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Girls soccer regional finals: St. Johns Country Day punches FHSAA final-four ticket

clayton freeman, florida times-union
·2 min read

St. Johns Country Day: automatic once more.

For the 13th consecutive year, the Spartans are bound for the Florida High School Athletic Association girls soccer final four, after rolling past Christ's Church 4-0 in Wednesday night's Region 1-2A final.

The next stop: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, where they'll play 1 p.m. Tuesday against St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep. The FHSAA re-seeded the semifinalists based on its ranking formula, and St. Johns (15-2-5), which played the toughest regular-season schedule in the state, comfortably received the No. 1 seed.

Although Christ's Church (10-6-1) kept St. Johns from racking up a mercy-rule score, as in the district final earlier this month, two goals from Sydney Schmidt gave the Spartans early control. Camila Adame and Cece Nowicki added on to stretch St. Johns' winning streak to eight games.

Schmidt, called up this week to the United States U-16 women's national team, has scored in her last eight games.

The Spartans, 14-time Florida champions, haven't lost in a regional match since 2011 against Winter Park Trinity Prep.

REGION 1-4A

Stanton couldn't repeat last year's Panhandle upset of top-seeded South Walton, going down 4-2 to the Seahawks (15-1).

South Walton scored three early goals and held off the comeback bid from the Blue Devils (14-5-2). Senior forward Kimberly Norton and Courtney Brown scored for Stanton, which had stunned South Walton in the 2022-23 Class 4A regionals.

REGION 1-3A

P.K. Yonge forward Ava Amish (6) dribbles the ball away from Episcopal defender Rivers Carney (16) during the first half.
P.K. Yonge forward Ava Amish (6) dribbles the ball away from Episcopal defender Rivers Carney (16) during the first half.

Episcopal's final four bid came up two and a half minutes short.

Faith Hardy netted her second goal of the game in the 78th minute and P.K. Yonge eliminated the Eagles (14-7-1) in a heartbreaker in Gainesville, 2-1.

The Blue Wave (16-3-3) advanced to its first-ever final four.

P.K. Yonge took the lead on a Hardy goal before Kynsley Young knotted the scores for Episcopal.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville girls soccer third-round playoff results: St. Johns wins