First Coast Varsity Weekly: Rule change to end 1-and-1 high school basketball free throws

For high school basketball's one-and-one, the clock has struck zero.

When Northeast Florida's hoops season returns next November, Florida players and coaches will notice the end of the familiar one-and-one free throw pair, eliminated nationwide in a rule change from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The NFHS board of directors Monday voted to install new policies for fouls and free throws, after the basketball rules committee had backed the changes in a meeting from April 24-26.

Beginning this fall, teams will enter the bonus with the fifth foul in each quarter, receiving two free throws for that foul and for each subsequent common foul in that quarter.

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Previously, teams received the one-and-one bonus when their opponents committed seven fouls in a half, and entered the double bonus (two foul shots) when the 10th foul occurred, a pattern following the college game.

NFHS director of sports Lindsey Atkinson, in the organization's release announcing the rules change, said the NFHS made the decision in an attempt to reduce injuries stemming from rebounding situations, as well as to improve game flow.

Other rule changes regulate frontcourt inbounds plays, which will now take place either from the nearest 28-foot mark along the sideline or from the nearest point 3 feet outside the lane line.

Spartans' Scott named Queen of the Court

As for the player who happens to be Florida's free throw leader in girls hoops this year? She's adding to her trophy collection.

St. Johns Country Day senior Taliah Scott completed the sweep of the state's major girls basketball awards Thursday, winning the Queen of the Court award from the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches.

Scott already received the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball award, as well as Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year.

Signed with Arkansas, she averaged 36.2 points while leading the Spartans to the Florida High School Athletic Association semifinals. Among other statistics of note, she led Florida's MaxPreps list with 184 successful free throws in 217 attempts (85 percent).

Nease senior Cami Robinson won the FABC's top player honors in Class 6A, while coaches Yolanda Bronston of St. Johns Country Day (Class 2A) and Will Mayer of Bishop Kenny (Class 4A) were selected as the best in their respective classes.

Defenders defend conference crown

Old Plank Christian is adding to its trophy collection again this spring.

The Defenders repeated their Southeastern Christian Conference baseball title Saturday with a 2-1 win over Starke Hope Christian in Jasper, and won the softball trophy as well by defeating Waycross Southside Christian, 6-0.

Sophomore Noah Jacobs went 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI in the baseball win for Old Plank Christian (19-5), rolling up a 12-game winning streak. Senior Chris Pirch and junior Caleb Calhoun both batted above .500 this season for the Defenders, whose year also included a 3-0 record against public school opponents Raines and Ribault.

Defenders softball, meanwhile, won its last 20 games since a March 6 loss to Bishop Snyder, finishing at 21-1. Sophomore pitcher Carly Mobley went 18-1 on the year with a 1.97 ERA and 208 strikeouts, while also batting .417 with six doubles. She pitched a three-hit shutout and added two RBI in the final.

The independent conference lists 22 members across North Florida and South Georgia.

Kearney, Heck head Clay County honors

Before his first regular season snap in Gainesville, Orange Park offensive lineman Roderick Kearney had a little more hardware to lift back home.

Florida football signee Kearney received the male athlete of the year award and Clay's state champion weightlifter Emma Heck earned the female athlete of the year award at Wednesday's Clay County Athletics Awards Show.

Fleming Island captured the Ascension St. Vincent's Cup as the county's top athletic department across all sports.

Keystone Heights' state champion weightlifters won boys team of the year, while Middleburg softball won girls team of the year for their 2022 Class 5A championship that concluded after the previous year's award ceremony.

Lantz Lowery of Keystone weightlifting and Ashley Houston of Middleburg softball won the county's coach of the year awards.

Ridgeview's Chris Baptiste and Fleming Island's Jillian LaBelle were named Three Star Athletes of the Year, Ridgeview's Joseph Salazar and Fleming Island's Karen Tang were selected as scholar-athletes of the year, Orange Park's Jason Lester and Errica Freeman earned sportsmanship athletes of the year, Keystone's Ben Ulsch and Middleburg's Jill Jones won the FCA Character Awards and Clay's Annalee Harbison was the comeback athlete of the year.

Maddox, Lyons lead flag football pack

Fleming Island quarterback MyKayla Maddox received the Jaguars Prep girls flag football player of the year award, leading the Golden Eagles to their first-ever Florida High School Athletic Association final.

Golden Eagles coach Clint Lyons also earned the Jaguars Prep coach of the year award.

Maddox completed 154 of 232 passes for 1,903 yards and 37 touchdowns, and also ran for 1,040 yards and 25 scores.

Also selected were Bradford athlete Nichelle Brown, quarterback/defensive back Ar'Nayshia Griffin and rusher Ajiyah Jackson; Fleming Island linebacker Gabi Musa; Paxon quarterback/safety Ansley Hicks and rusher Taniah Warner; Sandalwood quarterback Ashley Purdy; Stanton receiver/linebacker Courtney Brown, quarterback/corner Charlee Evoniuk and receiver/linebacker Gabrielle Fajardo; and White athletes Tremesha Harris and Brianna Henderson and quarterback Endia Maxwell.

In addition, Atlantic Coast's Hadiya Bakhtari, Ridgeview's Mia-Bella Gutierrez and Stanton's Aneesha Mummareddy received the Jaguars Girls in Football Scholarship through the Jaguars Foundation. Gutierrez signed Friday with St. Thomas.

Local quartet meet at NCAA lacrosse

For a moment, the NCAA Tournament must have felt almost like a First Coast lacrosse reunion.

Four Jacksonville-area athletes, three from Ponte Vedra and one from Fleming Island, faced off again during Saturday's first-round matchup between Notre Dame and Utah at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

Former Ponte Vedra midfielder Freddie DiMarzo represented Utah against Notre Dame's Eric Dobson (from Fleming Island) as well as Carter Parlette and Max Schalit (both Ponte Vedra).

Notre Dame advanced 20-7, including an assist from Parlette and three shots from Dobson.

Brunswick's Rankin best in nation

Just north of the state line, Brunswick's Riyon Rankin keeps making Georgia high jump history.

Rankin won the Georgia High School Association's Class 6A state championship in the boys high jump, clearing 7 feet, 3 3/4 inches at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany for the top high school jump in the United States in 2023.

The year's previous national best belonged to Grant Campbell of Maryville (Tenn.) Heritage, who topped 7 feet, 3 1/4 inches at the Volunteer Track Classic on April 28-29 in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Georgia signee's jump moves him to No. 3 all-time in the state's history, as compiled by the Georgia Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association, and set the highest mark ever achieved at the GHSA meet.

Georgia's all-time record still belongs to subsequent NCAA runner-up Dothel Edwards Jr. of Cedar Shoals, who cleared 7 feet, 5 1/4 inches at the Georgia Relays on March 24, 1984. David Smith of Lovejoy also cleared 7 feet, 4 inches at the Westlake Relays on April 3, 2010.

Around the area

Trinity Christian running back Darnell Rogers committed to Valdosta State football. … Menendez quarterback Bryce Petellat committed to Judson football. … Mandarin celebrated spring signings Monday for Yakiya Milton (Auburn, women's basketball), Gavin Nelson (Florida, men's cross country) and Matthew Weston (Trinity Baptist, men's basketball). … Middleburg's Kaley Barnes signed with St. Johns River State College softball. … Oakleaf celebrated men's basketball signings for Cameron Coachman (Daytona State College), Devin Kersh (Mobile), Dylan Lewis (USC-Beaufort) and Dallas Skinner (Mobile). … Ridgeview recognized signings for Liam McDonald (Daytona State College, men's soccer), Paetyn Miller (Lawrence Tech, women's basketball), Julio Rodriguez (FSCJ, men's cross country). … St. Augustine's O'Ryon Brown signed with Warner and Ivyn Collins signed with Trine for college football, along with Thania Barton (West Georgia, women's track and field) and Dillon Mantei (Florida Southern, men's track and field). … Former Jackson forward Bryce Turner committed to Georgia Southwestern men's basketball. … Oakleaf is hiring former St. Johns Country Day, Westside and North Florida Educational football coach Rodney DuBose as its new athletic director for 2023-24. … Former Episcopal infielder Kami Eppley won second-team All-ASUN honors with Stetson softball, while Maddie Latta of Yale made the Ivy League's honorable mention list. … Markus Ekstrand of Delray Beach American Heritage won the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Tennis award, and Brian Schleifer of American Heritage was named boys tennis coach of the year. … Coral Springs Charter junior Juhnyee See won Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Tennis, with Gulliver Prep's Kelly Mulligan taking girls tennis coach of the year honors. … First Coast Christian is joining the Sunshine State Athletic Conference for 8-man football this fall.

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: High school basketball eliminates one-and-one free throws in 2023-2024