First Coast Varsity Weekly: Doug Pederson welcomes flag football squads to Jaguars' home

What's even more memorable than playing on the field of the AFC South champions?

Getting a pep talk from Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson before the first snap.

More than two dozen teams took the field at the home of the Jaguars for Monday's Jaguars Prep Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic, spread out across TIAA Bank Field and Daily's Place.

Pederson, just a month removed from the Jags' run to the AFC divisional playoffs, spoke to players from 16 teams before the start of the morning session. General manager Trent Baalke addressed the teams in the afternoon group.

"Embrace the opportunity that you have here," Baalke said.

While Monday's games don't count on the scoreboard, they still showcased plenty of highlights, like an acrobatic catch-and-run touchdown from White senior Tremesha Harris against Daytona Beach Mainland.

As usual, the Clay County contingent showed that its schools will likely be a force this year. Going 2-0 in the scrimmages were Clay, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights, Middleburg and Ridgeview, along with non-Clay teams Jackson, Palatka and Riverside.

The preseason tournament is the first of three Jaguars Prep events scheduled for high school sports in the coming months.

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Creekside, Oakleaf win wrestling districts

There's a district wrestling championship on its way to St. Johns County, after Creekside's District 1-3A boys title at Fletcher.

The Knights scored 224.5 total points to pull away from Bartram Trail (211) and host Fletcher (194.5). Winning district titles for Creekside were Alexavier Panganiban at 106 pounds, Justin Umali at 120 and Conner Wright at 138.

More from around the area in wrestling:

• Heavily-favored Fleming Island thoroughly dominated the District 4-2A meet at Clay, racking up 301 points. Golden Eagles wrestlers qualified for 13 finals and won 11 of them.

• Oakleaf scored 212.5 points in District 3-2A at Westside, leading Ridgeview and Middleburg as Clay County schools placed 1-2-3. The Knights' champions were Sebastian Bonachea at 126 and Isaiah Shevchook at 195.

• Yulee took the top spot in District 3-1A at Episcopal, edging the host Eagles, Fernandina Beach and Bishop Kenny in a tight competition. District-winning Hornets were Austin Adamson (138), Dylan Johns (170), Alex Smith (195), Cayden Ricks (220) and Braylen Ricks (285).

• Only five points separated Baker County (249 points) from Union County (244) in District 4-1A. Key wins for the Wildcats included Jareb Lauramore (113), Jonathon Walker (126), Keith Ratliff (152), Rasean Rayam (160), Cannon Wimpey (170) and Jordan Allaart (285).

Next up are boys regionals, set for Friday and Saturday at DeLand (Class 3A), Tallahassee Chiles (Class 2A) and Wewahitchka (Class 1A).

Meanwhile, in girls wrestling, Middleburg placed second behind host Matanzas in Region 1, led by Cheyenne Cruce's first place at 190 pounds. Bartram Trail's Katherine Stewart (145) and Ava Burre (155), Ponte Vedra's Erin Rizzuto (115) and Olivia Richie (140), Clay's Aubrianna Apple (135) and Oakleaf's Adrianna Barrientos (105) also won their respective divisions in the last step before the FHSAA finals on March 2-4 in Kissimmee.

Ribault tops Raines in Heritage Classic

The A. Philip Randolph Cup is staying on the northeast side of Moncrief for another year.

Ribault topped Raines 8-3 on Wednesday afternoon to win the fourth edition of High School Heritage Classic baseball, the annual preseason meeting of the Northwest Jacksonville neighbors at the Jumbo Shrimp's 121 Financial Ballpark.

The annual game also showcases the history of the Jacksonville Red Caps, who competed in baseball in the late 1930s and early 1940s during the sport's years of racial segregation. The Heritage Classic's first edition was in 2020.

Ribault rallied from an early 2-0 deficit for the victory, with pitcher Tyree McKeiver forcing a game-ending pop-up to seal the Trojans' win.

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Seven-run hole doesn't trip Trinity

If baseball games this season are going to look like Trinity Christian's win over Providence in Saturday's conclusion to the Walk Off Charities Preseason Classic, buckle up.

Fighting back from a 7-0 first-inning deficit, the Conquerors rallied for a 12-11 victory in a contest of premier private-school programs.

Tyler Ellis doubled, homered and drove in four runs for Trinity, which scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth and then held on to survive a three-run seventh from the Stallions. A single, an error, a balk and doubles by Brooks Hicken and Andrew Johnson nearly brought Providence back once more.

Also in Saturday's concluding round, Sandalwood defeated First Coast 10-2 with a strong performance by the Saints' Michael Miniotas, and Stanton topped Englewood 11-9 with a home run from Alex Bairan and a triple from Cole Durham.

Williams, Brumfield contend at USATF Indoors

Former world junior sprint champion Kendal Williams is challenging the nation's best once more.

The Stanton graduate placed second in the men's 60-meter dash at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championship on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M. Breaking from lane six, Williams recorded a season-best 6.59 for second place behind J.T. Smith.

The six-time FHSAA champion is now nine years removed from his world championship in the 100 and missed out on the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, but his performance in New Mexico showed he's still a national contender.

Former Bishop Kenny athlete R'Lazon Brumfield finished third in the men's triple jump. On his fifth attempt, Brumfield recorded a distance of 52 feet, 11 1/2 inches to place behind only Donald Scott and Omar Craddock. Brumfield also finished sixth in the long jump.

Brumfield, who won an FHSAA title at Bishop Kenny in Class 2A in 2017, previously won the NCAA East Preliminary championship in 2021 while competing for Tennessee State.

In another local tie, Georgia graduate Devon Williams, who trains with Jacksonville Athletic Club, placed third in the men's heptathlon.

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Around the area

Fleming Island senior Alexis Bucklew committed to Converse softball. … Middleburg runner Molly Burt signed with Daytona State College women's cross country. … Bartram Trail ranked first and St. Johns Country Day fourth in the week's new MaxPreps girls soccer rankings. ... Former West Nassau wing Deebo Coleman scored a career-high 21 points for Georgia Tech men's basketball against Virginia Tech. … Bartram Trail girls basketball coach Tim Winter resigned Friday after four seasons. … Former Creekside swimmer Grace Gavin broke the Cincinnati record in the women's 200-yard individual medley at 1:59.34. … Episcopal's Skyler Watts set the school record in the girls 400-meter run at 56.92. … Bolles boys lacrosse opened with two strong out-of-area wins, 12-9 over Sarasota Cardinal Mooney and 11-5 over Orlando Bishop Moore, including a five-goal game from Caleb Coleman. ... Bradford took first place at softball's Jackson Preseason Classic, with an all-tournament team of Addyson Hinds, Masey Padgett and Keegan Yowell (Bradford), Kenzie Harrell, Kaitlyn Reardon and Andrea Waters (Bolles), Anna Biroschik and Bella Ibarra (Bishop Snyder) and Kira Brown and Zariyah Stripling (Jackson). … Former Fleming Island midfielder Lia Godfrey played 45 minutes for the United States Under-23 women's soccer team in Saturday's 2-0 win over France. … Creekside's Avery Robinson played 30 minutes in both of the United States Under-17 women's matches in Burton-upon-Trent, England. ... St. Johns Country Day has the rarity Wednesday of simultaneous state final action in girls basketball and girls soccer, a scheduling complication for athletic director Traci Livingston: At 1:05 p.m., St. Johns girls soccer faces Lakeland Christian for a 12th consecutive final at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand. Some two hours southwest, the Spartans' girls basketball team plays Orlando Faith Christian at 2 p.m. in Lakeland.

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: Jaguars' Doug Pederson boosts flag football