christmas Tournament title at Bradford High School (Starke), Dec. 21-23, by scoring 70 points in three games. The tournament MVP led the Hurricanes (8-2) with 22 points in a 75-55 win against host Bradford in the championship game. He scored a game-high 26 points in a 69-58 win against 8A No. 2 Creekside (St. Johns). The senior also scored a game-high 22 points in a 62-44 win against Madison County.
Dec. 11 – Sierra Millinor (Eastside girls’ soccer)
Millinor helped lead the Lady Rams to a pair of Class 3A-District 5 wins. The junior forward scored five goals in a 7-3 win against Crystal River. Two days later against Vanguard (Ocala), she scored three goals and assisted on another in a 5-1 win.
Dec. 4 – Lee Ducharme (P.K. Yonge girls’ soccer)
The senior forward scored seven goals, giving her 300 on her career, as the Blue Wave remained undefeated with a dominating 8-1 win at Santa Fe (Alachua). The win snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Lady Raiders. Two days later, the West Florida commit scored five goals in an 8-0 win against Interlachen. The 12 goals gave Ducharme 32 goals in eight games.
Nov. 27 – Anthony Allen (Newberry boys’ soccer)
Allen helped the Panthers bounce back from its first defeat of the season, a 6-0 loss at Crescent City on Monday, by scoring five goals in their next two games to lead Newberry to a 2-1 week. The senior scored both of his team’s goals in a 2-0 win at Interlachen on Thursday, followed by the first hat trick of his career in a 5-0 win at Oak Hall on Friday. He also added an assist in the win against the Eagles.
Nov. 20 – No award due to Thanksgiving holiday
Nov. 13 – Zion Barber (Bradford football)
The senior helped lead the Tornadoes to their first state semifinal appearance since 2004 with a 24-14 win against Dunnellon in the Class 4A Region 2 Final. Barber had a rushing touchdown on a 4th-and-goal, threw two TD passes, kicked three extra points and made a 20-yard field goal as Bradford (10-1) won its 10th straight game.
Nov. 6 – Isabel Ivey (Buchholz girls’ swimming)
Ivey helped lead Buchholz to its third straight state title. She set a state record in the 100 breast stroke (1:00.99), and she beat Stanford commit Morgan Tankersley of Plant (Tampa) to win the 200 freestyle (1:44.68), in winning two individual state titles. The junior was also a part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team which set a school record, and a state record, with a time of 1:31.66, less than a second from the national mark, and she helped lead the Lady Bobcats to a state record in the 400-freestyle relay.
Oct. 30 – Austin Montini (Oak Hall boys’ cross country)
The freshman helped lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the high school cross country regional championships. Montini finished third with a time of 16:48.86 to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish. The Oak Hall boys were ranked sixth but finished third.
Oct. 23 – Brandis Smith (St. Francis Catholic Academy volleyball)
Smith helped lead the Wolves (8-9) to an upset of previously unbeaten North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) in the FHSAA Class 3A Regional Semifinals. The senior had 50 kills, 7 blocks, and 12 digs for the defending state champions. St. Francis Catholic Academy d. North Florida Christian 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-14.
Oct. 16 – Heather Pedrick (Santa Fe volleyball)
The junior setter helped lead the top-seeded Lady Raiders to the Class 6A-District 6 title. Pedrick had 14 kills, eight digs, 14 assists and six service points to lead the Raiders to a sweep of North Marion (Citra) in the district semifinals. In the championship against No. 2 seed Belleview, she led the way with 17 kills, 20 digs and five blocks as Santa Fe swept the Rattlers.
Oct. 9 – Amelia Williams (Buchholz girls’ golf)
Williams helped the Lady Bobcats capture their fifth straight Jill Darr Invitational title. The sophomore was the low medalist with a 3-under 69. She had a bogey-free round. The Jill Darr Invitational, named after the late Jill Darr Rowell, represents the Alachua County championship.
Oct. 2 – Charles Strong (Union County football)
The FSU commit rushed for 262 yards and scored three touchdowns as Union County (6-1) defeated previously unbeaten Hawthorne, 31-25, in overtime. Strong, who has 1,139 yards and 13 TDs on the season, scored the game-winner from 10 yards out in OT. He also had a 23-yard scoring run and a 12-yard TD run.
Sept. 25 – Demari Turner (St. Francis Catholic Academy football)
Turner came up with the big plays, catching four passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, to help lead the Wolves to a 36-0 win against rival Oak Hall and snap the Eagles’ two-game win streak in the series. The senior wide receiver had scoring catches of 63 and 89 yards as St. Francis Catholic knocked off the previously-unbeaten Eagles and snapped their overall winning streak at 13 games. He also had a 2-point conversion and helped the defense pitch its first shutout of the season.
Sept. 18 – Anthony Richardson (Eastside football)
The sophomore quarterback led the Rams to a 2-0 week, which is twice as many wins as Eastside had (1) all season in 2016. Richardson had 646 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and passing. In the Rams’ 33-28 home win over Newberry on Monday, he accounted for all five of their touchdowns, finishing with 348 yards and two scores through the air and 65 yards and three scores on the ground. On Friday, at Lake Weir (Ocala), Richardson ran for 102 yards on 11 carries with two TDs, and 131 yards passing with three scores.
Sept. 11 – No award due to Hurricane Irma
Sept. 4 – Gerard Williams III (Williston football)
Williams set a school record with 307 yards on 27 carries, with three touchdowns, in the Red Devils’ 28-14 win at Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto). During Williston’s first five possessions, the senior had 13 carries for 115 yards. However, on Williston’s final three drives, he had 192 yards on 14 carries, with 2 TDs.
The Trophy Shop Athlete of the Week for the week of March 5 is ETHAN BRUNSON* of the P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) baseball team.
*The senior helped lead the Blue Wave to a 3-0 week. In a 6-4 win against Fort White to start the week, Brunson had a single, double, and two runs batted in, plus he collected his second save by tossing two innings. His best performance came next when he went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple and two singles with three RBIs in a 13-4 District 5-5A win against Santa Fe. He finished off the week with a 2-for-3 performance, including his 5th RBI of the week, in a 5-2 win against Oak Hall as the Blue Wave (9-0) stayed unbeaten.
Nominate an Athlete of the Week each week no later than Sunday at 6 p.m. Email your nominations to mike@ThePrepZone.com
Previous 2017-18 winners:
Feb. 26 – Trey McCray (The Rock boys’ basketball)
McCray, who transferred in from Santa Fe High School this season, led The Rock (28-10) to the SIAA state title by scoring 21 points in the championship game as the Lions defeated Victory Rock, 73-59. The junior scored 14 in the semifinals, a 76-61 win against West Oaks, and 13 in the quarterfinals, an 86-46 win against Calusa Prep. He was named the tournament’s MVP.
Feb. 19 – Adebola Adeyeye (The Rock girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead the Lady Lions to their second consecutive NACA National Championship for Division II. The University of Buffalo signee scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as The Rock defeated Comenius (Fort Mill, SC), 61-50, in the title game. Adeyeye scored 73 points and grabbed 72 rebounds during the tournament. She also had five blocks in the four games.
Feb. 12 – Nick Baskin Jr. (St. Francis Catholic Academy boys’ basketball)
Baskin had 20 points and went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line down the stretch to lead Saint Francis Catholic Academy to its first district title in basketball since 2013 in a 61-57 home win over Trinity Christian Academy (Deltona) in the Class 3A-District 2 title game. The senior tied for game-high honors with 15 points in the district semifinals as the Wolves defeated Christ Church Academy (Jacksonville), 87-43, to clinch an FHSAA state playoff berth.
Feb. 5 – Lele Young (Gainesville girls’ basketball)
The senior guard helped lead GHS (21-7) to its eighth consecutive district title. Young scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed five rebounds and added four steals in a 72-58 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the Class 7A-District 4 semifinals. She was also 7-of-8 from the free throw line. It marked the 15th game this season that Young had scored 21 or more points in a game. In the championship game, she scored 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds and added three steals in a 55-40 win against Forest (Ocala).
Jan. 29 – Kursten Bakken (Union County girls’ weightlifting)
Bakken set a new Florida record as the Tigers won their first-ever FHSAA championship in girls weightlifting. The senior was one of four individual state champions for Union County. She bettered her fifth-place showing at state last year as a junior by setting a new state record in the bench press in the unlimited class at 300 pounds. She lifted a combined 525 pounds in the bench press and clean-and-jerk, breaking a Florida high school record that had stood since 2009.
Jan. 22 – Devin King-Porter (Buchholz girls’ soccer)
The sophomore midfielder helped lead the Lady Bobcats to the Class 5A-District 1 title. King-Porter led all scorers with three goals in an 8-0 win against Sandalwood (Jacksonville) in the district semifinals. She followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win against Forest (Ocala) in the district championship.
Jan. 15 – Zack Martin (Santa Fe boys’ soccer)
Martin had eight goals during the week to help lead Santa Fe to a 3-0 record, with all three wins coming in Class 2A-District 5 competition. He began the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at Interlachen. Two days later, the senior forward scored two goals for Santa Fe in a 3-0 win against second-place Crescent City, which gave the Raiders the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament. Martin finished the week with a hat trick in an 8-0 win at P.K. Yonge (Gainesville).
Jan. 8 – Ayanna Rollins (Oak Hall girls’ basketball)
The senior forward helped lead Oak Hall to a couple of wins during the week. Rollins led the Eagles with 30 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in a 65-33 win against Florida School for the Deaf (St. Augustine). She followed that up with a monster effort two nights later in a 39-31 win at Eastside (Gainesville). Rollins scored 24 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and had six steals.
Jan. 1 – No award due to holiday and cancelled school
Dec. 25 – Jimmy Johnson (Eastside boys’ basketball)
Johnson helped lead the Rams to a third-place finish at the Hitchcock’s Challenge in Alachua. The senior guard scored in double figures in every game as Eastside went 3-1 in the tournament. He scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 behind the arc, in a 70-36 win against Columbia (Lake City) in the 3rd-place game.
Dec. 18 – Christian Miller-Cardwell (Gainesville boys’ basketball)
Miller-Cardwell led Gainesville to the Kiwanis Christmas Tournament title at Bradford High School (Starke), Dec. 21-23, by scoring 70 points in three games. The tournament MVP led the Hurricanes (8-2) with 22 points in a 75-55 win against host Bradford in the championship game. He scored a game-high 26 points in a 69-58 win against 8A No. 2 Creekside (St. Johns). The senior also scored a game-high 22 points in a 62-44 win against Madison County.
Dec. 11 – Sierra Millinor (Eastside girls’ soccer)
Millinor helped lead the Lady Rams to a pair of Class 3A-District 5 wins. The junior forward scored five goals in a 7-3 win against Crystal River. Two days later against Vanguard (Ocala), she scored three goals and assisted on another in a 5-1 win.
Dec. 4 – Lee Ducharme (P.K. Yonge girls’ soccer)
The senior forward scored seven goals, giving her 300 on her career, as the Blue Wave remained undefeated with a dominating 8-1 win at Santa Fe (Alachua). The win snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Lady Raiders. Two days later, the West Florida commit scored five goals in an 8-0 win against Interlachen. The 12 goals gave Ducharme 32 goals in eight games.
Nov. 27 – Anthony Allen (Newberry boys’ soccer)
Allen helped the Panthers bounce back from its first defeat of the season, a 6-0 loss at Crescent City on Monday, by scoring five goals in their next two games to lead Newberry to a 2-1 week. The senior scored both of his team’s goals in a 2-0 win at Interlachen on Thursday, followed by the first hat trick of his career in a 5-0 win at Oak Hall on Friday. He also added an assist in the win against the Eagles.
Nov. 20 – No award due to Thanksgiving holiday
Nov. 13 – Zion Barber (Bradford football)
The senior helped lead the Tornadoes to their first state semifinal appearance since 2004 with a 24-14 win against Dunnellon in the Class 4A Region 2 Final. Barber had a rushing touchdown on a 4th-and-goal, threw two TD passes, kicked three extra points and made a 20-yard field goal as Bradford (10-1) won its 10th straight game.
Nov. 6 – Isabel Ivey (Buchholz girls’ swimming)
Ivey helped lead Buchholz to its third straight state title. She set a state record in the 100 breast stroke (1:00.99), and she beat Stanford commit Morgan Tankersley of Plant (Tampa) to win the 200 freestyle (1:44.68), in winning two individual state titles. The junior was also a part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team which set a school record, and a state record, with a time of 1:31.66, less than a second from the national mark, and she helped lead the Lady Bobcats to a state record in the 400-freestyle relay.
Oct. 30 – Austin Montini (Oak Hall boys’ cross country)
The freshman helped lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the high school cross country regional championships. Montini finished third with a time of 16:48.86 to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish. The Oak Hall boys were ranked sixth but finished third.
Oct. 23 – Brandis Smith (St. Francis Catholic Academy volleyball)
Smith helped lead the Wolves (8-9) to an upset of previously unbeaten North Florida Christian (Tallahassee) in the FHSAA Class 3A Regional Semifinals. The senior had 50 kills, 7 blocks, and 12 digs for the defending state champions. St. Francis Catholic Academy d. North Florida Christian 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-14.
Oct. 16 – Heather Pedrick (Santa Fe volleyball)
The junior setter helped lead the top-seeded Lady Raiders to the Class 6A-District 6 title. Pedrick had 14 kills, eight digs, 14 assists and six service points to lead the Raiders to a sweep of North Marion (Citra) in the district semifinals. In the championship against No. 2 seed Belleview, she led the way with 17 kills, 20 digs and five blocks as Santa Fe swept the Rattlers.
Oct. 9 – Amelia Williams (Buchholz girls’ golf)
Williams helped the Lady Bobcats capture their fifth straight Jill Darr Invitational title. The sophomore was the low medalist with a 3-under 69. She had a bogey-free round. The Jill Darr Invitational, named after the late Jill Darr Rowell, represents the Alachua County championship.
Oct. 2 – Charles Strong (Union County football)
The FSU commit rushed for 262 yards and scored three touchdowns as Union County (6-1) defeated previously unbeaten Hawthorne, 31-25, in overtime. Strong, who has 1,139 yards and 13 TDs on the season, scored the game-winner from 10 yards out in OT. He also had a 23-yard scoring run and a 12-yard TD run.
Sept. 25 – Demari Turner (St. Francis Catholic Academy football)
Turner came up with the big plays, catching four passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, to help lead the Wolves to a 36-0 win against rival Oak Hall and snap the Eagles’ two-game win streak in the series. The senior wide receiver had scoring catches of 63 and 89 yards as St. Francis Catholic knocked off the previously-unbeaten Eagles and snapped their overall winning streak at 13 games. He also had a 2-point conversion and helped the defense pitch its first shutout of the season.
Sept. 18 – Anthony Richardson (Eastside football)
The sophomore quarterback led the Rams to a 2-0 week, which is twice as many wins as Eastside had (1) all season in 2016. Richardson had 646 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and passing. In the Rams’ 33-28 home win over Newberry on Monday, he accounted for all five of their touchdowns, finishing with 348 yards and two scores through the air and 65 yards and three scores on the ground. On Friday, at Lake Weir (Ocala), Richardson ran for 102 yards on 11 carries with two TDs, and 131 yards passing with three scores.
Sept. 11 – No award due to Hurricane Irma
Sept. 4 – Gerard Williams III (Williston football)
Williams set a school record with 307 yards on 27 carries, with three touchdowns, in the Red Devils’ 28-14 win at Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto). During Williston’s first five possessions, the senior had 13 carries for 115 yards. However, on Williston’s final three drives, he had 192 yards on 14 carries, with 2 TDs.
By Olivia Granaiola
The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Tuesday, March 27, is Jud Fabian of the Trinity Catholic (Ocala) baseball team.
This is the seventh Miracle Sports high school softball state poll conducted by Miracle Sports for the 2018 season. The Miracle Sports state softball poll is produced weekly utilizing former and current high school and college coaches from across the state. Area teams are in bold.
GAINESVILLE (March 26) – Vernon Carey Jr., a junior at NSU University School of Ft. Lauderdale, has been named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.
*The senior helped lead the Blue Wave to a 3-0 week. In a 6-4 win against Fort White to start the week, Brunson had a single, double, and two runs batted in, plus he collected his second save by tossing two innings. His best performance came next when he went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple and two singles with three RBIs in a 13-4 District 5-5A win against Santa Fe. He finished off the week with a 2-for-3 performance, including his 5th RBI of the week, in a 5-2 win against Oak Hall as the Blue Wave (9-0) stayed unbeaten.