Advertisement

First Coast Varsity Weekly: Who's No. 1? Jacksonville team tops FHSAA statewide ranking

clayton freeman, jacksonville florida times-union
·7 min read

Trinity Christian's Conquerors are storming into April atop Florida's baseball rankings.

The Florida High School Athletic Association listed the Conquerors at No. 1 for all schools statewide in this week's spring sports rankings, which will eventually determine seeding for district tournaments and at-large qualification for regionals.

Now 14-1 after Tuesday's 8-0 shutout of Flagler Palm Coast, sparked by a one-hitter from Brayden Harris and a 3-for-4 night for Brady Harris, the Conquerors are rolling with a 14-game winning streak.

Trinity Christian batter Chandler Dantzler releases his bat after dropping down a successful bunt against Providence. The Conquerors, winners of their last 14, are ranked No. 1 in the FHSAA's new rankings.
Trinity Christian batter Chandler Dantzler releases his bat after dropping down a successful bunt against Providence. The Conquerors, winners of their last 14, are ranked No. 1 in the FHSAA's new rankings.

St. Johns Country Day, which like Trinity will be heading to the National High School Invitational in North Carolina next week, stands eighth overall and second in Class 2A behind Naples St. John Neumann. Bishop Kenny (No. 15) and Tocoi Creek (No. 25) also occupy the top 25.

But it's a tight contest behind, where more than a dozen Jacksonville-area teams figure to have a nervous April ahead as they fight their way onto the favorable side of the playoff bubble. A few examples:

  • In Region 1-3A, less than half a point separates Fernandina Beach, Bishop Snyder, P.K. Yonge and Baldwin for the final at-large berth.

  • Though they're all below .500 for now, Ridgeview, Ponte Vedra and Orange Park are barely one rating point apart in the contest for the No. 8 seed in Region 1-5A.

  • Can First Coast qualify for the postseason? The Buccaneers, including FSU-bound catcher Hunter Carns, are more than two points behind Winter Springs for the last at-large spot in Region 1-6A. Currently, Atlantic Coast and Englewood are the only Gateway Conference teams on course to reach baseball regionals.

  • Also on the bubble is Creekside. The Knights entered the week ninth in Region 1-7A, but the FHSAA computed those rankings before Creekside topped Bishop Kenny 8-3 on Tuesday with a 4-for-4 night for senior Carson McFarlin.

Baldwin's Gateway run nears five years

Baldwin's Cali Hartung (9) is congratulated by teammates after a home run during the 2023 Gateway Conference softball final. Baldwin has not lost in the tournament since 2019.
Baldwin's Cali Hartung (9) is congratulated by teammates after a home run during the 2023 Gateway Conference softball final. Baldwin has not lost in the tournament since 2019.

The date: April 16, 2019.

That's the last time any team defeated Baldwin in a Gateway Conference softball tournament game.

Since that occasion, a 4-0 Paxon victory in the quarterfinal round, Baldwin has steamrolled through the Gateway field with three consecutive championships (the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic) and they're pre-tournament favorites to repeat when the first pitch flies on Monday.

Currently, Paxon (No. 84) and Mandarin (No. 138) are the only other Duval County public schools ranked in the state's top 150 for softball.

Even apart from tournament play, Baldwin has won its last 26 games against county public school opposition, with the most recent loss coming on March 23, 2021 against Paxon.

Atlantic Coast's Kylie Johnson (5) makes a flag pull against Ribault during the Gateway Conference high school flag football tournament on Tuesday.
Atlantic Coast's Kylie Johnson (5) makes a flag pull against Ribault during the Gateway Conference high school flag football tournament on Tuesday.

The Gateway softball tournament is among four county events coming up within the next week. Gateway tennis returns with finals at the MaliVai Washington Youth Center on Thursday, the Gateway flag football tournament also wraps up Thursday and the Gateway track meet opens at the University of North Florida on Friday.

Softball's stars: Northeast Florida's high school season at 2024 halfway point

Ramos-Merced slugging for Puerto Rico

Baldwin's Jazmine Ramos-Merced (21) fires an out to first base during the 2023 softball postseason.
Baldwin's Jazmine Ramos-Merced (21) fires an out to first base during the 2023 softball postseason.

While her Baldwin teammates keep winning at home, Jazmine Ramos-Merced is swinging the bat in South America.

The sophomore infielder is already racking up the RBI for Puerto Rico's national team at the World Baseball Softball Confederation's U-18 Pan American Women's Championships in Colombia.

Puerto Rico is unbeaten through its first four games, including a 17-0 rout of Venezuela on Tuesday night that included a double and three runs scored for Ramos-Merced.

The top five teams qualify for summer's group stage of the U-18 Women's Softball World Cup. Dallas will hold a portion of that tournament, with other groups in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in Pingtan, China.

First Coast Varsity Weekly: Seven-run hole doesn't stop hard-hitting Middleburg softball

Bolles rolls into Florida top three

There's 11 in football, close to two dozen in cross country, nine in girls soccer, that run in swimming that never seems to stop…

By now, there aren't too many sports in which Bolles doesn't own at least one FHSAA championship, and one of the few gaps in the trophy cabinet has a real chance to get filled in this year.

The Bolles boys lacrosse squad, which completed its best-ever season in 2023 as state runner-up, currently stands third in the FHSAA rankings behind only Boca Raton St. Andrew's and Lake Mary.

At 16-1 following victories last week against Fleming Island and Episcopal, they've outscored their opponents 278-65, with Lee Krotee, Jack Cox, Parker Kane, Ethan Binns and Daylin John-Hill all above the 20-goal mark. Only a 10-9 loss to Lucy Beckham (S.C.) in the Rivalry on the River tournament has kept them from a perfect record.

The Bulldogs close their regular season at home Friday against Olney (Md.) Our Lady of Good Counsel, which has lost only once. The FHSAA district tournaments for lacrosse begin April 10.

Golden Eagles flag football stays perfect

Fleming Island won the playoff before the playoffs.

In a battle of county unbeatens, the Golden Eagles' flag football squad completed an 12-0 regular season Monday night, winning 14-7 against a Clay team that had previously outscored its opponents by a combined 146-0.

Senior athlete London Jenkins led Fleming Island with a 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a go-ahead 7-yard reception from Devyn Dudones in the third. Clay (6-1) drove to the Fleming Island 10 in the final minute but a last-ditch pass fell incomplete.

Neither team has to worry about postseason qualification for the district tournaments, which open next Monday in flag football across the First Coast. District tournament champions qualify automatically for the FHSAA regionals and at-large teams (four per region per class) progressing via the association's ranking formula.

Designated district host schools will be Mandarin (District 4-2A), Suwannee (District 3-1A), Bradford (District 4-1A), Yulee (District 5-1A), White (District 6-1A) and Clay (District 8-1A). The District 7-1A host remains to be announced, while games in District 3-2A will be played at the higher-seeded team.

Around the area

Bartram Trail fullback McKenzie Carlson (9) aims a pass during the Northeast Florida Senior All-Star Classic for girls soccer.
Bartram Trail fullback McKenzie Carlson (9) aims a pass during the Northeast Florida Senior All-Star Classic for girls soccer.

Bartram Trail fullback McKenzie Carlson committed to Embry-Riddle women's soccer. … Bartram Trail goalkeeper Brogan Earley committed to Stevenson men's soccer. … Episcopal midfielder Olivia Belland committed to Vassar women's soccer. … Former Raines wide receiver Kareem Burke announced his plans to transfer from Florida A&M football. … Former Oakleaf guard Kaylah Turner entered the transfer portal from Alabama A&M women's basketball, after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference freshman of the year award earlier this year. … Fleming Island set three school track records: Roman Mollicone ran 1:53.51 in the boys 800 meters, the boys 4x100 relay ran 41.70 and the girls 4x100 relay ran 48.96. … Bolles sophomore wide receiver Naeem Burroughs committed to the Under Armour All-America Game for the 2026 class. … Parker's Aniyah Cherry recorded two home runs and 10 RBI in Tuesday's softball win over Seacoast Christian. … Ribault guard Caleb Williams finished second in the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 4A boys basketball player of the year vote and Hilliard guard C.J. Hall came in third for Class 1A players. … Among coaches, Jackson's James Collins was voted second in Class 4A, Hilliard's Myron Saunders finished second in Class 1A, Fort White's Elven Sheppard was third in Class 1A and Ponte Vedra's Ben Wilson was third in Class 6A. … Dr. Phillips received both Florida Dairy Farmers girls basketball awards: Trinity Turner won Miss Basketball and Anthony Jones was named the state's top coach. … Tampa Prep swept the Florida Dairy Farmers top boys soccer awards, with senior forward Asher Jones winning Mr. Soccer and Doug Smith named coach of the year. … Former Providence attacker Guy Bistrow scored a career-high six goals for Saint Leo men's lacrosse. … Former Creekside faceoff specialist Dylan Rupprecht won South Atlantic Conference specialist of the week for Wingate men's lacrosse.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trinity Christian baseball: Conquerors No. 1 in FHSAA state rankings