PNJ Winter All-Area 2024: Which basketball, soccer, wrestling and girls weightlifting stood out?

Another winter sports season has come and gone.

Escambia and Santa Rosa counties had one team state champion bring home a trophy during the year, and that was the Pace girls weightlifting team, which swept the traditional and Olympic scoring titles in Lakeland in Class 3A.

Outside of those weightlifters, several area winter sports teams had successful seasons in their own rights. Whether it be claiming district titles, or advancing to region final matchups, several individual athletes showed up and showed out during the season.

Today, we honor the complete list of all-area athletes for boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls wrestling, and girls weightlifting.

Boys basketball

Player of the Year

Darius Cunningham, Navarre

One area coach said that Navarre wouldn't have won certain games without the heroics of Cunningham's play during the 2023-24 season. While Navarre wound up having a rocky end to the season, finishing at 12-14 overall, Cunningham made his presence known throughout the Panhandle.

Several players – all seniors for the Raiders – played in all 26 games for Navarre this season. However, of those players, Cunningham nearly doubled every stats of his teammates throughout the year. Cunningham scored an area-best 560 points (averaging 21.5 points per game), with an astounding 243 rebounds, 75 assists and 62 steals.

Cunningham, an Alfred State – which is based in upstate New York – commit, also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his senior year. In 26 games for Navarre, Cunningham led his team in nearly every contests, including two 40-point games.

Defensive Player of the Year

John Anderson, West Florida

Standing at 6-foot-8, you'd think it'd be obvious that Anderson would be considered for Defensive Player of the Year. Going against some tough competition through the 2023-24 season, Anderson – and his height – stood out among the rest.

Anderson led the Jaguars with 142 teams (53 offensive, 85 defensive). But where his size came into play often was with 134 blocks, including a season-high 10 blocks against Pensacola Catholic on Jan. 30. Anderson also posted eight steals on the season,

Newcomer of the Year

Sergio Robinson, Milton

The Milton boys basketball team had its best campaign in about five years, when the Panthers went 20-9 in 2018-19. In a bounce-back season, Robinson made his name known with a few stars above him in the mix at Milton.

A sophomore, Robinson posted 256 points (averaging 9.5 points per game) in 27 contests, which was good enough for the third-most points on the squad. He also added 102 total rebounds (41 offensive, 61 defensive) with 44 steals and 15 blocks, while leading the team with 70 assists. Robinson led the team in scoring during four games across the season, including a high of 21 points against Pensacola on Dec. 5.

Coach of the Year

Joey Nieves

Nieves isn't new to the coaching system in the Panhandle. Nieves had been with L.E.A.D. Academy for the last handful of seasons before taking on the Florida High School Athletic Association by storm in his first year with Milton.

Nieves led the Panthers to a 20-win season, claiming the District 1-6A title for the first time since 2020. It's an incredible turnaround, taking over a team that won just six games last season.

All eyes were on Milton when it started the season off with an 11-game win streak, before dropping a game to Mary G. Montgomery (Alabama) in Tate. Milton was dealt a tough hand, the eighth seed in the Region 1-6A tournament, and had to go to No. 1 Wiregrass Ranch in the quarterfinals, nearly pulling off an upset but falling late.

All-Area First Team

G – Darrius Cunningham, Navarre

G – Treymar Jones, Milton

G – Ethan McDonald, Jay

G – Hutson Rowe, Gulf Breeze

G – Dominick Nicholson, West Florida

G – Maurice Smith, Pine Forest

UTIL – Alex Jasquith, Booker T. Washington

UTIL – Evan Bignell, Tate

All-Area Second Team

G –Sergio Robinson, Milton

G – C.J. McKinley, Milton

G – Kaden Ellison, Central

F – Solomon Sutton, Pensacola Catholic

F – Logan Brown, Booker T. Washington

F – Nick Jones, Pensacola

F – Mason Allen, Jay

C – John Anderson, West Florida

Girls basketball

Player of the Year

Chamiah Francis, Booker T. Washington

Get used to this name from Booker T. Washington. The PNJ Newcomer of the Year last season, Francis propelled to Booker T. to one of its best seasons in recent memory. The last time the Wildcats put up 23 wins in a season was 2008-09.

The now-sophomore took the area by storm as a well-rounded player. She posted 491 points (averaging 19.6 per game), while also recording 302 rebounds (131 offensive, 171 defense), 55 steals and 55 blocks.

The 6-foot-3 center/power forward had a season-high 36 points against West Florida in January. She had two other 30-point games, including a second time against West Florida and again over Pensacola. In 25 games played, Francis had a double-double in 19 of those contests.

Defensive Player of the Year

Niylia Wilkins, Pine Forest

Last season's MVP for girls basketball, Wilkins still had a strong final season with the Eagles. Wilkins, standing at 5-foot-8, tallied 102 rebounds (averaging 6.7 per game) on the season, along with 17 blocks and 37 assists.

Wilkins posted a season-high 14 rebounds against Pace at the end of January, and also posted six blocks in that game.

Newcomer of the Year

Amani 'AB' Bartholomew, West Florida

Just as Francis made heads turn during her first season, Bartholomew appears to be on that same path. In her first season at the varsity level, Bartholomew, a freshman, led the Jaguars with 351 points on the year (averaging 14.6 per game), while adding 318 rebounds (117 offense, 201 defense), with 47 assists, 47 steals and 14 blocks.

Bartholomew had an incredible performance on Dec. 30 against The Villages Charter, where she put up 27 points while snagging 25 rebounds. On the season, she had 14 double-doubles, including four games where Bartholomew had at least 20 rebounds at just 5-foot-8.

Coach of the Year

Jade Brown, Booker T. Washington

Simply put: what a turnaround for the Wildcats. After not having a winning season since the 2019-20 campaign, Brown pushed the Wildcats to a region final game, falling just short to Mainland, the defending state champions from 2023. Booker T. had a 23-2 record, only losing to Mainland and Hancock (Alabama) back in December.

With a strong arsenal at her disposal, Brown's teams showed pure dominance in several games, and was ranked among the top five teams in the state of Florida all year long, according to the FHSAA.

All-Area First Team

F – Chamiah Francis, Booker T. Washington

F – Amani Bartholomew, West Florida

F – Aubreigh Nelson, Jay

F – Mikerria Bonner, Booker T. Washington

G – Niylia Wilkins, Pine Forest

G – Zion Perkins, Pensacola

G – Lila Jacobs, Gulf Breeze

G – Lakin Mathews, Central

All-Area Second Team

G – Autumn Boutwell, Central

G – Aisley Shields, Pace

G – Nylah Brooks, West Florida

G – Kaylee Gilbreath, Jay

G – Aniya Jackson, Pine Forest

F – Piper Tieman, Gulf Breeze

F – Maleeya Brammer, Gulf Breeze

UTIL – Kensington Perez, Navarre

Boys Soccer

Player of the Year

Jackson Clarke, Tate

Clarke proved his offensive prowess in his first and only season with the Aggies, pushing them to the District 1-6A championship in four years. Clarke, who previously played at West Florida, scored a goal in the district championship against Navarre, to make it 2-0 over the Raiders in the 32nd minute of the game.

Clarke had an area-high 27 goals and 65 points on a team that lost just five times during the season. Clarke had a season-best eight points in the shutout over Pensacola back in November. He posted at least one point in 15 of the Aggies' 20 games on the year.

"He had the biggest impact on the success of his particular team," Tate head coach Mason Clarke said of Jackson.

Defensive Player of the Year

Tony Lipnicky, Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington allowed just 16 goals in the season, the least amount allowed by a team in the area. That included five shutouts, with a scoreless win in penalty kicks over Arnold in late January.

Lipnicky was part of a steady defense that propelled the Wildcats to a Region 1-5A title game, falling to Arnold in a rematch of the regular-season contest. But, during the year, Lipnicky had several blocked shots, including some big ones against Gulf Breeze during the season.

While this is a defensive award, Lipnicky also found success with four goals and four assists during the season, including the game-winning penalty kick against Arnold to claim the District 1-5A crown.

Newcomer of the Year

Landon Rhymer, Booker T. Washington

A freshman on a pretty loaded roster, Rhymer played in 15 games as a first-year player. He scored five goals during the season, playing crucial minutes for the Wildcats at midfield.

Rhymer played in nearly every game for the Wildcats, head coach Felipe Lawall said. Rhyme scored one goal in the games against Pace, West Florida, South Walton, Escambia and Fort Walton Beach.

Coach of the Year

Felipe Lawall, Booker T. Washington

Another year, another trophy for Lawall and the Wildcats. Yet, he's still looking for the district and region sweep. This year, he got the former half, winning a penalty kick shootout over Arnold in the District 1-5A title game, avenging defeat from 2023.

However, the Wildcats fell in the Region 1-5A final game to Arnold, which bounced back. It's been awhile since Booker T. has seen a losing record, and Lawall continues to put Booker T. at top form, finishing the year with a 14-2 record and a finish among the top 10 teams in the entire state of Florida.

All-Area First Team

GK – Ethan Koivu, Booker T. Washington

D – Mateo Solo, Navarre

D – Marcus Cullen, Pace

D – Westin Rhymer, Booker T. Washington

D – Tony Lipnicky, Booker T. Washington

MF – Michael Christensen, Tate

MF – Felipe Lawall, Booker T. Washington

MF – Kyle Hunnicutt, Booker T. Washington

FW – Jackson Clarke, Tate

FW – Christian Baker, Pace

FW – Sawyer Kuba, Booker T. Washington

All-Area Second Team

GK – Jaden Fernandez, Pensacola

D – Brett Buttell, Gulf Breeze

D – Grey Griffin, West Florida

MF – Leo Barragan, Pace

MF – Reynaldo Portugal, West Florida

MF – Nathan McGovern, Navarre

MF – Landon Rhymer, Booker T. Washington

MF – Justin Bolden, Tate

FW – Tyrin Joiner, West Florida

FW – Lucas Isakson, Gulf Breeze

FW – Ian Stinnett, Tate

Girls Soccer

Player of the Year

Cici Buffalino, Navarre

Named the FACA District 1-6A Player of the Year, Buffalino had 19 goals and six assists to pace Navarre, leading the Raiders to yet another District 1-6A title under the leadership of coach Rob Simon.

Buffalino recorded a three-goal hat trick in November against West Florida for a season-high six points. There were a few games where Buffalino had five-point nights, with two goals and an assist against both Milton and Booker T. Washington in November.

Buffalino was an All-Area Second Team selection in 2023, and led the Raiders to a 15-6-2 overall record. The junior still has one more season to impress with the Raiders.

Defensive Player of the Year

Zoey Mattes, Pace

The sophomore goalkeeper was a wall for the Patriots, pushing Pace to several key wins through the season – including a penalty kick shootout victory over Gulf Breeze in the District 1-6A semifinals, knocking off the defending state champions.

First-year head coach Nick Williamson described Mattes, simply, as "an animal." Mattes had seven wins during the season, six of which were shutouts.

With 97 saves on the year, Mattes had a season-high 13 saves against Chiles in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals, despite the loss. In back-to-back games against Gulf Breeze and Navarre in the district tournament, Mattes recorded 12 saves in both games.

"I can’t wait to see what next year and the year after brings, because she’s going to do nothing but grow," Williamson said.

Newcomer of the Year

Addison Manning, Pensacola Catholic

Once Manning got going in a game, it was hard to stop her. The Pensacola Catholic freshman made her presence known with several multi-goal or multi-point games throughout the season.

Manning's first varsity goal came against Crestview in November, and that sparked a memorable season for the first-year player. Manning scored 21 goals, adding eight assists, for 50 points on the season.

Manning had an astounding 10-point performance with four goals and two assists in an 8-0 shutout over Walton in mid January.

Coach of the Year

Jason Providence, Tate

As teams continue to stock up on travel or club soccer players to boost high school rosters, Providence was described as a coach that did "the most with less."

Providence led the Aggies to a 10-4-1 record, putting up 10 wins in a season for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign under former head coach Tony Gage. Providence and Tate made it to the District 1-6A semifinals, before falling to Navarre.

First Team All-Area

GK – Zoey Mattes, Pace

D – Daysha Taylor, Navarre

D – Lena MacDonald, Gulf Breeze

D – Alli Dalton, Navarre

D – Lexi Basel, Pace

MF – Berkleigh Jernigan, Pace

MF – Katie Kauth, Navarre

FW – Cora Helmig, Tate

FW – Cici Buffalino, Navarre

FW – Becca Ryan, Pace

FW – Addison Manning, Pensacola Catholic

All-Second Team

GK – Lily Rodriguez, Pensacola Catholic

D – Bree Stankard, Pace

D – Sydney Crow, Pace

D – Lacie Goodale, Pace

D – Peyton Shaw, Navarre

MF – Natalie Busch, Navarre

MF – Taylor Armstead, Navarre

MF – Gianna Smart, Tate

FW – Emma Barry, Navarre

FW – Amelia Jacobs, Gulf Breeze

FW – Skylar Hendricks, Gulf Breeze

Wrestling

Boys Wrestler of the Year

Coby Shields, Gulf Breeze

Repeating as the PNJ Wrestler of the Year, Shields finished the season with a 53-8 overall record in the 126-pound weight class for the Dolphins. Again this season, Shields claimed a District 1-2A title and took bronze in the Region 1-2A individual tournament to earn a bid at state.

Shields claimed fifth place at the state tournament in the 126-pound weight class for 2A. Shields had to fight back in Kissimmee, and won his last match over Yaisel O'farrill in a 10-2 major decision to take fifth place.

Girls Wrestler of the Year

Camdyn Elliott, Gulf Breeze

The immaculate season for Elliott fell just short in the championship bout of the 100-pound weight class at the individual state tournament. But by no means was the 2023-24 an unsuccessful season for the sophomore.

Elliott finished the year with a 29-1 record, her only loss coming in the title battle in a 4-3 decision to Joslyn Johnson. Elliott also claimed crowns at the District 1-1A and Region 1-1A individual tournaments.

Coach of the Year

Dave Daily

Success is a word that Dave Daily has come to know extremely well as coach of the Gulf Breeze wrestling program. Daily helped lead the Dolphins to repeat as District 1-2A duals champions. The match came down to the last bout with Gavin Samons on the mat.

Gulf Breeze had seven wrestlers punch their tickets to the state tournament, four boys and three girls. On the girls side, Lily Powell, Elliott and Madison Caroll went to Kissimmee to represent the Dolphins, while Garrett Ferguson, Gavin Samons, Shields and Michael Mancuso did the same on the boys side.

Boys All-Area Team

Garrett Ferguson, Gulf Breeze

Gavin Samons, Gulf Breeze

Coby Shields, Gulf Breeze,

Michael Mancuso, Gulf Breeze

Isaac Waters, Pace

Girls All-Area Team

Camdyn Elliott, Gulf Breeze

Lahela Turnquest, Pace

Kiiaanna Gavere, Pace

Madison Carroll, Gulf Breeze

Lily Powell, Gulf Breeze

Joselyn Delgado, Milton

Girls Weightlifting

Weightlifter of the Year

Shannon Bryan, Pace

The Patriots stayed on top of the mountain at the Class 3A state championships for girls weightlifting in Lakeland, sweeping both scoring classifications.

Shannon Bryan, a senior, had an incredible push through the last handful of meets to cap off her high school career. After second-place finishes in both Olympic and traditional scoring as a junior in the 129-pound weight class, the jump to the 139-pound weight class proved to be a good fit.

Bryan swept the scoring classifications at the Navarre Invitational, the District 1-3A meet, the Region 1-3A meet and, ultimately, the 3A state championship. At the Navarre Invite, Bryan was the top lifter in both classifications. She earned the traditional top lifter honor at district, while sweeping the region meet.

Bryan won her weight class, with 420 pounds in traditional scoring and 360 pounds in Olympic scoring. Her weights included a 150-pound snatch, a 210-pound clean and jerk, and a 210-pound bench press.

All-Area Team

101 – Amaya Pablo, Pace

110 – Lani Bennett, Pace

119 – Athena Hicks, Navarre

129 – Ashlin Chambers, Navarre

139 – Shannon Bryan, Pace

154 – Izzy Negley, Navarre

169 – Ireland Grimes, Pace

183 – Izzy Zach, Navarre

199 – Dana Tolleson, Milton

UNL – Shyann Donaldson, Milton

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PNJ All-Area 2024 for basketball, soccer, wrestling and girls weightlifting