First Coast Varsity Weekly: Englewood rings in new chapter on artificial turf field

Englewood's new chapter is here.

Surrounded by Rams of the past and present, including former Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro cornerback Rashean Mathis and three-time baseball All-Star Daniel Murphy, Englewood cut the ribbon on its new artificial turf field at Don Jarrett Stadium.

Head football coach Kevin Johnson, a former three-sport athlete at the Southside school, wielded the giant scissors to slice the ribbon before Friday's home opener against White.

On the field, the game wasn't a winner for the Rams in large part due to the efforts of White sophomore Julian Holt, who recorded three sacks and blocked a punt to end Englewood's perfect start. The Commanders ended on top, 36-14, their 19th consecutive win in the Englewood series.

But whatever the score for Englewood, the new field represents another step for Rams athletics. In September 2019, the school also received a $100,000 locker room renovation made possible by a $50,000 donation from the Jaguars Foundation.

The field from national manufacturer AstroTurf adds to a series of planned renovations to Duval County Public Schools facilities after voters approved a property tax increase last year. Riverside was the first school to install its new artificial field, holding its grand opening last October.

For longtime athletic director Cynthia Bateh, an Englewood graduate whose tenure at the school is now up to 41 years, the new field is the end result of years of planning.

"It took a while, but it's beautiful," she said.

Englewood wasn't the only Northeast Florida team celebrating stadium upgrades. Orange Park cut the ribbon on the rebuilt Hoyt B. Cotney Stadium before their meeting with Clay, continuing a rivalry that dates back to 1961. The visiting Blue Devils won a 42-41 thriller on Ethan Bellemare's field goal.

Wyche, Westcott latest top Mandarin duo

Football recruiters nationwide know Mandarin quarterback Tramell Jones and receiver Jaime Ffrench.

And they know Super 11 cornerbacks A.J. Belgrave-Shorter and Jon Mitchell, both on their way to Big Ten football at Penn State.

Now, it's time to learn about a different combination that's helped lift Mustangs football to a 3-0 start.

Running backs Tiant Wyche and Deshard Westcott combine for what might be Jacksonville's best one-two combination on the ground, giving Mandarin a trio of deadly duos entering Friday's District 1-4M opener against unbeaten Atlantic Coast.

Wyche and Westcott combined to roll up 282 all-purpose yards — 144 for Wyche, 138 for Westcott — on a 555-yard night for Mandarin's offense in the 50-20 win over Riverside, which previously hadn't allowed a point.

It's not just one game, either. Wyche has gained 374 yards through three games with Westcott close behind at 280, and both are averaging nearly nine yards per carry on an offense that's above the 500-yards-per-game mark.

Mustangs duo, part two: Volleyball edition

Mandarin's top combinations aren't limited to the football field.

Two seniors for Mandarin, right side Paola Aviles Morales and middle blocker Kylie Spraggins, both earned selections to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American watch list for the 2023 season. The two have helped the Mustangs to a 4-0 start.

Middleburg's Connor Rahn, committed to Tampa, was also selected to the national watch list, which includes hundreds of seniors from across the nation.

Selected to the Phenom Watch List for the 2025 graduating class were Atlantic Coast outside hitter Emmy Carpenedo, Bishop Kenny right side Olivia Ryno, Creekside outside hitter Sarahbelle Jameson, Fletcher outside hitter Nadia Ewton, Middleburg right side Brooke Forkum, Ponte Vedra libero Avery Meide and setter Ryan Murphy and Tocoi Creek setter Vanessa Shevchenko.

Sophomore selections are Bartram Trail middle blocker Molly Fitzpatrick, Bishop Kenny outside hitter Sofia Muino and libero Alexis Sowers, Christ's Church libero Julia Howard and Providence outside hitter Isabela Lopez, while honorees in their freshman years are Beachside setter Mollie VanDeusen and Mandarin outside hitter Kyla Hollis.

For Ponte Vedra setter Murphy, meanwhile, there's additional big news on deck. She received an invitation Friday to join the National Team Development Program for the Girls Indoor Fall Training Series, set for Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Committed to Florida State, she recorded 57 kills and 87 assists in her sophomore season.

Stallions sweep in Green Cove Springs

Providence took the top spots at the newest entry on Northeast Florida's cross country schedule, Saturday's Clay County Invitational in Green Cove Springs.

The Providence boys, led by individual champion Walker White in 16:41, topped their standings with 30 points ahead of Menendez and Suwannee, while seventh-grader Emma Akhundjanov led a balanced Stallions girls team to a 49-point finish. Suwannee placed second and Middleburg third in girls team standings, and St. Johns Country Day's Rebecca Stratton ran away with the individual title in 19:54.

St. Augustine's girls team finished second behind Lake Mary at Saturday's Coach Joe McKinney Classic in New Smyrna Beach, with Lauren Voutour running a season-best 19:31 for third place and Rylan Holmquist in fourth.

Mandarin raced at the OrthoWest Invitational in Carrollton, Ga., placing 13th in the boys team race and fifth in the girls team race.

Coming Saturday evening is one of Jacksonville's traditional main events in distance running, the Katie Caples Invitational along the St. Johns River at Bishop Kenny. Creekside won the boys elite race and Ponte Vedra took the girls elite race in 2022, with Emerson Miller of Gainesville Buchholz and Lindy White of Ponte Vedra earning individual honors.

Indoor track talks eyed for Gainesville

There's cross country in the fall. Outdoor track in the spring. Is an indoor track and field season coming to Florida high school competition in the winter?

Included on the Florida High School Athletic Association's athletic directors advisory committee agenda last week: discussion on a proposal, introduced by FHSAA track and field administrator Ed Thompson, to add indoor track beginning in 2024-25 with a state championship to come in 2025-26. The proposed season would run from December for four to five weeks until the state championship in February.

The venue would be the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, which held its opening ceremony in June.

Indoor track is a growing sport at the high school level. The National Federation of State High School Associations in August created a new indoor-specific rules chapter, with 17 states now holding championships in the sport.

While the athletic directors advisory committee does not have the power to formally confirm or reject a proposal, it normally carries significant influence in FHSAA policy. The committee's interest could be an indicator of potential future action from the FHSAA's board of directors.

A proposal to launch indoor track won 9-0 support earlier this year from the track and field advisory committee.

Swim season set for major week

After a week of warm-ups and a week of Hurricane Idalia preparations, swimming season splashed into full speed with a clash of Longleaf Pine Parkway rivals — and there's an even bigger week to come.

Bartram Trail topped Creekside 96-80 in the boys' meet Thursday, led by Thomas Frost's victories in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle and successes in both free relays. On the girls' side, it was Creekside's turn, coming out on top 102-74. Leslie Dame won the 100 free and 100 breaststroke, and Anna Gavin led the pack in the 50 free and 100 backstroke.

In other notable meets, state superpower Bolles topped Bishop Kenny and Episcopal in a tri-meet of strong private school programs; John Finnemore, Valentina Fraga and Annabelle MacAdams led Ponte Vedra to a win over Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine; and Owen Williams, Kate Cagle and Ryland Zuniga led Fletcher in a Saturday meet.

Saturday includes two of the area's top regular season meets: Bolles will hold the Byron Plapp Invitational, while Planet Swim in Ponte Vedra is the site for the third annual Frank Holleman Invitational.

Around the area

Episcopal guard Kent Jackson committed to Jacksonville University men's basketball. The outside shooting specialist had committed previously to Mercer. … Bartram Trail infielder KJ Strub committed to Barry softball. … Ridgeview pitcher Keegan Roach committed to FSCJ baseball and outfielder Alfredo Jimenez committed to Monroe College baseball. … Ridgeview outfielder Hannah Crosby committed to Pensacola State College softball. … Ridgeview named Chandler Harper head boys basketball coach. … Fort White defeated Jefferson County 42-8 in a Monday football game rescheduled due to Hurricane Idalia. The win keeps Fort White on the list of area unbeatens, along with Atlantic Coast (3-0), Bishop Kenny (2-0), Bradford (3-0), Christ's Church (2-0), Fleming Island (2-0), Impact Christian (2-0), Mandarin (3-0), Oakleaf (1-0), Palatka (3-0), Raines (2-0), St. Augustine (2-0) and Suwannee (2-0). ... Bishop Kenny graduate Emma Gredenhag made her women's college tennis debut against New Haven, becoming the first newcomer since 2014 to begin at No. 1 singles for St. Michael's (Vt.). … Kaylee Mahoney, from Bishop Kenny girls soccer and tennis, and Caleb Williams, from Ribault boys basketball, are among 16 high school students statewide selected to the FHSAA student-athlete advisory committee. … John Bishop's five touchdown passes Friday set a new single-game Bishop Snyder record. … Bolles graduate Leah DeGeorge was selected as one of two women to represent the United States in open-water swimming at next month's Pan American Games in Chile. ... Middleburg honored girls wrestling champion Cheyenne Cruce with a championship ring presentation at Friday's football game with Bradford. ... On Thursday, Middleburg will dedicate its gym to longtime volleyball coach Carrie Prewitt, who retired at the end of 2022-23. ... The annual River City Classic for volleyball begins Friday and extends through Saturday at Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association on the Southside. The event includes 36 teams separated into the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions. … The FHSAA board of directors is scheduled to hold its first meeting of 2023-24 on Sept. 24-25 in Gainesville. The meeting will also be the first since Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 225, which reshaped the FHSAA's governance and gave the governor's office the authority to appoint eight members of the board.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Englewood High School Rams open new artificial turf football field