First Coast Varsity Weekly: Bartram Trail soccer champions race into history books
One hundred and two goals scored. Seven allowed.
For Bartram Trail girls soccer, the numbers are only the beginning.
The Bears' 3-0 victory against Boca Raton in Friday night's Class 7A Florida High School Athletic Association championship in DeLand not only sealed Bartram Trail's third state title in four years, but caps a season to rank among the greatest in Northeast Florida soccer history.
Under head coach Jen Rodriguez, Bartram Trail became Northeast's Florida's first public school ever to complete an undefeated season with an FHSAA title.
It's also likely to earn Bartram Trail (21-0-2) top honors from one or more of the year-end national rankings, a feat previously accomplished by St. Johns Country Day in 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Friday's game marked the end of an era for the graduating seniors, including all three Bears scorers (Olivia Bori, Sophia Magdalein and Reese Henley) as well as starters Anna Bachman, Grace Ivey, Avery McCormack, Emma Revels and Malia Roberts.
Just how dominant was the Bartram Trail class of 2023?
The senior class completed its career with a record of 79-4-5, including three FHSAA titles. The only teams to defeat Bartram Trail in that span were Montverde Academy (3-2 on Dec. 7, 2019), St. Johns Country Day (2-1 on Nov. 19, 2020), Montverde again (2-1 on Dec. 12, 2020) and Creekside (3-2 on Feb. 11, 2022).
During their four years, they outscored opponents 349-42. Ivey accounted for 59 goals and 59 assists in that span, along with Bori (54 goals, 33 assists), Jori Follenweider (37 goals, 18 assists), Magdalein (19 goals, 11 assists), McCormack (19 goals, 11 assists) and Carolyn Johnson (17 goals, 17 assists).
The Bears are 52-1-2 since the 2020 Montverde Women's Invitational Showcase Tournament.
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Golden Eagles, Bulldogs lead region wrestlers
For Fleming Island and Suwannee, plus other schools around the First Coast, hopes are on the rise entering the FHSAA wrestling championships from Thursday through Saturday at Kissimmee Osceola High School.
Fleming Island won a dominant Region 1-2A boys championship on Saturday at Tallahassee Chiles, while Suwannee captured the Region 1-1A title in Wewahitchka ahead of the state competition and nearly a dozen wrestlers from other Northeast Florida schools won regional titles.
For Fleming Island, the outcome was never in doubt. The Golden Eagles scored 265 points to easily surpass runner-up Tallahassee Lincoln at 134.5, with 11 state qualifiers and eight regional champions: Laird Duhaylungsod (126 pounds), Jayce Paridon (132), Kaden Schaefer (145), Christopher Chop (160), Ronan Bozeman (170), Joshua Sandoval (182), Jhoel Robinson (220) and Ethan Hoffstetter (285).
In Region 1-1A, Suwannee's 203.5 points were enough to finish ahead of Wakulla (168) and Florida High (140). Brody Boehm (126) and Austin McKinney (152) won regional championships as nine Bulldogs made the state field.
Also winning district boys titles were Bartram Trail's Ethan Vugman (126, 3A); Clay's Jacob Bucci (106, 2A); Creekside's Alexavier Panganiban (106, 3A); Fernandina Beach's Cael Kubatzke (132, 1A) and Enzo Gamba (160, 1A); Nease's Alan Rivera (170, 3A); Palatka's Mikade Harvey (138, 1A); West Nassau's Nolan McKelvy (182, 1A); and Yulee's Dylan Johns (170, 1A), Braylen Ricks (285, 1A) and Alex Smith (195, 1A).
Middleburg and Ponte Vedra are among the area's top contenders in the second annual girls wrestling competition.
No Northeast Florida school has won an FHSAA team boys wrestling championship since Clay topped the Class 1A tournament in 2004.
See complete wrestling qualifiers list:Northeast Florida high school sports scores for February 27-March 4, 2023
Perfect pitching from Clay's Ellis
Gabrielle Ellis achieved perfection Monday night.
Clay's senior softball pitcher hurled a full-length perfect game as the Blue Devils topped Orange Park, 6-0. Ellis struck out 14 batters while going the distance for the 2022 state semifinalists.
The feat continues an outstanding start for the Mercer-signed pitcher. She's 4-0 with an 0.84 ERA and 38 strikeouts to two walks, while batting .545 with a double and four runs scored.
For Ellis, it's not too early to circle Clay's March 14 trip to Episcopal, where future Mercer teammate Grace Jones is on a similar roll to open 2023.
Jones has yet to allow an earned run through three games, including 19 strikeouts in Friday's 2-0 three-hit shutout of Paxon and 17 K's in Monday's 1-0 shutout of Bishop Kenny. She's also batting .500 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and a 1.700 OPS.
Softball stars:5 teams, 25 players to watch as Northeast Florida high school season opens
Baseball unbeatens include Yulee, Oakleaf
Just a bit outside… of Jacksonville's city limits. That's the home of some of the fastest-starting baseball squads on the First Coast.
Start with Yulee, which won 6-2 against Hilliard and then downed 2022 state semifinalist Suwannee 4-3 for the 200th win for head coach Fred Matricardi. Dylan Fowler and Amauri Goff came through with clutch RBI, and Oklahoma State-committed freshman Tripp Hannah is batting .444 with three runs scored.
Meanwhile, both Oakleaf and St. Johns Country Day opened 3-0 during a week that included some Florida-Georgia competition. Oakleaf got excellent starts from Ashton Paseiro and Jorden Clarke to roll past Cairo, Tiftarea Academy and Florida High.
St. Johns, meanwhile, showed it's still a big-time force in Class 2A even after the graduation of stars like Bradley Hodges and Jordan Taylor. Seth Alford delivered two of the Spartans' six homers in opening-week wins over Episcopal (8-0), Bolles (13-2) and Savannah Calvary Day (11-1).
Also 3-0 is Bartram Trail, beating a playoff trio in Fletcher, Columbia and First Coast. Caleb Allinder is hitting .429 with a double, homer and six RBI.
Play ball:5 teams, 25 players to watch for Northeast Florida high school baseball in 2023
Gridiron stars boost Bolles boys
A year after winning Class 2A state honors in girls track and field and placing second in boys track, Bolles is off to the races once more, with a little help from the football field.
Defensive back Kavon Miller swept the boys sprints, freshman wide receiver Naeem Burroughs cleared 6 feet and 0.75 inches to win the high jump, corner Kemani Wilson soared 21 feet, 11 1/2 inches in the long jump and heavily-recruited D-lineman Garrison Butler won the shot put with a personal-best 52-9 at the Danny Brown Invitational at Bishop Snyder.
Bolles also won on the girls side, including a state-leading 10:37.55 in the 3,200 from cross country champion Jillian Candelino.
More highlights from the track:
Ponte Vedra junior Lindy White won the girls 1,600 in a Florida-best 4:57.20 at the East Coast Classic in Bunnell, and also captured the 3,200.
Fleming Island's Mikayla Shavers is emerging as a Class of 2026 athlete to watch. She won the girls triple jump in 36-2.75 at the Nease Invitational, in addition to a first place in the 200 and a second place in the long jump.
Mandarin won boys and girls top honors at its home meet, the Mustang Classic. Gavin Nelson picked up first place in both the boys 400 and 800, and Stephen DeGregorio hit a personal-best 21.58 to win the 200.
Wild win for Tornadoes softball
The barn-burner of the year in high school softball? There's an early candidate in Bradford's 26-21 win over Gainesville on Wednesday, a score that sounds wild and gets even wilder in the box score.
The Tornadoes rallied with nine runs in the seventh inning, and survived a 10-run fifth from the Hurricanes.
Senior Takeirra Bakken put together the day's top stat line, going 4 for 5 with two home runs, two doubles and seven RBI. Masey Padgett went 4 for 4 with three doubles and five RBI, and freshman Addyson Hinds was 3 for 6 with two doubles and three RBI.
Big numbers at the plate aren't new for Bradford, which averaged 9.45 runs per game on its way to a 15-7 record in 2022.
CCA remembers baseball coach Spann
Jacksonville baseball is remembering Christ's Church coach Chris Spann, who died last week at age 50.
Spann, a state champion at University Christian and a veteran of the coaching scene around the First Coast, had led Eagles baseball for three seasons. He also helped organize the annual AddieStrong 5K, which for the past four years has raised funds for Wolfson Children's Hospital.
During his playing career, he helped UC to the Class 1A state championship in 1990 under John Brown, where he was a leadoff batter, an All-State infielder and the starting pitcher for the come-from-behind 4-3 final victory against Dade Christian.
Wolfson and Christ's Church postponed Monday's scheduled game in Spann's memory.
In a statement, Wolfson's athletic department said, "Our community has lost not only a wonderful baseball ambassador for our game, but a tremendous person in Coach Spann. He was a dedicated leader, husband, and father that will be dearly missed."
Around the area
Bolles kicker Matthew Berry committed to DePauw football. … Jackson defensive tackle Symeon Cobham-Portorreal committed to Thomas football. … Nease goalkeeper Amelia Forsling committed to Southwestern Oklahoma State women's soccer. … Clay's Abby Bucci signed with FSCJ volleyball and Bailee Kumm signed with Santa Fe College volleyball. … Keystone Heights volleyball players Riley Barry and Kori Jennings (both Enterprise State) and Sarah Siebert (Cape Fear Community College) signed national letters of intent on Monday. … Menendez's Luke Stevens broke the school boys javelin record at the Falcon Friday meet, throwing 35 meters even. … Fleming Island's Gabrielle Flores surpassed her own school record, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches in the girls high jump. … Providence senior catcher Zoe Yaeger was named to the watch list for the Premier Girls Fastpitch High School All-American Games on July 29 in Anaheim, Calif. Also on the watch list for the PGF Futures All-American game are West Nassau infielder Reese Green and Ponte Vedra catcher Caiden Oliva in the 2024 class and Bartram Trail middle infielder Lucie McDonald in the 2025 class. … Beachside earned its first-ever girls lacrosse win Monday, 12-2 over Stanton. … The Florida Athletic Coaches Association has scheduled its All-Star Classics for girls and boys soccer for the weekend of March 10-12 at Mulberry High School, just south of Lakeland. … Basketball's Reps On Reps Northeast Florida All-Star Classic, including the 3-point and dunk contests, is set for March 11 at FSCJ South Campus.
Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First Coast Varsity Weekly: Bartram Trail soccer championship makes history
