'No easy games': Final Four reunion awaits Fortegra Invitational high school basketball

This year, Jacksonville gets a taste of the final four feeling.

Four state semifinal qualifiers from the 2022-24 season are set to tip off the High School 9:12 Fortegra Invitational boys basketball tournament returning for its seventh year from Dec. 7-9 at Florida State College at Jacksonville South Campus.

"It's an awesome opportunity for our student-athletes, and we look forward to it each year," Oakleaf head coach Jason Price said.

Oakleaf opens the event on Dec. 7 against Ribault at 2 p.m., followed by Providence vs. Paxon, North Florida Educational Institute vs. Ponte Vedra and Episcopal vs. Southwest Macon of Georgia.

For Providence head coach Jim Martin, the 2023 event is "by far the best" field in the tournament's history.

Ribault, Providence, NFEI and Ponte Vedra all qualified for last year's Florida High School Athletic Association final four. Meanwhile, Paxon made the final four three years ago, Oakleaf surged to 24-2 last winter and Episcopal returns two of Jacksonville's top prospects in Kent Jackson and Grady Schwartz.

"I love the matchups," said Ribault head coach Charles Showers, whose Trojans will return 2022-23 All-First Coast player of the year Caleb Williams. "There's no easy games for anybody."

The tournament announcement opened Tuesday's High School 9:12 Basketball Media Day at the Winston Family YMCA, which included dozens of Jacksonville-area schools and more than 100 players.

Among the other storylines Tuesday: Not present were several top 2022-23 players who transferred elsewhere for the coming season. Among others, Richmond-committed center Jaylen Robinson moved from Providence to DME Academy in Volusia County, while nationally-ranked prospect Eris Lester transferred from Orange Park to girls basketball juggernaut Montverde Academy in Central Florida.

Decision day in three districts: Thursday night games to watch

Football guide for scoreboard watchers

Too early for scoreboard watching? Not in Week 10 football.

For fans of Northeast Florida teams on the bubble for FHSAA at-large berths, the games on their own scoreboards aren't the only ones to worry about.

As they cheer on their own schools, they're also watching for the possibility that at-large challengers elsewhere in their Florida regions could slip up -- with potentially big implications for their place in the FHSAA ranking formula.

Jacksonville-area bubble teams are everywhere, ranging from Creekside and Nease in St. Johns County to Episcopal, Jackson and Wolfson in the tightly-packed Class 2M race.

Here are the final games for several Florida schools that could snatch at-large berths from Jacksonville-area teams.

• Orlando Evans (Class 4M; in contention with Atlantic Coast); vs. Apopka, vs. Lake Nona

• Hagerty (Class 4M); vs. Spruce Creek, at Oviedo

• Tallahassee Chiles (Class 3S; in contention with Creekside, Nease, Tocoi Creek); vs. Tallahassee Lincoln, at Sunlake

• Tallahassee Leon (Class 3S); vs. Crestview, vs. New Smyrna Beach

• Lyman (Class 3M; in contention with First Coast, Fletcher); at Orange City University, bye

• Wekiva (Class 3M); bye, at Apopka

• Wharton (Class 3M); vs. Tampa Freedom, vs. Hillsborough

• Pine Forest (Class 3S; in contention with Middleburg); at Pensacola Washington, bye

• Fort Walton Beach (Class 3S); vs. Choctawhatchee, at Crestview

• Lake Buena Vista (Class 2M; in contention with Episcopal, Jackson, Wolfson): at Bishop Moore, vs. Orlando Colonial

Creekside's Miller sets decision time

Circle the date: Nov. 8.

That's when Creekside senior sprinter Christian Miller is set to announce his college choice from a quartet of high-profile track and field finalists: Florida, Florida State, Georgia and LSU.

Miller won both the 100 and 200-meter dash in FHSAA Class 4A and ran even faster in the summer, capturing both events at the USA Track & Field U-20 Outdoor National Championships in Oregon. His wind-legal 10.06 in the 100 ranks as the fourth-fastest all-time for a high school runner in USATF records and set a new U18 age record.

National track website MileSplit ranked Miller as the nation's No. 1 track and field prospect earlier this year.

Anckner wins Menendez bowling title

Add Eli Anckner to a new chapter in Menendez sports history.

The Falcons' bowler won the District 3 boys bowling championship Monday, rolling a 705 to qualify from the competition in Volusia County. He qualifies for the state finals from Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center in Orlando.

Menendez, Palatka and St. Augustine are the only Northeast Florida schools that participate in boys bowling.

In girls bowling, meanwhile, a 396 from Savannah Roberts helped Palatka qualify second in District 3 behind Daytona Beach Seabreeze.

BK, Ponte Vedra win Speziale Invitational

No more evidence required: Beating Bishop Kenny and Ponte Vedra in cross country won't be very easy come playoff time.

Ponte Vedra captured the boys team championship on its home course and Bishop Kenny ran away with the girls title at Saturday's Craig Speziale Invitational, the last large meet on Northeast Florida's regular season calendar.

The Sharks' Miles Wicks (16:23), Luke Ross (16:28) and Davis Brown (16:35) all placed top 10 in the boys race for an 80-point finish, followed by Bartram Trail at 98 and Nease at 117.

Bishop Kenny's Alejandro Vinas took the boys individual championship in 15:52, 21 seconds clear of Creekside senior Jack Zurn.

The Bishop Kenny girls further solidified their position as a potential Class 2A champion, displaying their depth with five runners (Tessa Massa, Emily Wheldon, Stephanie Grden, Alexis Wilson and Davis Johnson) inside 19:15 for a 40-point finish. For Grden and Wilson, the times represent substantial personal records.

Ponte Vedra placed second at 53 points, then Gainesville Buchholz with 68.

Dashing away with yet another individual championship was Creekside sophomore Alyson Johnson in 18:02, an 11-second edge on Ponte Vedra's Daisy Ross. With a light weekend on deck, the season rolls into district races beginning Monday.

Final v-ball stats leaderboard: From kills to digs, see the Jacksonville area's 2023 high school volleyball leaders

Around the area

Bartram Trail cornerback Julian Porter committed to Army football. … Episcopal forward Grady Schwartz committed to Tampa men's basketball. ... Trinity Christian pitcher Braden Hansen committed to FSCJ baseball and infielder Maddox Lee committed to Santa Fe College baseball. . … Middleburg junior outfielder Mika Wesley committed to Bethune-Cookman softball and junior pitcher Lily Bennett committed to FSCJ softball. … Yulee outside hitter Emma Cook committed to Eastern Florida State College volleyball. … Ponte Vedra midfielder Aubrey Schmidt committed to Embry-Riddle women's lacrosse. … Ponte Vedra junior Penny Zarczynski committed to Yale women's swimming. … Eagle's View named Mike Davis head softball coach. … Former Mandarin distance runner Sem Sultanov qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the men's marathon. … Former Mandarin midfielder Logan Gonzales, now at Jacksonville University, was named ASUN women's soccer goalkeeper of the week. .. Alabama recognized Mandarin graduate and double NCAA swimming champion Kensey McMahon during halftime of the Crimson Tide's football victory over Tennessee. … High School Soccer Media Day, hosted by JAXUSL, is set for 9 a.m. Nov. 2 at the Winston Family YMCA. … High school wrestling practice, like basketball, begins Monday across the FHSAA.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA final four in Fortegra Invitational high school basketball