First Coast Varsity Weekly: Middleburg football's T.J. Lane full speed ahead into playoffs

Is there a more on-fire running back to finish Florida's high school football regular season than Middleburg's T.J. Lane?

Not only has the senior helped carry the Broncos back from an 0-4 start into the Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-3S playoffs, but he's achieving statistical milestones not seen for years in Clay County.

Lane's 321 yards against Fernandina Beach, following his 351-yard night two weeks ago against Orange Park, mark the highest back-to-back rushing totals for a Clay County running back since Clay's Bilal Ally gained 496 against North Marion and 317 against Nature Coast Tech in the 2015 playoffs.

With 1,786 rushing yards, Lane leads Northeast Florida on the ground and ranks in the top 10 statewide.

Additional notable numbers from the gridiron:

• With 354 all-purpose yards in his regular season finale, University Christian's Orel Gray is not only up to 2,371 all-purpose yards on the season, but he has attained triple figures in five categories: rushing (1,616), receiving (135), kickoff returns (312), punt returns (126) and interception returns (182).

• In Beachside's first year, quarterback Brick Balcita finished among the state leaders in passing yards (2,135) while playing only nine games due to Hurricane Ian. With top three receivers Cohen Beebe, Will Dudley and Bryce Gee all set to return, the Barracudas are a team to watch in 2023.

• North Florida Educational Institute's Willie Scruggs hit the elusive double figures in interceptions with two more picks Friday against Impact Christian, raising his season total to 10.

• Watch those field goals. Not only is Creekside's Ronald Daragjati leading kickers statewide with 12 field goals, but four other locals are in the top 10: Bartram Trail's Liam Padron, Bishop Kenny's Ethan Eddins, Bolles' Matthew Berry and Suwannee's Braxtyn Green.

Oakleaf hoops eyes playoff run

There's one more run ahead for Oakleaf's tremendous trio.

Seniors Fantasia James, Kamiya Jones and Kaylah Turner are eyeing a charge into the Class 7A girls basketball postseason.

"Everybody can make the big plays," James said. "We're all talented, and that's the big thing."

The three combined to put up double-figure averages last season. James, a force in the frontcourt, averaged 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds, while defensive ace Turner got 14.2 points and five steals per game and Jones averaged 10.3 scoring.

They've also developed the knack for winning. James and Turner both helped the Knights reach the final four at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland during their sophomore years, while Jones joined a year later via transfer. Last year, they helped Oakleaf rally from a slow start to win the District 1-7A tournament.

"It isn't easy," James said. "It takes a collective team effort."

Defense key for Raines girls

A 10-14 record isn't the usual pattern for Raines girls basketball.

This year, Vikings head coach Julius Paden is expecting something different, and it comes down to two words: "Defense and experience."

The storied Raines defensive pressure did the job much of the time last year but struggled to generate its usual turnovers against top opponents, resulting in some un-Raines-like scores: 67 points allowed to Bishop Kenny and 80 against Orange Park.

This year, Paden is expecting that leadership from seniors Cashariel Britt and Tiante Garrett will give Raines a boost in District 3-4A against Fernandina Beach, Ribault, West Nassau, Yulee and Gateway Conference champion Jackson.

"We're going to have quite a few returning players that have had a chance to play in the system now, and they should be well adapted to picking up what's going on," he said. "It should make for an interesting season."

Bears ready to turn corner

Bartram Trail girls basketball is ready for a newcomer from Alabama to find home sweet home on the First Coast.

The Bears are looking forward to life with new senior guard Lina Kouchis, transferring to the St. Johns County school after winning Alabama High School Athletic Association state championships in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 at Hoover (Ala.).

"Leadership, I think, is the number-one thing," Bartram Trail girls basketball coach Tim Winter said. "She's been a part of two state championship teams and played a lot of really high-level basketball."

Kouchis joins a young but promising Bartram Trail team anchored by senior Aja Pollard, who averaged 13.7 points last season.

Winter is also encouraged by the freshman talent arriving on campus this season, expected to boost the Bears after last year's 9-15 finish.

"Having experience is something that we really needed badly last year," Winter said. "So I think it's going to be a nice transition."

Knights wrap up super season

Maybe it was a little different from the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

But Creekside boys cross country wrapped up a perfect season in its own way at Saturday's Class 4A FHSAA championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, joining the Knights' prior boys team titles in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years and completing a day of milestones for Northeast Florida. Matt Ryan won Nease's fourth consecutive individual championship, and Bolles completed an unprecedented sweep of boys and girls individual and team trophies in Class 2A.

From the season's start through districts, regionals and the state championship, the Knights finished without defeat against opponents from Class 4A, the state's large-school category.

For head coach Bernie Berania, Creekside's secret ingredient was patience.

"The patience was probably the hardest part," he said. "We really had no high-intensity running until two months ago, and the speed work started last month."

That wasn't necessarily an easy lesson for a Knights team motivated by last year's near miss, when they tied Viera for fewest points in the Class 4A championship but finished second on the tiebreaker.

This time, Berania encouraged the runners to channel that energy into success — but to do it without burning out.

Their victories included the Cecil Field Summer Classic, the Bob Hans Invitational at Ridgeview, Bale-N-Trail Original at Bartram Trail and Katie Caples Invitational at Bishop Kenny. The only Creekside race not taking first outright was the FSU Invitational, when the Knights placed second to Class 3A power Belen Jesuit.

Depth paid off for the Knights, who regularly fielded six runners around the front of the pack: Jack Dravo, Hudson Finocchio, Jacob Harvey, Tanner Simonds, Mac Williams and Jack Zurn.

Saturday's 4A meet was typical. While Creekside didn't place a runner among the meet's top five individuals — Simonds led the group in sixth at 15:51 — Creekside's fastest five all broke 16:30 and the Knights won with 92 points, more than 50 clear of runner-up Miami Columbus.

"It was a dream come true," Berania said. "It's a matter of putting the effort and the desire in, and the results come."

Westside's Hall names finalist schools

The countdown is on for Jordan Hall.

The Westside defensive tackle, among Florida's highest-rated uncommitted high school football seniors, named a finalist list of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Ohio State.

A Super 11 selection, the 6-4, 300-pound lineman is ranked as a top-10 defensive lineman nationwide by 247Sports and On3. He remains the last of the Super 11 to announce a college commitment. Four others (Bartram Trail cornerback Sharif Denson, Orange Park offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, Nease quarterback Marcus Stokes and Trinity Christian running back Treyaun Webb) have chosen the Gators, as did Gainesville Sun Super 11 linebacker Jaden Robinson of Columbia.

Fendenheim, Wooley lead bowling locals

Mandarin's Danielle Fendenheim and Fort White's Alexis Wooley both advanced to the knockout stages before exiting the FHSAA girls bowling championship, held at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando.

Madison Colston of Pinellas Park won the championship match, defeating Brooke Street of Space Coast in the final.

The team championship went to Space Coast, with Daytona Beach Seabreeze as the runner-up. Mandarin reached the third round of the team bracket, losing to Somerset Canyons and Timber Creek.

Bolles, BK win swim regionals

Jacksonville's private school swimming champions are rolling on.

Bishop Kenny captured the Region 1-2A swimming championships and 31-time defending double champion Bolles easily repeated in Region 1-1A last week to advance within one step of state trophies.

Bolles left no doubt in the Region 1-1A meet, winning every boys swimming event and seven girls races. Kayden Lancaster won the boys 200 and 500-yard freestyle and Aidan Paro brought home titles in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly to finish as multiple regional winners.

Bishop Kenny, winner of the 2A boys title last year, stayed on course in the boys regionals but also used its depth to hold off Pensacola West Florida for the girls Region 1-2A championship. Sprinter Barrie Snyder and backstroker Carter Wright won individual events.

Stanton's Mehdi Elaoufir thoroughly dominated the boys 200 IM, while Fernandina Beach's girls 100 breaststroke champion Neriah Giedrys led a Pirates squad that qualified four individuals and four relays teams for Saturday's 2A state meet.

Patterson powers UNC into NCAAs

Former Bolles midfielder Avery Patterson's junior season at North Carolina women's soccer got even better this week, earning recognition to the All-ACC Tournament team with the Tar Heels and nailing down a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

UNC's leading scorer on the year with 10 goals, Patterson is scheduled to line up on a Tar Heels roster that also includes former Ponte Vedra midfielder Kai Hayes. North Carolina begins the first round against Old Dominion.

Also headed to the NCAAs in top form is Payton Crews, seven-time FHSAA champion at St. Johns Country Day. Now a graduate student at TCU, Crews assisted goals against Kansas and Oklahoma as the Horned Frogs reached the Big 12 title game. They will open the tournament Friday against UTSA.

In all, more than a dozen Jacksonville-area players represent teams that have qualified for the tournament. The full list:

• LSU: Gianni Badon (Creekside)

• Mississippi State: Hannah Johnson (Oakleaf), Ashlyn Kane (Bartram Trail), Olivia Simpson (Camden County)

• New Hampshire: Ella Dudley (Bartram Trail), Logan Nicholson (Nease)

• North Carolina: Kai Hayes (Ponte Vedra), Avery Patterson (Bolles)

• N.C. State: Jaiden Thomas (Ponte Vedra)

• South Carolina: Rylee Forster (Providence)

• TCU: Payton Crews (St. Johns Country Day)

• USC: Sade Adamolekun (Fleming Island), Izzy Kimberly (Bolles)

• Virginia: Sarah Brunner (Mandarin), Lia Godfrey (Fleming Island)

• Virginia Tech: Bella Pontieri (St. Johns Country Day), Alia Skinner (Fleming Island)

Around the area

Brunswick's Nick Gray committed to Kennesaw State football. ... Episcopal's Bradlie  Hicks committed to Louisville women's rowing. ... First Coast infielder Wisdom Colbert committed to Howard softball. ... Middleburg pitcher Morgan Beckham committed to  Bowling Green softball. ... Nease goalie Ethan Jahr committed to Spalding men's lacrosse. ... Wolfson's Mo Alamo committed to Oklahoma Wesleyan baseball. .... The American Volleyball Coaches Association named Bolles' Grace Albaugh, Fernandina Beach's Ella Johns and Mandarin's Mia Watson to its All-Region 3 team, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. ... Baldwin swimmers set five school records in the FHSAA Region 1-2A meet: Cole Haire (4:56.55, 500 free), Camden Holmes (59.67, 100 back), Macy Whittemore (1:14.06, girls 100 breast), plus the boys 400 free relay and girls 200 free relay teams. ... Creekside's Kylie White set a school record (23.70) in the girls 50 free at the Class 4A finals. ... Former Mandarin swimmer Kensey McMahon earned a call to the U.S. women's squad for next month's FINA Short-Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. ... Because of Subtropical Storm Nicole, schedules for today's high school postseason events are subject to change.

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: Fast finish for Middleburg RB TJ Lane